Optical measuring apparatus
First Claim
1. A measuring apparatus for measuring the distance between two locations on a surface without actually contracting the surface at those locations, said measuring apparatus comprising:
- a scope through which one may look to observe the surface, that scope having a distal end which is presented toward the surface to be observed and a proximal end that is located remote from the surface, the scope further having an optical axis and providing a field of view which lies beyond its distal end, the scope displaying reference marks within the field of view;
a source of light;
optical measuring means for projecting light derived from the source of light into the field of view to at least two regions spaced around the optical axis, for within each region presenting the light at localized areas spaced differently from the optical axis, for changing the localized areas at which the light is presented in each region, and for correlating the localized areas with units of linear measure, so that when the light at two localized areas is reflected from the surface within the field of view and the localized areas align with the reference marks, the distance between the two localized areas from which the light is reflected is known.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for measuring the distance between two locations on a surface within a cavity includes a sheath which is inserted into the cavity and a scope which extends through the sheath. Through the scope, one from a remote location may observe the surface as well as reference marks which appear within the field of view on each side of the optical axis. These reference marks are aligned with opposite sides of that which is to be measured on the surface. In addition, the apparatus includes two point sources of light located along opposite sides of the scope with each source being located behind a lens that is presented toward the surface which is observed within the field of view. The lenses project their sources of light into the field of view as rays which come into focus on the surface. Under these conditions it is possible to ascertain the distance between the two regions of the surface at which the reference marks appear; that is the distance between the opposite sides of that which is under observation.
82 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A measuring apparatus for measuring the distance between two locations on a surface without actually contracting the surface at those locations, said measuring apparatus comprising:
- a scope through which one may look to observe the surface, that scope having a distal end which is presented toward the surface to be observed and a proximal end that is located remote from the surface, the scope further having an optical axis and providing a field of view which lies beyond its distal end, the scope displaying reference marks within the field of view;
a source of light;
optical measuring means for projecting light derived from the source of light into the field of view to at least two regions spaced around the optical axis, for within each region presenting the light at localized areas spaced differently from the optical axis, for changing the localized areas at which the light is presented in each region, and for correlating the localized areas with units of linear measure, so that when the light at two localized areas is reflected from the surface within the field of view and the localized areas align with the reference marks, the distance between the two localized areas from which the light is reflected is known. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- a scope through which one may look to observe the surface, that scope having a distal end which is presented toward the surface to be observed and a proximal end that is located remote from the surface, the scope further having an optical axis and providing a field of view which lies beyond its distal end, the scope displaying reference marks within the field of view;
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13. A measuring apparatus for measuring the distance between two locations on a surface without actually contacting the surface at those locations, said apparatus comprising:
- a scope having a distal end where the scope is provided with an objective lens and a proximal end where the scope is provided with an eyepiece which aligns with the objective lens along an optical axis, such that one can observe through the eyepiece that which lies within a field of view located beyond the objective lens, whereby one may observe the surface from a location remote from the surface when the objective lens is presented toward the surface, the scope further displaying spaced apart reference marks within the field of view, there being a reference mark on each side of the optical axis;
a source of light located remote from the distal end of the scope;
a header presented opposite the source of light such that the light is cast upon its, the header having light-receiving points arranged in two groups such that the light cast by the source of light simultaneously illuminates one point in each group;
positioning means for changing the light-receiving points illuminated by light source;
light-emitting points arranged in two groups with one group being on one side of the optical axis and the other group being on the other side of the optical axis, each light-emitting point being connected with a corresponding light-receiving point, such that, when the light-receiving point is illuminated, the corresponding light-emitting point will project light into the field of view, the light that is projected being capable of being observed through the scope as a localized area of light when reflected from a surface in the field of view, the light-emitting points of each group illuminating localized areas that are spaced differently from the optical axis, for each pair of light-receiving points illuminated simultaneously by the light source, one of the corresponding light-emitting points being in one group at the distal end of the scope and the other of the corresponding light-emitting points being in the other group at the distal end of the scope, so that when the positioning means changes the light-receiving points that are illuminated, different light-emitting points project light into the field of view and are capable of illuminating different localized areas in the field of view; and
means for correlating the light-receiving points which are illuminated by the light source with the space between the localized areas that are illuminated in the field of view by the corresponding light-emitting points when such localized areas appear to align with the reference marks;
whereby, the space between two locations on a surface within the field of view may be determined by bringing the reference marks into alignment with the two locations and adjusting the positioning means until it selects light-receiving points which correspond with light-emitting points that illuminate localized areas coinciding with the two locations. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- a scope having a distal end where the scope is provided with an objective lens and a proximal end where the scope is provided with an eyepiece which aligns with the objective lens along an optical axis, such that one can observe through the eyepiece that which lies within a field of view located beyond the objective lens, whereby one may observe the surface from a location remote from the surface when the objective lens is presented toward the surface, the scope further displaying spaced apart reference marks within the field of view, there being a reference mark on each side of the optical axis;
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21. A process for measuring the distance between two locations on a surface that is within a cavity without contacting the surface at those locations, said process comprising:
- inserting a scope into the cavity, with the scope providing a field of view and displaying reference marks on which appear within the field of view on each side of its optical axis;
on each side of the scope projecting light through a lens and into the field of view;
brining the light substantially into focus on a surface within the field of view and aligning the marks within the scope with the region of the surface that is to be measured.
- inserting a scope into the cavity, with the scope providing a field of view and displaying reference marks on which appear within the field of view on each side of its optical axis;
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22. A measuring apparatus for measuring the distance between two locations on a surface without actually contacting the surface at those locations, said measuring apparatus comprising:
- a scope through which one may look to observe the surface, that scope having a distal end which is presented toward the surface to be observed and a proximal end that is located remotely from the surface, the scope further having an optical axis and providing a field of view which lies beyond its distal end, the scope displaying reference marks within the field of view on each side of the optical axis;
a source of light located along each side of the scope;
a lens located in front of each source of light such that each lens projects its source of light into the field of view where the light from the two sources of light will come into focus at a single location on the surface to form a point of light, whereby by correlating the reference marks with the surface it is possible to make measurements generally perpendicular to the optical axis.
- a scope through which one may look to observe the surface, that scope having a distal end which is presented toward the surface to be observed and a proximal end that is located remotely from the surface, the scope further having an optical axis and providing a field of view which lies beyond its distal end, the scope displaying reference marks within the field of view on each side of the optical axis;
Specification