Probe head including bearing arrangement

摘要

A bearing arrangement for an articulatable support (6) comprises bearing assemblies (20/28,22/29,24/30 and 26/32). In one embodiment the assemblies comprise a ball (20,22,24,26) and aperture (40 figure 2) having sliding contact at discrete areas (36) during relative rotation. In another embodiment the sliding contact may be formed at a ball (20,22,24,26) and a plastics e.g. P.T.F.E. support (84,85 figures 10 and 11). Resilient displacement of the bearing contact along a rotational axis (A and B) is provided by planar spring supports (28,32) and rigid support is provided by supports (29 and 30).