Range finder

• US 8,477,290 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Vision Co., Ltd. (Nikon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nikon Vision Co., Ltd. (Nikon Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): RATCLIFFE, LUKE D
• Application Number:
  US12/813,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20100321669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 356 301- 315, 356 401- 41, 356 501- 515, 356 6- 22, 356/28, 356/28.5
• US Class Current: 356/4.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/002 Active optical surveying means optical plumbing G01C15/105
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/06 Use of electric means to obtain final indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4812 transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path

Abstract

A laser range finder 100 includes: a light source 10 emitting light from a linear light-emitting portion 10a with making a divergent angle of the light larger in a transversal direction of the light-emitting portion 10a than in a longitudinal direction thereof; an objective lens 30 projecting the light onto a target object and converging reflection light; a partial reflection member 20 disposed between the light source and the objective lens and having a partial reflection surface 21 composed of a transmitting area 21a transmitting light emitted from the light source and receiving areas 21b reflecting reflection light; and a photodetector 40 detecting the reflection light reflected by the receiving areas; wherein the light source and the partial reflection member are disposed with making the longitudinal direction of the light-emitting portion 10a disposed substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the transmitting area 21a as seen along an optical axis.

Claims

1. A distance measuring apparatus comprising:

a light source that emits light from a light-emitting portion by making a divergent angle of the light larger in a transversal direction of the light-emitting portion than in a longitudinal direction of the light-emitting portion, the light-emitting portion having a linear shape;

an objective lens that projects the light onto a target object and converges reflection light reflected from the target object;

a partial reflection member that is disposed between the light source and the objective lens and has a partial reflection surface composed of a transmitting area transmitting light emitted from the light source and a receiving area reflecting reflection light reflected from the target object and converged by the objective lens; and

a photodetector that detects the reflection light reflected by the receiving area of the partial reflection surface;

wherein the light source and the partial reflection member are disposed with respect to each other such that the longitudinal direction of the light-emitting portion is disposed substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the transmitting area as seen along an optical axis.

2. The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wavelength separation member having a wavelength separation surface that is disposed between the objective lens and the partial reflection member, transmits the light, and reflects visible light; and

an eyepiece that is for observing a primary image of the target object formed by means of the objective lens with the visible light reflected by the wavelength separation surface.

3. The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the objective lens is moved in a direction having a component perpendicular to the optical axis.

4. The distance measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the objective lens is moved along the optical axis upon focusing.