Telescoping Spirit Level With Longitudinal Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spirit levels face challenges in maintaining contact and ensuring alignment accuracy over large distances, particularly when aligning objects like stud walls or frame walls, where it is difficult to maintain contact between measuring points, and users often need to hold the spirit level during measurement and alignment.
Innovation Solution
A telescoping spirit level with a clamping device that includes a clamping element subjected to force in the longitudinal direction, allowing the spirit level to be fixed between object areas, and a transport element for frictional locking, enabling secure contact and alignment without the need for the user to hold the spirit level, featuring a contact surface transverse to the longitudinal direction for secure engagement with object areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the measuring plate sections are placed at large distances apart to measure large objects, then the alignment capability is improved, but maintaining contact with the contact points becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The spirit level is divided into two separate bodies (first body and second body) that can be extended relative to each other. Each body carries a measuring plate section, allowing the sections to be positioned at large distances while maintaining individual stability and contact capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Clamping elements are added that extend in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the spirit level. This dimensional addition allows the clamping elements to engage with object surfaces perpendicular to the measuring plate, providing secure contact maintenance without interfering with the extended measuring configuration.
2Length of moving object
If the spirit level is extended to large lengths for measuring large objects, then the measurement range is improved, but the spirit level requires user holding which reduces operation ease
Solution Approach 1:
Clamping elements project from the measuring plate area in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis, enabling the clamping elements to engage with object surfaces while the measuring plate sections remain positioned for alignment measurement. This allows hands-free operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping elements are designed to automatically engage with and clamp onto object surfaces when positioned correctly, allowing the spirit level to secure itself without requiring continuous user holding or intervention during the measurement process.
3Ease of operation
If clamping elements are added to fix the spirit level between object areas, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping elements serve multiple functions: they provide mechanical clamping to secure the spirit level to object surfaces, maintain contact during measurement, and enable hands-free operation. This multi-functionality justifies the added structural elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping elements extend in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the spirit level, adding a new dimensional aspect to the device. This allows clamping functionality without interfering with the primary measuring function along the longitudinal axis.
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
Enables precise alignment of large objects to vertical or target angles without requiring the user to hold the spirit level, ensuring secure contact and allowing for easy setup and alignment of objects like stud or frame walls, with the spirit level generating a signal upon reaching the target angle for secure fixing.
Implementation Method 1
a clamping element subjected to force by a spring element in the longitudinal direction of the spirit level
Implementation Method 2
a transport element forcing the first and second body apart by frictional locking and also fixing them relative to one another
Data Source
AI summary
Spirit level (10) for checking the alignment of an object (12), having a first elongated body (22) and a second body (26) movable therealong and connected thereto, and a fixing device (502, 614) by means of which the first and the second body are fixable relative to one another, the first and the second body each having at least one section (24, 28; 25, 29) of at least one measuring plate of the spirit level. The spirit level has a clamping element of a clamping device (18, 20) subjected to force in the longitudinal direction of the spirit level for fixing the spirit level between object areas (14, 16).