Folding optical device such as binoculars

Details Folding optical device such as binoculars Folding optical device such as binoculars

1998-02-12

2000-02-01

Henry, Jon

Optical: systems and elements

Compound lens system

Telescope

359474, G02B 2318, G02B 2320, G02B 2704

Patent

active

060209976

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to at optical device such as binoculars. In particular, although not exclusively, the invention relates to binoculars of the type commonly known as field glasses or opera glasses to improve vision at sporting events and other public events in which the user is located some distance from the activity being observed. However, the invention is not restricted to binoculars and may be applied to a simple telescope or to other optical devices.


BACKGROUND ART

Several binoculars of the folding type are known and one such type is disclosed in Australian Patent Application No. 35049184. The binoculars are comprised or a front optical element and a rear optical element connected by a resilient structure which, when compressed, changes the focus of the optical elements. The resilient structure includes an upper folded wall extending from the top of the front optical element to the top of the rear optical element and a lower folded wall extending from the bottom of the front optical element to the bottom of the rear optical element. The structure also includes side panels. The entire structure can be folded flat by folding the upper wall onto itself and by folding the lower wall onto itself such that the front optical element is disposed on top of the rear optical element.
The main difficulty in using these binoculars is that they are difficult to hold so as to maintain the front and rear optical elements at a constant spacing. The resulting view for the user is one of ever-changing focus leading to poor vision and eye strain. Further, to fold the binoculars, the various walls and panels must be folded in a particular sequence to arrive at the properly folded configuration. This is tedious. Thus the binoculars produce an unsatisfactory result and are awkward to use.
An advance over the binoculars described above is disclosed in Australian Patent Application No. 72881/87 and similarly in U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,071. A one piece blank having a series of rectangular panels including a front optical panel and a rear optical panel may be assembled to form a foldable binocular. However, these binoculars also suffer from the disadvantage that since they are made up of folded parts, they are inclined to collapse onto themselves, making them difficult to hold and operate. These binoculars also suffer from the disadvantage that they are made up of a number of panels which must be folded in proper sequence about prescribed fold lines to disassemble the binoculars. This is inconvenient.
Moreover, the binoculars disclosed in all of the above-mentioned applications are designed to be constructed from thin semi-rigid material such as cardboard which would have a short life expectancy and not withstand wet conditions. Furthermore, the binoculars in their folded state have an appreciable amount of overlapping of the panels and as such the resulting foldable binoculars could tend to be bulky and not very flat.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved optical device which overcomes or ameliorates the above-mentioned disadvantages.


DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical device including: a front support including a first optical means; a rear support including a second optical means; a spacing means extending between the front support and the rear support; the front support and the rear support having respective mounting edges, and being pivotably mounted to the spacing means at their respective mounting edges, each of the front support and the rear support having a free edge located opposite to the mounting edge, the front support and the rear support being foldable between a storage configuration and an operative configuration in which the first optical means and the second optical means are in substantial alignment.
Preferably, the spacing means will set the front and rear supports at a fixed distance relative to each other when they are in the operative configuration. Thus it is pr

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