Patent Application
20240159530
This application claims the benefit of European Application 22207207.6, filed Nov. 14, 2022, which is incorporated herein in their entireties.
The invention relates to an adapter for mounting a measuring mark at a reference point. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for surveying a reference point comprising an adapter and a measuring mark, as well as a method for surveying a reference point using an adapter.
Measuring or surveying marks are usually mounted to stationary objects such as in or on buildings. They serve there as survey points, which are surveyed using inherently known measuring devices such as lasers, scanners and total stations.
It is of particular importance to mount such a measuring mark in a defined position. In a number of applications, it must be ensured that this defined position forms a reference point that remains unchanged over time. For example, it may be necessary to use one and the same reference point at different times in a large number of measurements. In such a situation, it is time-consuming and error-prone to define the reference point again for each measurement.
To mount a measuring mark in a defined position, some applications use a standardized measuring bolt that is firmly attached to the object to be surveyed. The measuring mark is then attached to the measuring bolt. This ensures that the reference point only needs to be established once and can also be used in subsequent measurements. However, such a determination of the reference point is relatively complex and expensive as a result of the use of a measuring bolt specially designed for this purpose.
The invention is based on the object of enabling a measuring mark to be mounted at a reference point in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner.
This object is solved by an adapter according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the subject-matter of the dependent claims and the following description.
The adapter according to the invention comprises an adapter body to which a measuring mark is fixedly attached or attachable. At least a part of the adapter body is shaped into a plug which is adapted to a socket serving as a reference point in such a way that it can be plugged into the socket to produce a positive plug connection and is electrically insulated from the socket in the plugged-in state.
The solution according to the invention takes advantage of the fact that a socket defines a point with a fixed position which can be used as a reference point in a surveying operation. In addition, this solution takes advantage of the fact that a socket is designed to cooperate in a well-defined manner with a plug adapted to the socket in order to realize a positive plug connection therewith. The invention now provides an adapter carrying the measuring mark with a plug which is adapted in its design to a conventional socket in order to establish a positive plug connection with the socket. This makes it possible to attach the measuring mark to a fixed reference point simply by plugging the adapter into the socket.
In addition, to allow the user to safely attach the measuring mark at the reference point, the adapter is designed to be electrically insulated from the socket when plugged in, unlike a plug that interacts with the socket in a conventional manner.
The plug is preferably shaped according to a type of network plug usable for connection to a low-voltage network. For example, the plug is adapted to one of the common types of network plugs used in various countries or regions for connecting electrical appliances and lighting fixtures in the lowest level of low-voltage networks. The following plug types are to be mentioned here merely by way of example and without limitation to these examples:
In a preferred embodiment, the adapter body has the measuring mark or a mounting element for detachably attaching the measuring mark at its end facing away from the plug. The position of the reference point is thus determined by the dimension of the adapter end facing away from the plug, to which the measuring mark is attached.
Preferably, the mounting element is an adapter plate to which the measuring mark can be detachably attached. The measuring mark can be attached to the adapter plate, for example, by means of a screw connection, a plug-in connection, an adhesive connection or also magnetically.
If a magnetic coupling of the measuring mark to the adapter is provided, then in a particularly preferred embodiment the adapter plate is made of metal, for example a corrosion-resistant steel.
In this embodiment, the measuring mark preferably has a magnet arrangement that can be attached to the adapter plate made of metal. This makes it particularly easy to attach the measuring mark to the adapter merely magnetically, i.e. without additional fasteners. For example, the measuring mark can be provided with a base on the underside of which the magnet arrangement is located.
For example, the plug has at least one contact pin that is adapted to an associated contact opening of the socket. This means that the contact pin is brought into positive engagement with the contact opening when the plug formed on the adapter is inserted into the socket.
The plug can also have, for example, at least one recess that is adapted to a grounding lug of the socket. When plugged in, the grounding lug of the socket is thus received in the recess formed in the plug, whereby a positive plug connection is established. In addition or alternatively, the plug can also have a projection that is adapted to a recess in the socket.
In a preferred embodiment, the adapter as a whole is made of an electrically insulating material, e.g. a plastic. This ensures that the plug is particularly reliably electrically insulated from the socket when plugged in. However, it is not absolutely necessary to make the entire adapter electrically insulated, provided that the electrical insulation of the adapter from the socket is ensured. For example, individual contact pins of the adapter may well be electrically conductive, as in the case of a conventional electrical plug. It must then be ensured that the electrical insulation of the adapter from the socket is achieved in another way, for example by embedding the contact pins in the electrically insulating material of the adapter body.
The adapter is preferably made of an injection molded part. The use of an injection molding process in production allows a free choice of the shape and surface structure of the adapter. This allows a desired plug shape to be realized in almost any way in adaptation to the respective socket type, which is used as a reference point.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for surveying a reference point comprising an adapter of the type described above and a measuring mark removably attached to the adapter body.
In a preferred embodiment of this device, the measuring mark has a recess which is adapted in shape to an adapter plate of the type described above. For example, the recess and, adapted thereto, the adapter plate each have the shape of a regular polygon with rounded corners. Such a shape makes it easier for the user to insert the adapter plate in the correct position in the recess of the measuring mark. It is of particular advantage if the measuring mark is part of a whole range of marks, all of which have a recess of the above type and are thus designed to be placed on the adapter plate in the same way for mounting at a reference point.
Any type of mark can be used as a measuring mark, such as a reflective target mark, an adhesive mark, a survey badge, a prism, a laser scanner sphere, or the like.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a device comprising a socket and an adapter of the type described above, the plug of which is insertable into the socket to form a positive plug-in connection and is electrically insulated from the socket when inserted.
Finally, the invention provides a method for surveying a reference point using an adapter of the type described above. In this method, the adapter is attached to a socket serving as a reference point by inserting the part of the adapter body shaped into the plug into the socket, thereby establishing a positive and electrically insulated connection with the socket.
The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the figures.
In the following, an adapter according to the invention is described with reference to specific embodiments.
The adapter 100 is designed to attach a measuring mark 102 to a reference point. This reference point is defined in this and in all further embodiments respectively by a socket, which is not shown in the figures. This socket is designed, for example, to establish an electrical plug connection with a network plug intended for connection of an electrical appliance in a low-voltage network.
In the embodiment according to
The adapter 100 has an adapter body 104 which, in this particular example, is roughly shaped like a cylinder. The axis of the cylinder passes through a center point M of the measuring mark 102. On closer inspection, the adapter body 104 has a circular circumferential flange 106 that is axially disposed approximately midway perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder. The flange 106 divides the adapter body 104 into two sections 108 and 110 that extend axially from the flange 106 in opposite directions. Referring to
The portion of the adapter body 104 forming the rear portion 110 is formed into a plug 112. The shape of the plug 112 is adapted to the socket such that the plug 112 can be inserted into the socket to form a positive plug connection with the latter. This means that, in this particular example, the plug 112 formed on the adapter body 104 is substantially adapted in its external shape to a conventional Schuko plug that can be inserted into the socket to establish an electrical plug connection. In this regard, it is possible, but not mandatory, that the plug 112 formed on the adapter body 104 adopts the shape of a Schuko plug identically in all details. In any case, it must be ensured that the shape of the plug 112 corresponds to the shape of a Schuko plug at least to the extent that the desired positive plug connection with the socket is achieved.
For example, in the adapter 102 shown in
The two recesses 116, 118 of the plug 112a are adapted to associated grounding lugs provided in the socket not shown in the figures. Correspondingly, the two projections 120, 122 of the plug 112 are adapted to associated recesses of the socket. When the plug 112 of the adapter 100 is inserted into the socket, the recesses 116, 118 and the projections 120, 122 of the plug 112 formed on the adapter 100a engage with their associated grounding lugs and recesses of the socket, respectively. Thus, the adapter 100 is positively secured in the socket.
In the embodiment shown in
In order to enable the user to safely insert the adapter 100 into the socket, the plug 112 is designed such that it is electrically insulated from the socket when plugged in. For this purpose, in the embodiment shown, the adapter 100 as a whole is made of an electrically insulating material, for example a plastic. For example, the adapter 100 may be manufactured in the form of a one-piece injection molded part.
For example, the measuring mark 102 is a laser scanner mark that includes a pattern 124 having four sectors 124a. The pattern 124 allows, for example, spatial reference information to be assigned to a geospatial dataset. The measuring mark 102 may be attached to the end of the adapter 100 facing away from the plug 112. For example, it may be implemented as a mark that is adhered to the adapter 102.
In the embodiment shown in
In the example shown, the adapter plate 440 is made of metal, e.g., a corrosion-resistant steel. Thus, the adapter plate 440 is suitable for interacting with a magnet to secure the measuring mark to the adapter 400. For this purpose, the measuring mark comprises, for example, a magnet arrangement attachable to the adapter plate 440. The magnet arrangement may be housed, for example, in a base of the measuring mark. This makes it possible to attach the measuring mark to the adapter 400 without additional fasteners.
Like the adapter 400 shown in
In accordance with this standard, the plug 512 forms an engagement portion that is hexagonal in plan view and is shaped to match a hexagonal socket portion of the matching socket. Elongated ribs 554 are formed on an outer circumferential surface 514 of the plug 512, which engage with correspondingly shaped grooves of the socket portion of the matching socket when the adapter 500 with its plug 412 is inserted into the socket.
Also in this embodiment, the plug 512 formed on the adapter 500 does not adopt the shape of the standardized plug type in all details. For example, in this example, the plug 512 does not have pin elements that would correspond to the contact pins that are present in the standardized plug type. Again, however, the shape of the plug 512 matches the shape of the standardized plug type, at least to the extent that the desired positive plug connection with the mating socket is achieved.
The adapter 600 differs from the adapter 500 of the sixth embodiment in that it is adapted to a different type of plug connection. For example, in this embodiment, the adapter 600 has a plug 612 shaped according to a type of plug commonly used in the United Kingdom (UK), which has three contact pins. Accordingly, the connector 612 of the adapter 600 also has three contact pins 654, 656, and 658. The two contact pins 654, 656 have the same dimensions. In contrast, the third contact pin 658 is wider.
When the adapter 600 with its plug 612 is inserted into the matching socket, the contact pins 654, 656, 658 engage with the associated contact openings of the socket. This establishes the positive connection with the socket. Since, in particular, the contact pins 654, 656, 658 are also made of an insulating material, it is ensured that the adapter 600 is electrically insulated from the socket.
The adapter 700 differs from the adapters 500 and 600 of the preceding embodiments in that it is adapted to a different type of plug connection. For example, in this embodiment, the adapter 700 has a plug 712 that is shaped according to a plug type common to the other plug types in the United States. This type of plug also has three contact pins. Thus, the plug 712 of the adapter 700 also has three contact pins 754, 756, and 758. The two contact pins 756 and 758 have a flat shape and are of different widths. In contrast, the third contact pin 754 is round in cross-section.
When the adapter 700 with its plug 712 is inserted into the matching socket, the contact pins 754, 756, 758 engage with the associated contact openings of the socket. This establishes the positive connection with the socket. The contact pins 754, 756, 758 are also made of an insulating material.
The 800 adapter is shaped according to another type of plug commonly used in the USA. This plug type has two groups of three contact pins each. Accordingly, a plug 812 of the adapter 800 also has two groups of three contact pins 854a, 856a, 858a and 854b, 856b, 858b, respectively. The contact pins 856a, 856b, 858a, 858b each have a flat design and are of different widths. The contact pins 854a, 854b are round in cross-section. The adapter 800 has a flange 806 that has a rounded rectangular shape, unlike the previous embodiments.
When the adapter 800 with its plug 812 is inserted into the matching socket, the contact pins 854a, 854b, 856a, 856b, 858a, 858b come into contact with the associated contact openings of the socket. This creates a positive connection with the socket. The contact pins 854a, 854b, 856a, 856b, 858a, 858b are made of an insulating material.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 222072076 | Nov 2022 | EP | regional |
