Retractable binoculars attachable to a visor

• US 5,181,139 A
• Filed: 11/04/1991
• Issued: 01/19/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jose A. Benitez
• Original Assignee: Jose A. Benitez
• Inventors: Benitez, Jose A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Henry, Jon W.
• Application Number:
  US07/787,620
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 359/408, 359/409, 359/410, 359/411, 359/412-418, 351/155, 2/199
• US Class Current: 359/408
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 1/247 Means for attaching eyewear arrangements for supporting by headgear G02C3/02
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/18 for binocular arrangements focusing binocular pairs G02B7/06; adjusting pupillary distance of binocular pairs G02B7/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 2/918 Head covering

Abstract

Retractable binoculars, to be used in combination with and attached to a visor, the binoculars being structured and fitted to be positioned between a collapsed, out of the way position on the under side of the visor, or an extended, viewing position wherein an individual may look through the binoculars supportably attached to the visor being worn. The retractable binoculars include a frame member having a pair of large, front, magnifying lenses retractably attached to a distal end thereof, and a pair of smaller, rear, eye-piece lenses attached retractably to a proximate end of the support frame, such that when the front lenses are retracted, the rear lenses are caused to be retracted. Further, the binoculars include various adjustment means for focusing and conforming the binoculars to an individual user, and are removably attached at a mounting bracket to the under side of the visor.

Claims

1. For use in combination with head wear, a binocular assembly adapted to be attached to an underside of a visor of the head wear, said assembly comprising:

a supporting frame member including a proximal end and a distal end, said frame member having a top surface structured and disposed for mating engagement with said underside of said visor;

a pair of objective lenses, including a left objective lens and a right objective lens movably mounted to said distal end of said frame member in spaced, co-planar relation to one another;

a pair of eye-piece lenses, including a left eye-piece lens and a right eye-piece lens movably mounted to said proximal end of said frame member in spaced, co-planar relation to one another,

said left objective lens being in axial alignment with said left eye-piece lens and said right objective lens being in axial alignment with said right eye-piece lens when in an extended, operable position;

linkage means interconnecting said object lenses to said eye-piece lenses for facilitating simultaneous movement thereof between said extended, operable position, and a collapsed, stored position when said assembly is attached to said underside of said visor; and

means for longitudinally and continuously moving said objective lenses relative to said eye-piece lenses using an adjustment means, while said assembly is attached to said underside of said visor, so as to facilitate focusing on an object,

said assembly, when attached to said underside of said visor worn by a user, being structured and disposed to be substantially nonobstructive to the vision of said user when said pair of objective lenses and said pair of eye-piece lenses are in said collapsed, stored position.

2. A binocular assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said pair of eye-piece lenses include congruently interlocking gear portions at a point of hinged attachment of each of a pair of eye-piece brackets to said supporting frame member, such that said pair of eye-piece lenses will correspondingly move closer or further apart with the motion of one of said pair of eye-piece lenses.

3. A binocular assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said pair of eye-piece lenses includes a threaded exterior portion such that one or both of said pair of eye-piece lenses may be moved closer to or further from the eye of the user when in said extended, operable position, thereby providing for individualized focusing.

4. A binocular assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said pair of objective lenses are mounted in generally spaced apart relation to one another in a generally C-shaped frame.

5. A binocular assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein said C-shaped frame is hingedly secured to a sliding bracket, which is a part of said means for longitudinally moving said objective lenses.

6. A binocular assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for longitudinally moving said objective lenses further includes a track formed in said support frame member, wherein said objective lenses may move longitudinally by using said adjustment means.

7. A binocular assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said adjustment means includes a gear mounted in congruently interlocking relation to a notched upper surface of a sliding bracket connected to said objective lenses, thereby causing said sliding bracket to move longitudinally when said gear is turned.

8. A binocular assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said linkage means includes a brace bar attached between means for securing said eye-piece lenses and means for securing said objective lenses, such that upward, collapsing motion of said pair of objective lenses will result in simultaneous upward, collapsing motion of said pair of eye-piece lenses, thereby making said assembly non-obstructive to the vision of said user in said collapsed, stored position.

9. A binocular assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said frame member is attached to said underside of said visor by a hook and loop fastener.

10. A binocular assembly adapted to be attached to an underside of a visor, said assembly comprising:

a supporting member including a proximal portion and a distal portion;

a pair of objective lenses, including a left objective lens and a right objective lens movably mounted to said distal portion of said supporting member in a spaced, substantially co-planar relation to one another, said pair of objective lenses being movably mounted so as to enable positioning of said objective lenses in either an extended, operable position or a collapsed, stored position;

a pair of eye-piece lenses, including a left eye-piece lens and a right eye-piece lens movably mounted to said proximal portion of said supporting member in a spaced, substantially co-planar relation to one another, said pair of eye-piece lenses being movably mounted so as to enable positioning said eye-piece lenses in either an extended, operable position or a collapsed, stored position; and

means for continuously moving said objectives lenses relative to said eye-piece lenses, while said assembly is attached to said underside of said visor, so as to facilitate focusing on an object,

said assembly, when attached to said underside of said visor worn by a user, being structured to be substantially nonobstructive to the vision of said user when said pair of objective lenses and said pair of eye-piece lenses are in said collapsed, stored position.

11. The binocular assembly as recited in claim 10 further comprising a linkage means interconnecting said objective lenses to said eye-piece lenses for facilitating simultaneous movement thereof between said extended, operable position and said collapsed, stored position.

12. The binocular assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said left objective lens is in axial alignment with said left eye-piece lens and said right objective lens is in axial alignment with said right eye-piece lens when in said extended, operable position.

13. The binocular assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said supporting member includes a top surface structured and disposed for mating engagement with an underside of a visor so as to mount the assembly thereto.

14. A binocular assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein said supporting member is attached to the underside of the visor by a hook and a loop fastener.

15. A binocular assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein each is said eye-piece lenses includes a threaded portion such that one or both of said eye-piece lenses may be moved closer to or further from said objective lenses when in said extended, operable position, thereby providing for individualized focusing.

16. A binocular assembly as recited in claim 10 wherein said means for moving said objective lenses includes a track formed in said supporting member, wherein said objective lenses may move longitudinally in said track by using an adjustment means.