Fine focus assembly

Claim 2

A fine focus assembly for an optical instrument having a housing, a lens holding means for supporting a movable lens assembly and translation means for moving said lens holding means with respect to said housing, said translation means comprising a crystal assembly having at least one crystal layer and a brass vane which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of said lens assembly, said crystal layer assembly being supported at its ends by said housing and being secured at the center thereof to said lens assembly, said crystal assembly being connected to a source of voltage which causes expansion and contraction of said crystal layer with respect to said brass vane for causing a bending of said crystal which produces a translation of said lens assembly with respect to said housing.

Claim 3

The fine focus assembly of claim 1 and further including an arcuate spring member, said spring member being connected at the center thereof to the top wall of said housing, said arcuate spring member further including a pair of ends which are disposed on the ends of said crystal assembly for maintaining said crystal assembly in place, said holding means for said lens assembly enabling relative movement of said lens assembly with respect to said lens holding means when a vertical force is applied to the lowermost edge of the lens assembly which overcomes the gravitational and spring force applied to the lens assembly so that said lens assembly will not be crushed by abutment against a solid surface below said optical instrument.

Claim 4

The fine focus assembly of claim 1 and further including means responsive to said translation means for measuring the amount of relative movement of said lens assembly with respect to said housing.

Claim 5

The fine focus assembly of claim 3 wherein said means responsive includes at least one strain gauge which is secured to the surface of said crystal assembly.

Claim 6

The fine focus assembly of claim 4 wherein a plurality of said strain gauges are secured to the surface of said crystal assembly and said gauges are connected in a Wheatstone bridge configuration.

Claim 7

A fine focus assembly for an optical instrument, said assembly including a housing, lens holding means, translation means for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing, a planar spring member, said spring member extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of relative movement of said lens holding means with respect to said housing, said housing being fixedly secured to said spring member and said lens holding means being fixedly secured to said spring but spaced from the securement of said housing, a portion of said spring member being deflected transversely to its plane when the translation means provides a force for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing and means responsive to translation oF said lens holding means for determination of the extent of movement of said lens assembly.

Claim 8

A fine focus assembly for an optical instrument, said assembly including a housing, lens holding means, translation means for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing, a planar spring member, said spring member extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of relative movement of said lens holding means with respect to said housing, said housing being fixedly secured to said spring member and said lens holding means being fixedly secured to said spring but spaced from the securement of said housing, a portion of said spring member being deflected transversely to its plane when the translation means provides a force for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing and means responsive to translation oF said lens holding means for determination of the extent of movement of said lens assembly.

Claim 9

A fine focus assembly for an optical instrument, said assembly including a housing, lens holding means, translation means for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing, a planar spring member, said spring member extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of relative movement of said lens holding means with respect to said housing, said housing being fixedly secured to said spring member and said lens holding means being fixedly secured to said spring but spaced from the securement of said housing, a portion of said spring member being deflected transversely to its plane when the translation means provides a force for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing, said translation means comprising a crystal assembly, said crystal assembly being supported at its ends by said housing and a lens mounted in said lens holding means being secured centrally of said crystal assembly whereby said lens is translated with respect to said housing by the bending of said crystal assembly.

Claim 10

A fine focus assembly for an optical instrument, said assembly including a housing, lens holding means, translation means for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing, a planar spring member, said spring member extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of relative movement of said lens holding means with respect to said housing, said housing being fixedly secured to said spring member and said lens holding means being fixedly secured to said spring but spaced from the securement of said housing, a portion of said spring member being deflected transversely to its plane when the translation means provides a force for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing, said translation means comprising a crystal assembly, said crystal assembly being supported at its ends by said housing and a lens mounted in said lens holding means being secured centrally of said crystal assembly whereby said lens is translated with respect to said housing by the bending of said crystal assembly.

Claim 11

The fine focus assembly of claim 7 wherein said crystal assembly comprises a brass vane and at least one layer of piezoelectric crystal, said crystal being bent by the application of a potential across said crystal layer and said brass vane, said bend of said crystal assembly being proportional to the amount of voltage applied across said crystal assembly.

Claim 12

A fine focus assembly for an optical instrument, said assembly including a housing, lens holding means, translation means for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing, a planar spring member, said spring member extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of relative movement of said lens holding means with respect to said housing, said planar spring member being secured at its ends to said housing and to said lens holding means at the center thereof only along an axis extending transverse to said longitudinal axis of relative movement of said lens holding means and extending transverse to a straight line extending between said ends, a portion of said spring member being deflected transversely to its plane when the translation means provides a force for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing.

Claim 13

A fine focus assembly for an optical instrument, said assembly including a housing, lens holding means, translation means for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing, a planar spring member, said spring member extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of relative movement of said lens holding means with respect to said housing, said planar spring member being secured at its ends to said housing and to said lens holding means at the center thereof only along an axis extending transverse to said longitudinal axis of relative movement of said lens holding means and extending transverse to a straight line extending between said ends, a portion of said spring member being deflected transversely to its plane when the translation means provides a force for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing.

Claim 14

A fine focus assembly for an optical instrument, said assembly including a housing, lens holding means, translation means for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing, a planar spring member, said spring member extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of relative movement of said lens holding means with respect to said housing, a second planar spring member which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of relative movement of the lens holding means with respect to said housing, said first named spring member being secured to one end of said lens holding means and said second spring member being secured to the other end of said lens holding means, said planar spring members being secured at their respective ends to said housing and to said lens holding means at the respective centers thereof, straight lines extending between the secured ends of said first named and said second planar spring members are angularly displaced 90* with respect to each other about the longitudinal axis of relative movement of the lens holding means with respect to the housing, a portion of said spring members being deflected transversely to their plane when the translation means provides a force for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing.

Claim 15

A fine focus assembly for an optical instrument, said assembly including a housing, lens holding means, translation means for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing, a planar spring member, said spring member extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of relative movement of said lens holding means with respect to said housing, a second planar spring member which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis of relative movement of the lens holding means with respect to said housing, said first named spring member being secured to one end of said lens holding means and said second spring member being secured to the other end of said lens holding means, said planar spring members being secured at their respective ends to said housing and to said lens holding means at the respective centers thereof, straight lines extending between the secured ends of said first named and said second planar spring members are angularly displaced 90* with respect to each other about the longitudinal axis of relative movement of the lens holding means with respect to the housing, a portion of said spring members being deflected transversely to their plane when the translation means provides a force for moving the lens holding means with respect to said housing.