DE3428990A1 - DEVICE FOR HARMONIZING THE OPTICAL AXES OF A VISOR - Google Patents

Description

30.07i84, O143A Mn / Hi / bk

9596 ^; Patent department

Device for harmonizing the optical axes of a sight

The invention relates to a device according to the preamble of claim 1. Known such devices For axis harmonization, devices require additional components such as collimators or optical devices Test marks. In devices of this type with thermal imaging devices, such as those known from DE-AS 29 41 627 have become, the diameter of the collimator must be of the same order of magnitude as the optic diameter of the Thermal imaging device, as the optics are diffraction-limited. This leads to very large collimator diameters and to a considerable spatial enlargement of the visor. When in sight with these additional Aids for axis harmonization the axes of the optical devices due to external influences, such as thermal stresses, vibrations, shocks or due to synchronization errors in the thermal imaging device against each other have shifted, the axes must be set again each time. With visors with these additional Components for axis harmonization of the built-in optical devices is therefore a constant check the parallelism of the sight axes is required.

The object of the invention is to provide a device for harmonizing the optical axes of a visor to create by means of which the disadvantages mentioned can be avoided and by means of which a permanent absolute safe harmonization of the optical axes of a visor is made possible. This task is solved according to the invention with the characterizing features of claim 1. Developments of the invention are in reproduced the subclaims.

Patent department

07/30/84, O143A

Mn / Hi / bk

9596

In its arrangement, the invention offers a surprisingly simple solution for an automatic, absolute precise harmonization of all optical axes in one sighting device. Since, in addition, only one triple mirror is required for every second or further optical device is, a visor according to the invention is cheaper compared to known sights with additional collimators or other testing devices.

The main advantage of the invention is that there is no stability with regard to the harmonization of the axes the components must be required. Since only one of the optical devices of the visor requires an alignment point or crosshair, this with absolute imaging accuracy via the beam path with the beam splitter and the cube-corner mirror in each of the other optical devices is mapped to one another independently of the axial stability, have external influences, in particular

the harsh military pollution on the Axial accuracy of the visor has no influence. the Axes of the individual optical devices can, when looking at one aim, always with the same, in all

Devices reflected or detected crosshairs

do not run away from each other, as is often the case in known visors. The observation of the Target can be done optionally through each of the built-in optical devices.

The invention is explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. Show it:

the principle of a visor with two optical devices;

\ AfBB f

Patent department

07/30/84, O143A Mn / Hi / bk 9596 '

Fig. 2 is a greatly simplified representation of a visor with four optical devices and

3 shows a schematically illustrated embodiment a sight built into a housing with a thermal imaging device and a telescope.

In the schematic diagram of FIG. 1, a visor 1 consists of a first optical device 2, one for this purpose in FIG The same optical axis plane, a second optical device 3 offset by 90 °, a beam splitter 4 and a triple mirror 5. The optical devices shown here and in the other figures are preferably such Devices that work with visible or infrared frequencies. As is known, beam splitters are designed in such a way that they pass high-frequency waves of certain frequencies and radiate the frequencies of other wave ranges. A triple mirror is a mirror system of three, arranged in different levels, Individual mirrors colliding in a corner of the room. Incident light becomes independent of the angle of incidence in the direction of incidence reflected back. The two optical devices 2 and 3 are here with an eyepiece 6 each Mistake. In only one of the optical devices 2 or 3, for example in device 2, there is an image plane 7 real or projected crosshairs available. A gunner is indicated with one eye 8. In the case of the optical device 3, a deflecting mirror 9 is also arranged in front of the eyepiece 6. For example, if the optical device 2 is a thermal imaging device and the optical device 3 is a daytime telescope, the beam splitter 4 lets the thermal radiation incident on the visor 1 through and directly reflects the visible light into the day telescope 3.

35

The radiation 10 incident into the heating device is

MBB

Patent department '*'

7/30/84, 0143A Mn / Hi / bk 9596

transformed into a thermal image in a known manner, and can be viewed through the eyepiece 6. The crosshair 7 is deflected by the beam splitter 4 to the triple mirror 5, thrown back from there and projected into the day telescope 3 in accordance with the beam path 11. It is thus the same image 12 and crosshairs are visible in image plane 7a as in image plane 7. It can also conversely, a crosshair is projected from the image plane 7a of the device 3 into the image plane 7 of the device 2 * "den. It is useful to use the optical device with a larger Projecting diameter into the optical device with a smaller diameter. With an automatic Target tracking can also be real or projected instead of crosshairs in image planes 7 or 7a Point of reference exist and are mutually projected.

2 shows a visor 20 with four optical devices operating in different frequency ranges work. There is a thermal imaging device 2 looking directly into the scene, a day telescope 3, a TV camera 21 and a goniometer 22. According to the different frequency ranges for which the individual devices are sensitive, different beam splitters 4, 23 and 24 are also arranged. the Triple mirror 5 can be the same for all devices. The beam paths explained above with reference to FIG. 1 10 and 11 also apply to all four devices 2, 3, 21 and 22, so that the one arranged in the image plane 7 Crosshairs can also be projected into the image planes 7a, 7b and 7c of the other devices. Look at this Figure, the advantage of the invention is particularly evident. In order to harmonize the axes with known devices Achieving for four optical devices requires a considerable amount of additional components and

Patent department

^f 3 Λ 2 8 9 9

7/30/84, 0143A

Mn / Hi / bk

9596

a particularly rigid mounting of the devices and beam splitters necessary. In the case of the present visor 20, there is no need for any special axis harmonization Stability of the individual components to be demanded. The axes of the four optical devices cannot run away from each other, because the only crosshair 7 can be seen or detected in all devices is. It is also irrelevant whether a gunner with his eye 8 through the day telescope 3 or the television camera 21 or the thermal imaging device 5 is aimed at the target 12.

In Fig. 3, a sighting device 30 is shown schematically, which is built into a housing 31 and in Vorrichtungsurafang about Fig. 1 with a thermal imaging device 32 and a day telescope 33 corresponds. With the thermal imager 32 through a cable 34 is a cathode ray tube 35 connected, the screen 36 of which faces an eyepiece 37. Thermal imaging device 32,

Day telescope 33 and cathode ray tube 35 are built directly onto the wall of the housing 31. A beam splitter 38 is attached to the telescope 33 with rods 39. A corner cube 40 is attached to a frame 41 on the housing 31 cultivated. The scene with destination 12 is from

Eye 8 of the gunner through a picture window 42 in the housing 31 at the same time as a thermal image on the screen 36 of the cathode ray tube 35 and can be seen via a beam splitter 43 in the daytime telescope 33. The components This visor 30 can deliberately be built into the housing with simple means and brackets, because the axis harmonization of the heating device 32 with the daytime telescope 33 is in any case via that in both The crosshairs projected into the devices in image levels 7 and 7a are automatically present. 35

- blank page -

Claims (4)

Τ> 07/30/84 9596 patent department Device for harmonizing the optical axes of a visor claims 1. Device for harmonizing the optical axes with one of at least two optical devices preferably different frequency ranges existing visor using at least one Beam splitter characterized in that the optical axis of the first device (2) to the optical axis of the second device (3) and each further device (21,22) forms an angle of 90 °, wherein the beam splitter (4,23,24) arranged at 45 ° is in each case at the intersection of the axes, and that in Extension of the optical axis of the first device takes place and the view from the device into the scene takes place a triple mirror (5) is arranged in an extension of the optical axis of the second and each further device is. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is in an image plane (7) of one of the optical devices (2,3,21,22) a directional point or crosshair is located over the or the beam splitters (4,23,24) and cube-corner mirrors (5) in an image plane of each further optical device is projected. 2 07/30/84 MBB 25th Patent department 7/30/84, 0143A Mn / Hi / bk 9596 3. Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the observation of a target (12) optionally by each of the optical devices (2,3,21,32,33) directly via an eyepiece (6,37) on the device or indirectly via a screen (36) of a cathode ray tube (35), via a beam splitter (43) or a deflecting mirror (9). 4. Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first optical device (2,32) is a thermal imaging device with a cathode ray tube (35) serving for imaging the thermal image, the second optical Device a glass telescope (3,33), a third optical device a television camera (21) and a fourth optical device Device is a goniometer (22). 20th 35