Hemispherical concave inclination angle meter

Abstract

[Problem] The objective of the present invention is to provide an inclination angle meter that is capable of accurately measuring the inclination angle of a compound inclined surface at once, that prevents a slipping state in which the measured value continues to move in response to vibrations, even under intense vibration, and that has a simplified structure. [Solution] This hemispherical concave inclination angle meter is substantially a cube having a hemispherical concave portion 2, wherein: a position scale 3 indicating a center point 10, a plurality of longitude lines and a plurality of latitude lines is provided on a bottom surface of the concave portion; the concave portion is filled with a viscous liquid 4; a small metal ball 5 is placed in the concave portion; and an upper end surface is closed using a transparent cover 6. When a grounding surface of an object to be measured is horizontal, the small metal ball 5 is located at the center point 10, which is the deepest point of the concave portion, and when the grounding surface is not horizontal, the inclination angle meter is inclined and the deepest point is shifted from the center point, and consequently the small metal ball 5 in the viscous liquid 4 moves gradually to the new deepest point, and thus the inclination angle of the compound inclined surface can be measured by using the position scale 3 to ascertain the position of the small metal ball 5 after said movement.

Description

Hemispherical concave tilt angle meter

[0001] The present invention relates to an inclinometer used to measure the inclination angle of an object.

[0002] In recent years, at construction sites and other locations, inclinometers that measure the level of ground or objects have become common. These include the "pendulum type," in which a magnet is attached to a pendulum and a magnetic sensor is used to measure the inclination when the pendulum swings toward the center of the Earth due to gravity, and the "float type," in which inclinometers measure inclination from changes in the amount of static electricity in a float placed inside a container filled with liquid and gas. However, inclinometers that use these principles are vulnerable to changes in acceleration, and when used in vehicles and other places that are subject to frequent vibrations, it is known that corrections must be made using a gyro sensor (angular velocity sensor), which detects how many degrees the angle changes per second relative to a reference axis.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 describes a "clinometer (cited from the claims of a utility model registration) that displays, on the surface of a hemispherical transparent cell, multiple meridians represented by lines where an elevation perpendicular to the base and passing through the vertex intersects with the cell surface, and multiple latitudes represented by lines where a plane parallel to the base intersects with the cell surface, and that is filled with a liquid with an indicating air bubble remaining inside." This technology, like the "pendulum type" and "float type" described above, is widely used as a clinometer. For example, a small vial like the one shown in Figure 7 is attached to a stepladder to check whether it is level, or a similar vial is attached to a DIY shelf to check whether it is tilted. Furthermore, as described in the "Materials" section of Non-Patent Document 1, the material used for these clinometers is typically an acrylic resin body filled with a petroleum-based liquid and sealed with an air bubble remaining inside. This clinometer, which measures horizontality and angles using an air bubble, has the advantage of being able to quickly detect changes in tilt even with slight movements and having a simple structure. However, it is known that beginners who use chainsaws, for example, practice placing the notch at a 45-degree angle and the bottom cutting line of the notch horizontally so that they can cut down trees safely. In this case, as shown in Figure 8, they attach an incline angle meter to the guide bar or body of the chainsaw with a magnet or the like, so that the vibrations of the engine are transmitted directly to the incline angle meter, causing bubbles to collapse and the measured value to constantly fluctuate in accordance with the vibrations, which creates the issue that "depending on the application, it is difficult to measure accurate horizontality and incline angles."

[0004] Furthermore, in recent years, a wide variety of inclinometers have been developed and improved, including inclinometers that use stainless steel balls instead of air bubbles, as described in Non-Patent Document 2, designed for various purposes, such as maintaining the level of a sailboat while sailing or leveling a camper van for a comfortable ride, as shown in the left side of Figure 9 (see Non-Patent Document 3), and those that are attached to the handlebars of a bicycle to measure the inclination of the riding location, as shown in the right side of Figure 9 (see Non-Patent Document 4), as well as marine inclinometers that use oil dampers to suppress small swaying, as shown in Figure 10 (see Non-Patent Document 5). On the other hand, inclinometers using stainless steel balls can prevent the collapse of air bubbles when used in places where small vibrations are constantly occurring, such as engines, but the stainless steel balls continue to move, which is a problem. Furthermore, inclinometers using oil dampers incorporate a structure in which oil moves through a valve when a piston with a small valve moves due to vibration, which creates a new problem of increased structural complexity, leaving room for further improvement.

[0005] Jitsuzen Showa 62-083913 Inclinometer Round Type Vial φ11 Blue Pack of 2 / Shinwa Measuring Instruments Co., Ltd. Website Product Information https: / / www.shinwasokutei.co.jp / products / 76530 / All Inclinometers / Sun Company, Inc. Website https: / / levogage.com / collections / inclinometersLev-o-gage / All Inclinometers / Sun Company, Inc. Website https: / / levogage.com / products / product_7f777420-07f0-b955-fc36-fc89521ac9d6CyclClimb Bike Inclinometer / All Inclinometers / Sun Company, Inc. Website https: / / levogage.com / products / product_21756502-f397-a8de-50e1-f45abc9e5291Marine Inclinometer (Clinometer) / Sun Company, Inc. Daiko Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd. website http: / / daiko.asia / dcl.html

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an inclinometer that can accurately measure the inclination angle of a compound inclined surface at once, prevents the sliding state in which the measured value continues to move in accordance with the vibration even under severe vibration, and has a simplified structure.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an inclinometer that is a substantially cubic or cylindrical body having a hemispherical recess, the bottom of which is marked with a center point where a line drawn perpendicular from the center of a circle on the top surface of the hemispherical recess intersects with the bottom surface, a plurality of meridians represented by points where a line drawn perpendicular from a diameter of the circle on the top surface intersects with the bottom surface, and a plurality of latitudes represented by lines where a plane parallel to the top surface intersects with the bottom surface, the hemispherical recess is filled with a viscous liquid, a hard sphere is placed in the viscous liquid-filled recess, and the top surface of the hemispherical recess is covered with a transparent cover. The inclinometer is also characterized in that it is connected to a tilt angle adjustment mechanism to keep the main body of the inclinometer horizontal when attached to the ground surface of an object to be tilted that is not horizontal. Among the tilt angle adjustment mechanisms, a tilt angle adjustment mechanism that ensures stability when the tilt angle meter is installed and has a simplified structure is characterized in that it is a plate-like member that has an opening on the flat side of the recess of the approximately cube having the hemispherical recess, the bottom surface of which serves as the contact surface with the object to be tilted angle measured, has a substantially vertical through hole in the center of one side and has substantially vertical through holes on the left and right sides of the side, and is connected to the approximately cube or approximately cylindrical body having the hemispherical recess through the through holes with a screw-like member, and is capable of adjusting the approximately cube or approximately cylindrical body having the hemispherical recess in the front-to-back horizontal direction and the left-to-right horizontal direction.

[0008] The present invention provides an inclinometer comprising a substantially cubic shape having a hemispherical recess, the bottom of which is marked with a center point where a line drawn perpendicular from the center of a circle on the top surface of the hemispherical recess intersects with the bottom surface, a plurality of meridians represented by points where a line drawn perpendicular from the diameter of the circle on the top surface intersects with the bottom surface, and a plurality of latitudes represented by lines where a plane parallel to the top surface of the hemispherical recess intersects with the bottom surface, the hemispherical recess is filled with a viscous liquid, a hard sphere is placed in the viscous liquid-filled recess, and the top surface of the hemispherical recess is closed with a transparent cover. When the inclinometer according to the present invention is installed on a horizontal surface, the deepest point is the center point and the hard sphere is located at the center point, but when the inclinometer is installed on an inclined surface, the deepest point changes as the inclinometer is tilted, and the hard sphere in the viscous liquid gradually moves to the new deepest point. The position of the rigid sphere after movement can then be measured using the meridians and latitudes to measure the tilt angle. Furthermore, since the viscous liquid is prevented from sliding in response to strong vibrations from an engine or the like, the structure itself can be simplified without requiring a gyro sensor, oil valve, or other structure. Furthermore, when the contact surface with the object being tilted is an inclined surface, and the main body of the tilt angle meter needs to be kept horizontal, the angle can be easily adjusted by connecting it to an inclination angle adjustment mechanism. The tilt angle adjustment mechanism is one of the tilt angle adjustment mechanisms, and it has an opening on the flat side of the recess of the approximately cube having the hemispherical recess, the bottom surface of which forms the contact surface with the object to be tilted angle measured, and a plate-like member having a substantially vertical through hole in the center of one side and two substantially vertical through holes on the left and right sides of the side, which is connected to the approximately cube or approximately cylindrical body having the hemispherical recess through the through holes with a screw-like member, adjusting the front-to-back horizontal directions and the left-to-right horizontal directions of the approximately cube or approximately cylindrical body having the hemispherical recess.This mechanism can adjust the tilt angle over a wide range using three angle adjustment screws, and a wide contact surface with the object to be tilted angle measured can be ensured, thereby achieving both simplification of the tilt angle adjustment mechanism and stability during use.

[0009] Perspective view of a hemispherical concave inclination angle meterPlan view of a hemispherical concave inclination angle meterCross-sectional front view of a hemispherical concave inclination angle meterRight side view of a hemispherical concave inclination angle meterLeft side view of a hemispherical concave inclination angle meterRight side view of a hemispherical concave inclination angle meter with the inclination angle adjustedExample of a round vialExample of a round vial attached to a chainsaw (front view)Example of an inclination angle meter using a stainless steel ballExample of an inclination angle meter using an oil damper

[0010] 1 , a hemispherical concave tilt angle meter body 1 is a substantially cubic body having a hemispherical concave portion 2, the surface of which is provided with position scales 3 indicating a center point 10 where a line drawn perpendicular from the center of a circle on the top surface of the hemispherical concave portion 2 intersects with the base, a plurality of meridians represented by points where a line drawn perpendicular from the diameter of the circle on the top surface of the hemispherical concave portion 2 intersects with the base, and a plurality of latitudes represented by lines where a plane parallel to the top surface of the hemispherical concave portion intersects with the base, and the hemispherical concave portion 2 is filled with a viscous liquid 4, a small metal ball 5 is placed in the viscous liquid 4, and the top surface of the hemispherical concave portion 2 is covered with a transparent cover 6. With this configuration, when the contact surface of the inclinometer according to the present invention is horizontal, the small metal ball 5 is located at the center point 10, which is the deepest point of the hemispherical recess 2, but when the contact surface of the inclinometer according to the present invention is not horizontal, the inclinometer tilts, causing the deepest point of the hemispherical recess 2 to shift outward from the center point 10. Therefore, since the small metal ball 5 is in the viscous liquid 4, it gradually moves from the center point 10 to the new deepest point of the hemispherical recess 2, and the position of the small metal ball 5 after movement can be determined using the position memory 3 consisting of meridians and latitudes, making it possible to measure the inclination angle of the compound inclined surface.

[0011] 2, the shape of the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclinometer is shown as a substantially cubic member with a hemispherical recess 2, but it is not limited to a substantially cubic shape and may be a substantially cylindrical shape or other shape as long as it is large enough to accommodate the hemispherical recess 2. Furthermore, the front cross-sectional view of Figure 3 shows an inclinometer that is attached to an object to be measured for inclination angle via a mounting base 7 (described later), and therefore the hemispherical recess 2 is shown as not fitting within the substantially cubic member and protruding from the bottom periphery. However, the hemispherical recess 2 may be entirely contained within the substantially cubic member of the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclinometer, and the bottom of the substantially cubic member may be covered with a plate-like member, and the device may be attached to an object to be measured for inclination angle without the mounting base 7. However, if the upper end surface of the hemispherical recess 2 and the contact surface of the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter are not horizontal, the small metal ball 5 will not be located at the center point 10. Therefore, when the bottom surface of the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter is used as the contact surface for an object to be inclined, such as a chainsaw, it is desirable to set the shape of the bottom surface of the approximately cubic member so that the upper end surface and the contact surface are parallel and horizontal. It is also possible to provide a recess in the object to be inclined, and to fit the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter into it. For example, if a protrusion is provided on the side of the approximately cubic member and the object to be inclined is fitted into a recess formed in the object to be inclined according to the shape of the protrusion, it is desirable to set the upper end surface and the object to be inclined horizontally.

[0012] Regarding the Shape of the Hemispherical Recess and the Position Memory, the position memory 3 has grooves at the locations of a plurality of meridians represented by the intersection of a line drawn perpendicular from the diameter of the circle on the top surface of the hemispherical recess 2 with the bottom surface, and a plurality of latitudes represented by the intersection of a plane parallel to the top surface of the hemispherical recess 2 with the bottom surface. The position memory 3 is used to determine the position of the point where the small metal ball 5 contacts the surface of the hemispherical recess 2, and to measure the tilt angle. The position memory 3 shown in Figure 2 consists of latitudes representing 30 degrees and 60 degrees outward from the center point 10, and meridians that intersect at right angles at the center point 10. By aligning the diameter of the small metal ball 5 exactly with the distance between the 30-degree and 60-degree latitude lines, a tilt angle of 45 degrees can be measured when the end of the small metal ball 5 is located in a position that touches both the 30-degree and 60-degree latitude lines. However, the number of meridians and latitudes and the distance between the lines are not limited to this and can be set according to the size of the angle to be measured. Furthermore, the method of indicating the meridians and latitude lines may be not only by providing grooves as shown in the figure, but also by drawing lines with fluorescent paint, and customization is possible for, for example, working in dark places, etc. Furthermore, if it is sufficient to grasp only the inclination angle from 0 to 30 degrees, for example, the shape of the hemispherical recess 2 may be cut horizontally at the position of the 30-degree latitude line shown in Figure 2, and customization may be possible depending on the object to be measured and the application.

[0013] Regarding the Viscous Liquid: The viscous liquid 4 fills the hemispherical recess 2 and gently moves the small metal ball 5 placed therein. Commercially available inclinometers are intended to ensure the safety of moving vehicles, so reducing the measurement time is important. Therefore, the viscosity required for the oil used is merely sufficient to achieve smooth movement. As mentioned above, in places where small vibrations, such as engines, are constantly occurring, the problem of bubbles and balls used for measurement constantly moving remains. On the other hand, the present invention solves this problem by increasing the viscosity of the liquid filling the hemispherical recess 2 compared to conventional liquids so that the small metal ball 5 placed therein does not move due to small vibrations, such as those of an engine. In other words, the purpose of using a viscous liquid itself is different from that of commercially available inclinometers. Therefore, for example, when the inclinometer of the present invention is attached to the guide bar of the aforementioned chainsaw using a magnet or the like, the viscous liquid 4 can be made of a high-viscosity material, allowing for adjustments to suit the application, such as distinguishing between use in places with vibrations similar to those caused by a car idling. Furthermore, because structures such as a gyro sensor or oil valve are not required, the inclinometer can be easily miniaturized, expanding its range of use. Furthermore, by making the inclinometer a hemispherical concave shape, the present invention has the technical feature of being able to measure the inclinometer angle of a complex inclined surface at once. However, in places where small vibrations such as those described above are constantly occurring, the inclinometer can measure the inclination angle in all directions. This poses a problem of being significantly affected by vibrations compared to inclinometers such as those described in Non-Patent Documents 2 and 3 (see Figure 9), which measure only a limited range of horizontal and inclined surfaces. However, using the viscous liquid 4 solves this problem.

[0014] Regarding the hard spheres and transparent cover, the metal spheres 5 are intended to be made of stainless steel, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, nickel alloy, or other metals that are hard and have a passivation film on their surface that makes them resistant to rust and corrosion from liquids. However, other materials, such as rubber and plastic, are also acceptable. The transparent cover 6 is attached to the top surface of the hemispherical recess 2 so as to prevent the viscous liquid 4 filling the recess and the metal spheres 5 from overflowing. The material is intended to be a transparent acrylic plate that allows easy viewing of the position markings 3. However, glass, translucent, or colored plates may be used to enhance design. Note that air may not completely escape from the recess when the transparent cover 6 is attached, leaving bubbles. However, as long as the viscous liquid 4 is almost completely filled, the presence or absence of bubbles does not affect the effectiveness of the present invention.

[0015] Regarding the Tilt Angle Adjustment Mechanism (Claim 2): If the contact surface between the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter and the object to be measured for inclined angle is not horizontal, it can be difficult to find a level location, or the horizontal position and inclination angle must be measured starting from a position other than the center point 10. However, these problems can be solved by connecting a tilt angle adjustment mechanism to the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter. The tilt angle adjustment mechanism is a component that can adjust the horizontal position of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter relative to the contact surface. That is, the tilt angle adjustment mechanism is a mechanism (component) that tilts the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter horizontally by tilting components directly connected to the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter or the entire mechanism, or by raising or lowering parts of the components supporting the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter from below or from the sides. If the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter can be connected to the inclination angle adjustment mechanism, for example, even if the installation location of the inclination angle meter of the chainsaw described above is not a horizontal plane, it is possible to make a horizontal cut while checking that the measurement value of the inclination angle meter is at the center point 10, thereby improving work efficiency and increasing versatility by not being limited to a specific installation location. A typical inclination angle adjustment mechanism is a member having a two-axis torque hinge or a ball joint fixing structure, but for example, a hydraulic or electric angle adjustment function may be embedded in a machine such as a chainsaw and connected to the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter, and there are no limitations on the shape, structure, or power used.

[0016] Specific Example of Tilt Angle Adjustment Mechanism (Claim 3) As another specific example of the tilt angle adjustment mechanism, a method using the mounting base 7 is shown. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the mounting base 7 is a U-shaped plate-like member that has an opening on the top side of the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave tilt angle meter, a substantially vertical through-hole 11a in the center of the left side, and substantially vertical through-holes 11b and 11c on the left and right sides of the right side, and is connected to the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave tilt angle meter through the through-holes 11a, 11b, and 11c by angle adjustment screws (front-rear direction) 8 and angle adjustment screws (left-right direction) 9, which are screw-like members. The bottom surface of the mounting base 7 forms a contact surface with the object to be tilted, allowing adjustment of the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave tilt angle meter in the front-rear horizontal direction and the left-right horizontal direction. This structure allows for a wide range of tilt angle adjustment using only three angle adjustment screws, and also ensures a wide contact surface with the object being tilted, thereby offering the advantage of simplifying the tilt angle adjustment mechanism while ensuring stability during use.

[0017] Specific Angle Adjustment Method: As shown in Figure 5, the mounting base 7 has a substantially vertical through-hole 11a in the center of its left side, which connects the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter to the mounting base 7 via an angle adjustment screw (front-rear) 8, which is a screw-like member. When the angle adjustment screw (front-rear) 8 is attached to the top of the through-hole 11a, the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter is tilted with its right side facing down, and when it is attached to the bottom of the through-hole 11a, the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter is tilted with its left side facing down. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the mounting base 7 has substantially vertical through-holes 11b and 11c on the left and right sides of its right side, which connect the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave inclination angle meter to the mounting base 7 via an angle adjustment screw (left-right) 9, which is a screw-like member. When the angle adjustment screw (left-right direction) 9 is located at the center of the through-hole 11b and above the through-hole 11c, the through-hole 11b side is tilted downward. Furthermore, when the angle adjustment screw (left-right direction) 9 is located below the through-hole 11b and above the through-hole 11c, the through-hole 11b side can be tilted even further downward. The tilt angle that can be adjusted by connecting the angle adjustment screw (front-back direction) 8 on the left side of the mounting base 7 is limited because the plate-shaped member of the mounting base 7 is close to the top surface of the main body 1 of the hemispherical concave tilt angle meter. However, the tilt angle that can be adjusted by connecting the angle adjustment screw (left-right direction) 9 on the right side is not limited by the mounting base 7 because the mounting base 7 is U-shaped. Therefore, for larger tilt directions, it is desirable to adjust the angle adjustment range of the angle adjustment screw (left-right direction) 9 on the right side.

[0018] 1. Mounting Base Shape and Fixing Method The mounting base 7 is preferably U-shaped as shown in the figure, as this allows for greater adjustment of the tilt angle in one direction and increases versatility, but it may also be possible to provide approximately vertical through-holes on three side surfaces and connect them via angle adjustment screws, or to make similar connections on all four side surfaces. Also, to fix the bottom surface of the mounting base 7 to the object to be tilted angle measured, one method is to attach a magnet 12 to the inside of the bottom surface of the mounting base 7 and attach it by magnetic force, as shown in Figure 7, but there are other fixing methods, such as using adhesive.

[0019] 01 Body of hemispherical concave inclinometer 02 Hemispherical concave portion 03 Position markings 04 Viscous liquid 05 Small metal ball 06 Transparent cover 07 Mounting base 08 Angle adjustment screw (front-back direction) 09 Angle adjustment screw (left-right direction) 10 Center point (central concave portion) 11 Through hole 11a Through hole a 11b Through hole b 11c Through hole c 12 Magnet

Claims

1. An inclinometer which is an approximately cube or cylinder having a hemispherical recess, and which displays on the bottom surface a center point where a line drawn perpendicular from the center of a circle on the upper surface of the hemispherical recess intersects with a base surface, a plurality of meridians represented by points where a line drawn perpendicular from the diameter of a circle on the upper surface of the hemispherical recess intersects with the base surface, and a plurality of latitudes represented by lines where a plane parallel to the upper surface of the hemispherical recess intersects with the base surface, and which is characterized in that the hemispherical recess is filled with a viscous liquid, a hard sphere is inserted, and the upper surface of the hemispherical recess is sealed with a transparent cover.

2. The inclinometer according to claim 1, characterized in that it is connected to the contact surface of the object to be measured for inclination angle, which is not horizontal, by a tilt angle adjustment mechanism for keeping the main body of the inclinometer horizontal.

3. An inclination angle meter, wherein the inclination angle adjustment mechanism described in claim 2 is a plate-like member having an opening on the top side of an approximately cube or cylinder having a hemispherical recess, the bottom side being the contact surface with the object to be measured for the angle of inclination, a substantially vertical through hole in the center of one side and two substantially vertical through holes on the left and right of the other side, which is connected to the approximately cube or cylinder having a hemispherical recess through the through holes by a screw-like member, and which is capable of adjusting the horizontal direction in the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction of the approximately cube or cylinder having a hemispherical recess.

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