FR2686429A1 - Optical sight system for controlling the angular deflection of an apparatus which can move rotationally about an axis - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical sight system for controlling the angular deflection of an apparatus (1) which can move rotationally about an axis (X-X), comprising a device (M2) for rotationally driving the apparatus associated with an optical sight device (5) formed by a head (6) equipped with a plane mirror (10) which can move rotationally about an axis (X1-X1) parallel to the rotation axis (X-X) of the apparatus (1), and by a stationary body (7) equipped with an eyepiece (13). The rotation axes (X-X; X1-X1) of the apparatus (1) and of the mirror (10) are connected by a mechanical transmission device (20) synchronising the rotations of the apparatus (1) and of the mirror (10) in a ratio of 1:2, from the device (M2) for rotationally driving the apparatus (1) about the axis (X-X).

Description

 The present invention relates to an optical sighting system for controlling the angular movement of a mobile device in rotation about an axis, comprising a device for controlling the rotation of the device associated with an optical sighting device consisting of a head. equipped with a movable reflective element and a fixed body equipped with an eyepiece.

 It is conventional to orient a device in a given direction and to modify its orientation at the option of an operator according to the type of device and the type of application considered. In the case of a camera for example, the lens is oriented in a given direction for example, and the operator can modify this orientation according to the scene to be filmed. In the case of a device which emits a light beam oriented in a given direction for example, the operator can also modify this orientation according to the movements of the target to be illuminated.

 In general, the modification of the orientation of these devices is carried out by an operator who stands near the devices and who acts on commands of the manual, semi-automatic or automatic type. I1 is possible to associate with these devices, optical observation or sighting devices to follow or control the angular deflections of the device. The optical axis of such a device is then oriented in a fixed fixed direction, which generally coincides with the axis of the device corresponding to a reference axis whose angular movements are to be controlled through an eyepiece. . The optical observation or sighting device is generally integral with the device, and the eyepiece thus follows the rotational movements of the device. The operator must then move around the device to be positioned opposite the eyepiece after each rotational movement of the device.

 However, under special conditions of use and / or environment, the operator is obliged to keep away from the device. In these cases, he cannot directly use the aiming device which equips the device to control the angular deflections.

The object of the invention is to associate with any device of the aforementioned type an optical sighting device which is capable of synchronously following the rotational movements of the device, the optical sighting device comprising a head equipped with an element mobile reflector, and a fixed body equipped with an eyepiece, this type of optical sighting device constituting an observation scope, known per se
To this end, the invention provides a system for controlling the angular movement of a mobile device in rotation about an axis, comprising a device for controlling the rotation of the device associated with an optical sighting device consisting of a head equipped with a movable reflective element, and with a fixed body equipped with an eyepiece, characterized in that the reflective element is movable in rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the apparatus, and in that the axes of rotation of the device and of the reflective element are connected by a mechanical transmission device ensuring the synchronization of the rotations of the device and of the reflective element in a given transmission ratio, from of the device for controlling the rotation of the device.

 According to one embodiment, the mechanical transmission device consists of a first link fixed to a shaft secured to the device and aligned along the axis of rotation of the device, a second link fixed to a shaft secured of the reflector element and aligned along the axis of rotation of the reflector element, and of a third link articulated to the two aforementioned links, the lengths of the first and second links being in a given ratio.

 According to an alternative embodiment, the mechanical transmission device consists of a first pulley fixed on a shaft secured to the device and aligned along the axis of rotation of the device, a second pulley fixed on a shaft secured of the reflector element and aligned along the axis of rotation of the reflector element, a transmission belt being wound on the two pulleys which have diameters in a given ratio.

 In the two abovementioned embodiments, the reflective element of the optical sighting device is a plane mirror, and the transmission ratio is then 1/2.

 According to another arrangement of the invention, the apparatus and the aiming head are integral in rotation about an axis orthogonal to the aforementioned axes of rotation.

 According to yet another arrangement of the invention, a target is placed at the focal point of the eyepiece of the aiming device.

 In a first envisaged application of the invention, the axis of rotation of the device is substantially horizontal, so that the control system according to the invention makes it possible to follow angular deflections corresponding to variations in a site angle .

 In a second envisaged application of the invention, the axis of rotation of the device is substantially vertical, and the control system according to the invention makes it possible to follow angular deflections corresponding to variations in a bearing angle.

Other advantages, characteristics and details of the invention will emerge from the following explanatory description made with reference to the attached drawings given solely by way of example and in which - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first mo
embodiment of the invention, where the system controls
the angular movement of a mobile device in rota
tion around a substantially horizontal axis, - and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second
embodiment of the invention, where the system
controls the angular travel of a mobile device
about a substantially vertical axis of rotation.

 Referring to Figure 1, there is shown an apparatus 1 which generates a light beam for example, this light beam having been voluntarily reduced to a light ray R1 to simplify the drawings. This device 1 is mounted mobile in rotation on a support plate 2 around a substantially horizontal axis X-X. This axis XX is materialized by two half-shafts 3a and 3b, axially aligned with each other and integral with the device 1. The two half-shafts 3a and 3b are supported in rotation, by suitable means and known per se , by the plate 2 which has for example the shape of a frame. The device 1 can thus pivot in a vertical plane.

 According to the invention, this device 1 is associated with an optical sighting device 5 for controlling the angular movement of the device 1 around its axis of rotation X-X.

 In the example considered, the optical sighting device 5 comprises a head 6 and a body 7. The head 6 is a hollow body which has a lateral opening 8. A reflective element, such as a plane mirror 10, is housed at the interior of the head 6, and its associated support 10a is movable in rotation about a substantially horizontal axis Xl-Xl. This axis Xl-Xl is materialized by two half-shafts lla and llb, axially aligned with each other and integral with the support 10a of the mirror 10.

These two half-shafts 11a and 11b are supported in rotation, by suitable means and known per se, by the aiming head 6, and they respectively protrude outside of the latter.

 The sighting body 7 generally consists of a bent tubular element which encloses an optical assembly comprising at least one eyepiece 13 and a deflection mirror 14. The eyepiece 13, of conventional structure with a lens or a system of lenses in front of which an operator can place an eye, is mounted towards one end of the sight body 7.

 The aiming head 6 is mounted mobile around a vertical axis YY on the aiming body 7, the open end of which, opposite to that supporting the eyepiece 13, opens out inside the aiming head 6. This axis of rotation YY is orthogonal to the axis of rotation Xl-Xl of mirror 10.

The plate 2 of the device 1 is made integral with the aiming head 6, by means of a rigid connecting element 15, so that the axis of rotation
XX of the device 1 and the axis of rotation Xl-Xl of the mirror are parallel to each other.

 Thus, the aiming head 6, in particular its mirror 10, and the apparatus 1 are integral in rotation along the vertical axis of rotation YY, which makes it possible to rotate them simultaneously in a horizontal plane, while the apparatus 1 and the mirror 10 can each pivot in a vertical plane.

 A motor member M1, such as a gear motor, controls the rotation of the device 1 and of the aiming head around the axis Y-Y. The output shaft of this drive member is for example mechanically coupled to the end of a connecting element 16, the other end of which is integral with the support plate 2 of the device 1. The drive member M1 is secured to a fixed support S.

 A second motor unit M2, such as a gear motor also, controls the rotation of the device 1 around the horizontal axis X-X. The output shaft of this motor member is for example mechanically coupled to the free end of the half-shaft 3b rotatably supported by the support plate 2 of the device 1. This motor member M2 is fixed to the support plate 2, and is therefore integral with the latter in rotation about the vertical axis YY.

 According to the invention, a mechanical transmission device 20 is provided between the device 1 and the mirror 10, so that the rotational movement of the device 1 around the axis of rotation XX is transmitted, in a given ratio , to the mirror 10 along the axis of rotation X1-X1.

 In the example considered here, the mechanical transmission device 20 is formed by two parallel links 21 and 22 respectively secured to the half-shaft 3a of the device 1 and the half-shaft lla of the mirror 10, and to a link of connection 23 articulated to the two links 21 and 22. More specifically, one end of the link 21 is integral with the free end of the demiarbre 3a, and it extends substantially 90 relative to the latter. Similarly, one end of the link 22 is integral with the free end of the half-shaft îîa, and it extends substantially 90 relative to the latter. The link 21 extends over a length L1, while the link 22 extends over a length L2 such that L1 / L2 = 1/2.

 Concretely, the system as described above requires preliminary adjustments before it can be operational.

Let us consider a reference plane P1 located opposite and at a distance from the lateral opening 8 of the aiming head and of the camera 1. We can define in this plane P1 a point A which corresponds to the point of incidence of the light ray horizontal R1 emitted by the apparatus 1. Still in this plane P1, let us consider a point B as being a point light source situated opposite the opening 8 of the aiming head 6, which emits a ray of incident light R2 parallel to the radius R1 of the device 1. This incident ray R2 strikes the mirror 10, the inclination of the support 10a of which is adjusted at an angle of 45 "to obtain the reflection of the radius R2 towards the deflection mirror 14 located in the body 7.The inclination of the mirror 14 is also adjusted so as to reflect the incident light ray coming from the mirror 10, in the direction of the eyepiece 13, this inclination being 45 in the example considered here.
Thus, by placing a target M, such as a cross for example, at the focal point of the eyepiece 13, the image M 'of this target will be located at point B of the reference plane P1.

 Concretely, the point light source located at point B of the reference plane Pî does not exist, but we will consider the radius R2 as being the line of sight V1 for an operator whose eye is placed on the eyepiece 13.

 Under these conditions, if the operator controls the motor member M2 to cause a movement of rotation of the apparatus 1 by an angle a around the axis XX, the mechanical transmission device 20 causes a synchronous movement of rotation of the mirror 10 of an angle a / 2 around the axis X1-X1, that is to say that the light ray Rl and the line of sight V1 will move while remaining parallel. Thus, the point of incidence of the light ray R1 on the plane P1 moves from point A to point Al, the point of incidence of the line of sight V1 moves from point B to point B1 and the image M '' of the test pattern M is also positions at point B1, the distance dl separating points Al and B1 remaining identical to that which separated points A and B.

 If the operator controls the motor member M1 to cause the device 1 to rotate around the axis YY, the aiming head 6 and its mirror 10 being rotatably attached to the device 1, the light beam R1 and the line of sight V1 move automatically in synchronism. In the new reference plane P2, the point of incidence of the light ray R1 is point A2, the point of incidence of the line of sight V1 is point B2 and the image Mll of the test pattern M is positioned at point B2, the distance dl separating points A2 and B2 remaining identical to that which separated points Al and B1 in the reference plane P1.

 In the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the axes of rotation X-X of the device 1 and Xl-Xl of the mirror 10 are substantially vertical and no longer horizontal, but the operating principle of the control system remains the same.

However, a variant of the mechanical transmission device 20 has been shown in this figure 2. According to this variant, two pulleys 25 and 26 are provided on which a transmission belt 27 is wound. More specifically, the pulley 25 is mounted integral in rotation of the half-shaft 3a, and the pulley 26 is mounted integral in rotation with the pila half-shaft. The pulley 25 has a diameter D1, while the pulley 26 has a double diameter D2, so as to obtain a transmission ratio of 1/2
Thus, according to the first embodiment, the system allows an operator to monitor and more particularly control the angular deflections of the device 1 corresponding to a site angle, while according to the second embodiment, he can follow and more specifically control angular deflections corresponding to a bearing angle.

 Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiments as described above, and it encompasses all equivalent technical means, in particular at the level of the mechanical transmission device 20. In particular, this device 20 could also be a combination of those illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this case, it would consist of a deformable parallelogram formed by the links 21, 22 and 23, the links 21 and 22 having the same length, and the two pulleys 25 and 26 would be respectively supported by the rod 22 and the shaft îîa of the mirror 10.

Claims (6)

 1. Optical sighting system for controlling the angular movement of a mobile device in rotation about an axis, comprising a device for controlling the rotation of the device associated with an optical sighting device consisting of a head equipped with a movable reflector element, and of a fixed body equipped with an eyepiece, characterized in that the reflector element (10) is movable about an axis (X1-X1) parallel to the axis of rotation (XX) of the device (1), and in that the axes of rotation (XX ;; Xl-Xl) of the device (1) and of the reflective element (10) are connected by a mechanical transmission device (20 ) ensuring the synchronization of the rotations of the device (1) and of the mirror (10) in a given transmission ratio, from the control device (M2) in rotation of the device (1) on the axis (XX ).  2. Optical sighting system according to Claim 1, characterized in that the reflecting element (10) is a plane mirror, and in that the transmission ratio is 1/2.  3. Optical sighting system according to the Claim 2, characterized in that the mechanical transmission device (20) consists of a link (21) fixed to a shaft (3a) secured to the device (1) and aligned along the axis of rotation (XX) , a link (22) fixed to a shaft (11a) integral with the mirror (10) and aligned along the axis of rotation (Xî-Xî), and a link (23) articulated to the two aforementioned links (21 and 22), the lengths of the links (21 and 22) being in the ratio 1/2.  4. Optical sighting system according to the Claim 2, characterized in that the mechanical transmission device (20) consists of a pulley (25) fixed on a shaft (3a) secured to the device (1) and aligned along the axis of rotation (XX) , a pulley (26) fixed on a shaft (lla) integral with the mirror (10) and aligned along the axis of rotation (X1-X1), a transmission belt (27) being wound on the two pulleys (25 and 26) which have diameters in the ratio 1/2.  5. Optical sighting system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the apparatus (1) and the sighting head (6) are fixed in rotation on an axis (YY) orthogonal to the axes (XX and Xl -Xl).  6. Optical aiming system according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a target (M) is placed at the focal point of the eyepiece (13) of the aiming device (5).