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US 5,731,909 AGranted
Method for increasing the power of an elastically deformable lens
OwnerRonald A. Schacharinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A variable focus lens is constructed by making small changes in the equatorial diameter of an elastically deformable lens. The lens may be deformed by radial tension exerted in a plane generally perpendicular to the optical axis. The radial tension may be exerted by radially acting mechanical apparatus or by means of rings embedded or attached at the equator of the lens, whose diameter can be altered by heating, or by imposition of electrical or magnetic fields.
Claims23
A method for increasing the optical power of an elastically deformable lens comprising
- providing a synthetic elastically deformable transparent refracting body having two optical refracting surfaces intersecting an optical axis and a periphery surrounding said optical axis and extending between said refracting surfaces, said periphery having a relaxed equatorial diameter in an initial relaxed state and
- increasing said equatorial diameter of said periphery by an amount not exceeding 5% of said relaxed equatorial diameter in a plane generally perpendicular to said optical axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.