Laser leveling device having a suction mounting arrangement

• US 20060037202A1
• Filed: 08/17/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eastway Fair Company Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Eastway Fair Company Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Long, Charles Keith, Taylor, Skye V., Moore, Kevin A., Wacker, Charles M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,181,854 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: Y10S 33/21 with laser

Abstract

A laser leveling device having a suction mounting arrangement includes a housing and a mounting seal extending from the lower portion of the housing. The mounting seal cooperates with an attachment surface to define a suction mounting area therebetween. The suction mounting arrangement cooperates with the mounting seal to maintain the vacuum pressure seal in the suction mounting area. A laser light source mounted within the housing in a planar relationship relative to the attachment surface includes at least one diode projecting an alignment beam through an opening in the housing to denote a reference plane along the attachment surface.

Claims

1. A laser leveling device comprising:

a. a housing;

b. a mounting seal extending from a lower portion of the housing cooperating with an attachment surface defining a suction mounting area therebetween;

c. a suction mounting arrangement cooperating with a mounting seal to maintain the suction mounting area;

d. a power source disposed within the housing; and

e. a laser light source disposed within the housing operatively connected to the power source, the laser light source including at least one diode projecting an alignment beam through an aperture in the housing to denote a reference plane along the attachment surface.

2. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein a cavity is formed in the lower portion of the housing which cooperates with the mounting seal and attachment surface to create the suction mounting area.

3. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein a lens is mounted in the opening in the housing and cooperates with the at least one diode to project an alignment beam as a reference plane along the attachment surface.

4. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the laser light source further comprises a single diode projecting an alignment beam through an end wall of the laser level housing.

5. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the laser light source comprises opposing diodes positioned in a coplanar relationship projecting alignment beams through opposing end walls of the laser level housing.

6. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the laser light source comprises a first diode projecting a first alignment beam through a first opening in the housing and a second diode projecting a second alignment beam generally perpendicular to the first alignment beam through a second opening in the housing.

7. The laser leveling device of claim 1 further comprising a switch extending through an elongate channel of the housing allowing a user to activate the laser light source when the laser level is positioned on the attachment surface.

8. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the power source comprises a removably mounted battery.

9. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the power source comprises a rechargeable power source mounted within the housing.

10. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the suction mounting arrangement comprises a vacuum generating mechanism electrically connected to the power source and coupled to an inner surface of the housing, the vacuum generating mechanism including a motor and a pump operatively driven by the motor configured to remove air from the suction mounting area through an aperture in the housing to secure the housing to the attachment surface.

11. The laser leveling device of claim 10 further comprising a sensor mounted proximate the aperture in the lower portion of the housing which activates the pump if the sensor detects a loss of pressure in the suction mounting area.

12. The laser leveling device of claim 10 further comprising a switch operatively connected to the pump actuation switch disposed on a side wall of the housing allowing a user to activate the vacuum generating mechanism.

13. The laser leveling device of claim 10 wherein the laser light source is mounted to the vacuum generating mechanism to position the at least one diode in a planar relationship relative to the attachment surface.

14. The laser leveling device of claim 13 wherein the laser light source is rotatably mounted to the vacuum generating mechanism to position the at least one diode in a fixed relationship relative to the attachment surface.

15. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the suction mounting arrangement comprises a manually operable pump cooperating with the mounting seal and configured to remove air from the suction mounting area through an aperture in the housing to secure the housing to the attachment surface.

16. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the suction mounting arrangement comprises a lever operatively cooperating with a portion of the mounting seal wherein the lever in a first position creates a cavity between the attachment surface and the portion of the mounting seal.

17. A laser leveling device having a vacuum mounting arrangement configured to releasably secure the laser leveling device to an attachment surface, the laser level comprising:

a. a housing having a cavity formed in a lower portion of the housing;

b. a mounting seal extending from the lower portion of the housing about the cavity cooperating with an attachment surface to defining a suction mounting area therebetween;

c. a power source disposed within the housing;

d. a vacuum generating mechanism disposed within the housing for generating a vacuum in the suction mounting area, the vacuum mounting arrangement including a power source, a motor connected to the power source, a pump operatively driven by the motor configured to remove air from the suction mounting area through an aperture in the cavity to secure the housing to the attachment surface and a sensor disposed proximate the cavity to monitor the pressure in the suction area and activate the pump if the sensor detects a loss of pressure in the suction mounting area; and

e. a laser light source disposed within the housing operatively connected to the power source, the laser light source including at least one diode projecting an alignment beam through an opening in the housing to denote a reference plane along the attachment surface.

18. The laser leveling device of claim 17 further comprising a pump actuation switch disposed on a side wall of the housing allowing a user to activate the vacuum generating mechanism when the laser level is positioned on the attachment surface.

19. The laser leveling device of claim 17 wherein the laser light source is rotatably mounted to the vacuum generating mechanism to position the laser generating device in a fixed relationship relative to the attachment surface.

20. The laser leveling device of claim 17 wherein the laser light source further comprises a single diode projecting an alignment beam through an end wall of the laser level housing.

21. The laser leveling device of claim 17 wherein the laser light source comprises opposing diodes positioned in a coplanar relationship projecting alignment beams through opposing walls of the laser level housing.

22. The laser leveling device of claim 17 wherein the laser light source comprises a first diode projecting a first alignment beam through a first opening of the housing and a second diode projecting a second alignment beam generally perpendicular to the first alignment beam through a second opening in the housing.

23. A laser leveling device having a suction mounting arrangement configured to releasably secure the laser leveling device to an attachment surface, the laser level comprising:

a. a housing having a lower portion including a cavity formed in a bottom surface and an upper portion rotatably mounted to the lower portion;

b. a mounting seal extending from the lower portion of the housing about the cavity cooperating with an attachment surface to defining a suction mounting area therebetween;

c. a power source disposed within the lower portion of the housing;

d. a suction mounting arrangement including a manually operable pump cooperating with the mounting seal and configured to remove air from the suction mounting area through an aperture in the housing to secure the housing to the attachment surface; and

e. a laser light source disposed within the upper portion of the housing operatively connected to the power source, the laser light source including a diode projecting an alignment beam through an opening in the housing to denote a reference plane along the attachment surface.

24. The laser leveling device of claim 23 further comprising a pump actuation switch disposed on a side wall of the housing allowing a user to actuate the pump when the laser level is positioned on the attachment surface.

25. The laser leveling device of claim 23 wherein the laser light source is rotatably mounted to the housing to position the laser generating device relative to the attachment surface.

26. The laser leveling device of claim 23 wherein the laser light source further comprises a single diode projecting an alignment beam through an end wall of the laser level housing.