Optical system

• US 7,382,526 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Linos Photonics GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Linos Photonics GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Blechinger, Fritz
• Primary Examiner(s): Pritchett; Joshua L
• Application Number:
  US11/334,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20060158719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 359355-357, 359/353, 359/354
• US Class Current: 359/359
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/14 for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation G02B13/008, G02B13/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 15/10 by adding a part, e.g. close-up attachment
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/028 with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation

Abstract

An optical system projecting onto an image plane an object that is disposed at infinity by an intermediate image. The optical system includes a front group and a relay optic, each including a plurality of lenses, the intermediate image disposed between the front group and the relay optic. The optical system being configured as the object lying at infinity with at least two switchable and/or zoomable fields of view, the fields of view being imaged into the image plane. The front group including at least three lenses successively disposed towards the image plane. A first one of the lenses including of Ge, at least a second of the lenses including of ZnSe, and at least a third of the lenses including of either MgF2, CaF2 or MgO.

Claims

1. An optical system projecting onto an image plane an object that is disposed at infinity by an intermediate image, said optical system comprising:

a front group and a relay optic, each including a plurality of lenses, said intermediate image disposed between said front group and said relay optic;

said optical system being configured as the object lying at infinity with at least two switchable and/or zoomable fields of view, said fields of view being imaged into said image planet;

said front group including at least three lenses successively disposed towards said image plane;

a first one of said lenses comprising of Ge;

at least a second of said lenses comprising of ZnSe; and

at least a third of said lenses comprising of either MgF2, CaF2 or MgO,

wherein the front group includes a fourth lens, said fourth lens being a meniscus lens disposed adjacent to said third lens and nearer to said image plane.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said meniscus lens consists either of Ge or Si.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a fifth lens and a sixth lens being fixed together and being rotatable together for switching into a second of said fields of view; and

a center of rotation of said fifth and sixth lenses being disposed nearer to said intermediate image than said sixth lens.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said fifth lens is disposed in said front group.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said fifth lens is nearer to said image plane than other lenses in said front group;

and

said sixth lens being disposed in said relay optic farther from said image plane than other lenses in said relay optic.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said fifth and sixth lenses are rotatable by substantially 90°

around a common pivot point.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said optical system for the at least two fields of view is achromatic in a wavelength range of 4 to 8 μ

m.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein a physical diaphragm is disposed between said relay optic and said image plane.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said at least two fields of view are in a ratio of 1.5<

(wide field of view)/(narrow field of view)<

5.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein a numerical aperture on the image side amounts to 0.05<

numerical apertured <

0.15.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein said optical system for said at least two fields of view is achromatic in a wavelength range of 3 to 5 μ

m.