JP2002148041A - Surveying instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a surveying instrument applicable to a variety of types in which assembling and repairing work is facilitated. SOLUTION: The surveying instrument comprises a surveying instrument body 1 equipped with a line of collimation telescope 2, and an AF module 4 formed independently from the surveying instrument body 1 and fixed removably thereto wherein the AF module 4 comprises a sensor 41 for receiving incident light from an object, a drive section 42 for moving the focal point adjusting lens 23 of the line of collimation telescope 2, a control section 43 for operating the drive section 42 based on an output from the sensor 41, and a power coupling section for transmitting power from the drive section 42 to the focal point adjusting lens 23.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a surveying instrument capable of performing autofocus of a collimating telescope.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various surveying instruments such as a total station equipped with a collimating telescope have been developed. In this collimating telescope, the focus is usually adjusted by manually moving the focusing lens.
In recent years, a type having an AF (autofocus) mechanism for automatically adjusting the focus of a collimating telescope has been developed.

In order to operate this AF mechanism, generally,
A detection sensor for obtaining focal position information for an AF mechanism;
A drive unit including a gear and a motor for moving the focus adjustment lens of the collimating telescope, a control unit for operating the drive unit based on the focus position information, and an operation unit for performing these operations are required. I have. Therefore, when the AF mechanism is incorporated in the surveying instrument, it is necessary to make mechanical, electrical, and optical connections between the AF mechanism and the inside of the surveying instrument. Cost. In addition, the internal structure becomes more complicated due to the incorporation of the AF mechanism, and the rate of failure increases. On the other hand, when the AF mechanism is repaired or inspected, the disassembly work for opening the inside of the surveying instrument body is required. It is.

When a surveying instrument having an AF mechanism and a surveying instrument without an AF mechanism are manufactured at the same time, it is difficult to separate only the AF mechanism from the surveying instrument.
Even if the configuration other than the AF mechanism is the same, the surveying instrument main body cannot be made common, causing an increase in manufacturing cost.

In a surveying instrument having an AF mechanism, an AF
Since the power supply to the drive unit provided in the mechanism is generally performed from the main power supply of the surveying instrument main body, if the main power supply of the surveying instrument main body is turned off, the AF mechanism cannot be operated. .

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and
An object of the present invention is to provide an AF surveying instrument that can be easily repaired and applicable to various types.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a surveying instrument body provided with a collimating telescope for collimating an object to be measured, and an AF module formed separately from the surveying instrument body and detachably attached to the surveying instrument body. The AF module includes a sensor that receives incident light from a measurement target; a driving unit that moves a focusing lens of a collimating telescope; and control that performs AF control by operating a driving unit based on a light receiving signal from a light receiving system. And a power connection unit for transmitting power from the drive unit to the focusing lens.

[0008] Between the surveying instrument body and the AF module,
It is preferable to include an optical coupling unit that guides a part of the incident light from the measurement object from the objective optical system of the collimating telescope to the sensor.

It is preferable that the AF module is further provided with an operation section for operating the AF module. In this case, electrical connection between the AF module and the surveying instrument main body becomes unnecessary. Further, it is preferable that the AF module includes a power supply unit for supplying power to the driving unit and / or the control unit. In this case, the AF module can be operated regardless of the main power supply state of the surveying instrument main body 1.

In the above surveying instrument, the surveying instrument main body includes:
A manual focus mechanism for manually adjusting the position of the focusing lens of the collimating telescope and / or a power focusing mechanism for electrically adjusting the position of the focusing lens of the collimating telescope can be provided. According to this configuration, even when the AF module is not mounted on the surveying instrument main body, the focus adjustment lens can be moved to the in-focus position using the manual focus mechanism or the power focus mechanism.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 and 2
Indicates a surveying instrument to which the present invention is applied. The surveying instrument comprises a surveying instrument main body 1 and an AF module 4 which is formed separately from the surveying instrument main body 1 and is detachable from the surveying instrument main body 1.

The surveying instrument body 1 includes a collimating telescope 2 for collimating an object to be measured, a distance measuring mechanism 3 for measuring a distance to the object to be measured, a manual focus (MF) mechanism 5, a power focus (PF) mechanism. 6, an operation unit 7, an angle measuring mechanism (not shown), and the like. The operation unit 7 is provided with operation members such as a manual adjustment ring 7A, an electric adjustment switch 7B, and an AF switch 7C to be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the collimating telescope 2 includes, in order from the object side, an objective lens 21, a focusing lens 23, an erecting optical system (porro prism) 24, a focusing plate 25, and an eyepiece 22. It has. The focus adjusting lens 23 is movable in the optical axis direction. By adjusting the position of the focus adjusting lens 23 in accordance with the distance to the object to be measured, the image is correctly formed on the surface of the focusing screen 25 on the objective lens 21 side. Can be imaged. The observer magnifies and observes the image on the reticle 25 via the eyepiece 22. A branch prism 26 that guides a light beam (light beam for AF) that has passed through a pair of pupil ranges to a sensor 41 of the AF module 4 is attached to the inclined surface of the Porro prism 24. Of the light beams from the objective lens 21, light beams other than the AF light beam (light beams that do not enter the splitting prism 26) enter the porro prism 24, and
The light is reflected by the reflecting surface of No. 4 and guided to the focusing screen 25. Focusing plate 2
On 5, a cross hairline (collimation line) serving as a mark for collimation is drawn at the center thereof.

The MF mechanism 5 is a mechanism for moving the focus adjustment lens 23 in the optical axis direction according to the operation of the manual adjustment ring 7A. The PF mechanism 6 is a mechanism that operates a drive motor (not shown) to move the focus adjustment lens 23 in the optical axis direction when the electric adjustment switch 7B is turned on. In the present embodiment, since the MF mechanism 5 and the PF mechanism 6 are provided in the surveying instrument main body 1, the position of the focus adjusting lens 23 is adjusted even when the AF module 4 is not mounted on the surveying instrument main body 1. be able to.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the AF module 4 is a modularized AF mechanism composed of a sensor 41, a drive unit 42, a control unit 43, and a power supply unit 45. It is attachable to and detachable from the collimating telescope 2 of the surveying instrument main body 1 via 46. When the AF module 4 is mounted on the surveying instrument main body 1, the branch prism 26 and the sensor 41 are optically connected, the cam ring 23A of the focusing lens 23 and the drive unit 42 are mechanically connected, and the operation unit 7 The AF switch 7C and the control unit 43 are electrically connected.

The sensor 41 receives the AF luminous flux derived from the splitting prism 26 and outputs a pair of AF sensor data to the control unit 43. Between the sensor 41 and the splitting prism 26, there are openings 21A and 4A for passing the AF light flux.
1A (see FIG. 6) are provided on the surveying instrument main body 1 side and the AF module 4 side, respectively.
A and 41A function as optical connection parts. Instead of the openings 21A and 41A, an optical connecting member such as a one-touch detachable connector or plug may be provided between the sensor 41 and the branch prism 26.

The driving section 42 includes a motor 42 serving as a driving source.
B, a drive gear 42C fixed to the output shaft of the motor 42B and a reduction gear train meshing with the drive gear 42C are provided. As shown in FIG. 6, a part of the final gear 42D of the reduction gear train slightly protrudes from a hole 42A opened in the housing 4A of the AF module 4. On the other hand, the cam ring 23A of the focusing lens 23 is provided on the surveying instrument body 1 side.
Is provided with a hole 22A for slightly projecting the gear 23B. In this embodiment, the housing 4A is used to secure a space for accommodating the protruding portions of the gears 23B and 42D.
An upright wall 4B (FIGS. 5 and 6) is provided on the peripheral portion on the side of the joint surface.

The gears 23B and 42D mesh with each other, and function as a power connecting portion for transmitting the power from the motor 42B to the focusing lens 23. That is,
When the motor 42B of the driving section 42 rotates, the driving force rotates the driving gear 42C, and the reduction gear train meshing with the driving gear 42C rotates. Then, when the rotational force of the motor 42B is transmitted to the final gear 42D of the reduction gear train, the gear 23B of the surveying instrument main body 1 that meshes with the final gear 42D rotates to rotate the cam ring 23A. A female screw portion 50A is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cam ring 23A, and a holding frame 50 in which a male screw portion 50B that engages with the female screw portion 50A is formed on the outer peripheral surface is inserted into the female screw portion 50A. Have been. The holding frame 50 holds the focusing lens 23. When the cam ring 23A rotates, the holding frame 50 linearly moves by the action of the screw, and
Is moved in the optical axis direction.

The housing 2A of the collimating optical system 2 on the side of the surveying instrument body 1 is provided with a hole 22A for receiving a part of the final gear 42D of an appropriate size. The gear 23B on the collimating telescope 2 side that mechanically meshes with the section may be installed so as not to protrude from the hole 22A. With this configuration, the gear 23B provided on the surveying instrument main body 1 side is used when the surveying instrument main body 1 is used in a surveying instrument of a type having an AF function and a surveying instrument of a type not having an AF function. Since the hole 22A does not protrude to the outside from the housing 2A, it is only necessary to close the hole 22A with an appropriate member, which is convenient.

An AF switch 7C is electrically connected to the control unit 43 via a connector 44A provided on the housing 2A of the collimating telescope 2 and a connector 44B (FIG. 6) provided on the housing 4A of the AF module 4. ing. When the AF switch 7C is turned on, the control unit 43
A pair of AF sensor data is inputted from
The defocus amount is calculated based on the F sensor data, and the motor 42 of the driving unit 42 is calculated based on the calculated defocus amount.
An AF operation for operating B is performed. By this AF operation,
The focus adjustment lens 23 is moved to a focus position.

The control unit 43 is provided on the surveying instrument body 1 and controls a distance measuring operation (not shown).
It is also possible to use them together. In this case (when the operation of the surveying instrument main body 1 side is also controlled by the control section 43), the control section 43 may be installed on the distance measuring main body 1 side.

The power supply section 45 includes a motor 42 of the drive section 42.
A dedicated battery for supplying power to B and the control unit 43 is provided separately from the main power supply battery of the surveying instrument main body 1. Thus, the AF operation can be performed independently irrespective of the main power supply state of the surveying instrument main body 1. In the present embodiment, the power is supplied from the power supply unit 45 to both the driving unit 42 and the control unit 43. However, a configuration in which power is supplied to either the driving unit 42 or the control unit 43 may be used. It is to be noted that the power supply unit 45 may be configured to also serve as the main power supply of the surveying instrument main body 1, but in this case, the surveying instrument main body 1 is connected by a connector or the like.
It is necessary to make an electrical connection between the power supply unit 45 and the power supply unit 45.

According to the above embodiment, the AF module 4 in which the components of the AF mechanism are modularized is formed separately from the surveying instrument main body 1 provided with the collimating telescope 2 and the distance measuring mechanism 3, and It is detachable from the main body 1. Thus, by attaching the AF module 4 to the surveying instrument body 1, the components of the AF mechanism can be mechanically and
Optical and electrical connections can be made. This eliminates the need for complicated connection work as in the conventional art, and improves work efficiency. If the AF mechanism breaks down, remove the AF module 4 from the
Repair or replacement of the F module 4 alone can be easily performed, and repair work is also facilitated. In addition, when transporting, A
By removing the F module 4 from the surveying instrument main body 1, it is possible to reduce the weight and size.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the AF module 4 is mounted on or not mounted on the
Both a type having a mechanism and a type not having an AF mechanism can be easily obtained. In this case, the surveying instrument main body 1 can be shared, which leads to cost reduction.
Further, since another unit can be attached to the surveying instrument main body 1 instead of the AF module 4, versatility is enhanced.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the dedicated power supply unit 45 for supplying power to the drive unit 42 and / or the control unit 43 is provided in the AF module 4, the main power supply of the surveying instrument body 1 is turned off. If this happens, the situation where the AF mechanism cannot be operated does not occur.

In this embodiment, an operation section (AF switch 7C) for operating the AF module 4 is provided in the operation section 7 of the surveying instrument main body 1 in consideration of operability.
As shown in FIG. 7, it is a matter of course that a configuration may be provided on the AF module 4 (housing 4A) side separately from the operation unit 7 on the surveying instrument main body 1 side. In this case, AF
Since the switch 7C 'is directly connected to the control unit 43, the AF 7
The connector sections 44A and 44B for electrically connecting the module 4 and the surveying instrument body 1 may not be provided.

[0027]

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a surveying instrument which can be easily assembled and repaired and can be applied to various types.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a surveying instrument to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a view of the surveying instrument of FIG. 1 as viewed from the back.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a state where an AF module is mounted on a surveying instrument main body.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing components of a surveying instrument main body and an AF module.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing components in an AF module.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state where a joint surface between the surveying instrument main body and the AF module is separated and opened.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the surveying instrument of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Surveying instrument main body 2 Collimated telescope 2A housing 3 Distance measuring mechanism 4 AF module 4A housing 4B Standing wall 5 Manual focus (MF) mechanism 6 Power focus (PF) mechanism 7 Operation part 7A Manual adjustment ring 7B Electric adjustment switch 7C AF switch 21 Objective Lens 21A Opening (Optical Connection) 22 Eyepiece 22A Hole 23 Focusing Lens 23A Cam Ring 23B Gear (Power Connection) 24 Erect Optical System (Poro Prism) 25 Focusing Plate 26 Branch Prism 41 Sensor 41A Opening Optical connection part) 42 Drive part 42A hole 42B Motor 42D Final gear (power connection part) 43 Control part 44 Operation part 44A connector 44B connector 45 Power supply part 45A Battery 46 Screw

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor: Yume Takayama 2-5-2, Higashi-Oizumi, Nerima-ku, Tokyo Asahi Seimitsu Co., Ltd. (72) Masahisa Hoshino 2-chome, Higashi-Oizumi, Nerima-ku, Tokyo No. 2 Asahi Seimitsu Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takanori Taniuchi 2-5-2 Higashi-Oizumi, Nerima-ku, Tokyo (72) Inventor Masayuki Ueno 2--5 Higashi-Oizumi, Nerima-ku, Tokyo No. 2 Asahi Seimitsu Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2H051 AA00 GB00

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A surveying instrument main body provided with a collimating telescope for collimating an object to be measured, and an AF module formed separately from the surveying instrument main body and detachably attached to the surveying instrument main body. A sensor for receiving incident light from an object to be measured; a driving unit for moving a focusing lens of a collimating telescope; a control unit for operating a driving unit based on a light receiving signal from a light receiving system to perform AF control; A power connection for transmitting power from the unit to the focusing lens. 2. The surveying instrument according to claim 1, wherein a part of the incident light from the object to be measured is guided from the objective optical system of the collimating telescope to the sensor between the surveying instrument main body and the AF module. Surveying instrument with a mechanical connection. 3. The surveying instrument according to claim 1, wherein the AF module further comprises an operation unit for operating the AF module. 4. The surveying instrument according to claim 1, wherein the AF module further includes a power supply unit for supplying power to the driving unit and / or the control unit. 5. The surveying instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a manual focus mechanism for manually adjusting a position of a focusing lens of the collimating telescope in the surveying instrument main body. . 6. The surveying instrument according to claim 1, wherein a power focusing mechanism for adjusting a position of a focusing lens of the collimating telescope by electric operation is provided on the surveying instrument main body. .