IP Library Granted Patent US 7,443,580
Granted Patent B2
US 7,443,580 · App. 11/385,631 · Granted Oct 28, 2008

Apparatus for pupil distance adjustment for eyepieces

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,443,580
App. No.
11/385,631
Granted
Oct 28, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus for pupil distance adjustment for a binocular tube ( 22 ) has two eyepiece carriers ( 1, 2 ), at least one of which is mounted rotatably about a rotation axis ( 3, 4 ), a threaded spindle ( 7 ) being provided which is actuatable for pupil distance adjustment and by way of whose threads ( 12 ) the spacing of the two eyepiece carriers ( 1, 2 ) is adjustable. The apparatus can be implemented in mechanically simple and compact fashion, and permits accurate adjustment of the pupil distance.

Claims (14)

1. An apparatus for pupil distance adjustment for a binocular tube having two eyepiece carriers, at least one of the eyepiece carriers being mounted on the binocular tube for rotation about a rotation axis, the apparatus comprising:

a threaded spindle coupled to the two eyepiece carriers, the threaded spindle having threads for adjusting the pupil distance of the binocular tube; and

an axial bearing in which the threaded spindle is mounted, wherein the threaded spindle is rotatable about its axis relative to the axial bearing, and is prevented from moving in an axial direction relative to the axial bearing by a segment held against an end of the axial bearing by a nut, the segment being received in an annular groove in the threaded spindle.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the threaded spindle is mechanically connected to at least one rotary knob.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the two eyepiece carriers are each rotatably mounted on the binocular tube for rotation about a respective rotation axis, and the apparatus further comprises a positive entrainment device connecting the two eyepiece carriers to one another.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the positive entrainment device includes an entrainment stud and a fork receiving the entrainment stud.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the two eyepiece carriers includes a pointer and the other of the two eyepiece carriers includes a scale, the pointer being arranged to indicate the pupil distance on the scale.

6. A binocular tube comprising:

a housing part;

a pair of eyepiece carriers each mounted on the tube body for rotation about a respective rotation axis;

a threaded spindle having adjustment threads;

an axial bearing receiving the threaded spindle, the threaded spindle being held in an axially fixed position and rotatable about its longitudinal axis relative to the axial bearing, wherein the axial bearing is pivotally coupled to one of the pair of eyepiece carriers at a location spaced from the rotation axis of the one eyepiece carrier; and

a spindle bearing mating with the adjustment threads of the threaded spindle, the spindle bearing moving in an axial direction relative to the threads when the spindle is rotated about its longitudinal axis, wherein the spindle bearing is pivotally coupled to another of the pair of eyepiece carriers at a location spaced from the rotation axis of the another eyepiece carrier;

whereby rotation of the threaded spindle causes adjustment of pupil distance associated with the pair of eyepiece carriers.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2010
From: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS (SCHWEIZ) AG
To: LEICA INSTRUMENTS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 024128/0669 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 7, 2010
From: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS (SCHWEIZ) AG
To: LEICA INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 023741/0870 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2006
From: STROBEL, PETER
To: LEICA MICROSYSTEMS (SCHWEIZ) AG
Reel/Frame 017429/0846 →