Laser-based tool for indicating level, plumb and square

An apparatus for projecting an indication of alignment, comprising:

• a housing;
• a projection unit pendulously suspended in the housing to project linear output beams, the projection unit including:
• two laser diodes configured and arranged to emit two laser beams,
• two collimators configured and arranged to form the two laser beams into a first and a second collimated beam,
• an optical element configured and arranged to convert the first and second collimated beams into a first and a second linear output beam, the first and second linear output beams being projected from the housing in different but generally perpendicularly related directions, whereby said linear output beams can be used to simultaneously indicate level, plumb and square, the optical element including:
• a first and second lens to convert the first and second collimated beams into the first and second linear output beams,
• a mount to mount the first and second lens to the projection unit, the mount including for each lens:
• a member in which a lens can be mounted having openings through which connectors can be positioned, the openings allowing the member to be laterally displaced once the connectors are in position to align the lens such that the output beam is symmetrically projected from the housing,
• a base configured to attach to the member by the connectors, where at least one connector includes a longitudinal adjustment mechanism to adjust the position of the lens such that the output beam is substantially straight, the base being mounted onto a support protruding from the projection unit and rotatable about the support to achieve true vertical in relation to the projection unit for the first lens and true horizontal in relation to the projection unit for the second lens;
• and
• a damper configured and arranged to dampen pendular motion of the projection unit.

An apparatus for projecting an indication of alignment, comprising:

• a housing;
• a projection unit pendulously suspended in the housing to project linear output beams, the projection unit including:
• two laser diodes configured and arranged to emit two laser beams,
• two collimators configured and arranged to form the two laser beams into a first and second collimated beam,
• an optical element configured and arranged to convert the first and second collimated beams into a first and a second linear output beam, the first and second linear output beams being projected from the housing in different but generally perpendicularly related directions, whereby said linear output beams can be used to simultaneously indicate level, plumb and square, the optical element including:
• a first and second lens to convert the first and second collimated beams into the first and second linear output beams,
• a mount to mount the first and second lens to the projection unit, the mount including for each lens:
• a member in which a lens can be mounted having openings through which connectors can be positioned, the openings allowing the plate to be laterally displaced once the connectors are in position to align the lens such that the collimated beam is incident on the center of the lens,
• a base configured to attach to the member by the connectors, where at least one connector includes a longitudinal adjustment mechanism to adjust the position of the lens so that the lens' longitudinal axis is substantially perpendicular to the collimated beam, the base being mounted onto a support protruding from the projection unit and rotatable about the support to achieve true vertical in relation to the projection unit for the first lens and true horizontal in relation to the projection unit for the second lens;
• and
• a damper configured and arranged to dampen pendular motion of the projection unit.

An apparatus for projecting an indication of alignment, comprising:

• a housing;
• a projection unit pendulously suspended in the housing to project output beams to indicate level, plumb and square directions;
• means for damping pendular motion of the projection unit;
• error indicator means for indicating to a user of the apparatus when the housing is inclined such that the accuracy of the level and plumb directions are compromised;
• and
• override means operable by the user for deactivating the error indicator means, whereby said output beams can be used at least to indicate square.

A method for projecting an indication of alignment, the method comprising:

• forming a first alignment beam and a second alignment beam that is substantially perpendicular to the first alignment beam, whereby the first alignment beam indicates level, the second alignment beam indicates plumb, and the first and second alignment beams together indicate square;
• providing an error indicator to indicate to a user of the first and second alignment beams an error in the accuracy of the first and second alignment beams as indicators of level and plumb respectively;
• and
• deactivating the error indicator to override error indication, such that the first and second alignment beams can be used at least to indicate square alignment.

A method of projecting an indication of alignment from a laser-based tool, the method comprising:

• in response to a first user input received from a user interface that interacts with a user of the laser-based tool:
• projecting a first linear output beam that can be used to indicate level, and
• indicating to the user any error in the accuracy of the first linear output beam as an indicator of level when the tool is positioned outside of a predetermined accuracy range;
• in response to a second user input received from the user interface:
• projecting a second linear output beam being substantially perpendicular to the first linear output beam, whereby the second linear output beam can be used to indicate plumb, and
• indicating to the user any error in the accuracy of the second linear output beam as an indicator of plumb when the tool is positioned outside of the predetermined accuracy range;
• in response to a third user input received from the user interface:
• simultaneously projecting the first and the second linear output beams that can be used together to indicate level, plumb and square alignment, and
• indicating to the user any error in the accuracy of the first and second linear output beams as indicators of level and plumb when the tool is positioned outside of the predetermined accuracy range;
• and
• in response to a fourth user input received from the user interface:
• simultaneously projecting the first and the second linear output beams that together can be used at least to indicate square alignment even when the tool is positioned outside of the predetermined accuracy range and overriding an indication to a user of an error in the accuracy of the first and second linear output beams as indicators of level or plumb when the tool is positioned outside of the predetermined accuracy range.