Optical system for monitor cameras to be mounted on vehicles

• US 5,648,835 A
• Filed: 04/07/1995
• Issued: 07/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Uzawa, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUCCILLO, NICHOLAS
• Application Number:
  US08/418,456
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 354/75, 354/76, 354/79, 354/80, 354/81, 359/549, 359/362, 359/366
• US Class Current: 396/429
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/101 using cameras with adjustable capturing direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/00 Optical objectives specially designed for the purposes specified below with variable magnification in general G02B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/18 with lenses having one or more non-spherical faces, e.g. for reducing geometrical aberration G02B13/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/08 Periscopes arrangements on floating structures of underwater viewing devices B63C11/49; arrangement of visual watch equipment on submarines B63G8/38

Abstract

An optical system for monitor cameras to be mounted on vehicles comprising a camera body disposed so as to be accommodatable into a support erected on a vehicle, a photographic lens system disposed in the camera body, an image pickup device having a light receiving surface which is disposed at an imaging location of the photographic lens system and directed perpendicularly to a longitudinal direction of the support, and a prism for changing a direction toward a visual field which functions to image a visual field in a horizontal direction onto the light receiving surface of the image pickup device.

Claims

1. A photographic lens system comprising, in order from the object side:

a first lens component having a negative refractive power and a second lens component having a positive refractive power;

wherein said first lens component consists only of a single negative lens element, and said second lens component consists of a negative meniscus lens element and a biconvex lens element disposed in this order or the reverse order, and wherein said photographic lens system satisfies the following conditions (2), (3) and (4);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">ν

.sub.1 >

40 (2)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">ν

.sub.2p -ν

.sub.2n >

10 (3)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">(n.sub.2n -n.sub.2p)×

{2/(|r.sub.2n +|r.sub.2p |)}×

f>

0.48 (4)

wherein the reference symbol ν

₁ represents an Abbe'"'"'s number of the negative lens element of said first lens component, the reference symbols ν

_2p and ν

_2n designate Abbe'"'"'s numbers of the positive lens element and the negative lens element of said second lens component respectively, the reference symbols n_2p and n_2n represent refractive indices of the positive lens element and the negative lens element, respectively, of the second lens component, the reference symbols r_1p and [r_2n denote radii of curvature on surfaces of the positive lens element and the negative lens element respectively of said second lens component which are opposed to each other (a radius of curvature r_1p =[r_2n on a cemented surface in a case where said second lens component is configured as a cemented doublet), and the reference symbol f represents a focal length of said photographic lens system as a whole.

2. An optical system for monitor cameras to be mounted on vehicles according to claim 1 satisfying the following conditions (5) and (6):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">-4<

f.sub.1 /f<

-0.95 (5)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.85<

f.sub.2 /f<

2 (6)

wherein the reference symbols f₁ and f₂ represent focal lengths of said first lens component and said second lens component respectively, and the reference symbol f designates a focal length of said photographic lens system as a whole.

3. A photographic lens system according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said first lens component has an aspherical surface having a negative refractive power which is weakened as portions of said aspherical surface are farther from an optical axis thereof.