Magnifier
First Claim
1. An apparatus for magnifying the appearance of a viewed object, comprising:
- a positive objective lens defining an opto-mechanical axis for the apparatus and having a front focal point located upstream from said positive objective lens;
a negative eye lens located along the opto-mechanical axis downstream from said positive objective lens, said negative eye lens having a first focal point located between said front focal point and said positive objective lens; and
housing means for holding said positive objective lens and said negative eye lens.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus is provided for magnifying the image of distant objects which has the unique feature that, unlike the Galilean telescope, the magnification is largely determined by how far the eye is located from the apparatus. Furthermore, unlike the Loupe, objects to be viewed can be at any arbitrarily large distance from the apparatus. In addition, the apparatus does not require positioning of the eye at the exit pupil of the instrument; it does not require centering of the eye on the optic axis of the instrument; and it does not require refocusing for different object distances. Still, it provides erect, non-inverted images to the viewer. The includes a positive optical element defining an optic axis for the apparatus and having a positive focal length for converging an incoming bundle of rays of electromagnetic radiation. Also included is a negative optical element aligned with the optic axis and separated from said positive optical element by a distance d1, with the negative optical means having a negative focal length that is substantially equal in magnitude to the focal length of the positive optical means and having a focal point on the optic axis. The purpose of the negative optical element is for receiving the incoming bundle of rays of electromagnetic radiation from the positive optical element, and the condition is imposed on the positive and negative optical elements that their focal lengths be greater in magnitude than their separation d1. The apparatus further includes a housing for holding the positive and negative optical elements. Several embodiments are described which have folded optics for viewing objects to the rear which are particularly useful in vehicles.
14 Citations
40 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for magnifying the appearance of a viewed object, comprising:
-
a positive objective lens defining an opto-mechanical axis for the apparatus and having a front focal point located upstream from said positive objective lens; a negative eye lens located along the opto-mechanical axis downstream from said positive objective lens, said negative eye lens having a first focal point located between said front focal point and said positive objective lens; and housing means for holding said positive objective lens and said negative eye lens. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. An apparatus for magnifying the appearance of a viewed object, comprising:
-
positive optical means defining an opto-mechanical axis for the apparatus and having a positive focal length for converging an incoming bundle of rays of electromagnetic radiation; negative optical means along the opto-mechanical axis and separated from said positive optical means by a distance d, said negative optical means having a negative focal length that is substantially equal in magnitude to the focal length of the positive optical means, said negative optical means for receiving said incoming bundle of rays of electromagnetic radiation from said positive optical means; said focal length of said positive optical means being greater than d; and housing means for holding said positive optical means and said negative optical means. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. Apparatus for viewing a magnified image of an object behind a vehicle having a rear-view mirror when said mirror is oriented for the viewer to see said object while facing forward in said vehicle, comprising:
-
optical magnifier means for providing a magnified, erect, virtual image of said object; connection means attached to said optical magnifier means for holding said optical magnifier means in a relationship relative to said rear-view mirror such that said magnified, erect, virtual image appears to the viewer in said rear-view mirror. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. Apparatus for viewing a magnified image of an object behind a vehicle when a viewer is facing forward in said vehicle, comprising:
-
a rear-view mirror attached to the outside of said vehicle and oriented to reflect rays of light recieved from said object; optical magnifier means oriented for receiving said reflected rays from said rear-view mirror and for providing a magnified, erect, virtual image of said object; reflection means for reflecting said magnified, erect, virtual image toward said viewer; and connection means attached to said optical magnifier means for holding said optical magnifier means in a relationship relative to said rear-view mirror so as to receive said reflected rays from said rear-view mirror. - View Dependent Claims (30)
-
-
31. Apparatus for viewing a magnified image of an object behind a viewer, comprising:
-
a rear-view mirror oriented for the viewer to see said object while facing forward; optical magnifier means for providing a magnified, erect, virtual image of said object; connection means attached to said optical magnifier means for holding said optical magnifier means in a relationship relative to said rear-view mirror such that said magnified, erect, virtual image appears to the viewer in said rear-view mirror.
-
-
32. Apparatus for magnifying the appearance of a viewed object, comprising:
-
a positive achromatic doublet lens having an optical axis and a focal length; a negative eye lens located downstream from said doublet lens on said optical axis at a distance less than said focal length; and holding means for holding said doublet and said negative eye lens. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
-
39. A rear view mirror comprising:
-
a positive achromatic doublet lens having an optical axis and a focal length; a negative eye lens located downstream from said positive achromatic doublet lens on said optical axis at a distance less than said focal length; folding means for folding said optical axis at an acute angle at a location between said positive achromatic doublet lens and said negative eye lens; and holding means for holding said positive achromatic doublet lens, said negative eye lens, and said folding means.
-
-
40. An apparatus for magnifying the appearance of a viewed object, comprising:
-
a positive objective lens defining an opto-mechanical axis for the apparatus and having a front focal point located upstream from said positive objective lens; a negative eye lens located along the opto-mechanical axis downstream from said positive objective lens, said negative eye lens having a first focal point located at a point on said opto-mechanical axis that is in a range defined by said front focal point and the back most surface of said objective lens; and housing means for holding said positive objective lens and said negative eye lens.
-
Specification