Optical: systems and elements – Glare or unwanted light reduction – Barrel end or lens mount shade
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-06
2001-07-03
Nguyen, Thong (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Glare or unwanted light reduction
Barrel end or lens mount shade
C359S402000, C359S405000, C359S600000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254240
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to eyecups for viewing devices, such as periscopes, telescopes, mounted binoculars, eye examination devices, and the like, and is directed more particularly to an eyecup assembly of special utility in conjunction with blinder assemblies, which are part of submarine periscope systems.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Eyecups for use on submarine periscope blinder assemblies traditionally have been provided with a circular rubber flange portion molded onto the rubber eyecup portion thereof. Submarine periscope systems include a “blinder assembly” which serves to prevent the passage of light to one eye of an operator, while permitting light to pass to the other eye through a clear glass or filter, such that the operator views a target with one eye. The blinder assembly has been provided with a groove into which the eyecup flange has been pressed. The groove receives the flange therein and the eyecup is held thereby on the blinder assembly.
Eventually, however, the flange tends to stretch out and become larger than the groove, at which point the flange-in-groove interconnection is no longer effective and the eyecup becomes loose and eventually drops from the blinder assembly.
To solve the problem, mechanical clamps have been used to hold the rubber flange of the eyecup in the groove on the blinder assembly. Such clamps have been effective to varying degrees, depending in large measure on the ingenuity and handiness of the one devising and installing the clamp.
It is also desirable that the eyecup assembly be conformable to the areas of a viewer's face surrounding either one or the other of the viewer's right and left eyes.
Accordingly, there is a need for an eyecup assembly which is adapted for secure attachment to a submarine periscope blinder assembly, which does not fall from the periscope or require make-shift measures to be retained on the blinder assembly and which can be interchangeably mounted to selectively be conformable to either one or the other of the area of the viewer's face surrounding the right eye or the area of the face surrounding the left eye.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is, therefore, to provide an eyecup assembly for a submarine periscope blinder assembly, which eyecup assembly is adapted for consistently secure attachment to the blinder assembly and which can be interchangeably mounted to the blinder assembly in such a way that it is selectively conformable to either of the areas of the viewer's face surrounding the right and left eye.
With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, a feature of the invention is the provision of an eyecup assembly for a submarine periscope blinder assembly. The eyecup assembly comprises an annularly-shaped ring having a multiplicity of holes, which are unthreaded, extending therethrough and adapted to receive screws for securing the eye cup assembly to a like multiplicity of holes which are threaded and arranged in a ring pattern around an eyepiece opening in the blinder assembly, the annularly-shaped ring defining a central viewing opening. The eyecup assembly further comprises an eyecup lateral shell member circumscribing the eyecup chamber and which is fixed to the ring and configured to conform generally to an eye area of a viewer's head, more particularly, the eyecup lateral shell member is composed of one portion which is generally configured to conform to a portion of the facial area of a viewer's eye including the temple and upper cheek, and another portion generally configured to conform to a portion of the facial area including the central forehead and upper nose, with each of the one and another portions bilaterally symmetrical about a horizontal axis of symmetry through the threaded holes. This arrangement enables the eyecup assembly to be interchangeably mounted in a way accommodating either the viewer's right or left eye. Depending on whether the eyecup assembly's central viewing opening is to be in condition permitting light to pass to the eye, or in a condition preventing passage of light to the eye, a rigid annulus, or a rigid opaque plate, respectively, overlies the annularly-shaped ring and has a like multiplicity and pattern of unthreaded holes, such that heads of the screws for securing the eyecup assembly to the blinder assembly engage the rigid annulus or rigid circular plate. The lateral shell member is provided with vent holes.
The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular device embodying the invention is shown by way of illustration only and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4275639 (1981-06-01), Garber
patent: 4533212 (1985-08-01), Shimizu
patent: 5506727 (1996-04-01), Douglas et al.
patent: 20185 (1899-09-01), None
patent: 48171 (1966-05-01), None
patent: 132033 (1919-09-01), None
Maciejewski Wendell C.
Sayegh Riad
Lall Prithvi C.
McGowan Michael J.
Nguyen Thong
Oglo Michael F.
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of
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