Laser reference device

• US 7,497,019 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Irwin Industrial Tool Company (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, John, Nash, Derek J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, RICHARD A
• Application Number:
  US11/497,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20070028470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 33/1.T, 332/76, 332/77, 332/78, 332/79, 332/80, 332/82, 332/83, 332/86, 332/91, 332/92, 33D/IG.21, 356/615, 356/620, 356/622
• US Class Current: 33/286
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/004 Reference lines, planes or sectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/008 combined with inclination sensor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 33/21 with laser

Abstract

A chassis can be electro-mechanically rotated about an axis. The chassis contains a laser module and an inclination sensor. A laser beam and/or a laser line or plane can be emitted from chassis using a lens or reflector to focus the light in the desired beam or plane shape. The inclinometer/accelerometer senses the spatial orientation of the chassis and a microprocessor drives a motor through a motor control to adjust the angular orientation of the chassis. Preset angular orientations may be programmed into microprocessor that define predetermined angular orientations of the chassis.

Claims

1. A laser reference device comprising:

a housing including a reference surface adapted to be mounted against a vertical surface;

means for mounting the housing to said vertical surface;

a chassis mounted for rotation relative to the housing;

a collimated light source on the chassis;

an inclination sensor that senses the angular orientation of the chassis; and

a leveling mechanism including a motor for rotating the chassis from a first position to one of a plurality of second positions in response to the angular orientation sensed by the inclination sensor.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for mounting comprises adhesive for mounting the housing to the surface.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for mounting comprises a pin for mounting the housing to the surface.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the light source projects a beam of light from the device.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the light source projects a plane of light from the device.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the plane of light is perpendicular to the reference surface.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the one of the plurality of second positions comprises at least a preset angular orientation.

8. The device of claim 7 further including a plurality of the preset angular orientations.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the motor is controlled by a microprocessor.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the microprocessor controls the motor based on signals received from the inclination sensor.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the one of a plurality of second positions is input by a user.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the device includes a user input device for enabling user input of the second position.

13. The device of claim 1 further including a limit switch for limiting the rotation of the chassis.

14. The device of claim 1 further including a display for displaying information to a user.

15. A method of operating a laser reference device comprising:

securing a chassis to a vertical surface, said chassis including means for generating a line of light on a reference surface;

sensing the actual orientation of a line of light generated by said means for generating a line of light;

determining if said actual orientation of a line of light generated by said means for generating a line of light matches one of a plurality of desired orientations;

automatically reorienting said line of light generated by said means for generating a line of light to the one of the plurality of desired orientations using a motor; and

projecting a line of light at said one of a plurality of desired orientations.

16. A laser reference device comprising:

a housing including a reference surface adapted to be mounted against a vertical surface;

means for mounting the housing to said vertical surface;

a chassis mounted for rotation relative to the housing;

a collimated light source on the chassis;

an inclination sensor that senses an angular orientation of the light source and generates a signal in response to the angular orientation;

a leveling mechanism including a motor for rotating the chassis from a first position to a second position wherein a microprocessor controls the motor based on the signal; and

wherein the second position is input by the user.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the second position is selected from one of a plurality of stored predetermined second positions.

18. A method of operating a laser reference device comprising:

securing a chassis to a vertical surface, said chassis including means for generating a line of light on a reference surface;

storing a plurality of preset orientation angles;

sensing the actual orientation of a line of light generated by said means for generating a line of light;

determining if said actual orientation of a line of light generated by said means for generating a line of light matches one of said plurality of preset orientation angles;

automatically reorienting said line of light generated by said means for generating a line of light to the one of said plurality of preset orientation angles.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of automatically reorienting said line of light to one of said plurality of preset orientation angles includes reorienting said line of light to the one of said plurality of preset orientation angles closest to the actual orientation.