Optical: systems and elements – Lens – With viewed object or viewed field illumination
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-24
2003-09-16
Mack, Ricky (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Lens
With viewed object or viewed field illumination
C359S822000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06621646
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to table magnifiers used on support surfaces, such as tables, and, more particularly, to an adjustable table magnifier for public use designed to allow users to commonly use it after focusing in accordance with their visual powers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In some countries, reading glasses for public use are provided on a table in a public institution, such as a bank, a library or the civil service consultation center of an administrative agency, for elderly visitors having impaired vision. Typically, such a public institution provides several pairs of reading glasses, classified by the standard visual powers of visitors in their forties, fifties, sixties, and seventies, on a table and allows the visitors to put on appropriate glasses while writing or reading a document on the table.
However, such reading glasses for public use provided in public institutions are problematic in that they are inconvenient to users since they force a user putting on the glasses to take them off prior to choosing the appropriate pair of reading glasses prior to use. In addition, the reading glasses for public use may pass on a contagious eye disease of a user to other users, thus having a hygienic problem and deterring the visitors from using the glasses. Another problem of such reading glasses is that it is necessary for the public institution to provide several pairs of reading glasses classified by the standard visual powers of elderly visitors, thus causing a problem in the management of the fragile glasses.
When a user wearing these glasses writes or reads a document on a table in a public institution, their eyes must be positioned on the table such that the eyes and lenses of glasses are almost vertically positioned on a target area of the document laid on the table. This forces the user standing around the table to lower their head almost at a right angle. When such a head posture is maintained for a lengthy period of time, the eyes and neck of the user are easily fatigued and stressed. Sometimes, the stressed posture of the lowered head may cause a dislocation of the cervical vertebra in case of an elderly person having a weak cervical vertebra.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable table magnifier, which is commonly usable by users having different visual powers and is easily adjustable in the height of its lens.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable table magnifier, which allows a user putting on the glasses to use the magnifier without taking the glasses off.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable table magnifier, which allows a user to only slightly lower the head while writing or reading a document, thus allowing the user to maintain good posture of the head while being not fatigued or stressed at the cervical vertebra.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable table magnifier, which allows an office manager to conveniently manage the magnifier, and which may be firmly installed on a table when necessary, thus being less likely to be broken.
In order to accomplish the above objects, an embodiment of the present invention provides an adjustable table magnifier, comprising a base unit, an adjustable arm unit mounted to the base unit at its lower end and having a telescopic structure to be adjustable in its length, and a lens unit mounted to an upper end of the adjustable arm unit and used for magnifying an object, whereby a focus length of the lens unit is adjustable by controlling the length of the arm unit.
In the table magnifier, the adjustable arm unit comprises a sleeve, an extension tube axially and movably inserted into the sleeve, and a length adjusting unit provided on the extension tube for selectively holding the extension tube to a desired position of the sleeve, whereby the length of the arm unit is adjustable by controlling the projected length of the extension tube from the sleeve using the length adjusting unit.
The length adjusting unit comprises an adjusting ball, and a compression coil spring set in the extension tube so as to normally bias the adjusting ball outward in a radial direction of the extension tube, whereby the adjusting ball is removably seated in one of a plurality of adjusting holes formed along a sidewall of the sleeve.
The above adjustable table magnifier is preferably provided with an adjusting knob, which is removably threaded into the sidewall of the sleeve at a predetermined position so as to hold the extension tube at an adjusted position relative to the sleeve when the knob is tightened.
In accordance with another embodiment of this invention, the adjustable table magnifier comprises a base unit, an adjustable arm unit mounted to the base unit at its lower end and being adjustable in its length, and consisting of a support column mounted to the base unit and having an externally-threaded projection at its upper end, a length adjusting unit axially and rotatably assembled with the externally-threaded projection of the support column and having an externally-threaded bar at its upper end, and an extension column axially and rotatably assembled with the externally-threaded bar of the length adjusting unit, and a lens unit mounted to an upper end of the extension column of the adjustable arm unit, and used for magnifying an object, whereby the extension column of the adjustable arm unit is axially extended or retracted relative to the length adjusting unit by a rotating action of the length adjusting unit, thus adjusting the length of the adjustable arm unit.
The above adjustable table magnifier preferably further comprises a cylindrical guide axially and concentrically mounted to the upper end of the length adjusting unit such that the cylindrical guide surrounds the externally-threaded bar and receives the extension column therein, at least one guide rail axially formed along the internal surface of the cylindrical guide or on the external surface of the extension column, and at least one guide channel axially formed along a remaining one of the two surfaces of the cylindrical guide and the extension column and movably engaged with the guide rail, whereby an axial movement of the extension column in response to a rotating action of the length adjusting unit is stably guided without being tilted.
In the adjustable table magnifier according to the embodiments of this invention, the lens unit comprises a magnifying lens, a lens holder for holding the magnifying lens, and a hinge for rotatably connecting the lens holder to the upper end of the adjustable arm unit.
The lens unit preferably has a fluorescent lamp mounted to at least one edge of the lens holder.
In such a case, a ballast is preferably installed in the base unit, and is connected to the fluorescent lamp through an electric wire extending through the adjustable arm unit.
In accordance with a further embodiment, the base unit has a sufficient area suitable for stably supporting a book or a document thereon, and is inclined at a predetermined angle at its top support wall.
In the above embodiment, the angle of inclination of the top support wall of the base unit is preferably set to 5°~30°.
In accordance with another embodiment of this invention, an adjustable table magnifier comprises a base unit having a sufficient area suitable for stably supporting a book or a document thereon; an adjustable arm unit mounted to said base unit at its lower end and being adjustable in its length; and a lens unit mounted to an upper end of said adjustable arm unit, and used for magnifying an object, whereby said base unit is inclined at an angle of 5°~30°, and a focus length of the lens unit is adjusted by controlling the length of the adjustable arm unit.
In the above embodiment the lens unit preferably comprises a magnifying lens; a lens holder f
Mack Ricky
Webb Ziesenheim & Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
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