Apparatus for producing a reference plane
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for projecting a reference plane. The invention features emitting a light beam, splitting the light bean into two or more resulting beams, and converting the resulting beams into respective projected lines. The projected lines can be used to indicate a reference plane that substantially spans greater than 90 degrees from a reference point. The invention also features at least two lasers configured and arranged to emit a laser beam. An optical element corresponds to each laser to convert each laser beam into an output line that are projected to form only a single reference plane.
1. An apparatus to project a reference plane comprising:
a housing; and
a projection unit within the housing, the projection unit including:
five lasers each configured and arranged to emit a light beam;
a collimator corresponding to each of the lasers to collided each light beam;
an optical element corresponding to each of the lasers to convert each collimated light beam into an output line, the output lines being projected from the housing in different, substantially constant directions along the same plane to only form a single 360 degree reference plane; and
a mounting device corresponding to each of the optical elements to mount the optical element to the projection unit, each mounting device operable to position the optical element to produce a substantially straight output line, each mounting device including;
a plate onto which the optical element is mounted, the plate having at least one slotted opening for laterally displacing the optical element such that a corresponding collimated light beam is incident substantially on a center of the optical element.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each mounting device further includes a spring positioned next to the plate, the spring permitting the plate to be adjusted so that a corresponding collimated beam is substantially perpendicularly incident on a surface of the optical element.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each mounting device is further operable to be positioned relative to the projection unit to achieve substantially true vertical orientation of the mounting device relative to the projection unit.