Intersecting laser line generating device

• US 7,310,887 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Irwin Industrial Tool Company (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Irwin Industrial Tool Company (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nash, Derek J., Smith, John C., Spanski, Jeffrey L., Williams, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, G. Bradley
• Application Number:
  US11/700,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20070124948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 332/73, 332/76, 332/77, 332/78, 332/79, 332/80, 332/82, 332/83, 332/85, 332/86, 332/90, 332/91, 333/98, 33D/IG.21
• US Class Current: 33/286
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/004 Reference lines, planes or sectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0028 refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0052 the light source comprising a laser diode coupling into light guides using intermediate optical elements G02B6/4204; semiconductor lasers having optical devices external to the laser cavity H01S5/005
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0938 Using specific optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/004 Manual alignment, e.g. micromanipulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 33/21 with laser

Abstract

A line generating device generates two fan-shaped beams of light at an angle to each other, and projects the beams onto an adjacent surface, where the beams are visible as lines on the surface. A user has access to the intersection of the lines, so that the intersection can be marked or otherwise used in combination with the lines, such as in aligning objects.

Claims

1. A lens used to direct and shape a light beam comprising:

a first lens element adapted to receive a first light beam and to project a first fan-shaped light beam exterior to the first lens element; and

a second lens element adapted to receive a second light beam and to project a second fan-shaped light beam exterior to the second lens element,

wherein the first lens element includes at least a first total internal reflective surface adapted to reflect the first light beam within the first lens element and a first refractive surface adapted to refract the reflected first light beam,

wherein the second lens element includes at least a second total internal reflective surface adapted to reflect the second light beam within the second lens element and a second refractive surface adapted to refract the second reflected light beam, and

wherein the first total internal reflective surface and the first refractive surface work together to create the first fan-shaped light beam and the second total internal reflective surface and the second refractive surface work together to create the second fan-shaped light beam.

2. The lens of claim 1, wherein the first lens element includes a first fan beam segment and a second fan beam segment.

3. The lens of claim 2, wherein the first fan beam segment includes a first reflective surface to reflect the light beam incident to the first total internal reflective surface and the second fan beam segment includes a second reflective surface to reflect the light beam incident to a third total internal reflective surface.

4. The lens of claim 3, wherein the first fan beam segment and the second fan beam segment are joined at a splitting line.

5. The lens of claim 4, wherein the first total internal reflective surface creates a light beam intensity which varies as the angle at which the fan-shaped beam exits the first lens element.

6. The lens of claim 2, wherein the first fan-shaped light beam projected on a surface appears to have substantially the same brightness on the surface over a significant portion of the usable length.

7. The lens of claim 1, wherein the first fan-shaped light beam exits the first lens element with a planar angle of greater than 90°

.

8. The lens of claim 7, wherein the planar angle is approximately 100°

.

9. A line generating device, comprising:

a housing;

an optical chassis pendulously mounted within the housing;

a light generator mounted on the optical chassis;

a first lens element mounted on the optical chassis to receive light from the at least one light generator and adapted to project a first fan-shaped beam of light outside the housing substantially within a first plane;

a second lens element mounted on the optical chassis to receive light from the at least one light generator and adapted to project a second fan-shaped beam of light outside the housing substantially within a second plane;

wherein the first and second fan-shaped beams intersect outside of the housing.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a magnetic oscillation damping device to dampen oscillations of the optical chassis.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the light generator comprises two laser diodes.

12. The device of claim 9, further comprising a mounting bracket pivotably mounted to the housing for attaching the line generating device to a surface.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the surface is a substantially vertical wall and the first and second fan shaped beams of light interact with the substantially vertical wall to form first and second lines of light on the substantially vertical wall.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first and second fan shaped beams of light are both substantially perpendicular to the surface.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the optical chassis is pivotable in a plane that is substantially parallel to a surface on which the line generating device is disposed.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the optical chassis is leveled by gravity when the device is aligned within approximately 10 degrees of plumb.

17. The device of claim 9, wherein the light from the at least one light generator is focused before reaching the first and second lens elements.

18. The device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first and second lens elements comprise:

a total internal reflective surface adapted to reflect the light from the at least one light generator within the first lens element and a first refractive surface adapted to refract the reflected first light beam,

wherein the total internal reflective surface and the refractive surface work together to create the a fan-shaped light beam.