DEVICE FOR OPTICALLY SCANNING AND MEASURING AN ENVIRONMENT

• US 20120229788A1
• Filed: 11/11/2010
• Published: 09/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Faro Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Schumann, Philipp, Greiner, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 9,417,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/4.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/481 Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements

Abstract

In a device for optically scanning and measuring an environment, which device is designed as a laser scanner, with a light emitter, which, by means of a rotary mirror, emits an emission light beam, with a light receiver which receives a reception light beam which is reflected from an object in the environment of the laser scanner, and with a control and evaluation unit which, for a multitude of measuring points, determines at least the distance to the object, the rotary mirror is part of a rotor, which is configured as a hybrid structure.

Claims

1. A device for optically scanning and measuring an environment, comprising:

a laser scanner having a light emitter that emits an emission light beam, the laser scanner also having a rotary mirror, the laser scanner further having a light receiver that receives a reception light beam, where the emission light beam is reflected by the rotary mirror to an object in the environment, where a portion of the emission light beam is reflected by the object to produce the reception light beam, and where the reception light beam is reflected by the rotary mirror and passes through a receiver lens which has an optical axis; and

the laser scanner also having a control and evaluation unit which, for a multitude of measuring points determines a distance to the object;

wherein the rotary mirror is part of a rotor that is configured as a hybrid structure.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the rotor and the rotary mirror together comprises a holder and a housing.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the holder comprises metal.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the holder has a cylindrical basic shape with a 45°

surface and a plurality of recesses with material portions in between for balancing the rotor, the cylindrical basic shape having a first axis, the 45°

surface having an angle of 45°

with respect to the first axis.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the rotary mirror comprises glass which is coated to be reflective.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the housing comprises plastic.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein the housing is at least one of having the shape of a hollow cylinder which has been cut below 45°

, and/or that the housing encloses at least the holder, and/or that the housing clasps the rotary mirror at its periphery.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein the rotary mirror is fixed to the holder and/or to the housing.

9. The device of claim 2, wherein the rotary mirror is glued to the holder and/or to the housing.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein a measuring head is provided, where the measuring head rotates about a vertical axis, and bears the light emitter, the light receiver and the rotary mirror, and wherein the rotary mirror rotates about a horizontal axis.