MEASURING SYSTEM EMPLOYING A MEASURING METHOD BASED ON THE TRIANGULAT- ION PRINCIPLE FOR THE NON-CONTACT MEASUREMENT OF A DISTANCE FROM THE SURFACE OF A CONTOURED OBJECT TO A REFERENCE LEVEL.

An apparatus for dimensional inspection of an object. The apparatus is adapted to produce a slender beam of measuring radiation for irradiating an object under examination. Reflected light image receiving means are provided including a receiving lens for collecting radiation reflected from an object surface spot irradiated by the measuring beam, and a linear photo-sensitive detector. The receiving lens is dimensioned and disposed relative to the measuring beam and the linear detector as to exclusively project those object surface spots irradiated by a longitudinal section defining a measuring range, of the measuring beam, as focussed dots on the linear photo-sensitive detector area. For improving the resolution of the focussed dots produced on the detector, a beam forming lens is provided for causing the cross-sectional area of the measuring beam to gradually increase over the measuring range. The apparatus is further adapted to image one and same object surface spot irradiated by the measuring means as two separate dots on the detector wherein these dots are uniquely related to each other only, in case a true reflection has been received. Thereby a discrimination can be made between true and false reflections from the object under examination.