Patent ID: 11898877
Assignee: APEX BRANDS, INC.
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A level device comprising:
a housing having a top face, a bottom face, a front face, a rear face, a first end and a second end;
a vial comprising a generally cylindrical tube with a bulge formed at a middle portion thereof, the vial containing a liquid therein and an air bubble formed in the liquid such that the air bubble sits in the bulge when the vial is oriented such that one of the bottom face, front face, rear face, first end or second end is level or plumb;
a retention well formed in the top face and extending through portions of the front and the rear faces toward the bottom face, the vial being retained at opposing axial ends thereof in the retention well defining an axis that extends substantially perpendicular to respective planes of the first end and the second end; and
a multidirectional vial protection assembly configured to extend over the top face proximate to the opposing axial ends of the vial to protect the vial in at least three directions,
wherein the retention well bisects the top face and forms a U shaped channel extending from the top face toward the bottom face, and
wherein the vial is exposed on three lateral sides thereof, and on a fourth lateral side the vial faces and is spaced apart from a curved surface of the U shaped channel.