JP2002202119A - Measuring instrument with fraction indicating function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the need of the measurement and calculation for the fraction indication, improve the working efficiency, avoid the calculation error, etc., and improve the reliability of data of the measurement, the inspection, etc. SOLUTION: The instrument has a sensor module 1 and a main scale 2. The sensor module 1 comprises a position sensor, a signal processor circuit for processing an output signal from the position sensor to output a measured value, and an indicator 11 for indicating the measured value outputted by the processor circuit. The module 1 contains a fraction calculator circuit for converting a decimal to a fraction to indicate the measure value with fraction inches and an in-mm switch 14 for switching over the decimal inch, decimal millimeter, and fraction inch indications.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a position sensor, a signal processing circuit for processing an output signal of the position sensor, and a measuring device provided with a display for displaying a measured value.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, as a position sensor, a capacitance type sensor, an electromagnetic induction type sensor, an optical type sensor and the like have been known. In addition, a caliper, a depth gauge, a length measuring device, and the like have been put into practical use as a small measuring instrument equipped with these position sensors, a signal processing circuit for processing an output signal of the position sensor, and a display for displaying a measured value.

[0003]

In the inch-country countries, fractional inch units are often used. Fractional inch units are often used in the woodworking machinery industry,
Furniture production factories and other users who customarily process and measure fractional units of material. In the automotive industry, fractional inches are often used for inspection and measurement of tire grooves. However, the display of measured values of a conventional small measuring instrument is usually in the unit of fractional inches (or fractional millimeters), and the fractional inches (or fractional millimeters) are not currently displayed. So if you want to use fractional inches,
Fractional inches must be obtained by calculating the measured value expressed in fractional inches, resulting in poor working efficiency.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a measuring instrument with a fraction display function.

[0005]

A measuring instrument with a fraction display function according to the present invention comprises: a position sensor; a signal processing circuit for processing an output signal of the position sensor to output a measured value; An indicator for displaying the measured value to be output,
A fraction operation circuit for converting a decimal of the measured value into a fraction. In the present invention, preferably, a switch for switching between decimal display and fraction display of the measured value is provided.

According to the present invention, by enabling fraction display, a user who uses fractional inches (or fractional millimeters) does not need to perform calculations after measurement.
Workability is improved. In addition, since calculation errors and the like are prevented, the reliability of data such as measurement and inspection is high.

In the present invention, preferably, the display is
A decimal display segment is disposed at a substantially central portion of the display surface, and a unit display segment is disposed at an upper right side thereof, at a position one step lower than the decimal display segment below the unit display segment. It is assumed that a denominator display segment unit for displaying a fraction is arranged. With such a segment arrangement, normal decimal display and fraction display can be switched and displayed without discomfort.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 show an example of a small measuring instrument to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 1 shows a caliper having a sensor module 1 and a main scale 2 to which the sensor module 1 is slidably attached. Jaws 3 and 4 are formed at the tip of the main scale 2 and the tip of the sensor module 1, respectively.

FIG. 2 shows a depth gauge, which is a sensor module 1 and a main scale 2 to which the sensor module 1 is slidably attached.
Having. A spindle 6 is provided at the tip of the main scale 1,
A base 5 constituting a measurement reference plane is attached to the tip of the sensor module 2. FIG. 3 shows a length measuring device for measuring a long length, which is simply composed of a sensor module 1 and a main scale 2 to which the sensor module 1 is slidably attached.

The sensor module 1 used for these measuring instruments includes a position sensor and a signal processing circuit, as described later, and a display 11 for displaying measured values. The sensor module 1 also has a power switch 12, a zero reset switch 12, an inch (in) / millimeter (mm) changeover switch 14, and a mode (MODE) switch 15.

In these measuring instruments, it is possible to display fractions of measured values. Specifically, operation of the in / mm switch 14 enables switching between three modes: millimeter display, inch display, and fractional inch display. Further, a function of switching the denominator of the fractional inch display by operating the mode switch 15 with the fractional inch display selected.

FIG. 4 shows a system configuration of the sensor module 1. The position (displacement) sensor 20 may be any of a capacitance type, an electromagnetic induction type, a magnetic type, and an optical type. The output signal of the sensor 20 is processed by a signal processing circuit 21 including a demodulation circuit 22, a counting circuit 23, and an arithmetic circuit 24, and a measured value is obtained. The measured values are output to the display 11 and, if necessary, to external data.

The demodulation circuit 22 converts a sensor output signal normally output as a sinusoidal signal into a pulse signal. The counting circuit 22 counts the pulse signal to obtain position data. The arithmetic circuit 24 performs, for example, an operation of combining data of sparse, medium, and dense scale tracks.

According to the present invention, the arithmetic circuit 24 includes
When the fractional inch display is selected by the / mm switch 14, calculation for converting a decimal value of a measured value into a fractional value is also performed. The flow of the fractional inch calculation when the fractional inch measurement is instructed is, for example, as shown in FIG.

Assuming that the measured value is obtained in millimeters, a decimal inch operation (ie, millimeter / inch conversion) is performed in step S1.
To obtain fractional inch data. Then, the integer part of the data obtained in step S2 is temporarily stored, and an operation for converting the decimal part into a fraction is performed in step S3. The fractional inch and the integer part thus obtained are combined and displayed on the display device 11.

In the fractional inch calculation, for example, by preparing a calculation table as shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to convert a fractional inch into a fractional inch only by simple subtraction. This calculation table is an example when the denominator of the fraction is 128. As shown in the figure, a numerical value (a value obtained by dividing by 128) necessary for setting the denominator to 128 with respect to the unit numerical value of 0 to 9 in decimal inches is determined in advance.

For example, assuming that the measured value converted to millimeters / inch is 1.102 inches, a specific calculation example is as follows. That is, the integer part "1" is stored and held, and the following equation 1 is calculated for the decimal part "102". First, based on the table of FIG.
"078" which is smaller than "2" and closest to this.
Select the decimal inch unit numerical value “1” corresponding to “13.” Then, from the decimal part “102”, the arithmetic numerical value “0” is selected.
7813 ", and the same operation is repeated for the remainder.

[0018]

(Equation 1)

By such an operation, the number of molecules "13" in fractional inches is obtained. That is, the displayed value of fractional inches is
It becomes "1" 13/128 [inch].

Although the denominator is 128 in the above example,
In general, the fractional inch denominator is 16, 32, 64, 12
A power of two number such as eight is used. The invention also provides
The present invention is effective not only for displaying fractions in inches, but also for displaying fractions in millimeters.

In the above embodiment, the sensor module 1
For example, an LCD is used as the display unit 11. However, in order to enable display by switching between a normal decimal display and a fraction display, it is desired that these be displayed without discomfort. FIG. 7 shows an example of the layout of the display segments of the display 11 taking such consideration into account.

The decimal display segment section 71 is disposed slightly to the left of substantially the center of the horizontally long rectangular display surface, and the positive and negative sign segments 72 are disposed to the left thereof. A unit display segment 73 in which "mm" and "inch" are arranged side by side is arranged on the upper right side of the decimal display segment 71, and a denominator is displayed at a position one step lower than the decimal display segment 71 below. Segment 75 is arranged. The number segment of the denominator display segment unit 75 is
A slash display segment 74 is arranged between the decimal display segment unit 71 and the denominator display segment 75 with the same size as the decimal segment of the decimal display segment unit 71.

With such a segment arrangement, decimal display and fraction display can be performed without discomfort. FIG. 8 shows an example of the display. From the top, the initial display of normal measurement "0.0mm", the initial display of fractional inch mode "
0/128 in ", initial display in decimal inch mode" 0.0
00in ". As described above, these are in /
It is switched by a mm switch. In the fractional inch mode, the mode switch allows the denominator to be switched and displayed as shown.

FIG. 8 shows a display example in a millimeter mode, a fractional inch mode, and a decimal inch mode when the measurement is specifically performed. In this way, by devising the arrangement of the display segments of the display, it is possible to switch between the normal decimal display and the fraction display in a state without a sense of discomfort.

[0025]

As described above, the measuring instrument according to the present invention can display fractions, so that a user who uses fractional inches (or fractions of millimeters) does not need to perform measurement and calculation, and thus can perform work. The performance is improved. In addition, since calculation errors and the like are prevented, the reliability of data such as measurement and inspection is high.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a measuring instrument to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another example of a measuring instrument to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another example of a measuring instrument to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a measurement system.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a flow of a fraction operation.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a fraction calculation table.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a segment arrangement of the display.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display example of each mode of the display.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sensor module, 2 ... Main scale, 12 ... Power switch, 13 ... Zero reset switch, 14 ... In / mm changeover switch, 15 ... Mode switch, 71 ... Segment part for decimal display, 72 ... Segment part for sign display, 73
... Segment part for unit display, 74 ... Segment part for slash display, 75 ... Segment part for denominator display.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2F041 GA01 2F069 AA31 AA38 AA43 DD24 DD25 DD30 GG01 GG04 GG06 GG07 HH02 HH14 HH23 HH24 LL01 NN00 NN08 QQ04 QQ05 QQ08 QQ12 RR12

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A position sensor, a signal processing circuit that processes an output signal of the position sensor and outputs a measured value, an indicator that displays a measured value output by the signal processing circuit, and a decimal number of the measured value And a fraction calculation circuit for converting a number into a fraction. 2. The measuring instrument with a fraction display function according to claim 1, further comprising a switch for switching between a decimal display and a fraction display of the measured value. 3. The display according to claim 1, wherein a decimal display segment is disposed substantially at the center of the display surface, and a unit display segment is disposed at an upper right side of the display. The decimal display is provided below the unit display segment. 2. The measuring device with a fraction display function according to claim 1, wherein a denominator display segment for displaying a fraction is disposed at a position one step lower than the display segment.