Optical tunnel high-speed camera system

Claim 2

In a framing camera for framing an object, the combination comprising: multiple reflecting means having an input end for forming a twodimensional array of virtual images of an object to be recorded; imaging means for directing an image of said object at the input end of said reflecting means comprising a rotatable multifaced mirror having an axis of rotation and a plurality of said faces being inclined at different angles to said axis, means for rotating said mirror and reimaging means for capturing image rays projected from each rotating face of said mirror and for reimaging said rays as a real image at the input end of said reflecting means; copy means optically coupled to the output end of reflecting means for forming a two-dimensional array of real images of said virtual images on a surface outside of said reflecting means; and support means disposed at said surface for supporting a lightsensitive recording element.

Claim 3

A camera according to claim 1 in which said reflecting means comprises an optical tunnel of rectangular cross section.

Claim 4

A camera according to claim 2 in which said tunnel includes two sets of plane parallel mirrors disposed orthogonal to each other.

Claim 5

A camera according to claim 2 in which said optical tunnel comprises a rectangular totally internally reflecting glass block.

Claim 6

A camera according to claim 1 in which each of said faces is in the form of a quadrilateral planar reflecting surface and each of said faces is joined on two opposite edges with the edge of another face.

Claim 7

A camera according to claim 5 in which each of said faces has an equivalent minimum area parallel to the axis of rotation.

Claim 8

An optical continuous framing camera comprising in combination: a plurality of optical tunnels of rectangular cross section, each having an input end and an output end; a rotatable multifaced mirror adapted on rotation to project sequential rows of real images at the input end of each of said tunnels from adjacent faces thereof said tunnel being positioned such that one of said mirror faces is within the recording angle of the input end of one of said optical tunnels during the time interval when an adjacent mirror face is not within the recording angle of the input end of another of said optical tunnels; objective lens means for forming a real image of an event on each face of said mirror; and copy lens means disposed at the output end of each of said tunnels for forming a plurality of real images on an image plane outside of said tunnel.

Claim 9

An optical continuous framing camera comprising in combination: a plurality of optical tunnels of rectangular cross section, each having an input end and an output end; a rotatable multifaced mirror adapted on rotation to project sequential rows of real images at the input end of each of said tunnels from adjacent faces thereof said tunnel being positioned such that one of said mirror faces is within the recording angle of the input end of one of said optical tunnels during the time interval when an adjacent mirror face is not within the recording angle of the input end of another of said optical tunnels; objective lens means for forming a real image of an event on each face of said mirror; and copy lens means disposed at the output end of each of said tunnels for forming a plurality of real images on an image plane outside of said tunnel.

Claim 10

In a framing camera for framing an object, the combination comprising: a first and second optical tunnel of rectangular cross section and each having an input end for forming two-dimensional arrays of virtual images of an object to be recorded; imaging means for directing an image of said object at the input end of each of said optical tunnels comprising a rotatable multifaced mirror disposed to project alternate images from different faces thereof to the input ends of said tunnEls, one face being within the recording angle of one of said tunnels during the time interval when an adjacent face is not within the recording angle of said other tunnel; means for rotating said mirror and reimaging means for capturing rays projected from each rotating face of said mirror and for reimaging said rays as a real image at the input end of each of said tunnels; copy means optically coupled to the output end of each of said tunnels for forming two-dimensional arrays of real images of said virtual images on a pair of surfaces outside of said tunnels; and support means disposed at each of said surfaces for supporting a set of light-sensitive recording elements.

Claim 11

In a framing camera for framing an object, the combination comprising: a first and second optical tunnel of rectangular cross section and each having an input end for forming two-dimensional arrays of virtual images of an object to be recorded; imaging means for directing an image of said object at the input end of each of said optical tunnels comprising a rotatable multifaced mirror disposed to project alternate images from different faces thereof to the input ends of said tunnEls, one face being within the recording angle of one of said tunnels during the time interval when an adjacent face is not within the recording angle of said other tunnel; means for rotating said mirror and reimaging means for capturing rays projected from each rotating face of said mirror and for reimaging said rays as a real image at the input end of each of said tunnels; copy means optically coupled to the output end of each of said tunnels for forming two-dimensional arrays of real images of said virtual images on a pair of surfaces outside of said tunnels; and support means disposed at each of said surfaces for supporting a set of light-sensitive recording elements.