Binoculars

{
  "publication_number": "US10088648B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Binoculars",
  "abstract": "Interpupillary distance of binoculars is adjusted by relatively rotating a pair of lens barrels about a predetermined axis. A click position setting mechanism sets a click position at an arbitrary angle of rotation of said pair of lens barrels and includes a rotating member rotatable about the predetermined axis. A lock/unlock member locks and unlocks the rotation of the rotating member.",
  "claims": [
    "1. Binoculars comprising: an axial member interconnecting first and second lens barrels each having a telescopic optical system to be relatively rotatable, an interpupillary distance being adjusted by relatively rotating said first and second lens barrels about an axis of said axial member, a click position setting mechanism serving to set a click position at an arbitrary angle of rotation of said first and second lens barrels corresponding to an arbitrary interpupillary distance, said click position setting mechanism including a rotating member fitted on an outer peripheral surface of said axial member to be rotatable about the axis of said axial member independently from said first and second lens barrels and facing said first and second lens barrels and a click mechanism that includes a protruded portion being provided on any one of said first lens barrel and said rotating member; a recessed portion being provided on the other of said first lens barrel and said rotating member and being capable of engaging with said protruded portion; and a lock/unlock member locking the rotation of said rotating member with respect to said second lens barrel at a position where said second lens barrel is rotated in accordance with said arbitrary interpupillary distance and unlocking the locked rotation thereof; wherein said rotating member is disposed apart from both said first and second lens barrels, and engages with a part of said outer peripheral surface of said axial member, thereby regulating a movement of said rotating member toward said first and second lens barrels along the axial direction of said axial member; and said lock/unlock member is screwed to said axial member and is fastened against said rotating member in the axial direction of said axial member so that said lock/unlock member is brought into contact with an end of said rotating member, whereby the rotation of said rotating member is adapted to be locked.",
    "2. The binoculars according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of click positions are provided.",
    "3. The binoculars according to claim 2, wherein at least one click position of the plurality of click positions is different in terms of a sense of clicking from other click positions.",
    "4. The binoculars according to claim 1, wherein said protruded portion protrudes in a direction of said predetermined axis.",
    "5. The binoculars according to claim 1, wherein said protruded portion is configured by a ball biased in a direction of the protrusion by an elastic member.",
    "6. The binoculars according to claim 1, wherein said lock/unlock member serves also as a decorative cover that covers one side of said rotating member in the axial direction.",
    "7. The binoculars according to claim 1, wherein said first and second lens barrels are kept to be relatively rotatable in the state of said lock/unlock member being locked.",
    "8. The binoculars according to claim 1, wherein said axial member interconnects said first lens barrel to said axial member to be rotatable about said axis, and said second lens barrel to said axial member to be fixed to said axial member.",
    "9. A method for adjusting an interpupillary distance of binoculars that comprise: an axial member interconnecting first and second lens barrels each having a telescopic optical system to be relatively rotatable, an interpupillary distance being adjusted by relatively rotating said first and second lens barrels about an axis of said axial member, a click position setting mechanism serving to set a click position at an arbitrary angle of rotation of said first and second lens barrels corresponding to an arbitrary interpupillary distance, said click position setting mechanism including a rotating member fitted on an outer peripheral surface of said axial member to be rotatable about the axis of said axial member independently from said first and second lens barrels and facing said first and second lens barrels and a click mechanism that includes a protruded portion being provided on any one of said first lens barrel and said rotating member; a recessed portion being provided on the other of said first lens barrel and said rotating member and being capable of engaging with said protruded portion; and a lock/unlock member locking the rotation of said rotating member with respect to said second lens barrel at a position where said second lens barrel is rotated in accordance with said arbitrary interpupillary distance and unlocking the locked rotation thereof; wherein said rotating member is disposed apart from both said first and second lens barrels, and engages with a part of said outer peripheral surface of said axial member, thereby regulating a movement of said rotating member toward said first and second lens barrels along the axial direction of said axial member; and said lock/unlock member is screwed to said axial member and is fastened against said rotating member in the axial direction of said axial member so that said lock/unlock member is brought into contact with an end of said rotating member, whereby the rotation of said rotating member is adapted to be locked, said method comprising: setting the rotating member to be rotatable about said second lens barrel by unlocking the lock/unlock member, setting the first and second lens barrels at an arbitrary angle corresponding to an arbitrary interpupillary distance by rotating the first and second lens barrels relatively, engaging the protruded portion and the recessed portion with each other by rotating the rotating member, and setting the rotating member to be locked about said second lens barrel rotated in accordance with said arbitrary interpupillary distance by locking the lock/unlock member."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to binoculars.\n\nJapanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H11-14893 discloses horizontal movement type binoculars including: a click plate having a click portion provided in at least one part and being slidable in a direction orthogonal to a direction of an optical axis along a fixed body; an interpupillary distance click spring fitted to a movable body slidably movable in the direction orthogonal to the direction of the optical axis with respect to the fixed body and being capable of engaging with the click portion; and a lock mechanism being capable of locking and unlocking the click plate in an arbitrary position.\n\nAccording to the conventional horizontal movement type binoculars, a position of the interpupillary distance at which a sense of clicking is obtained can be arbitrarily set and, besides, can be changed without canceling this set position.\n\nPatent document: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H11-14893\n\nHowever, the conventional binoculars adopt a structure disabling the click plate from being operated directly. Therefore, in order to set the click plate in an arbitrary position, a user has to locate the click plate in a desired position and to thus set the click position by engaging the interpupillary distance click spring with a recessed portion of the click plate while sliding the movable body in an unlocked state of the lock mechanism and moving the movable body in the way of bringing the click plate together.",
  "cpc": [
    "G02B 7/12",
    "G02B 23/02",
    "G02B 23/18",
    "G02B 7/06"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G02B 23/18",
    "G02B 7/06",
    "G02B 7/12"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Nikon Vision Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Mitsuo Yamamoto"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2013-03-29",
  "publication_date": "2018-10-02",
  "grant_date": "2018-10-02",
  "priority_date": "2012-03-29",
  "application_number": "US-201314389312-A",
  "family_id": "49260421",
  "cited_by_count": 3,
  "citations": [
    "JPS50120450A",
    "JPS55124019A",
    "US4428651A",
    "US5305141A",
    "JPH08262310A",
    "JPH1114893A",
    "JPH11202383A",
    "JP2000099178A",
    "JP2002372671A",
    "JP2004361693A",
    "US20090268284A1",
    "JP2010256455A",
    "US20130083391A1"
  ]
}