LASER LEVEL DEVICE WITH REFERENCE MARKING

• US 20190331488A1
• Filed: 04/26/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Corrigan, Christopher D., Abaga, Nelson M.
• Application Number:
  US15/963,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20190331488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/26 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/004 Reference lines, planes or sectors

Abstract

A laser level device with a marking feature indicates a relative position of the emitting light beam/ray with respect to a geometry of the housing of the laser level device. One or more of the outer surfaces of the laser level device includes a reference plane that provides a reference to measure a distance to the laser light beam. A distance of the light beam to the reference plane may be pre-marked on another outer surface of the laser level device, which is convenient for a user to check or mark the distance in a use scenario.

Claims

1. A laser level device, comprising:

a housing having a first outer reference plane and a second outer reference plane;

a light exiting element exposed from the housing; and

a light emitting system within the housing;

wherein the light emitting system is configured to generate a light beam that exits the light exiting element in a direction substantially parallel to at least one of the first outer reference plane or the second outer reference plane; and

wherein the housing includes a marking element indicating a distance of the light beam to the at least one of the first outer reference plane or the second outer reference plane.

2. The laser level device according to claim 1, wherein the first outer reference plane is provided by a sidewall of the housing.

3. The laser level device according to claim 2, wherein the marking element includes a mark on a top surface of the housing indicating a distance of the light beam to the first outer reference plane.

4. The laser level device according to claim 2, wherein the first outer reference plane includes at least three protruding elements that protrude from the sidewall of the housing, the at least three protruding elements each including an edge point configured to be an outermost point of the sidewall.

5. The laser level device according to claim 4, wherein the three protruding elements each including an edge surface that includes the respective edge point, the edge surfaces being substantially coplanar with one another.

6. The laser level device according to claim 4, wherein one of the three protruding elements is a peripheral portion of a control panel of the laser device.

7. The laser level device according to claim 1, wherein the second outer reference plane is provided by a lower surface of the housing.

8. The laser level device according to claim 7, wherein the marking element includes a mark on a sidewall of the housing indicating a distance of the light beam to the second outer reference plane.

9. The laser level device according to claim 7, wherein the second outer reference plane includes at least two protruding elements that protrude from the lower surface of the housing, the at least two protruding elements each including a bottom point configured to be a lowest point of the lower surface.

10. The laser level device according to claim 9, wherein the at least two protruding elements each include a bottom surface that includes the respective bottom point, the at least two bottom surfaces being substantially coplanar with one another.

11. The laser level device according to claim 10, wherein the at least two protruding elements each extend substantially from one sidewall to another opposite sidewall of the housing.

12. The laser level device according to claim 1, wherein the marking element includes a reference line indicating a parallel position of the light beam relative to the at least one of the first outer reference plane or the second outer reference plane.

13. The laser level device according to claim 12, wherein the light emitting system is configured to generate a light beam in alignment with the reference line in a case that the light beam is parallel to the at least one of the first outer reference plane or the second outer reference plane.

14. The laser level device according to claim 13, wherein the light exiting element includes an alignment checking feature.

15. The laser level device according to claim 14, wherein the marking element further includes an angle mark indicating an angle between the light beam and the reference line.

16. The laser level device of claim 1, wherein the light emitting system is further configured to generate a light beam that exits the light exiting element in a direction of one of substantially level or substantially plumb.

17. The laser level device of claim 16, wherein the marking element indicates a distance of the light beam to the at least one of the first outer reference plane or the second outer reference plane before or upon the light beam exiting the light exiting element.

18. A laser level device, comprising:

a housing having a first outer reference plane and a second outer reference plane;

a light exiting element exposed from the housing; and

a light emitting system within the housing;

wherein the light emitting system is configured to generate a light beam that exits the light exiting element in a direction one of substantially level or substantially plumb; and

wherein the housing includes a marking element indicating a distance of the light beam to at least one of the first outer reference plane or the second outer reference plane before or upon the light beam exiting the light exiting element.

19. The laser level device of claim 18, wherein the marking element includes a reference line that is parallel to one of the first outer reference plane and the second outer reference plane, and

wherein the light emitting system is further configured to generate the light beam that at least partially overlaps the reference line before or upon exiting the light exiting element.

20. A method, comprising:

providing a laser level device, the laser device including a housing having an outer reference plane, a light exiting element exposed from the housing, and a light emitting system within the housing that is configured to generate a light beam that exits the light exiting element in a direction one of substantially in parallel to the outer reference plane, substantially level, or substantially plumb, and the housing including a marking element indicating a marked distance of the light beam to the outer reference plane before or upon the light beam exiting the light exiting element;

positioning the laser device to a first surface that is adjacent to the outer reference plane;

operating the laser level device to emit the light beam;

determining a measured distance between the light beam and a second surface; and

determining a relative position between the first surface and the second surface by comparing the measured distance with the marked distance.