Geodesic Measuring Instrument with a Piezo Drive

• US 20080297760A1
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Leica Geosystems AG (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Herbst, Christoph, Bernhard, Heinz, Hale, Anton
• Granted Patent: US 7,999,921 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/4.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 1/02 Theodolites
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00

Abstract

In a geodesic measuring instrument (4) with a fixing device (8) for positioning the measuring instrument (4) and with a measuring component (7) having an optical beam path for surveying a target, whereby the measuring components (7) are mounted in an aligning component (5) that can be moved relative to the fixing device (8), and can be moved relative to the aligning component (5), an optical beam path is modified by at least one piezoelectric micromotor (1b, 1c).

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A geodesic measuring instrument comprising:

one mounting support for positioning the measuring instrument;

a measuring component for aligning an optical beam path toward a target, wherein the measuring component is supported within an aligning component that is mobile relative to the mounting support, wherein the optical beam path is configured to be modified by at least one piezoelectric micromotor having at least one motion-transmitting contact element that is operated so as to oscillate in space, wherein at least one motion-receiving element is assigned to the contact element, wherein the at least one motion-receiving element includes a bearing surface.

20. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 19, wherein the geodesic measuring instrument includes a theodolite.

21. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 19, wherein the alignment component is rotatable about a support axis, and wherein the alignment component is mobile relative to the aligning component about a tilt axis.

22. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 19, wherein the contact element and the bearing surface form a slipping clutch, the contact element and the bearing surface being manually movable relative to one another.

23. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 19, wherein the bearing surface is arranged at the mounting support and/or at the measuring component.

24. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 19, wherein a continually linear or rotary motion is generated by the cooperation of the contact element and the at least one motion-receiving element.

25. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 19, wherein the micromotor can be addressed by a computer in the geodesic measuring instrument in such a way that the thrust forces or detent forces of the micromotor can be configured freely.

26. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 25, wherein the computer in the geodesic measuring instrument provides a controlling frequency that can be readjusted continually.

27. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 26, wherein:

the computer varies the controlling frequency by minor amounts starting from a basic value that is temperature-dependent until the maximum of a speed of motion has been found;

or

the computer varies the controlling frequency while measuring currents as functions of time and determining therefrom an optimum working value of the controlling frequency.

28. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 19, wherein the mounting support and measuring component each include a curved bearing surface or an annular bearing surface.

29. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 19, wherein for a modification of the optical beam path the aligning component is configured so that it can be moved by the micromotor as an aligning motor, and/or the measuring component is made so that it is configured to be moved by the micromotor as the measuring motor or by a further piezoelectric micromotor as the measuring motor.

30. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 29, wherein the bearing surface of the mounting support is contacted axially by the assigned contact element of the aligning motor and the bearing surface of the measuring component is contacted radially by the assigned contact element of the measuring motor.

31. The geodesic measuring instrument of one of claims 29, wherein the measuring motor and the aligning motor are arranged within the aligning component.

32. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 19, wherein the measuring component and the aligning component are designed as a common component, this component being mobile about two axes via a spherically curved bearing surface.

33. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 19, wherein, at least one optical element is configured to be moved to the optical beam path by the micromotor by a further piezoelectric micromotor as the adjustment motor, and wherein the at least one optical element is capable of being shifted or folded into the beam path.

34. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 33, wherein the optical element includes a lens and is supported so that it can be displaced relative to a guide body longitudinally, the adjustment motor causing the optical element to be pressed against the guide body and/or against one or several counter cylinders.

35. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 33, wherein the optical element includes a groove-shaped bearing surface assigned to the adjustment motor.

36. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 33, wherein the optical element is a calibrating flap that is configured to be moved into the optical beam path that is switched over to a measuring track.

37. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 33, wherein the optical element is an optical filter wheel that is configured to be moved into the optical beam path.

38. The geodesic measuring instrument of claim 19, wherein the micromotor includes at least two assigned partial piezoelectric micromotors, the partial micromotors acting in like manner in their thrust direction through a cascaded or stacked arrangement.