Marking apparatus having feedback-controlled rotational laser beam

• US 5,926,305 A
• Filed: 06/09/1997
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Topcon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Topcon Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshino, Kenichirou, Ohtomo, Fumio, Nishizawa, Hiroyuki, Kodaira, Jun-ichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, James
• Application Number:
  US08/871,510
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 359/196-226, 359/529, 359/530, 359/534, 359/536, 347/224, 347/225, 347/241-243, 347/256-261, 347/110, 250/234-236, 250/205, 235/463, 235/466, 235/467, 235/470, 235/472
• US Class Current: 359/196.1
• 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

Abstract

A rotating laser apparatus having a reciprocating laser scanning system which facilitates visual recognition of a laser beam on an object to be measured by raising an effective energy level on the object. In the apparatus the laser beam is rotated by a rotation device. The reciprocating laser scanning system includes reflection members for reflecting the laser beam, a laser beam detector for detecting a return laser beam reflected from the reflection members, and a microcomputer for controlling a rotation of the rotation device in accordance with the output of the laser beam detector.

Claims

1. A laser beam irradiation apparatus comprising:

a laser source for emitting a laser beam;

scanning means for scanning the emitted laser beam along a laser scanning path, said scanning means being operative in a first scan mode and in a second scan mode;

reflection means having first and second reflection zones for reflecting the scanned laser beam as first and second return laser beams;

laser beam detecting means for detecting the first and second return laser beams reflected respectively from said first and second reflection zones during said first scan mode and producing an output based on detection of both of said first and second return laser beams; and

control means responsive to said output from said detecting means for controlling movement of said scanning means so that said scanning means operates in said second scan mode when said laser beam detecting means detects both of said first and second return laser beams reflected from said first and second reflection zones.

2. The rotational laser beam apparatus of claim 1, wherein said output is indicative of the detection of both of said first and second reflection zones.

3. The laser beam irradiation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means operates said scanning means in said second scan mode as long as said laser beam detecting means produces said output.

4. A rotation laser beam apparatus comprising:

a laser source for emitting a laser beam;

rotary means for rotating the emitted laser beam, said rotary means being rotatable and having a first mode and a second mode, and rotation of the laser beam defining a laser reference plane;

first and second reflecting members for reflecting the rotated laser beam as first and second return laser beams, said first and second members being located on the laser reference plane;

laser beam detecting means for detecting the first and second return laser beams reflected respectively from said first and second reflecting members and producing an output based on detection of both of the first and second return laser beams; and

control means for changing rotation of said rotary means from said first mode to said second mode based on the output of said laser beam detecting means.

5. The rotation laser beam apparatus of claim 4, wherein said output is indicative of the detection of both of said first and second reflecting members by said detecting means.

6. The rotation laser beam apparatus of claim 4, wherein said control means operates said scanning means in said second mode as long as said laser beam detecting means produces said output.

7. A laser beam irradiation apparatus comprising:

a laser source for emitting a laser beam;

scanning means for scanning the emitted laser beam along a laser scanning path to define a reference plane, said scanning means being operative in first and second scan modes;

first and second reflecting members placed on said reference plane for reflecting said scanned laser beam as first and second return laser beams;

detecting means for detecting the first and second return laser beams reflected respectively from said first and second reflecting members and producing an output based on detection of both of the first and second return laser beams; and

control means responsive to said output from said detecting means for changing said scanning means from said first scan mode to said second scan mode.

8. The laser beam irradiation apparatus of claim 7, wherein said first scan mode is different from said second scan mode.

9. The laser beam irradiation apparatus of claim 7, wherein said output is indicative of the detection of both of said first and second reflecting members.

10. The laser beam irradiation apparatus of claim 9, wherein said control means operates said scanning means in said second scan mode as long as said laser beam means produces said output.

11. A rotational beam apparatus for marking an object using a visible laser beam, comprising:

a laser source for emitting a visible laser beam;

laser beam projecting means for projecting the laser beam onto an object;

rotary means for rotating the projected laser beam, said rotary means being rotatable and having a search mode and a scan mode, and rotation of the laser beam defining a laser reference plane;

a reflecting member for reflecting the laser beam projected by said projecting means, said reflecting member being located on the laser reference plane;

laser beam detecting means for detecting a return laser beam reflected from said reflecting member and producing an output based on detection of the return laser beam; and

control means for changing rotation of said rotary means from said search mode to said scan mode based on the output of said laser beam detecting means and for controlling rotation of said rotary means in said scan mode based on the output of said laser beam detecting means.

12. The rotational beam apparatus of claim 11, wherein said reflecting member has first and second reflection zones for reflecting the laser beam projected by said projecting means as first and second return laser beams, where said output is indicative of the detection of both of said first and second reflection zones.

13. A rotation laser beam apparatus for marking an object using a visible laser beam, said apparatus comprising:

a laser source for emitting a visible laser beam;

laser beam projecting means for projecting the laser beam onto an object;

rotary means for rotating the projected laser beam, said rotary means being rotatable and having a positive rotation and a reverse rotation, and rotation of the laser beam defining a laser reference plane;

a reflecting member for reflecting the laser beam projected by said projecting means, said reflecting member being located on the laser reference plane;

laser beam detecting means for detecting a return laser beam reflected from said reflecting member and producing an output based on detection of the return laser beam; and

control means for switching between the positive rotation and the reverse rotation of said rotary means when said control means receives the output of said laser beam detecting means.

14. The rotational beam apparatus of claim 13, wherein said reflecting member has first and second reflection zones for reflecting the laser beam projected by said projecting means as first and second return laser beams, where said output is indicative of the detection of both of said first and second reflection zones.