Laser leveling device having a suction mounting arrangement

• US 7,322,116 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2007
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastway Fair Company Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Eastway Fair Company Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Taylor, Skye V., Moore, Kevin A., Wacker, Charles M., Long, Charles Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett; G. Bradley
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, AMY COHEN
• Application Number:
  US11/657,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20070240319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 332/86, 33D/IG.21, 332/27, 332/76, 332/90, 33D/IG.2, 248/362, 248/363, 248/205.5
• 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 and cooperating with an attachment surface to define a suction mounting area therebetween;

c. a suction mounting arrangement cooperating with the mounting seal to maintain the suction mounting area, wherein the suction mounting arrangement includes a vacuum generating mechanism including a pump configured to remove air from the suction mounting area through an aperture in the cavity to secure the housing to the attachment surface; and

,

d. a laser light source disposed within the housing, the laser light source including at least one diode projecting an alignment beam to denote a reference plane along the attachment surface, wherein the alignment beam is selectively rotatable with respect to the suction mounting area.

2. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the alignment beam is projected on the attachment surface at a selected angle between 0°

and 360°

.

3. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the alignment beam is projected onto one of the attachment surface, an adjacent surface, or both.

4. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the alignment beam is projected onto one of a first surface adjacent to the attachment surface, a second surface adjacent to the attachment surface, or both, wherein the first and second surfaces are different.

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

6. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the pump is a manually operable pump.

7. The laser leveling device of claim 6 further comprising a switch located externally of the housing to actuate the pump.

8. The laser leveling device of claim 1 wherein the vacuum generating mechanism further includes a motor to drive the pump.

9. The laser leveling device of claim 1 further comprising a switch located externally of the housing to actuate the pump.