JP3771961B2 - binoculars - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to binoculars, and more particularly to binoculars having a lens barrel that slides along guide means.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When using binoculars, binoculars are used in various postures depending on the usage situation. Under such diversified use conditions, the parallelism of the optical axes in the left and right lens barrels should not be distorted in any posture.
In addition, binoculars have a mechanism for adjusting the eye width in accordance with the user. Among these mechanisms, technical means for adjusting the eye width by moving the pair of right and left lens barrels of the binoculars in parallel are conventionally used. Various things have been proposed.
[0003]
For example, in Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 6-183654, a pair of left and right lens barrels are moved horizontally along a guide axis. An eye width adjustment mechanism that always applies to as few places as possible has been proposed.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the eye width adjustment mechanism described in the above Japanese Patent Application No. 6-183654, the cross-sectional shape of the guide shaft is circular, so that the left and right lens barrels rotate about the guide shaft as the rotation center depending on the posture when using binoculars. There is a risk of it. This rotation causes a problem that the parallelism of the optical axes in the left and right lens barrels changes depending on the usage posture of the binoculars. This phenomenon is more likely to occur as the center of gravity of the lens barrel in the binoculars moves away from the guide shaft.
[0005]
Further, a slight clearance needs to be provided between the left and right lens barrels and the guide shaft in order to smoothly move the lens barrel in parallel with the guide shaft. However, this clearance may cause rotation of the lens barrel. Also in this case, the parallelism of the optical axes in the left and right lens barrels may change.
In general, the most important requirement for binoculars is that the optical axis parallelism of the left and right lens barrels will not be misaligned in any use situation, that is, the optical axes of the left and right lens barrels will always be kept parallel. It is.
[0006]
In the description relating to the binoculars of the Japanese Industrial Standard “JIS B 7121-1993”, an eye width adjustment range of at least 60 to 70 mm is set, and in this adjustment range, an allowable deviation amount of the right and left optical axis parallelism is several minutes. It is stipulated to be within.
However, between the lens barrel including a lens optical system having a certain weight and the guide shaft for guiding the lens barrel, the above-described method is used to facilitate the movement of the lens barrel and freely change the eye width. Such clearance is necessary. Furthermore, when the center of gravity of the lens barrel and the position of the guide member are misaligned, a rotational moment is generated with respect to the lens barrel around the guide member depending on the posture of the binoculars, and the parallelism between the pair of left and right lens barrels is maintained. This causes a problem that the optical axis is not stable due to a change in posture of the binoculars.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and in a binocular having a lens barrel that slides along a guide shaft, the optical axis parallelism does not shift due to a change in posture during use. The purpose is to obtain binoculars.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, in the binoculars according to the present invention, a pair of lens barrels each having a built-in lens optical system and arranged in parallel, and directions orthogonal to the respective optical axis directions of the lens optical system A first guide shaft and a second guide shaft that are arranged substantially in parallel so as to guide the pair of lens barrels in a freely slidable manner, and slide around the pair of lens barrels wound around the first guide shaft. with biases constantly urged in the first direction in which the pair of the barrel hook portion provided in both end portions by engaging each of said pair of lens barrel is rotated about the first guide shaft a compression coil spring which, in the pair of lens barrel which is urged by the compression coil spring are not abut, and the pair of the lens barrel is slid along the first and second guide shafts by being moved Adjust the distance between the pair of lens barrels. Comprising a regulating means for the said the pair of lens barrel by rotational bias about the first guide shaft by the compression coil spring that constantly urged in one direction around the first guide shaft, the pair The backlash generated between the lens barrel and the first guide shaft and the second guide shaft is always eliminated by shifting it to a predetermined direction.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 14 show binoculars according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the binoculars according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the binoculars as viewed from the objective lens side. 3 is a rear view of the binoculars viewed from the eyepiece side, FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the binoculars, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the binoculars.
[0010]
The binoculars in the present embodiment are covered with the upper cover 1 on the upper side and the lower cover with the lower cover, and a housing for the binoculars is constituted by these covers.
The upper cover 1 has a distance knob 3 which is a substantially disk-like focusing mechanism operating member disposed at a substantially central portion of the upper surface thereof so as to be freely rotatable. In addition, grips 8a and 8b formed of an elastic member such as a rubber material are disposed in order to improve the retention.
[0011]
Further, from the side surface of the upper cover 1 on the eyepiece side, a diopter knob 4 that is a rotary operation member for diopter adjustment is rotatably arranged.
Further, a front cover 6 formed of a transparent flat plate is attached to the objective lens side of the binoculars to prevent foreign matter from entering the binoculars. Further, behind the eyepiece lens, eyepiece rubbers 7a and 7b formed in an approximately elliptic cylinder shape by an elastic member such as a rubber material are provided.
[0012]
Further, suspension rings 9a and 9b for attaching a portable strap are provided on the side surfaces of the joint portion of the upper cover 1 and the lower cover 2.
The optical system of the binoculars having the external shape as described above is generally configured as shown in FIG.
The lens barrel that holds the optical system is composed of a pair of left and right lens frames 35a and 35b formed of a material such as metal or resin, and from the front, the lens barrel objective portions 12a and 12b and the lens barrel main body portions 10a and 10b, It can be roughly divided into two. Of these, prisms 11a, 11b, 11c, and 11d are held in the barrel main body portions 10a and 10b, respectively. The lens barrel objective parts 12a and 12b are bonded and fixed in front of the lens barrel main body parts 10a and 10b, and an objective lens 14a composed of a plurality of lenses is provided on the inner periphery of the lens barrel objective parts 12a and 12b. Objective lens frames 13a and 13b that hold 14b are slidably fitted in the optical axis direction for focusing operation and diopter adjustment operation.
[0013]
Furthermore, eyepiece lens frames 41a and 41b, which serve as lens barrel eyepieces, are fixed to the rear of the lens barrel main body portions 10a and 10b with screws, and on the inner peripheral portions of the eyepiece lens frames 41a and 41b, Eyepieces 15a and 15b composed of a plurality of lenses are held, and field stops 16a and 16b are arranged on the objective side of the eyepiece lens frames 41a and 41b.
[0014]
Two guide shafts of a first guide shaft 17 and a second guide shaft 18 which are guide members are fitted in two lens barrels 35a and 35b configured as a pair of right and left, and these two lens mirrors. The cylinders 35 a and 35 b are slidable along the first guide shaft 17 and the second guide shaft 18.
The first guide shaft 17 is fixed in position by sandwiching both ends thereof by the upper cover 1 and the lower cover 2 as shown in FIG. Further, the first guide shaft 17 has a sleeve 27 (FIGS. 9, 10 and 10) so as to hold a right-angled position with respect to the lens barrel main bodies 10a and 10b which are part of the lens barrels 35a and 35b. 11), the lens barrel main body portions 10a and 10b can freely move along the first guide shaft 17 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. Yes.
[0015]
The left end of the second guide shaft 18 is bonded and fixed to the lens barrel main body 10b, and the right end of the second guide shaft 18 is slidably fitted to the lens barrel main body 10a.
The first guide shaft 17 is disposed so as to be orthogonal to the optical axes of the lens barrels 35a and 35b. Further, the position of the second guide shaft 18 is adjusted to a position parallel to the first guide shaft 17.
[0016]
In this way, the left and right lens barrels 35a and 35b are configured to be close to and away from each other along the first guide shaft 17 and the second guide shaft 18 when adjusting the eye width.
8 and 9 are diagrams showing mechanisms for diopter adjustment and focus adjustment. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. 1, and FIG. 9 is a plan view when the upper cover 1 is removed to expose the inside of the binoculars.
[0017]
The binoculars are configured to perform diopter adjustment and focusing operation by extending and retracting the objective lenses 14a and 14b. That is, the mechanism for moving the objective lens includes a diopter adjustment mechanism and a focus adjustment mechanism.
First, the diopter adjustment mechanism will be described.
As shown in FIG. 6, the diopter adjustment is performed by extending or retracting only the right objective lens 14a. When the diopter knob 4 shown in FIG. 8 is rotated, the objective screw 26 that rotates by fitting with the oval shape portion of the diopter knob 4 follows and rotates. The objective screw 26 is provided at the upper part in the middle of the left and right lens barrels 35a and 35b of the binoculars, and is sandwiched between the upper cover 1 and the lower cover 2. Further, the objective screw 26 is a shaft-like member arranged in parallel with the optical axis, and a screw 26a is screwed at the tip portion, and is screwed into an arm portion 23b extending from the objective side of the right arm 23. Yes. By rotating the objective screw 26, the right arm 23 is extended or retracted along the optical axis direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the right arm 23 is provided with a left and right elongated hole 23a perpendicular to the optical axis, and a pin 28 press-fitted into the objective lens frame 13a into the elongated hole 23a. Are engaged. Therefore, when the right arm 23 is extended or retracted, the right objective lens frame 13a is also moved in the optical axis direction following this, and diopter adjustment is performed.
[0018]
Next, the focusing operation will be described.
A distance cam 19 is screwed to the distance knob 3 via the upper cover 1 so that it can rotate integrally. The distance cam 19 is provided with a cam groove 19a. A distance pin 25 fixed to the left arm 22 is inserted into the cam groove 19a. The left arm 22 is attached to the objective screw 26 by an E ring 29. As a result, the left arm 22 moves integrally with the objective screw 26 in the optical axis direction. A diopter spring 24 is provided between the E ring 29 of the left arm 22 and the arm portion 23 b of the right arm 23 in a state of being inserted into the objective screw 26. Thereby, the space | interval of the left arm 22 and the right arm 23 is kept constant.
[0019]
Similarly to the left arm 23, the right arm 22 also has a protruding arm portion, and is provided with a long hole 22a in the left-right direction perpendicular to the optical axis and a pin 28 fixed to the objective lens frame 13b. Match.
In such a configuration, when the distance knob 3 shown in FIG. 8 is rotated, the distance cam 19 is integrally rotated, and the left arm 22 moves in the optical axis direction following the rotation of the distance cam 19. As the left arm 22 moves in the optical axis direction, the objective screw 26 attached to the left arm 22 by the E-ring 29 moves in the same direction as the left arm 22, and the right arm 23 similarly moves in the same direction as the left arm 22. When the left arm 22 and the right arm 23 are integrally moved in the same direction along the optical axis direction, the objective lens frames 13a and 13b holding the objective lenses 14a and 14b are moved in the optical axis direction to adjust the focus. Operation is performed.
[0020]
Next, the eye width adjustment mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 8, the distance between the left and right lens barrels 35a and 35b is changed by rotating the eye width knob 5 that is an operation member.
A disc-shaped eye-width cam A20a as an adjustment member is fixed to the eye-width knob 5 so as to rotate integrally with the lower cover 2 interposed therebetween. The eye width cam A20a is formed with groove cams (see FIG. 12) substantially formed with respect to the center of rotation, and these groove cams have cam follower pins protruding from the lens barrel main body portions 10a and 10b. 32a and 32b are inserted.
[0021]
In the vicinity of the cam follower pins 32a and 32b, an eye width spring 30 which is an urging member made of a compression coil spring is wound around the first guide shaft 17 described above. The eye width spring 30 has a function of urging the cam follower pins 32a and 32b so as to always come into contact with the groove cam of the eye width cam A20a, whereby the lens barrel main bodies 10a and 10b are separated from each other. It is energized in the direction to do. Further, the eye width spring 30 has hook portions at both ends thereof, and the hook portions are locked to convex portions formed on the lens barrel main body portions 10a and 10b, whereby a pair of left and right lens mirrors are provided. The cylinders 35a and 35b are urged in the direction of rotation around the first guide shaft 17, respectively, and play generated between the first guide shaft 17 and the sleeve, and the second guide shaft 18 and the lens barrel main body 10a. It has a function to eliminate the play that occurs between the two.
[0022]
When the eye width cam A20a rotates, the cam follower pins 32a and 32b fitted in the groove cam move in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis, and accordingly, the lens barrel main body portions 10a and 10b move in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis. Then, the eye width adjustment operation is performed.
Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the elongated hole 22a provided in the right arm 22 and the elongated hole 23a provided in the left arm 23 are elongated holes extending in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis. Since the objective lens frames 13a and 13b slide along the lines 22a and 23a, the diopter and the focus position do not change even when the eye width changes.
[0023]
As described above, in this embodiment, the eye width can be adjusted. However, the sliding between the sleeve 27 and the first guide shaft 17 that are bonded and fixed to the lens barrel main bodies 10a and 10b is smooth. There is a clearance to do that. Due to this clearance, the barrel main body portions 10a and 10b rotate around the first guide shaft 17 due to a change in posture during use of the binoculars, and the vertical optical axis parallels of the left and right lens barrels 35a and 35b. Displacement can occur every degree.
[0024]
However, the lens barrels 35a and 35b are always one because the both end portions of the interocular spring 30 wound around the first guide shaft 17 are locked to a part of the barrel main body portions 10a and 10b. Since it is biased in the direction, there is no displacement in the parallelism of the optical axes of these lens barrels 35a and 35b.
Of course, other members may be used as the urging means of the lens barrels 35a and 35b instead of the compression springs such as the above-mentioned eye width spring 30.
[0025]
For example, in another embodiment shown in FIG. 13, an end face cam is formed on the eye width cam 20, and the cam follower pins 32a and 32b of the barrel main body portions 10a and 10b are brought into contact with the end face cam. Yes. The cam follower pin 32a, 32b is provided on the two arm members to be fitted to the first guide shaft respectively, the two arm members are eye-width spring A3 0 a, by the eye width spring B30b, the first guide shaft 17 It is biased toward the center along the.
[0026]
The ends of the binoculars center side of the eye width spring A30a and the eye width spring B30b are engaged with the convex portions provided on the lens barrel main body portions 10a and 10b, respectively. 13 and a spring hook member 31 as shown in FIG.
As a result, the cam follower pins 32a and 32b are urged in the direction of the central portion of the binoculars (arrow C in FIG. 13) so as to always come into contact with the eye width cam 20. Furthermore, both ends of the eye width springs A30a and B30b are formed in a hook shape, and by locking one end to the lens barrel main body 10a and 10b and the other end to a part (31a) of the spring hook member 31, The backlash generated between the first guide shaft 17 and the sleeve and the backlash generated between the second guide shaft 18 and the barrel main body 10a are offset.
[0027]
In this embodiment, the eye width spring A30a is provided in the lens barrel main body portion 10a, and the eye width spring B30b is provided in the lens barrel main body portion 10b. The following effects can be obtained.
Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the spring hooking member 31 has arm portions 31a for engaging one end of two eye width springs at both ends, and the first guide shaft is provided at the distal end portion of the arm portions 31a. 17 has a recess 31b that engages with 17 and a central arm 31c between the two arms 31a.
[0028]
In the embodiment described above, the rotary cam is shown as an example of the adjustment member. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a cam that is formed in a triangular shape and moves in the optical axis direction in accordance with the adjustment operation has the same effect. It is possible to obtain
Moreover, in the above embodiment, it was configured to move both the pair of lens barrels 35a and 35b in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis at the time of eye width adjustment. For example, one lens barrel is fixed and the other is not moved. Of course, it may be configured to move.
[0029]
According to the embodiment described above, since the entire lens barrel is urged in one direction around the guide axis, the optical axis is parallel to the binoculars by the clearance provided in the fitting portion between the guide axis and the lens barrel. There is no change in degree.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
In the present invention described in detail above, even if the binoculars are used in any posture, the change in the posture does not change the optical axis parallelism between the two lens barrels.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of binoculars according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the binoculars of FIG. 1 viewed from the objective lens side.
3 is a rear view of the binoculars of FIG. 1 viewed from the eyepiece side.
4 is a bottom view of the binoculars of FIG. 1. FIG.
5 is a side view of the binoculars of FIG. 1. FIG.
6 is a diagram showing an optical system of the binoculars of FIG. 1. FIG.
7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG.
9 is a plan view in which the inside of the binoculars in FIG. 1 is exposed. FIG. 10 is a plan view in which the inside of the binoculars in FIG. 1 is exposed. FIG. 11 shows an outline of the eye width adjustment mechanism in the binoculars in FIG. FIG.
12 is a view showing a cam of the eye width adjusting mechanism in the binoculars of FIG. 1, wherein (A) is a view taken in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. The rear view of a cam.
FIG. 13 is a plan view showing an internal mechanism of binoculars according to another embodiment of the present invention.
14 is an exploded perspective view showing an outline of an eye width adjustment mechanism of the embodiment in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
35a, 35b Lens barrel (a pair of barrels)
17 First guide shaft (guide means)
18 Second guide shaft 30 Eye width spring (biasing means)
20- eye width cam (adjustment means)

Claims (1)

A pair of lens barrels each incorporating a lens optical system and arranged in parallel;
A first guide shaft and a second guide shaft arranged substantially parallel to guide the pair of lens barrels slidably in directions orthogonal to the respective optical axis directions of the lens optical system;
The pair of lens barrels are wound around the first guide shaft and urged in the sliding direction, and hook portions provided at both end portions are engaged with the pair of lens barrels, respectively . the barrel and the compression coil spring for urging at all times to one direction to rotate about the first guide shaft,
The pair of lens barrels are in contact with the pair of lens barrels urged by the compression coil springs and are slid along the first and second guide shafts by being moved. Adjusting means for adjusting the distance between,
Comprising
By constantly urging the pair of lens barrels in one direction around the first guide shaft by a rotational urging force around the first guide shaft by the compression coil spring , the pair of lens barrels, the first guide shaft, The binoculars characterized in that the play generated between the second guide shaft and the second guide shaft is always eliminated in a predetermined direction.

Images