Patent Publication Number: US-10767985-B1

Title: Conduit laser alignment assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to alignment devices and more particularly pertains to a new alignment device for visually displaying the route of proposed conduit. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to alignment devices. The prior art discloses a variety of laser alignment devices for visually displaying an alignment axis. The prior art discloses a stand that is positioned adjacent to a pipe for supporting a laser emitter that shines a beam of light through the pipe for leveling the pipe. The prior art additionally discloses a laser emitter that is insertable in a pipe cap that is positionable over an end of a pipe. The pipe cap includes a nipple that insertably receives the laser emitter. The prior art further discloses a fitting that threadably engages an interior surface of a pipe. The fitting insertably receives a laser emitter. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a plurality of tubes that each has a unique diameter with respect to each other. A respective one of the tubes is positionable on an exposed end of an existing conduit in a building that has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the respective tube. A laser emitter is removably coupled to the respective tube when the respective tube is positioned on the exposed end of the conduit. In this way the laser emitter can emit a beam of light that extends along a longitudinal axis of the existing conduit thereby facilitating the route of a new conduit to be displayed. An adapter disk is provided for coupling the laser emitter to a tube that has a greater diameter than the laser emitter. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a laser emitter of a conduit laser alignment assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded phantom view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded phantom view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing an adapter disk being inserted into a tube. 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4  of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, a new alignment device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the conduit laser alignment assembly  10  generally comprises a plurality of tubes  12  that each has a unique diameter with respect to each other. Each of the tubes  12  may have a length ranging between approximately 3.0 inches and 5.0 inches. Additionally, the plurality of tubes  12  may have diameters ranging between approximately 0.75 inches and 2.5 inches. In this way the plurality of tubes  12  can fit around common sizes of conduits employed in building construction, including electrical conduits and plumbing conduits. Additionally, a respective one of the tubes  12  is positionable on an exposed end  15  of an existing conduit  14  in a building that has a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the respective tube  12 . 
     Each of the tubes  12  has a first end  16 , a second end  18  and an outer wall  20  extending therebetween. The outer wall  20  of each of the tubes  12  has an inside surface  22  and the inside surface  22  of the outer wall  20  of each of the tubes  12  is threaded. The first end  16  of the respective tube  12  insertably receives the exposed end  15  of the conduit  14 . The respective tube  12  is chosen based on the diameter of the conduit  14  on which the respective tube  12  is to be mounted. 
     A laser emitter  24  is provided and the laser emitter  24  is removably coupled to the respective tube  12  when the respective tube  12  is positioned on the exposed end  15  of the conduit  14 . In this way the laser emitter  24  emits a beam of light that extends along a longitudinal axis of the existing conduit  14  thereby facilitating the route of a new conduit to be displayed. The beam of light facilitates an installer to determine if the new conduit will encounter an obstruction along the route. In this way the installer can chose a different route or the installer can may the necessary modifications to route the new conduit around the obstruction. 
     The laser emitter  24  has a diameter that corresponds to the diameter of a respective one of the tubes  12 . The laser emitter  24  has a primary end  26 , a secondary end  28  and an outer surface  30  extending therebetween. The laser emitter  24  is elongated between the primary end  26  and the secondary end  28 , and the outer surface  30  is threaded adjacent to the primary end  26 . The secondary end  28  has a light emitter  32  positioned thereon for emitting the beam of light. The light emitter  32  may comprise a class III laser diode with an output ranging between 1.0 mW and 5.0 mW. The outer surface  30  of the laser emitter  24  threadably engages the inside surface  22  of the respective tube  12  that has the diameter which corresponds to the diameter of the laser emitter  24  when the respective tube  12  is positioned on the exposed end  15  of the existing conduit  14 . In this way the laser emitter  24  can be coupled to the existing conduit  14  having the laser emitter  24  extending along a longitudinal axis of the existing conduit  14 . The laser emitter  24  may have a diameter of approximately 0.75 inches. 
     A plurality of adapter disks  34  is provided and a respective one of the adapter disks  34  is positionable in a respective one of the tubes  12  that has a diameter which is greater than the diameter of the laser emitter  24 . The laser emitter  24  is removably coupled to the respective adapter disk  34  when the respective adapter disk  34  is positioned on the respective tube  12 . In this way the laser emitter  24  can be coupled to a tube  12  that has a greater diameter than the laser emitter  24 . 
     Each of the adapter disks  34  has a first surface  36 , a second surface  38  and a perimeter surface  40  extending therebetween, and the perimeter surface  40  of each adapter disk  34  is threaded. Each of the adapter disks  34  has an aperture  42  extending through the first surface  36  and the second surface  38 . The aperture  42  is centrally positioned on the adapter disks  34 . The aperture  42  has a bounding surface  44  and the bounding surface  44  is threaded. The perimeter surface  40  of the respective adapter disk  34  threadably engages the inside surface  22  of the respective tube  12  that has the greater diameter than the laser emitter  24 . The outer surface  30  of the laser emitter  24  threadably engages the bounding surface  44  of the aperture  42  to retain the laser emitter  24  on the respective adapter disk  34 . 
     In use, the respective tube  12  is positioned on the existing conduit  14  and the laser emitter  24  is threaded into the second end  18  of the respective tube  12 . In this way the laser emitter  24  can emit the beam of light to indicate the route of new conduit to be installed on the existing conduit  14 . Thus, the installer can make decisions for routing the new conduit to avoid obstructions and other problems that might be encountered when installing new conduit. The appropriate adapter disk  34  is chosen to couple the laser emitter  24  to a tube  12  that has a greater diameter than the laser emitter  24 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.