Optical: systems and elements – Compound lens system – Telescope
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-03
2003-08-12
Nguyen, Thong (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Compound lens system
Telescope
C359S399000, C359S480000, C359S431000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06606192
ABSTRACT:
The present invention encompasses a helmet-mounted binocular astronomical viewing equipment (
10
) for viewing stars and other astronomical objects appearing in the night sky at an arbitrary angle of inclination in reference to the horizon. The sky area from the horizon to an inclination of about 30 degrees is less suited for observation because of ambient light sources and atmospheric conditions. The point of emphasis is the creation of a band of comfortable viewing angles from about 30 degrees to the zenith attainable by a slight forward and backward tilting of the head. The invention effects the prevention of fatigue and inconvenience by maintaining a normal approximately horizontal head position. The equipment
10
, as seen in
FIG. 1
, comprises a helmet
100
, and a binocular optical assembly
200
, comprising a pair of optical pathways, realized as outer tubes
210
and
220
, mounted on a baseplate
250
and containing inner tubes
212
and
222
with objective lenses
218
and
228
, respectively. The baseplate is attached to helmet
100
via a first hinge assembly
105
. A mirror housing
300
holding mirror
308
is attached to tubes
210
and
220
. Optical assembly
200
also comprises a pair of prism housings
410
and
420
attached to mirror housing
300
and carrying eyepieces
510
and
520
, respectively. Each eyepiece is situated directly in front of a respective one of the eyes of the viewer for conveying images. A counter weight
590
is slidingly attached to lever
580
which is rotationally affixed to the back of helmet
100
by a second hinge assembly
550
. Except for mirror housing
300
the optical components are present in equivalent symmetrical binocular pairs, identified mostly as XYZ (X
10
) and X(Y+1)Z (X
20
), for left and right eyes, respectively, with the description for one side analogously applying to the other side. In the drawings only one side may be detailed.
FIG. 2
illustrates helmet
100
carrying straps
106
for fastening to the head of a viewer. Hinge bracket
111
of first hinge assembly
105
is fastened to the forehead portion of helmet
100
by bolt
125
, and a hinge
562
of second hinge assembly
550
is fastened to the back of helmet
100
by bolt
564
.
FIG. 3
shows a cross-section of hinge
111
of first hinge assembly
105
which is fastened to helmet
100
by bolt
125
fitting into threaded hole
126
. Hinge
111
has first dual brackets
112
,
113
with holes
114
and
115
, respectively, and second dual brackets
116
,
117
with holes
118
and
119
, respectively. Holes is
114
,
115
,
118
and
119
are coaxial for accommodating a bolt
130
with a thread
132
. Hole
119
has a thread
120
for engaging thread
132
. A spacer
254
fits between inner brackets
113
and
116
. Base plate
250
carries third dual brackets
240
and
242
of hinge assembly
105
with elongated slots
241
and
243
, respectively. The fastening of assembly
200
to helmet
100
is accomplished by inserting bracket
240
between first dual brackets
112
and
113
while concurrently inserting bracket
242
between second dual brackets
116
and
117
. Subsequently bolt
130
is pushed through holes
114
,
115
, spacer
254
and hole
118
and thread
132
of bolt
130
is engaged in the thread
120
of hole
119
, thus completing hinge assembly
105
for providing pivoting around its axis and rotational adjustment. When bolt
130
is tightend, each one of dual brackets
240
and
242
is squeezed between its proximate parts of hinge
111
and its proximate part of spacer
254
thus achieving a frictional press fit obstructing the rotation of assembly
200
. The combination of hinge
111
, dual brackets
240
and
242
and bolt
130
with spacer
254
serves to secure optical assembly
200
against sidewise tilting with respect to the symmetry plane of helmet
100
but allowing assembly
200
to be slightly swiveled left and right for a proper lining up with the pupils of the viewer.
FIG. 4
depicts inner tube
212
, coaxial to outer tube
210
and carrying an objective lens
218
which is secured in place by mounting rings
213
and
215
. Inner tube
222
fitting inside outer tube
220
is designed analogously with objective lens
228
and mounting rings
223
and
225
.
FIG. 5
shows a pinion
214
attached to outer tube
210
and a rack
216
attached to inner tube
212
and operated by knob
216
which allows an anal movement of lens
218
, held by inner tube
212
, relative to outer tube
210
which is fastened to mirror housing
300
, to achieve a change in distance from lens
218
to mirror
308
in mirror housing
300
and therefore a change in the length of the light path to facilitate individual focusing for each eye of the viewer. Pinion
214
, rack
216
and knob
217
on tube
210
have a corresponding pinion
224
, rack
226
and knob
227
on tube
220
, respectively. Outer tubes
210
and
220
are fastened to mirror housing
300
.
FIG. 6
shows a cross-section of cylindrical mirror housing
300
which carries a first pair of apertures
310
and
320
to which outer tubes
210
and
220
are fastened, respectively. Mirror housing
300
also carries a second pair of apertures
340
and
350
with threaded tees
342
and
352
serving as “pipe stubs” for the attachment of prism housings
410
and
420
(see FIG.
7
), respectively. The angle between the first pair of apertures
310
,
320
and the second pair of apertures
340
,
350
, referenced to the longitudinal axis of mirror housing
300
, is less than 180 degrees. In the present best mode description this angle is less than 90 degrees, in reality about 60 degrees. Circular side walls
302
and
304
of mirror housing
300
contain perforations with bearings
312
and
314
, respectively, excentric to the axis of mirror housing
300
for holding a rod
315
attached to and parallel to the longer axis of mirror
308
. One side of rod
315
protrudes a small distance to one side (the right side in
FIG. 6
) to accommodate a knurled knob
318
for allowing a viewer to adjust the rotary position of mirror
308
.
FIG. 7
with reference to
FIG. 5
depicts prism housings
410
and
420
which are rotationally adjustably attached to threaded tees
342
and
352
of mirror housing
300
, respectively The following description of prism housing
410
for one eye has its corresponding parts in prism housing
420
, with the middle designation Y of XYZ replaced by X(Y+1)Z for the other eye. Prism housing
410
comprises a front exterior
411
, close to the eye of the viewer, a midsection
419
and a rear exterior
412
, close to mirror housing
300
, which are held together by a plurality of screws. The midsection serves to provide separation between the prisms. Front exterior
411
contains an outlet, with an outlet axis, as cavity
414
for eyepiece
510
, which is held in by screw
415
inserted into threaded hole
416
. Analogously screw
415
′ holds flange
417
in cavity
413
. Rear exterior
412
contains an inlet with an inlet axis, as cavity
413
for flange
417
. Flanges
417
,
427
with threaded collars
418
,
428
engaging threaded tees
342
,
352
provide rotatable connections between of mirror housing
300
and prism housings
410
,
420
, respectively (FIG.
5
). Most importantly, as depicted in
FIG. 8
, housing
410
holds two rectangular prisms
433
and
434
for generating an optical offset. The optical offset and the rotation of prism housings
410
and
420
around tees
342
and
352
of mirror housing
300
allows the adjustment of the distance between eyepieces
510
and
520
to the distance between the pupils of the viewer.
FIG. 8
shows two versions of an optical offset using rectangular prisms. In general terms the proper reflecting surface arrangement for an optical offset requires that light leaving the outlet is parallel, but not coaxial, to the light entering the inlet and propagating in the same direction after reflections on pairs of parallel reflecting surfaces. In the present version light enters and leaves the para
Der Pfordten Hans J. Von
Nguyen Thong
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