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US5296971A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Objective lens system for endoscopes

Assignee: Olympus Corp
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Filing: 1992-03-03
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Granted: 1994-03-22
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Expires: 2012-03-03
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention relates to a retrofocus type of objective lens system for endoscopes which has a wide field angle, a short total length and a short outer diameter, comprises a limited number of lenses and is well corrected for various aberrations. This objective lens for endscopes comprises a first lens component L 1 having a negative refractive power, a second lens component L 2 having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop S positioned just in the rear of the second lens component L 2 and a third lens component that is a cemented lens obtained by cementing together a positive lens and a negative lens.

Inventors

  • 👤 Takao Mori

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 17:04
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B9/00; G02B9/12; G02B23/00; G02B23/24; G02B23/2407; G02B23/2423; G02B23/243

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim 85 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising, in order from an object side to an image side of the system: a first lens component having a negative refractive power, a second lens component comprising an uncemented lens having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, and a third lens component comprising a positive and a negative lens cemented together, wherein the cemented positive and negative lenses which comprise the third lens component are the only lenses located on the image side of said aperture stop.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 85 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising, in order from an object side to an image side of the system: a first lens component having a negative refractive power, a second lens component comprising an uncemented lens having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, and a third lens component comprising a positive and a negative lens cemented together, wherein the cemented positive and negative lenses which comprise the third lens component are the only lenses located on the image side of said aperture stop.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 32 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composite focal length of the first and second lens components located in front of said aperture stop is positive.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 56 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes as claimed in claim 1, or claim 2, satisfying the following conditions (1) and (2): 0.1f<-|f.sub.1 |+|f.sub.2 |<3f,(1), and 0.1<|f.sub.1 |/|f.sub.2 |<1.5,(2) where f is the focal length of the total system and f 1 and f 2 represent the focal lengths of the first and second lens components, respectively.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 34 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, satisfying the following condition (3): f<f.sub.3 <6f, (3) where f 3 is the focal length of the third lens component.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 26 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes as claimed in claim 4, satisfying the following condition (4): f.sub.3 /H>1.2, (4) where H is the maximum image height.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 22 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes, as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least one aspherical surface is used.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 55 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least one aspherical surface that becomes increased in the refractive action in the negative direction as it goes off the center of the lens is applied to the surface of a lens positioned in front of said aperture stop.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 29 words
An objective lens system as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second lens components has an aspherical surface proximate to the image side.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 93 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising, in order along an optical axis and from an object side to an image side of the system: a first lens component having a negative refractive power, a second lens component comprising an uncemented lens having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, and a third lens component comprising a positive and a negative lens cemented together, wherein an image-side convex surface of the third lens component has an aspherical surface that decreases in positive refractive action as it is spaced away from the optical axis.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 93 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising, in order along an optical axis and from an object side to an image side of the system: a first lens component having a negative refractive power, a second lens component comprising an uncemented lens having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, and a third lens component comprising a positive and a negative lens cemented together, wherein an image-side convex surface of the third lens component has an aspherical surface that decreases in positive refractive action as it is spaced away from the optical axis.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 100 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising, in order from an object side to an image side of the system: a first lens component having a negative refractive power, a second lens component comprising an uncemented lens having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, and a third lens component comprising a positive and a negative lens cemented together, wherein the cemented positive and negative lenses which comprise the third lens component are the only lens elements disposed on the image side of said aperture stop, and the composite focal length of the first and second lens components is positive.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 100 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising, in order from an object side to an image side of the system: a first lens component having a negative refractive power, a second lens component comprising an uncemented lens having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, and a third lens component comprising a positive and a negative lens cemented together, wherein the cemented positive and negative lenses which comprise the third lens component are the only lens elements disposed on the image side of said aperture stop, and the composite focal length of the first and second lens components is positive.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 128 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising, in order from an object side to an image side of the system: a first lens component having a negative refractive power, a second lens component comprising an uncemented lens having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, and a third lens component comprising a positive and a negative lens cemented together, wherein the cemented positive and negative lenses which comprise the third lens component are the only lenses disposed on the image side of said aperture stop, and the objective lens system satisfies a condition 0.1f<-|f.sub.1 |+|f.sub.2 |<3f, and 0.1<|f.sub.1 |/|f.sub.2 |<1.5 where f is the focal length of the total system and f 1 and f 2 are the focal lengths of the first and second lens components, respectively.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 128 words
An objective lens system for endoscopes comprising, in order from an object side to an image side of the system: a first lens component having a negative refractive power, a second lens component comprising an uncemented lens having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, and a third lens component comprising a positive and a negative lens cemented together, wherein the cemented positive and negative lenses which comprise the third lens component are the only lenses disposed on the image side of said aperture stop, and the objective lens system satisfies a condition 0.1f<-|f.sub.1 |+|f.sub.2 |<3f, and 0.1<|f.sub.1 |/|f.sub.2 |<1.5 where f is the focal length of the total system and f 1 and f 2 are the focal lengths of the first and second lens components, respectively.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4059344A Cited
US4674844A Cited
US4867546A Cited
US4806001A Cited
US4984878A Cited
US5175650A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-03-21 1997-09-20 1998-03-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-03-21 2001-09-20 2002-03-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-03-21 2005-09-20 2006-03-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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