Housing assembly and laser level comprising the housing assembly

Abstract

A housing assembly (10) for a laser level, comprising a first housing (12) and a second housing (14), which define an internal space for accommodating a pendulum assembly (20) of the laser level when being fastened together; each of the first housing (12) and the second housing (14) comprises a base made of a non-metallic material, and a liner attached to the base and made of a metallic material; the base comprises a base body extending in an extension plane transverse to a first horizontal direction, and a base lower bending portion and a spacing portion which respectively extend inwards from the lower edge of the base body and from a position above the lower edge; the liner comprises a liner body which extends parallel to the extension plane or extends in a slightly oblique manner relative to same, and has a lowest edge, the lowest edge being located at the base lower bending portion or at a preset distance above the base lower bending portion. Also provided is a laser level meter comprising the housing assembly (10).

Description

Shell assembly and laser level including the shell assembly Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a housing assembly for a laser level and a laser level including the housing assembly. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, the laser level includes an outer shell assembly consisting of an upper cover and a lower base arranged relative to each other in the up and down directions, an inner shell assembly consisting of a left shell and a right shell arranged in the left and right directions perpendicular to the up and down directions, and a pendulum assembly supported by the left and right shells of the inner shell assembly and arranged in a suspended manner inside the inner shell assembly.

[0003] The inner housing assembly is typically molded from conductive polycarbonate, which doesn't generate static charge and affect the laser level's accuracy. However, conductive polycarbonate is mixed with carbon filament additives to provide conductivity, sacrificing the material's inherent toughness. Furthermore, the uneven distribution of the additives after injection molding results in significant variations in part strength, seriously impacting part stability.

[0004] Furthermore, if a laser level is accidentally dropped, particularly from a height greater than 2 meters, the outer shell assembly can be deformed by the impact. This deformation can in turn cause deformation of the inner shell assembly, which can lead to serious consequences. For example, some components of the pendulum assembly within the inner shell assembly could be damaged or their accuracy could be affected by vibrations exceeding their tolerances. For example, adjacent components of the pendulum assembly could be squeezed by the deformed inner shell assembly, causing collisions and deformation, or even damage. This is undesirable and can seriously affect the instrument's accuracy, potentially rendering it inoperable.

[0005] This problem is particularly severe when the laser level weighs 1.9 kg or more. In experiments conducted by the inventors, after the laser level was dropped, the deformation of the inner housing assembly caused the pendulum assembly's shock-absorbing magnet to become stained with dye previously applied to the pendulum assembly's shock absorber, indicating that the deformation of the inner housing assembly had caused a collision between the two.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this application is to improve the strength of the inner shell assembly and reduce its deformation when it is hit, so as to protect the safety of the components of the pendulum assembly inside it.

[0008] To this end, the first aspect of the present application relates to a shell assembly for a laser level, comprising a first shell and a second shell arranged relative to each other along a first horizontal direction, wherein the first shell and the second shell define an internal space for accommodating the pendulum assembly of the laser level when they are fastened together, each of the first shell and the second shell comprising: a base made of a non-metallic material and a lining attached to the base and made of a metal material, wherein the base of each of the first shell and the second shell comprises: a base body extending in an extension plane transverse to the first horizontal direction, a base lower bend portion and a spacer portion extending from the lower edge of the base body and a position above the lower edge toward the other of the first shell and the second shell, respectively, and wherein the lining of each of the first shell and the second shell comprises a lining body extending parallel to the extension plane or slightly inclined thereto and having a lowest edge, wherein the lowest edge is located at the base lower bend portion or at a preset distance above the base lower bend portion.

[0009] The second aspect of the present application relates to a laser level, comprising: the above-mentioned shell assembly; and a pendulum assembly, which comprises: a bracket, a pendulum, one or more lasers arranged on the pendulum, and a damping assembly arranged below the pendulum, wherein the bracket is supported by the base body of the base of the first shell and the second shell of the shell assembly to pivotally support the pendulum in a suspended manner in the internal space of the shell assembly, wherein the lowest edge of the lining is lower than the lowest surface of the damping assembly by a distance threshold.

[0010] The shell assembly according to the present application can be used as an inner shell assembly of a laser level, and is composed of a left shell and a right shell attached. Each of the left shell and the right shell includes a base made of a non-metallic material and a lining made of a conductive metal. The lining is made of a metal with high strength and conductivity, which on the one hand achieves the purpose of improving strength, reducing deformation, and protecting internal components, and on the other hand plays a role in conducting and dispersing static charges that may be generated by the base. In the case of including a metal lining, the base can be made of a polycarbonate material (such as PA6) without a conductive additive, thereby overcoming the adverse effects of the additive on the shell molding process.

[0011] According to the present application, the lowest edge of the liner can be within the material of the bottom wall of the inner housing assembly, can be below the outer surface of the bottom wall facing the outside of the inner housing assembly, or can be at a preset distance above the opposite inner surface of the bottom wall facing the interior of the inner housing assembly. This preset distance can be based on the features of the support portions of the brackets on the left and right housings of the housing assembly used to support the pendulum assembly, and this distance is designed to be greater than the distance between the corresponding portion of the bracket of the pendulum assembly that engages with the support portion and the bottommost surface of the pendulum assembly by an allowable threshold. In this way, the position of the maximum deformation of the bottom wall of the housing assembly (approximately the lowest edge of the metal liner) still has a gap equal to the above-mentioned allowable threshold from the bottommost surface of the damping assembly of the pendulum assembly, ensuring that the deformed housing assembly does not squeeze any components of the pendulum assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The present application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and illustrated examples. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these drawings are provided for the purpose of explaining examples only and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of protection of the present application. Similarly, for illustrative purposes, the drawings are not drawn to scale. The figures only illustrate the novel aspects or features of the present application, not all features of the structure or components. Therefore, the features or aspects shown in the drawings do not necessarily appear in all embodiments of the present application, and features or aspects not shown in the drawings may be included in some embodiments of the present application.

[0013] FIG1 is a partial exploded view of a laser level, showing a housing assembly and a pendulum assembly thereof.

[0014] FIG2 illustrates an assembly diagram of a housing assembly, wherein the inner housing assembly is constructed according to the first embodiment of the present application.

[0015] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the section of the assembly view of FIG. 2 .

[0016] 4a and 4b are respectively a perspective view of the right shell of the inner shell assembly and a perspective view of the right shell with its base and liner separated.

[0017] 5a and 5b are a right side view and a cross-sectional view along section B of the right housing in Figs. 4a and 4b, respectively.

[0018] 6a-6c illustrate steps for manufacturing the right housing according to the second embodiment of the present application.

[0019] 7a and 7b are enlarged views of details of the right housing in Figs. 6a-6c. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This description is only for descriptive and exemplary purposes and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present application.

[0021] Throughout the drawings, identical reference numerals denote components that are identical or similar in structure or function. Please note that in the description of the laser level with reference to the drawings, the directional terms "up," "down," and "left," representing the up-down direction formed by the opposite directions of up and down; "left," "right," representing the left-right direction formed by the opposite directions of left and right; and "front" and "back," representing the front-back direction formed by the opposite directions of front and back, are used. These terms should be understood with reference to the laser level's orientation in use, i.e., the orientation of the laser level in the drawings. The up-down, left-right, and front-back directions are perpendicular to each other. In the illustrated orientation of the laser level, in FIG1 , they correspond, respectively, to the vertical direction Z, a first horizontal direction X perpendicular to the vertical direction, and a second horizontal direction Y perpendicular to both the vertical direction Z and the first horizontal direction X. The understanding of these directional terms changes adaptively when the laser level is rotated, i.e., when its orientation changes.

[0022] In the partially exploded perspective view of Figure 1, the laser level 100 includes a housing assembly 10 and a pendulum assembly 20 arranged inside the housing assembly 10. The housing assembly 10 of the present application is also referred to as the "inner housing assembly" of the laser level, and is formed by attaching together a first housing 12 and a second housing 14 that are relatively arranged in the left and right directions or the first horizontal direction X mentioned above. For convenience, the first housing and the second housing will be referred to as the left housing 12 and the right housing 14 (sometimes also referred to as the "left bracket" and the "right bracket") used by technicians in this field. The attachment of the left housing 12 and the right housing 14 is usually simply achieved using fasteners, but of course other connection methods known in the art can be used. In the illustrated example, the front side of the left housing 12 includes a protrusion 16 extending toward the right housing 14, which has a left front fastener hole 13 (e.g., a threaded hole), and a right front fastener hole 15 is also formed at a corresponding position of the right housing 14. A fastener (not shown) passes through a right front fastener hole 15 in the right housing 14 and is threadedly fastened into the left front fastener hole 13 in the left housing 12. Furthermore, the rear side of the left housing 12 includes a protrusion 18 extending toward the right housing 14 and having a left rear fastener hole 17 (e.g., a threaded hole). A right rear fastener hole 19 is also formed at a corresponding position in the right housing 14. A fastener (not shown) passes through the right rear fastener hole 19 in the right housing 14 and is threadedly fastened into the left rear fastener hole 17 in the left housing 12. Of course, protrusions 16 and 18 can also be provided on the right housing 14.

[0023] The pendulum assembly 20 mainly includes a bracket 22 supported by the left shell 12 and the right shell 14 of the housing assembly 10, a pendulum 24 arranged on the bracket 22 and suspended from the bracket and capable of swinging back and forth or pivoting relative to the bracket around one or two horizontal axes perpendicular to each other, one or more lasers 26 capable of generating laser light mounted on the pendulum 24 (the figure shows three lasers arranged in three directions, namely, a right laser 26a, a front laser 26b, and an upper laser 26c), a damping assembly 28 arranged at the bottom of the pendulum, etc. The pendulum assembly 20 is not the focus of this application and will not be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood in the art that the pendulum assembly 20 is not limited to the structure shown in the figure, and the housing assembly 10 of the present application can be used with any possible pendulum assembly 20 in the art. However, the degree or amount to which the corresponding portion of the housing assembly 10 is allowed to deform when an impact occurs, such as due to being dropped, is related to the distance between the bottommost surface of the rear damping assembly 28 after the pendulum assembly 20 is installed in the inner housing assembly 10 and the bottom wall of the inner housing assembly 10.

[0024] The following focuses on the structure of the laser level's housing assembly 10. Generally speaking, each of the left and right housings 12, 14 of the novel housing assembly 10 of the present application comprises a base body made of a non-metallic material (e.g., but not limited to, polycarbonate) and an attached liner made of a metallic material (e.g., but not limited to, stainless steel) that is harder and more conductive than the base body. The addition of the metallic liner not only enhances the strength and deformation resistance of the housing, which is typically made of polycarbonate, but also effectively and efficiently conducts electricity when the base body generates static charge due to its material properties, preventing the accumulation of such charge from causing electrostatic effects on the relevant components of the pendulum assembly. This allows the base body of the housing to be made of a non-metallic material without conductive additives. In the present application, the base body can be molded from a polycarbonate material (e.g., PA6) that does not contain conductive additives. Molding the left and right housings (with this material) can reduce strength variations during the molding process and improve production stability.

[0025] 2 and 3 illustrate a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the housing assembly 10 in an assembled state according to the first embodiment of the present application, and FIG4 illustrates an exploded view of the right housing 14 of the housing assembly 10. The terms "inward" and "outward" may be used when describing the left housing 12 and the right housing 14, which respectively refer to a direction from the outside of the housing assembly 10 toward the inside and a direction from the inside of the housing assembly 10 toward the outside.

[0026] The left housing 12 or the right housing 14, individually or in combination, define some "functional" openings of the laser level, including: a support feature or portion formed on each of the left housing 12 and the right housing 14 for supporting or mounting the bracket 22 of the pendulum assembly 20. The support portion is one, two, or more left mounting holes 21 and one, two, or more right mounting holes 23 as shown. In other embodiments, the support portion may also be a groove, a protrusion, or the like; a right laser aperture 25 formed on the right housing 14 to allow the right laser 26a of the pendulum assembly 20 and related accessories to pass through and protrude outside the housing assembly 10; and front and upper laser apertures defined when the left and right housings 12 and 14 are assembled together to allow the front laser 26b and upper laser 26c of the pendulum assembly 20 and related accessories to pass through and protrude outside the housing assembly 10. Openings, holes, or slots for other functions are also shown.

[0027] Specifically, with respect to the right housing 14, in the first embodiment shown in Figures 2 to 4, the right housing 14 includes a right base 30 made of a polycarbonate material (e.g., the aforementioned polycarbonate material without the conductive additive) and a right liner 40 attached to the right base 30 and made of a conductive metal material. In this first embodiment, the right liner 40 is embedded in, or specifically, enclosed within, the right base 30. The right liner 40 can be formed by stamping and cutting a single metal sheet, optionally followed by bending, after which the right base 30 is overmolded or molded onto the right liner 40 to have a generally rectangular outline as shown.

[0028] As described above, the left housing 12 and the right housing 14 are arranged relative to each other and attached together in the left-right direction or the first horizontal direction X. The right base 30 of the right housing 14 includes a substantially rectangular right base body 35 extending in a plane extending transverse to the left-right direction, and a bent portion extending from at least a portion of at least one of the four edges of the right base body 35 (the upper right edge 32, the lower right edge 34, the right front edge 36, and the unidentified right rear edge in the illustrated orientation) toward the left housing 12 and substantially perpendicular to the right base body 35, such as the upper right base bend 320 ( FIG. 3 ), the lower right base bend 340 ( FIG. 3 ), the right front base bend 360 ( FIG. 4 ), and the unidentified right rear base bend. Preferably, as shown in the figures, the extension plane of the right base body 35 extends in a vertical plane defined by the up-down direction Z and the front-back direction Y.

[0029] Corresponding to the right base 30, the right lining body 40 also includes a right lining body 45 extending substantially parallel to the extension plane of the right base body 35 or slightly inclined thereto, and a right lining body bent portion extending substantially perpendicular to the right lining body 45 at at least a portion of one or more of the four corresponding edges of the right lining body 45. For example, FIG3 shows: a right upper lining body bent portion 420 extending from an edge 42 of the right lining body 45 corresponding to the right upper edge 32 of the right base body 35 (embedded and encapsulated in the corresponding right upper base bent portion 320 of the right base 30); and a right lower lining body bent portion 440 extending from an edge 44 of the right lining body 45 corresponding to the right lower edge 34 of the right base body 35 (embedded and encapsulated in the corresponding right lower base bent portion 340 of the right base 30). FIG4 shows a right front liner bend 460 extending from edge 46 of the right liner body 45 corresponding to the right front edge 36 of the right base body 35 (embedded and enclosed within the corresponding right front base bend 360 of the right base body 30), and a right rear liner bend 480 extending from edge 48 of the right liner body 45 corresponding to the right rear edge of the right base body 35 (embedded and enclosed within the corresponding right rear base bend of the right base body 30). As shown, the right liner body 45 and each bend of the right liner body 40 are respectively enclosed within the right base body 35 and each bend of the right base body 30. Optionally, a portion of the surface of the right liner body 40 extends to the surface of the right base body 30 and is exposed to the outside, such as represented by surface portion 33 in FIG3 , which is exposed to the outer surface of the right base body 35. It is also possible that some portions of the right liner body 40 are exposed to the inner surface of the right base body 35.

[0030] Although the accompanying drawings do not illustrate an exploded view of the left housing 12 corresponding to the exploded view of the right housing 14 in FIG4 , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the description of the right housing 14 herein also applies to the left housing 12. The left housing 12 has a structure substantially corresponding to that of the right housing 14.

[0031] The left housing 12 includes a left base 50 molded from the same material as the right base 30, and a left liner 60 attached to the left base 50 and formed from the same material as the right liner 40. Like the right base 30, the left base 50 includes a substantially rectangular left base body 55 extending generally in a vertical plane, and a bent portion extending from at least a portion of each of the four edges of the left base body 55 toward the right housing 14 and generally perpendicular to the left base body 55. Similarly, the left liner 60 is formed similarly to the right liner 40 and is entirely embedded in the material of the left base 50, which is also overmolded onto the left liner 60. Similarly, similar to the right housing 14 described above, the left liner 60 of the left housing 12 also includes a left liner body extending generally parallel to or slightly tilted from the plane of extension of the left base body 55, and a bent portion extending from at least one of the four edges of the left liner body, for example, at least a portion of each edge, toward the right housing 14. This will not be described in detail here.

[0032] As described above, the right lower base bent portion 340 of the right base body 30, which internally encloses the right lower liner bent portion 440 of the right liner body 40, and the left lower base bent portion 540 of the left base body 50, which internally encloses the left lower liner bent portion 340 of the left liner body 60, extend toward each other to form the bottom wall 72 of the housing assembly 10. The left housing 12 and the right housing 14 further include a left spacer 82 and a right spacer 84, respectively, which protrude inwardly from the inner surfaces 74 and 76 of the right base body 35 and the left base body 55 into the interior space. The left spacer 82 and the right spacer 84 extend toward each other to form a partition wall and jointly define a central opening 85 through which the damping assembly 28 of the pendulum assembly 20 extends. When the pendulum assembly 20 is assembled into the housing assembly 10 , the lowest surface of the pendulum assembly 20 , ie, the lowest surface 281 of the damping assembly, is spaced apart from the inner surface 71 of the bottom wall 72 of the housing assembly 10 .

[0033] Since a metal lining is molded in the base of each of the left shell 12 and the right shell 14, and each metal lining extends downward into the lower bend portion (340, 540) of the corresponding base, this structure minimizes the deformation of the lower bend portion (340, 540) of the base of each shell when the laser level falls and hits the ground or other surfaces, or reduces the deformation of the bottom wall 72 of the shell assembly 10 in the upward direction, and the components of the pendulum assembly 20 will no longer be impacted by the deformed shell assembly 10 (specifically the bottom wall 72), and the phenomenon of different components of the pendulum assembly 20 being squeezed against each other due to the above-mentioned impact will no longer occur.

[0034] Based on the above description of the housing assembly 10 with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can conceive of many different variations that can achieve the same purpose. The examples listed below for the right housing 14 or the left housing 12 are also applicable to the other.

[0035] The metal material lining of the present application can be used together with a substrate of a non-metallic material without a conductive additive to form a shell component of a laser level. On the one hand, it can play the role and function of conducting the static charge generated by the substrate, and on the other hand, it can enhance the shell's anti-fall and anti-collision capabilities. Of course, the metal material lining of the present application can also be used together with a substrate of a material with a conductive additive to form a shell component of a laser level. The former is more beneficial in that: using a polycarbonate material (such as PA6) without a conductive additive to make the shell substrate makes it easier to control the parameters and deviations in the molding process of the substrate, making the product quality and performance more stable.

[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the lowest or bottom edge or surface of the liner of each of the left and right shells is provided by a bend extending from the lower edge of the liner body, with the lowest edge located in the bend of the corresponding base. However, in some embodiments, the lowest edge or surface of the liner is located above or flush with the inner surface 71 of the bottom wall 72 of the shell assembly 10. In this regard, the applicant points out that the position of the lowest surface of the metal liner substantially determines the degree of inward deformation of the bottom wall 72 of the shell assembly 10. Optionally, for example, the wall thickness of the liner body or the bend can be appropriately increased to further improve the deformation resistance of the bottom wall 72 of the shell assembly 10.

[0037] In the aforementioned first embodiment, the lining of each shell is formed integrally by punching out a lining body having a corresponding profile to the base body from a metal plate or sheet, and bending one or more edges of the lining body. In some embodiments, the lining may not include a bend. In some embodiments, only one edge (for example, only the lower edge) of the lining body of the lining is provided with a bend, or only two or three edges are provided with a bend. In some embodiments, one or more of the bends may be formed independently of the lining body and attached to the lining body as a whole by means such as welding. In some embodiments, the lining may include a plurality of separate body parts, for example, including two or more lining body parts arranged in the front-to-back direction Y, wherein each lining body part extends in the up-down direction, including or not including a bend.

[0038] In the illustrated embodiment, the base and the bend of the liner of each shell are flat plate portions. However, any variant structure of the bend can be envisioned, or the bend is provided with a reinforcement feature, for example, the bend is a thickened plate portion that is independently provided and welded to the lower edge of the liner body, for example, a reinforcing rib is provided between the flat bend structure and the liner body, etc. In some embodiments, the lower bend of the liner extends downwardly and inwardly from the lower edge of the liner body (for example, the lower right bend 440 in Figure 4 is tilted downward at an angle), which can better resist the impact force in the upward direction. In addition to the features listed above, the lower edge of the metal liner can include various features for resisting upward forces.

[0039] In the illustrated embodiment, the lowest edge of the metal liner, provided by the bent portion, is located within the corresponding bent portion of the base. It is also conceivable that the lowest edge of the metal liner is flush with the outer surface or lower surface of the bottom wall 72 of the housing assembly 10, which further helps reduce deformation of the bottom wall of the housing assembly 10 during an impact. Alternatively, if the metal liner lacks a lower bent portion, the lower edge of the liner body, i.e., the lowest edge, extends downward beyond the bottom wall 72 of the housing assembly 10. This is beneficial for reducing deformation of the bottom wall or adjacent side wall (base body) of the housing assembly 10.

[0040] As described above, changing the lower structure of the metal liner can improve or change the deformation resistance of the bottom wall 72 of the housing assembly 10. In addition, the present application can appropriately design the extent to which the metal liner extends downward, or appropriately design the position of its lowest edge (whether provided by the liner body when there is no lower bend, or provided by the lower bend when there is a lower bend) to control the deformation size or degree of the inner housing assembly 10 (specifically, its bottom wall 72).

[0041] For example, the bottom edge of the liner can be located within the base's bend (as shown), or it can extend downward to be flush with the outer surface 73 ( FIG. 3 ) of the bottom wall 72 of the housing assembly 10, opposite the inner surface 71, or flush with the inner surface 71. In other words, the liner extends at least downward to the bottom wall 72. However, for the laser level as a whole, it is sufficient to ensure that the bottom wall 72 of the housing assembly 10 does not contact the internal components of the pendulum assembly 20 after deformation due to impact. In other words, it is sufficient to ensure that the upward deformation of the bottom wall 72 of the housing assembly 10 does not exceed an allowable threshold. The allowable threshold can be the vertical distance between the inner surface 71 of the bottom wall 72 of the housing assembly 10 and the lowest surface 281 of the pendulum assembly 20 mounted within the housing assembly 10 ( FIG. 1 and 3 ), optionally plus an allowable error or multiplied by a safety factor. The upward deformation of the bottom wall 72 of the housing assembly 10 (the lower left and right base bends) can be considered relative to the bottom edge of the liner. Taking into account the deformation of the metal lining body itself (at the lowest edge), when the lowest edge of the lining is set to be at a preset distance above the inner surface 71 of the bottom wall 72 of the shell assembly 10 (for example, equal to the above-mentioned allowable threshold plus the deformation of the lowest edge of the lining body) or less than the preset distance, it is considered that the upward deformation of the bottom wall 72 of the shell assembly 10 will not exceed the allowable threshold, that is, the bottom wall 72 will not hit the pendulum assembly 20 after deformation.

[0042] In the first embodiment described above, regardless of whether the metal liner of each housing is a single, integral structure formed from a single sheet of metal by stamping or stamping and bending, or is composed of multiple liner sections, the base of each housing is formed onto the liner by overmolding. To this end, the liner of each housing, such as the liner body shown in the figure, is provided with a number of process holes 78 for securing the liner to the mold during the base molding process. Furthermore, the liner of each housing, such as the liner body shown in the figure, is provided with a number of mold holes 79 for allowing fluid material to pass through during the base molding process to form the base on both sides of the liner body. In the right housing 14 shown in Figures 4a-5b, Figures 4a and 5a show the right housing 14 after molding. The process holes 78 are present in both the right base 30 and the right liner 40, while the mold holes 79 are only present in the right liner 40 and are not visible after the housing is molded, as they have been filled with the base material (Figure 5b). The specific parameters, arrangement, and other details of these holes are not limited in this application.

[0043] As described above in the first embodiment with respect to Figures 1-5b, either the left shell 12 or the right shell 14 of the shell assembly 10 is formed by a base made of polycarbonate material and a metal lining attached to the base, thereby providing hardness, increasing strength, and eliminating the adverse electrostatic effects of the shell assembly on related components of the pendulum assembly.

[0044] The following describes a second embodiment of the present application with reference to Figures 6a-7b. Unlike the first embodiment, in which the lining of the housing is embedded within the corresponding base, in the second embodiment, the lining of the housing and the base are mechanically attached together. The lining can be attached to the inner side of the base facing the interior space, but preferably, as shown, it is attached to the outer side of the base.

[0045] In this embodiment, the right base 30 and the right liner 40 are attached together via a heat press process to form the right housing 14. Specifically, as shown in the partially enlarged view of Figure 6a, the right base 30 includes a plurality of attachment posts 92 extending outward from the outer surface 37 of the right base body 35. These attachment posts are distributed at different locations on the base body 52. ​​Accordingly, the right liner 40 includes a set of attachment holes 94 positioned corresponding to these plurality of connection posts 92. When attaching the right liner 40 to the right base 30, as shown in Figures 6b and 7a, each attachment post 92 extending from the right base body 35 is passed through a corresponding attachment hole 94 in the right liner 40. A heat press operation is performed on the free ends 91 of the attachment posts 92 extending from the attachment holes 94, deforming the free ends 91 of the attachment posts 92 into the mushroom-shaped enlarged end portions 95 shown in Figures 6c and 7b. The outer contour of the mushroom-shaped end enlargement 95 is larger than the dimensions of the attachment hole 94, thereby securely attaching the right liner 40 to the right base 30. The shape of the end enlargement 95 may differ from the mushroom shape shown. The enlargement 95 formed by the engagement of the plurality of attachment posts 92 with the plurality of attachment holes 94 constrains all degrees of freedom of the right liner 40 relative to the right base 30, firmly securing the two together to form the right housing 14.

[0046] As an alternative to the above-mentioned hot pressing operation, the method of fixing the free end 91 of the attachment post 92 to form the end enlargement 95 is not limited to the hot pressing method described above with reference to the drawings. It is also possible to apply a mechanical force that can cause deformation of the end 91 to the end 91 of the attachment post 92.

[0047] As a variation of this embodiment, those skilled in the art can envision performing any feasible treatment on the free ends of the attachment posts extending from the respective attachment holes to prevent the ends of the attachment posts from retracting. For example, the ends of the attachment posts can be bent to form a bent portion, or any other form of external force can be applied to the ends of the attachment posts to form a thickened end of any shape, as long as its outer contour dimensions are larger than the dimensions of the attachment holes. Alternatively, an additional component serving as an enlarged end portion can be attached to the ends of the attachment posts to prevent the attachment posts from retracting. Those skilled in the art can also envision varying the cross-sectional shape, size, number, and arrangement of the attachment posts and corresponding attachment holes.

[0048] Although the right base body 35 of the right base 30 of the right shell 14 is shown to directly contact the right lining body 45 of the right lining 40 in the second embodiment, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a gap may exist between the two.

[0049] In another embodiment not shown in the drawings, the right base 30 includes a plurality of threaded holes extending from the outer surface 37 of the right base body 35 into the interior of the right base body 35. Accordingly, the right lining 40 includes a set of attachment holes positioned corresponding to the plurality of threaded holes. When attaching the right lining 40 to the right base 30, fasteners are threaded through the attachment holes in the right lining 40 and into corresponding threaded holes in the right base 30, thereby threading the right lining 40 and the right base 30 together.

[0050] The shell assembly of the present application includes a metal lining in each shell, thereby increasing the strength and rigidity of the shell assembly, improving the deformation resistance and drop resistance of the shell assembly, and effectively protecting the pendulum assembly inside from being squeezed and damaged when it falls and impacts, thereby improving the survivability of the entire laser level in the event of a fall or unexpected collision, thereby extending its service life. On the other hand, the shell substrate of the shell assembly of the present application can be made of a non-metallic material (such as polycarbonate, such as PA6) without a conductive additive, and the use of the metal lining has an anti-static effect, which effectively prevents the electromagnetic influence of possible static charges on the pendulum assembly.

[0051] Several embodiments that enable the present application have been described above. It should be understood that the terminology used is intended to be descriptive rather than restrictive. In light of the above teachings, many modifications and variations are possible. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, features or embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

Claims

1. A housing assembly (10) for a laser level, comprising a first housing (12) and a second housing (14) arranged opposite to each other along a first horizontal direction (X), wherein the first housing and the second housing define an internal space for accommodating a pendulum assembly (20) of the laser level when fastened together, wherein each of the first housing and the second housing comprises: a base body made of a non-metallic material and a liner body attached to the base body and made of a metallic material, The base of each of the first shell and the second shell comprises: a base body extending in an extension plane transverse to the first horizontal direction, a base lower bending portion and a spacing portion extending from a lower edge of the base body and a position above the lower edge toward the other of the first shell and the second shell, respectively; Wherein, the lining of each of the first shell and the second shell includes a lining body extending parallel to the extension plane or slightly inclined thereto and having a lowest edge, wherein the lowest edge is located at the lower bending portion of the base or at a preset distance above the lower bending portion of the base.

2. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 1, wherein: The liner includes a liner lower bend extending from a lower edge of the liner body toward and / or away from the other of the first shell and the second shell, the liner lower bend providing the lowermost edge.

3. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 2, wherein: The base of each of the first shell and the second shell further includes a base bending portion extending from one or more other edges of the base body toward the other of the first shell and the second shell.

4. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 3, wherein: The liner of each of the first shell and the second shell further includes a liner bending portion extending from one or more other edges of the liner body toward the other of the first shell and the second shell.

5. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 4, wherein: The liner body of each of the first shell and the second shell is embedded and covered in the material of the base body; and The liner lower bending portion of each of the first shell and the second shell is embedded and covered in the corresponding base lower bending portion, or extends from the liner body in the space between the base lower bending portion and the spacer.

6. The housing assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The liner of each of the first shell and the second shell: By stamping and forming from sheet metal; or It is formed by stamping a metal sheet into a liner body and then bending one or more edges of the liner body; or formed by attaching together a plurality of sheet material portions; or It includes two or more independent lining parts arranged in a second horizontal plane direction perpendicular to the first horizontal plane.

7. The housing assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: Each of the first shell and the second shell is formed by overmolding a base body on a liner body.

8. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 7, wherein: The liner of each of the first shell and the second shell comprises: One or more process holes (78) for securing the liner to a mold used to mold the substrate; and / or One or more molded holes (79) extend through the thickness of the liner body to allow fluid material to pass through during molding of the substrate.

9. The housing assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: Each of the first shell and the second shell is formed by screwing, riveting or press-fitting a liner onto a base.

10. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 9, wherein: The base of each of the first shell and the second shell includes one or more threaded holes formed on the base body, and the liner body includes an attachment hole positioned corresponding to each of the one or more threaded holes. The liner is threadably attached to the base by passing a fastener through the attachment hole and fastening it into the corresponding threaded hole.

11. The housing assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The base of each of the first and second shells includes one or more attachment posts (92) protruding outwardly from the outer surface of the base body, and the liner body includes an attachment hole (94) positioned corresponding to each of the one or more attachment posts and suitable for receiving the attachment posts.

12. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 11, wherein: For each of the first and second shells, the liner is attached to the base by passing each attachment post through the corresponding attachment hole and then forming an enlarged portion (95) at the free end (91) of the attachment post with an outer contour dimension larger than the inner contour dimension of the attachment hole.

13. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 12, wherein: The enlarged portion is formed by applying thermal pressure to the free end of the attachment post to deform it, or by applying mechanical force to the free end to deform it, or by a separate component attached at the free end.

14. The housing assembly (10) according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein: A gap is formed between the base body and the liner body of the base of each of the first shell and the second shell.

15. The housing assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein: The base of each of the first shell and the second shell is made of a polycarbonate material without a conductive additive.

16. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 15, wherein: The base of each of the first shell and the second shell is made of PA6 material.

17. A laser level, comprising: The housing assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 16; and A pendulum assembly (20), comprising: a bracket (22), a pendulum (24), one or more lasers (26) arranged on the pendulum, and a damping assembly arranged below the pendulum, wherein the bracket is supported by a base body of a base body of a first shell and a second shell of the housing assembly (10) so as to pivotally support the pendulum in a suspended manner in the internal space of the housing assembly (10), Wherein, the lowest edge of the lining is lower than the lowest surface (281) of the damping component by a distance threshold.

18. The laser level according to claim 17, further comprising an outer housing component arranged outside the housing component (10), the outer housing component comprising an upper cover and a lower base.

19. The laser level according to claim 18, wherein: An elastic material pad is arranged between the upper cover body and the shell assembly and / or between the lower cover body and the shell assembly.

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