Laser Marking Device

Abstract

In this laser marking device, a housing (12) having a reference surface (13) to be placed on a target is provided therein with: a virtual horizontal surface (HS), which is a virtual horizontal surface when the reference surface is disposed vertically; and a support body (131) that oscillates about a spindle (131a) parallel to the reference surface. A laser module (151) and an acceleration sensor (301) are mounted to the support body. The acceleration sensor detects the inclination of the housing, when the laser marking device (11) is placed with the reference surface pressed against a wall surface (W), a floor surface (F), or a ceiling surface (C). A control unit (431) refers to a gravitational acceleration signal output by the acceleration sensor and controls the attitude of the support body with an actuator (171) so that an optical axis (LA) of laser light (L) emitted from the laser module is vertical or horizontal.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a laser marking device. [Background technology]

[0002] When installing pillars, walls, and other structures vertically in a building, it is necessary to check the degree of tilt from the vertical while performing the installation work, or so-called erection. A tool called a plumb bob, which has a weight hanging from a string, is used for this purpose. By attaching a plumb bob to the top of the structure to be installed and hanging the weight from it, workers can visually check the degree of tilt of the structure from the vertical.

[0003] While a plumb bob is an excellent and simple way to accurately indicate verticality, the bob does not stop swinging for long periods of time, and if there is vibration or wind at the construction site, the swinging does not stop, making it difficult to carry out accurate measurements.

[0004] In this regard, the problem of the swinging weight of a traditional plumb bob being difficult to converge can be solved by using a laser plumb bob (laser marking device) that converges laser light to a single point, as described in Patent Document 1. As described in paragraph

[0017] of Patent Document 1, this device uses the center point of the two-axis gimbal mechanism as a reference, adjusts the projection direction of the laser module to be vertical, and attaches the holder, and brakes the holder with a damper mechanism (terminology may be modified as appropriate).

[0005] At construction sites, a task called "marking" is performed, in which lines that serve as reference points for construction work are drawn on target surfaces such as floors, pillars, walls, and ceilings. A traditional marking task that has been performed since ancient times involves drawing lines by touching a thread soaked in ink (in recent years, ink or powdered chalk has also been used) to the target surface. Laser marking devices (laser marking devices) that use laser light have also been developed and put to practical use for this type of marking (see Patent Documents 2 to 4).

[0006] What the laser marking devices described in Patent Documents 2 to 4 have in common is that they are installed on the floor or a tripod, and use a laser module mounted on a gimbal to project vertical and horizontal lines onto floor, ceiling, and wall surfaces with laser light (Patent Document 2 only projects vertical lines), which can be used as lines to serve as a reference for work (see paragraph

[0006] of Patent Document 2, paragraphs

[0013] and

[0014] of Patent Document 3, paragraph

[0027] and Figure 1 of Patent Document 4).

[0007] The major difference between the laser marking device described in Patent Document 2 and the laser marking devices described in Patent Documents 3 and 4 is that the devices described in Patent Documents 3 and 4 have an electronic leveling function.

[0008] The laser marking device described in Patent Document 3 uses an acceleration sensor to detect the amount and direction of tilt of the light source unit holder that mounts the semiconductor laser, and drives the actuators that rotate the two axes of the gimbal mechanism according to the detection results of the acceleration sensor, thereby keeping the light source unit holder stationary in a predetermined posture (see paragraphs

[0011] -

[0018] of Patent Document 3).

[0009] The laser marking device described in Patent Document 4 also performs an electronic leveling operation similar to that of the laser marking device described in Patent Document 3, and Patent Document 4 also discloses that an acceleration sensor is used to detect the inclination of the movable part (13) that carries the laser light source (see paragraphs

[0028] -

[0064] and

[0106] of Patent Document 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-066715 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 07-294256 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-085908 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-153921 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] As mentioned above, laser markers are large and heavy enough to be installed on the floor or a tripod, and are not the kind of device that can be easily handled. For this reason, they are not designed to be attached to pillars or walls, and are not suitable for erecting structures such as pillars and walls vertically. They cannot be used by tilting them 90 degrees or upside down.

[0012] In this regard, the laser plumb bob described in Patent Document 1 is thought to be portable, relatively small, and lightweight. However, like the laser marking device, it cannot be used by tilting it 90 degrees or upside down.

[0013] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a portable laser marking device that can be used by tilting it 90 degrees or upside down. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] One aspect of the laser marking device includes a housing having a reference surface to be attached to an object, a support provided within the housing and swinging about a support shaft parallel to a virtual horizontal plane that is an imaginary horizontal plane when the reference surface is positioned vertically and the reference surface, a laser module attached to the support with an optical axis set in a direction perpendicular to the virtual horizontal plane and irradiating laser light from inside to outside the housing, an actuator that drives the support to swing, and a laser module attached to the support and set in a direction perpendicular to the virtual horizontal plane and perpendicular to the support shaft. The device is equipped with an acceleration sensor that outputs a signal from which the amount and direction of tilt of two axes with a second axis intersecting the first axis can be extracted; a tilt calculation unit that calculates the amount and direction of tilt of the two axes with respect to the positions of the four states, namely, a vertical normal position where the first axis is horizontal and the second axis faces vertical, a vertical inverted position where the vertical normal position is inverted, a horizontal normal position where the second axis is horizontal and the first axis faces vertical, and a horizontal inverted position where the horizontal normal position is inverted, with the output signal of the acceleration sensor set to a tilt of 0; and a control unit that controls the drive of the actuator so that the calculated value of the tilt calculation unit becomes 0. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] It is portable and can be used by tilting it 90 degrees or upside down. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing the appearance of a laser marking device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the appearance of the laser marking device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the entire device from the reference surface side. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the entire device from the side opposite to the reference surface. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the entire device from the side of the reference surface and the second reference surface. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7]FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional front view showing the internal structure of the laser marking device. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a structural block diagram showing a schematic view of the internal structure of the laser marking device from the front. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a mass body for explaining the principle of an acceleration sensor. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram for explaining the principle of an acceleration sensor. [Figure 11] 1 is a graph for explaining the principle of an acceleration sensor. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the laser marking device. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the electrical connections of the laser marking device. [Figure 14] Schematic diagrams showing examples of methods for installing a laser marking device on an object: (A) using an installation needle, and (B) using a magnet. [Figure 15] Schematic diagram showing four types of installation modes (vertical normal position, vertical inverted position, horizontal normal position, horizontal inverted position) in which the laser marking device can be installed on an object. [Figure 16] Schematic diagrams showing the state of the laser light when the laser marking device (plumb bob device) is placed in the correct vertical position (A), the inverted vertical position (B), the inverted horizontal position (C), and the inverted horizontal position (D) for an object placed at the correct angle. [Figure 17] Schematic diagrams showing the state of the laser light when the laser marking device (plumb bob device) is placed in the correct vertical position (A), the inverted vertical position (B), the inverted horizontal position (C), and the inverted horizontal position (D) for an object that is not set at the correct angle. [Figure 18] Schematic diagrams showing the state of the laser light when the laser marking device (ink marking device) is installed in (A) the normal vertical position, (B) the inverted vertical position, (C) the normal horizontal position, and (D) the inverted horizontal position. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a mode setting process. [Figure 20]10 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in a normal mode. [Figure 21] Schematic diagrams showing the calibration process of a laser marking device installed in (A) the normal vertical position, (B) the inverted vertical position, (C) the normal horizontal position, and (D) the inverted horizontal position. [Figure 22] (A) is a schematic diagram showing the state of the laser marking device set on a tripod, (B) is a schematic diagram showing the state of laser light irradiation in normal mode, and (C) is a schematic diagram showing the state of laser light irradiation in laser fixed mode. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of usage in the laser fixed mode (drawing a line between two points). [Figure 24] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a laser oscillation stopping process. [Figure 25] Graphs showing examples of acceleration sensor output when (A) there is no shaking in the laser marking device, and (B) when shaking occurs in the laser marking device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment includes a laser marking device that functions as a plumb bob device and a laser marking device that functions as a marking device. The description will be made along the following items. 1. Appearance of the laser marking device (1) Basic appearance (2) Operation panel 2. Internal structure of the laser marking device 3. Electrical structure of laser marking device (1) Acceleration sensor (2) Functional Blocks (3) Electrical connection block 4. Usage (1) Installation method (2) Installation location 5.Operation (1) Mode setting (2) Normal mode (2-1) Plumb bob device (2-2) Marking device (3) Calibration mode (4) Laser fixed mode (5) Laser shutdown process 6.Effects 7. Variations

[0018] The laser marking device 11 of this embodiment provides four different installation modes for the object O (wall surface W, floor surface F, ceiling surface C).

[0019] In the first mode, laser marking device 11 is installed on a wall surface W as target object O, and laser light L is irradiated downward so that the optical axis LA is vertical. In this embodiment, the installation position of laser marking device 11 in this mode is referred to as the "vertical normal position P1" (see Figures 15, 16-18(A), and 21(A)).

[0020] In the second mode, laser marking device 11 is installed on a wall surface W as target O, and laser light L is emitted upward so that the optical axis LA is vertical. In this embodiment, the installation position of laser marking device 11 in this mode is called "vertical inversion position P2" (see Figures 15, 16-18(B), and 21(B)).

[0021] In the third mode, the laser marking device 11 is installed on a floor surface F as the object O, and irradiates the laser light L so that the optical axis LA is horizontal. In this embodiment, the installation position of the laser marking device 11 in this mode is referred to as the "horizontal normal position P3" (see Figures 15, 16-18(C), and 21(C)).

[0022] In the fourth mode, laser marking device 11 is installed on ceiling surface C as target object O, and irradiates laser light L so that the optical axis LA is horizontal. In this embodiment, the installation position of laser marking device 11 in this mode is referred to as "horizontal inversion position P4" (see Figures 15, 16-18(D), and 21(D)).

[0023] 1. Appearance of the laser marking device (1) Basic appearance 1 to 5, the laser marking device 11 has its components housed in a rectangular housing 12. The housing 12 has an operation panel 51 on the front surface, which is larger in area than both side surfaces, the top surface, and the bottom surface, one side surface serving as a reference surface 13, and the top surface serving as an auxiliary surface 14.

[0024] The reference surface 13 is a surface for mounting the laser marking device 11 on the object O (see FIG. 8), which is why the reference surface 13 is used as a reference. Such reference surface 13 is composed of a pair of rails 13a arranged parallel to both sides of one side of the housing 12. When pressed against the object O, the smaller the area of ​​the reference surface 13, the higher the contact pressure, so a structure using a pair of rails 13a contributes to stabilizing the mounting state of the reference surface 13 relative to the object O. Due to this structure, the reference surface 13 is understood to be a plane that includes, within the same plane, the pair of rails 13a that come into contact with and are pressed against the object O.

[0025] Auxiliary surface 14 provided on the top surface of housing 12 is perpendicular to reference surface 13 (see FIG. 5). For example, when reference surface 13 is installed on a wall surface W as object O, auxiliary surface 14 can be pressed against the ceiling surface, or laser marking device 11 can be turned upside down so that auxiliary surface 14 is pressed against floor surface F (see FIG. 16(B)). This makes it possible to further stabilize the installation state of laser marking device 11 relative to object O.

[0026] As a structure for increasing the stability of the state in which the laser marking device 11 is attached to the object O, the laser marking device 11 has an attachment needle 21, a magnet 31, and a second magnet 31S.

[0027] The installation needle 21 mainly comprises a needle 22 (see FIG. 7) built into the housing 12 so as to be slidable in a direction perpendicular to the reference surface 13, and a handle 23 fixed to the rear end of the needle 22 is exposed from the side opposite the reference surface 13. By pushing in the handle 23, the needle 22 can be caused to protrude from a pinhole 24 formed in the reference surface 13, and its sharp tip can be pierced into the object O. When the object O is a member having a certain degree of flexibility, such as wood, the installation needle 21 pierces the tip of the needle 22 into the object O, and the laser marking device 11 is installed on the object O (see FIG. 14(A)).

[0028] The magnet 31, together with the rail 13a, constitutes part of the reference surface 13. When the object O is made of metal, the laser marking device 11 is installed by magnetic attraction of the magnet 31 to the object O. Since the installation is performed without applying external force by hand, the installation state of the laser marking device 11 relative to the object O is stabilized (see FIG. 14(B)).

[0029] The second magnet 31S is provided on the auxiliary surface 14 in a manner that is parallel to the auxiliary surface 14 (see FIG. 8). Since the auxiliary surface 14 is perpendicular to the reference surface 13, the second magnet 31S is also perpendicular to the reference surface 13. The second magnet 31S is shown only in FIG. 8 and is not shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 7, which show the auxiliary surface 14.

[0030] As described above, when the reference surface 13 is installed with the wall surface W as the object O, the auxiliary surface 14 may be pressed against the ceiling surface, or the laser marking device 11 may be turned upside down so that the auxiliary surface 14 is pressed against the floor surface F (see FIG. 16(B)). In this case, if the ceiling surface or floor surface F is made of metal, the second magnet 31S will be magnetically attracted to the ceiling surface or floor surface F, which will contribute to further stabilizing the installation state of the laser marking device 11.

[0031] 2 to 4, a laser hole 15 is provided in the bottom surface of the housing 12. The laser hole 15 is a hole for irradiating laser light L oscillated by a laser module 151 from the inside of the housing 12 to the outside.

[0032] In this embodiment, laser light L emitted from laser module 151 is emitted parallel to reference plane 13 at a distance of 50 mm from reference plane 13. Therefore, on the front side of housing 12, there are provided distance marking 16A, which reads "50 mm," indicating the distance from reference plane 13 to the laser emission position, and irradiation direction marking 16B, which indicates with a straight line the irradiation direction of laser light L. These distance marking 16A and irradiation direction marking 16B are visualized by, for example, concaves and convexes provided on the outer surface of housing 12.

[0033] Needle markings 16C are also provided as markings that are made visible by the unevenness provided on the outer surface of the housing 12. The needle markings 16C are provided on the front and back of the housing 12 along the sliding direction of the installation needle 21, and notify the operator of the presence of the installation needle 21.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 4, the laser marking device 11 has a gripping area 17 on the side of the housing 12 opposite the reference surface 13. The gripping area 17 is an area that an operator grips when pressing the reference surface 13 against the object O, and is given a stepped offset shape from the top surface of the housing 12 toward the bottom surface. This offset shape makes the gripping area 17 easier to grip, facilitating the installation work of the laser marking device 11 on the object O.

[0035] A laser confirmation lamp 18 is provided at a relatively high position so as not to be hidden when the worker grips the gripping area 17. The laser confirmation lamp 18 is, for example, an LED lamp that emits red light (wavelength 610 to 780 nm), and lights up when the laser module 151 oscillates the laser light L to notify the worker that the laser light L is being emitted.

[0036] 5, a battery cover 19 is detachably attached to the back of the housing 12. Opening the battery cover 19 exposes a battery box 201, allowing the insertion and removal of a dry battery 202 used as a power source. The dry battery 202 is, for example, an AA alkaline battery.

[0037] (2) Operation panel As shown in FIG. 6, an operation panel 51 is provided with four switches: a power switch 52, a calibration mode switch 53, an increment switch 54, and a decrement switch 55.

[0038] The power switch 52 is a switch for instructing the start-up of each part, and is provided independently below the operation panel 51.

[0039] The calibration mode switch 53 is a switch for switching the operation mode to a calibration mode (see FIG. 21) described later, and is located at the top of the operation panel 51. For example, by pressing and holding the calibration mode switch 53 for two seconds or more, the operation mode transitions to the calibration mode.

[0040] The increment switch 54 and the decrement switch 55 are arranged horizontally and are used to adjust the optical axis of the laser light L emitted by the laser module 151. The increment switch 54 is located on the right side and the decrement switch 55 is located on the left side, and together with the calibration mode switch 53, they form an equilateral triangle.

[0041] The increment switch 54 also serves as a switch for switching the operation mode to a laser fixed mode (see FIGS. 22-23), which will be described later. For example, by pressing the increment switch 54 for two seconds or more, the operation mode is switched to the laser fixed mode.

[0042] The operation panel 51 is provided with four lamps: a power / leveling lamp 56, a calibration mode lamp 57, a laser fixed mode lamp 58, and a battery remaining warning lamp 59.

[0043] The power / leveling lamp 56 is, for example, an LED lamp that emits green light (wavelength 500 to 570 nm), and lights up when the power switch 52 is turned on. Immediately after the power switch 52 is turned on, the power / leveling lamp 56 flashes green to indicate that the leveling operation is in progress, and when the leveling operation is complete, the state changes from flashing green to lit.

[0044] The calibration mode lamp 57 is, for example, an LED lamp that emits orange light (wavelength 590 to 610 nm) and lights up orange to indicate that the operation mode has shifted to the calibration mode. The calibration mode lamp 57 is provided in a manner that allows visual recognition of its combination with the calibration mode switch 53, which instructs the transition to the calibration mode.

[0045] The laser-fixed mode lamp 58 is, for example, an LED lamp that emits orange light (wavelength 590 to 610 nm), and indicates by lighting up in orange that the operation mode has been switched to the laser-fixed mode. The laser-fixed mode lamp 58 is provided in a manner that allows visual recognition of its combination with the increment switch 54, which switches the operation mode to the laser-fixed mode when pressed and held.

[0046] The battery remaining amount warning lamp 59 is, for example, an LED lamp that emits red light (wavelength 610 to 780 nm), and indicates by lighting up in red that the remaining amount of the dry battery 202 has become low to a certain extent.

[0047] The power / leveling lamp 56, the calibration mode lamp 57, and the battery remaining warning lamp 59 are arranged in a row, and the laser fixed mode lamp 58 is disposed diagonally below and to the right of the battery remaining warning lamp 59.

[0048] A pictogram 58a consisting of a key symbol is displayed near the laser fixed mode lamp 58, and a pictogram 59a consisting of a symbol indicating a shortage of battery capacity is displayed near the battery remaining warning lamp 59.

[0049] 2. Internal structure of the laser marking device As shown in Fig. 7, when the housing 12 is opened, the internal structure of the laser marking device 11 is exposed. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional front view of the laser marking device 11, and Fig. 8 is a structural block diagram that schematically shows the internal structure of the laser marking device 11.

[0050] An installation pin 21 is slidably attached to an upper position inside the housing 12. An operation panel board 101 is disposed below the installation pin 21, and an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) that constitutes a control circuit is provided in a position hidden behind the operation panel board 101 (see FIG. 8). In this embodiment, the MCU is called a control unit 111.

[0051] The operation panel board 101 has the same layout as the operation panel 51 and arranges components that constitute the various switches and lamps provided on the operation panel 51. When the operation panel 51 is operated, the operation panel board 101 transmits a signal to the control unit 111 according to the operation content.

[0052] A laser confirmation lamp 18 is provided on the right side surface of the housing 12, to the right of the operation panel board 101 and the control unit 111.

[0053] Support body 131 is provided below operation panel board 101 and control unit 111 so as to swing around support shaft 131a. Support body 131 is an arm-shaped structure that mounts laser module 151 and acceleration sensor 301 and is driven by actuator 171 to swing.

[0054] A coil spring 132 is disposed in a compressed state between the frame 61 provided inside the housing 12 and the support 131 to suppress minute vibrations of the support 131 .

[0055] The support shaft 131a of the support body 131 is disposed parallel to the reference surface 13 and a virtual horizontal plane HS, which is a virtual horizontal plane when the reference surface 13 is disposed vertically (see FIG. 8). The support body 131 extends from the support shaft 131a toward the reference surface 13, and the free end (the part on the left in FIG. 7) swings up and down along the reference surface 13.

[0056] The laser module 151 is fixed to the support 131 with the laser irradiation surface 152 facing the laser hole 15 provided in the lower surface of the housing 12. Therefore, the optical axis LA (see FIG. 8) of the laser module 151 swings in accordance with the swing of the support 131. The fixed position of the laser module 151 relative to the support 131 is a position near the support shaft 131a.

[0057] A pair of limit switches 133 are arranged at the free end of the support 131, sandwiching the free end from above and below. These limit switches 133 are microswitches that turn on when the amount of swing of the support 131 exceeds a certain amount.

[0058] The laser confirmation lamp 18 and the pair of limit switches 133 are connected to the operation panel board 101 via connection wiring (not shown). The operation panel board 101 controls the lighting of the laser confirmation lamp 18 in response to a command from the control unit 111, and transmits an ON signal from the limit switch 133 to the control unit 111.

[0059] The actuator 171 is a motor that rotates a rotary shaft 171a, and is attached to a lower position inside the housing 12 so that the rotary shaft 171a is parallel to the reference plane 13. A slider 172 is attached to the support 131 so as to be slidable along an imaginary horizontal plane HS. The slider 172 is threadedly coupled to a screw 174 of a speed reduction mechanism 173 that is connected to the rotary shaft 171a of the actuator 171, and is connected to the rotary shaft 171a of the actuator 171 via the speed reduction mechanism 173.

[0060] Therefore, the rotation of the rotary shaft 171a is decelerated and transmitted to the screw 174, raising and lowering the slider 172. Accordingly, the free end of the support 131 also rises and falls, causing the support 131 to swing.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 8, the acceleration sensor 301 outputs signals that can extract the amount and direction of tilt of two axes: a first axis (X direction in FIG. 8) that is parallel to the virtual horizontal plane HS and perpendicular to the support shaft 131a, and a second axis (Z direction in FIG. 8) that is perpendicular to the virtual horizontal plane HS.

[0062] 3. Electrical structure of laser marking device (1) Acceleration sensor The acceleration sensor 301 is, for example, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) It is a low-G acceleration sensor that uses electrostatic capacitance detection and is manufactured using semiconductor microfabrication technology called the Electro-Mechanical System.

[0063] As shown in Figure 9, we consider a model in which a movable mass (mass m) is suspended by a spring (spring coefficient k). If the distance traveled by the movable mass is d, the force F acting on the movable mass is: F=ma (1) where a is the acceleration. In the above model, F can also be expressed by the following equation: F=kd (2) By solving the simultaneous equations (1) and (2), the acceleration a is a=kd / m (3) Since the spring constant k and the mass m of the movable mass are known, it can be seen from equation (3) that the acceleration a can be obtained by measuring the amount of movement of the movable mass.

[0064] 10, acceleration sensor 301 is arranged so that movable mass 302 is suspended by spring 303 and movable electrode 305 of movable mass 302 is sandwiched between a pair of comb-shaped fixed electrodes 304. As movable electrode 305 moves, the capacitance between movable electrode 305 and fixed electrode 304 changes, and by understanding this change in capacitance, the amount of movement of movable mass 302 is detected. This is how acceleration sensor 301 works.

[0065] 11, acceleration sensor 301 outputs a gravitational acceleration signal of 0 grams (g) when placed parallel to the sensor axis, and up to -1 gram (g) or +1 gram (g) when tilted depending on the direction. The output value of this gravitational acceleration signal makes it possible to know the amount and direction of tilt of acceleration sensor 301.

[0066] Incidentally, a typical acceleration sensor is realized as a two-axis sensor for the X-axis and Y-axis in a horizontal plane, plus a three-axis sensor for the Z-axis in the vertical direction. In contrast, this embodiment requires output signals for the tilt amount and direction of two axes: a first horizontal axis (X direction in FIG. 8) and a second vertical axis (Z direction in FIG. 8). For this reason, it would be possible to use a three-axis sensor that outputs signals for the X, Y, and Z axes, but in that case the Y-axis signal would be wasted.

[0067] Therefore, in this embodiment, a two-axis sensor that outputs gravitational acceleration signals of the X and Y axes is rotated by 90 degrees and is positioned, and the X-axis signal is used as a signal from which the amount and direction of tilt of the first axis (X direction in FIG. 8) can be extracted, and the Y-axis signal is used as a signal from which the amount and direction of tilt of the second axis (Z direction in FIG. 8) can be extracted. In this way, signals are obtained from acceleration sensor 301 from which the amount and direction of tilt of the first axis (X direction in FIG. 8) that is parallel to virtual horizontal plane HS and perpendicular to support shaft 131a, and the second axis (Z direction in FIG. 8) that is perpendicular to virtual horizontal plane HS can be extracted.

[0068] (2) Functional Blocks 12, the laser marking device 11 of this embodiment includes, as a functional block executed by hardware resources, an optical path correction unit 401 that maintains the optical path of the laser light L irradiated from the laser module 151 vertically or horizontally. The optical path correction unit 401 includes a tilt calculation unit 411 and a control unit 431.

[0069] The gradient calculation unit 411 (a) Vertical normal position P1 (the first axis is horizontal and the second axis is vertically downward) (b) Vertical inversion position P2 (first axis is horizontal and second axis is vertically upward) (c) Horizontal normal position P3 (the second axis is horizontal and the first axis is vertically upward) (d) Horizontal inversion position P4 (the second axis is horizontal and the first axis is vertically downward) The gravitational acceleration signal output by the acceleration sensor 301 in each of the four types of installation modes is set to have a tilt of 0. In this case, the first axis is an axis parallel to the virtual horizontal plane HS and perpendicular to the support shaft 131a (X direction in FIG. 8), and the second axis is an axis perpendicular to the virtual horizontal plane HS (Z direction in FIG. 8). Therefore, the relationship between the sensor axis of the two-axis acceleration sensor 301, which uses the Y axis as the second axis, and the first and second axes is as follows:

[0070] When the acceleration sensor 301 is in the normal vertical position P1, the X-axis of the acceleration sensor 301 is used as the first axis and the Y-axis is used as the second axis. The tilt calculation unit 411 treats the gravitational acceleration signal when the X-axis of the acceleration sensor 301 is horizontal and the Y-axis is vertical as having a tilt of 0.

[0071] When at vertical inversion position P2, acceleration sensor 301 is inverted, with the X axis used as the first axis and the Y axis used as the second axis. Tilt calculation unit 411 treats the gravitational acceleration signal when the X axis of inverted acceleration sensor 301 is horizontal and the Y axis is vertical as having a tilt of 0.

[0072] When in the horizontal normal position P3, the acceleration sensor 301 rotates 90 degrees (or 270 degrees), and the Y axis is used as the first axis and the X axis is used as the second axis. The tilt calculation unit 411 treats the gravity acceleration signal when the Y axis of the acceleration sensor 301 rotated 90 degrees (or 270 degrees) is horizontal and the X axis is vertical as having a tilt of 0.

[0073] When at horizontal inversion position P4, acceleration sensor 301 rotates 270 degrees (or 90 degrees), and the Y axis is used as the first axis and the X axis is used as the second axis. Tilt calculation unit 411 treats the gravitational acceleration signal when acceleration sensor 301 rotated 270 degrees (or 90 degrees) is positioned so that its X axis is horizontal and its Y axis is vertical as having a tilt of 0.

[0074] Then, the tilt calculation unit 411 calculates the amount and direction of tilt between two axes, i.e., the first axis and the second axis, for each of the four installation positions. In other words, the tilt calculation unit 411 calculates the amount and direction of tilt between the first axis and the second axis according to the position (vertical normal position P1, vertical inverted position P2, horizontal normal position P3, horizontal inverted position P4) at which the laser marking device 11 is installed with the reference surface 13 in contact with the object O.

[0075] The control unit 431 controls the driving of the actuator 171 so that the calculated value of the tilt calculation unit 411 becomes zero.

[0076] For example, if the angle of a built wall W is off the vertical, and the reference plane 13 is placed against the wall W and the laser marking device 11 is installed in the normal vertical position P1 or the inverted vertical position P2, a tilt will occur between the first axis and the second axis. If no measures are taken in this case, the optical axis LA of the laser light L emitted from the laser module 151 will be off the vertical. Therefore, the tilt calculation unit 411 calculates the amount and direction of tilt between the first axis and the second axis, and the control unit 431 controls the drive of the actuator 171 so that the calculated value becomes 0. This keeps the optical axis LA of the laser light L vertical.

[0077] Furthermore, if the angle of the built floor surface F or ceiling surface C is off-horizontal, and the reference surface 13 is placed against the floor surface F or ceiling surface C and the laser marking device 11 is installed in the horizontal normal position P3 or the horizontal inversion position P4, a tilt will occur between the first axis and the second axis. If no measures are taken in this case, the optical axis LA of the laser light L emitted from the laser module 151 will be off-horizontal. Therefore, the tilt calculation unit 411 calculates the amount and direction of tilt between the first axis and the second axis, and the control unit 431 controls the drive of the actuator 171 so that the calculated value becomes 0. This keeps the optical axis LA of the laser light L horizontal.

[0078] The function of the tilt calculation unit 411 is incorporated in the acceleration sensor 301 as one example, and may be performed by the control unit 111 as another example. Alternatively, a separate arithmetic device that executes the function of the tilt calculation unit 411 may be provided separately.

[0079] The function of the control unit 431 is executed by the control unit 111. Of course, the function of the control unit 431 may be incorporated into the acceleration sensor 301, or a separate arithmetic device that executes the function of the control unit 431 may be provided separately.

[0080] (3) Electrical connection block As shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 111 has a CPU 112 at its core that executes various processes and centrally controls each part, and a main memory 113, a flash memory 114 used as a program memory, and an I / O 115 for connecting peripheral devices are connected to the CPU 112 via a bus.

[0081] The I / O 115 is connected to an operation panel board 101 that mounts an operation panel 51 and controls the lighting of the laser confirmation lamp 18, a laser module 151 that emits laser light L, an actuator 171 that drives and controls the support 131 to change its angle, and an acceleration sensor 301 that outputs a gravitational acceleration signal, and each of these parts is connected to the CPU 112 via a bus.

[0082] 4. Usage (1) Installation method To install the laser marking device 11 on the object O, the gripping area 17 of the housing 12 is grasped by hand, the reference surface 13 is pressed against the object O, and the housing 12 is fixed so as not to move.

[0083] 14(A), when the object O is a member with a certain degree of flexibility, such as wood, the reference surface 13 is pressed against the object O, and the handle 23 covering the rear end of the installation needle 21 is struck with, for example, a hammer 501, so that the needle 22 of the installation needle 21 pierces the object O. The angle of the housing 12 is then fine-tuned so that the reference surface 13 is vertical. In this way, the laser marking device 11 can be stably installed on the object O.

[0084] 14(B), when the object O is made of metal, such as an iron part such as a steel pipe or steel frame, the magnet 31 provided on the reference surface 13 is magnetically attracted to the object O. At this time, the angle of the housing 12 is finely adjusted so that the reference surface 13 is vertical. In this way, the laser marking device 11 can be stably installed on the object O.

[0085] (2) Installation location As described above, the laser marking device 11 of this embodiment can be installed in four different positions: the vertical normal position P1, the vertical inverted position P2, the horizontal normal position P3, and the horizontal inverted position P4.

[0086] Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing four types of installation modes. Figs. 16(A)-(D) are schematic diagrams showing the state of the laser light L when the laser marking device 11 is installed on an object O that is set at a correct angle, and Figs. 17(A)-(D) are schematic diagrams showing the state of the laser light L when the laser marking device 11 is installed on an object O that is not set at a correct angle. Figs. 18(A)-(D) are schematic diagrams showing the state of the laser light when the laser marking device 11 is installed. Figs. 16 and 17(A)-(D) show usage modes of the laser marking device 11 that function as a plumb bob device, and Figs. 18(A)-(D) show usage modes of the laser marking device 11 that function as a marking device.

[0087] The vertical normal position P1 shown in Figures 15 and 16-18(A) is an installation mode in which the laser marking device 11 is installed on a wall surface W as the target object O, and the irradiation direction of the laser light L from the laser module 151 is directed vertically downward.

[0088] The vertical inversion position P2 shown in Figures 15 and 16-18(B) is an installation mode in which the laser marking device 11 is installed with the wall surface W as the target object O, and the irradiation direction of the laser light L from the laser module 151 is directed vertically upward.

[0089] The horizontal normal position P3 shown in Figures 15 and 16-18(C) is an installation mode in which the laser marking device 11 is installed on the floor surface F as the target object O, and the irradiation direction of the laser light L from the laser module 151 is horizontal.

[0090] The horizontal inversion position P4 shown in Figures 15 and 16-18(D) is an installation mode in which the laser marking device 11 is installed with the ceiling surface C as the target object O, and the irradiation direction of the laser light L from the laser module 151 is horizontal.

[0091] 5.Operation The CPU 112 of the control unit 111 executes the operation program installed in the flash memory 114. (Category 1) Mode setting process (see Figure 19) (Category 2) Normal mode processing (see Figure 20), calibration mode processing, or laser fixed mode processing (Category 3) Laser shutdown process (see Figure 24) The processing routines in these three categories are executed in a multitasking manner.

[0092] (1) Mode setting As shown in FIG. 19, after power is turned on, the control unit 111 executes a mode determination process (step S101).

[0093] If no operation is performed on the operation panel 51 to specify a mode and no signal indicating that a mode has been specified is output from the operation panel board 101, the control unit 111 determines that the mode is normal (YES in step S102) and executes the normal mode routine (see Figure 20) (step S103).

[0094] When the calibration mode switch 53 in the operation panel 51 is pressed and held for two seconds or more, the operation panel board 101 outputs a signal instructing a transition to the calibration mode to the control unit 111. Upon receiving the signal instructing a transition to the calibration mode, the control unit 111 determines that the mode should be transitioned to the calibration mode (YES in step S104), and executes a calibration mode routine (not shown) (step S105).

[0095] When the increment switch 54 in the operation panel 51 is pressed and held for two seconds or more, the operation panel board 101 outputs a signal instructing a transition to the laser fixed mode to the control unit 111. Upon receiving the signal instructing a transition to the laser fixed mode, the control unit 111 determines a transition to the laser fixed mode (YES in step S106) and executes a routine for the laser fixed mode (step S107).

[0096] The control unit 111 executes the above-described mode setting process routine (category 1) in a multitasking manner together with the category 2 and 3 routines.

[0097] (2) Normal mode As shown in FIG. 20, the control unit 111 executes initialization (step S201), and then drives the laser module 151 to oscillate the laser light L (step S202).

[0098] Then, the control unit 111 receives the tilt data from the tilt calculation unit 411 (step S203), generates drive data for the actuator 171 (step S204), and stores the generated drive data in a register (step S205).

[0099] The tilt data that the control unit 111 acquires from the tilt calculation unit 411 in step S203 is data that allows extraction of the amount and direction of tilt of two axes, i.e., the first axis (X direction in FIG. 8) and the second axis (Z direction in FIG. 8), calculated by the tilt calculation unit 411 based on the gravitational acceleration signal output by the acceleration sensor 301.

[0100] This data is as follows, depending on the installation location of the laser marking device 11:

[0101] (a) When installed in the vertical position P1 16(A), when the wall surface W on which the laser marking device 11 is installed is vertical, the optical axis LA of the laser light L is parallel to the wall surface W, and a distance of 50 mm is maintained between the wall surface W. 50 mm is the distance between the optical axis LA of the laser light L irradiated by the laser module 151 and the reference surface 13.

[0102] 17(A), if the angle of the wall surface W is misaligned with respect to the vertical, the distance between the optical axis LA of the laser light L and the wall surface W will not be maintained at 50 mm, but will become smaller or larger than 50 mm. This allows the worker to recognize the inclination of the wall surface W by visually checking the position on the floor surface F where the laser light L is irradiated in a spot shape.

[0103] However, since the laser marking device 11 is installed with the reference surface 13 pressed against the wall surface W, the optical axis LA of the laser light L will be parallel to the wall surface W unless something is done.

[0104] The solution to this problem is the acceleration sensor 301. When the laser marking device 11 is installed by pressing the reference surface 13 against an inclined wall surface W, the sensor axes (X and Y axes) of the acceleration sensor 301 are both tilted from the horizontal and vertical. Therefore, based on the gravitational acceleration signal acquired from the acceleration sensor 301, the tilt calculation unit 411 calculates the amount and direction of tilt of the first axis (the X axis of the acceleration sensor 301) relative to the horizontal plane, and the amount and direction of tilt of the second axis (the Y axis of the acceleration sensor 301) relative to the vertical plane, and generates these as tilt data.

[0105] This is the tilt data that the control unit 111 acquires in step S203.

[0106] (b) When installed at vertical inversion position P2 As shown in Figure 16(B), when the wall surface W on which the laser marking device 11 is installed is vertical, the optical axis LA of the laser light L is parallel to the wall surface W, maintaining a distance of 50 mm between it and the wall surface W.

[0107] 17(B), if the angle of the wall surface W is misaligned with respect to the vertical, the distance between the optical axis LA of the laser light L and the wall surface W will not be maintained at 50 mm, but will become smaller or larger than 50 mm. This allows the worker to recognize the inclination of the wall surface W by visually checking the position on the ceiling surface C where the laser light L is irradiated in a spot shape.

[0108] However, since the laser marking device 11 is installed with the reference surface 13 pressed against the wall surface W, the optical axis LA of the laser light L will be parallel to the wall surface W unless something is done.

[0109] The solution to this problem is the acceleration sensor 301. When the laser marking device 11 is installed by pressing the reference surface 13 against an inclined wall surface W, the sensor axes (X and Y axes) of the acceleration sensor 301 are both tilted from the horizontal and vertical. Therefore, the tilt calculation unit 411 calculates the amount and direction of tilt of the first axis (the X axis of the inverted acceleration sensor 301) relative to the horizontal plane, and the amount and direction of tilt of the second axis (the Y axis of the inverted acceleration sensor 301) relative to the vertical plane, and generates these as tilt data.

[0110] This is the tilt data that the control unit 111 acquires in step S203.

[0111] (c) When installed in the horizontal normal position P3 As shown in Figure 16 (C), when the floor surface F on which the laser marking device 11 is installed is horizontal, the optical axis LA of the laser light L is parallel to the floor surface F, maintaining a distance of 50 mm between it and the floor surface F.

[0112] 17(C), if the angle of the floor surface F is misaligned with respect to the horizontal, the distance between the optical axis LA of the laser light L and the floor surface F will not be maintained at 50 mm, but will become smaller or larger than 50 mm. This allows the worker to recognize the inclination of the floor surface F by visually checking the position of the wall surface W onto which the laser light L is irradiated in a spot shape.

[0113] However, since the laser marking device 11 is installed with the reference surface 13 pressed against the floor surface F, the optical axis LA of the laser light L will be parallel to the floor surface F unless something is done.

[0114] The solution to this problem is the acceleration sensor 301. When the laser marking device 11 is installed by pressing the reference surface 13 against an inclined floor surface F, the sensor axes (Y and X axes) of the acceleration sensor 301 are both tilted from the horizontal and vertical. Therefore, the tilt calculation unit 411 calculates the amount and direction of tilt of the first axis (the Y axis of the acceleration sensor 301 rotated by 90 or 270 degrees) relative to the horizontal plane, and the amount and direction of tilt of the second axis (the Z axis of the acceleration sensor 301 rotated by 90 or 270 degrees) relative to the vertical plane, and generates these as tilt data.

[0115] This is the tilt data that the control unit 111 acquires in step S203.

[0116] (d) When installed at horizontal inversion position P4 As shown in Figure 16 (D), when the ceiling surface C on which the laser marking device 11 is installed is horizontal, the optical axis LA of the laser light L is parallel to the ceiling surface C, maintaining a distance of 50 mm between it and the ceiling surface C.

[0117] 17(D), if the angle of the ceiling surface C is misaligned with the horizontal, the distance between the optical axis LA of the laser light L and the ceiling surface C will not be maintained at 50 mm, but will become smaller or larger than 50 mm. This allows the worker to recognize the inclination of the ceiling surface C by visually checking the position of the wall surface W onto which the laser light L is irradiated in a spot shape.

[0118] However, since the laser marking device 11 is installed with the reference surface 13 pressed against the ceiling surface C, the optical axis LA of the laser light L will be parallel to the ceiling surface C unless something is done.

[0119] The solution to this problem is the acceleration sensor 301. When the laser marking device 11 is installed with the reference surface 13 pressed against a sloping ceiling surface C, the sensor axes (Y and X axes) of the acceleration sensor 301 are both tilted from the horizontal and vertical. Therefore, the tilt calculation unit 411 calculates the amount and direction of tilt of the first axis (the Y axis of the acceleration sensor 301 rotated 270 degrees or 90 degrees) relative to the horizontal plane, and the amount and direction of tilt of the second axis (the Z axis of the acceleration sensor 301 rotated 270 degrees or 90 degrees) relative to the vertical plane, and generates these as tilt data.

[0120] This is the tilt data that the control unit 111 acquires in step S203.

[0121] The drive data generated by the control unit 111 in step S204 is data that determines how much and in what direction the actuator 171 should be driven so that the tilt of the first axis and the second axis becomes 0. In other words, it can be said that this data determines the drive amount and direction of the actuator 171 required to make the support body 131, which is tilted from the horizontal or vertical in accordance with the tilt of the object O (wall surface W, floor surface F, ceiling surface C), horizontal or vertical.

[0122] The control unit 111 generates drive data for the actuator 171 based on the tilt data acquired from the tilt calculation unit 411, and stores the drive data in a register allocated to a partial area of ​​the main memory 113 (step S205). This drive data includes the number of drive steps X, which is the amount of drive of the actuator, and the drive direction (increment, decrement).

[0123] The control unit 111 executes a process of inputting a drive signal of the unit step number N to a drive circuit (not shown) of the actuator 171 (step S206), and continues this process until the unit step number N reaches the drive step number X (step S207).

[0124] When the number of unit steps N reaches the number of drive steps X (YES in step S207), the direction of the optical axis LA of the laser light L emitted from the laser module 151 is set to the vertical direction (in the case of the vertical normal position P1 or the vertical inversion position P2) or the horizontal direction (in the horizontal normal position P3 or the horizontal inversion position P4). As a result, as illustrated in Figures 17(A)-(D), it becomes possible to visually confirm the tilt of the object O.

[0125] The control unit 111 repeats the processing routine from step S203 to step S207 until it determines that the power is off (step S208), and when it determines that the power is off (YES in step S208), it executes a stop process such as memory clear (step S209) and completes the process.

[0126] (2-1) Plumb bob device 16(A)-(D) and 17(A)-(D), the laser marking device 11 of this embodiment can be used as a plumb bob device. When used as a plumb bob device, a laser module 151 that does not scan the laser light L is used.

[0127] (2-2) Marking device 18(A)-(D), the laser marking device 11 of this embodiment can also be used as a marking device. When used as a marking device, a laser module 151 capable of scanning with laser light L is used.

[0128] (3) Calibration mode As shown in Figures 21(A)-(D), the calibration mode processing is performed by placing the laser marking device 11 on a wall surface W that is accurately vertical, or on a floor surface F or ceiling surface C that is accurately horizontal.

[0129] As shown in Figures 21(A) and (B), if the optical axis LA is not parallel to the wall surface W, the angle of the optical axis LA can be adjusted by pressing the increment switch 54 or decrement switch 55 provided on the operation panel 51.

[0130] As shown in Figures 21(C) and (D), if the optical axis LA is not parallel to the floor surface F or the ceiling surface C, the angle of the optical axis LA can be adjusted by pressing the increment switch 54 or the decrement switch 55 provided on the operation panel 51.

[0131] When the control unit 111 determines that the increment switch 54 or the decrement switch 55 has been operated during the calibration mode, it controls the actuator 171 in accordance with the degree of the operation input, and finely changes the angle of the support 131. This adjusts the optical axis LA of the laser module 151.

[0132] (4) Laser fixed mode The laser fixed mode is a mode in which adjustment of the optical axis LA of the laser module 151 using the acceleration sensor 301 is canceled. The laser fixed mode routine can be easily realized by omitting or not executing the processes of steps S203 to S207 in the normal mode routine shown in FIG.

[0133] As shown in Figure 22(A), it is assumed that the laser marking device 11 is mounted on a tripod 601 so that the optical axis LA of the laser light L is horizontal. At this time, in normal mode, the optical axis LA of the laser module 151 is adjusted using the acceleration sensor 301 (see the flowchart in Figure 20). Therefore, as shown in Figure 22(B), even if the tripod 601 is operated to tilt the laser marking device 11, the optical axis LA remains horizontal.

[0134] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 22(C), when the operation mode is switched to the laser fixed mode, the adjustment of the optical axis LA is canceled, so that the optical axis LA of the laser light L tilts together with the tilt of the laser marking device 11.

[0135] Such a laser fixed mode is convenient for marking a line between two points, such as marking a handrail of a staircase as shown in Fig. 23. By setting the laser marking device 11 functioning as a marking device to the laser fixed mode and installing it on a tripod 601, and adjusting the angle of the tripod, it is possible to scan the laser light L at a desired angle.

[0136] (5) Laser shutdown process The laser stop processing is a processing to stop the emission of laser light from the laser module 151 when the fluctuation of the output value of the acceleration sensor 301 exceeds a specified range. As described above, the laser stop processing constitutes a category 3 processing that is executed in a multitasking manner together with the category 1 mode setting processing (see FIG. 19) and the category 2 normal mode processing (see FIG. 20).

[0137] 24, the control unit 111 acquires gravitational acceleration signal data (gravitational acceleration data) from the acceleration sensor 301 (step S301). This data is digital data sampled in a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) constituting the acceleration sensor 301 or in another circuit.

[0138] The control unit 111 stores the acquired gravitational acceleration data in, for example, a register allocated to a partial area of ​​the main memory 113 (step S302). The process of acquiring and storing the gravitational acceleration data (steps S301 and S302) is repeated until the elapsed time or the number of acquisitions (Y) reaches a predetermined specified time or number of times (N) (step S303).

[0139] When Y reaches N (YES in step S303), the control unit 111 performs a fluctuation analysis of the gravitational acceleration data (step S304).

[0140] 25(A) is a graph showing an example of output (gravitational acceleration data) of acceleration sensor 301 when there is no shaking in laser marking device 11, and Fig. 25(B) is a graph showing an example of output (gravitational acceleration data) of acceleration sensor 301 when there is shaking in laser marking device 11. In this embodiment, an example using XY two-axis acceleration sensor 301 has been described, but Figs. 25(A) and (B) show an example using an XYZ three-axis acceleration sensor 301.

[0141] As shown in Figure 25(A), for example, when the laser marking device 11 is placed on the object O in a vibration-free environment, there is almost no fluctuation (change in acceleration) in the gravitational acceleration data on any axis from 5 seconds when data acquisition begins to 50 seconds.

[0142] In contrast to this, as shown in FIG. 25(B), when the laser marking device 11 is shaken due to various causes, significant fluctuations (changes in acceleration) can be seen in all three axes XYZ.

[0143] Therefore, the control unit 111 determines whether the gravitational acceleration data stored in the register is acceptable or not based on whether the average value or peak value exceeds a predetermined threshold (step S305), and if the threshold is exceeded, that is, if the value is determined to be unacceptable (YES in step S305), the control unit 111 forcibly stops driving the laser module 151 (step S306). At this time, the indicator for determining whether the reference value based on the gravitational acceleration data is within the acceptable limits is whether the laser marking device 11 is being held by a person.

[0144] In this sense, the analysis of fluctuations in the gravitational acceleration data in step S304 can be realized by various methods, in addition to the relatively simple method of determining whether the average value or peak value of the acquired gravitational acceleration data exceeds a predetermined threshold. The purpose of the laser stop process is to prevent the laser light L from being irradiated in unnecessary places, but another method can be considered, in which patterns of gravity acceleration data for which irradiation of the laser light L should be suppressed are learned to create training data, and then the training data is compared to determine whether it is within the allowable range.

[0145] If the control unit 111 determines, as a result of the fluctuation analysis in step S304, that the fluctuation in the gravitational acceleration data falls within the allowable range (YES in step S305), the process returns to step S301.

[0146] 6.Effects According to this embodiment, a relatively simple configuration is realized, which allows for portability of the laser marking device 11. Moreover, it can be installed in a variety of locations, such as on the wall W, floor F, and ceiling C, in a variety of configurations, such as upside down, which allows for a variety of measurements.

[0147] According to this embodiment, since the laser stop process can be executed, it is possible to prevent the laser light L from being accidentally irradiated onto an undesired location. In this case, the acceleration sensor 301 is also used, so that the device can be made smaller and its structure simplified by sharing parts.

[0148] According to this embodiment, it is easy to configure the device to function as both a plumb bob device and a marking device, thereby broadening the versatility of its applications.

[0149] According to this embodiment, since it has a laser fixed mode, it can be used in a variety of ways, such as drawing a line between two points.

[0150] According to this embodiment, the housing 12 is provided with a distance marking 16A, an irradiation direction marking 16B, and a needle marking 16C, so that the distance to be maintained between the object O and the optical axis LA of the laser light L, the irradiation direction of the laser light L, and the fact that an installation needle 21 is installed can be shown to the worker in an intuitively understandable form, thereby providing work assistance.

[0151] 7. Variations Various modifications and variations are possible in practice.

[0152] For example, the reference surface 13 provided on the housing 12 does not necessarily have to be configured as a surface including a pair of rails 13a that come into contact with and are pressed against the object O, but may also be realized as three or more rails, ribs of various shapes, or a completely flat surface.

[0153] In this embodiment, a two-axis acceleration sensor 301 is used, but in practice, a three-axis acceleration sensor may be used.

[0154] Any other variations or modifications are permitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0155] 11 Laser marking device (plumb bob device, marking device) 12 Housing 13 Reference plane 13a Rail 14 Auxiliary surface 15 laser holes 16A Distance notation 16B Irradiation direction notation 16C needle notation 17 Grasping area 18 Laser confirmation lamp 19 Battery cover 21 Installation needle 22 needles 23 Handle 24 Needle hole 31 Magnet 31S Second Magnet 51 Operation Panel 52 Power switch 53 Calibration mode switch 54 Increment switch 55 Decrement switch 56 Power / Leveling Lamp 57 Calibration mode lamp 58 Laser Fixed Mode Lamp 58a Pictogram 59 Battery level warning lamp 59a Pictogram 61 frames 101 Operation panel board 111 control unit 112 CPU 113 Main Memory 114 Flash Memory 115 I / O 131 Support 131a Support shaft 132 coil spring 133 Limit Switch 151 Laser Module 152 Laser irradiation surface 171 Actuator 171a Rotation axis 172 slider 173 Reduction mechanism 174 Screw 201 Battery box 202 Dry cell battery 301 Acceleration Sensor 302 Movable Mass 303 Spring 304 Fixed electrode 305 Movable electrode 401 Optical path correction section 411 Tilt calculation unit 431 Control Unit 501 Hammer 601 Tripod C Ceiling surface (target object) F Floor (object) HS Virtual horizontal plane L laser light LA optical axis O Object P1 Vertical positive position P2 Vertical inversion position P3 Horizontal normal position P4 Horizontal inversion position W Wall (object)

Claims

1. a housing having a reference surface for mounting to an object; a support provided in the housing and swinging about a support shaft parallel to a virtual horizontal plane, which is an imaginary horizontal plane when the reference plane is disposed vertically, and the reference plane; a laser module attached to the support body with an optical axis set in a direction perpendicular to the imaginary horizontal plane, the laser module irradiating laser light from inside the housing to outside the housing; an actuator that drives the support to swing; an acceleration sensor attached to the support and outputting signals that can extract the amount and direction of tilt of two axes, a first axis that is parallel to the virtual horizontal plane and perpendicular to the support shaft, and a second axis that is perpendicular to the virtual horizontal plane; a tilt calculation unit that calculates the tilt amount and direction of the two axes with respect to the positions of the four positions, i.e., a vertical normal position where the first axis is horizontal and the second axis is facing vertical, a vertical inverted position obtained by inverting the vertical normal position, a horizontal normal position where the second axis is horizontal and the first axis is facing vertical, and a horizontal inverted position obtained by inverting the horizontal normal position, with output signals from the acceleration sensor set to a tilt of 0; a control unit that controls driving of the actuator so that the calculated value of the gradient calculation unit becomes 0; A laser marking device comprising:

2. The laser module scans the laser beam spot parallel to the reference surface, and functions as a marking device. The laser marking device according to claim 1 .

3. an operation unit for giving instructions to the control unit; the control unit executes laser fixation control to lock the drive of the actuator and fix a laser irradiation position from the laser module in response to an instruction from the operation unit. The laser marking device according to claim 2.

4. The housing has a distance marking on its outer surface indicating the distance from the reference surface to the laser emission position. The laser marking device according to claim 1 .

5. The housing slidably holds the installation needle so that the tip thereof can appear and disappear from the reference surface. The laser marking device according to claim 1 .

6. The housing has a magnet on the reference surface. The laser marking device according to claim 1 .

7. The housing has an auxiliary surface on its upper surface when the reference surface is disposed vertically, and the auxiliary surface has a second magnet that is perpendicular to the reference surface. The laser marking device according to claim 1 .

Images