APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR DRAWING LINES

Abstract

An apparatus and a process for drawing lines on a sensitive medium are disclosed. The apparatus comprises at least one tool for drawing lines and a programmable device equipped with a touchscreen, the latter being the sensitive medium. The tool for drawing lines includes a compass comprising a first leg having a drawing means installed thereon, the drawing means being able to interact with the touchscreen of the programmable device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for drawing lines on a sensitive medium, comprising at least one tool for drawing lines and a programmable device equipped with a touchscreen constituting said sensitive medium, characterized in that said tool for drawing lines includes a compass comprising a first leg having a drawing means able to interact with the touchscreen of said programmable device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drawing means of said first leg is an accessory removable from said first leg.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said compass comprises a handle made of an electrically conductive material, and wherein said handle is electrically connected with said drawing means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said handle and said leg, the latter having said drawing means installed thereon, are made of an electrically conductive material and are electrically connected to each other.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drawing means is provided with an end portion made of a material having low coefficient of friction and having at least one smooth surface adapted to slidably engage the surface of said sensitive medium.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the end portion of said drawing means is connected to a flexible element.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said compass comprises a second leg with a bearing head at the end thereof, the bearing head having at least one flat bearing surface coated with antislip material.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said bearing head is an accessory removable from said second leg.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the bearing head of said second leg includes one or more alignment indicators.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the bearing head is mechanically connected to said second leg by a ball joint.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said programmable device is programmed for displaying on said touchscreen the lines drawn by said compass.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said programmable device comprises at least one memory unit for storing the lines drawn by said compass.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touchscreen of said programmable device is a capacitive touchscreen.

14. A process for drawing lines on a sensitive medium by means of an apparatus according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: running, on said programmable device provided with touchscreen, a program allowing the programmable device to interact with the compass of said apparatus; manually gripping the handle of said compass; positioning the bearing head, placed at the end of the second leg of said compass, on the surface of said touchscreen, and pivoting said compass while the drawing means placed at the end of the first leg of said compass is kept in contact with the surface of said touchscreen.

15. The process according to claim 14, wherein the step of displaying on said touchscreen the lines drawn by said compass is provided.

16. The process according to claim 14, wherein said programmable device includes at least one memory unit and wherein the step of storing the lines drawn by said compass is provided.

17. A digital data medium for storing and/or running a computer program, wherein said program comprises executable code lines so as to use an apparatus according to claim 1 for drawing lines on a sensitive medium and/or to carry out a process for drawing lines on a sensitive medium, said process comprising the steps of: running, on said programmable device provided with touchscreen, a program allowing the programmable device to interact with the compass of said apparatus; manually gripping the handle of said compass; positioning the bearing head, placed at the end of the second leg of said compass, on the surface of said touchscreen, and pivoting said compass while the drawing means placed at the end of the first leg of said compass is kept in contact with the surface of said touchscreen.

18. The digital data medium according to claim 17, wherein the digital data medium is constituted by a memory unit integrated in said programmable device equipped with a touchscreen.

19. The digital data medium according to claim 17, wherein the digital data medium is constituted by a memory unit removable from said programmable device equipped with a touchscreen.

20. The digital data medium according to claim 17, wherein said program comprises code lines to provide at least the functions of: selecting an arc, semicircle or circle drawing; managing the diameter of a circle; closing a circle; managing the drawing of concentric circles.

21. The digital data medium according to claim 17, wherein said program comprises code lines to provide at least the functions of: selecting the size of a working area at least from an A3 or A4 size of the medium; selecting the medium background at least from blank, with border or millimeter one; setting the zoom for displaying the working area; displaying a ruler.

22. The digital data medium according to claim 17, wherein said program comprises code lines to provide at least the functions of: displaying one or more drawings selected from a collection of pre-installed drawings; displaying geometric shapes and/or technical drawing symbols; selecting thickness and color of the drawn lines; deleting one or more drawn lines; saving a processed drawing; deleting a saved drawing; printing a processed drawing.

23. A kit of compass accessories for an apparatus according to claim 1, said kit comprising at least one drawing means, at least one bearing head and at least one digital data medium constituted by a removable memory unit.

24-25. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be more evident from the following specification of some embodiments depicted for illustrative purposes and without limitation, with particular reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, wherein:

[0048] FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a compass ready to be used in an apparatus according to the present invention;

[0049] FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the compass of FIG. 1, without its accessories;

[0050] FIG. 3 is an elevation view of a drawing means whose components are separated from one another;

[0051] FIG. 4 is an elevation view of a bearing head whose components are separated from one another;

[0052] FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C are plan bottom views of the components depicted in FIG. 4; and

[0053] FIG. 5 is a perspective view depicting a possible embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention while in use.

METHODS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0054] FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a possible embodiment of a compass 10 comprising a first leg 11 and a second leg 12 pivotable around respective pins 13 integral with the body 14 of the compass 10. A handle 15 is constrained to the upper part of the body 14. The legs 11 and 12, the pins 13, the body 14 and the handle 15 are made of an electrically conductive material, such as metal, and are electrically connected to one another. A drawing means 20 able to interact with the touchscreen 110 of a programmable device 100 (FIG. 5) is installed on the first leg 11.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 2, the drawing means 20 is an accessory removable from the first leg 11 and can possibly be mounted on a removable portion 11 also made of an electrically conductive material, which is mounted on the leg 11. The drawing means 20 comprises a pin 21 (FIG. 3) made of an electrically conductive material and electrically connected to the handle 15 by the leg 11, the removable portion 11, the pins 13 and the body 14 of the compass 10.

[0056] A bearing head 30 having at least one flat bearing surface coated with antislip material, is installed at the end of the second leg 12 of the compass 10 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, also the bearing head 30 is an accessory that can be removed from the second leg 12.

[0057] FIG. 3 depicts a possible embodiment of a drawing means 20. The drawing means 20 comprises a pin 21 provided with a recess 22 in which a flexible element is inserted. In the embodiment depicted herein, the flexible element is a spring 23 also made of an electrically conductive material, which is held in position inside the recess 22, for example by a tight fit.

[0058] An end portion 24 of the drawing means 20 is made, for example, in the form of a circular plate, of a material having a low coefficient of friction, such as a plastic material still allowing the drawing means 20 to interact with the surface of a touchscreen, such as the touchscreen 110 of the programmable device 100 of FIG. 5. The end portion 24 includes at least, one smooth surface 25 adapted to slidably engage the surface of a touchscreen, or anyway of a sensitive medium. A pin 26 of the end portion 24 is inserted, in its turn, in the spring 23 by a tight fit.

[0059] FIG. 4 depicts the components of a bearing head 30 in a separate condition. The bearing head 30 comprises a pin 31 for the connection to the second leg 12 of the compass 10. The pin 31 is provided with a spherical end 32 to be engaged in a spherical seat 34 being in the body 33 of the bearing head 30. The pin 31 and the body 33 of the bearing head 30 are further depicted in bottom plan views in FIGS. 4A and 4B, respectively.

[0060] Thus the spherical end 32 of the pin 31, engaged in the spherical seat 34, make a ball joint to connect the bearing head 30 to the second leg 12.

[0061] The body 33 of the bearing head 30 is covered with a coating 35 made of antislip material, for example silicone rubber or the like. The coating 35 is provided with a flat bearing surface 36 allowing to stay stably in position on a touchscreen while the compass 10 is in use.

[0062] As depicted in the plan bottom view of FIG. 4C, the coating 35 includes one or more alignment indicators which can be, for example, projecting edges 37 arranged along orthogonal directions.

[0063] The view of FIG. 5 shows an apparatus according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, comprising in particular a compass 10 and a programmable device 100 equipped with a touchscreen 110 constituting the surface of a sensitive medium on which a curved line L, for example an arc of a circle or even a closed circle, can be drawn.

[0064] The programmable device 100 is programmed so that the lines drawn by the compass 10 are displayed on the touchscreen 110, for example a capacitive touchscreen, and can include for example a memory unit for storing the lines drawn by the compass 10.

[0065] Several modifications can be made to the embodiments so far depicted for illustration purpose only. For example, the shape and the materials of the drawing means 20 and the bearing head 30 may also vary from those specifically described so far. Similarly, the touchscreen types can also be based on other technologies, less common or not yet available on the market.