Laser line projected on an edge of a surface

• US 20050283987A1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Irwin Industrial Tool Company (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nash, Derek J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 33/286
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/004 Reference lines, planes or sectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/12 Instruments for setting out fixed angles, e.g. right angles

Abstract

A laser reference device includes at least one planar or flat surface and an internal laser light source for generating a laser light beam. A lens inside the device may convert the laser light into a fan-shaped beam, and project the beam adjacent the planar or flat surface of the housing. The fan-shaped beam thus projects along that surface of the housing. If the laser leveling device is placed with the flat surface on a table or floor, for example, the fan-shaped beam will be in a level plane. This allows a user to place the laser leveling device on a surface and generate a laser light to align surfaces or objects, such as objects on a wall.

Claims

1. A laser reference device, comprising:

a housing having a reference surface;

a laser light generator mounted within the housing for generating laser light and projecting laser light outside the housing adjacent the reference surface; and

an aiming device for adjusting a position of the laser light generator.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the laser light generator comprises a laser light source and an optical device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the laser light generator comprises a laser light source and at least one of a lens and a mirror.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the laser light generator generates a fan-shaped beam.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the laser light generator comprises a cylindrical lens.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the aiming device is positioned for aiming at least one of a laser light source, a mirror and a lens.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a second reference surface perpendicular to the reference surface, and wherein the laser light generator generates and projects a fan-shaped beam.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein laser light is generated adjacent the reference surface and adjacent the second reference surface.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the laser light is from about 625 nm to about 650 nm.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a switch for switching on and off a power source for the laser light source.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing is in the shape of a triangle and further comprising a planar surface perpendicular to the reference surface, wherein laser light exits the device adjacent the planar surface.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the laser light generator comprises a laser light source and a mirror.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one level indicator.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a pencil and a pencil sharpener mounted on the device.

15. An aligning device, comprising:

a housing having two reference surfaces;

a laser light generator mounted within the housing for generating laser light and projecting laser light outside the housing adjacent at least one of the reference surfaces; and

an aiming device for adjusting a position or an angular orientation of a component of the laser light generator.

16. The aligning device of claim 15, wherein the laser light generator comprises a laser light source and an optical device.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the laser light generator comprises a laser light source and at least one of a lens and a mirror.

18. The aligning device of claim 15, further comprising at least one of a pencil and a pencil sharpener mounted on the housing.

19. The aligning device of claim 15, wherein the laser light distributed outside the housing is in the form of a fan-shaped beam.

20. The aligning device of claim 15, wherein the reference surfaces are perpendicular, and wherein laser light is distributed adjacent both surfaces.

21. The aligning device of claim 15, wherein the laser light generator comprises two laser light sources.

22. The aligning device of claim 15, wherein the housing comprises a triangle with two perpendicular surfaces or a carpenter'"'"'s level with two parallel surfaces.

23. The aligning device of claim 15, further comprising at least one level indicator.

24. A method of making a laser aligning device, the method comprising:

providing a housing having at least one planar surface;

assembling a mirror into the housing;

assembling a laser light source into the housing; and

assembling an aiming device inside the housing for aiming at least one of the mirror and the light source, wherein laser light reflected from the mirror leaves the laser aligning device adjacent the at least one planar surface.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising assembling a lens into the housing, wherein the lens or the mirrored surface receives the laser light and transmits the laser light to the other of the lens and the mirrored surface, wherein laser light leaves the laser aligning device adjacent the at least one planar surface.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising assembling an aiming device for aiming at least one of the lens and the laser light source.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising assembling at least one level indicator parallel to or perpendicular to the at least one planar surface.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising connecting a switch for a power source into the housing.

29. A method of using a laser aligning device, the method comprising:

placing the laser aligning device on a surface;

leveling at least one of the laser aligning device or the surface;

aiming the laser aligning device; and

generating a beam of light adjacent a surface of the laser aligning device for aligning objects on another surface.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising a step of calibrating a distance from the laser aligning device to the other surface and adjusting the laser aligning device to compensate for divergence of the beam of light.

31. A method of claim 29, further comprising marking the other surface by using an edge of the beam of light.