Magnifier having slideably mounted camera
View Patent ↗A magnifier for use by people with low vision includes a large LCD display upon which an enlarged image appears. Light from an LED is directed in a first direction onto a deflection wall where it is deflected into a direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction. The deflected light impinges upon a diffuser that bends it so that it illuminates an object upon which the magnifier is placed. The light is then reflected by the object, through the diffuser, and onto a mirror positioned at an angle relative to the object. The mirror directs the light onto a camera lens and the lens focuses the light onto a sensor that drives the LCD display so that the image appears on the LCD screen. The camera is slideably mounted so the user can make the image larger or smaller by sliding the camera toward or away from the mirror, respectively.
1. A magnifier for use by people with low vision, comprising:
a hollow housing;
said hollow housing including a top wall having an opening formed therein;
an LCD display mounted in said opening;
said hollow housing including a transparent bottom wall;
a plurality of sidewalls interconnecting said top wall and said bottom wall;
said transparent bottom wall adapted to rest atop an object to be magnified and to be slideably moved with respect to said object with a low friction interface between said transparent bottom wall and said object;
a light source adapted to emit light;
a light guide that guides light emitted by said light source;
a diffuser mounted in parallel relation to said object;
said diffuser being a fixed distance from said object;
said light guide adapted to guide light from said light source into a horizontal path of travel where said light travels substantially parallel to a rough top surface of said diffuser until said light is bent by and passes through said diffuser a first time in a first downward direction so that said light is adapted to impinge upon said object;
a mirror mounted at a predetermined angle in spaced relation to said object so that light reflected from said object travels through said diffuser a second time in an upward direction opposite to said first downward direction after reflecting from said object and impinges upon said mirror;
a camera lens mounted in light-capturing relation to light reflected by said mirror;
a sensor for receiving light that is captured by said camera lens;
said sensor being in electrical communication with said LCD display so that images focused onto said sensor by said camera lens are displayed on said LCD display, said images being substantially larger than the images on said object.
2. The magnifier of claim 1 , further comprising:
said camera lens being slideably mounted with respect to said mirror so that said camera lens can be positioned in close proximity to said mirror or away from said mirror, or any position therebetween so that the amount of magnification is controlled by the position of the camera.
3. The magnifier of claim 2 , further comprising:
a slide actuator mounted in sliding relation to said housing;
said slide actuator having an internal part connected to said camera lens;
said slide actuator having an external part positioned external to said housing so that a user may control the position of said camera lens by sliding said external part of said slide actuator with respect to said housing;
a slot formed in said housing; and
said internal part of said slide actuator being connected to said external part of said slide actuator through said slot.
4. The magnifier of claim 1 , further comprising:
said light guide having a transparent construction.
5. The magnifier of claim 4 , further comprising:
said light guide having a vertical part, a horizontal part, and a deflector wall disposed between said vertical and horizontal parts at a substantially forty-five degree angle.
6. The magnifier of claim 5 , further comprising:
said light source being in open communication with said vertical part of said light guide;
said deflector wall operative to direct light from said light source into said horizontal part of said light guide.
7. The magnifier of claim 6 , further comprising:
said diffuser being disposed between said horizontal part of said light guide and said transparent bottom wall.
8. A magnifier for use by people with low vision, comprising:
a hollow housing;
said hollow housing including a top wall having an opening formed therein;
an LCD display mounted in said opening;
said hollow housing including a transparent bottom wall;
a plurality of sidewalls interconnecting said top wall and said bottom wall;
said transparent bottom wall adapted to rest atop an object to be magnified and to be slideably moved with respect to said object with a low friction interface between said transparent bottom wall and said object;
a light source adapted to emit light;
a light guide that guides light emitted by said light source;
a diffuser mounted in parallel relation to said object;
said diffuser being a fixed distance from said object;
said light guide adapted to guide light from said light source into a path of travel where said light travels substantially parallel to said diffuser so that said light is bent by and passes through said diffuser a first time in a first direction so that said light is adapted to impinge upon said object;
a minor mounted at a predetermined angle in spaced relation to said object so that light reflected from said object travels through said diffuser a second time in a direction opposite to said first direction and impinges upon said mirror;
a camera lens mounted in light-capturing relation to light reflected by said mirror;
a sensor for receiving light that is captured by said camera lens;
said sensor being in electrical communication with said LCD display so that images focused onto said sensor by said camera lens are displayed on said LCD display, said images being substantially larger than the images on said object;
said camera lens being slideably mounted with respect to said mirror so that said camera lens can be positioned in close proximity to said mirror or away from said mirror, or any position therebetween so that the amount of magnification is controlled by the position of the camera;
a slide actuator mounted in sliding relation to said housing;
said slide actuator having an internal part connected to said camera lens;
said slide actuator having an external part positioned external to said housing so that a user may control the position of said camera lens by sliding said external part of said slide actuator with respect to said housing;
a slot formed in said housing;
said internal part of said slide actuator being connected to said external part of said slide actuator through said slot;
said light guide having a transparent construction; and
said light guide having a vertical part, a horizontal part, and a deflector wall disposed between said vertical and horizontal parts at a substantially forty-five degree angle.
9. The magnifier of claim 8 , further comprising:
said light source being in open communication with said vertical part of said light guide;
said deflector wall operative to direct light from said light source into said horizontal part of said light guide.
10. The magnifier of claim 9 , further comprising:
said diffuser being disposed between said horizontal part of said light guide and said transparent bottom wall.