Combined video camera and toolholder with triangulation sensing
OwnerIlmar Luikinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for determining depth, height and other reference information with respect to features on a workpiece is disclosed. A camera is mounted in a CNC toolholder so that the lens of the camera is coaxial with a rotational axis of the CNC toolholder. A laser is mounted radially outward from the camera, and directs a laser beam angularly toward the workpiece and within the field of view of the camera. With knowledge of the precise angle of, the laser beam with respect to the rotational axis of the toolholder, height and depth information of features on the workpiece may be obtained from where the reflection of the laser beam falls on the CCD array of the camera. A computer, which may be the computer of the CNC machine, may be provided with the height, depth and other reference information.
Claims19
A system for obtaining data with respect to a workpiece comprising:
- a tool holder having an axis of rotation,
- a light sensor in said tool holder and in coaxial alignment with said axis of rotation, said light sensor providing signals indicative of reflected light from said workpiece,
- a receiver of said signals.
A system for determining height and depth information of features on a workpiece comprising:
- a CNC toolholder,
- an imaging sensor mounted in said CNC toolholder so that a center of said imaging sensor is at least approximately along an axis of rotation of said CNC toolholder,
- a laser mounted radially away from said axis of rotation and directing a laser beam onto said workpiece so that said imaging sensor receives a reflection of where said laser beam impinges said workpiece,
- a computer coupled to said imaging sensor for determining said height and depth information from a knowledge of an angle of said laser beam and where on said imaging sensor said reflection falls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.