Geometrical instruments – Straight-line light ray type – Alignment device
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-15
2003-04-15
Gutierrez, Diego (Department: 2859)
Geometrical instruments
Straight-line light ray type
Alignment device
C033S291000, C033SDIG002, C359S641000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06546636
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a laser marking apparatus with the emission of laser beam(s) or ray(s) (hereinafter, laser beam) to an objective, and particularly to a laser line beam emitting apparatus, which is directed to a laser marking instrument for the construction industry for measurement of objectives such as walls, ceilings, floor, and etc. of a building under construction, with the emitted beams.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Nowadays, the construction industry uses the laser line emitting apparatus in place of the marking (or ink pad) technique, which carpenters or construction workers measure the objectives by drawing a vertical or horizontal line on respective surfaces with a Chinese ink or chalk.
The apparatus produces a laser line beam (a drawn line) by collimating diffusive semiconductor laser beam through a collimator lens therein, and then generating unidirectional diffusion of the collimated laser beam through a cylinder-shaped rod lens therein. In addition, it performs the horizontal or vertical preservation (a plumb or horizontal line) of the laser line beam by the gimbals mechanism. The gimbals mechanism allows for constantly positioning of a laser beam source unit having united hold of the semiconductor laser, and collimator and rod lenses through its holder. In the gimbals mechanism, its pendulum maintains the constant position of the laser beam source unit disposed therein such that even though the laser line beam emitting apparatus inclines downward or upward, it provides the horizontal or plumb laser line beam.
The construction industry desires possibility of a produced straight line, which is drawn without disconnection to the wide angle that is within an area extending from, for example, one wall to a ceiling, the other wall, and floor, or a produced horizontal line, which is drawn to the wide angle that it is within an area extending between surrounding three or four walls, in the building under construction.
FIGS. 9
or
10
shows examples of the laser line beam emitting apparatus as designed or proposed in accordance with the desire.
FIG. 9
shows, as a conventional example, a laser line emitting beam apparatus with a pair of laser source units
1
and
2
. The laser source units
1
and
2
have collimator lenses
12
and
22
, and rod lenses
13
and
23
, which are held by their holders, respectively. The paired laser source units
1
and
2
are disposed such that respective optical axes have a horizontal arrangement with respective proximal ends opposing to each other. Each of the rod lenses
13
and
23
is disposed perpendicularly with respect to the horizontal optical axis. Thus, the laser beam from respective laser source units
1
and
2
widthwise spreads to each rightward and leftward 90 degrees (360 degrees around the whole apparatus) so that the apparatus provides drawing of a straight horizontal line drawn between objectives ahead of, behind, and opposite sides thereof. It is obvious that rotation through 90 degrees of the laser source units
1
and
2
also allows a drawn vertical line with respect to the horizontal, the vertical line extending between objectives above, below, and opposite sides of the horizontal apparatus.
FIG. 10
shows, as another conventional example, a laser line beam emitting apparatus having a laser beam source unit
3
with a semiconductor laser
31
and a collimator lens
32
, and a conical mirror
34
. According to the apparatus, the direction of the laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser
31
is from down to up. The emitted laser beam from the semiconductor laser
31
, which becomes parallel flux through the collimator lens, goes toward the conical mirror such that the centered flux reaches the vertex of the conical mirror
34
. Hence, the laser flux is reflected from the reflective conical mirror face in the radial direction to 360 degrees angle area. In
FIG. 10
, it is obvious that the vertically directing of the central axes of the conical mirror
34
allows for drawing of a horizontal line on the objectives, while the horizontally directing of the central axes of the conical mirror
34
(the direction of the laser beam is sideward) allows for drawing of a vertical line on objectives.
The conventional apparatus as shown in
FIG. 9
has a problem of that it is expensive because of its requirement of installations of its two laser beam source units. In addition, it requires individual adjustments of angles and further positions of rod lenses of respective laser beam source unit, for provision of a straight line, which will be drawn on objectives therearound. Such the complex adjustment also has a problem of that it adds the expensive cost to the apparatus.
Furthermore, the conventional apparatus as shown in
FIG. 10
also has a problem of which it is expensive because of that high precise production of the conical mirror is difficult and the conical mirror requires reflective material being deposited on the conical surface. In addition, the adjustment of coaxial position of the laser flux center and, conical mirror vertex has great difficulty.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides solution to the foregoing problem of the prior arts. The present invention is directed to provide a method for emitting a precise laser line beam and an apparatus thereof, which is directed to a laser marking instrument which allows for precisely drawing of a horizontal or vertical line to the wide angle area therefrom just to 360 degrees, in spite of a simplified structure thereof as well as reduction in the parts and easier adjustment thereof.
The present invention provides a laser line beam emitting apparatus, which uses a single laser beam source unit. This contributes to decrease in the number of the parts. The laser beam source unit according to the present invention comprises a laser beam source, a collimator lens, and a cylindrical rod lens. The cylindrical rod lens comprises a complete transparent area, and a semitransparent area in part provided thereon as opposed to a laser beam emitted from the laser beam source.
The semitransparent area of the rod lens has the reflection and diffusion of the collimated, emitted laser beam in a first direction, while the complete transparent area has the refraction and diffusion of the rest beam passing thorough the semitransparent area in a second direction.
The desired location of the semitransparent area is at 140 or less degrees angle with respect to the center axis of the rod lens. Because the semitransparent area at over 140 degrees angle causes diffusion of the laser beam by 280 degrees angle with respect to the center axis of the rod lens. Accordingly, this causes overlapping problem of the reflected and refracted beams.
The rod lens may be arranged to vertically or horizontally cross the optical axis of the collimated, emitted laser beam. The vertical arrangement of the rod lens with respect to the optical axis provides emission of the laser line beam to objective ahead of, behind, and opposite sides of the laser line beam emitting apparatus, while the horizontal arrangement of the rod lens with respect to the optical axis provides emission of the laser line beam to objective above, below, and opposite sides of (or ahead of, and behind) the laser beam emitting apparatus.
The laser line beam source unit further comprises a holder for hold of the laser beam source, the collimator lens, and the rod lens. The laser beam source is attached at the trailing end of the holder, and the holder has a cylindrical mirror attached at the approximate medium portion on the side of the leading end thereof. The collimator lens is disposed in the interior cylindrical mirror, and the rod lens is attached at the distal end of the cylindrical mirror.
The cylindrical mirror for lens and the holder of the laser line beam source unit have pairs of opposite slits through which the diffused laser beam from the rod lens may passes, respectively.
The location of the rod lens with respect to the laser line beam is easier than the prior arts. The cy
Guadalupe Yaritza
Gutierrez Diego
Kabaushiki Kaisha Audio-Technica
Welsh & Katz Ltd.
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