BINOCULAR VIEWING INSTRUMENT

• US 3,584,931 A
• Filed: 11/04/1968
• Issued: 06/15/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1967
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Doring Uwe
• Original Assignee: Doring Uwe
• Inventors: DORING UWE
• Application Number:
  US04/773,197
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• US Class Current: 359/407
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/00 Telescopes, e.g. binoculars; Periscopes; Instruments for viewing the inside of hollow bodies; Viewfinders; Optical aiming or sighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/12 with means for image conversion or intensification
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/14 Viewfinders for photographic apparatus G03B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters

Abstract

Binocular viewing instrument having two viewing channels including two light entry apertures and two light exit apertures. Arranged near the entry and exit apertures, respectively, are reflecting surfaces which direct beams of light from each respective entry aperture to a corresponding exit aperture. Between the reflecting surfaces are provided an objective lens, a common image converter and/or an image amplifier for both viewing channels having a greater persistence than the human eye, and an ocular lens. The beams of light for both viewing channels are passed through each of these elements. Also, near the light entry and exit apertures are located shutter devices for each viewing channel. The entry and exit shutter devices are coupled to coact with one another and are constructed to alternatingly open one viewing channel and close the other at a frequency greater than the critical flicker frequency of the human eye upon commands received from a control means. By this arrangement, human eyes are provided with a total and stereoscopic image.

Claims

1. A viewing instrument having two viewing channels, comprising, in combination:

a. a body member having two light entry apertures at one end thereof and two light exit apertures at the other end thereof, said light entry and light exit apertures being aligned in pairs, one pair for each of said viewing channels;

b. an image converter common to both said viewing channels positioned between said light entry and light exit apertures;

c. an objective lens located between said image converter and said light entry apertures;

d. an ocular lens located between said image converter and said light exit apertures;

e. entry reflecting surfaces for each of said viewing channels located near and behind said light entry apertures and exit reflecting surfaces for each of said viewing channels located near and in front of said light exit apertures, some of said entry and exit reflecting surfaces being arranged with respect to one of said light entry apertures to deflect a beam of light therefrom via said objective lens, image converter and ocular lens to the light exit aperture aligned with said one light entry aperture, and some of said entry and exit reflecting surfaces being arranged with respect to the other light entry aperture to deflect a beam of light therefrom via said objective lens, image converter and ocular lens to the light exit aperture aligned with Said other light entry aperture;

f. an entry shutter device located near and behind said light entry apertures and an exit shutter device located near and in front of said light exit apertures;

each of said shutter devices being for both of said viewing channels;

said shutter devices being coactingly coupled to one another and arranged to open only one viewing channel at a time; and

g. control means connected to said shutter devices for alternatingly opening one viewing channel and closing the other viewing channel by actuating said shutter devices at such a speed as to provide the human eye with a total and stereoscopic image.

2. Viewing instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said reflecting surfaces are mirrors.

3. Viewing instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said reflecting surfaces are prisms.

4. Viewing instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said shutter devices is in the form of a rotatable disc having an opening, each of said discs covering both of said viewing channels except when said disc is rotated to bring said opening into one of said viewing channels.

5. Viewing instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said shutter devices is in the form of a rocking member which is pivotal around its center axis;

and said control means actuating said rocking member to cause it to pivot around said axis.

6. Viewing instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said shutter devices is in the form of a movable opaque cover member mounted for movement between said two viewing channels.

7. Viewing instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein at least some of said entry reflecting surfaces and at least some of said exit reflecting surfaces, respectively, constitute said exit and entry shutter devices, the reflecting surfaces of each shutter device being rotatably disposed in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the light beam;

and said control means being connected to said reflecting surfaces and having electromagnetic coils, said control means rotating said reflecting surfaces into angular positions with respect to the direction of the light beam.

8. Viewing instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein said control means includes electrical drive means for actuating each shutter device and having an armature formed by said shutter devices.

9. Viewing instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said shutter devices includes Kerr cells, one for each viewing channel, and polarization filters are disposed ahead and behind each Kerr cell with respect to the direction in which light beams travel through said Kerr cells and wherein said control means is electrical and alternatingly opens the Kerr cells of one viewing channel and closes those of the other viewing channel.

10. Viewing instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said shutter devices is formed of an opaque cover member pivotally mounted in a plane perpendicular to the direction of the light beam, and wherein said control means includes drive means having electromagnetic coils.

11. Viewing instrument as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said shutter devices includes an opaque endless strip of material and guide rolls, said endless strip being provided with openings and being mounted for circulation on said guide rolls, said endless strip blocking both of said viewing channels except when said opening enters one of said viewing channels during circulation of said endless strip.

12. A viewing instrument having two viewing channels, comprising, in combination:

a. a body member having two light entry apertures at one end thereof and two light exit apertures at the other end thereof, said light entry and light exit apertures being aligned in pairs, one pair for each of said viewing channels;

b. an image amplifier common to both said viewing channels positioned between said light entry and light exit apertures;

c. an objective lens common to both said viewing channels and located between said image amplifier and said light entry apertures;

d. an ocular lens common to both said viewing channels and located between said image amplifier and said light exit apertures;

e. entry reflecting surfaces for each of said viewing channels located near and behind said light entry apertures and exit reflecting surfaces for each of said viewing channels located near and in front of said light exit apertures, some of said entry and exit reflecting surfaces being arranged with respect to one of said light entry apertures to deflect a beam of light therefrom via said objective lens, image amplifier and ocular lens to the light exit aperture aligned with said one light entry aperture, and some of said entry and exit reflecting surfaces being arranged with respect to the other light entry aperture to deflect a beam of light therefrom via said objective lens, image amplifier and ocular lens to the light exit aperture aligned with said other light entry aperture;

f. an entry shutter device located near and behind said light entry apertures and an exit shutter device located near and in front of said light exit apertures;

each of said shutter devices being for both of said viewing channels;

said shutter devices being coactingly coupled to one another and arranged to open only one viewing channel at a time; and

g. control means connected to said shutter devices for alternatingly opening one viewing channel and closing the other viewing channel by actuating said shutter devices at such a speed as to provide the human eye with a total and stereoscopic image.

13. A viewing instrument having two viewing channels, comprising, in combination:

a. a body member having two light entry apertures at one end thereof and two light exit apertures at the other end thereof, said light entry and light exit apertures being aligned in pairs, one pair for each of said viewing channels;

b. image converter means common to both said viewing channels and positioned between said light entry and light exit apertures;

c. objective lens means located between said image converter and said light entry apertures;

d. ocular lens means located between said image converter and said light exit apertures;

e. entry reflecting surfaces for each of said viewing channels located near and behind said light entry apertures and exit reflecting surfaces for each of said viewing channels located near and in front of said light exit apertures, some of said entry and exit reflecting surfaces being arranged with respect to one of said light entry apertures to deflect a beam of light therefrom via said objective lens means, image modification means and ocular lens means to the light exit aperture aligned with said one light entry aperture, and some of said entry and exit reflecting surfaces being arranged with respect to the other light entry aperture to deflect a beam of light therefrom via said objective lens means, image modification means and ocular lens means to the light exit aperture aligned with said other light entry aperture;

f. an entry shutter device located near and behind said light entry apertures and an exit shutter device located near and in front of said light exit apertures;

each of said shutter devices being for both of said viewing channels;

said shutter devices being coactingly coupled to one another and arranged to open only one viewing channel at a time; and

g. control means connected to said shutter devices for alternatingly opening one viewing channel and closing the other viewing channel by actuating said shutter devices at such a speed as to provide the human eye with a total and stereoscopic image.