Stabilized optical system with off-axis stabilizer
US4260218A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 9, 1978 |
| Grant date | Apr 7, 1981 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 9, 1998 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B27/644
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Disclosed is a stabilized optical system, including a housing, an objective lens group mounted to the housing for collecting light from the image to be viewed, and an eyepiece lens group adjustably mounted to the housing for focusing the image at the eye of a viewer. Pivotally mounted between the objective and eyepiece lens groups is a roof Pechan prism. The prism is connected through a rigid gimbaled linkage to a gyroscopic stabilizer which is offset from the optical axis, so that rotational motion of the housing is not transmitted to the prism, thereby stabilizing the image viewed through the optical system. The gyroscopic stabilizer is provided with a damper for minimizing nutational motion of the stabilizer and a precision compensator for counteracting the precession of the gyroscope. The eyepiece lens group includes a negative lens component positioned between the objective lens group and the remaining components of the eyepiece lens group.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.