GB2415255A

GB2415255A - A laser level

Info

Publication number: GB2415255A
Application number: GB0428356A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Carl Y Liu
Original assignee: Nanjing Chervon Industry Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nanjing Chervon Industry Co Ltd
Priority date: 2004-06-18
Filing date: 2004-12-24
Publication date: 2005-12-21
Also published as: GB0428356D0

Abstract

A laser level comprising a main body 30, comprising a housing 1 with at least one laser generator 2 in the housing, a power source and a switch 5 electrically connected to the power source, and a pedestal. One of the main body or the pedestal may have one of a concave or convex contact area and the other of the main body or the pedestal a mating concave or convex contact area to removably attach the main body to the pedestal. The concave or convex mating areas may be spherical in shape and the pedestal and main body may be removably attachable using magnets 15. There may also be a push button 11 connected to a retractable pin (13 Fig. 4). The laser level may comprise at least one levelling indicator 6, 7, 9. Independently claimed are that the main body and the pedestal are removably attached in a plurality of locations and that the main body can be removably swivelled and moved on the pedestal to alter the locational position of the laser beam 20 projected.

Description

24 1 5255

LASER LEVEL

DESCRIPTION

CROSS-REE;ERIINCE TO ELATED APPLICATIONS 100011 This application clarions priority from Chinese Application No. 200420028106 4, filed on dude 18, 2004..

FEDERALLY SPONSORED REtSI:;ARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 100021 Not Applicable.

IECNAL FIELD

[00031 The present invention relates to a laser leveling device which reflects at least one line On a surface as a positioning reference, and more particularly to a laser level which mark at least one movable and rotatable line on a reference surface for indication.

BACKGROUND OK; TO INVENTION

[00041 allele are many Idods of laser leveling devices. One such device is disclosed by {JS Patent No 6,735,8797 which can project a planar laser beam and define a visible line of fixed orientation on a surface. Other laser leveling devices are marketed in the United States by C:ST/ Berger Co., Zircon Co., and others. Sortie of those laser leveling devices can only project fused horizontal or perpendicular laser beams, others can be adjusted by hand thereby to project adjustable beams, and others are self-leveling. These conventional laser leveling devices may have their respective advantages, but when in practical use, deficiencies will come co light. For example, a dewce with a fixed laser beans often requires a flat support surface and can not attain ptccise indication on a rough or oblique surface Additionally, while self-leveling laser devices commonly comprise plumb news to project boruontal or perpendicular laser beams, and usually can't project laser beams of other angles.

Purennore, their self-leveling ability is always limited by the tilting angle of die surface they seated on. Even those hand-adjustable laser leveling devices have disadvantages. For example, some can only adjust the angle of He laser beams, others only can translate the laser beans without rotating. us, while laser leveling devices according to che prior art provide a number of advantageous features, they nevertheless have certain limitations. Rho present invention seeks to overcome certain of these limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore available.

SUIAELY OF T INVENTION t00051 The present invention provides a laser level With a main body which can be totaled and moved on a removable pedestal thereby to alter the locational relationship of die laser beam projected from the main body with the base plane of the pedestal of the laser level.

[00061 According to one embodiment, the laser level includes a main body and a removable pedestal. The main body includes a housing, at least one laser generator, a power for the laser generator and a switch The pedestal and the moist body snort to each other by magnetism. The pedestal has a spherical or similar slippery upper surface, and the main body portion has a base surface Vying commanding matching sham such that the in body and the pedestal can well inosculate to each other thereby to form a spherical or similar contact area 100071 According to another embodiment, the removable pedestal can comprise at least one push button with at least one retractable pin for positioning the laser level on a wooden, plastic or other soft object.

10008] According to another embodiment, the laser level can further comprise two leveling indication means which ale vertical to each other for indicating a precise horizontal lme or plumb line. The laser level may also comprise a third leveling indication means vertical to bow of the former two.

9] The laser level of the present invention is simple in structure, less costly, and exE,edieot for marking a reference line on a workpiece as needed. It is appreciated that the snail body can be swiveled or moved on We pedestal, and reference lines of different angular degrees and onentatioas can be formed thereby without notating or moving the pedestal.

0010] Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent Tom the following examples in the specification taken in conjunction with the following drawings.

BELIEF DESCItPIlON OF TO DRAWIN(;S tO011] To understand the present invendon, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to die accompanying drawings in which: 100121 FICi. I illlsates a front view of one embodiment of a laser level with the left clamcheU housing of the mom body cut away [W131 FIG. 2 an inner pCrSpectiYe view of Me laser level of FlCi. l; [00141 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the removable pedestal; [0015] ma. 4 is a perspective view of die laser level win the pins protruding outwardly from die removable pedestal: 00161 FIG. 5 illustrates another perspective view of the laser level with the battery cover Hereon; {00171 FIG. 6 is a perspective view of We laser level with Wee leveling indication means; [00181 PIG. 7 is a petspecve view of the laser level of the PIG. 6 with a fan-shaped laser beam when it is positioned and held on a Novell; and, tO0191 PIG. 8 is a perspective view of a laser level projecting and defining a reference line on a wall, and rotating the main body to another orientation thereby defining another reference line.

DAIR..n l:)BSCRIPTION tO020] While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, and will herein be described in detail, preferred embodiments of the invention am disclosed with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as exemplifications of the principles of the invention and are not intended to limit the broad aspects of me invention to We embodiments illustrated.

[W211 Referring to PIGS. 1 and 2, one enbodirnent of the laser level composes a main body 30 and a removable pedestal to, wherein the main body 30 includes a housing l, a laser generator 2 which is contained and fined in the housing 1. a switch 5, a battery pack or power source 8, and a container 3 for receiving the battery pack 8. When the switch 5 is triggered on, the laser generator 2 is electrically connected to the battery pack 8 and a fan-shaped laser beam 20 is then projected on an object surface thereby to form a visible laser line Ll. A general laser leveling device widt a laser generator for generating a fan-shaped laser beam is well known in the art. Persons skilled in the Of will recognize that the device shown in the drawings is not the only embodiment. Ike laser level of the present invention may also comprise two or more laser generators.

00221 Refening to PIGS I and 3, the pedestal 10 has a spherical or similar slippery upper surface 12 Further, the main body 30 has a base surface 14 with corresponding snatching shape such that the main body 30 and the pedestal IO can well irosculate to each over thereby to form a spherical or similar contact area 100. persons skilled in the art will recognize that the base surface of the main body and the upper surface of the pedestal are not limited merely to the examples shown in Me drawings. an alternate embodiment the upper surface of the pedestal can be a spherical or similar concave, not shown, and the base surface of the main body may leave a convexity with a corresponding matching shape such that the rive component part of the laser level will inosculate to each other to form a concave contact am 100231 The pedestal 10 and the main body 30 mount to each other by magnetism.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, a magnetic member 15 is arranged near the bottom of the finale body 3Q and a Nellie or magnetic achng member 16 Is fused in the pedestal 10 for removably attaching the pedestal 10 to the main body 30. Obviously, the magnetic mcnber can be alternatively arranged in the pedestal 10 and the attracting nernber 16 can be arranged in the Nun body 30. The magnetism should be sing enough so that substantially no movement be talcen between the main body and the pedestal without any aid of foreign force on any position 10024] Refernng to I?IGS. 1 and 2, one cnbodhnent of the laser level preferably has a first leveling indication means 6 and a second leveling indication mews 7 which are vertical to each other and respectively perpendicular or horizontal to the plane of the laser beam 20.

The laser level may also comprise a third leveling indication means 9 vertical to both of the former two, as shown in FIG. 6. The three leveling indicators 6, 7, and 9 can be three conventional water columns with level bubbles 17 therein for orientation or leveling a precise horizontal or plumb line by rotating or moving the main body 30 upon the pedestal 10.

t00251 When laser level is disposed on a horizontal plane as shown in FIGS. I and 2, moving the Knin body 30 on He pedestal 10 until the bubble 17 of the first leveling indication means 6 slides to tube center of the column will allow the laser generator 2 to emit a laser beam 20 that contacts a wall and fonns a vertical line Ll thereby. Referring to FIG. 7' The laser level is disposed against a Call W1, moving the main body 30 on We pedestal lo until the bubble 17 of the second leveling indication means 7 slides to the center of the column allows the laser generator 2 to emit a laser beam 20 that contacts the wall W! and fonns a horizontal line L2 thereby. Moving We main body 30 until the bubble 17 of die dried leveling indication means 9 slides co the center of the column will allow a honzontal line I-3 to be formed on die opposite wall W2.

t002 One embodiment of the laser level can also achieve laser beams of venous orientations. without moving or rotadng We pedestal lO, and inshad by rotating the main body 30 on the pedestal 10. Rcfernag to FIG. 8, the laser level emits a laser beam 21) and forms a laser line IA on a wall W3. If needed, the main body 30 can be rotated on the pedestal 10 to another posidon, shown as dotted line, whereby the laser beam 20 contacts We wail W4 and forms another laser line L5.

100271 Referring to FIGS 1 and 5, an entrance 40 for the battery pack 8 in the housing 1 and a bad cover 4 which is slideable in the present embodiment is shown.

100281 As shown in PIG. 3, the pedestal lo may compose at least one push button 11 Reich connects with at least one retraefablc pin 13 for positioning the laser level on a wooden, plastic or ova soft object as desirecL When not in use, We pins 13 can retract into the pedestal lo. PIG. 4 is a perspective view of an enltodiment of a laser level with four pins 13 protnding outwardly front the removable pedestal lo 1 0291 As described hereinabove, when in practical use of a laser level of me present invendon, the pedestal may be posidoned on a floor, a wall or the surface of an object, Ad the sia body may be attached to the Cede thereafter. Because of the spherical shape of the contact area, the main body can be swiveled or moved to define laser beams of different orientation and angular degrees within a certain range. Horizontal or vertical lines will be attained witli reference to leveling indication means.

10030] Several alternative embodimcats and examples have been described and illustrated herein A person of ordinary skilled in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodonents, and the possible combinations and variadons of the components.

person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that ally of He embodinencs could be provided in any combination widt the other embodiments disclosed herein. Additionally, He tc "first," "second," and "third" as used herein are intcrded for illustrative purposes only and do Dot limit the embodiments in any way. Furler, the term "plurality" as used herein indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number.

100311 It will be understood that the inYention mat be embodied iu other 6pecific fonns without departing from the spot or central characteristics hereof Ihe present examples and unbodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and die invention is not to be 11milied to the derails given herein.

Claims

CLAMS

What is claimed is: 1 A laser level, comprising; a main body comprising a housing, at least one laser generator in the housing, a popover source, and a switch electrically connected to the power source; and, a pedestal; wherein one of the main body or the pedestal has One of a concave or a convex contact area and the over of the main body or the pedestal teas a mating concave or convex contact ares to removably attach the Twin body to the pedestal.

A. The laser level of clailn 1, wherein the pedestal has a spherical or similar upper surface, and wherein the main body has a base surface with a corresponding mating shape.

3. The laser level of claim 1, wlurein die pedestal and the main body removably attach to each other by manes 4. We laser level of claim 1, further comprising a magnetic member associated with one of the main body or the pedesbl' and a corresponding attracdag member in the other of the main body or the pedestal.

5. Ibe laser level of claim L wherein the pedestal comprises at least one push button connected to at least one retractable pin.

G. The laser level of clarion I, wherein the main body comprises at least one leveling indicator 7 The laser level of claim 6, furler oolopasing a first leveling indicator and a second leveling indicator on the axon body, the second leveling indicator being perpendicular to the first leveling indicator.

8. The laser level of claim 7, fi - er comprising a third leveling indicator on the main body, the third leveling indicator being vertical to the fiat and second leveling indicators.

9. A laser level, comprising: a main body conpnsing a houslog, at least one laser generator in Me housing, a power source, and a switch electrically Connected to the power source: and, a pedestal; wherein the main body is removably attachable to the pedestal in a plurality of locations on the pedestal.

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10. Ihe laser level of claim 9' wherein the main body is moveable in a plurality of dimctions on the pedestal.

11. Me laser level of claim 9, wherein the main body is moveable under force in a plurality of directions when the main body is attached to die pedestal 12. Ike laser level of cosign 9, wherein the one of the train body or the pedestal has one of a concave or a convex contact area and Me odor of the main body or Me pedestal has a madag concave or convex contact area to removably attach the main body to the pedestal.

13. A laser level, comprising; a main body comprising a housing, at least one laser generator in the housing to prefect a laser beam, a power source, and a switch electrically connected to the popover source; and, a pedestal; \vherein the main body can be removably swiveled and moved on tDC pede; sral to alter the locational position of Me laser beasn projected Mom the laser generator in Me main body wide a base plane of flee pedestal of Me main body.

14. The laser level of claim 13, wherein the laser beam can be spatially adjusted by moving the relationship of the main body and Me pedestal.

15. The laser level of claim 137 wherein one of die main body or the pedestal has one of a concave or a convex contact area and the other of the main body or the pedestal has a marina concave or convex contact area to removably attach the main body to the pedestal.

16 The laser level of Claire 13, wherein the pedestal led a spherical or similar upper surface, and tvheein the main body has a base surface with. a corresponding mating shape.

17 The laser level of claim 13, wherem the pedestal and the main body removably attach to each odder by magnetism 18. A laser level, coqnpris=; a main body composing a housing, at least one laser generator in the housing, die laser generator projecting a fan- shaped laser beans, a power source for the laser generator, and a switch electrically connected to the power source, Me housing having a base surface having one of a convex or a concave portion; and, a pedestal having an upper surface that has a mating convex or concave portion to mate win the corresponding convex or concave portion of the base surface of the main body. g

19 lee laser level of claim 18, wherein the laser beam can be spatially adjusted by moving the main body on the pedestal 20. A laser device, composing: a main body comprising a housing, a laser generator positioned within Me housing a power source for die laser generator to project at least one laser beam, and a switch electrically connected to Tic powa source and the laser generator, and, a pedestal, wherein the main body and the pedestal attach to each other at a spherical contact area such that the laser beam can be spatially adjusted.