Claims
- 1. A line generating device, comprising:
a housing; a light source mounted within the housing; a power supply connected to the light source; a projection lens that receives light and projects the light in the shape of a fan; and at least one reference level on an outside of the housing.
- 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the light source generates a laser beam.
- 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the laser beam has an asymmetric intensity pattern.
- 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a support face that substantially extends along a first planar surface and the fan substantially lies within a second planar surface that intersects the first plane surface at an angle.
- 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the angle is about 90°.
- 6. The device of claim 4, further comprising at least one pivot point on the support face.
- 7. The device of claim 5, wherein the at least one pivot point comprises a retractable pin.
- 8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a lever for pushing and holding the retractable pin into a surface.
- 9. The device of claim 6, wherein the at least one pivot point further comprises an opening in the support face.
- 10. The device of claim 4, wherein the light projects a line in a direction generally parallel to the first planar surface, the line extending in a direction of propagation of the light.
- 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the power supply is a battery mounted within the housing and switchably connected to the light source.
- 12. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one reference level comprises a bubble level.
- 13. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one reference level comprises two bubble levels oriented at right angles to each other.
- 14. The device of claim 1, further comprising an aperture in the housing.
- 15. The device of claim 1, wherein a corner of the lens has a radius of about 0.030 inches to about 0.060 inches.
- 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the corner of the lens has a radius of about 0.047 inches.
- 17. The device of claim 1, wherein the light in the shape of a fan is projectable as a visible line extending at least about 5 lengths of the housing from the housing.
- 18. The device of claim 1, further comprising a collimating optics that receives light from the light source and focuses the light into an ovate shape for the projection lens.
- 19. The device of claim 1, wherein the projection lens is made from glass or plastic.
- 20. A line generating device, comprising:
a housing having a face and a closable aperture; a light source mounted within the housing; a battery switchably connected to the light source; a lens that receives light and projects the light; at least two pivot points on the face of the housing; and at least two bubble levels at right angles to each other on an outside of the housing.
- 21. The device of claim 20, wherein the light source generates a laser beam.
- 22. The device of claim 20, wherein the lens projects the light in the shape of a fan.
- 23. A line generating device, comprising:
a housing; a light source mounted within the housing; a power supply connected to the light source; and a projection lens that receives light and projects the light in a direction of propagation in the shape of an elongated fan that substantially lies within a plane that is oriented at an angle with respect to the direction of propagation.
- 24. The device of claim 23, wherein the angle is about 90°.
- 25. The device of claim 23 wherein the light source comprises a laser.
- 26. The device of claim 23 wherein the direction of propagation is generally parallel to an alignment surface on the housing.
- 27. The device of claim 23 further comprising a collimating optics that receives light from the light source and focuses the light into an ovate shape for the projection lens.
- 28. The device of claim 23, further comprising at least one pivot point on the housing, and at least one reference level on an outside of the housing.
- 29. The device of claim 23, further comprising an aperture in the housing, the aperture providing an exit for the light and a cover switchably connected to the power supply, wherein when the cover moves to a first position the light source is connected to the power supply and the lens cover does not substantially block the exit and when the cover moves to a second positions the light source is not connected to the power supply and the lens cover substantially blocks the exit.
- 30. The device of claim 23, wherein the power supply is a battery.
- 31. The device of claim 28, wherein the at least one reference level comprises at least one bubble level mounted at right angles to any other bubble levels.
- 32. The device of claim 23, further comprising a lever for pushing and holding a pin.
- 33. The device of claim 23, wherein a corner of the projection lens has a radius of about 0.030 inches to about 0.060 inches.
- 34. The device of claim 33 wherein the corner of the projection lens has a radius of about 0.047 inches.
- 35. The device of claim 23, wherein the fan-shaped beam has an asymmetric intensity pattern.
- 36. The device of claim 23, wherein the projection lens is made from glass or plastic.
- 37. A method for projecting a fan-shaped laser light onto a surface, the method comprising:
focusing a light into a fan shape that substantially lies within a plane; and projecting the fan-shaped light in a direction of propagation that is oriented at an angle with respect to the plane.
- 38. The method of claim 37, wherein the direction of propagation is oriented at about 90° with respect to the plane.
- 39. The method of claim 37, wherein the light is substantially monochromatic.
- 40. The method of claim 37, further comprising forming a line on a surface of interest.
- 41. The method of claim 40 further comprising pivoting the fan-shaped light onto the surface of interest.
- 42. The method of claim 37 further comprising orienting and leveling the fan-shaped light.
- 43. A lens for receiving and projecting light, the lens comprising:
an optical material; and at least one corner radiused from about 0.030 to about 0.060 inches; wherein the lens is adapted to receive light and transmit light in a fan-shaped beam.
- 44. The lens of claim 43, wherein the at least one corner is radiused about 0.047 inches.
- 45. The lens of claim 43, wherein the fan-shaped beam has an asymmetrical intensity.
- 46. The lens according to claim 43 wherein the optical material is glass or plastic.
- 47. The lens according to claim 43, wherein the lens is aspherical.
- 48. A lens according to claim 47, wherein the shape of the lens is selected from the group consisting of a prism, a flat rectangle, a flat square and a flat polygon.
- 49. A line generating device, comprising:
a housing; a light source mounted within the housing; and an optical system that receives light and projects the light as a fan-shaped beam that lies substantially within a plane and forms a visible line at an intersection of the beam and a surface of interest.
- 50. The line generating device of claim 49, wherein the light is substantially monochromatic.
- 51. The line generating device of claim 49, wherein the optical system comprises at least one lens that receives light from the source and focuses and projects the light.
- 52. The laser line generating device of claim 49, the housing further comprising a substantially flat face and at least one pivot point comprising a retractable pin on the substantially flat face.
- 53. The laser line generating device of claim 49, further comprising at least one bubble level.
- 54. A line generating device, comprising:
a housing having at least one retractable pin mounted on a substantially flat face of the housing; a light source mounted within the housing; and a power supply connected to the light source.
- 55. The device of claim 54, further comprising at least one lens that receives light from the light source.
- 56. The device of claim 54, further comprising at least one lens that receives light from the light source.
- 57. The line generating device of claim 54, wherein the light source comprises a laser light source.
- 58. The line generating device of claim 56, wherein the at least one lens that receives light from the light source projects the light as a fan-shaped beam.
- 59. The line generating device of claim 54, further comprising at least one reference level on the housing.
- 60. A method of aligning an object with a light beam, the method comprising:
generating light along a direction of propagation so that a line is formed along a first planar surface, wherein the line is interruptible in that should an impediment be positioned on the line, the line will be present on either side of the impediment; and placing an object so that a portion of the object is aligned by the light.
- 61. The method of claim 60, wherein the method generates light in the shape of a fan that lies substantially in a second planar surface that intersects the first planar surface at an angle.
- 62. The method of claim 61, wherein the angle is about 90°.
- 63. The method of claim 60, further comprising focusing the light into a fan-shaped beam offset from the surface by a distance.
CLAIM TO PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 111(b) to the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application 60/291,135, May 15, 2001, of the same title, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60291135 |
May 2001 |
US |