Re-focusing mechanism for imaging system
AssigneeCoronado Instruments, Inc.
InventorYakov Sidorin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Two reflective surfaces disposed in a predetermined angular orientation inside the optical tube assembly of a telescope intercept the optical beam and deliver it from the objective to the eye-piece. By translating these surfaces simultaneously along the axis bisecting the angle between them, the separation between the focal points of the objective and the eye-piece is adjusted as required to re-focus the telescope in a continuous and reversible fashion without changing its overall dimensions.
Claims28
Apparatus for re-focusing an optical device propagating a light beam along an optical axis of an optical train, comprising:
- a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface disposed in a predetermined angular relationship defining a bisecting axis, the first reflective surface being adapted to receive said light beam to produce a reflected beam, and the second reflective surface being adapted to receive the reflected beam to produce an output beam;
- and
- a mechanism for translating the reflective surfaces along the bisecting axis;
- wherein said first and second surfaces are long facets of a pentaprism, and
- wherein at least one of said reflective surfaces is characterized by a curvature selected to affect a rate of convergence of the beam propagated therethrough.
Apparatus for re-focusing an optical device propagating a light beam along an optical axis of an optical train, comprising:
- a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface disposed in a predetermined angular relationship defining a bisecting axis, the first reflective surface being adapted to receive said light beam to produce a reflected beam, and the second reflective surface being adapted to receive the reflected beam to produce an output beam;
- and
- a mechanism for translating the reflective surfaces along the bisecting axis;
- wherein at least one of said reflective surfaces is characterized by a curvature selected to affect a rate of convergence of the beam propagated therethrough;
- and
- wherein said first reflective surface is reflecting said light beam at a location ahead of a focal point of a preceding optical element in said optical train, thereby shifting a position of an image formed by said preceding optical element.
Apparatus for re-focusing an optical device propagating a light beam along an optical axis of an optical train, comprising:
- a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface disposed in a predetermined angular relationship defining a bisecting axis, the first reflective surface being adapted to receive said light beam to produce a reflected beam, and the second reflective surface being adapted to receive the reflected beam to produce an output beam;
- and
- a mechanism for translating the reflective surfaces along the bisecting axis;
- wherein at least one of said reflective surfaces is characterized by a curvature selected to affect a rate of convergence of the beam propagated therethrough;
- and
- wherein said first reflective surface is reflecting said light beam at a location past a focal point of a subsequent optical element in said optical train, thereby shifting a position of an intermediate object surface imaged by said subsequent optical element.
Apparatus for re-focusing an optical device propagating a light beam along an optical axis of an optical train, comprising:
- a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface disposed in a predetermined angular relationship defining a bisecting axis, the first reflective surface being adapted to receive said light beam to produce a reflected beam, and the second reflective surface being adapted to receive the reflected beam to produce an output beam;
- and
- a mechanism for translating the reflective surfaces along the bisecting axis;
- wherein said optical device is a telescope comprising an objective and an eye-piece, said first and second surfaces are long facets of a pentaprism, the pentaprism is positioned with an input facet normal to the light beam, and the first reflective surface is reflecting said light beam at a location ahead of a focal point of said objective, thereby shifting a position of an image formed by the objective of the telescope.
An optical telescope comprising:
- an objective having an objective focal point;
- a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface disposed in a predetermined angular relationship defining a bisecting axis, the first reflective surface being adapted to receive a light beam from the objective to produce a reflected beam, and the second reflective surface being adapted to receive the reflected beam to produce an output beam;
- and
- an eye piece with an eye-piece focal point placed along an optical path of the output beam;
- and
- a mechanism for translating the reflective surfaces along the bisecting axis, thereby changing a position of the objective focal point along the optical path of the output beam as necessary for the objective focal point to coincide with said eye-piece focal point.
A method for re-focusing an optical device propagating a light beam along an optical axis of an optical train, comprising:
- providing a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface disposed in a predetermined angular relationship defining a bisecting axis;
- reflecting the light beam on the first reflective surface to produce a reflected beam;
- reflecting the reflected beam on the second reflective surface to produce an output beam;
- and
- translating the reflective surfaces along the bisecting axis;
- wherein at least one of said reflective surfaces is characterized by a curvature selected to affect a rate of convergence of the beam propagated therethrough;
- and
- wherein said first and second surfaces are long facets of a pentaprism.
A method for re-focusing an optical device propagating a light beam along an optical axis of an optical train, comprising:
- providing a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface disposed in a predetermined angular relationship defining a bisecting axis;
- reflecting the light beam on the first reflective surface to produce a reflected beam;
- reflecting the reflected beam on the second reflective surface to produce an output beam;
- and
- translating the reflective surfaces along the bisecting axis;
- wherein at least one of said reflective surfaces is characterized by a curvature selected to affect a rate of convergence of the beam propagated therethrough;
- and
- wherein said step of reflecting the light beam is carried out at a location ahead of a focal point of a preceding optical element in said optical train, thereby shifting a position of an image formed by said preceding optical element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.