Manual appliance for contactless distance measurement

• US 20040025563A1
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Wolf, Peter, Stierle, Joerg
• Granted Patent: US 6,912,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/1.79
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/00 Measuring distances in line of sight; Optical rangefinders tapes, chains or wheels for measuring length G01B3/00; active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves, G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/24 Housings ; Casings for instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements

Abstract

The invention has disclosed a handheld device for contactless distance measurement, having a housing (11) with a housing front (15) pointing in the measuring direction (17) and a housing back (16) oriented away from it, having a linear first measuring stop (21) that is embodied on the housing back (16) oriented away from the measuring direction (17) and that lies in a reference plane for the distance measurement, and having means disposed on the housing back (16) for producing a flat second measuring stop (22) that is aligned at right angles to the measuring direction and points away from the measuring direction (17). In order to achieve a structurally simple embodiment of the second measuring stop (22) that also makes it possible to provide the housing (11) with a third flat measuring stop, which points in the measuring direction and is intended for another measuring task, the means for producing the second measuring stop (22) have a pivoting wedge (24) supported on the housing (11) in pivoting fashion, whose one wedge surface (241) supports the second measuring stop (22).

Claims

1. A handheld device for contactless distance measurement, having a housing (11) with a housing front (15) pointing in the measuring direction (17) and a housing back (16) oriented away from it, having a linear first measuring stop (21) that is embodied on the housing back (16) oriented away from the measuring direction (17) and that lies in a reference plane (18) for the distance measurement, and having means disposed on the housing back (16) for producing a flat second measuring stop (22) that is aligned at right angles to the measuring direction (17) and points away from the measuring direction and that lies in the reference plane (18) for the distance measurement, characterized in that the means for producing the second measuring stop (22) have a pivoting wedge (24) supported on the housing (11) in pivoting fashion, whose one wedge surface (241) supports the second measuring stop (22).

2. The handheld device according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing back (16) has a triangular contour with two prism surfaces (19, 20) that abut each other at an acute angle, that the preferably rounded abutting edge of the prism surfaces (19, 20) constitutes the first measuring stop (21), and that the pivot axis (25) of the pivoting wedge (24) extends parallel to the first measuring edge (21).

3. The handheld device according to claim 2, characterized in that the one prism surface (19) of the housing back (16) is provided with an opening (26), which allows the pivoting wedge (24) to pivot in and out.

4. The handheld device according to claim 3, characterized in that the pivoting wedge (24) has a starting position, which is established so that the second measuring stop (22) lies in the reference plane (18), and has a pivoted-in position in which it is pivoted completely into the housing (11).

5. The handheld device according to claim 4, characterized in that the pivoting wedge (24) is locked on the housing (11) in a releasable fashion, at least in its starting position.

6. The handheld device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the pivoting wedge (24) is designed so that in its pivoted-in position, the wedge surface (242) without the second measuring stop (22) covers the opening (26) in the prism surface (19) of the housing back (16), the wedge surface (242) preferably being flush with this prism surface.

7. The handheld device according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the pivoting wedge (24) is provided with a pivoting flap (32), which is provided with a flat third measuring stop (23) and is designed so that in the starting position of the pivoting wedge (24), this pivoting flap (32) can be moved into a fixed pivoted position in which the third measuring stop (23) points in the measuring direction (17) and lies in the reference plane (18) for the distance measurement.

8. The handheld device according to claim 7, characterized in that the pivoting flap (32) is designed so that it can be folded against the wedge surface (242) of the pivoting wedge (24) without the second measuring stop (22) and reaches its fixed pivoted position after being pivoted out by a definite pivoting angle from the pivoting wedge (24), which is disposed in its starting position.

9. The handheld device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the pivoted position of the pivoting flap (32) is fixed by means of a stop (36), which is embodied on the pivoting wedge (24) and against which a catch (35) embodied on the pivoting flap (32) comes to rest.

10. The handheld device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the wedge surface (242) of the pivoting wedge (24) without the second measuring stop (22) has a cavity (34) formed into it, in which the pivoting flap (32), when folded against the wedge surface (242), rests in such a way that its back oriented away from the third measuring stop (23) is approximately flush with the wedge surface (242).

11. The handheld device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the wedge surface (241) of the pivoting wedge (24) with the second measuring stop (22) itself constitutes the second measuring stop (22).