Laser plane generator having self-calibrating levelling system
US5689330A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 3, 1995 |
| Grant date | Nov 18, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 3, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01C15/004
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A self-levelling laser generator apparatus (10) includes a housing (12), a light source in the housing which produces a beam of collimated light, and a self-levelling mechanism (18). The self-levelling mechanism includes an electronically controllable signal source, such as a digital potentiometer (46), which is provided a command (44a-44c) from a programmed computer (38) to produce a controllable output (48). The output of (48) the digital potentiometer is summed by a summing circuit (34) with the output (28) of an inclination sensor (24) in order to produce a compensated inclination signal (36) which is provided as an input to computer 38. The computer additionally receives a calibration input (20, 21) indicative of deviation between the inclination of the laser beam and a predetermined grade. The computer produces a drive signal (50a, 50b) for the self-levelling mechanism (52, 54) that is a function of the compensation inclination signal. The output (44a-44c) supplied by computer 38 to the digitally controllable signal source (46) is a function of the tilt of the inclinometer and calibration numbers entered through calibration inputs (20, 21).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.