Optical devices

Claim 2

An optical device comprising: a. a firm support portion; b. a flexure spring having first and second opposite ends of which the first is secured to the support portion; c. an optical member carried by the second end of the flexure spring and operative to deflect a light beam that is incident on the optical member to an extent that depends on the degree of flexure of the flexure spring; and d. a strain gauge mounted on the flexure spring and providing an electrical measure of said degree of flexure.

Claim 3

A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexure spring comprises a strip of flexible material having first and second sides, said strain gauge being mounted on said first side of the strip, and wherein the device also comprises a second strain gauge mounted on said second side of the strip and a bridge circuit having two arms which are constituted respectively by said strain gauges.

Claim 4

A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said optical member presents a plane reflecting surface to said light beam.

Claim 5

A device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said optical member is a Swan cube.

Claim 6

An optical instrument of the kind having an objective, eyepiece means for viewing a field of view under investigation imaged by means of the objective at a focal plane of the eyepiece means, and an image-splitting device which comprises a group of plane reflectors mounted so as to permit adjustment of the disposition of at least one reflector of the group relative to another and is arranged between the objective and the eyepiece means for splitting a primary light beam, received from the objeCtive, into two secondary image-bearing light beams which, downstream of said group, are spaced from one another by a distance which is selectively variable by adjustment of said spatial relationship, wherein the improvement resides in that: a. a flexure spring having two opposite ends is mounted in the image-splitting device; b. the relatively adjustable reflectors are connected to the said two opposite ends respectively of the flexure spring, which undergoes flexure when such adjustment takes place; and c. a strain gauge is carried by the flexure spring and provides an electrical measure of the degree of flexure of the flexure spring.

Claim 7

An optical instrument of the kind having an objective, eyepiece means for viewing a field of view under investigation imaged by means of the objective at a focal plane of the eyepiece means, and an image-splitting device which comprises a group of plane reflectors mounted so as to permit adjustment of the disposition of at least one reflector of the group relative to another and is arranged between the objective and the eyepiece means for splitting a primary light beam, received from the objeCtive, into two secondary image-bearing light beams which, downstream of said group, are spaced from one another by a distance which is selectively variable by adjustment of said spatial relationship, wherein the improvement resides in that: a. a flexure spring having two opposite ends is mounted in the image-splitting device; b. the relatively adjustable reflectors are connected to the said two opposite ends respectively of the flexure spring, which undergoes flexure when such adjustment takes place; and c. a strain gauge is carried by the flexure spring and provides an electrical measure of the degree of flexure of the flexure spring.

Claim 8

An instrument as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flexure spring comprises a strip of flexible material which has first and second sides, said strain gauge being mounted on said first side, and the spring is secured at one of its said two opposite ends to a support to which at least one of said relatively adjustable reflectors is fixedly secured and carries at its other end another of said relatively adjustable reflectors, and wherein the instrument also comprises a second strain gauge, mounted on said second side of the strip, and a bridge circuit having two arms which are constituted respectively by said strain gauges.

Claim 9

An instrument as claimed in claim 6, wherein the reflector carried at said other end of the spring is constituted by a Swan cube.

Claim 10

For use in an optical instrument of the kind having an objective, and eyepiece means for viewing a field of view under investigation, imaged by means of the objective at a focal plane of the eyepiece means, an image-splitting device adapted to be arranged between the objective and the eyepiece means and comprising: a. a group of plane reflectors mounted so as to permit adjustment of the disposition of at least one reflector of the group relative to another for splitting a primary light beam, received from the objective, into two secondary image-bearing beams which, downstream of said group, are spaced from one another by a distance which is selectively variable by such adjustment; b. a flexure spring mounted in the device and having two opposite ends; and c. a strain gauge carried by the flexure spring and providing an electrical measure of the degree of flexure of the flexure spring, the relatively adjustable reflectors being connected to the said two opposite ends respectively of the flexure spring, which undergoes flexure when such adjustment takes place.

Claim 11

For use in an optical instrument of the kind having an objective, and eyepiece means for viewing a field of view under investigation, imaged by means of the objective at a focal plane of the eyepiece means, an image-splitting device adapted to be arranged between the objective and the eyepiece means and comprising: a. a group of plane reflectors mounted so as to permit adjustment of the disposition of at least one reflector of the group relative to another for splitting a primary light beam, received from the objective, into two secondary image-bearing beams which, downstream of said group, are spaced from one another by a distance which is selectively variable by such adjustment; b. a flexure spring mounted in the device and having two opposite ends; and c. a strain gauge carried by the flexure spring and providing an electrical measure of the degree of flexure of the flexure spring, the relatively adjustable reflectors being connected to the said two opposite ends respectively of the flexure spring, which undergoes flexure when such adjustment takes place.

Claim 12

A device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the flexure spring comprises a strip of flexible material which has first and second sides, said strain gauge being mounted on said first side, and the spring is secured at one of its said two opposite ends to a support to which at least one of said relatively adjustable reflectors is fixedly secured and carries at its other end another of said relatively adjustable reflectors, and wherein the device also comprises a second strain gauge, mounted on said second side of the strip, and a bridge circuit having two arms which are constituted respectively by said strain gauges.

Claim 13

A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the reflector carried at said other end of the spring is constituted by a Swan cube.