Mechanism for controlling the axial displacements of optical elements

Claim 1

A MECHANISM FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY CONTOLLING THE AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF TWO OPTICAL ELEMENTS ACCORDING TO A SPECIFIC LAW FOR EACH OF SAID OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SAID MECHANISM COMPRISING A FIXED TUBULAR SUPPORT; A FIRST BARREL SUPPORTING OF SAID OPTICAL ELEMENTS, THE LATTER MOUNTED FOR CONCENTRIC ROTATION WITHIN SAID FIXED TUBULAR SUPPORT, SAID FIXED TUBULAR SUPPORT HAVING GUIDE MEANS DISPOSED ON ITS INNER SURFACE, SAID FIRST BARREL BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FIXED TUBULAR THROUGH SAID GUIDE MEANS, THE LATTER COMPRISING CAM GROOVES, SO THAT UPON ROTATION OF SAID FIRST BARREL, THE LATTER PERFORMS AN AXIAL DISPLACEMENT MOVEMENT OF PREDETERMINED AXIAL LENGTH, A SECOND BARREL SUPPORTING THE OTHER OF SAID OPTICAL ELEMENTS AND HAVING A CIRCULAR GROOVE DISPOSED ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID SAID CAMS GROOVES DISPOSED ON THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID FIXED TUBULAR SUPPORT HAVING A PREDETERMINED CONTOUR DICTATED BY THE LAW GOVERNING THE AXIAL DISPLACEMENTS OF SAID SECOND BARREL IN RELATION TO THE ROTARY MOVEMENT OF SAID FIRST BARREL; A ROTARY MEMBER SECURED TO SAID FIRST BARREL DISPOSED WITHIN SAID FIXED TUBULAR SUPPORT AND SURROUNDING SAID SECOND BARREL; SAID MEMBER HAVING LONGITUDINAL SLOTS, A PLURALITY OF BALLS EQUAL IN NUMBER TO THAT OF SAID CAM GROOVES DISPOSED IN SAID FIXED TUBULAR SUPPORT AND ENGAGING THE LONGITUDINAL SLOTS IN SAID ROTARY MEMBER, EACH OF SAID BALLS BEING DISPOSED IN ONE OF SAID LONGITUDINAL SLOTS AND ENGAGING ON THE OTHER HAND SIMULTANEOUSLY SAID CIRCULAR GROOVE OF SAID SECOND BARREL, CONSTITUTING A FIRST GUIDEWAY, AND ONE OF SAID CAM GROOVES OF SAID FIXED TUBULAR SUPPORT CONSTITUTING A SECOND GUIDEWAY, WHEREBY SAID SECOND BARREL IS CENTERED BY SAID BALLS IN SAID FIXED TUBULAR SUPPORT; AND MEANS FOR ROTATABLY DRIVING SAID FIRST BARREL, WHICH, IS THEREBY ROTATING SAID BALLS, AND THE LATTER MOVING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CAM GROOVES OF SAID FIXED TUBULAR SUPPORT THROUGH SAID LONGITUDINAL SLOTS, IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID SECOND BARREL ACCORDING TO THE DESIRED PREDETERMINED LAW CONSISTENT WITH THE CONFIGURATION OF SAID GROOVES.