Alignment tool for open-path gas detectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12372508-B2
Application number	US-202217728276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2022
Priority date	Apr 25, 2022
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

An alignment tool for use in connection with an open path gas detection system, which includes an interface including one or more connectors, includes an optical system having a scope and an attachment system operatively connected to the optical system. The attachment system includes a body including one or more cooperating connectors. The body is rotatable about an axis thereof in a first direction to bring the one or more cooperating connectors into connection with the one or more connectors. The attachment system further includes one or more locking elements which engage the one or more connectors after a predetermined amount of rotation of the body in the first direction to form a state of locked engagement. A release member is in rotatable connection with the body in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to cause the one or more locking elements to disengage from the one or more connectors of the interface so that the body can be rotated in the second direction to remove the attachment system from connection with the interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An alignment tool for use in connection with an interface of either a transmitter or a receiver of an open path gas detection system, the interface of each of the transmitter and the receiver including one or more connectors, comprising:
an optical system comprising a scope,
an attachment system operatively connected to the optical system and comprising
a body comprising one or more cooperating connectors which cooperate with the one or more connectors of the interface, wherein the body is rotatable about an axis thereof relative to the interface of one of the transmitter or the receiver in a first direction to bring the one or more cooperating connectors into connection with the one or more connectors of the interface, and one or more locking abutment elements which engage the one or more connectors of the interface after a predetermined amount of rotation of the body in the first direction, engagement of the one or more locking abutment elements with the one or more connectors of the interface forming a state of locked engagement wherein rotation of the body relative to the interface is prevented by the one or more locking abutment elements, and
a release contact in rotatable connection with the body, wherein rotation of the release contact relative to the body in a second direction, opposite the first direction, causes the one or more locking abutment elements to disengage from the one or more connectors of the interface so that the body can be rotated in the second direction to remove the attachment system from connection with the interface.

2. The alignment tool of claim 1 further comprising a scope mounting arm in operative connection to the attachment system to which the scope is attached, the scope mounting arm being rotatable relative to the body of the attachment system when the attachment system is connected to the interface and the one or more locking abutment elements are in engagement with the one or more connectors of the interface.

3. The alignment tool of claim 2 wherein a predetermined level of force is required to rotate the scope mounting arm relative to the body of the attachment system and the predetermined level of force is sufficiently high such that the scope mounting arm can be grasped by a user and rotated to bring the attachment system into the state of locked engagement.

4. The alignment tool of claim 3 further comprising a locking plate attached to the body such that the locking plate cannot be rotated about the axis of the body relative to the body but can be translated in an axial direction relative to the body, the locking plate being biased into connection with a surface in operative connection with the scope mounting arm.

5. The alignment tool of claim 3 wherein the release contact comprises one or more mounting arm contacts, each of which can be placed in cooperative connection with the scope mounting arm to provide rotation of the release contact while gripping and rotating the scope mounting arm, and which allow rotation of the scope mounting arm relative to the body when the one or more mounting arm contacts are not in cooperative connection with the scope mounting arm.

6. The alignment tool of claim 2 wherein the one or more connectors of the interface comprise one or more extending bayonet posts and the one or more cooperating connectors comprise one or more channels formed in the body of the attachment system.

7. The alignment tool of claim 6 wherein the one or more locking abutment elements comprise one or more spring clips attached to the body, each of which comprise a passage therein to engage with and abut one of the one or more extending bayonet posts.

8. The alignment tool of claim 7 wherein the release contact comprises one or more abutment members which contact and flex the one or more spring clips when the release contact is rotated relative to the body in the second direction to disengage the passage of each of the one or more spring clips from the one or more extending bayonet posts.

9. The alignment tool of claim 8 wherein the release contact is formed as an annulus or ring which extends around a circumference of a section of the body.

10. The alignment tool of claim 2 wherein the release contact is biased into a position in which it does not cause the one or more locking abutment elements to disengage from the one or more connectors of the interface.

11. The alignment tool of claim 10 further comprising one or more retaining abutment members which engage the release contact after the release contact has been rotated in the second direction to disengage the one or more locking abutment elements from the one or more connectors of the interface to prevent the release contact from returning into a position in which it does not cause the one or more locking abutment elements to disengage from the one or more connectors of the interface until the body is rotated in the second direction a predetermined distance.

12. The alignment tool of claim 11 wherein the one or more retaining abutment members which engage the release contact comprise pins which are biased into engagement with the release contact when the release contact has been rotated in the second direction to disengage the one or more locking abutment elements from the one or more connectors of the interface.

13. A method of aligning at least one of a transmitter and a receiver of an open path gas detection system with the other of the transmitter and the receiver, each of the transmitter and the receiver including an interface including one or more connectors, comprising:
providing an alignment tool comprising:
an optical system comprising a scope, and
an attachment system in operative connection with the optical system and comprising:
a body comprising one or more cooperating connectors which cooperate with the one or more connectors of the interface of one of the transmitter or the receiver, wherein the body is rotatable about an axis thereof relative to the interface in a first direction to bring the one or more cooperating connectors into connection with the one or more connectors of the interface, and one or more locking abutment elements which engage the one or more connectors of the interface after a predetermined amount of rotation of the body in the first direction, engagement of the one or more locking abutment elements with the one or more connectors of the interface forming a state of locked engagement wherein rotation of the body relative to the interface is prevented by the one or more locking abutment elements, and
a release contact in rotatable connection with the body, wherein rotation of the release contact relative to the body in a second direction, opposite the first direction, causes the one or more locking abutment elements to disengage from the one or more connectors of the interface so that the body can be rotated in the second direction to remove the attachment system from connection with the interface,

attaching the alignment tool to the interface of the one of the transmitter or the receiver to form the state of locked engagement,
using the optical system to align an optical axis of the one of the transmitter and the receiver to which the alignment tool is attached with the optical axis of the other of the transmitter and the receiver.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the alignment tool further comprises a scope mounting arm in operative connection to the attachment system to which the scope is attached, the scope mounting arm being rotatable relative to the body of the attachment system when the attachment system is connected to the interface and the one or more locking a

Assignees

• Msa Technology Llc

Inventors

• Ciccone Nicholas Emidio
• Hall Mark

Classifications

• G01N33/0073

  Control unit therefor · CPC title

• G02B23/02

  involving prisms or mirrors (G02B23/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B7/004

  Manual alignment, e.g. micromanipulators · CPC title

• G01N2021/3513

  Open path with an instrumental source · CPC title

• G01N33/0062 Primary

  concerning the measuring method or the display, e.g. intermittent measurement or digital display · CPC title