An automatic leveling structure capable of wide-range fine adjustment of azimuth pointing

Abstract

The application discloses an automatic leveling structure capable of finely adjusting azimuth direction in a wide range, which comprises a base, an outer ring and an instrument cabin; the outer surface of the outer ring is hingedly connected with the base at both ends, and the inner surface of the outer ring is hingedly connected with the upper end of the instrument cabin at both ends; the line direction of the hingedly connected points of the outer ring and the base is defined as a roll axis, and the line direction of the hingedly connected points of the outer ring and the instrument cabin is defined as a pitch axis; the roll axis is perpendicular to the pitch axis; the roll axis adjusting hole and the pitch axis adjusting hole are sequentially arranged in the vertical direction of the instrument cabin; the roll axis adjusting hole and the pitch axis adjusting hole both penetrate the instrument cabin; the straight line where the roll axis adjusting hole is located is parallel to the roll axis, and the straight line where the pitch axis adjusting hole is located is parallel to the pitch axis; a jam screw is arranged in the roll axis adjusting hole and the pitch axis adjusting hole. The application solves the technical problem that the existing leveling structure needs to be manually adjusted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of precision instruments, specifically to the field of precision instrument leveling technology, and more specifically, to an automatic leveling structure that can finely adjust the orientation over a wide range. Background Technology

[0002] Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) gravimeters, with their high sensitivity, miniaturization, low power consumption, and low cost, have the potential to become important tools for gravity measurement in many fields. Gravimeters are high-precision instruments and are highly sensitive to orientation. When a gravimeter is tilted beyond its permissible limits, it severely affects its normal operation and consequently the quality of the recorded data. Therefore, to ensure proper functioning, the gravimeter needs to be leveled before operation. Currently, this is mainly achieved by manually adjusting the height of the tripod legs mounted at the bottom of the gravimeter, requiring manual adjustment after each movement. However, this method relies on manual operation and is unsuitable for scenarios requiring unmanned measurement, such as deep wells, drones, the lunar surface, and planetary locations. Furthermore, it fails to leverage the size advantage of MEMS gravity sensors and is unsuitable for confined spaces in wells. Therefore, to achieve automatic leveling of the gravimeter, a reliable, accurate, and stable automatic leveling device is urgently needed to address these issues. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above-mentioned defects or improvement needs of the existing technology, the present invention provides an automatic leveling structure that can adjust the orientation with a wide range of precision, thereby solving the technical problem that the existing leveling structure requires manual adjustment.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, according to one aspect of the present invention, an automatic leveling structure for adjusting orientation is provided, comprising a base, an outer ring, and an instrument compartment; the two ends of the outer surface of the outer ring are hinged to the base, and the two ends of the inner surface of the outer ring are hinged to the upper end of the instrument compartment; the direction of the line connecting the two ends of the outer ring to the hinged connection points of the base is defined as the roll axis, and the direction of the line connecting the two ends of the outer ring to the hinged connection points of the instrument compartment is defined as the pitch axis; the roll axis is perpendicular to the pitch axis.

[0005] The instrument compartment is vertically provided with roll axis adjustment holes and pitch axis adjustment holes in sequence; both the roll axis adjustment holes and the pitch axis adjustment holes penetrate the instrument compartment; the line where the roll axis adjustment hole is located is parallel to the roll axis, and the line where the pitch axis adjustment hole is located is parallel to the pitch axis; both the roll axis adjustment holes and the pitch axis adjustment holes are provided with set screws.

[0006] Preferably, the base includes an annular base, a first vertical axis, and a second vertical axis; the two ends of the annular base are respectively vertically connected to the first vertical axis and the second vertical axis.

[0007] Preferably, the two ends of the outer surface of the outer ring are hinged to the first vertical axis and the second vertical axis, respectively.

[0008] Preferably, the two ends of the outer surface of the outer ring are hinged to the base via a first bearing; the two ends of the inner surface of the outer ring are hinged to the instrument compartment via a second bearing.

[0009] Preferably, the instrument compartment includes an upper instrument compartment and a lower counterweight compartment; the upper instrument compartment is used to place the precision instrument to be leveled; the lower counterweight compartment is provided with the roll axis adjustment hole, the pitch axis adjustment hole and the set screw.

[0010] Preferably, the instrument compartment has a stepped structure.

[0011] Preferably, at least two roll axis adjustment holes are provided in the vertical direction; the line containing each roll axis adjustment hole is parallel to the roll axis; at least two pitch axis adjustment holes are provided in the vertical direction, and the line containing each pitch axis adjustment hole is parallel to the pitch axis.

[0012] Preferably, the ratio of the length of the roll axis adjusting hole or pitch axis adjusting hole to the length of the set screw is 0.5 to 0.8.

[0013] Preferably, a tilt sensor is also connected to the instrument compartment.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for achieving automatic leveling of the aforementioned automatic leveling structure for adjusting azimuth direction is provided. By adjusting the screw-in or screw-out depth of the set screws in the roll axis adjustment hole and / or pitch axis adjustment hole, the initial zero-position calibration and initial attitude adjustment of the leveling structure are completed. When the base tilts, the instrument cabin will rotate around the roll axis and the outer ring will rotate around the pitch axis under the action of gravity, thereby completing automatic leveling.

[0015] In summary, compared with the prior art, the above-described technical solutions conceived by this invention can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0016] 1. This invention utilizes orthogonally distributed roll axis and pitch axis adjustment holes, along with set screws, for zero-point calibration and tilt adjustment of the system. The structure employs a decoupled layout, with adjustment holes independently configured along the pitch and roll axes. When the base tilts, the instrument cabin rotates around the roll axis under gravity, while the outer ring rotates around the pitch axis, thus achieving passive leveling. This structure, through its innovative adjustable center of gravity and adaptive leveling design, is particularly suitable as a mounting platform for precision instruments such as gravimeters that are sensitive to orientation. The double-ring structure and low center of gravity design enable unmanned automatic leveling, overcoming the shortcomings of existing leveling technologies that rely on manual operation.

[0017] 2. This invention limits the number of roll axis adjustment holes to at least two in the vertical direction. These holes form a low-position long lever arm (i.e., far from the outer ring) to provide high torque output, enabling coarse adjustment in the roll axis direction. A high-position short lever arm (i.e., close to the outer ring) adjustment hole provides small torque micro-motion in the roll axis direction, enabling fine adjustment and steady-state maintenance. Similarly, the invention limits the number of pitch axis adjustment holes to at least two in the vertical direction, enabling both coarse and fine adjustment in the pitch axis direction. This further integrates coarse and fine adjustment threaded holes in both the pitch and roll axes, forming a two-stage synergistic adjustment system. By adjusting the center of gravity of the structure through these two-stage synergistic adjustments, flexible and precise control of the instrument's attitude stability is achieved.

[0018] 3. The instrument cabin of this invention is the core leveling component of the system. Its structure can be divided into an upper instrument cabin and a lower counterweight compartment: the upper instrument cabin is used to fix precision instruments such as gravimeters, and the lower part can be counterweighted to increase the moment of inertia during passive adjustment. This design can ensure that the center of gravity of the instrument cabin is lower than the pitch axis of the outer ring, generating sufficient restoring torque.

[0019] 4. The instrument compartment of this invention is designed in a stepped shape. The asymmetrical contour provides differentiated accommodation space for the internal leveling components. Without increasing the overall size of the equipment, it effectively avoids mechanical interference during the leveling process, thereby significantly expanding the automatic adjustment angle range in the roll and pitch directions.

[0020] The set screw acts as an axially movable and lockable counterweight within the through hole. Its length is 0.5 to 0.8 times the length of the through hole. On the one hand, it provides the maximum center of gravity adjustment stroke for bidirectional adjustment, thereby enabling highly sensitive and wide-range fine-tuning of the platform's center of gravity. On the other hand, it ensures that the screw has the necessary movement margin without being unscrewed out of the threaded hole, ensuring that the center of gravity adjustment capability is always present.

[0021] 5. This invention has good anti-interference capabilities, is a completely mechanical structure, is not affected by power supply or electronic component failures, and is adaptable to harsh environments; it has no complex transmission parts, has low wear and low maintenance requirements; it eliminates the need for sensors, controllers and actuators, and its manufacturing cost is far lower than that of active leveling systems. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall mechanism of the leveling structure of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the rotation of the outer ring pitch axis of the leveling structure of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the instrument cabin of the leveling structure of the present invention rotating around the horizontal roll axis.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the overall process of leveling achieved by the leveling structure of this invention.

[0026] In all the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements or structures, wherein:

[0027] 1. Base; 2. Outer ring; 3. Instrument compartment; 4. First bearing; 5. Roll axis adjustment hole; 6. Set screw; 7. Second bearing; 8. Pitch axis adjustment hole; 9. Tilt sensor; 11. Annular base; 12. First vertical axis; 13. Second vertical axis. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of this invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0029] Example 1

[0030] This invention discloses an automatic leveling structure for adjusting orientation, such as... Figure 1-3 As shown, it includes a base 1, an outer ring 2, and an instrument compartment 3; the two ends of the outer surface of the outer ring 2 are hinged to the base 1, and the two ends of the inner surface of the outer ring 2 are hinged to the upper end of the instrument compartment 3; the direction of the line connecting the two ends of the outer ring 2 to the hinge connection point of the base 1 is defined as the roll axis, and the direction of the line connecting the two ends of the outer ring 2 to the hinge connection point of the instrument compartment 3 is defined as the pitch axis; the roll axis is perpendicular to the pitch axis; a tilt sensor 9 is also connected to the instrument compartment 3.

[0031] The instrument compartment 3 is the core leveling component of the system. Its structure can be divided into an upper instrument compartment and a lower counterweight compartment. The upper instrument compartment can be used to fix precision instruments such as gravimeters and can be made of high-strength materials such as aluminum alloy. The lower counterweight compartment can be used as a counterweight and can be made of high-density materials such as brass to increase the moment of inertia during passive adjustment. This design ensures that the center of gravity of the entire component is lower than the pitch axis of the outer ring 2, generating sufficient restoring torque. The instrument compartment 3 has a stepped structure.

[0032] The instrument compartment 3 is vertically arranged with two roll axis adjustment holes 5 and two pitch axis adjustment holes 8. Both the roll axis adjustment holes 5 and the pitch axis adjustment holes 8 penetrate the instrument compartment 3. The line containing each roll axis adjustment hole 5 is parallel to the roll axis, and the line containing each pitch axis adjustment hole 8 is parallel to the pitch axis. A set screw 6 is installed inside each roll axis adjustment hole 5 and pitch axis adjustment hole 8. The base 1 includes an annular base 11, a first vertical axis 12, and a second vertical axis 13. The two ends of the annular base 11 are vertically connected to the first vertical axis 12 and the second vertical axis 13, respectively. The two ends of the outer surface of the outer ring 2 are hinged to the first vertical axis 12 and the second vertical axis 13 via a first bearing 4, and the two ends of the inner surface of the outer ring 2 are hinged to the instrument compartment 3 via a second bearing 7. The set screw 6 is 0.5 times the length of either the roll axis adjustment hole 5 or the pitch axis adjustment hole 8.

[0033] Its working mechanism is based on the lever arm control principle: Roll axis adjustment holes 5 and pitch axis adjustment holes 8 are independently configured along the pitch and roll axes, forming a decoupled layout. The leveling process involves two independent yet coordinated dimensions: first, the outer ring 2 rotates relative to the base 1 around the pitch axis to compensate for forward and backward tilt; second, the instrument cabin 3 rotates relative to the outer ring 2 around the roll axis to compensate for left and right tilt. This combined motion of the two degrees of freedom can adapt to any tilt of the base 1, achieving omnidirectional automatic leveling. Simultaneously, a low-position long lever arm hole provides high torque output for coarse adjustment and wide-range compensation; a high-position short lever arm hole provides small torque micro-motion for fine adjustment and steady-state maintenance, thus achieving high-precision control of the instrument's attitude over a wide range. The center of gravity of the instrument cabin 3 is designed to be lower than the pitch axis of the outer ring 2. When the base 1 tilts, under the influence of gravity, the instrument cabin 3 rotates around the roll axis, and the outer ring 2 rotates around the pitch axis, thus achieving passive leveling. This structure, with its innovative adjustable center of gravity and adaptive leveling design, is particularly suitable as a mounting platform for precision instruments such as gravimeters that are sensitive to orientation.

[0034] At work, such as Figure 4 As shown, due to inherent errors in component processing and assembly, the device's indication may not be at absolute zero when placed on an absolutely level base. The tilt sensor 9 detects the platform's tilt angle to determine if it is level. If not, the overall balance of the platform can be fine-tuned by screwing the set screws 6 into or out of the corresponding roll axis adjustment holes 5 and pitch axis adjustment holes 8 below the instrument compartment 3, thus completing the initial zero-point calibration. The platform's levelness is verified by observing the built-in level of the gravimeter or the external tilt sensor 9. This fine-tuning is repeated until the accuracy requirements are met. When the base tilts, the instrument compartment 3 rotates around the roll axis under gravity, and the outer ring 2 rotates around the pitch axis, thus achieving automatic leveling.

[0035] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A passive self-leveling structure with a wide range of azimuthal pointing, characterized in that, It includes a base (1), an outer ring (2), and an instrument compartment (3); the two ends of the outer surface of the outer ring (2) are hinged to the base (1), and the two ends of the inner surface of the outer ring (2) are hinged to the upper end of the instrument compartment (3); the line connecting the two ends of the outer ring (2) and the hinge connection point of the base (1) is defined as the roll axis, and the line connecting the two ends of the outer ring (2) and the hinge connection point of the instrument compartment (3) is defined as the pitch axis; the roll axis is perpendicular to the pitch axis. The instrument compartment (3) is provided with a roll axis adjustment hole (5) and a pitch axis adjustment hole (8) in sequence in the vertical direction; both the roll axis adjustment hole (5) and the pitch axis adjustment hole (8) penetrate the instrument compartment (3); the line where the roll axis adjustment hole (5) is located is parallel to the roll axis, and the line where the pitch axis adjustment hole (8) is located is parallel to the pitch axis; both the roll axis adjustment hole (5) and the pitch axis adjustment hole (8) are provided with set screws (6). The instrument cabin (3) has a stepped structure, which can expand the range of automatic adjustment angles in the roll and pitch directions.

2. A passive self-leveling structure with a wide range of azimuthal pointing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base (1) includes an annular base (11), a first vertical axis (12), and a second vertical axis (13); the two ends of the annular base (11) are respectively vertically connected to the first vertical axis (12) and the second vertical axis (13).

3. The passive automatic leveling structure with a wide range of adjustable orientation as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The outer surface of the outer ring (2) is hinged to the first vertical shaft (12) and the second vertical shaft (13) at both ends.

4. A passive self-leveling structure with a wide range of azimuthal pointing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the outer ring (2) is hinged to the base (1) at both ends via the first bearing (4); the inner surface of the outer ring (2) is hinged to the instrument compartment (3) via the second bearing (7).

5. A passive self-leveling structure with a wide range of azimuthal pointing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The instrument compartment (3) includes an upper instrument compartment and a lower counterweight compartment; the upper instrument compartment is used to place the precision instrument to be leveled; the lower counterweight compartment is provided with the roll axis adjustment hole (5), the pitch axis adjustment hole (8) and the set screw (6).

6. A passive self-leveling structure with a wide range of azimuthal pointing adjustment according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least two roll axis adjustment holes (5) are provided in the vertical direction; the line where each roll axis adjustment hole (5) is located is parallel to the roll axis; at least two pitch axis adjustment holes (8) are provided in the vertical direction, and the line where each pitch axis adjustment hole (8) is located is parallel to the pitch axis.

7. The passive automatic leveling structure with a wide range of adjustable orientation as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ratio of the length of the roll axis adjusting hole (5) or the pitch axis adjusting hole (8) to the length of the set screw (6) is 0.5 to 0.

8.

8. A passive self-leveling structure with a wide range of azimuthal pointing according to claim 1, characterized in that, An tilt sensor (9) is also connected to the instrument compartment (3).

9. A method for achieving automatic leveling using a passive automatic leveling structure with a wide range of adjustable azimuth direction as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The initial zero-position calibration of the leveling structure is completed by adjusting the screw depth of the set screws in the roll axis adjustment hole and / or the pitch axis adjustment hole; when the base tilts, the instrument cabin will rotate around the roll axis and the outer ring will rotate around the pitch axis under the action of gravity, thereby achieving automatic leveling.

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