Abstract:
A pair of binoculars includes a rotating element. When the rotating element is actuated, the lens of the binoculars, which are used for focusing, are displaced. The lenses are mounted in an axially displaceable manner. A rotating movement initiated by the rotating element is translated into a rotating movement with a larger angle of rotation by means of a gear transmission stage.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This is a Continuation of International Patent Application PCT/EP02/04568 filed 25 Apr. 2002, which claims priority of German Patent Applications DE 101 21 075.2 filed 27 Apr. 2001 and DE 101 53 167.2 filed 27 Oct. 2001. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     Not applicable.  
       REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING,” A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC  
       [0003]     Not applicable.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0005]     The invention relates to binoculars, particularly pocket binoculars with a rotary element, by the actuation of which axially displaceable lenses are displaced for focusing. Description of Related Art including information discussed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98  
         [0006]     From German Patent Document DE 41 25 584, a binocular telescope or binoculars is known that has a focusing drive wheel which is rotated for focusing. The focusing drive wheel is provided with an internal thread formed as a screw thread. This helical gearing is in engagement with an external toothing of a bridge portion. The bridge portion is mounted for axial displacement and rotationally fixed, so that by rotation of the focusing drive wheel an axial movement of the bridge portion results. Push rods are fixedly connected to the bridge portion. Focusing lenses or focusing lens groups are axially positively connected to these push rods by means of catches.  
         [0007]     With this construction, it is disadvantageous that the adjustment path of the focusing lenses or focusing optics which can be attained with corresponding constructional size and comfortable operation is limited in the axial direction by this construction. In order to make focusing possible over a large range of distance, however, it is necessary that the focusing lenses can also move through a large adjustment path in the axial direction.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The invention has as its object to further develop a binoculars so that the range over which it can be focused is enlarged, with comfortable operation and compact structure.  
         [0009]     By the measure of providing a binoculars with a rotary element so that, from a rotary movement of the rotary element by means of a gear toothing, an axial movement results of lenses mounted for axial displacement and provided for focusing, and wherein the rotary element is in operative connection with the helical gearing by means of the interposition of a gear transmission stage, an enlargement can be provided of the possible adjustment path of the focusing lenses in the axial direction. By means of the gear transmission stage, the rotary movement of the rotary element is converted into a multiple rotation of the element provided with the helical gearing.  
         [0010]     By the use of this gear transmission stage, it is thus possible to attain an increase of the focusing range above the range which could be attained for technical reasons by a maximum possible or reasonable increase of the pitch of the screw thread.  
         [0011]     In particular, there is an effect on the ease of operation which can be provided by this enlarged axial adjustment path of the focusing lenses without the rotation angle to be turned through by the rotary element having to be increased. The whole focusing range can be traveled without the user having to frequently change his grip.  
         [0012]     The object of the invention is furthermore attained by the use of the gear transmission stage that sensitive focusing is furthermore possible in spite of a large focusing range. In particular, it has been found to be advantageous to embody this gear transmission stage in two stages. With such multi-stage gear transmission stages, a desired sensitivity can be more favorably attained, particularly with little available constructional space.  
         [0013]     It has been found to be advantageous to use a gear transmission stage whose drive takeoff portion turns through at least a multiple of the angular path, particularly twice the angular path, of the input portion of the gear transmission stage, here the rotary element. The maximum possible focusing range is thereby increased by a factor of two, two and a half, three, etc.  
         [0014]     It has been found to be advantageous that the drive takeoff portion of the gear transmission stage performs at most the fourfold angular path of the rotary element. It is thereby ensured that focusing by means of the rotary element can be sufficiently sensitive. In particular, it is possible to provide by means of the invention a sensitivity of at least 12.5, where the sensitivity is given by:  
           Actuation   -   path       Drive   -   takeoff   -   path       =   Sensitivity       
 
         [0015]     It has been found to be advantageous to arrange the gear transmission stage within the rotary element, so that a compact binoculars, particularly pocket binoculars, can be provided.  
         [0016]     Spur gears and planetary gears and friction gears, which can be arranged in a particularly space-saving manner in the rotary element, have been found to be particularly suitable as the gear transmission stage.  
         [0017]     It has furthermore been found to be advantageous to provide a central adjustment shaft with which the lenses of the focusing device are positively, axially in operative connection. It has been found to be advantageous to arrange the adjustment shaft on the hinge axis of the binoculars. In a particularly compact embodiment example, the adjustment shaft is mounted in a hinge bushing of the binoculars. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]     The invention is described in detail using the following embodiment:  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a binoculars;  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  shows a cross section along B-B as shown in  FIG. 6 , through the hinge axis of the binoculars;  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows a rotary element with gear transmission stage, in longitudinal section;  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  shows a sectional diagram through the rotary element along E-E;  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  shows a sectional diagram through the rotary element along D-D;  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  shows a sectional diagram through the rotary element along G-G; and  
         [0025]      FIG. 7  shows a sectional diagram through the rotary element along H-H. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]     The principal structure of the binoculars  1  is next described using  FIG. 1 . The housing of the binoculars  1  is in two portions, with a first housing portion  4  and a further housing portion  5 . Both housing portions are mounted rotatably on the hinge bushing  11  (see  FIG. 2 ). The relative distance of the eyepiece  3  or of the optical axes allocated to the eyepieces  3  of the binoculars  1  is variable by turning the housing portions  4 ,  5  relative to each other. These housing portions in which the grip recesses  7  are formed are denoted by reference numeral  6 .  
         [0027]     Operating elements are arranged at both ends of the hinge shaft  9 . The operating element on the user&#39;s side, here a rotary element  15 , is a component of a focusing device  13 . The operating element arranged at the opposite end of the hinge shaft  9 , here a rotary knob  55 , is a component of a diopter compensation  53 . The arrangement of this operating element is also possible in a reversed arrangement. Furthermore, the arrangement of the operating elements on another position on the hinge shaft is possible.  
         [0028]     The housing portions  4 ,  5  of the binoculars  1  are respectively provided on the outside with a protective covering  6  in which grip recesses  7  are formed.  
         [0029]     A section through the hinge shaft  9  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The manner of functioning of the focusing device  13  and of the diopter compensation  53  is described using this  FIG. 2 . The focusing device  13  has a rotary element  15 , which is provided with an inner toothing, here a spur toothing. This toothing is in engagement with an external toothing of a ring  21  which is toothed internally and externally. This internally and externally toothed ring  21  is in engagement with an outer toothing of a spur wheel  29 . Instead of the spur gearing, helical gearing could also be provided here.  
         [0030]     The arrangement of rotary element  15 , internally and externally toothed ring  21 , and sun wheel  29 , which functions as the drive takeoff portion  28  of the gear transmission stage  16 , can be seen particularly clearly in  FIG. 4 . In the embodiment example shown, the rotary element  15  has an internal toothing with 56 teeth. The internally and externally toothed ring  21  has an external toothing with 44 teeth and an internal toothing with 32 teeth. The sun wheel  29  is provided with an external toothing with 20 teeth. The overall resulting gear ratio is 2.04. A desired gear transmission ratio can be achieved by selection of the tooth ratios of the toothings of the rotary element  15 , internally and externally toothed ring  21 , and sum wheel  29 .  
         [0031]     With this transmission ratio, the sensitivity is 12.5, so that the lens is displaced in the axial direction by 0.08 mm with an actuation path of 1 mm in arcuate measure at the rotary knob. This adjustment path of the focusing lens corresponds to 0.5 diopters. The maximum adjustment path of the focusing lenses is 5.6 mm, which corresponds to a rotation of 445° at the rotary element.  
         [0032]     An axial securement  23 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , is provided for axial fixing of the drive portion  28  with gear wheel. For axial securement, a pin  25  engages in an annular groove  27  formed in the drive takeoff portion  28 . The pin  25  is fixedly connected to the hinge bushing  11 . The axial securement of the internally and externally toothed ring  21  takes place by means of the rotary element  15  which is axially mounted on the hinge bushing  11 . The internally and externally toothed ring  21  itself is radially mounted on the hinge bushing  11 , which is formed eccentrically in this region. It is thereby ensured that the internally and eternally toothed ring  21  is always in engagement, on the one hand with the toothing of the rotary element  15  and on the other hand with the toothing of the sun wheel  29 .  
         [0033]     The sun wheel  29  is arranged coaxially of the hinge shaft  9  of the binoculars  1 . The rotary element  15  is mounted at the end by means of an inward-facing projection of the rotary element  15  which engages in a recess formed in the sun wheel  29 . The sun wheel  29  has a shaft extension  31  which is mounted in a hinge bushing  11  arranged coaxially of the hinge shaft  9 . The shaft extension  31  is provided with a helical gearing  33  which is in engagement with a helical gearing  37  formed on the adjustment shaft  35 . The adjustment shaft  35  is likewise mounted in the hinge bushing  11 .  
         [0034]     In the embodiment shown, the helical gearing  37  formed in the adjustment shaft  35  is formed as an internal thread, the helical gearing  33  of the shaft extension  31  being formed a an external thread. It is however likewise possible to exchange the arrangement of the helical gearings  33 ,  37  of the adjustment shaft  35  and shaft extension  31 , so that the adjustment shaft would be formed with an external thread, which engages in a recess of the shaft extension provided with an internal thread.  
         [0035]     The adjustment shaft  35  mounted in the hinge bushing  11  is axially displaceable and is secured against rotary movements by a rotation securement  39 . A pin  41  is provided as the rotation securement, and is fixedly connected to the adjustment shaft  35 . This pin engages in a longitudinal slot  43  formed in the hinge bushing  11 . This arrangement can be seen particularly clearly in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0036]     The adjustment shaft  35  is provided with a further helical gearing  51  on the end of the adjustment shaft  35  remote from the rotary element  15 . This helical gearing  51  is again formed as an internal thread. A helical gearing  65  of a shaft  61  engages in this helical gearing  51 . If the shaft  61  is driven in rotation, the shaft  61  is screwed into or out of the adjustment shaft  35 , according to the direction of rotation. This shaft  61  is to be allocated to diopter compensation. This shaft  61  is also mounted in the hinge bushing  11 . This shaft  61  is provided at the end with a spur toothing  63 , which engages in a spur toothing  59  of the rotary knob  55  of the diopter compensation  53 . By rotating the rotary knob  55 , the shaft  61  is set in rotation because of the longitudinal toothings  59  and  63 , which are in engagement. The rotary knob  55  is provided with an axial securement  57 , and also the rotary element is provided with an axial securement  19 . Both rotary knobs  15  and  55  here snap into an annular groove formed in the hinge bushing and are thereby axially fixed to the hinge bushing  11 .  
         [0037]     If now a rotary movement is initiated by means of the rotary element  15 , the adjustment shaft  35  executes an axial movement together with the shaft  61 . As can be gathered from  FIG. 6 , an engagement element  47  positively engages axially in an annular groove  45  formed in the adjustment shaft  35 . This engagement element  47  is fixedly connected to a lens mount  49 . This lens mount  49  carries a lens  14  which is displaced in an axial direction during focusing. The lens mount  49  is mounted, displaceable axially, on a mounting shaft  75 . A further engagement element  71  positively engages axially in an annular groove  67  formed in the shaft  61 . This engagement element  71  is fixedly connected to a lens mount  69  which is mounted, displaceable axially, on a bearing shaft  73 . This lens mount  69  carries a further lens  14 , which is likewise displaced in an axial direction for focusing. This lens is however also displaceable in the axial direction by actuation of the rotary knob  55  of the diopter compensation  53 , the relative distance of the two lenses  14  being changed on operation of the diopter compensation.