Optical adjustment knob for binocular
AssigneeBausch & Lomb Incorporated
InventorGerrit A. Van Exel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A binocular having a treadle-like knob which is coupled to optical elements to effect an adjustment such as focusing or varying the magnification of the optical system. The knob is mounted to be moveable in seesaw fashion about an axis which is generally perpendicular to the optical axes of the telescopes which form the binocular. This arrangement is especially useful in relatively small binoculars which may be held in one hand, the knob being driven by the tips of two fingers on the supporting hand.
Claims6
In a binocular assembly having a housing supporting a pair of telescopes having moveable optical elements to effect an optical adjustment, the telescopes having generally parallel optical axes along which images of an object are viewed, the housing having an upper surface when the binocular is held in a normal viewing position;
- an improved adjustment mechanism comprising:
- an adjustment knob movably mounted on the housing to be rotatable about an axis which is generally parallel to an imaginary line connecting and perpendicular to the optical axes, the knob having an exposed upper portion defining a pair of finger-contacting platforms which are radially spaced from and angularly spaced apart with respect to the adjustment axis, the knob platforms being positioned adjacent the housing upper surface so the knob can be rotated bidirectionally in seesaw fashion by a pair of fingers positioned over the upper surface and in contact with the knob platforms, the knob apart from the exposed upper portion being enclosed in the housing;
- and
- a coupling means connecting the knob to the moveable optical elements for shifting the elements along the respective optical axes in response to rotation of the knob.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.