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

Claim 19:
20. 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 U shaped 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 multidirectional vial protection assembly comprises a first protective rib disposed proximate to a first of the opposing axial ends of the vial, and a second protective rib disposed proximate to a second of the opposing axial ends of the vial,
wherein the first and second protective ribs each include extension portions that extend in a direction away from the top face and along the front and rear faces of the housing, and
wherein the extension portions extend at least as far along the front face and the rear face as a bottom-most point of the U shaped retention well.