USOO6937819B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 6,937,819 B2 Brough (45) Date of Patent: Aug. 30, 2005 (54) OPTICAL VIEWING SYSTEMAND 5,020.262 A 6/1991 Pena ........................... 42/106 ADAPTOR THEREFOR 5,040,885 A 8/1991 Simms ....................... 359/399 5,130,527 A 7/1992 Gramer et al. ........ 250/214 VT (76) Inventor: Richard Brough, 3171 Quaint Ranch SE A f19: N et - - - - - - - S. St., Logandale, NV (US) 89021 5,272,5142 as 2 A 12/1993 DorOC. .................. C. a. ...- - - 356/251 (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this E. A 3.18: S., al.". - - - S. patent is extended or adjusted under 35 5,444.507 A 8/1995 Palmer .......... ... 396/421 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. 5,528.418. A 6/1996 Bowman, Jr. .. ... 359/400 5,564,817 A * 10/1996 Palmer .......... ... 362/191 (21) Appl. No.: 10/947,026 5,745,170 A * 4/1998 Palmer ............. ... 348/217.1 5,828,166 A 10/1998 Roselli et al. .............. 313/365 (22) Filed: Sep. 22, 2004 5,887,375 A 3/1999 Watson ........................ 42/106 O O 5.937,562 A 8/1999 Brough ............. ... 42/119 (65) Prior Publication Data 6,094,304. A 7/2000 Wallace et al. ............. 359/425 6,326,604 B1 12/2001 Collins ................. 250/214 VT US 2005/0062873 A1 Mar. 24, 2005 6,449,419 B1 9/2002 Brough et al. .............. 385/136 Related U.S. Application Data * cited by examiner (60) Provisional application No. 60/505.319, filed on Sep. 23, 2003. Primary Examiner W. B. Perkey (51) Int. Cl. .......................... cost 1712. Goap 41.00 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm Alvin R. Wirthlin (52) U.S. Cl. ....................... 396/429; 396/530; 396/544; (57) ABSTRACT 348/217.1; 348/375; 250/214 VT - (58) Field of Search .......................... 306.71,429.530. An optical yiewing system includes first, second and third 396/544; 348/217.1, 360, 373-376 image modifying devices together with an adaptor assembly s • us - w Y’s for connecting the image modifying devices together. The (56) References Cited adaptor assembly has first and Second clamping portions. The first clamping portion is connected to the first and U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS Second image modifying devices and the Second clamping 2.946,255 A 7/1960 Bolay ......................... soo portion is connected to the first clamping portion and to the 3,464,757 A 9/1969 Schmidt ..................... 359/353 first and third Image modifying device so that the first Image 3,529,882 A 9/1970 Schmidt ..................... 359/353 modifying device is clamped between the Second and third 3,545,356 A 12/1970 Nielsen ...................... 396/426 image modifying devices. At least one of the first and Second 3,785,261 A 1/1974 Ganteaume ................. 396/426 clamping portions are removably connected to the first 3,911,451 A 10/1975 Vockenhuber .. ... 396/426 image modifying device So that the first image modifying 3,968,504 A 7/1976 Komine ....................... 396/71 device can be removed from the adaptor assembly and E. A : 3. E. E. et al. .. is: operate as a further independent optical viewing System. 4,309,0952-a-s/ 2 A 1/1982 BuckleyOllSil . ...................... 396/420 Dis Inities of y isingX E. can be 4,524,675 A 6/1985 Durenec et al. solo arranged win one or more of the clamping portions. 4,835,621 A 5/1989 Black ......................... 386/118 4,884,137 A 11/1989 Hanson et al. .............. 348/158 25 Claims, 12 Drawing Sheets U.S. Patent Aug. 30, 2005 Sheet 1 of 12 US 6,937,819 B2 U.S. Patent Aug. 30, 2005 Sheet 2 of 12 US 6,937,819 B2 U.S. Patent Aug. 30, 2005 Sheet 3 of 12 US 6,937,819 B2 U.S. Patent Aug. 30, 2005 Sheet 4 of 12 US 6,937,819 B2 U.S. Patent Aug. 30, 2005 Sheet 5 of 12 US 6,937,819 B2 U.S. Patent Aug. 30, 2005 Sheet 6 of 12 US 6,937,819 B2 U.S. Patent Aug. 30, 2005 Sheet 7 of 12 US 6,937,819 B2 U.S. Patent Aug. 30, 2005 Sheet 8 of 12 US 6,937,819 B2 U.S. Patent Aug. 30, 2005 Sheet 9 of 12 US 6,937,819 B2 U.S. Patent Aug. 30, 2005 Sheet 10 of 12 US 6,937,819 B2 U.S. Patent Aug. 30, 2005 Sheet 11 Of 12 US 6,937,819 B2 U.S. Patent Aug. 30, 2005 Sheet 12 of 12 US 6,937,819 B2 FIG. 14 US 6,937,819 B2 1 2 OPTICAL VIEWING SYSTEMAND There is a further need in the art for an optical viewing ADAPTOR THEREFOR assembly that can be modified in a relatively quick and easy CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED manner to accommodate a wide variety of needs of different APPLICATIONS users in varying image Viewing and/or recording situations. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Application No. 60/505,319 filed on Sep. 23, 2003, the In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in adaptor assembly for connecting electrically powered image its entirety. modifying devices together comprises a first image modi BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION fying device and first and Second clamping portions. The first clamping portion has a first electrical connector for This invention relates to optical devices, and more par mechanical and electrical connection to a Second electrically ticularly to an optical assembly and System for transferring operated image modifying device. The Second clamping image information from one image modifying device to portion has a Second electrical connector for mechanical and another image modifying device. electrical connection to a third electrically operated image It is often necessary to either replace or modify optical 15 assemblies, Such as firearm day Scopes or the like, when modifying device. The Second clamping portion is adapted lighting or atmospheric conditions change. The replacement for mechanical and electrical connection to the first clamp of a night vision Scope for a day Scope often requires ing portion So that the Second and third image modifying dismounting the day Scope from the firearm, then mounting devices will be in electrical communication when connected and Sighting in the night vision Scope. This is a time to the first and Second clamping portions, respectively. The consuming and labor-intensive task, and is particularly dis first image modifying device is electrically isolated from the advantageous during combat or other life-threatening Situ first and Second electrical connectors. At least one of the first ations. and Second clamping portions is removably connected to the A weaponsight provided by ITT Industries as the F7200/ first image modifying device So that the first image modi F7201 ITT Modular requires a user to interchange a day 25 fying device can be removed from the adaptor assembly and eyepiece assembly with a night eyepiece assembly in order operate as an independent optical viewing System. to use the weapon Sight at night. The night eyepiece assem In accordance with a further aspect of the present bly includes an image intensifier. The conversion of the invention, an optical viewing System comprises first, Second weapon from day-time use to night-time use and conversely, and third image modifying devices together with an adaptor is time consuming because one eyepiece assembly must be assembly for connecting the image modifying devices removed before the other eyepiece assembly is mounted. together. The Second image modifying device is positioned Furthermore, the night eyepiece assembly cannot be used for rearwardly of the first image modifying device and the third any other purpose (e.g., it cannot be used alone as a night image modifying device is positioned forwardly of the first vision monocular). Moreover, Since the optical parts of an image modifying device. The adaptor assembly includes optical assembly are typically maintained in a controlled 35 first and Second clamping portions. The first clamping atmosphere within a housing, each Separation affects the portion is connected to the Second image modifying device reliability and operation of the optical assembly. and the Second clamping portion is connected to the first Another problem in the prior art is the inability to easily clamping portion and to the third image modifying device So and quickly modify existing optical equipment by connect that the first image modifying device is clamped between the ing together different image modifying devices to thereby 40 Second and third image modifying devices. At least one of increase the usefulness of Such equipment. By way of the first and Second clamping portions are removably con nected to the first image modifying device So that the first example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,166 issued to Roselli et al. image modifying device can be removed from the adaptor discloses a device to record Still or moving images as viewed assembly and operate as a further independent optical view through an image intensifying device. The System includes ing System. an image intensifier for intensifying an image at lower light 45 levels, a backbody adaptor mounted between a rear end of BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS the image intensifier and the body of a camera, and a front The foregoing Summary as well as the following detailed lens adaptor mounted between the front end of the image description of the preferred embodiments of the present intensifier and an electronic objective lens. All of the com invention will be best understood when considered in con ponents are both mechanically and electrically connected 50 junction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like together So that the camera body powers both the image designations denote like elements throughout the drawings, intensifier and the electronic objective lens.