Spirit level and its manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a level having unprecedented decorativeness (beauty) as a level, and also to provide a manufacturing method for inexpensively and easily manufacturing the level.SOLUTION: A level comprises: a base body 1 having a reference surface 1b on an end surface in a vertical direction of a substrate 1a and having a nearly I-shape in a side view; bubble tubes 2 arranged in the base body 1; and an exterior body 3 to be assembled with the base body 1. The level measures a levelness or perpendicularity of a measured surface by the bubble tubes 2 by allowing the reference surface 1b to abut to the measured surface. The substrate 1a of the base body 1 is constituted by an iridescent part to change in color appearance depending on the angle of light incidence. The exterior body 3 is a transparent resin-made member. The iridescent part is visibly recognizable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a spirit level and a method for manufacturing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In the past, spirit levels were required to be easy to use, portable, and otherwise practical, but in recent years, an increasing number of users are looking for portable power tools, including spirit levels, that also have a beautiful and luxurious feel.

[0003] In light of this background, the applicant has proposed a spirit level disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4767341 (hereinafter referred to as the "conventional example").

[0004] This conventional example is composed of a base (aluminum frame) with a mounting window for attaching a vial, a vial attached to the mounting window, and a pair of exterior parts attached to the base so as to sandwich the base to which the base is attached from both sides.The exterior parts are formed from a transparent resin member, and when the exterior parts are attached to the base, it is configured as a so-called skeleton type which allows the inside of the spirit level, i.e., the base, to be directly visible, and its design is distinct from previous spirit levels which have adopted colored exterior parts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4767341 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention is an improvement over the conventional examples described above, and aims to provide a spirit level having a decorativeness (beauty) never before seen in spirit levels, and a manufacturing method for easily and inexpensively manufacturing such a spirit level. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The gist of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0008] The spirit level comprises a base 1 having a generally I-shape in side view with reference surfaces 1b provided on the upper and lower end surfaces of a substrate 1a, a vial 2 provided on the base 1, and an exterior body 3 attached to the base 1, and measures the horizontality or verticality of a measurement surface by using the vial 2 when the reference surfaces 1b are brought into contact with the surface to be measured, wherein the substrate 1a of the base 1 is configured as an iridescent part whose color changes depending on how the light hits it, and the exterior body 3 is a transparent resin member, and is configured so that the iridescent part is visible.

[0009] The present invention relates to a spirit level as recited in claim 1, wherein the substrate 1a is configured as the iridescent portion by adhering an iridescent film material 5 thereto.

[0010] In addition, in the spirit level described in claim 2, the substrate 1a has a black surface, and the film material 5 is attached to this black surface to form the iridescent portion.

[0011] The spirit level according to any one of claims 1 to 3 relates to a spirit level, characterized in that the substrate 1a has the iridescent portion on both its front and back surfaces.

[0012] A method for manufacturing a spirit level comprising a base 1 having a generally I-shape in side view with reference surfaces 1b provided on the upper and lower ends of a substrate 1a, a vial 2 provided on the base 1, and an exterior body 3 attached to the base 1, the vial 2 being attached to the base 1, and measuring the horizontality or perpendicularity of the measured surface by abutting the reference surfaces 1b against the measured surface, the method comprising the steps of: forming a base base member 21 having a generally I-shape in side view that becomes the base 1; The method includes a decorating step of applying a changing iridescent decoration, a vial attachment portion forming step of forming a vial attachment portion 4 for attaching the vial 2 to the base raw member 21, and an assembly step of assembling the exterior body 3 made of transparent resin to the base 1 after attaching the vial 2 to the base 1, wherein the decorating step relates to a method for manufacturing a spirit level, characterized in that the iridescent film material 5 is attached to the substrate portion 21a of the base raw member 21 where the vial attachment portion 4 is formed.

[0013] In addition, in the method for manufacturing a spirit level described in claim 5, the base base member forming process includes an extrusion molding process of extruding a long base base member 20, and a cutting process of cutting the long base base member 20 to a predetermined length of the base base member 21.

[0014] In addition, in the method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 5, the decorating step includes attaching the film material 5 to both the front and back surfaces of the base portion 21a.

[0015] In addition, in the method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 6, the decorating step includes attaching the film material 5 to both the front and back surfaces of the substrate portion 21a.

[0016] Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a spirit level according to any one of claims 5 to 8, the method for manufacturing a spirit level is characterized in that the vial attachment portion forming step is performed after the decorating step, and the vial attachment portion 4 is formed by punching the substrate portion 21a to which the film material 5 is attached together with the film material 5.

[0017] Also, claims 6, 8, the method for manufacturing a spirit level described in any one of claims 1 to 8 is characterized in that it includes a black coloring step of coloring the long base base member 20 or the base base member 21 or the base 1 black.

[0018] In addition, in the method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 9, ,before The method for producing a spirit level includes a black coloring step of coloring the base material 21 or the base 1 black.

[0019] The method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 10 is characterized in that the black coloring step comprises performing black alumite treatment.

[0020] The method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 11 is characterized in that the black coloring step comprises performing black anodizing. Effect of the Invention

[0021] Since the present invention is configured as described above, it provides a spirit level having unprecedented decorativeness (aesthetic appeal) and a method for producing the spirit level easily and inexpensively. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory perspective view showing a base body of the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is an explanatory diagram of an extrusion molding step in the manufacturing method of the spirit level according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of a cutting step in the method for manufacturing a spirit level according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6]5 is an explanatory diagram of a decoration step in the method for producing a spirit level according to the present embodiment (before a film material is attached). FIG. [Figure 7] 5 is an explanatory diagram of a decoration step in the manufacturing method of the spirit level according to the present embodiment (after a film material has been attached). FIG. [Figure 8] 10A to 10C are explanatory views of a bubble tube attachment portion forming step in the manufacturing method of the level according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of an assembly step in the manufacturing method of the spirit level according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described below with reference to the drawings to illustrate the operation of the present invention.

[0024] In the spirit level of the present invention, substrate 1a of base body 1 is configured as an iridescent part whose color appearance changes depending on the way light hits it, and further, exterior body 3 attached to base body 1 (covering base body 1) is made of a transparent resin component and is configured so that the iridescent part is visible. Therefore, it combines the beauty of the iridescent shine of base body 1 with the interesting change in color depending on the viewing angle, making it differentiated from conventional spirit levels and highly eye-catching.

[0025] In addition, the spirit level of the present invention emits a sparkling color when exposed to light, so that it shines in sunlight outdoors and in lighting indoors, and the shine of the base 1 makes it a conspicuous spirit level, making it easy to find even if you lose track of where you put it.

[0026] Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a spirit level of the present invention, in the decoration process, iridescent film material 5 is attached to base raw member 21 to create an iridescent decoration whose color appearance changes depending on how the light hits it, so that base 1 can be decorated easily and inexpensively. EXAMPLES

[0027] A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] This embodiment is a level comprising a base 1 which is roughly I-shaped in side view and has reference surfaces 1b provided on the upper and lower end faces of a substrate 1a, a vial 2 provided on this base 1, and an exterior body 3 attached to the base 1, and which is adapted to bring the reference surfaces 1b into contact with a surface to be measured and measure the horizontality or perpendicularity of the surface to be measured by the vial 2.

[0029] Specifically, this embodiment is a decorative level gauge that includes three types of bubble tubes 2 for measuring the horizontality, verticality, and 45-degree angle of the surface to be measured, as shown in FIG. 1, and the substrate 1a of the base body 1 is configured as an iridescent part whose color appearance changes depending on the condition in which light (light rays) hits it, and further the exterior body 3 is made of a transparent resin member, so that the substrate 1a configured as the iridescent part is configured to be visible.

[0030] Each component of this embodiment will be described in detail below.

[0031] The base 1 is made of aluminum and, as shown in FIG. 2, is configured as an I-shape when viewed from the side, with a top surface 1c provided on the upper end surface of a substrate 1a configured as a vertical plate, and a bottom surface 1b serving as a reference surface to be brought into contact with an object to be measured provided on the lower end surface.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, the base plate 1a of the substrate 1 is provided with bubble tube mounting sections 4 for mounting each bubble tube 2 (a bubble tube mounting section 4a for measuring verticality, a bubble tube mounting section 4b for measuring horizontality, and a bubble tube mounting section 4c for measuring 45 degrees) and a magnet mounting section 7 for mounting the magnet section 6, and an opening 8 is formed in the top surface 1c to make the bubble tube 2b for measuring horizontality, which is arranged parallel to the reference surface 1b, visible from above.

[0033] In the base body 1 of this embodiment, the base plate 1a, the reference surface 1b, and the top surface 1c are colored black. Specifically, they are colored black by black alumite treatment.

[0034] Furthermore, the substrate 1 of the base 1 has a black base on both sides, on which is applied iridescent decoration whose color changes depending on how the light hits it, forming an iridescent portion.

[0035] Specifically, as shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 3, an iridescent film material 5 (Autech Corporation: Buprestid Film (product name: BOR022 or BOB022)) is attached to the front and back of a black-colored substrate 1a to form an iridescent portion.

[0036] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the vial 2 has three vials 2: a vial 2a for measuring verticality that is arranged perpendicular to the reference surface 1b, a vial 2b for measuring horizontality that is arranged parallel to the reference surface 1b, and a vial 2c for measuring 45 degrees that is inclined at 45 degrees to the reference surface 1b. Each vial 2 is configured to be attached by fitting into a predetermined vial attachment portion 4 (attachment portion 4a for the vial for measuring verticality, attachment portion 4a for the vial for measuring horizontality) that is provided on the substrate 1a of the base 1.

[0037] In this embodiment, the vial 2 has a liquid color that is the same as the hue of the iridescent part described above. Specifically, when the iridescent part is decorated with an iridescent color that appears to change to cool colors such as blue, yellow, or green, the vial 2 has a liquid color of yellow-green, and when the iridescent part is decorated with an iridescent color that appears to change to warm colors such as red, pink, or orange, the vial 2 has a liquid color of pink.

[0038] In addition, the outer casing 3 includes two outer casings 3, an outer casing 3 (front-side outer casing 3a) attached to the front side of the base 1 and an outer casing 3 (rear-side outer casing 3b) attached to the rear side, each of which is made of a transparent resin material.

[0039] In addition, each outer casing 3 is formed with a vertical bubble tube opening 9a for visibly exposing the verticality measuring bubble tube 2a, a horizontal bubble tube opening 9b for visibly exposing the horizontality measuring bubble tube 2b, and a 45 degree bubble tube opening 9c for visibly exposing the 45 degree measuring bubble tube 2c.

[0040] With regard to other components than those described above, reference numeral 10 denotes a shackle 10 that can be used to hang a carabiner-type tool holder or to hang the connecting ring of a drop prevention cord, and reference numerals 11a and 11b denote a bolt 11a and a nut 11b for attaching and fixing the outer body 3 to the base body 1.

[0041] In addition, in this embodiment, the base 1 is colored black, but it may be colored aluminum instead of black. Also, the type and number of vials 2 can be changed as appropriate.

[0042] Next, a method for manufacturing the spirit level according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0043] The method of manufacturing a spirit level in this embodiment includes a base raw member forming step of forming a base raw member 21 that is roughly I-shaped in side view to become the base 1, a decorating step of applying an iridescent decoration to the base raw member 21 that changes color depending on how the light hits it, a vial attachment part forming step of forming a vial attachment part 4 for attaching a vial 2 to the base raw member 21, and an assembly step of attaching a vial 2 to the base 1 obtained by forming the vial attachment part 4 on the base raw member 21, and then assembling an outer casing 3 made of transparent resin to this base 1.

[0044] Specifically, the method for manufacturing a spirit level according to this embodiment further includes a black coloring step of coloring the base original member 21 black.

[0045] Each step of the method for manufacturing a spirit level according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0046] The base raw member forming process includes an extrusion molding process of extruding a long base raw member 20 from an aluminum base material as shown in Figure 4, a black coloring process of coloring this long base raw member 20 black, a cutting process of cutting the long base raw member 20 to the length of base raw member 21 as shown in Figure 5, and an opening forming process of forming openings in predetermined locations of the cut member, thereby obtaining the base raw member 21 that will become the base 1.

[0047] Specifically, the black coloring step involves performing a black anodizing process to color the long base raw member 20 black and to form an oxide film on the surface, thereby improving the durability of the surface protection.

[0048] In addition, the opening formation process forms an opening 8 at the portion that will become the top surface 1c of the base 1 so that the levelness measuring bubble tube 2b can be viewed from above, and an adsorption opening 12 at the portion that will become the reference surface 1b of the base 1 so as to expose a part of the adsorption magnet portion 6.

[0049] In the decorating step, iridescent decoration is applied to the substrate portion 21a (the portion that will become the substrate 1a of the base 1) of the base raw member 21 obtained in the base raw member forming step.

[0050] Specifically, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, an iridescent film material 5 (in this embodiment, a jewel beetle film (product name: BOR022 or BOB022) manufactured by Autech Corporation is used) is attached to both the front and back surfaces of the black-colored substrate portion 21a of the base material 21.

[0051] In addition, in the bubble tube mounting portion forming process, a bubble tube mounting portion 4 for mounting a bubble tube 2 and a magnet mounting portion 7 for mounting a magnet portion 6 are formed on the substrate portion 21a of the base original member 21 to which the iridescent film material 5 has been attached in the decoration process.

[0052] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the substrate portion 21a to which the film material 5 is attached is punched out together with the film material 5 by press working to form the vial mounting portion 4, specifically, the vial mounting portion 4a for measuring verticality, the vial mounting portion 4b for measuring horizontality, and the vial mounting portion 4c for measuring 45 degrees, and the magnet mounting portion 7.

[0053] In the assembling step, components such as the exterior body 3 are assembled to the base body 1 formed through the vial attachment portion forming step.

[0054] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, a magnet portion 6 is attached to a magnet mounting portion 7 provided on a substrate 1a of a base body 1, and a vial 2a for measuring verticality, a vial 2b for measuring horizontality, and a vial 2c for measuring 45-degrees are respectively attached to a vial mounting portion 4a for measuring verticality, a vial mounting portion 4b for measuring horizontality, and a vial mounting portion 4c for measuring 45-degrees. Then, an exterior body 3 having a hanging rod 10 attached thereto is attached to the base body 1 and fixed with bolts 11a and nuts 11b.

[0055] In the above-described method for manufacturing a spirit level according to this embodiment, the method for obtaining the base raw member 21 is not limited to the above-described method, and the base raw member 21 may be formed by a combination of press processing and cutting processing, for example.

[0056] The effects of the present embodiment configured as above will be described below.

[0057] The spirit level in this embodiment is composed of an iridescent part whose color appearance changes depending on the amount of light hitting it, and further, the exterior body 3 attached to the base body 1 (which covers the base body 1) is composed of a transparent resin part and is configured so that the iridescent part is visible. Therefore, it combines the beauty of the iridescent shine of the base body 1 with the interesting change in color depending on the viewing angle, making it differentiated from conventional spirit levels and highly eye-catching.

[0058] Moreover, in the spirit level according to this embodiment, the iridescent film material 5 is attached to the black-colored substrate 1a, so that the iridescent color is deep and distinct, giving the level an even more beautiful and shining aesthetic.

[0059] Furthermore, since the substrate 1a of the base 1 emits a sparkling color when exposed to light, it shines in sunlight outdoors and in lighting indoors, so the shine of the base 1 makes it stand out and makes it easy to find even if you lose track of where you put it.

[0060] Furthermore, in the method of manufacturing the spirit level according to this embodiment, the iridescent decoration is achieved by adhering the film material 5, so that the method can be carried out easily and inexpensively.

[0061] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment, and the specific configuration of each component can be designed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 Base 1a Substrate 1b Reference plane 2 Vial tube 3 Exterior body 4 Bubble tube attachment 5 Film material 20 Long base material 21 Base material 21a Board part

Claims

1. A spirit level comprising a base body that is roughly I-shaped in side view and has reference surfaces on the upper and lower end faces of the substrate, a vial provided on the base body, and an exterior body that is assembled to the base body, wherein the reference surfaces are brought into contact with a surface to be measured and the level or perpendicularity of the surface to be measured is measured using the vial, wherein the substrate of the base body is configured as an iridescent part whose appearance changes depending on the amount of light that hits it, and the exterior body is made of a transparent resin member so that the iridescent part is visible.

2. 2. The spirit level according to claim 1, wherein the iridescent portion is formed on the substrate by adhering an iridescent film material.

3. 3. A spirit level according to claim 2, wherein the surface of the substrate is black, and the film material is adhered to the black surface to form the iridescent portion.

4. 4. The spirit level according to claim 1, wherein both the front and back surfaces of the substrate are formed with the iridescent portion.

5. 1. A method for manufacturing a spirit level comprising: a base member having a generally I-shaped base member in a side view, with reference surfaces provided on the upper and lower end surfaces of a substrate; a vial provided on the base member; and an exterior body attached to the base member, the method comprising: a base member forming step of forming a base member having a generally I-shaped base member in a side view, the base member being the generally I-shaped base member; a decorating step of applying an iridescent decoration to the base member, the iridescent decoration changing color depending on the amount of light incident on the base member; a vial attachment step of forming a vial attachment part on the base member, the vial attachment part being attached to the base member; and an assembling step of attaching the iridescent film material to the base member after the vial has been attached.

6. 6. The method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 5, wherein the base material forming step includes an extrusion molding step of extruding a long base material, and a cutting step of cutting the long base material to a predetermined length.

7. 6. The method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 5, wherein the decorating step includes adhering the film material to both the front and rear surfaces of the base portion.

8. 7. The method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 6, wherein the decorating step includes adhering the film material to both the front and rear surfaces of the base portion.

9. 9. The method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 5, wherein the vial attachment portion forming step is performed after the decorating step, and the vial attachment portion is formed by punching the base portion to which the film material is attached together with the film material.

10. 9. The method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 6, further comprising a black coloring step of coloring the elongated base material or the base material or the base in black.

11. 10. The method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 9, further comprising a black coloring step of coloring the base material or the base black.

12. 11. The method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 10, wherein the black coloring step comprises black alumite treatment.

13. 12. The method for manufacturing a spirit level according to claim 11, wherein the black coloring step comprises black alumite treatment.

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