Fluidtight level device

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6807741
  • Patent Number
    6,807,741
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, August 28, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, October 26, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A watertight fluid level device comprises a container in which a fluid is filled and a floating body, a shaft is connected to the upper end of the floating body; the upper end of the shaft is passed through a film. The film and the shaft are airtight connected. The circumference of the film is connected to the opening of the container to prevent the fluid of the container from leaking. A seat body is connected to the upper end of the shaft; the floating body floats on the surface of the fluid, the seat body is driven to maintain at a level state automatically by the shaft.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a device using gravity force to provide level, and more particularly to a device using a floating body to float on a fluid surface in order to allow the floating body to maintain at a level state. The level device according to the present invention can be combined with a laser ray indicator to use on indication for level and/or plumb.




2. Description of Related Art




A visible laser ray level and/or plumb indicator is always used in construction, architecture or upholstery work to provide a mark on the surface of a construction object to maintain an accurate level and/or plumb.




U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,802 “AutomaticLevel and PlumbTool” discloses that a laser module being able to emit visible light can be disposed in fluid. A spring is connected at the upper side of the laser module to allow the laser module to maintain at a level state in the fluid. The laser module can emit a lever indication ray and plumb indication ray to pass respectively through the fluid to project on other subject. The arrangement to lead the laser ray to pass the fluid could yield refraction phenomena; this may influence the indication accuracy of the level ray and the plumb ray. U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,987 “Laser Level” discloses that a laser module, which is able to emit visible light, is connected with a shaft. The two ends of the shaft are pivoted to the opposite sides of a container. The bottom part of the laser module is disposed in a fluid, which is stored in the container. The laser module can adjust its own level automatically by floating force yielded from the fluid when the container is inclined. But, when the container is inclined along the two ends of the shaft. The laser module has no way to use the floating force of the fluid to adjust level automatically. Moreover, the container without a cover can prevent the fluid from leaking out of the container during transportation.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The main object of the present is to provide a level device, connecting a film at the opening of a container to prevent fluid in the container from leaking out thereof. A shaft is connected to the film, and one end of the shaft is connected to a floating body while another end of the shaft is projected out of the container to connect with a seat body.




Another object of the present invention is to provide a level device, adjusting automatically the level of the seat body installed outside the container by floating body installed in the fluid.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




The present invention can be more fully understood by reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

is an explosive schematic view of a level device according to the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a sectional schematic view of a level device according to the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a sectional schematic view of a level device in use according to the present invention; and





FIG. 4

is a sectional schematic view of a level device used in fixing a floating body according to the present invention;











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Please refer to

FIGS. 1 and 2

. A level device according to the present invention comprises a container


10


, a screw bolt


20


screwed to the outside part of the bottom of the container


10


, a first film


30


connected to the inner part of the bottom of the container


10


, a floating body


40


whose bottom is connected with a pairing weight block


41


and upper end is connected to the bottom


51


of a shaft


50


, a second film


60


passed through by and connected with the shaft


50


, a cover having a hole


71


for the shaft


50


to pass through and to exist a space between the hole


71


and the shaft


50


, a seat body


80


connected at the upper end of the shaft


50


and a laser module


90


engaged in a hole


81


disposed in the seat body


80


. Here, the cover


70


has a bigger-opening-shaped engaging part


711


at the lower part of the hole


71


as

FIG. 2

shows. The upper end of the bottom part


51


of the shaft


50


has an engaging part


511


whose projecting shape is matched with the shape of the engaging part


711


. The circumference of the second film


60


is connected to the opening of the container


10


. The cover


70


is connected to the opening of the container


10


and the outside of the second film


60


.




Please refer to FIG.


3


. When the level device according to the present invention is used, a proper amount of fluid


11


, which is a fluid material such as water or oil or mixture of both, is filled into the container


10


. A proper pairing weight block


41


is chosen to cause the floating body


40


to float on the surface of the fluid


11


after the floating body


40


, the shaft


50


, the seat body


70


and the laser module


90


are connected together. The floating body


40


can adjust itself automatically to allow its center of gravity to be perpendicular to the earth's center so as to maintain the seat body


80


and the laser module


90


horizontally by the floating force of the fluid


11


even if the container


10


is inclined at a certain angle. The connection angle between the second film


60


and the shaft


50


can be adjusted without being torn apart from each other at the connection point of the second film


60


and the shaft


50


because the second film


60


is flexible. The fluid


11


cannot be leaked out of the container


10


by sealing the opening of the container


10


with the second film


60


.




Finally, please refer to FIG.


4


. The screw bolt


20


can be rotate upward to press against the flexible first film


30


to cause the first film


30


to push the pairing weight block


41


upward. Consequently, the floating body


40


and the bottom part of the shaft


50


are moved upward to cause the engaging part


511


of the bottom part


51


to engage with the engaging part


711


of the cover


70


. Therefore, the floating body


40


is fixed in the container


10


and not to be shaken.




The first film


30


and the second film


60


of the present invention can be made from a flexible material such as silicon, rubber or plastic. The container


10


, the floating body


40


, the shaft


50


, the cover


70


, the seat body


80


and etc can be made from a plastic or metal material. The second film


60


is used to connect with the shaft


50


to keep the shaft


50


to be located in the middle of the opening


71


of the cover


70


so as to prevent the fluid


11


from leaking out of the container


10


.




The seat body


80


of the present invention can be connected with a variety of different modules


90


. And, level indication and/or plumb indication laser ray emitted from the laser module


90


is projected on the surface of an object directly instead of passing through a fluid else first. Therefore, the better level and/or plumb accuracy can be obtained.




It is noted that the level device described above is the preferred embodiment of the present invention for the purpose of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits and scope of the invention disclosed. Any modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A fluidtight level device, comprising a container in which a floating body is installed, the upper end of said floating body being connected with a shaft, the upper end of said shaft being passed through a film; said film and said shaft being airtight connected; the circumference of said film being connected to an opening of said container; a seat body being connected to the upper end of said shaft; thereby, said floating body being allowed to float on the surface of a fluid, said seat body being driven to maintain at a level state by said shaft, and said fluid being prevented from leaking after said fluid is filled into said container.
  • 2. The level device according to claim 1, wherein a pairing weight block is connected to the bottom of said floating body.
  • 3. The level device according to claim 1, wherein a cover is connected to the outside of an opening of said container, said container is installed outside said film; said shaft is passed through a hole of said cover; a spacing is existed between said hole and said shaft.
  • 4. The level device according to claim 3, wherein said hole of said cover has a engaging part at the bottom thereof, and another engaging part is disposed at the upper end of the bottom of said shaft to match with said engaging part of said hole.
  • 5. The level device according to claim 4, wherein another film is connected inside the bottom of said container; a screw bolt is screwed to the outside of the bottom of said container; thereby, said screw bolt can be driven to press said another film to move upward, further to driven said floating body and said shaft so as to allow said engaging part to engage with said another engaging part so as to fix said floating body in said container.
  • 6. The level device according to claim 1, wherein a fluid is filled into said container; said floating body floats on the surface of said fluid.
  • 7. The level device according to claim 1, wherein a laser module is connected to said seat body.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Number Name Date Kind
4517749 Scotto May 1985 A
5184406 Swierski Feb 1993 A
5509209 Swierski Apr 1996 A
5619802 Rando et al. Apr 1997 A
5872657 Rando Feb 1999 A
6073354 Rando Jun 2000 A