Surveying Prism Alignment Bumper for Precise Total Station Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aligning specialized and expensive surveying equipment, such as laser levels and GNSS receivers, to ensure precise measurements is difficult due to inherent variations in accuracy and alignment challenges.
Innovation Solution
A surveying prism with an alignment bumper featuring a set of flat edges and position indicators that facilitate precise alignment with a total station, allowing for accurate reflection and refractive light signals to enhance measurement precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional surveying equipment without alignment features is used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to alignment difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment bumper with flat edges and position indicators is pre-configured on the surveying prism to establish reference alignment features before the surveying operation begins. This preliminary alignment structure eliminates the need for complex real-time alignment procedures, thereby improving measurement precision without significantly increasing operational complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment bumper acts as an intermediary component between the surveying prism and the total station. It provides physical reference surfaces (flat edges) and visual references (position indicators) that mediate the alignment process, enabling precise positioning without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms
2Manufacturing precision
If alignment features are added to the surveying prism, then alignment accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment functionality is segmented into distinct components: flat edges for physical alignment references and position indicators for visual alignment references. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific alignment function independently, improving alignment accuracy while keeping the overall device structure relatively simple and modular
3Ease of operation
If multiple alignment features are added to ensure precise alignment, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment bumper features asymmetric flat edges and position indicators that provide unique alignment references. This asymmetric design creates distinct alignment cues that are easier to identify and align with, improving ease of operation without requiring symmetric complexity throughout the entire device structure
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The alignment bumper enables precise location measurements by ensuring consistent alignment of the surveying prism with the total station, reducing measurement errors and improving accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
The set of optical features can include one or more mirrors or lenses that can be configured to reflect emitted light from a total station to facilitate precise measurements of location
Data Source
AI summary
A surveying prism can include a housing, optical features, and a bumper. The optical features can be located on a radial surface of the housing azimuthally offset from one another by equal arcs. The bumper can cover the optical features. The bumper can include flat edges and position indicators. The flat edges can correspond to the optical features. Each flat edge can have a different first center point of first center points that is approximately at the same azimuthal angle with respect to the surveying prism as a corresponding second center point of a corresponding optical feature of the optical features. The position indicators can correspond to the optical features, and each position indicator can be positioned at a central point of a different flat edge of the flat edges.