EP2108104A1

EP2108104A1 - Spirit level, in particular laser spirit level

Info

Publication number: EP2108104A1
Application number: EP07847679A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Clemens Schulte; Wolfgang Adamczak; Steffen Tiede
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2006-12-28
Filing date: 2007-12-03
Publication date: 2009-10-14
Also published as: DE102006061728A1; CN101578496A; WO2008080729A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a spirit level, in particular a laser spirit level, having a housing (10) and having at least one optical signal generator, in particular a laser beam generator, which is in the housing and is intended to generate a projection line (26) on a reference surface. The invention proposes that the housing (10) defines a first reference plane I and a second reference plane II, wherein the first and second reference planes of the housing (10) run essentially perpendicular to one another.

Description

description

title

Spirit level, in particular laser spirit level

The invention relates to a spirit level, in particular a laser spirit level according to the preamble of claim 1.

State of the art

State-of-the-art spirit levels, in particular

Laser spirit levels, are aligned in the application either by hand by means of built-in dragonflies on a work surface, such as a wall or a floor or on a flat surface, such as a table top, placed and then aligned. In so-called laser spirit levels are spirit levels, which in addition with a

Light source, in particular a laser diode, are provided, which makes it possible to emit an optical signal in the form of a laser beam. Because of this optical signal, it is possible to significantly expand the field of application of such a measuring tool, since the laser marking makes it possible to increase the contact edge by a multiple of the device length.

Known devices of this type are generally quite large, heavy and have due to their lack of mounting options only a limited application.

From DE 199 14 539 Al a device for pitch display is known which has a housing with a housing-fixed support surface and at least one light source for generating a bundled, aligned parallel to the support surface light beam. The housing of the device of DE 199 14 539 A1 has a support part made of metal and a housing part made of plastic, wherein the support surface and a receptacle for the light source is formed by the support part. From DE 200 09 812 Ul a spirit level, in particular a laser spirit level, with a housing having at least one laser beam generator inserted into the housing and with an optical device provided in the housing for beam guidance of the laser beam generated by the at least one laser beam generator is known. In the laser spirit level of DE 200 09 812 Ul, a first laser beam emerges from a first housing opening in a horizontal direction parallel to the housing longitudinal axis and a second laser beam from a second housing opening in a vertical direction perpendicular to the housing longitudinal axis.

Disclosure of the invention

The spirit level according to the invention, in particular laser spirit level, has a housing with at least one optical housing located in the housing

Signal generator, in particular a laser beam generator, which allows a

Create projection line on a reference surface. Advantageously, the housing of the spirit level according to the invention defines a first and a second reference plane, the first and the second reference plane of the housing substantially, that is, in the context of manufacturing tolerances, perpendicular to each other.

With the help of the two mutually perpendicular reference planes, it is possible to align the spirit level according to the invention, in particular laser water level, in different defined positions on or on a work surface or contact surface.

The features listed in the dependent claims advantageous developments of the spirit level according to the invention are possible.

The optical signal transmitter of the spirit level is designed in particular as a so-called line light source, in particular as a line laser, which emit a light signal which is collimated in one direction and fanned out in a direction perpendicular thereto.

In an advantageous manner, the optical signal transmitter biases an optical plane which is essentially vertical, that is to say in the context of manufacturing tolerances to the first reference plane of the housing of the spirit level. In this way it is possible to produce a projection line on a working or contact surface, wherein the projection line results as a cutting line between the optical plane of the optical signal transmitter and the first reference plane of the housing. By abutment with the second reference plane of the housing results in a projection surface, which runs parallel to the work surface.

Advantageously, both the first and the second reference plane of the housing are each clamped by three housing elevations formed on the housing. This allows the definition of

Reference planes even with a curved, for example, substantially concave housing form.

In alternative embodiments, the first and / or the second contact surface can also be spanned by a surface. In particular, the contact surfaces can then consist of a metallic material.

In an advantageous manner, the housing elevations spanning the reference planes are formed integrally with the housing or housing parts.

In alternative embodiments, the elevations are formed by inserts, in particular metallic inserts, such as balls.

Advantageously, the housing of the invention

Spirit level beyond a third reference plane, which is parallel to the second reference plane of the housing. This third reference plane is advantageously formed by a planar contact point, which is formed on the housing.

In an advantageous embodiment of the spirit level according to the invention, the housing of the spirit level is double-shelled and surrounds a second, inner housing, which is designed as a carrier element of at least one optical functional part, in particular of the optical signal transmitter.

In alternative embodiments, the housing is formed by a metallic part and for example one or more plastic parts. Of the Metallic part may be formed as a contact surface and additionally formed as a carrier of optical components. The plastic parts of the housing can advantageously be designed as two half-shells which protectively surround the optical components and other components of the device.

The level according to the invention has at least two inclination sensors oriented perpendicular to one another, for example two liquid levels oriented perpendicular to one another in order to allow a defined alignment of the device with respect to a contact surface.

In addition, the spirit level according to the invention has at least one resilient fastening element, which is connected to the housing and which makes it possible to attach the device when not being used, for example, on the clothing of a user. This is advantageous

Fastening element as a clip, for example formed as a metal clip.

Further advantages of the spirit level according to the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment.

drawing

In the drawing, two embodiments of spirit levels according to the invention are shown, which will be explained in more detail in the following description. The figures of the drawing, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combinations. A person skilled in the art will also consider these features individually and combine them into further meaningful combinations. In particular, a person skilled in the art will also combine features of different embodiments with each other and thus arrive at further embodiments.

Show it:

1 shows an embodiment of the spirit level according to the invention in a plan view, 2 shows the embodiment of the spirit level according to the invention according to Figure 1 in a bottom view,

3 is a perspective view of the cross section of the spirit level according to the invention according to Figure 1 or 2, but without showing the components inside,

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the spirit level according to the invention according to FIGS. 1 to 3,

FIG. 5 shows a detailed representation of the interior of the housing of the spirit level according to the invention,

FIG. 6 shows a further detailed representation of the interior of the housing of the spirit level according to the invention in the field of optics,

Figure 7 shows another embodiment of the invention

Spirit level in a supervision

FIG. 8 shows a detailed representation of an embodiment of the invention

Interior of the housing of the spirit level according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a spirit level according to the invention in a plan view. The device has a housing with an outer device housing 10, which may be formed, for example, in a clam shell embodiment. The housing 10 consists for example of impact-resistant, thermoplastic base material and surrounds an inner housing made of a mechanically and thermally stable material, in particular a metallic

Material which serves in particular for fastening the optical components. In the embodiment of Figure 1, the outer housing 10 surrounds the inner housing. Inserted into or molded onto the outer housing 10 is a gripping area, which is designed, for example, as a soft grip 12 with a nubby design. Advantageously, the softgrip 12 can be designed as a flap for a battery compartment in the housing for the measuring device. The outer housing 10 has openings through the tilt sensors, - -

idem shown in Figure 1 embodiment in the form of two dragonflies, 14, 16 are visible. The dragonflies are arranged perpendicular to each other and fastened in a manner to be described on the inner housing of the spirit level according to the invention.

In addition, the housing of the spirit level according to the invention has a spring-elastic fastening element, which is designed as a fastening clip 18. This fastening clip 18 can be realized, for example, by a metal clip fastened in the housing, so that the device can be connected like a ballpoint pen for the purpose of carrying it.

By three housing elevations 20, 20 ', 20 ", which are integrally formed in the embodiment of Figure 1 with the outer housing 10, a first reference plane of the device is defined, which can serve as a contact surface, for example on a wall or on a floor. The housing elevations 20, 20 ',

20 "protrude beyond the housing contour, so that the reference plane or contact surface defined by the elevations is independent of the actual shape of the outer housing of the device. and 20 "attached, as can be seen in particular in the illustration of Figure 4. For the sake of stability, these elevations 20 ', 20 ", which are located in the illustrated embodiment on the front part of the device housing 10, are preferably attached to the outer edges of the housing 3. A third, punctiform elevation 20 in the rear region of the housing completes the three-point support, which covers the first reference plane I. Are defined.

In this case, the front end of the device is the end at which the optical signal 26 of the optical signal transmitter 28 exits.

On its underside of the device, which is shown in Figure 2, the housing 10 of the spirit level according to the invention has three more

Housing surveys 22, 22 ', 22 ", which a second reference and

Define support level Il. With these contact points 22, 22 ', 22 "in the

Embodiment of Figure 2 are formed as elongated elevations parallel or transverse to the optical beam direction, the spirit level according to the invention, for example, manually positioned on a wall surface and aligned horizontally as required by means of the dragonfly 14. The housing elevations 20, 20 ', 20 "or 22, 22', 22" can also be embedded as inserts, for example as metallic parts, in particular as metallic balls in the housing.

In the housing interior of the spirit level according to the invention is an optical signal generator 28 in the form of a laser, in particular a diode laser 42, directly or via an additional optics, such as a cylindrical lens, generates a fanned laser beam 26, which in turn spans an optical plane 24, as shown in Figure 4 is indicated schematically. The optical plane 24 spanned by the optical signal generator 28, for example a laser diode 42, extends substantially perpendicular to the second reference plane II of the housing spanned by the housing elevations 22, 22 'and 22 ".

If the spirit level according to the invention is stopped with its second reference plane II on a wall, then the switched-on laser projects a line onto the substrate, for example a wall. The extent of this laser line 26 is many times greater than the actual device length of the spirit level. On or on this projected line 26 markings, for example, for attachment purposes, can be attached.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the housing elevations 20, 20 ', 20 "or 22, 22', 22" are formed on the housing 10 in such a way that the reference planes I and II defined by these housing elevations are perpendicular to one another. The generated by the optical signal generator 28 optical

Level 24 is, as already stated, perpendicular to the second reference plane II of the housing 10 and thus parallel to the first reference plane I of the housing.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the device according to the invention has a

Housing, which has a substantially convex cross-section. The appearance and size of the spirit level according to the invention is ajar the form of training so-called highlighters.

In addition to the reference planes I and II, as indicated in Figure 3, the housing of the spirit level according to the invention has a third reference plane III, which is formed by a flat contact point 30, for example on the Housing bottom 36, is formed, as shown in the embodiment of Figure 2. The reference plane III at the same time directly represents a contact surface, for example, serves the use of the device according to the invention together with a wall holder. Due to a special embodiment is in the central housing portion of the

Device housing 10, which may conveniently be the center of gravity, at least one magnetic element 32, 34 concealed inserted in the interior of the housing, as shown in FIG 5 can be removed. This magnetic disk or plates are used to attach the device to a wall bracket not shown here with, for example, ferromagnetic

Holding plate, for example made of a steel sheet. Figure 5 shows two mounted inside the housing, for example glued magnetic plates 32 and 34, which are inserted and arranged in the region of the raised trained contact surface 30 in and out. Through the plastic housing through these magnetic elements allow secure connection with, for example, a wall bracket.

The bearing surface 30 defined by the reference plane III is arranged somewhat recessed relative to the bearing surface defined by the housing elevations 22, 22 ', 22 ", so that this third reference plane fulfills the function of the three

Housing elevations 22, 22 ', 22 "is not impaired, but on the other hand ensures a maximum possible magnetic flux from the inside of the housing over the contact surface 30. The reference or support surface defined by the housing elevations 22, 22', 22" thus extends parallel to the defined by the flat contact point 30

Reference level III.

The clamshell-shaped in the exemplary embodiment plastic housing 10 extends over a second housing 40 shown in Figure 6, which essential functional parts, such as serving as an optical signal transmitter laser diode 42, a downstream optics 44 and the dragonflies 14 and 16 carries. This expediently made of a mechanically and thermally stable material, for example as Aluminiumdruckgrussteil second housing 40 may be machined for designs in which increased accuracy requirements exist. Thus, it is in particular possible to manufacture the second housing part 40 so precisely that, for example, the housing elevations 20, 20 ', 20 "as shown in FIG. 1 can be dispensed with, and the housing edge 38 of the housing part 40 itself can be dispensed with Defined reference level.

It is also possible to dispense with a separate inner metal housing and to form, for example, one of the two half-shells directly in a metal and to use it as a carrier part for the optical components, as shown in FIG.

In the front, frontal region of the second housing 40 or a corresponding half-shell 40, which may be formed, for example, as an aluminum housing, is the laser diode 42, which is formed with a lens and collimator 44 as a line laser, in particular in an asymmetrical design. The laser diode 42 functioning as an optical signal transmitter thus projects a line along the central axis of the devices onto a contact surface parallel to the second reference plane II. The laser diode 42 is adjusted in a receiving device 46 so that its optical plane coincides with the display of the dragonfly 14.

The bearing surfaces are "in the water" with the dragonflaps 14, 16 likewise arranged in this housing both in the longitudinal and in the transverse direction of the housing due to the desired high display accuracy of the optical tilt sensors, the dragonflies are either in separate or combined adjustment devices on their

Adjusted parallelism to the reference planes I, II and III.

Other tilt sensors than the dragonflies shown in the embodiment are also possible.

Here, the inclinometer 14 is arranged parallel to the first reference plane I and the inclinometer 16 perpendicular to the first reference plane. Both inclinometers are arranged parallel to the second reference plane II.

In an alternative, advantageous embodiment of the spirit level according to the invention, which is shown in FIGS. 7 and 7, the first one is the one Reference plane I defining elevations have been omitted by the first reference plane directly on the housing 64, which is advantageously made of a metallic material, is designed as a bearing surface 38. In this embodiment, because of the stability and the low distortion of the metallic material of serving as a support member second housing part 64 is a higher

Accuracy of the spirit level achieved.

FIG. 7 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a laser spirit level according to the invention in a representation analogous to FIG. The plastic housing 10, which in this embodiment of two

Half shells is formed, of which only the half-shell 62 is visible in Figure 7, engages around the metallic support member 64, so that the outer housing 10 covers the arranged on the support member functional components, in particular the optical components. A side surface 38 of the device is thus formed by the particular planar formed metallic support member 64.

In this exemplary embodiment, the first reference surface I is thus spanned by a planar housing side of the spirit level.

In the rear region of the housing, a separate battery compartment 50 is housed, which may possibly be removed and which contains the live parts such as batteries or rechargeable batteries 52, electrical contact elements 54 and corresponding supply lines for the power supply. This battery compartment can be hidden, for example, under a lid formed as a softgrip 12. A countersunk switch 56 in the rear end region of the device housing takes over the on-off switching function and can be actuated by a pressure element 58 in the manner of a mechanical pencil or ballpoint pen.

The spirit level according to the invention represents a combination of mechanical

Spirit level and line laser projection, it being possible by the advantageous arrangement of the individual components to minimize the device dimensions substantially to the size of a typical highlighter, without limiting the measurement accuracy of the device. The small dimensions of the device are made possible in particular by functional components arranged axially one behind the other. The spirit level according to the invention is characterized by versatile applications and uses, for example as a spirit level or projector of a reader line.

The spirit level according to the invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated in the figures.

In particular, the spirit level according to the invention is not limited to the materials or material combinations described.

The spirit level according to the invention is not limited to the use of a laser as a signal generator. Light-emitting diodes or other optical signal means are also possible.

Claims

claims

1. Spirit level, in particular a laser spirit level, with a housing

(10,40) and with at least one in the housing optical signal generator (28), in particular a laser beam generator (42), for generating a projection line (26) on a reference surface, characterized in that the housing (10,40,62,64 ) define a first reference plane I and a second reference plane Il, wherein the first and second reference planes of the housing (10, 40, 62, 64) are substantially perpendicular to each other.

2. Spirit level according to claim 1, characterized in that the optical signal transmitter (28) spans an optical plane (24), which is substantially perpendicular to the second reference plane II of the housing (10,40,62,64).

3. Spirit level according to claim 2, characterized in that the projection line (26) marks the line of intersection between the optical plane (24) of the optical signal transmitter (28) and the second reference plane II of the housing (10,40,62,64).

4. Spirit level according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first and / or the second reference plane of the housing in each case by three housing elevations (20,20 ', 20 ", 22,22', 22") are clamped.

5. Spirit level according to claim 4, characterized in that the reference planes I and / or II spanning housing elevations (20,20 ', 20 ", 22,22', 22") integral with the housing (10,40,62,64 ) are formed.

6. Spirit level according to claim 4, characterized in that the reference planes I and / or Il spanning housing elevations (20,20 ', 20 ", 22,22', 22") are at least partially made of a metallic material.

7. Spirit level according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first and / or the second reference plane of the

Housing (10,40,62,64) in each case by a contact surface (38), in particular by a metallic contact surface, are formed.

8. Spirit level according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (10,40,62,64) defines a third reference plane III which is parallel to the second reference plane II.

9. Spirit level according to claim 8, characterized in that the third reference plane III is formed as a flat contact point (30).

10. Spirit level according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that

Adhesive (32,34) are provided, which make it possible to attach the spirit level at the contact point (30) to an adapter, a surface or another device.

11. Spirit level according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (10,40,62,64) is formed with two shells, in particular of two half-shells, wherein a half-shell (40) consists of a metallic material and as a carrier element at least one optical Function part, in particular of the optical signal generator 28), acts.

12. Spirit level according to one of the preceding claims, in particular according to claim 11 and 3, characterized in that the first and the second reference plane of the housing in each case by the half-shell (40) are clamped.

13. Spirit level according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the housing (10,40,62,64) at least one support element, in particular a metallic support member (64), for at least one optical functional part, in particular for the optical signal transmitter (28).

14. spirit level according to claim 13, characterized in that the housing 10,40,62,64) has at least one plastic shell (62) which is connected to the carrier part (64).

15. Spirit level according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the housing has two plastic half-shells (62) which are connected to the carrier part (64).

16. Spirit level according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device has at least two mutually perpendicular inclination sensors (14,16).

7. Spirit level according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a spring-elastic fastening element (18) with the housing (10,40) is connected.