Optical: systems and elements – Lens – With support
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-16
2001-01-30
Spyrou, Cassandra (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Lens
With support
C359S808000, C250S353000, C340S567000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181489
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a wall mounted motion detection system and, more particularly, is concerned with a combination lens and window housing assembly for a motion detection system and a combination lens and window retainer employed therein for supporting both an optical lens and an optical window in a desired arrangement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A passive infrared motion detection system detects heat energy radiated or emitted by an object, such as a body of a person, moving across a field of view of a heat sensor, such as a pyroelectric detector, of the motion detection system. The motion detection system must be capable of distinguishing between background temperature and a temperature of the moving object which is different from that of the background. Thus, the detection system has an electrical circuit operatively coupled to the heat sensor for producing a detection signal in response to the heat sensor detecting a change of temperature as, for example, caused by the body heat of a person entering the detection pattern.
The sensitive area of the heat sensor is too small to detect a significant amount of heat energy radiated from a human body by using the heat sensor alone. Thus, the detection system typically employs a lens made up of an array of Fresnel lens segments in a configuration for collecting and focusing a significantly greater amount of heat energy on the heat sensor than would be received using the heat sensor alone. A Fresnel lens segment is most efficient when it is flat. However, typically a lens array of Fresnel lens segments must be provided in a curved configuration in order to collect and focus the desired amount of heat energy on the heat sensor from a wide angle detection pattern. Thus, the lens array of Fresnel lens segments approximate this flatness by being provided as close-to-flat vertical segments arranged in a contiguous side-by-side relationship along a curve of constant radius.
One particular motion detection system is a low profile wide field of view optical system that employs an optical window in front of the Fresnel optical lens. The optical window has a relatively large flat main portion with opposite curved end portions. The Fresnel optical lens has the aforementioned curved configuration. A need exists for a structure to mount and enclose both the optical window lens and Fresnel optical lens in the desired arrangement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a combination lens and window retainer and housing assembly designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The combination lens and window retainer of the present invention employed in the housing assembly is a single unitary structure. The structure defines interior and exterior seats. The interior seat is adapted to retain and support an inner optical lens about peripheral edges of the inner optical lens and without obstructing the field of view of the inner optical lens. The exterior seat is located forwardly and outwardly of the interior seat and adapted to retain and support an outer optical window about peripheral edges of the outer optical window and without obstructing the field of view of the outer optical window. The outer optical window is supported in a desired position forwardly and outwardly of the inner optical lens such that the outer optical window extends across the field of view of the inner optical lens.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a combination lens and window retainer for a motion detection system. The combination lens and window retainer comprises: (a) a middle body structure having opposite lateral sides, interior portions and exterior portions; (b) a pair of side wing structures attached to and extending in opposite directions from the opposite lateral sides of the middle body structure, each of the side wing structures having exterior portions; (c) an inner seat defined on the interior portions of the middle body structure for receiving and supporting an inner optical lens, the middle body structure and side wing structures together defining an opening aligned with the inner optical lens and providing an unobstructed forward panoramic field of view through the retainer; and (d) an outer seat defined forwardly of the inner seat on the exterior portions of the middle body structure and of the side wing structures for receiving and supporting an outer optical window in an overlying relationship to the opening of the middle body structure and side wing structures.
More particularly, the middle body structure has a configuration which substantially conforms to the configuration of the inner optical lens. The middle body structure also has a pair of opposite end walls. The interior portions of the middle body structure include a pair of opposite interior surfaces each on one of the opposite end walls of the middle body structure, a pair of opposite side ledges each formed on one of the opposite lateral sides of the middle body structure and extending between the opposite end walls and toward the other of the opposite lateral sides thereof, and a pair of opposite end ledges each formed on one of the opposite end walls at a forward peripheral edge thereof and extending toward the other of the opposite end walls. The inner seat is formed by the opposite side ledges, opposite end wall interior surfaces and opposite end ledges of the interior portions of the middle body structure. Each of the opposite side ledges of the interior portions forming the inner seat has a substantially straight configuration adapted to receive and support one of a pair of substantially straight side edges of the inner optical lens. Each of the opposite end ledges of the interior portions forming the inner seat has a substantially curved configuration and, in combination with an adjacent one of the opposite end wall interior surfaces of the interior portions forming the inner seat, is adapted to receive and support one of a pair of substantially curved end edges of the inner optical lens.
The exterior portions of the middle body structure include a pair of exterior flat surfaces each formed along a peripheral edge of a respective one of the opposite end walls. Each of the side wing structures has a pair of opposite end rims and a lateral side rim extending between and connected to the opposite end rims and spaced away from a respective one of the opposite lateral sides of the middle body structure. The exterior portions of each of the side wing structures include a pair of exterior flat surfaces each formed along one of the opposite end rims and disposed in the same plane as the flat surfaces of the exterior portions formed along the peripheral edges of the opposite end walls of the middle body structure, a pair of opposite exterior curved surfaces each formed along one of the opposite end rims and extending from the exterior flat surfaces on the opposite end rims, and an exterior straight surface formed along the lateral side rim and extending between the opposite exterior curved surfaces. The outer seat is formed by the exterior flat surfaces of the exterior portions of the middle body structure and of the side wing structures and by the exterior curved and straight surfaces of the exterior portions of the side wing structures.
Also, the middle body structure and side wing structures define a plurality of apertures through the opposite end wall peripheral edges of the middle body structure and the opposite end rims of the side wing structures on opposite sides of the opening therethrough. Each of the apertures and aligned holes are for receiving one of a plurality of couplers therethrough for coupling the outer optical window lens to the middle body structure and side wing structures. Each opposite lateral side of the middle body structure has a pair of spaced apart protrusions formed thereon rearwardly of the inner seat for contacting a support substrate and spacing the middle body structure away therefrom.
The present invention is also directed to a combination lens an
Baldwin John R.
Carbone Chris A.
'Hubbell Incorporated
Presson Jerry M.
Spyrou Cassandra
Swartz Michael R.
Treas Jared
LandOfFree
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