GB2241079A - Illuminated telescope - Google Patents

Abstract

Illumination for a telescope 10 such that it may be easily used in the dark is provided by attaching a torch 20, having a generally cylindrical body 22, to the telescope's tubular body 12. In order to permit focussing of light from the torch component 20 onto the focal axis of the telescope 10 the torch 20 includes a bulb 24 partially enclosed by a parabolic reflecting plate 34 which plate is adjustable about a hinge arrangement 36 by way of a screw adjustment mechanism 38. The light beam from the reflecting plate 34 can thus be displaced so as to coincide with the desired focal point of the telescope 10 which has an adjustable eyepiece 16 in slidable tube 18. Power for the torch may be provided by batteries 22 or an external power source via lead 32. The torch may be clipped to, or permanently mounted on, the telescope. <IMAGE>

Description

ILLUMINATED TELESCOPE This invention relates to an illuminated telescope to enable small objects to be seen and identified easily during night-time or in the dark.

Telescopes and light sources, for example, torches, are separately well known. However, it is often the case that whilst a torch may illuminate an object sufficiently for it to be seen in the dark, it is too far away to be identified and a telescope, whilst enabling the device to be identified, has insufficient light during night-time or dark conditions to operate effectively or efficiently. A common example of a situation where it is vital to identify a small object quickly and easily during the night it the recognition of a door number by a doctor during an urgent night-time visit. In such a situation it is vital that the doctor is able to see the door number quickly and clearly at a reasonable distance preferably without having to get out of his car or transport in order to examine closely the number.Thus, valuable time would be saved by illuminating and magnifying the door number.

It is possible to use a separate telescope and a torch. However, the correct directioning of the light beam onto the required target and focussing of the telescope simultaneously are difficult to achieve under common operating conditions. Furthermore, the required use of two hands to achieve coincident focussing of both telescope and light can be inconvenient and in certain conditions impossible.

It would be an advantage therefore to provide a telescope with its own focussed illumination such that small targets could be illuminated and viewed during night-time conditions at a longer distance than hereto thought possible.

With this object in view the present invention comprises an illuminated telescope comprising a telescope component having a cylindrical body, an adjustable eye lens disposed at one end of said cylindrical body and a fixed object lens disposed at said other end of cylindrical body, a light source attached to the telescope component near to the fixed object lens, which light source is adjustable relative to the telescope component's focal plane such that illumination may be focussed onto a target to which the telescope is directed.

In a preferred aspect of the invention there is provided as the light source a light bulb at least partially enclosed in a parabolic reflecting plate which is hingedly disposed in a tubular body adapted for attachment to the telescope component the parabolic reflecting plate's upper edge engaging with an adjustment mechanism which is rigidly fixed in the tubular telescope body such that the angle of the reflecting plate is adjustable with respect to the telescope body's axis.

Preferably the adjusting mechanism is a screw adjustment mechanism, for example, a worm wheel or similar arrangement.

Preferably, the light source is attached to the cylindrical telescope body by way of a separable connector such that it may be detached if required.

Advantageously, the light source is powered by an internal power supply, for example, batteries and preferably provided with a switching mechanism to permit use of an external power supply, for example, a car cigarette lighter or other similar source.

In a further advantageous modification of the invention, a connecting mechanism is provided such that two illuminated telescopes may be attached together providing binocular vision for the telescope's user. Preferably, in this configuration one light source is provided between the two telescope components.

The invention will be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is a sectional side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the single figure an illuminated telescope according to the invention comprises a telescope component 10 formed of a cylindrical or tubular body 12.

At one end of the body 12 is a fixed object lens 14 and at the other end thereof is an eye lens 16 which is provided within an extension tube 18 such that the lens 16 is displaceable axially relative to the object lens 14. In this way the telescope may be focussed on objects provided at different distances from the object lens.

In order to provide illumination such that the telescope 10 may be used during night-time or relatively dark conditions, a torch component 20 is provided comprising a generally cylindrical body 22. The torch cylindrical body 22 is attached to the telescope body 12 either rigidly and non-separably or by way of a separable connector, for example, a spring clip or slide clip arrangement. Alternatively, the telescope body 12 and torch body 22 may be integrally moulded such that they are inseperable.

In the preferred embodiment the light source 20 includes a light bulb 24 electrically connected to batteries contained in the body 22 and operated by way of an on/off switch 28. A further two way switch 30 is provided at one end of the torch body 22 such that the power for the bulb may be switched between the batteries 26 and an external power source, for example, a car cigarette lighter which may be attached by way of a suitable adaptor 32.

In order to provide a parallel light beam a parabolic reflecting plate 34 is provided behind the light bulb 24 so as to reflect and concentrate the light generated thereby. This parabolic reflecting plate 34 is substantially hemispherical in configuration such that reflected light rays emerge substantially parallel to each other thus providing a coherent light beam. In order that the light beam may be focussed onto a target to which the telescope 10 is also focussed the parabolic reflecting plate is provided with a hinge arrangement 36 such that the light beam generated by the reflecting plate 34 is adjustable so as to converge with the focal point of the telescope 10.In order to provide precise adjustment of the light beam position with respect to the focal point of the telescope 10 adjusting means 38 in the form of a screw or worm wheel arrangement si provided between the reflecting plate and the torch body 22. Adjustment of the screw will therefore cause the light beam to be displaced such that it can be caused to converge with the focal point of the telescope 10 on the desired target.

Operation of the telescope according to the invention will be apparent from the details set out heretofore. The telescope is aimed at the desired target and the light source switched on by operation of the switch 28. The beam is then adjusted by way of the screw arrangement 34 until it can be seen through the telescope eye lens 16 and object lens 14. The eye lens 16 is then adjusted with respect to the object lens 14 in order to bring the target into focus so that it might be examined by the user. If there is sufficient light to focus the telescope before switching the light source on then the steps may be reversed. However, during night-time or other darkened conditions the available light will usually be insufficient to determine whether the telescope is focussed or not before the light is used to illuminate the target. Even in its unfocussed condition, however, the light from the light source will be visible through the telescope lenses 14, 16.

Variations are possible and the invention is not confined to the foregoing details. For example, the torch body 20 may be attached to the telescope component 10 by way of a suitable connecting clip or may be integrally moulded thereto so as to be relatively separable. Furthermore additional connecting means could be provided such that two such telescope/torch components may be combined so as to provide binocular vision for the user. In such an instance the assembled arrangement may comprise two telescope components and a single torch component 20. Other variations are also possible.

Claims (9)

1. An illuminated telescope comprising a telescope component having a cylindrical body, an adjustable eye lens disposed at one end of said cylindrical body and a fixed object lens disposed at said other end of cylindrical body and a light source component attached to the telescope component near to the fixed object lens, which light source is adjustable relative to the telescope component's focal plane such that illumination may be focussed onto a target to which the telescope is directed.

2. An illuminated telescope as claimed in claim 1 in which the light source component includes a light bulb at least partially enclosed in a parabolic reflecting plate which is hingedly disposed in a tubular body adapted for attachment to the telescope component, the parabolic reflecting plate's upper edge engaging with an adjustment mechanism which is rigidly fixed in relation to the tubular telescope body such that the angle of the reflecting plate is adjustable with respect to the telescope body's axis.

3. An illuminated telescope as claimed in claims 1 or 2 in which the adjusting mechanism is a screw adjustment mechanism.

4. An illuminated telescope as claimed in claim 3 in which the screw adjustment mechanism includes a worm wheel and associated shaft.

5. An illuminated telescope as claimed in any preceding claim in which the light source is attached to the cylindrical telescope body by way of a separable connector such that it may be detached if required.

6. An illuminated telescope as claimed in any preceding claim in which the light source is powered by an internal power supply and is provided with a switching mechanism to permit optional use of an external power supply.

7. An illuminated telescope as claimed in any preceding claim in which a connecting mechanism is provided such that two telescope components may be attached together providing binocular vision for the telescope's user.

8. An illuminated telescope as claimed in claim 7 in which one light source is provided between the two attached telescope components.

9. An illuminated telescope substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.