Levelling apparatus having an oscillating light generation unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11047681-B2
Application number	US-201716089215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2017
Priority date	Mar 29, 2016
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A levelling apparatus includes a housing, a light generation unit, at least one first lens, a second lens, and a holding apparatus. The light generation unit is arranged in the housing, is mounted in an oscillating manner relative to the housing and has at least one light source, to which the at least one first lens for generating a first light plane and the second lens for generating a second light plane are assigned. The holding apparatus includes a first holding element and a second holding element for arranging the at least one first lens and the second lens. The at least one first lens is arranged on the first holding element and the second lens is arranged on the second holding element. The holding apparatus is configured to orient the at least one first lens and the second lens at least substantially perpendicular to one another.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A leveling apparatus, comprising:
a housing;
a light-generating unit arranged in the housing, the light-generating unit supported in an oscillating manner relative to the housing and including at least one light-source;
at least one first lens configured to generate a first plane of light and assigned to the at least one light-source;
a second lens configured to generate a second plane of light and assigned to the at least one light-source; and
a holding apparatus separate from said light-generating unit and from said at least one first lens and said second lens, and including a first holding element and a second holding element configured to orient the at least one first lens and the second lens at least substantially perpendicularly to one another, and configured to accommodate the at least one first lens and the second lens, the at least one first lens arranged on the first holding element, and the second lens arranged on the second holding element.

2. The leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second holding elements each define an axis of rotation and are configured to rotate about said axis of rotation in order to orient the at least one first lens and the second lens relative to one another.

3. The leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second holding elements respectively include a positioning socket configured to at least partially accommodate the at least one first lens or the second lens.

4. The leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the positioning sockets respectively include at least one positioning element configured to position the at least one first lens or the second lens.

5. The leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
the positioning socket of the first holding element is arranged in a first direction of the holding apparatus;
the positioning socket of the second holding element is arranged in a second direction of the holding apparatus; and
the first direction is at least approximately orthogonal to the second direction.

6. The leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
the first holding element includes a socket configured to at least partially accommodate the at least one first lens or the second lens arranged in the second holding element; and
the second holding element includes a socket configured to at least partially accommodate the at least one first lens or the second lens arranged in the first holding element.

7. The leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the sockets are larger than the positioning sockets and/or the at least one first lens and/or the second lens.

8. The leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the positioning socket and the socket of at least one of the first and second holding elements form a contiguous T-shaped opening.

9. The leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second holding elements includes an operating element configured to orient the first and second holding elements relative to one another.

10. The leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one first lens is connected to the first holding element via an adhesive-bonded joint, and/or the second lens is connected to the second holding element via an adhesive-bonded joint.

11. The leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first and second holding elements respectively include a disc-shaped base body and/or are arranged coaxially relative to one another.

12. The leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein:
the first and second holding elements are connected to one another via an adhesive-bonded joint; and
at least one of the first and second holding elements includes at least one recess configured to accommodate an adhesive agent.

13. The leveling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one first lens and/or the second lens is configured as a cylindrical lens.

14. A holding system, comprising:
a leveling apparatus including:
a housing;
a light-generating unit arranged in the housing, the light-generating unit supported in an oscillating manner relative to the housing and including at least one light-source;
at least one first lens configured to generate a first plane of light and assigned to the at least one light-source;
a second lens configured to generate a second plane of light and assigned to the at least one light-source; and
a holding apparatus separate from said light-generating unit and from said at least one first lens and said second lens, and including a first holding element and a second holding element configured to orient the at least one first lens and the second lens at least substantially perpendicularly to one another, and configured to accommodate the at least one first lens and the second lens, the at least one first lens arranged on the first holding element and the second lens arranged on the second holding element.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Yuen Eric
• Cheung Philip
• JIANG John

Classifications

• G01C15/06

  Surveyors' staffs; Movable markers · CPC title

• G01C25/00

  Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass (testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38) · CPC title

• G01C15/004 Primary

  Reference lines, planes or sectors · CPC title