Machine element or mechanism – Gearing – Pivotally supported
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-30
2001-02-13
Herrmann, Allan D. (Department: 3682)
Machine element or mechanism
Gearing
Pivotally supported
C074S098000, C074S42100R, C074S60600R, C074S6650GA, C476S067000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186018
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a binocular.
Generally, a binocular includes a mechanism such as a magnifying-power-varying mechanism and an operation knob for manually operating the mechanism. In case of a binocular with the magnifying-power-varying mechanism, two drive rings (for example, cam rings) are provided to left and right lens barrels for moving the lens groups. In order to transmit the rotation of the operation knob to the drive rings, the conventional binocular is provided with a gear train connecting the operation knob and the drive rings.
However, if the binocular further has an interpupillary adjustment mechanism (in which the lens barrels are swung about certain swing axes), the relative rotational position of adjacent gears of the gear train may be changed by the swinging of the lens barrels. If the relative rotational position of the adjacent gears changes, the drive rings are intentionally rotated. Thus, when the interpupillary adjustment is performed, the magnifying-power may be unintentionally varied.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved binocular wherein it is prevented that an interpupillary adjustment causes unintentional changes in magnifying-power-varying mechanism or the like.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a binocular includes two parallel telescope systems, two swingable bodies (swingable about swing axes) respectively accommodating the telescope systems, at least one drive ring provided to at least one of the swingable bodies, an operation knob which is operated to rotate the drive ring, and a transmission unit which transmits the rotation of the operation knob to the drive ring. The transmission unit includes a first rotating body linked to the operation knob and a second rotating body linked to the drive ring. The first and second rotating bodies engage with each other so that the engaging position is located on the swing axis.
With such an arrangement, since the engaging position (of first and second rotating bodies) is located on the swing axis, when the second rotating body is swung about the swing axis along with the swingable body, the second rotating body is not rotated with respect to the first rotating body. Thus, it is prevented that the drive ring is unintentionally rotated by the interpupillay adjustment.
In a particular arrangement, two drive rings are respectively provided to both swingable bodies. In such case, the transmission unit includes two pairs of the first and second rotating bodies. With this, the above described arrangement can be employed to a magnifying-power-varying mechanism. Thus, it is prevented that the magnifying-power is unintentionally varied when the interpupillay adjustment is performed.
Further, the binocular further includes a supporting body which rotatably supports the swingable bodies. In such case, the operation knob is provided on the supporting body, while the second rotating bodies are respectively provided on the two swingable bodies.
In a particular case, first and second gears are used as the first and second rotating bodies. In such case, the above-described engaging position is a contact point on which pitch circles of the first and second gears contact with each other. Further, a gap is provided between engaging gear teeth of the first and second gears. When the swingable body is swung, the second gear is swung within a range of the gap so as to allow the swinging of the swingable body. In another particular case, first and second rollers are used as the first and second rotating bodies. In such case, the above-described engaging position is a contact point on which the first and second rollers contact with each other. The second roller is made of an elastic material, so that the second roller deforms to allow the swinging of the swingable body.
In particular, each telescope system has an object system and an eyepiece system. An eyepiece optical axis of the eyepiece system is parallel but off-centered with an object optical axis of a front-most lens of the object system. The swingable bodies are swingable about the object optical axes.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotation transmitting system including first and second rotating bodies engaging with each other. The second rotating body is swingable about a swing axis which is different from any of rotational axes of the rotating bodies. The engaging position of the first and second rotating bodies is located on the swing axis. In a particular case, first and second gears are used as the first and second rotating bodies. The above-described engaging position is a point on which pitch circles of the first and second rotating bodies contact with each other. The above-described engaging position is a point on which the first and second rollers contact with each other. In another particular case, first and second rollers are used as the first and second rotating bodies. The second roller being made of an elastic material.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3528724 (1970-09-01), Bertin
patent: 4035021 (1977-07-01), Krug
patent: 4231268 (1980-11-01), Osanai
patent: 4253074 (1981-02-01), Tamida
patent: 4396257 (1983-08-01), Nakamura
patent: 4435120 (1984-03-01), Ikeda et al.
patent: 4616907 (1986-10-01), Nakamura
patent: 5071242 (1991-12-01), Yanagisawa
patent: 5583692 (1996-12-01), Funatsu
patent: 56-9711 (1981-01-01), None
patent: 61-31286 (1986-09-01), None
patent: 3-114014 (1991-05-01), None
patent: 5-181070 (1993-07-01), None
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Herrmann Allan D.
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