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US 12,748,297 B2Granted
Magnetic eyecup for binoculars, spotting scope, or other output optical device
AssigneeLeupold & Stevens, Inc.
InventorsZachary M. Bird, Tim Lesser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various embodiments described herein may include one or more magnetic eyecups that both secure and align the optical axis of an input optical device (such as a smartphone camera) to an output optical device (such as binoculars, a spotting scope, rangefinders, a projectile weapon scope, or the like), through the use of magnets. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.
Claims22
An apparatus, comprising:
- an output optical device to magnetically couple to a first side of an adapter system formed of a ferromagnetic material, the output optical device including at least one magnetic eyecup including a surface having ferromagnetic material embedded therein,
- wherein the surface is configured to, magnetically, rotationally time the adapter system with the output optical device, maintaining an alignment of an optical axis of an input optical device affixed to a second side of the adapter system to an optical axis of a lens of the output optical device for taking picture(s) or video through the lens of the output optical device;
- the magnetic rotational timing characterized in that, when the output optical device is spaced apart a minimum distance from the input optical device:
- a magnetic force associated with the ferromagnetic material restricts both:
- 1) Separation of the first side of the adapter system from the at least one magnetic eyecup, and
- 2) rotation of the first side of the adapter system relative to the at least one magnetic eyecup.
3 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- an adapter system having 1) a first side to couple, via magnetic forces, to at least one eyecup device, and 2) a second opposite side to attach to an input optical device;
- the adapter system including a main section and an alignment section to, magnetically, rotationally time the adapter system with the at least one eyecup device, maintaining an alignment of an optical axis of the input optical device to an optical axis associated with the at least one eyecup device;
- the main section to couple, via a first magnetic force of the magnetic forces, to the at least one eyecup device;
- and
- the alignment section to couple, via a second magnetic force of the magnetic forces, to the at least one eyecup device,
- wherein a portion of the first side, the portion of the first side magnetically attracted to the at least one eyecup device, comprises a completely flat ferromagnetic surface.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.