Disclosure of Invention
The invention aims to solve the problems, and provides a field stream water resource throwing and surveying device which comprises an underframe, wherein a fixed pipe is fixedly arranged on the top surface of the underframe, the inner cavity of the fixed pipe is movably connected with a sliding mechanism, a ball screw is meshed in the sliding mechanism through a nut, a driving mechanism is fixedly arranged on the top surface of the sliding mechanism, and an adjusting device is connected above the driving mechanism; the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the chassis is fixedly provided with surveying equipment, and the bottom surface of the chassis is fixedly provided with a drainage filtering mechanism.
As a preferred technical scheme of the present invention, the sliding mechanism includes a collecting box, the collecting box is movably connected in an inner cavity of the fixed pipe, an outer wall of the collecting box is in sealing fit with an inner wall of the fixed pipe, a water permeable hole is formed in a surface of the fixed pipe, the collecting box is located outside the surveying equipment, and a height value of the collecting box is greater than a height value of the fixed pipe.
According to a preferable technical scheme of the invention, the driving mechanism comprises a motor, the motor is a double-shaft motor, the motor is fixedly installed on the top surface of the collecting box, a first driving wheel is fixedly sleeved on the lower output end of the motor, a second driving wheel is fixedly installed on the top surface of the ball screw, a driving belt is in transmission connection with the surfaces of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel, the number of the second driving wheels is three, and the included angle between the three second driving wheels is one hundred twenty degrees.
As a preferred technical scheme of the invention, the adjusting device comprises an impeller, the impeller is in limited sliding sleeve connection with the upper output end of the motor, and an electromagnet is arranged at the end part of the upper output end of the motor.
As a preferred technical scheme of the invention, the drainage filtering mechanism comprises a drainage pipe, the drainage pipe is fixedly arranged on the bottom surface of the underframe, a drainage hole is formed in the bottom end of the underframe, and a plug is fixedly arranged in the inner cavity of the collecting box; the plug comprises an installation plate, the installation plate is fixedly installed inside the collection box, a plug column is fixedly installed on the bottom surface of the installation plate, the diameter value of the plug column is equal to that of the drain hole, and the plug column is located right above the drain hole.
As a preferred technical scheme of the invention, the bottom of the drain pipe is provided with a filter screen, and the drain pipe is movably connected with the bottom frame through threads.
As a preferred technical scheme of the invention, a support ring is fixedly mounted on the top surface of the sliding mechanism, a fixing plate is fixedly mounted on the side wall of the support ring, a connecting shaft is fixedly mounted at one end of the fixing plate far away from the center of the support ring, a clamping mechanism is clamped on the surface of the connecting shaft, and a cable is fixedly mounted at the top end of the clamping mechanism.
As a preferable technical scheme, the clamping mechanism comprises a connecting frame, the connecting frame is movably connected to the surface of the connecting shaft, an extending frame is fixedly installed on one surface, far away from the center of the supporting ring, of the connecting frame, a clamping block is movably connected to the inner cavity of the extending frame, and a spring is fixedly installed on the left side surface of the inner cavity of the extending frame.
As a preferred technical scheme, the clamping block comprises a moving plate, the moving plate is movably connected in an inner cavity of the extending frame, a clamping tongue is fixedly installed on the right side face of the moving plate, a connecting rod is fixedly installed on the left side face of the moving plate, a pulling plate is fixedly installed on the left side face of the connecting rod, the section of the clamping tongue is in a right trapezoid shape, and the clamping tongue is movably connected in the connecting frame.
As a preferable technical solution of the present invention, the mooring rope includes a connecting rope, the connecting rope is fixedly installed on the top surface of the connecting frame, and a winding rope is fixedly installed on the top end of the connecting rope.
Compared with the prior art, the invention has the following beneficial effects:
1. the invention arranges a driving mechanism and an adjusting device, wherein the adjusting device comprises an impeller and an electromagnet; after the electromagnet is electrified, magnetic force is generated and the electromagnet is adsorbed, so that the impeller, the electromagnet and the upper output end of the motor are connected into a whole, the motor rotates forwards and drives the electromagnet and the impeller to rotate through the upper output end, and after the impeller rotates, the whole surveying device is pushed to move, and the position of the surveying device is changed. When the surveying device is used in flowing water flow, the surveying equipment can be flushed away by the water flow for a certain distance, so that the surveying equipment is far away from a water inlet point, and the surveying equipment cannot accurately reach a specified deep water layer; when this kind of condition appears, drive the impeller through control motor corotation and rotate, the impeller promotes whole surveying device and is close to the income water point department, and until reaching the income water point department, the hawser is in the vertical state this moment, can be accurate take the water sample of appointed degree of depth water layer.
2. According to the invention, the drainage filtering mechanism is arranged, the drainage pipe is arranged on the drainage filtering mechanism, the bottom of the drainage pipe is provided with the filter screen, the drainage pipe is movably connected with the bottom frame through the threads, after sampling is completed, the collected water sample of the specified water layer flows into the drainage pipe from the drainage hole, and in the process of discharging through the drainage pipe, silt in the collected water sample can be filtered by the filter screen; after all water samples are filtered, the filtered silt is filtered and collected at the drain pipe, the drain pipe is taken down from the bottom frame in a rotating mode, and the silt filtered by the filter screen can be collected and checked. In the filtering process, an operator collects and detects the filtered water body from the bottom end of the drain pipe, and analyzes the characteristics of mineral content, organic matter content, microorganism content and the like in the water. Sampling to appointed degree of depth water layer water through once only, accomplished the adoption of silt appearance in water sample and the water sample simultaneously, efficiency is higher.
3. According to the invention, the pulling plate is pulled to pull the clamping tongue, so that the clamping tongue is accommodated in the extension frame, at the moment, the connecting shaft loses the fixation of the clamping tongue on the bottom end of the connecting shaft, the connecting shaft can be separated from the clamping mechanism, at the moment, the underframe, the fixed pipe and the sliding mechanism can be separated from the cable, the device is convenient to store and carry independently, and the convenience of the device is increased.
Detailed Description
The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.
As shown in fig. 1 to 5, the invention provides a survey device for putting water resources into streams in the field, which comprises an underframe 1, wherein a fixed pipe 2 is fixedly arranged on the top surface of the underframe 1, and the inner cavity of the fixed pipe 2 is movably connected with a sliding mechanism 3; the sliding mechanism 3 comprises a collecting box 301, the collecting box 301 is movably connected in the inner cavity of the fixed pipe 2, the outer wall of the collecting box 301 is in sealing fit with the inner wall of the fixed pipe 2, and the surface of the fixed pipe 2 is provided with water permeable holes 302; when collecting box 301 and fixed pipe 2 sealed sliding motion mutually, the steerable hole 302 of permeating water seals or link up, and then the entering of control external water to guarantee to take the water sample in the appointed degree of depth water layer. The collecting box 301 is positioned at the outer side of the surveying equipment 4, the surveying equipment 4 is fixedly installed on the bottom surface of the inner cavity of the underframe 1, and the surveying equipment 4 is used for detecting parameters such as turbidity, temperature and the like of a water body of a specified water layer; the height of the collection box 301 is greater than the height of the fixed tube 2 to ensure that the collection box 301 can store a sufficient water sample while moving smoothly inside the fixed tube 2. The collecting box 301 comprises a fixing part 3011, a folding part 3012 is arranged below the fixing part 3011, and a moving part 3013 is arranged below the folding part 3012. The interior of the sliding mechanism 3 is engaged with a ball screw 5 through a nut. The upper end of the ball screw 5 is connected with the second driving wheel 603 on the fixing part 3011 and is used for providing support for the ball screw 5; the lower end of the ball screw 5 is connected with a rotating bearing in the underframe 1; a nut meshed with the ball screw 5 is arranged in the moving part 3013, the ball screw 5 rotates forwards or backwards and drives the moving part 3013 of the collecting box 301 to descend or ascend through the nut; and in the descending or ascending process of the moving part 3013, the folding part 3012 is stretched or folded to realize that the collection box 301 makes the external water body enter the collection box 301 in the descending or ascending process, and the fixed pipe 2 is matched to complete sealing, so that the adopted water layer water sample with the designated depth is stored in a sealing manner, and the influence of the external water body with other depths on the water layer water sample is prevented. Through the arrangement of the screw thread on the ball screw 5, the screw rod at the bottommost part of the ball screw 5 has no screw, when the ball screw 5 rotates forwards and drives the moving part 3013 of the collecting box 301 to move to the bottommost position through the nut and the sealing of the water permeable hole 302 on the fixed pipe 2 is completed, the nut does not rotate with the ball screw 5 in a threaded manner, namely the ball screw 5 continues to rotate and cannot drive the moving part 3013 of the collecting box to move downwards through the nut, and the ball screw can still rotate; when ball 5 reverses, ball 5 and nut threaded connection move and drive the motion portion 3013 upward movement of collecting box 301 through the nut, so realize collecting box 301 and fixed pipe 2's relative motion, make the hole 302 of permeating water on the fixed pipe 2 opened, outside water can enter into the inside of collecting box 301 and fixed pipe 2, prepares for taking appointed degree of depth water sample.
The top surface of the sliding mechanism 3 is fixedly provided with a driving mechanism 6; the driving mechanism 6 comprises a motor 601, and the motor 601 is a double-shaft motor; the motor 601 is a double-shaft motor, the lower output end of the motor provides power for the rotation of the ball screw 5, and the upper output end of the motor provides power for the adjusting mechanism 13. The motor 601 is fixedly arranged on the top surface of the collecting box 301, and is particularly fixed on a fixing part 3011 of the collecting box 301; the fixed cover of the lower output end of motor 601 has drive wheel one 602, ball 5's top surface fixed mounting has drive wheel two 603, the surface transmission of drive wheel two 603 and drive wheel one 602 is connected with drive belt 604, drive wheel two 603 is three totally, the contained angle between three drive wheel two 603 is one hundred twenty degrees, motor 601 drives drive wheel one 602 rotatory, drive wheel one 602 passes through drive belt 604 transmission connection drive wheel two 603 when rotatory, thereby drive three drive wheel two 603 and rotate, realize that drive wheel two 603 drives ball 5 and is rotatory in the inner chamber of collecting box 301 and fixed pipe 2, and then realize collecting box 301 and fixed pipe 2's relative motion, prepare for taking appointed degree of depth water sample and preserving the water sample.
An adjusting device 13 is connected above the driving mechanism 6; specifically, the adjusting device 13 comprises an impeller 131, and the impeller 1301 is in limit sliding sleeve connection with the upper output end of the motor 601; the shape of the impeller 131 is set to ensure that the impeller 131 can push the whole surveying device to advance in a specified direction in water during rotation.
An electromagnet 132 is provided at the end of the upper output of the motor 601. After the electromagnet 132 is electrified, magnetic force is generated and the impeller 131 is magnetically adsorbed, so that the impeller 131, the electromagnet 132 and the upper output end of the motor 601 are connected into a whole, the motor 601 rotates forwards and drives the electromagnet 132 and the impeller 131 to rotate through the upper output end, and after the impeller 131 rotates, the whole surveying device is pushed to move, and the position of the surveying device is changed. When the surveying device is used in flowing water flow, the surveying equipment can be flushed away by the water flow for a certain distance, so that the surveying equipment is far away from a water inlet point, and the surveying equipment cannot accurately reach a specified deep water layer; when the situation occurs, the motor 601 is controlled to rotate positively to drive the impeller 131 to rotate, the impeller 131 pushes the whole surveying device to approach to the water inlet point until the water inlet point is reached, the cable 12 is in a vertical state at the moment, and a water sample of a water layer with a specified depth can be accurately collected; that is, in the sampling process, the length of the mooring rope 12 put into the water is equal to the depth of the specified water layer, and the surveying device can be accurately controlled to reach the water layer with the specified depth, so that the water sample with the water layer with the specified depth can be accurately taken. For example when the water sample of the water layer of 3 meters depth is taken to the needs degree of depth, the hawser length of input equipment below is 3 meters, and promotion through adjusting device 13's impeller makes surveying device arrive into the water punishment department, makes hawser 12 be in the vertical state, and 3 meters of the degree of depth of exploration equipment actual arrival water layer this moment, the accurate water sample of the water layer of 3 meters depth of taking.
A drainage filtering mechanism 7 is fixedly arranged on the bottom surface of the underframe 1; the drainage filtering mechanism 7 comprises a drainage pipe 701, and the drainage pipe 701 is fixedly arranged on the bottom surface of the underframe 1; the bottom of the drain pipe 701 is provided with a filter screen 704, and the drain pipe 701 is movably connected with the bottom frame 1 through threads. The filter net 704 is used for filtering and collecting silt in the sampled water sample after sampling so as to analyze characteristics, such as particle size distribution, composition components and the like, of the silt in the water sample deep in the designated water layer. A drain hole 702 is formed at the bottom end of the underframe 1, plugs 703 are fixedly installed in the inner cavity of the collection box 301, and the plugs 703 correspond to the drain holes 702 one by one; the plug 703 is particularly fixed to the moving portion 3013 of the collection box 301; the moving part 3013 of the collection box 301 moves upward for a certain distance, so that the blocking column 7032 leaves the drain hole 702, and the collection box 301 is still in a state of closing the fixed pipe 2, and at this time, the collected water sample of the specified water layer flows into the drain pipe 701 from the drain hole 702, and in the process of discharging through the drain pipe 701, silt in the collected water sample can be filtered by the filter screen 704; after all the water samples are filtered, the filtered silt is filtered and collected at the drain pipe 701, the drain pipe 701 is rotatably taken down from the bottom frame 1, and the silt filtered by the filter screen 704 can be collected and inspected. Through the control to the hole 302 size of permeating water, make it carry out prefilter to the water of taking, filter debris such as great rubbish, pasture and water, prevent to produce the influence to the analysis of silt. Meanwhile, in the filtering process, an operator collects and detects the filtered water body from the bottom end of the drain pipe 701, and analyzes the characteristics of mineral content, organic matter content, microorganism content and the like in the water.
The plug 703 comprises a mounting plate 7031, and the mounting plate 7031 is fixedly mounted inside the collection box 301, specifically, on the moving portion 3013 of the collection box 301. The bottom surface of the mounting plate 7031 is fixedly provided with a blocking column 7032, the diameter value of the blocking column 7032 is equal to that of the drain hole 702, and the blocking column 7032 is positioned right above the drain hole 702, so that the blocking column 7032 can be just inserted into the drain hole 702, and five drain holes 702 and the blocking column 7032 are arranged, so that the drainage speed of the device is increased, and the working efficiency of operators is improved.
Wherein, the top surface fixed mounting of glide machanism 3 has support ring 8, the lateral wall fixed mounting of support ring 8 has fixed plate 9, the one end fixed mounting that support ring 8 center was kept away from to fixed plate 9 has connecting axle 10, the surperficial joint of connecting axle 10 has latch mechanism 11, latch mechanism 11's top fixed mounting has hawser 12, be connected hawser 12 and device through adopting latch mechanism 11, can realize quick dismantlement and the installation of device, take out latch mechanism 11 the back, can realize conveniently carrying the device.
Wherein, the clamping mechanism 11 includes a connecting frame 111, the connecting frame 111 is movably connected on the surface of the connecting shaft 10, one side of the connecting frame 111 far away from the center of the support ring 8 is fixedly provided with an extension frame 112, an inner cavity of the extension frame 112 is movably connected with a clamping block 113, a left side of the inner cavity of the extension frame 112 is fixedly provided with a spring 114, the connecting frame 111 is placed above the connecting shaft 10, the connecting frame 111 is pressed downwards, when the connecting shaft 10 contacts with an inclined plane of the clamping tongue 1132, the connecting shaft 10 can push the clamping tongue 1132 into the extension frame 112, at this moment, the connecting shaft 10 enters the top end of the clamping tongue 1132, meanwhile, the clamping tongue 1132 loses the pushing of the connecting shaft 10, the elasticity of the spring 114 can drive the moving plate 1131 to move rightwards, the clamping tongue 1132 is clamped below the connecting shaft 10, the cable 12 is fixed with the device, the device is convenient to connect, the operation is simple, and the convenience of the device is increased.
The clamping block 113 includes a moving plate 1131, the moving plate 1131 is movably connected in an inner cavity of the extension frame 112, a clamping tongue 1132 is fixedly installed on the right side surface of the moving plate 1131, a connecting rod 1133 is fixedly installed on the left side surface of the moving plate 1131, a pulling plate 1134 is fixedly installed on the left side surface of the connecting rod 1133, the cross section of the clamping tongue 1132 is in a right trapezoid shape, the clamping tongue 1132 is movably connected in the connecting frame 111, the distance between the pulling plate 1134 and the extension frame 112 is five millimeters, the pulling plate 1134 is pulled, the connecting rod 1133 is pulled by the pulling plate 1134, the moving plate 1131 and the clamping tongue 1132 are made to be accommodated in the extension frame 112, at this time, the connecting shaft 10 loses the fixation of the clamping tongue 1132 to the bottom end of the connecting shaft 10, separation of the connecting shaft 10 from the clamping mechanism 11 can be realized, and the device can be conveniently and be carried separately.
Wherein, hawser 12 is including connecting rope 122, connects rope 122 fixed mounting at the top surface of link 111, and the top fixed mounting who connects rope 122 has rolling rope 121, and rolling rope 121 is total three, and the contained angle between three rolling rope 121 is one hundred twenty degrees, has guaranteed the accuracy that hawser 12 and device are connected, has increased the convenience of device. At the same time, cable 12 is tied with control lines to power motor 601 and electromagnet 132 and control the modes of operation of both.
When the device is used for taking a water sample of a water layer with a specified depth in flowing water, the preparation work of the device is firstly carried out, specifically, on one hand, the paying-off length of the take-off and pay-off device is controlled according to the depth of the water layer with the specified depth, for example, when a water sample with the water depth of three meters needs to be taken, the paying-off length is three meters, so that the water sample with the water depth of three meters can be accurately taken; on the other hand, through the corotation of the control motor 601, the lower output end of the control motor drives the moving part 3013 of the collecting box 301 to move to the lowest part through the ball screw 5, so that the sealing of the permeable holes 302 on the fixed pipe 2 is completed, the fixed pipe 2 and the collecting box 301 form a sealed space, the drain pipe 701 below the chassis 1 is in the process of entering water, because the fixed pipe 2 and the collecting box 301 form a sealed space, the air in the sealed space cannot be discharged outside, and the water cannot enter the fixed pipe 2 and the collecting box 301 from the drain pipe 701 to form a sealed space. Meanwhile, when the ball screw 5 drives the moving part 3013 of the collection box 301 to move to the lowest position, the screw of the ball screw 5 is no longer connected with the nut through the screw, the motor 601 drives the ball screw 5 to continue rotating, the moving part 3013 of the collection box 301 is no longer moved downwards, and at the moment, the motor 601 drives the rotation through the upper output end, and the upper output end drives the electromagnet 132 to rotate; meanwhile, the electromagnet 132 is electrified through a control line, the electromagnet 132 generates magnetic force and magnetically adsorbs the impeller 131, the impeller 131 synchronously rotates under the driving of the electromagnet 132, the whole surveying device is further pushed to move, the surveying device which is subjected to water flow impact and deviates moves towards a water inlet point until the water inlet point is reached, the cable 12 reaches a vertical state from an inclined state at the moment, the paying-off length of the winding and unwinding device is equal to the depth of the surveying device in a specified water layer, and preparation is made for taking a water sample of the water layer with the specified depth; after the surveying device is adjusted by the adjusting mechanism 13 and reaches the water layer with the specified depth, the motor 601 is controlled to rotate reversely, the motor 601 drives the ball screw 5 to rotate reversely through the lower output end, the ball screw 5 drives the collecting box 301 to move upwards through threads and nuts, when the moving part 3013 of the collecting box 301 moves to a certain height, the water permeable hole 302 on the fixed pipe 2 is not sealed, and at the moment, a water sample of the water layer with the specified depth enters the space inside the fixed pipe 2 and the collecting box 301; when the motor 601 starts to rotate reversely, the electromagnet 132 is powered off through the control line, the electromagnet 132 loses magnetic force and does not adsorb the magnetic force on the impeller 131, the impeller 131 is not connected with the electromagnet 132 any more, the output end on the motor 601 cannot drive the impeller 131 to rotate continuously, and therefore the impeller 131 is prevented from being driven to rotate reversely when the motor 601 rotates reversely, the impeller 131 pushes the surveying device away from a water inlet point again, and accurate sampling of a water layer water sample with a specified depth is influenced. After a certain time at an interval, after the water samples of the specified depth water layer are filled in the space inside the fixed pipe 2 and the collection box 301, the motor 601 is controlled to rotate positively, the lower output end of the motor 601 drives the ball screw 5 to rotate, the ball screw 5 drives the moving part 3013 of the collection box 301 to move downwards through the nut, until the moving part 3103 of the collection box 301 moves to the lowest part, the collection box 301 completes the sealing of the water permeable hole 302 on the fixed pipe 2, meanwhile, the blocking column 7032 is inserted into the drain hole 702, and then the sealing of the collection box 301 and the fixed pipe 2 is completed, and at the moment, the water samples of the specified depth water layer are stored in the inner cavities of the fixed pipe 2 and the collection box 301. After impeller 131 promotes to survey the device and transfers to the income water spot, collect the motion portion 3013 upward movement of box 301 and open the hole 302 of permeating water, external water sample gets into the cavity of collecting box 301 and fixed pipe 2 through the hole 302 of permeating water, the process of the sealed hole 302 of permeating water of motion portion 3013 downward movement of collecting box 301 is very short, just can accomplish in the sampling process short time, impeller 131 rotates or stall this moment, and impeller 131 does not rotate rivers and all less to the impact of surveying the device to the sampling process, improve the accuracy of taking a sample in appointed degree of depth water layer department in the at utmost.
After completing the sampling of the water layer with the specified depth, the surveying device is lifted out of the water surface through the collecting and releasing device, and water samples collected in the fixing pipe 2 and the collecting box 301 in the surveying device are prepared to be collected. At this moment, through control motor 601 reversal, the transmission end drives ball 5 and rotates under the motor 601, ball 5 drives the motion portion 3013 upward movement certain distance of collecting box 301, guarantee in this distance scope that collecting box 301 lasts sealed to the hole 302 of permeating water, stifled post 7032 breaks away from out wash port 702, the water sample of fixed pipe 2 and the inside storage of collecting box 301 is after the filtration of filter screen 704, the silt in the water sample is filtered filter screen 704 top, the filterable water body can be collected in the graduated flask and the censorship. After the water in the fixed pipe 2 and the collecting box 301 is filtered, the water discharging pipe 701 is rotatably taken down from the bottom frame 1, so that the silt filtered by the filter net 704 can be collected and inspected; so through once only sampling appointed degree of depth water layer water, accomplished the adoption of silt appearance in water sample and the water sample simultaneously, efficiency is higher.
After the device is used, the pulling plate 1134 is pulled, so that the pulling plate 1134 pulls the connecting rod 1133, the moving plate 1131 and the clamping tongue 1132, and the clamping tongue 1132 is accommodated in the extension frame 112, at this time, the connecting shaft 10 loses the fixation of the clamping tongue 1132 to the bottom end of the connecting shaft 10, the connecting shaft 10 can be separated from the clamping mechanism 11, and the device is convenient to carry independently;
when the device is used again, the connecting frame 111 is only required to be placed above the connecting shaft 10, the connecting frame 111 is pressed downwards, when the connecting shaft 10 is in contact with the inclined surface of the clamping tongue 1132, the connecting shaft 10 can push the clamping tongue 1132 into the extension frame 112, the connecting shaft 10 enters the top end of the clamping tongue 1132 at the moment, meanwhile, due to the fact that the clamping tongue 1132 loses the pushing of the connecting shaft 10, the elasticity of the spring 114 can drive the moving plate 1131 to move rightwards, the clamping tongue 1132 is clamped below the connecting shaft 10, and the mooring rope 12 is fixed with the device.
It is noted that, herein, relational terms such as first and second, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Also, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.