Abstract:
A stand for propping up an instrument is provided, the stand having an open and a close position. The stand includes a body having a support end for resting on a surface and a coupling end for attaching to the instrument casing. The stand further includes at least one coupling arm at the coupling end, the coupling arm having contours about multiple axis. The contours undergo elastic deformation when the stand is coupled with the instrument casing, such that the elastic deformation causes the stand to match contours of the instrument casing when the stand is in the close position with respect to the instrument casing. The elastic deformation further supplies a force that assists the stand in movement of the stand between the open position and the close position. The contours also allow the stand to non-destructibly detach from the instrument casing during a hyper-extended open stand operation.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Advancements in electronics, especially in digital electronics and communications, have resulted in wide availability and use of mobile instrumentation. Mobile instruments are used in a variety of industrial and business applications. For example, utility companies use data entry terminals to enter utility data, such as readings from gas and electrical meters at points of use. As another example, transportation and wholesale services use handheld terminals to enter data related to services they provide, such as delivery address and customer name and signature. 
     Another area where mobile instruments and devices are used is industrial and technical fields. Many technical mobile instruments are used in the field under conditions which necessitate setting the instrument down to free the hands of the user. For example, a field technician measuring some physical quantity, such as voltage, current, pressure, temperature, or humidity may need to set down the industrial measurement instrument to free his hands to probe a circuit or make some notes. Under such conditions, it is advantageous to be able to prop up the industrial measurement instrument on a surface, such as a table, a ledge, or on the ground with a convenient orientation that makes a screen, buttons, and other controls of the industrial measurement instrument accessible to the field technician. It is also advantageous to allow convenient adjustment of the position or orientation of the instrument using one hand without the tilt stand partially closing. Furthermore, a close fit of such tilt stand with the industrial measurement instrument is desirable to avoid inadvertently opening or snagging the tilt stand onto clothing or other objects. Additionally, a good fit between the tilt stand and the casing of the industrial measurement instrument enhances the quality and aesthetic aspects of the industrial measurement instrument. Under field conditions, an industrial measurement instrument propped up by a tilt stand in an open position may be struck or pushed down inadvertently, for example, by falling objects such as a case or a box, causing the open tilt stand to be hyper-extended and broken off from the casing of the industrial measurement instrument. As such, it is advantageous to have a tilt stand attached to the casing of the industrial measurement instrument such that if the tilt stand is hyper-extended, it detaches from the casing of the industrial measurement instrument without breaking or causing damage to the industrial measurement instrument or its casing. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention a stand for propping up an instrument is provided, the stand having an open and a close position. In one illustrative embodiment, the stand includes a body having a support end for resting on a surface and a coupling end for attaching to the instrument casing. The stand further includes at least one coupling arm at the coupling end, the coupling arm having contours about multiple axes. The contours undergo elastic deformation when the stand is coupled with the instrument casing, such that the elastic deformation causes the stand to match contours of the instrument casing when the stand is in the close position with respect to the instrument casing. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the invention a stand for propping up an instrument is provided, the stand having an open and a close position. In one illustrative embodiment, the stand includes a body having a support end for resting on a surface and a coupling end for attaching to the instrument casing. The stand further includes at least one coupling arm at the coupling end, the coupling arm having contours about multiple axes. The contours cause an elastic deformation of the stand when the stand is coupled with the instrument casing. This elastic deformation supplies forces that assists the stand in movement of the stand between the open position in which the stand provides a support for the instrument casing and the close position in which the stand matches the contours of the instrument casing. 
     In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention a stand for propping up an instrument is provided, the stand having an open and a close position. In one illustrative embodiment, the stand includes a body having a support end for resting on a surface and a coupling end for attaching to the instrument casing. The stand further includes at least one coupling arm at the coupling end, the coupling arm having contours about multiple axis. A hinge member, included in the coupling arm, includes a coupling pin having a curved surface and a ridge extending away from the coupling pin. The coupling pin is used to rotatably attach the stand to the instrument casing, and the curved surface of the coupling pin and the contours allow the stand to non-destructibly detach from the instrument casing during a hyper-extended open stand operation. 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a pictorial diagram of an industrial measurement system having a tilt stand; 
         FIG. 2  is another view of the tilt stand showing the point of attachment with the industrial measurement system of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a pictorial diagram of an arm of the tilt stand of  FIG. 2  including a hinge pin; 
         FIG. 4  is a pictorial diagram of a casing of the industrial measurement system of  FIG. 1  showing a hinge pin receiver where the hinge pin of  FIG. 3  is attached; 
         FIG. 5  is a pictorial diagram of the detail of the area of the casing of  FIG. 4  showing the relationship between the hinge pin shown in  FIG. 3  and the hinge pin receiver shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a pictorial diagram of a cut-away section of the hinge formed by the hinge pin of  FIG. 3  and the hinge pin receiver of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a pictorial diagram of the forces acting on the hinge pin of  FIG. 3  when attached to the hinge pin receiver of  FIG. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 8  depicts the tilt stand of  FIG. 2  illustrating the arms of the tilt stand without pre-attachment contours superimposed on arms of the tilt stand with pre-attachment contours. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The presently claimed subject matter is described herein with reference to the accompanying illustrations where like numerals correspond to like elements. In one exemplary embodiment, a tilt stand with pre-attachment contours is attached to an industrial measurement instrument. The tilt stand is generally used to maintain an upright position of the industrial measurement instrument to free the hands of the user of the instrument while still providing an operational interface to the user, for example, to see information on a screen of the industrial measurement instrument, or to operate control keys and buttons of the same. The tilt stand may have at least one arm with pre-attachment contours including a hinge pin for attaching to a hinge pin receiving site on a casing of the industrial measurement instrument. The pre-attachment contours of the arms of the tilt stand are formed such that when the tilt stand is attached to the casing of the industrial measurement instrument, the tilt stand pre-attachment contours are caused to change to post-attachment contours by flexing of the tilt stand body and arms. The post-attachment contours cause the tilt stand to match the contours of the casing of the industrial measurement instrument. Additionally, the post-attachment contours of the arms and body of the tilt stand provide a restorative force between the hinge pin included in the arms of the tilt stand and the hinge pin receivers embedded in the casing of the industrial measurement instrument. Such restorative forces, which result from the attachment of the tilt stand to the casing of the industrial measurement instrument, allow a spring-loaded action to be created during a tilt stand open operation and a tilt stand close operation. The tilt stand open and close operations are more fully described below. 
       FIG. 1  is a pictorial diagram of an industrial measurement system  100  having a tilt stand  106 . In one exemplary embodiment, the tilt stand  106  is an elongated member having a hinge end  110  and a support end  112 . The hinge end  110  attaches to a hinge pin receiving area  108  in the back of a casing  118  of the industrial measurement instrument  102 , on the opposite side from where the screen and control buttons of the industrial measurement instrument  102  are located. In one exemplary embodiment, the tilt stand  106  has two arms  104 , forming a U-shaped member, and a body  116 . In another exemplary embodiment, the tilt stand  106  comprises a T-shaped arm for attachment to the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the tilt stand may have many other shapes without departing from the spirit of the present disclosures. The tilt stand  106 , when in an open position, forms a triangular support in conjunction with a base  114  of the industrial measurement instrument  102 . The triangular support maintains the industrial measurement instrument  102  in an upright position when placed on any flat surface, such as a ledge or the ground. 
       FIG. 2  is a view of the tilt stand showing the points of attachment of the tilt stand with the industrial measurement system  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 2 , each arm includes a hinge pin for attaching the tilt stand  106  to the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102  at a hinge pin receiving area  108 . The tilt stand  106  is attached to the hinge pin receiving area  108  at the hinge end  110 , allowing the support end  112  of the tilt stand  106  to rotate about an axis extending through the hinge pin receiving area  108 , that is, passing from side to side of the industrial measurement instrument  102  at the hinge pin receiving area  108 . As noted above, the tilt stand  106  may have a body  116  and arms  104  with pre-attachment contours. The pre-attachment contours of the body  116  and arms  104  create pre-load stresses when forcibly flexed and attached to the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102  at hinge pin receiving area  108 . The pre-load stresses thus created in the arms  104  of the tilt stand  106  enable firm attachment of the tilt stand  106  to the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102 . Furthermore, the pre-load stresses allow spring-loaded assistance in the tilt stand open operation and the tilt stand close operation, as further described in detail below. 
     The tilt stand open operation and tilt stand close operation may be better understood with reference to the shape of the hinge pin included in the arms  104  of the tilt stand  106 .  FIG. 3  is a pictorial diagram of an arm of the tilt stand  106  including a hinge pin  302 . Generally, the hinge pin  302  includes curved surfaces that form a cam for controlling forces acting on the arms  104  and the corresponding motion of the tilt stand  106 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that mechanical cams may be designed in many different ways for transferring forces and controlling the motion of a mechanical member in response to applied mechanical forces. Such mechanical forces may be created due to elastic deformation of mechanical members, such as the arms  104  of the tilt stand  106 . As noted above, the arms  104  are formed with pre-attachment contours that when attached to the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102  flex to create post-attachment contours in addition to pre-load stresses in the arms  104  of the tilt stand  106 . 
     The cam action of the hinge pin  302  included in the arm  104  may result from contours on different surfaces of the hinge pin  302 .  FIG. 4  is a pictorial diagram of a casing of the industrial measurement system  100  of  FIG. 1  showing a hinge pin receiver  414  where the hinge pin  302  is received. In one exemplary embodiment, the hinge pin  302  included in the arm  104  comprises a hemispherical tip  402  and a ridge in the form of an elongated semi-cylindrical detent  404  that extends radially away from the hemispherical pin tip  402 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the hinge pin tip  402  and the hinge pin detent  404  may have other shapes without departing from the spirit of the present disclosures. The process of attachment of the tilt stand  106  to the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102  includes pressure fitting of the tilt stand  106  to the casing. In the attachment process, the arms  104  of the tilt stand  106  are forced to engage the hinge pin receiving area  108  comprising a hinge pin tip receiver  406  and at least one hinge pin detent receiver  408  or  410 . The hinge pin tip receiver  406  may comprise a hemispherical pit to match the shape of the hinge pin tip  402 . Similarly, the hinge pin detent receivers  408  and  410  may comprise semi-cylindrical grooves matching the shape of the detent  404 . Generally, the hinge pin tip receiver  406  and the hinge pin detent receivers  408  and  410  are formed to match the shape of the hinge pin tip  402  and hinge pin detent  404 , respectively. For example, the hinge pin detent receivers  408  and  410  and the hinge pin detent  404  may have a dimple and bump shape instead of a groove and ridge shape, respectively. In yet another illustrative embodiment, the pin detent receivers  408  and  410  may be placed on the arms  104  instead of the casing  118 , and the pin detents  404  may be placed on the casing  118  instead of the arms  104 , trading places. In one exemplary embodiment, two hinge pin detent receivers  408  and  410  are provided corresponding to a tilt stand open position and a tilt stand close position, respectively. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that more hinge pin detent receivers may be used to provide several open positions for the tilt stand  106 . When the arms  104  of the tilt stand  106  are forced to engage the hinge pin receiving area  108 , the hinge pin tip  402  is received inside the hinge pin tip receiver  406  and the detent  404  is received within one of the detent receivers  408  and  410 . 
     An open position stop  418  may be provided to prevent the tilt stand  106  from moving beyond the open position. The stop  418  prevents hyperextension of the tilt stand  106  to an extent that could damage the tilt stand  106  and/or the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102 . In one exemplary embodiment, the stop  418  is in close proximity of the hinge pin receiving area  108 . In this embodiment, the hinge pin detent  404  comes into abutment with a stop surface  420  of the stop  418  to prevent hyperextension if the tilt stand  106  is pushed beyond the open position. The stop  418  may be implemented differently in other embodiments of the invention. For example, the open position stop may include a sliding band or rod connected between the support end  112  of the tilt stand  106  and the base  114  of the industrial measurement instrument  102 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many other methods are available for preventing the hyperextension of a rotatably movable member, such as the tilt stand  106 . 
     During the installation of the tilt stand  106 , the pre-attachment contours of the body  116  and arms  104  are forced to flex and be transformed into the post-attachment contours, as noted above. The post-attachment contours of the body  116  and arms  104  of the tilt stand  106  cause the overall post-attachment contours of the tilt stand  106  to match the contours of the casing  118  of the industrial measurement instrument  102 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, generally, the contours of a mobile industrial measurement instrument  102  are designed to be held in human hands, and thus the casing generally has a somewhat irregular shape. Hence, the pre-attachment contours of the body  116  and arms  104  of the tilt stand  106  are designed such that when they are transformed into the post-attachment contours, the tilt stand post-attachment contours match the irregular contours of casing  118  of the industrial measurement instrument  102  for better fit and function of the tilt stand  106 . In one illustrative embodiment, once attached, the tilt stand  106  may assume one of at least two positions: open and close, as indicated above. The tilt stand  106  may also have one or more intermediate positions between the open and the close position to provide several viewing angles for the user of the industrial measurement instrument  102  when the tilt stand  106  is not in close position and is being used for propping up the industrial measurement instrument  102 . The hinge pin detent receivers  408  and  410  act as stops for the open and close positions, respectively. To move from the open position to the close position, or vice versa, some manual force is required to force the hinge pin detent out of the hinge pin detent receiver  408  or  410 . The manual force is applied to the tilt stand  106  to rotate the tilt stand about the hinge pin receiving area  108 . If the tilt stand  106  is in the close position, the tilt stand  106  is in direct contact with the casing  118  of the industrial measurement instrument  102  and cannot move further in the direction of the casing  118 . However, if the tilt stand  106  is in the open position, hyper-extending the tilt stand  106  by pushing the support end  112  of the tilt stand  106  further away from the base  114  will cause the hinge pin detent  404  to press against the stop surface  420 . The continued pressure between the hinge pin detent  404  and the stop surface  420  causes the hinge pin tip  402  to rise out of the hinge pin tip receiver  414 , flex, and spread apart the arms  404 , thereby nondestructively detaching the tilt stand  106  from the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  104 . The detachment of the tilt stand  106  from the instrument allows the arms  104  to return to the pre-attachment contours. The tilt stand  106  may subsequently be reattached to the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102 , as discussed before. 
       FIG. 5  is a pictorial diagram of the detail of the area of the casing showing the hinge pin  302  retained by the hinge pin receiving area  108  to form a hinge for the tilt stand  106 .  FIG. 5  shows the hinge end  110  of the tilt stand  106  in close-up details. In this post-attachment pictorial diagram, the hinge pin tip  402  is fully engaged with the hinge pin tip receiver  406  and the hinge pin detent  404  is fully engaged with the hinge pin detent receiver  408  to securely hold the tilt stand  106  in the open position. During a tilt stand close operation, the tilt stand arm  104  is rotated in a direction (counter-clockwise in  FIG. 5 ) so as to bring the support end  112  of the tilt stand  106  in contact with the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102 . During a close operation, the hinge pin detent  404  disengages from the hinge pin detent receiver  408  and is rotated towards the hinge pin detent receiver  410 . The tilt stand close operation is complete when the hinge pin detent  404  fully engages and is positioned within the hinge pin detent receiver  410 . 
     As noted above, spring forces are asserted on the tilt stand  106  during the tilt stand open operation and the tilt stand close operation. Also as noted above, the spring forces are caused by the pre-load stresses in the arms  104  of the tilt stand  106  and are the result of attaching the tilt stand  106  to the casing  118  of the industrial measurement instrument  102 . The spring assistance of the tilt stand open operation and the tilt stand close operation results from the cam action of the curved surfaces of the hinge pin  302 , as more fully described below. 
       FIG. 6  is a pictorial diagram of a cut-away section  600  of the hinge formed from the hinge pin  302  and the hinge pin receiver  414 . The spring assistance for the tilt stand open and tilt stand close operations starts when the hinge pin detent  404  reaches an edge of the hinge pin detent receiver  408  or  410  during a transition from a tilt stand open position to a tilt stand close position or vice versa. When the tilt stand  106  is between a tilt stand close position and a tilt stand open position, the hinge pin detent  404  is on a surface area  412  between the hinge pin detent receiver  408  and the hinge pin detent receiver  410 . When the tilt stand is moved manually towards the open position or close position, the hinge pin detent  404  approaches the hinge pin detent receiver  408  or  410 , respectively. When the hinge pin detent  404  reaches an edge  602  of the hinge pin detent receiver  408 , a cam action resulting from the curvature on the surface of the hinge pin detent  404  is initiated. 
       FIG. 7  is a pictorial diagram of the forces acting on the hinge pin  302  when attached to the hinge pin receiver  414 . As noted above, the pre-load stresses in the arms  104  force the hinge pin  302  into the hinge pin receiver  414 . The pre-load stresses in the arms  104  create a normal force  702  between the hinge pin detent  404  and the surface  412  of the hinge pin receiving area  108 . Before the hinge pin detent  702  reaches the edge  602  of the hinge pin detent receiver  408 , the normal force  702  is equally countered with the reactive force  704 . At the moment the hinge pin detent  404  reaches the edge  602  of the hinge pin detent receiver  408 , the normal force  702  imposed by the arms  104 , as a result of the post-attachment contours and the corresponding pre-load stresses of the arms  104 , is divided into two force components. One force component is the normal force  706  acting radially on the hinge pin detent  404  to push it further inwards to the center of the curvature of the hinge pin receiver  408  and the tangential force  708  pushing the hinge pin detent  404  further downwards inside the hinge pin detent receiver  408 . The spring assisted action of the cam formed by the curved surfaces of the hinge pin detent  404  and the hinge pin detent receiver  408  can thus cause the tilt stand  106  to automatically and without further manual intervention, accelerate and move into an open position or a close position once manually pushed to the edge  602  of the hinge pin detent receiver  408  or  410 , respectively. 
     As noted above, the pre-load stresses created in the body  116  and arms  104  of the tilt stand  106  result from the transformation of pre-attachment contours to the post-attachment contours of the body  116  and arms  104 . The body  116  and arms  104  are formed with pre-attachment contours that are transformed to post-attachment contours when the tilt stand  106  is attached to the casing  118  of the industrial measurement instrument  102 .  FIG. 8  is a pictorial diagram of the tilt stand  106  with arms  804  having no pre-attachment contours superimposed on arms  802  with pre-attachment contours. When pre-attachment contours of the arms  802  are forceably transformed to post-attachment contours, two types of changes take place in the arms  802 . One change is a change in the contours of the arms  802  and the body  116  of the tilt stand  106 . The other change includes the creation of preload stresses within the material constituting the arms  802  and the body  116  of the tilt stand  106 . The change in the contours of the tilt stand  106  allow the tilt stand  106  to fit the contours of the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102 . The pre-load stresses in the arms  104  and body  116  of the tilt stand  106  provide the spring forces that maintains attachment of the tilt stand  106  to the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102  and in addition provides the above-discussed spring assistance during the tilt stand open and close operations. The pre-attachment contours in the arms  802  may be around multiple axes simultaneously. In one illustrative embodiment, the arm  802  is twisted around an axis that extends from the hinge end  110  to the support end  112  of the tilt stand  106 . In that same embodiment, the pre-attachment contours of the arms  802  exhibit curvature relative to an axis parallel to a line that extends between the hinge pins of the arms  802 . The pre-attachment contours may include other curvatures around other arbitrary axes within the body of the tilt stand  106 . In one illustrative embodiment, the arms  802  may be forced inwards towards each other to attach to the casing  108 . In another illustrative embodiment, the arms  802  may be forced outwards away from each other to attach to the casing  118 . Such curvatures are generally calculated using conventional engineering and mathematical techniques. For example, the pre-attachment contours may be calculated using finite element analysis methods. The pre-attachment contours in the arms  802  and body of the tilt stand  106  are computed using the finite element analysis methods such that when the tilt stand  106  is attached to the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102  the resulting post-attachment contours provide a close physical fit between the post-attachment contours of the tilt stand  106  and the contours of the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102 . The pre-attachment contours may also be determined empirically to yield desired results. For example, a number of prototypes of the tilt stand  106  may be constructed and tested to find the one with the best fit with the casing of the industrial measurement instrument  102 . Additionally, the pre-attachment contours of the tilt stand  106  are designed to provide appropriate pre-load stresses and restorative forces to accommodate the spring assisted tilt stand open and close operations. 
     While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.