JP7756867B2 - Laser level - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a laser marking device.

A conventional laser marker is known in which the laser unit holder that supports the light source unit is supported by a gimbal mechanism so that it can swing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A laser marker equipped with a gimbal mechanism can maintain the specified position of the light source unit even if the tripod supporting it is installed in an inclined position, and can perform marking work by emitting laser light vertically or perpendicularly.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-139696

However, with the above-mentioned conventional laser markers, not only do they require a certain level of tripod height when used at sites where reinforcement is being laid or where materials are being placed, but they are also subject to restrictions on where the tripod can be installed. This can result in the laser marker tilting too much after installation, making it difficult to maintain the position of the light source unit even when equipped with a gimbal mechanism.

The present invention aims to provide a laser marker that can quickly and easily perform marking work without being restricted by installation location.

The above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by a laser marking device that includes a main body, a support member that supports the main body, and a swingable body supported by the main body via a gimbal mechanism, and that emits laser light from a laser light source attached to the swingable body, wherein the support member has four or more legs that are bendable in any direction and can maintain their bent state.

In this laser marker, the oscillator can be equipped with a distance measurement target that can be collimated by a total station.

The main body can also include rectangular upper and lower frames and rod-shaped connecting members that connect the corners of the upper and lower frames, the oscillator supported by the upper frame and irradiating laser light vertically from the laser light source, and the legs fixed near the four corners of the lower frame.

This invention provides a laser marker that can quickly and easily perform marking work without being restricted by installation location.

1 is a front view of a laser marker according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the laser marking device shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the laser marking device shown in FIG. 1 is used; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which a laser marking device according to another embodiment of the present invention is used.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a front view of a laser marker according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a plan view of the laser marker shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows a portion of the laser marker in cross section A-A of Figure 2.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the laser marking device 1 comprises a main body 10, a support member 20 that supports the main body 10, and an oscillating body 40 that is oscillatably supported on the main body 10 by a gimbal mechanism 30.

The main body 10 comprises an upper frame 11 and a lower frame 12, each with a rectangular outer edge such as a square. The upper frame 11 has a rectangular opening 11a, and the lower frame 12 has a circular opening 12a. The upper frame 11 and the lower frame 12 are spaced apart vertically, with their four corners connected by rod-shaped connecting members 13.

The support member 20 has four legs 21 fixed to the lower frame 12 so as to extend downward from the four corners of the lower frame 12. As shown in FIG. 1, each leg 21 is composed of multiple connected leg pieces 22. Each leg piece 22 has a hollow, truncated cone-shaped receiving portion 22a that widens toward one end and a spherical portion 22b connected to the other end of the receiving portion 22a. By fitting the spherical portion 22b of one leg piece 22 into the receiving portion 22a of another leg piece 22, the legs 22 can be bent. The bent state of the legs 21 is maintained by strong frictional engagement between the receiving portions 22a and the spherical portions 22b of the legs 22. The lower ends of the leg pieces 22 are provided with spherical anti-slip portions 23 made of rubber or other material. This prevents slippage between the legs 21 and the floor F, regardless of the direction in which the leg pieces 22 are bent, ensuring reliable support of the main body 10.

The gimbal mechanism 30 includes a rectangular gimbal frame 32 rotatably supported around first axes 31a and 31b on the inner edge of the opening 11a of the upper frame 11, and a band-shaped retaining plate 34 rotatably supported around second axes 33a and 33b on the inner edge of the opening of the gimbal frame 32. An oscillator 40 is attached to the retaining plate 34. As shown in FIG. 2, the first axes 31a and 31b and the second axes 33a and 33b are arranged perpendicular to each other, and the oscillator 40 is supported so that it can oscillate around the two orthogonal axes (the first axes 31a and 31b and the second axes 33a and 33b). To quickly converge the oscillation of the oscillator 40, damping means (not shown), such as rotary dampers, can be provided on the first axes 31a and 31b and the second axes 33a and 33b.

The oscillator 40 has an oscillator body 41 equipped with a distance measurement target 41a made of a reflecting prism, and the position of the target 41a can be measured by sighting it with a total station (described below). A screw hole is formed in the top of the oscillator body 41, and the screw portion 42a of the fastening member 42 is inserted into a through-hole formed in the holding plate 34 and screwed into the screw hole in the oscillator body 41, thereby fixing the oscillator body 41 to the holding plate 34. A laser unit 43 having a laser light source 43a is attached to the bottom of the oscillator body 41. The laser light source 43a emits laser light vertically downward due to the action of the gimbal mechanism 30.

As shown in Figure 3, the laser marking device 1 with the above configuration can measure the position of the target 41a of the laser marking device 1 by emitting distance measurement light from the total station 100. The position measured by the total station 100 is notified in real time to a terminal or the like of the operator moving the laser marking device 1. The laser marking device 1 emits laser light vertically downward from the laser light source 43a at the measurement position, forming a spot on the floor surface F. The operator can install the laser marking device 1 at the measurement position on the floor surface F and perform marking work based on the position of the laser spot.

The support member 20 of the laser marker 1 has four legs 21, each of which is bendable in any direction and can maintain its bent state. Therefore, by bending each leg 21 according to the installation environment, work can be performed quickly even in environments where marking is difficult with conventional laser markers. For example, as shown in Figure 3, when marking using the laser marker 1 at a site where reinforcement is being laid, bending each of the four legs 21 so that they straddle the intersecting rebar R allows for easy installation so that tilting of the main body 10 after installation is suppressed, and the gimbal mechanism 30 can be effectively used to perform marking accurately.

The length of each leg 21 is preferably long enough to allow smooth work even at sites where reinforcement is being laid or where materials have been placed, and can be set to, for example, 45 to 50 cm. It is preferable that each leg 21 be the same length, but legs 21 of different lengths may be included. The number of legs 21 may be five or more to enable more stable installation, but having too many legs 21 makes handling cumbersome and increases manufacturing costs, so four, as in this embodiment, is preferred.

Furthermore, after installation on the floor surface F, each leg 21 can be individually operated to change its bending shape, allowing for fine adjustment of the position of the target 41a. Because the four legs 21 are fixed near the four corners of the lower frame 12, position adjustment in a specific direction can be performed with high precision, allowing the target 41a to be moved quickly and easily to the desired position.

Each leg 21 may have a configuration other than that of this embodiment, as long as it is bendable in any direction and can maintain its bent state. For example, the legs may be formed by inserting multiple spherical bodies into a bendable linear body such as a wire, or the legs may be formed from a flexible bellows tube.

The laser marker 1 of this embodiment is configured to emit laser light vertically downward toward the floor surface F from the laser light source 43a. However, as shown in FIG. 4, it may also be configured so that the laser unit 43 is attached to the top of the oscillating body 40 and, with the gimbal mechanism 30 operating, the laser light source 43a emits laser light vertically upward toward the ceiling surface C. With this configuration, even if a beam B or the like prevents the total station 100 from directly emitting distance measurement light toward the ceiling surface C, the laser light source 43a of the laser marker 1 can emit laser light toward the ceiling surface C. This eliminates the need to reset the total station 100 and allows for quick and easy marking work. The laser unit 43 can also be configured to emit laser light horizontally from the laser light source 43a.

The laser marking device of the present invention may be configured to include a distance measurement target 41a that can be aimed by the total station 100, as in this embodiment, or may be configured to be usable alone without the target 41a.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Laser marking device 10 Main body 11 Upper frame 12 Lower frame 13 Connecting member 20 Support member 21 Leg 30 Gimbal mechanism 40 Oscillator 41a Target 43 Laser unit 43a Laser light source 100 Total station

Claims (3)

A laser marking device comprising a main body, a support member for supporting the main body, and a swinging body swingably supported by the main body by a gimbal mechanism, wherein the laser marking device irradiates laser light from a laser light source provided on the swinging body,
the support member has four or more legs;
The leg portion of the laser marking device is configured to be bendable in any direction and to be able to maintain the bent state. The laser level described in claim 1, wherein the oscillator is equipped with a distance measurement target that can be collimated by a total station. the main body includes an upper frame body and a lower frame body formed in a rectangular shape, and rod-shaped connecting members that connect corners of the upper frame body and the lower frame body to each other;
the oscillator is supported by the upper frame and irradiates laser light from the laser light source in a vertical direction;
3. The laser marker according to claim 1, wherein the legs are fixed to the lower frame in the vicinity of four corners thereof.