Carbon fiber composite level and method of manufacturing same

• US 10,386,182 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2017
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
• Inventors: Pelletier, Thomas, Chernyshou, Aliaksei, Woolley, Christopher, Komulainen, Johannes, Honkanen, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, George B
• Application Number:
  US15/454,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20170184398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 33379, 33381
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/26 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/34 of the tubular type, i.e. for indicating the level in one direction only

Abstract

A level comprising a level body, and at least one bubble vial mounted on the level body is provided. The level body has a generally tubular configuration including a top wall and a bottom wall generally parallel to one another, and a pair of spaced side walls; a top opening in the level body that interrupts at least a portion of the top wall to accommodate the at least one bubble vial; and an internal support structure disposed within the tubular configuration of the level body and spanning longitudinally along the level body so as to be disposed on both sides of the top opening to provide structural support to the level body in the vicinity of the top opening.

Claims

1. A level comprising:

a level body; and

at least one bubble vial mounted on the level body;

wherein the level body has a generally tubular configuration including a top wall and a bottom wall generally parallel to one another, and a pair of spaced side walls;

a top opening in the level body that interrupts at least a portion of the top wall to accommodate the at least one bubble vial; and

an internal support structure disposed within the tubular configuration of the level body and spanning longitudinally along the level body so as to be disposed on both sides of the top opening to provide structural support to the level body in the vicinity of the top opening.

2. The level of claim 1, wherein the internal support structure is formed of metal material.

3. The level of claim 1, wherein the internal support structure comprises a generally U-shaped configuration.

4. The level of claim 3, wherein the generally U-shaped configuration of the internal support structure is constructed and arranged to surround the at least one bubble vial.

5. The level of claim 1, wherein the internal support structure includes a base portion, a pair of legs extending upwardly from the base portion, and an opening disposed between the pair of upwardly extending legs, and wherein the opening of the internal support structure is constructed and arranged to receive the at least one bubble vial therein.

6. The level of claim 5, wherein, when the internal support structure is seated inside the level body, top surfaces of the pair of upwardly extending legs abut inside surfaces of the top wall of the level body immediately beyond the top opening, and bottom surface of the base portion abuts inside surface of the bottom wall of the level body.

7. The level of claim 5, wherein the internal support structure has a thickness that is substantially the size of a space spanning inner surfaces of the side walls of the level body such that front surface and back surface of the internal support structure abut the inner surfaces of side walls of the level body.