Field of the Invention

This present invention relates to laser levels for use in the construction industry and DIY purposes.

Background of the Invention

There are four basic types of laser levels for projecting a laser beam in the form of either a laser line or a laser dot as follows: rotary laser levels for projecting a rotating laser dot to create a 360° laser line, line laser levels for projecting multiple horizontal and vertical laser lines, single line lasers for projecting one solid laser line, and a point generator for projecting a laser dot. Some laser levels are provided with a tripod interface for mounting the laser level on a tripod. Some tripods include a tilting mechanism for tilting a laser level and therefore its one or more laser beams.

High end laser levels are self -leveling so that they can level themselves on slopes typically in the range of 3° to 5°. Most self-leveling lasers include a laser component which hangs like a pendulum and typically either a horizontal or vertical laser beam projecting through a lens or prism. Such self-leveling laser levels include a locking mechanism for securing the pendulum in place when not in use, for example, during transportation and handling. Self-leveling laser levels preferably issue an alert if they are inclined beyond the inclination which they are capable of leveling themselves.

Some construction tasks, for example, tile layout, carpentry, and the like, require an inclined laser beam. Deploying a laser level at an inclination can be achieved by either mounting the laser level on a tiltable tripod which is another item to be transported and handled or placing a laser level on, say, a building block, and the like. The locking mechanism of a self-leveling mechanism is required to be locked when a self-leveling laser level is deployed at an inclination to project an inclined laser beam.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention is directed towards laser levels including a laser level body for projecting a laser beam and an adjustable stand integrally formed with the laser level body which can be readily manually manipulated to different positions for adjusting the inclination of the laser level body and therefore the laser beam with respect to a horizontal reference surface. The adjustable stand preferably includes a left frame and a right frame intended for independent manipulation between a fully closed frame position and a fully open frame position. The fully closed frame position affords protection to a laser level body and is suitable for storage and transportation. The fully open frame position raises a laser level body with respect to a horizontal reference surface to its maximum height. The intermediate frame positions between the fully frame closed and fully open frame positions can be either predetermined frame positions or non- predetermined frame positions. Discrete intermediate frame positions can be enabled by use of detent arrangements. Non-discrete intermediate frame positions can be enabled by the use of friction, locking means, and the like. The present invention can be equally applied to the aforesaid four types of laser levels. Additionally, the present invention can be readily applied to high end self -leveling laser levels. The locking mechanisms of self-leveling laser levels are necessarily required to be locked during use of the adjustable stand to incline a self -leveling laser level similar to conventional use.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In order to understand the invention and to see how it can be carried out in practice, preferred embodiments will now be described, by way of non-limiting examples only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which similar parts are likewise numbered, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a self-leveling laser level for projecting a laser cross beam with an adjustable stand including a left frame and a right frame in fully closed frame positions in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation view of the self-leveling laser level showing nine intermediate frame positions of the left frame and the right frame and their fully open frame positions;

Fig. 3 is a front perspective view showing the use of the self-leveling laser level with an unlocked self-leveling laser component for projecting a laser cross beam with a horizontal laser beam parallel to a horizontal reference surface;

Fig. 4 is a front perspective view of the use of the self-leveling laser level with a locked self-leveling laser component for projecting a laser cross beam with a horizontal laser beam inclined with respect to a horizontal reference surface;

Fig. 5 is a front perspective view showing a self-leveling laser level for projecting a laser cross beam with an adjustable stand in fully open frame positions in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a front perspective view of a self-leveling laser level for projecting a laser cross beam with an adjustable stand in fully open frame positions in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 7 is a front perspective view of a self-leveling laser level for projecting a laser cross beam with an adjustable stand in fully closed frame positions in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Figures 1 to 4 show a self-leveling laser level 10 includes a generally rectangular parallelepiped laser level body 11 having a generally flat top surface 12 with an operator panel 13 including an ON/OFF switch, and the like, a generally flat base surface 14 opposite the generally flat top surface 12 and a peripheral surface 16. The peripheral surface 16 includes a generally flat front surface 17A, a generally flat back surface 17B opposite the generally flat front surface 17A, a generally flat left side surface 17C and a generally flat right side surface 17D opposite the generally flat left side surface 17C.

The top surface 12 joins the left side surface 17C at a left top horizontal juncture 18A and the right side surface 17D at a right top horizontal juncture 18B. The left top horizontal juncture 18A includes an elongated left top groove 19 A and the right top horizontal juncture 18B includes an elongated right top groove 19B.

The front surface 17A joins the left side surface 17C at a left front upright juncture 21A and the right side surface 17D at a right front upright juncture 21B. The back surface 17B joins the left side surface 17C at a left back upright juncture 21C and the right side surface 17D at a right back upright juncture 21D.

The laser level 10 includes an internal pendulum-like laser component 22 for projecting a laser cross beam 23 through a window 24 in the front surface 17A. The laser cross beam 23 includes a vertical laser line 26 and a horizontal laser line 27 when the laser level 10 is operated on a horizontal reference surface. The laser level 10 includes a locking mechanism 28 with two operative positions ON and OFF for respectively unlocking and locking the pendulum-like laser component 22.

The laser level 10 includes an adjustable stand 29 integrally formed with the laser level body 11. The adjustable stand 29 includes a pair of U-shaped wire frame structures 31 hereinafter referred to as a left frame 31 A and a right frame 3 IB. The frames 31 each include a front leg 32A and a back leg 32B and a cross member 33 extending therebetween. The frames 31 are pivotal mounted on opposite sides of the base surface 14 such that the left frame 31 A is flush against the left side surface 17C and the right frame 3 IB is flush against the right side surface 17D in their fully closed frame positions as shown in Figure 1. The left front leg 32A is flush against the left front upright juncture 21A, the left cross member 33 is snug fit into the elongated left top groove 19A and the left back leg 32B is flush against the left back upright juncture 21C to form a protective surround for the left side surface 17C. The right front leg 32 A is flush against the right front upright juncture 21B, the right cross member 33 is snug fit into the elongated right top groove 19B and the right back leg 32B is flush against the right back upright juncture 21D to form a protective surround for the right side surface 17D. The fully closed frame positions of the frames 29 are denoted PI and are suitable for storage and transportation and afford protection to the laser level body 11. The cross members 33 are preferably fitted with three rubber supports 34 for stabilizing the laser level 10 on a horizontal reference surface.

The frames 31 each includes a click-lock detent arrangement 36 for determining, say, a 15° angle between adjacent discrete frame positions such that each frame 31 has a total of nine intermediate frame positions denoted P2, P3, ... ., P9 between their fully closed frame positions PI and fully open frame positions Pl l for changing the inclination of the laser level body 11 and accordingly its laser cross beam 23 relative to a horizontal reference surface. The fully open frame positions Pl l of the adjustable stand 29 raise the laser level body 11 to its maximum height with respect to a horizontal reference surface. The frames 31 can be positioned independently such that the laser level 10 can be positioned at a wide range of different angles relative to a horizontal reference surface. The frames 31 have a significantly wider footprint than the laser level body 11 in their intermediate frame positions and their fully open frame positions thereby affording greater stability to the laser level 10 particularly when positioning the laser level 10 at a relatively large inclination, say, in the region of 30° and greater, to a horizontal reference surface.

Self-leveling can be used in the eleven positions of the adjustable frame 29 in which the frames 31 are placed in the same position. Figure 3 shows the use of the self-laser level 10 with its two frames 31 in the same frame position P8 and the locking mechanism 28 unlocked for projecting the laser cross beam 23 with its horizontal laser beam 27 parallel to a horizontal reference surface. Figure 4 shows exemplary use of the laser level 10 with its left frame 31A in its frame position P7, its right frame 31B in its frame position P10 and the locking mechanism 28 locked for projecting the laser cross beam 23 with its horizontal laser beam 27 inclined with respect to a horizontal reference surface.

Figure 5 shows the self-leveling laser level 10 with its left frame 31 A including a left panel 37 A and its right frame 3 IB including a right panel 37B such that the panels 37A and 37B protect the entire left side surface 17C and right side surface 17D in their fully closed frame positions.

Figure 6 shows a self-leveling laser level 40 similar in construction and operation as the self -leveling laser level 10 and therefore similar parts are likewise numbered. The latter 40 differs from the former 10 insofar as its adjustable stand 29 includes L-shaped wire frames 41 each having a front leg 42 and a cross member 43 extending therefrom towards the laser level body 11. Alternatively, the L-shaped frames 41 can be formed with a back leg and a cross member extending therefrom towards the laser level body.

Figure 7 shows a self-leveling laser level 50 similar in construction and operation as the self -leveling laser level 10 and therefore similar parts are likewise numbered. The latter 50 differs from the former 10 insofar as its laser level body 11 has a generally cylindrical shape including a generally right cylindrical peripheral surface 16.

While particular embodiments of the present invention are illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.