Reticle, reticle unit, rifle scope, and optical apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11119330-B2
Application number	US-201816618385-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2018
Priority date	Jun 2, 2017
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

There are provided a reticle, a reticle unit, and an optical apparatus, such as a rifle scope, each having a novel configuration that allows formation of a desired pattern. In a reticle 30A1 on which a pattern that serves as an indicator when an object under observation is visually recognized is formed, the pattern is formed of protruding sections 33a and 33b provided on a pattern formation surface 31a of a plate-shaped optical member 31. The protruding sections 33a and 33b are each formed of a plurality of protruding ridges 133 (structural elements) extending in the lengthwise direction of a line that forms the pattern in parallel to the widthwise direction of the line. The protruding ridges 133 each have an inclining surface 140 inclining with respect to the optical path of an observation optical path, and the inclination angle of the inclining surface with respect to the optical axis Z is so set at an angle that causes light incident via an objective lens to be deflected to exit out of the observation optical path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A reticle disposed in an observation optical path between an objective lens and an ocular lens in a position of an image formed by the objective lens, the reticle having a pattern formed thereon, the pattern being configured to aid in targeting an object under observation when an observer visually recognizes the object under observation via the ocular lens,
wherein the pattern includes a protruding section and/or a recessed section provided on at least one surface of a plate-shaped optical member,
the protruding section and/or the recessed section are each formed of a plurality of structural elements, and
the structural elements each have an inclining surface inclining with respect to an optical axis of the observation optical path,
wherein an inclination angle of the inclining surfaces with respect to the optical axis is set at an angle that causes light incident via the objective lens to be deflected to exit out of the observation optical path so as to not reach the observer through the ocular lens, and
wherein the protruding section and/or the recessed section are each formed of the plurality of structural elements having the inclining surface different from one another in terms of height.

2. The reticle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the inclining surfaces are each a refraction surface that refracts the light incident via the objective lens, and
the light incident via the objective lens is so refracted as to exit out of the observation optical path to allow the observer to visually recognize the pattern as a dark pattern image superimposed on an image of the object under observation.

3. The reticle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pattern includes the protruding section,
the structural elements of the protruding section are each a protruding ridge having two of the inclining surfaces that face each other with an extending ridge line, and
the protruding section is formed of a plurality of protruding ridges having the ridge line extending in a lengthwise direction of a line that forms the pattern in parallel to a widthwise direction of the line.

4. The reticle according to claim 3 ,
wherein the pattern has linear partial patterns having different widths, and
the linear partial patterns having different widths are formed of the protruding ridges provided in rows, the number of which is determined in accordance with a linewidth of each of the linear partial patterns.

5. The reticle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pattern includes the recessed section,
the structural elements of the recessed section are each a groove having two of the inclining surfaces that face each other with an extending trough line, and
the recessed section is formed of a plurality of grooves having the trough line extending in a lengthwise direction of a line that forms the pattern in parallel to a widthwise direction of the line.

6. The reticle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pattern includes the protruding section,
the structural elements of the protruding section include structural elements having pyramidal shapes or conical shapes formed to protrude from the at least one surface,
the inclining surfaces of the structural elements having pyramidal surfaces or conical surfaces, and
the protruding section is a cluster of the plurality of structural elements.

7. The reticle according to claim 6 ,
wherein the pattern includes a plurality of partial patterns, and
at least one partial pattern includes a protruding section that is formed of a plurality of polygonal-pyramidal structural elements that are densely formed.

8. The reticle according to claim 7 ,
wherein the plurality of partial patterns includes a curved partial pattern, and
the curved partial pattern includes a protruding section that is formed of a plurality of conical structural elements that are densely formed.

9. The reticle according to claim 8 ,
wherein the curved partial pattern is a ring-shaped pattern formed by arranging the plurality of conical structural elements in a concentric manner, and
intervals at which the conical structural elements located along an outer circumferential concentric circle of the concentric circles are arranged are smaller than intervals at which the conical structural elements located along an inner circumferential concentric circle of the concentric circles are arranged.

10. The reticle according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of conical structural elements that form the curved partial pattern are so arranged that outer circular edges of bottoms of adjacent conical structural elements overlap with each other.

11. The reticle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pattern includes the recessed section,
the structural elements of the recessed section are each having a pyramidal shape formed to be recessed from the at least one surface,
the inclining surfaces are each a pyramidal surface, and
the recessed section is a cluster of the plurality of structural elements.

12. A field scope comprising:
the reticle according claim 1 ;
the objective lens that forms an image of the object under observation; and
the ocular lens for observing the image of the object under observation formed by the objective lens.

13. An optical apparatus comprising:
the reticle according claim 1 ;
the objective lens that forms an image of the object under observation; and
the ocular lens for observing the image of an object under observation formed by the objective lens.

14. A reticle disposed in an observation optical path between an objective lens and an ocular lens in a position of an image formed by the objective lens, the reticle having a pattern formed thereon, the pattern being configured to aid in targeting an object under observation when an observer visually recognizes the object under observation via the ocular lens,
wherein the pattern includes a protruding section provided on at least one surface of a plate-shaped optical member,
the protruding section is formed of a plurality of structural elements,
the structural elements each have an inclining surface inclining with respect to an optical axis of the observation optical path,
an inclination angle of the inclining surfaces with respect to the optical axis is set at an angle that causes light incident via the objective lens to be deflected to exit out of the observation optical path,
wherein the structural elements of the protruding section are each a protruding ridge having two of the inclining surfaces that face each other with an extending ridge line, and
wherein the protruding section is formed of a plurality of protruding ridges having the ridge line extending in a lengthwise direction of a line that forms the pattern in parallel to a widthwise direction of the line.

15. The reticle according to claim 14 ,
wherein the inclining surfaces are each a refraction surface that refracts the light incident via the objective lens, and
the light incident via the objective lens is so refracted as to exit out of the observation optical path to allow the observer to visually recognize the pattern as a dark pattern image superimposed on an image of the object under observation.

16. The reticle according to claim 14 ,
wherein the pattern has linear partial patterns having different widths, and
the linear partial patterns having different widths are formed of the protruding ridges provided in rows, the number of which is determined in accordance with a linewidth of each of the linear partial patterns.

17. The reticle according to claim 14 , wherein the protruding section is formed

Assignees

• Nikon Corp
• Nikon Vision Co Ltd

Inventors

• Watanabe Koichi
• Kawakami Jun
• Tomita Katsunori
• Ishikawa Yasuaki
• Okazaki Satoru

Classifications

• G02B23/00

  Telescopes, e.g. binoculars; Periscopes; Instruments for viewing the inside of hollow bodies; Viewfinders; Optical aiming or sighting devices · CPC title

• G02B5/0231

  the surface having microprismatic or micropyramidal shape (macroscopic prism arrays G02B5/045) · CPC title

• F41G1/38 Primary

  Telescopic sights specially adapted for smallarms or ordnance (telescopic sights in general G02B); Supports or mountings therefor · CPC title

• G02B27/32 Primary

  Fiducial marks and measuring scales within the optical system · CPC title

• G02B5/0215

  the surface having a regular structure · CPC title