Laser alignment tool

• US 6,807,740 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2002
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Curl, Ronald D., Long, Joe R., Reed, Paul W., Mackinnon, Duncan P.
• Primary Examiner(s): BENNETT, GEORGE B
• Application Number:
  US10/325,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 332/86, 332/90, 332/93, 332/95, 332/85, 332/89, 33D/IG.21
• US Class Current: 33/286
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/006 Detectors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 33/21 with laser

Abstract

A laser alignment tool includes a line laser assembly including a laser and emitting a laser beam line and an electronic target assembly including a photo detector array. The laser beam line of the laser is pointed toward the center of the photo detector array with the longitudinal axis of the laser beam line being perpendicular to the centerline of the photo detector array. The line laser assembly includes a laser diode having a line-generating lens attached in front using a lens holder and being mounted onto a tilt stage. Using a line laser provides a certified accuracy of +/−0.005 inches at a distance of 10 feet. The electronic target further includes a narrow band pass filter and a discrete LED display that is controlled by a microprocessor. The microprocessor may be programmed with a variable range for each LED of the discrete LED display according to the alignment task.

Claims

1. A laser alignment tool, comprising:

a line laser assembly including a laser and a line-generating lens attached in front of the laser for causing the line laser assembly to emit a laser beam line; and

an electronic target assembly including a photo detector array, wherein said laser beam line of said laser can be projected on a center of said photo detector array with a longitudinal axis of the projection of said laser beam line on the photo detector array being perpendicular to a centerline of said photo detector array.

2. The laser alignment tool of claim 1, also including a lens holder, wherein said laser comprises a laser diode and the line-generating lens is attached in front of the laser diode using the lens holder.

3. The laser alignment tool of claim 2, wherein said laser diode comprises a class I, II, or IIIa eye safe battery operated laser diode.

4. The laser alignment tool of claim 2, wherein said laser diode comprises a 658 nm collimated laser diode.

5. The laser alignment tool of claim 1, wherein said line laser assembly further comprises a tilt stage for adjusting a position of said laser.

6. The laser alignment tool of claim 5, wherein said tilt stage further comprises at least two fine threaded adjustment screws.

7. The laser alignment tool of claim 1, wherein said line laser assembly further comprises:

a heat sink to divert heat from said laser; and

a power supply module powered by a laser battery pack and controlled by an on/off toggle switch to provide power to said laser.

8. The laser alignment tool of claim 7, wherein said heat sink is custom-machined from an aluminum plate.

9. The laser alignment tool of claim 7, wherein said laser battery pack comprises four standard 1.5 Volt AA sized batteries.

10. The laser alignment tool of claim 1, wherein said electronic target assembly further comprises:

a visual indication panel having an aperture and a discrete LED display;

a narrow band pass filter positioned between said aperture of said visual indication panel and said photo detector array; and

a programmable microprocessor being connected with said photo detector array and said discrete LED panel.

11. The laser alignment tool of claim 10, wherein said narrow band pass filter comprises a 650 nm narrow band pass filter.

12. The laser alignment tool of claim 10, wherein said discrete LED display comprises two converging rows of LEDs.

13. The laser alignment tool of claim 10, wherein said microprocessor is programmed with a variable range for each LED of said discrete LED display.

14. The laser alignment tool of claim 10, wherein said visual indication panel further comprises an audio source indicating convergence through differing tones.

15. The laser alignment tool of claim 1, wherein said electronic target assembly further comprises:

a battery pack controlled by an on/off toggle switch to supply power to said photo detector array, said microprocessor, and said discrete LED display; and

a target housing enclosing said narrow band pass filter, said photo detector array, said microprocessor, and said battery pack.

16. The laser alignment tool of claim 15, wherein said battery pack comprises two standard 1.5 Volt AAA size batteries.

17. A laser alignment tool, comprising:

a line laser assembly including a laser and a line-generating lens attached in front of the laser for causing the line laser assembly to emit a laser beam line, wherein the laser and the lens are positioned inside a rigid enclosure mounted to a reference location; and

an electronic target assembly for receiving said laser beam line having a target housing mounted to a part to be aligned, wherein the laser beam line can be projected on the target assembly with a longitudinal axis of the projection of said laser beam line on the target assembly being perpendicular to a centerline of said target assembly.

18. The laser alignment tool of claim 17, wherein the laser comprises a laser diode, the line-generating lens is attached in front of the laser diode using a lens holder, and said line laser assembly comprises:

a tilt stage for adjusting said laser diode;

a heat sink to divert heat from said laser diode; and

a power supply module to provide power to said laser diode.

19. The laser alignment tool of claim 17, wherein said electronic target assembly comprises:

a photo detector array;

a visual indication panel having an aperture and a discrete LED display;

a narrow band pass filter positioned between said aperture of said visual indication panel and said photo detector array;

a programmable microprocessor being connected with said photo detector array and said discrete LED panel; and

a battery pack to supply power to said photo detector array, said microprocessor, and said discrete LED display.

20. The laser alignment tool of claim 17, wherein said rigid enclosure comprises a square tube being about 1.5 meters long.

21. The laser alignment tool of claim 17, wherein said rigid enclosure further comprises clamps for mounting to said reference location.

22. The laser alignment tool of claim 17, wherein said rigid enclosure further comprises an adjustable aperture opposite to said line laser assembly.

23. The laser alignment tool of claim 17, wherein said target housing is mounted on a linear positioning stage.

24. A line laser assembly, comprising:

a tilt stage;

a laser diode mounted to said tilt stage;

a line-generating lens; and

a lens holder positioning said line-generating lens in front of said laser diode in a position causing the line laser assembly to emit a laser beam line that can be projected on a target assembly with a longitudinal axis of the projection of said laser beam line on the target assembly being perpendicular to a centerline of said target assembly.

25. The line laser assembly of claim 24, wherein said laser diode comprises an eye safe battery operated 658 nm collimated laser diode.

26. The line laser assembly of claim 24, wherein said tilt stage is mounted on a linear positioning stage for adjusting said laser diode.

27. The line laser assembly of claim 24, further comprising:

a heat sink to divert heat from said laser diode; and

a power supply module powered by a laser battery pack and controlled by an on/off toggle switch to provide power to said laser diode.

28. The line laser assembly of claim 27, wherein said heat sink is custom-machined from an aluminum plate and is used for mounting said laser diode on said tilt stage.

29. The line laser assembly of claim 27, wherein said laser battery pack comprises standard sized batteries.

30. An electronic target, comprising:

a visual indication panel having an aperture and a discrete LED display, wherein the discrete LED display includes at least one LED;

a photo detector array;

a narrow band pass filter positioned between said aperture of said visual indication panel and said photo detector array; and

a programmable microprocessor being connected with said photo detector array and said discrete LED display.

31. The electronic target assembly of claim 30, wherein said narrow band pass filter comprises a 650 nm narrow band pass filter.

32. The electronic target assembly of claim 30, wherein said discrete LED display comprises at least one row of LEDs.

33. The electronic target assembly of claim 30, wherein said microprocessor is programmed according to engineering tolerance levels of a measurement task.

34. The electronic target assembly of claim 30, wherein said visual indication panel further comprises an audio source indicating convergence through differing tones.

35. The electronic target assembly of claim 30, further comprising a battery pack controlled by an on/off toggle switch to supply power to said photo detector array, said microprocessor, and said discrete LED display and a target housing enclosing said narrow band pass filter, said photo detector array, said microprocessor, and said battery pack.

36. The electronic target assembly of claim 35, wherein said battery pack comprises standard sized batteries.

37. A method for laser alignment, comprising the steps of:

providing a laser alignment tool including a line laser assembly and an electronic target assembly;

mounting said line laser assembly to a reference location;

programming a microprocessor with a variable range for each LED of a discrete LED display;

mounting said electronic target assembly to a part to be aligned;

operating the line laser assembly to generate a laser beam line and projecting the laser beam line on a center of a photo detector array with the longitudinal axis of the projection of said laser beam line on the photo detector array being perpendicular to a centerline of said photo detector array;

reading measurement results from said discrete LED display; and

aligning said part to a required accuracy.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising the steps of:

providing a rigid enclosure having clamps for mounting to said reference location;

positioning said line laser assembly inside said rigid enclosure; and

mounting said rigid enclosure to said reference location.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising a step of attaching a line-generating lens in front of a laser diode using a lens holder for emitting said laser beam line.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising a step of adjusting said laser beam line using a tilt stage.

41. The method of claim 37, further comprising a step of providing a discrete LED display having two converging rows of LEDs.

42. The method of claim 37, further comprising a step of providing an audio source indicating convergence through differing tones.