Multifunction measuring device

A multifunction measuring device includes: an orientation compass and an inclinometer mounted in a mounting seat and disposed in a housing so that the orientation compass and the inclinometer are respectively exposed through front and rear openings in the housing; a first magnification member disposed in the housing, connected movably to a connecting seat fixed in the housing, and including a first magnifying lens aligned with a first viewing hole in the housing; and a second magnification member connected movably to the housing, and including a second magnifying lens aligned with a second viewing hole in the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Taiwanese Application No. 100148384, filed on Dec. 23, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a measuring instrument, and more particularly to a multifunction measuring device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring toFIG. 1, a conventional measuring instrument10is shown to include: a housing11; an inclinometer12and an orientation compass13mounted to a mounting surface of the housing11; a first magnification-adjusting member14mounted to the housing11, and operable to adjust an adequate focal distance for a user's eye so as to enable a built-in first magnifying lens (not shown) to adequately magnify scales on a scale ring122of the inclinometer12such that inclination angle information of the user's location can be clearly read from the scale ring122by the user; and a second magnification-adjusting member15mounted to the housing11, and operable to adjust an adequate focal distance for a user's eye so as to enable a built-in second magnifying lens (not shown) to adequately magnify scales on a scale ring132of the orientation compass13such that orientation information of the user's location can be clearly read from the scale ring132by the user. Alternatively, the inclination angle information of the user's location can also be read from an inclinometer scale121of the inclinometer12, and the orientation information of the user's location can also be read from a compass scale131of the orientation compass13.

However, since the inclinometer12and the orientation compass13are mounted to the same mounting surface of the housing11, the conventional measuring instrument10has a relatively large size in length, and is inconvenient to carry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a multifunction measuring device that can overcome the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art.

According to the present invention, a multifunction measuring device of the present invention comprises:

a housing having a front side formed with a front opening, a rear side formed with a rear opening that is aligned coaxially with the front opening, opposite lateral ends, one of which is formed with a first viewing hole, a top end formed with a second viewing hole, and a bottom end;

a mounting seat mounted fixedly in the housing and disposed coaxially with the front and rear openings in the housing;

an orientation measuring unit including

an orientation compass mounted in the mounting seat, and having a compass scale exposed through the front opening in the housing, and a first scale ring visible through the first viewing hole in the housing,

a connecting seat mounted fixedly in the housing, disposed adjacent to the mounting seat and formed with a through hole aligned with the first viewing hole in the housing, and

a first magnification member including a tubular body, which has a connecting end portion extending into the through hole in the connecting seat and connected movably to the connecting seat, and an operating end portion opposite to the connecting end portion and extending outward of the housing through the first viewing hole, and a first magnifying lens mounted in the tubular body; and

an inclination angle measuring unit including

an inclinometer mounted in the mounting seat, and having an inclinometer scale exposed through the rear opening in the housing, and a second scale ring visible through the second viewing hole in the housing, and

a second magnification member including a lens-mounting seat mounted on the housing and movable up and down relative to the housing, and a second magnifying lens mounted in the lens-mounting seat and disposed above the second viewing hole in the housing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 2 to 4, the preferred embodiment of a multifunction measuring device according to the present invention is shown to include a housing2, a mounting seat4, an orientation measuring unit, an inclination angle measuring unit, a mirror7, a thermometer8, and a hanging rope9.

The housing2has opposite front and rear sides23,24, opposite lateral ends25,26, and opposite top and bottom ends27,28. The front side23is formed with a front opening231. The rear side24is formed with a rear opening241aligned coaxially with the front opening231in the front side23. The lateral end25is formed with a first viewing hole251, and the top end27is formed with a second viewing hole271, as best shown inFIG. 6.

In this embodiment, the housing2includes complementary front and rear housing parts21,22connected to each other using a plurality of screw fasteners100. The front housing part21is formed with the front opening231. The rear housing22is formed with the rear opening241. The front housing21cooperates with the rear housing22to define the first and second viewing holes251,271, and an insertion groove29(seeFIG. 6) therebetween. The insertion groove29extends downward from the top end27of the housing2, and is disposed adjacent to the lateral end26of the housing2. In addition, referring further toFIG. 5, the insertion groove29is defined by a U-shaped groove-defining wall291. The U-shaped groove-defining wall291includes opposite front and rear wall portions291,292, wherein the front wall portion291is a part of the front housing21, and the rear wall portion292is a part of the rear housing22. Each of the front and rear wall portions291,292is formed with a plurality of positioning holes2911,2921. Furthermore, a transparent dust-proof piece20is mounted in the housing2for covering the second viewing hole271in the top end27of the housing2.

The mounting seat4is mounted fixedly in the housing2, and is disposed coaxially with the front and rear openings231,241in the housing2. In this embodiment, the mounting seat4includes a barrel body42connected to the rear housing part22using a plurality of screw fasteners101(seeFIG. 2), and a partition plate41mounted in the barrel body42and cooperating with the barrel body42to define a front receiving space43and a rear receiving space44. The barrel body42has opposite front and rear end421,422. The front end421of the barrel body42is formed with a front notch4211that is in spatial communication with the front receiving space43and that is aligned with the first viewing hole251in the housing2. The rear end422of the barrel body42is formed with a rear notch4221that is in spatial communication with the rear receiving space44and that is aligned with the second viewing hole271in the housing2.

The orientation measuring unit includes an orientation compass51, a connecting seat52, and a first magnification member.

The orientation compass51is mounted in the mounting seat4, and is received in the front receiving space43in the mounting seat4. The orientation compass51has a compass scale511exposed through the front opening231in the housing2, and a first scale ring512visible through the first viewing hole251and the front notch4211in the barrel body42of the mounting seat4.

The connecting seat52is mounted fixedly in the housing2, and is disposed adjacent to the mounting seat4. The connecting seat52is formed with a through hole521that is aligned with the front notch4211in the barrel body42of the mounting seat4and the first viewing hole251in the housing2. In this embodiment, the through hole521is a screw hole.

The first magnification member includes a tubular body53, a first magnifying lens54, a washer55, an anchoring ring4, and a protection cover57. The tubular body53has a connecting end portion531with an annular outer thread surface extending into the through hole521in the connecting seat52and connected movably to the connecting seat52, and an enlarged operating end portion532opposite to the connecting end portion531and extending outward of the housing2through the first viewing hole251(seeFIG. 6). The first magnifying lens54is mounted in the tubular body53, and is received in the operating end portion532of the tubular body53. The washer55is sleeved on the connecting end portion531of the tubular body53. The anchoring ring56is disposed fittingly in the operating end portion532of the tubular body53for anchoring the first magnifying lens54in the tubular body53. The protection cover57has a pivot end571connected pivotally to the housing1using a pivot rod570fixed in the housing1, and a cover end572opposite to the pivot end571. In this embodiment, the cover end572of the protection cover57is in the form of a plug. The protection cover57is operable so that the cover end572plugged into and connected to the operating end portion532of the tubular body53so as to cover the first magnifying lens54in the tubular body53(seeFIG. 3).

In use, as best shown inFIG. 6, the cover end572of the protection cover57is moved away from the operating end portion532of the tubular body53. Thereafter, the operating end portion532is rotated to adjust a distance between the first magnifying lens54and the first scale ring512, i.e., an adequate focal distance for a user's eye, so as to enable the first magnifying lens54to adequately magnify scales on the first scale ring512of the orientation compass51such that orientation information of the user's location can be clearly read from the first scale ring512of the orientation compass51by the user.

The inclination angle measuring unit includes an inclinometer61, and a second magnification member.

The inclinometer61is mounted in the mounting seat4, and is received in the rear receiving space44in the mounting seat4. The inclinometer61has an inclinometer scale611exposed through the rear opening241in the housing2, and a second scale ring612visible through the second viewing hole271and the rear notch4221in the barrel body42of the mounting seat4.

The second magnification member includes a lens-mounting seat62, a second magnifying lens63, and a protection cover64. The lens-mounting seat62is mounted on the housing2, and is movable up and down relative to the housing2.

In this embodiment, the lens-mounting seat62includes a vertical insertion block621inserted movably into the insertion groove29in the housing2, and a horizontal extension plate622connected to the vertical insertion block621and disposed above the top end27of the housing2. The vertical insertion block621has front and rear ends6211each formed with an engaging protrusion6212that engages releasably a selected one of the positioning holes2911,2912in a corresponding one of the front and rear wall portions291,292of the groove-defining wall290of the housing2, thereby positioning the lens-mounting seat62in a desired position, as shown inFIGS. 5 and 8, whereinFIG. 5illustrates the lens-mounting seat62when positioned in a retracted position, andFIG. 8illustrates the lens-mounting seat62when positioned in a raised position. In addition, as shown inFIGS. 5 and 8, the vertical insertion block621has a bottom end6213formed with two upward extending slots6214. The horizontal extension plate622is formed with a lens-mounting hole6221aligned with the second viewing hole271in the housing2and mounted with the second magnifying lens63therein. The lens-mounting seat62further has an annular engaging flange6222extending upward from the horizontal extension plate622and surrounding the lens-mounting holes6221.

The protection cover64has a pivot end641connected pivotally to the lens-mounting seat62using a pivot rod640fixed in the lens-mounting seat62, and a cap end642opposite to the pivot end641. The protection cover64is operable so that the cap end642is connected to the annular engaging flange6222of the horizontal extension plate622so as to cover the second magnifying lens63in the lens-mounting seat62(seeFIG. 4).

In use, as best shown inFIG. 7, the cap end642of the protection cover64is moved away from the annular engaging flange6222of the lens-mounting seat62. Thereafter, the lens-mounting seat62is moved up or down to adjust a distance between the second magnifying lens63and the second scale ring612of the inclinometer61, i.e., an adequate focal distance for a user's eye, so as to enable the second magnifying lens63to adequately magnify scales on the second scale ring612of the inclinometer61such that inclination angle information of the user's location can be clearly read from the second scale ring612of the inclinometer61by the user.

The mirror7is mounted on the lateral end26of the housing2, and is received in a mirror-receiving groove in the lateral end26of the housing2, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 7. When the multifunction measuring device is used in outdoor applications, the mirror7is regarded as a reflector for field help.

The thermometer8is mounted on the bottom end28of the housing2, and is received in a thermometer-receiving groove281in the bottom end28of the housing2, as shown inFIG. 9.

The hanging rope9is connected to the housing2using a connecting rod90mounted in the housing2, and extends outward of the housing2, thereby facilitating carrying of the multi-function measuring device.

In sum, since the orientation compass51and the inclinometer61are mounted respectively in the front and rear sides23,24of the housing2, the multifunction measuring device of the present invention has a compact size, and is convenient to carry.