Laser-based alignment tool
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for projecting an indication of alignment, comprising:
- a housing, wherein the housing is dimensioned such that the apparatus can fit within the palm of a human hand;
a projection unit pendulously suspended in the housing to project output beams to indicate level, plumb and square where the projection unit includes a vertical projection module and a horizontal projection module and where each of the vertical and horizontal projection modules include;
a laser emitting diode to emit a laser beam directly incident on a collimator, the collimator comprising a single lens,the collimator configured to collimate the laser beam into a collimated beam and project the collimated beam on a planar reflective surface;
a planar reflective surface orientated at an angle of approximately 45°
to a path of the collimated beam projected from the collimator and configured to divert the path of the collimated beam approximately 90° and
toward a partial-conical reflective surface;
a conical reflective surface formed from at least approximately 180°
of an exterior surface of a cone and configured to reflect the diverted collimated beam into an approximately 180°
fanned output beam, where the conical reflective surface is positioned relative to the planar reflective surface such that a center of the collimated beam is incident on a front face of the cone and is not incident on the apex of the cone;
where the vertical projection module generates a substantially vertical output beam and the horizontal projection module generates a substantially horizontal output beam, the vertical and horizontal output beams being projected from the housing in different but generally perpendicularly related directions, whereby the output beams can be used to indicate level, plumb and square alignment; and
a damper to dampen pendular motion of the projection unit.
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Abstract
The present invention provides apparatus and a method for projecting an indication of alignment. The invention features forming a first output beam, and a second output beam that is substantially perpendicular to the first output beam. The first output beam indicates level, the second output beam indicates plumb, and the first and second output beams together indicate square.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An apparatus for projecting an indication of alignment, comprising:
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a housing, wherein the housing is dimensioned such that the apparatus can fit within the palm of a human hand; a projection unit pendulously suspended in the housing to project output beams to indicate level, plumb and square where the projection unit includes a vertical projection module and a horizontal projection module and where each of the vertical and horizontal projection modules include; a laser emitting diode to emit a laser beam directly incident on a collimator, the collimator comprising a single lens, the collimator configured to collimate the laser beam into a collimated beam and project the collimated beam on a planar reflective surface; a planar reflective surface orientated at an angle of approximately 45°
to a path of the collimated beam projected from the collimator and configured to divert the path of the collimated beam approximately 90° and
toward a partial-conical reflective surface;a conical reflective surface formed from at least approximately 180°
of an exterior surface of a cone and configured to reflect the diverted collimated beam into an approximately 180°
fanned output beam, where the conical reflective surface is positioned relative to the planar reflective surface such that a center of the collimated beam is incident on a front face of the cone and is not incident on the apex of the cone;where the vertical projection module generates a substantially vertical output beam and the horizontal projection module generates a substantially horizontal output beam, the vertical and horizontal output beams being projected from the housing in different but generally perpendicularly related directions, whereby the output beams can be used to indicate level, plumb and square alignment; and a damper to dampen pendular motion of the projection unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for projecting an indication of alignment, comprising:
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a housing, wherein the housing is dimensioned such that the apparatus can fit within the palm of a human hand; a projection unit pendulously suspended in the housing to project output beams to indicate level, plumb and square where the projection unit includes a vertical projection module and a horizontal projection module and where each of the vertical and horizontal projection modules include; a laser emitting diode to emit a laser beam directly incident on a collimator, the collimator comprising a single lens, the collimator configured to collimate the laser beam into a collimated beam and project the collimated beam on a planar reflective surface; a planar reflective surface orientated at an angle of approximately 45°
to a path of the collimated beam projected from the collimator and configured to divert the path of the collimated beam approximately 90° and
toward a partial-conical reflective surface;a partial-conical reflective surface formed from approximately 180°
of an exterior surface of a cone and configured to reflect the diverted collimated beam into an approximately 180°
fanned output beam;where the vertical projection module generates a substantially vertical output beam and the horizontal projection module generates a substantially horizontal output beam, the vertical and horizontal output beams being projected from the housing in different but generally perpendicularly related directions, whereby the output beams can be used to indicate level, plumb and square alignment; and a damper to dampen pendular motion of the projection unit; where the vertical projection module is mounted relative the housing at an angle γ
relative to a vertical axis of the housing and where the approximately 180°
fanned output beam from the vertical projection module is rotated approximately the angle γ
from a vertical orientation. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. An apparatus for projecting an indication of alignment, comprising:
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a housing, wherein the housing is dimensioned such that the apparatus can fit within the palm of a human hand; a projection unit pendulously suspended in the housing to project output beams to indicate level, plumb and square where the projection unit includes a vertical projection module and a horizontal projection module and where each of the vertical and horizontal projection modules include; a laser emitting diode to emit a laser beam directly incident on a collimator, the collimator comprising a single lens, the collimator configured to collimate the laser beam into a collimated beam and project the collimated beam on a planar reflective surface; a planar reflective surface orientated at an angle of approximately 45°
to a path of the collimated beam projected from the collimator and configured to divert the path of the collimated beam approximately 90° and
toward a partial-conical reflective surface;a partial-conical reflective surface formed from approximately 180°
of an exterior surface of a cone and configured to reflect the diverted collimated beam into an approximately 180°
fanned output beam;where the vertical projection module generates a substantially vertical output beam and the horizontal projection module generates a substantially horizontal output beam, the vertical and horizontal output beams being projected from the housing in different but generally perpendicularly related directions, whereby the output beams can be used to indicate level, plumb and square alignment; and a damper to dampen pendular motion of the projection unit; where the laser emitting diode included in the vertical projection module is orientated such that the laser beam emitting therefrom has a substantially elliptical cross-section with a long axis of the ellipse orientated at an angle γ
relative to a vertical orientation such that the approximately 180°
fanned output beam is rotated approximately the angle γ
from a vertical orientation.
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15. A method for projecting an indication of alignment, the method comprising:
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projecting a first laser beam from a first laser diode and a second laser beam from a second laser diode, where the first and second laser beams are projected directly onto a collimator comprising a single lens; collimating the first laser beam into a first collimated beam and collimating the second laser beam into a second collimated beam, where; the first collimated beam is incident on a first planar reflective surface and diverted approximately 90°
toward an approximately 180°
first conical reflective surface formed from at least approximately 180°
of an exterior surface of a first cone, where a center of the first collimated beam is incident on a front face of the first conical reflective surface and not an apex of the first cone and the first collimated beam is reflected to form a first output beam fanning approximately 180°
in a first direction; andthe second collimated beam is incident on a second planar reflective surface and diverted approximately 90°
toward an approximately 180°
second conical reflective surface formed from at least approximately 180°
of an exterior surface of a second cone, where a center of the second collimated beam is incident on a front face of the second conical reflective surface and not an apex of the second cone and the second collimated beam is reflected to form a second output beam fanning approximately 180°
in a second direction;where the first output beam indicates level, the second output beam indicates plumb, and the first and second output beams together indicate square. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for projecting an indication of alignment, comprising:
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a housing, the housing dimensioned such that the apparatus can fit within the palm of a human hand; a projection unit pendulously suspended in the housing to project at least one output beam, the projection unit including at least one projection module where the at least one projection module includes; a laser emitting diode to emit a laser beam directly incident on a collimator comprising a single lens, the collimator configured to collimate the laser beam into a collimated beam and project the collimated beam on a planar reflective surface; a planar reflective surface orientated at an angle of approximately 45°
to a path of the collimated beam projected from the collimator and configured to divert the path of the collimated beam approximately 90° and
toward a partial-conical reflective surface;a conical reflective surface formed from at least approximately 180°
of an exterior surface of a cone and configured to reflect the diverted collimated beam into an approximately 180°
fanned output beam, where the conical reflective surface is positioned relative to the planar reflective surface such that a center of the collimated beam is incident on a front face of the cone and is not incident on the apex of the cone; anda damper to dampen pendular motion of the projection unit. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A laser projection module comprising:
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a laser emitting diode to emit a laser beam directly incident on a collimator comprising a single lens, the collimator configured to collimate the laser beam into a collimated beam and project the collimated beam on a planar reflective surface; a planar reflective surface orientated at an angle of approximately 45°
to a path of the collimated beam projected from the collimator and configured to divert the path of the collimated beam approximately 90° and
toward a partial-conical reflective surface; anda partial-conical reflective surface formed from at least approximately 180°
of an exterior surface of a cone and configured to reflect the diverted collimated beam into an approximately 180°
fanned output beam, where the conical reflective surface is positioned relative to the planar reflective surface such that a center of the collimated beam is incident on a front face of the cone and is not incident on the apex of the cone. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification