The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 2004
Filed:
Feb. 27, 2002
Gary Goodrich, Union City, CA (US);
Trimble Navigation LLC, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A portable construction layout tool generates laser beams in two or more directions related by a specific angle, such as 90°. The instrument emits two fans of light in such a way as to project a pair of lines on the floor, wall or other surface on which the instrument is mounted or placed, with the intersection of the two being visible rather than being a virtual intersection hidden beneath the instrument itself, enabling easier setup. Compared to rotating-beam instruments, the disclosed device is simpler by avoiding moving parts and provides for better visibility. In a preferred embodiment the non-collimated beam from a laser diode is used, and is passed through a cylinder lens to converge the beam on the narrower axis to generate the desired fan of light to be projected as a line.