U.S. patent number RE30,665 [Application Number 06/026,686] was granted by the patent office on 1981-07-07 for binocular telescope.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Carl Zeiss-Stiftung. Invention is credited to Erwin Altenheiner, Volker Donn, Joachim Hornschu, Walter Jachan, Artur Jung.
United States Patent |
RE30,665 |
Altenheiner , et
al. |
July 7, 1981 |
Binocular telescope
Abstract
The invention contemplates an improved binocular telescope
construction of the variety wherein a bridge provides articulated
connection of the two telescope systems, so that by folding at
least one of these articulated systems back against a side of the
bridge, the instrument may be compacted when not in use. The
invention is particularly concerned with provision of a single
focusing drive for the focusing optical elements of both telescope
systems, the drive being operative regardless of the extent of
articulated expansion or contraction of the bridge-connected
systems. The invention also features provision of such focusing by
movement of optical elements contained within the overall
telescope-housing length, so that such length does not change in
the course of focusing. Various embodiments are described.
Inventors: |
Altenheiner; Erwin (Hasselborn,
DE), Donn; Volker (Heidenheim, DE),
Hornschu; Joachim (Oberkochen, DE), Jachan;
Walter (Oberkochen, DE), Jung; Artur (Heidenheim,
DE) |
Assignee: |
Carl Zeiss-Stiftung
(Oberkochen, DE)
|
Family
ID: |
5877037 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/026,686 |
Filed: |
April 3, 1979 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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376896 |
Jul 5, 1973 |
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Reissue of: |
620391 |
Oct 7, 1975 |
04080043 |
Mar 21, 1978 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
359/416 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02B
23/18 (20130101); G02B 7/06 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G02B
23/18 (20060101); G02B 23/16 (20060101); G02B
7/06 (20060101); G02B 007/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;350/76,75,77,70,47,46,36 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Henry; Jon W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hopgood, Calimafde, Kalil,
Blaustein & Lieberman
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation of our copending application
Ser. No. 376,896, filed July 5, 1973 (now abandoned).
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A binocular telescope comprising two separate individual
telescope housings with interior movable-lens mounts and elements
for individual telescope systems, a bridge housing between said
telescope housings and having separate spaced parallel hinged
connections to each of the respective telescope housings, said
hinged connections establishing an axially located relation of said
bridge and telescope housings, the hinge axes being parallel to the
telescope axes, each telescope housing and the associated
movable-lens mount including two spaced parallel coacting elongate
guide means so related as to assure (a) optical-axis alignment of
the movable-lens element for all longitudinally adjusted positions
thereof and (b) non-rotation of said movable-lens element with
respect to the associated telescope housing, whereby articulation
of either or both of the respective housings necessarily
articulates the movable-lens elements associated therewith in exact
correspondence regardless of the longitudinally guided positioning
of said movable-lens elements, a bridge element contained within
said bridge housing and extending between the axes of said hinge
connections and including means having longitudinally guided
relation to each of said hinge axes, selectively operable
externally accessible adjustment means carried by said bridge
housing and internally connected to said bridge element for
adjusting the longitudinal position of said bridge element, whereby
said bridge element may be longitudinally displaced regardless of
the pivoted relation of said housings over a range of interocular
adjustment of the spacing of telescope axes, and housing-contained
lens-positioning means connecting each said movable-lens mount to
said bridge element via that one of the hinge-connection axes which
applies to the particular housing whereby there will be
longitudinally coordinated positioning of said bridge element with
respect to the movable-lens mount of each of said telescope
systems.
2. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which the mount
for each movable-lens mount comprises pin means on spaced parallel
axes fixed with respect to the associated housing, one of said pin
means being on the hinge axis for the associated housing.
3. A binocular telescope according to claim 2, in which one of said
pins means is longitudinally movable, and in which for each said
movable-lens mount said lens-positioning means includes one of said
pin means for the applicable movable-lens mount.
4. A binocular telescope according to claim 3, in which for each
movable-lens mount the longitudinally movable one of said pin means
is on the applicable hinge axis.
5. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which one of said
housings has an access opening offset from the optical axis
thereof, said lens-positioning means extending through said
opening.
6. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which each
telescope system comprises an eyepiece non-adjustably mounted in
the associated housing.
7. A binocular telescope according to claim 6, in which each of
said eyepieces includes an invertible flexible eye cup for
spectacle wearers.
8. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which said
selectively operable adjustment means is mounted to said bridge
housing on a rotary axis perpendicular to the plane of said
articulation axes.
9. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which said
selectively operable adjustment means is a rotary drive button,
said bridge element including a laterally extending yoke adjacent
each hinge axis, each said yoke being the means of longitudinally
directed actuating connection to the guided longitudinally movable
means of both said systems.
10. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which each
telescope system comprises spaced objective and eyepiece elements,
said movable-lens mount being intermediate the associated objective
and eye-piece elements.
11. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which spaced
parallel articulation pins connect said bridge housing to said
telescope housings on the respective hinge axes.
12. A binocular telescope according to claim 11, in which said
articulation pins are hollow and in which said lens-positioning
means includes for each movable-lens mount a rod guided by the
associated hollow articulation pin.
13. A binocular telescope according to claim 11, in which said
articulation pins are hollow, and in which a pin carried with each
movable-lens mount is slidably guided in the bore of the associated
hollow articulation pin, and in which for each movable-lens mount
said lens-positioning means includes for each telescope system a
rod guided by the associated housing on an axis parallel to and
offset from both the articulation axis and the telescope axis.
14. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which each of
the telescope housings includes optical elements closing both ends,
said movable-lens mount for each telescope being movable guided
between said ends and therefore within its associated telescope
housing.
15. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which said
selectively operable adjustment means includes a screw-threaded
portion and is rotatably mounted on an axis parallel to the
articulation axes, said means coating between said bridge element
and said movable-lens mounts including means tracking the advance
of said screw-threaded portion upon rotation thereof.
16. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which said
selectively operable adjustment means is mounted to said bridge
element on a rotary axis perpendicular to the plane of said
articulation axes.
17. A binocular telescope according to claim 16, in which said
selectively operable adjustment means includes a cam-and-follower
connection between said bridge housing and said bridge element and
responding to adjusted rotation about the rotary axis of said
adjustment means.
18. A binocular telescope according to claim 16, in which said
selectively operable adjustment means includes a rack and pinion
connection between said bridge housing and said bridge element and
responding to adjusted rotation about said rotary axis.
19. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which for each
movable-lens mount one of said elongate guide means includes a
longitudinal pin on the applicable hinge axis.
20. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which for each
movable-lens mount each of said elongate guide means includes a
longitudinal pin.
21. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which each
telescope system comprises at one end of the telescope an eyepiece
non-adjustably mounted in the associated housing.
22. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which said
selectively operable adjustment means includes an externally
exposed rotary drive button.
23. A binocular telescope according to claim 1, in which said
bridge housing is a casing having an internal cavity extending
between said hinged connections, and in which said bridge element
is contained within the cavity of said bridge housing.
24. A binocular telescope, comprising twin telescope systems each
contained within its own telescope housing, a bridge housing
connecting said telescope housings in spaced parallel relation,
articulation-pin means pivotally establishing the connection of
said telescope housings to said bridge housing on spaced axes
parallel to and offset from the telescope-system axes and offset
from the center of the bridge housing, each telescope system
including an internal axially movable focusing element having an
offset support arm, each offset support arm being also engaged to
the associated articulation-pin means, longitudinally extending
guide-pin means carried by each telescope housing and engaging the
associated offset support arm, whereby for each telescope system
both said pin means cooperate with the associated offset support
arm to totally stabilize optical-axis alignment of the associated
focusing element regardless of the extent of articulation about
said pin means, each telescope system containing longitudinally
shiftable means associated with one of said pin means and in
axially retained engagement with said offset support arm,
longitudinally guided slide means carried by and contained within
said bridge housing and internally connected to impart longitudinal
displacement to both said longitudinally shiftable means, and
externally exposed means for adjustably positioning said slide
means with respect to said bridge.
25. A binocular instrument comprising two separate individual
telescope housings each having a tubular passage with optical
elements on a telescope axis extending through its associated
passage, each housing including two radially offset fixed hinge
arms at the same angular location and in substantial axially spaced
relation, a bridge housing having relatively thin and substantially
flat laterally extending ends, each such bridge housing end being
axially located by and between the fixed arms of a different one of
said housings, first hinge-pin means connecting a first
bridge-housing end to both fixed hinge arms of one telescope
housing and on an axis parallel to the associated telescope axis,
second hinge-pin means connecting the other bridge-housing end to
both fixed hinge arms of the other telescope housing and on an axis
parallel to the associated telescope axis, said bridge housing
retaining both hinge-pin means in spaced parallel relation, a
focusing optical element and a support therefor movably carried by
and within each telescope housing, means including two separate
guides coacting between each focusing-element support and its
associated telescope housing on spaced parallel axes for
longitudinally guided positioning of said focusing element along
the associated telescope axis, an actuating element rigid with each
focusing-element support and accessible for bridge-mounted control
connection substantially on the hinge-connection axis of the
associated telescope housing, and a single bridge-mounted control
mechanism including separate actuators within said bridge housing
at the respective hinge-connection axes and in axial-positioning
engagement with said respective actuating elements. .Iadd. 26. A
binocular telescope comprising two separate individual telescope
housings with interior movable-lens mounts and elements for
individual telescope systems, a bridge housing between said
telescope housings and having separate spaced parallel pins at
connection of said bridge housing to each of the respective
telescope housings, the connection of said bridge to said housings
establishing an axially located relation of said bridge and
telescope housings, the axes of said pins being parallel to the
telescope axes, each telescope housing and the associated
movable-lens mount including two spaced parallel coacting elongate
guide means so related as to assure (a) optical-axis alignment of
the movable-lens element for all longitudinally adjusted positions
thereof, and (b) non-rotation of said movable-lens element with
respect to the associated telescope housing, at least one of said
housings having hinged articulation to said bridge on the axis of
the associated one of said pins, whereby articulation of said one
housing necessarily articulates the movable-lens element associated
therewith in exact correspondence regardless of the longitudinally
guided positioning of the associated movable-lens element, a bridge
element contained within said bridge housing and extending between
the axes of said pins and including means having longitudinally
guided relation to each of said pins, selectively operable
externally accessible adjustment means carried by said bridge
housing and internally connected to said bridge element for
adjusting the longitudinal position of said bridge element, whereby
said bridge element may be longitudinally displaced regardless of
the pivoted relation of said housings over a range of interocular
adjustment of the spacing of telescope axes, and housing-contained
lens-positioning means connecting each of said movable-lens mount
to said bridge element via the associated one of said pins, whereby
there will be longitudinally coordinated positioning of said bridge
element with respect to the movable-lens mount of each of said
telescope systems. .Iaddend.
Description
This invention relates to a binocular telescope with an articulated
connecting bridge between the two individual telescopes, to enable
selective adjustment, for use conditions and for compact
storage.
Binocular telescopes with adjustable use and storage (packing)
features have long been known. They have been devised in order to
comply with the need for small handy pocket-size telescopes which
in their packed condition have minimum space requirements.
Various solutions for the manufacture of a packing condition of
small space requirement have become known. Thus, in German Pat. No.
230,064 a binocular telescope has been disclosed, involving
telescopes which are rotatably connected with a frame-like center
piece such that they can be fitted completely in the frame. In
British Pat. No. 178,415, two individual telescopes are arranged
for pivotal movement about two parallel axes which are disposed in
the plane of a plate which connects the individual telescopes, and
the individual telescopes can be pivoted either together to the
same side of the connecting plate or else individually to the front
and rear side of the plate. Austrian Pat. No. 286,672 discloses a
binocular field glass having a double-articulated connecting bridge
between two individual telescopes, offering the possibility of a
Z-shaped collapse of the field glass within an unusually small
space requirement, while simultaneously having a precise parallel
position of the articulation axes. Also, binocular field glasses
with a single articulated bridge between two individual telescopes,
as shown in Austrian Pat. No. 297,364, have a handy form in their
packed condition, the rotatably supported telescope being
articulated to the bridge which is fixed to the other telescope.
All such telescopic, pivotably, or collapsible binocular
telescopes, however, suffer from the shortcoming that focusing must
be effected individually at each of the eyepieces or at each of the
objectives.
In addition, pivotable binocular telescopes with a drive button for
the common focusing of two individual telescopes are known from
French Pat. No. 450,592 as well as from the U.S. Pat. No.
1,428,478, however, the focusing disclosed in these patents suffers
from the shortcoming that it is connected with a change in the
longitudinal dimension of the telescope. And the disclosed
embodiments of these patents are inherently insufficient with
respect to sealability and are very expensive and complicated
regarding their mechanical design.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved articulated
binocular-telescope construction which avoids shortcomings of prior
devices.
It is a specific object of this invention to provide a binocular
telescope requiring minimum space in its packed condition and
providing common focusing of the two individual telescopes, in such
manner that no change in volume of the telescope is involved by
reason of focusing adjustment.
The invention achieves these objects by providing optical systems
wherein the optical parts used for focusing each telescope are
contained within the respective telescope tubes, being mounted for
coupled axial adjustment by means of an external drive mechanism.
The drive mechanism imparts axial displacement to the mount for
each focusing element, and a longitudinal guide for each focusing
element assures correct optical alignment regardless of the
adjusted condition of the binoculars. In a preferred embodiment,
the axially movable focusing mount includes an offset or control
arm with a boss slidably guided by the pin or shaft by which the
bridge is articulated to the particular telescope tube, and an
elastic cuff or sleeve is used to seal the drive connection to the
mount, where it extends through an opening in the telescope
housing.
In manufacture of the binocular telescope, it is advantageous to
equip the eyepieces by means of invertible eye cups for spectacle
wearers. Thus, correction of a visual defect at the telescope can
be omitted; also, either both eyepieces or both objectives can be
mounted nonadjustably, and for focusing either both objectives or
both eyepieces can be moved together axially by means of a drive
button.
Advantageously, plates of glass or transparent plastic may provide
fixed closure of the housing in front of the objectives, thereby
protecting the objectives without limiting their axial focusing
movement.
Coupled focusing of the two telescopes can be effected via a
central drive, offset to one side of the objective or the eyepiece,
the central drive to each focusing mount including a connection
comprising a member mounted on the associated articulating pin or
shaft.
It is also possible to effect common focusing via a drive button
which is eccentrically mounted on the articulating pin for one
telescope, the focusing drive to the other telescope being by way
of a member mounted on the articulating pin for said other
telescope.
Of course, it is also possible to correct a visual defect of
non-spectacle wearers by adapting an eyepiece or an objective for
an individual adjustment.
This invention further permits the objectives and eyepieces
provided with invertible eye cups to be mounted non-adjustably, all
focusing being accomplished with a focusing lens axially movable
between the eyepiece and the objective.
In another practical embodiment, the articulating pivot axes of the
connecting bridge are designed as hollow shafts and are used to
guide the longitudinally movable bar, while the longitudinally
unmovable bar protects the mounting against rotation.
In a further illustrative embodiment, each of the articulation pins
of the connecting bridge is used as a longitudinally unmovable
guide element, to retain optical-axis alignment of the mounting of
the optical parts used for focusing, while a bar or rod parallel to
the articulation pin is longitudinally movable and is used to
couple the drive element to the particular focusing mount.
In an advantageous embodiment of this invention, common focusing of
the two telescopes is effected via a drive button arranged in the
connecting bridge, the axis of drive-button rotation being parallel
to the articulating axes of the bridge, while axial movement for
the focusing mounts is derived from a screw connected with the
drive button.
In a further advantageous form of the invention common focusing of
the two telescopes is effected via a drive button arranged in the
connecting bridge, the axis of drive-button rotation being
perpendicular to the plane of the articulating axes, while axial
movement of the focusing mounts is derived from drive-button
rotation, via a radially and a longitudinally movable connecting
element.
The connecting elements for transmission of movement can be a gear
and a rack, or also a cam disc and a follower pin.
The advantages obtained by the invention particularly reside in
provision of a collapsible binocular telescope, with minimum space
requirement in a packed condition; the common focusing of the two
paths of rays provides a high degree of comfort and ease of
handling; and a harmonious appearance is achieved for the
telescope, by the central inclusion of the drive button in the
connecting bridge.
The binocular telescope of the invention thus permits construction
of a binocular telescope of high optical capability, while
requiring smallest space, in that the hitherto conventional
individual eyepiece focus is replaced by extremely compact focusing
mechanism whereby the comfort and ease of use may approach that of
much larger binocular telescopes.
A few illustrative embodiments of this invention will now be
described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which:
FIG. 1 is an enlarged longitudinal section through a binocular
telescope with a double-articulated collapsible connecting bridge,
and with central drive focusing of the invention, using hollow
articulating-pin connections and a drive button arranged paraxially
in the connecting bridge;
FIG. 2 is a slightly reduced plan view of the binocular telescope
illustrated in FIG. 1 in an unfolded condition;
FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the binocular telescope of FIG. 2, as
viewed from the objectives end;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the binocular telescope of FIG. 2, in a
collapsed condition;
FIG. 5 is an end elevation, similar to FIG. 3 but for the collapsed
condition of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section through a
binocular telescope with double-articulated collapsible connecting
bridge with hollow articulating pin connections and with a drive
button mounted on an axis perpendicular to the plane of the
articulating axes;
FIG. 7 is a slightly reduced plan view of the binocular telescope
illustrated in FIG. 6, in an unfolded condition;
FIG. 8 is an end elevation of the binocular telescope of FIG. 7,
viewed from the objectives end;
FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view through the bridge of the
telescope of FIG. 6, taken along the line XV--XV;
FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9, being a section through the
bridge of a modified telescope construction in which the
transmission of movement of the drive button is effected via a cam
disc and follower pin;
FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken in the plane XX--XX of FIG.
10;
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through a further
embodiment in which the bridge-articulation pins serve as
stationary guide elements, serving a longitudinally movable guided
element which is moved paraxially by a drive button; and
FIG. 13 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through a still
further embodiment, involving stationary bridge-articulation pins
and a longitudinally movable guided element which is connected with
a longitudinally movable bridge part.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 5, reference numeral 1 designates
the left one of two telescope housings which are of identical
mechanical and optical design as far as to the central drive.
Reference numeral 2a designates a hollow articulation pin, for
connection of the left telescope half to the connecting bridge 3.
The drive button 4 carries a lead screw 32 and is axially located
by end-bearing means 31-33-34; drive motion is picked off by the
threaded engagement of yoke 5 to screw 32 and is transmitted by a
rod 30 to the focusing mounting 6 of each telescope. Rod 30 is
slidably guided by the bore of the hollow articulation pin 2a, and
a separate guide pin 9 serves to maintain optical-axis integrity
for the focusing element 70, regardless of the extent of focusing
adjustment. As shown, rod 30 is secured to the offset of mounting
6, and rod 30 is pivotally connected with the yoke 5. The mounting
6 includes a cylindrical annulus or boss where it surrounds and is
connected to the bar 30; mounting 6 also includes a connecting
offset arm to a conical annular formation by means of which the
focusing lens 70 is positioned in desired axial-offset relation
with eyepiece, objective and other parts of the telescope system.
The eyepiece 13 is shown equipped with a flexible distance cuff 14
for spectacle wearers. The end bearings 33 and 34 are screws used
for positional adjustment of the drive button upon initial
assembly. The bridge 3 is of two-part design, being separate upper
and lower halves (see 3-3a in FIG. 3), connected by the screws
35-36-37-38. Reference numeral 59 designated recesses in the bridge
parts, which enable a friction-free rotation of the hollow
articulation pins when the instrument is being unfolded or
collapsed. Reference numeral 81 (FIG. 2) designates suitable
recesses in the tube housing, for nested reception of exposed parts
of the drive button 4, when the instrument is folded in the
collapsed condition.
FIGS. 6 to 9 illustrate an embodiment of the invention in which the
drive button is arranged such that its axis is perpendicular to the
plane of the articulation axes, e.g., perpendicular to the general
plane of the bridge which connects the two telescope halves, and
parts which correspond to those described in connection with FIG. 1
are given the same reference numerals. The gear 41 is a fixed
component part of the drive button 40 (not visible in FIG. 6) and
is meshed with a rack 42 carried by a focusing yoke 43. When button
40 is rotated, gear 41 moves rack 42 and yoke 43 in a longitudinal
direction. As shown (see FIGS. 6 and 9), yoke 43 is a composite of
two bifurcated halves, secured by bolt 45. The right-hand of these
parts bears the designation 43 and includes fork elements 46
deriving guided positioning support from the right-hand hollow
articulation pin 2a. A guide tongue or rail 50 is an integral
longitudinally extending inward formation on the upper bridge half
3 and extends into longitudinally stabilizing guided relation with
a corresponding groove or channel 50' in the yoke member 43. The
other yoke half is the rack portion 43, with similar fork elements
44 deriving guided positioning support from the left-hand hollow
articulation pin 2a. Longitudinal, rack-driven yoke displacement is
conveyed to the respective rods 30 by means of bolts 47 which
engage opposite adjacent faces of each of the bifurcations, there
being a suitable locally milled slot 48 in each of the hollow pins
2a, to permit the necessary travel of bolts, in the course of
focusing adjustment. To complete the description, numeral 49
designates a ring having threaded engagement to the drive button
40, to retain the same rotatably assembled to the bridge part 3;
and reference numeral 51 designates a serration provided on the
drive button 49, for better finger engagement upon focusing.
In the embodiment of FIG. 10, a follower pin 62 is fixedly carried
by a connecting yoke 43, having tongue-and-groove longitudinally
guided relation at 50--50 with the lower bridge half 3a. A
spiral-cam disc 60 is connected with the drive button 40. The cam
profile is a recess 61 of width to locate the pin 62. Upon rotation
of button 40 (and, hence, disc 60), pin 62 tracks the cam advance,
to drive yoke 43 in longitudinal focusing displacements, the motion
being imparted to rods 30 and to the focusing optical elements by
means as described for FIGS. 6 to 9.
The variation of the inventive idea in FIG. 12 illustrates the
possibility of transmitting focusing displacements longitudinally
via a rod 90 which is longitudinally guided in the telescope
housing 1, being secured at one end to the focusing mounting 7 and
at the other end to an offset actuating arm 68, having stabilizing
engagement with the adjacent articulation pin 2. Within the
connecting bridge 3-3a, the yoke member 65 is longitudinally guided
and is adjustably positioned, by rotary adjustment of the threaded
end of drive button 4; forked ends of yoke 65 engage the respective
arms 68 so that they may track longitudinal adjustments while also
permitting bridge-to-telescope articulation.
FIG. 13 is similar to FIG. 12 but illustrates that it is also
possible to develop the focusing movement by directly
longitudinally moving the sliding yoke 65 and connected parts 68,
90, 6, it being understood that in such case a finger engageable
portion of yoke 65 is exposed externally of one half, e.g., the
half 3a, of the bridge.
* * * * *