Patent Publication Number: US-2007101593-A1

Title: Ultrasonic distance measuring apparatus with a laser-aiming level system

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a distance-measuring device. More particularly, the invention relates to an ultrasonic distance measuring apparatus.  
     DISCUSSION OF THE BACKGROUND ART  
      An ultrasonic or sonic measuring device has been invented to measure the distance between a target and a base of the measuring device for difference purpose. For examples of some of such earlier devices are shown in patents to Sindle, U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,232; Newman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,676; Lau, U.S. Pat. No. 4,675,854; Farmer, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,253; Davudson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,323.  
      A laser-aiming level device has been invented to measure the level and the distance of a target to a base by the laser signals. For examples of some of such earlier devices are shown in patents to Ehbets, U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,531 and Shafer, U.S. Pat. No. 6,459,483.  
     ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION  
      Considering the price and practicability, a laser-aiming level distance measuring device is more expansive and more accurate in the measurement than an ultrasonic distance measuring device. Therefore, a new invention combines an ultrasonic system for measuring and a laser-aiming level system for aiming and leveling to a target object is a practical new invention for which can increase the accurate of the ultrasonic measurement, and convenience for a user to target on an object and reducing the price as comparing with a laser distance measuring system. The new invention can offer to produce a small, easy carried and multi-functional distance measuring apparatus.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus comprises an ultrasonic device for detecting the distance, a laser-aiming device for aiming, a level device for indicating any determined angle and a processing unit for processing data and controlling all said devices.  
      An ultrasonic device transmits and receives the ultrasonic signal through a cone tube which limits the diverging angle of an ultrasonic beam less than 15 degree. A laser-aiming device sends out a laser beam for aiming a target, which beam axis is parallel with an axis of said ultrasonic beam and at least a datum plane set on the base. The laser axis guides to target on an object and a level device indicates a determined angle to the same level of a targeted object. There are two magnets set on the bottom, for which main body can magnetically attach on an iron surface. A processing unit processes the data detected from said ultrasonic device and controls all said devices. By choosing a different functional procedure, a processing unit can calculate a segment length, a sum length of two segments, an area and a volume of a target object or space and output the result to a display device.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a right side view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a projective view of the disassembled apparatus show in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a view of the angle level show in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a bottom view of the apparatus show in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 5  is a side view of the cross-hair lens device show in  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a projective view for showing an ultrasonic beam and a laser-aiming beam aim on a target surface.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      In accordance with the basic layout which can be seen from the  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the ultrasonic distance measuring apparatus with laser-aiming level system includes a main body  10 , a laser-aiming device  20 , a level device  30 , a ultrasonic device  40  and a processing unit  50 .  
      As show in  FIG. 2 , a main body  10  contains a space for a laser-aiming device  20 , a horizontal level  31 , a circle center level  32 , an angle level  33 , an ultrasonic device  40  and a processing unit  50 . A base as a datum plane includes a flat metal  11  with a screw hole  111  in the center for screwing on a stander and two magnets  12  for magnetic attaching on an iron surface. A right side flat surface of the main body  10  sets as a second datum plane to stand stably on a horizontal flat object, like a table or a floor. A battery cover  13  is set on the bottom for covering a battery space  14 .  
      As show in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , a laser-aiming device  20  includes a laser transmiter  21  and a cross-hair lens device  22  with two magnets, which can be turned to attach on a front iron block  151  for a cross-hair laser beam and to attach on a bottom iron block  152  for a spot dot laser beam as show in  FIG. 5 . The laser beam can be chose a cross hair or a spot dot for guiding user to aim on an object or a surface.  
      As show in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3 , a level device  30  includes a horizontal level  31 , a circle center level  32  and an angle level  33 . A horizontal level  31  is a tube spirit level  311  located on a three side viewing space  17  of main body  10  for indicating a horizontal level. A circle center level  32  which is a vial round spirit level set on top of the main body  10  for indicating a vertical of the main body  10  to the ground. An angle level  33 , which is set in the position  18  of main body  10 , comprises a left turntable  331 , a right turntable  332 , a round frame  333 , a tube spirit level  334  in the center and the angle degree  181  around outside of the left turntable  331 , for which indicate a determined angle to a ground level.  
      As show in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  6 , an ultrasonic device  40  comprises a cone tube  41  and a ultrasonic transmitting and receiving speaker  42 . A cone tube  41  is a cone shape tube for guiding the ultrasonic beam transmitted and received through a axis of a cone tube  41  to limit in less 15 degree of a diverging angle. An ultrasonic beam axis  43  is parallel with an axis  43  of the laser-aiming beam  23  and the datum plane.  
      As showing in  FIG. 1 , a processing unit  50  comprises a microprocessor, a laser device controlling circuit, an ultrasonic device controlling circuit, an ultrasonic speaker circuit, a signal detecting circuit, a power circuit, a LCD device controlling circuit and a function key controlling circuit. A microprocessor mainly according preset software to analyze and operate the procedures for initiating the circuits to function a laser-aiming device  21 , an ultrasonic speaker  42 , and a LCD device. A set of function keys  52  includes a power key for turning on/off the power, a detecting key for detecting a distance, a backward key for backward to a previous status, a feet/meter key for swapping the feet unit or the metric unit, a one-segment key for functioning one line segment measuring, a two-segment key for measuring two line segment to get a sum length, an area key for measuring a length and a width to get an area and a volume key for measuring a length, a width and a height to get a volume.