Binocular loupe

The binocular loupe with a fluid autofocus mechanism and detachable loupe body addresses the challenge of fluctuating user eyesight by automatically adjusting focus, ensuring a wide field of view and clear imaging for medical and precision machining tasks.

JP2025175507APending Publication Date: 2025-12-03米澤きく子 +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024081669
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-05-20
Publication Date
2025-12-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional binocular loupes lack the ability to automatically adjust focus without manual intervention, leading to uneven field of view and visual precision due to fluctuating user eyesight and the need for multiple devices with different focal lengths, which complicates operations in medical and precision machining fields.

Method used

A binocular loupe with a fluid autofocus mechanism, using plastic magnets and a distance sensor to electronically adjust focal length, combined with a detachable loupe body and mechanical autofocus for precise focus adjustment, ensuring a wide field of view and clear imaging.

Benefits of technology

Enables automatic focus adjustment without touching the loupe, providing a bright, clear, and high-quality image with a wider field of view, suitable for medical and precision machining applications.

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Abstract

To provide a binocular loupe with a replaceable loupe body having a desired focus adjustment unit and magnification, which widens the field of view of a practitioner and has bright and clear image quality.SOLUTION: A binocular loupe comprises: a pair of right and left loupe bodies 3 incorporating an optical system; an eyeglass frame 10 holding carrier lenses 4 that support the pair of loupe bodies 3 in the field of view toward an observation object; a cylindrical loupe holder 9 that is attached to the carrier lenses 4, and removably receives an eyepiece-side ends of the pair of loupe bodies 3 in an inserted state; and a fluidic auto-focus mechanism 20 provided on each of the pair of loupe bodies 3. The loupe holder 9 and an eyepiece-side member of the pair of loupe bodies 3 are formed from plastic magnets molded by mixing magnetic powder into a plastic material. The fluidic auto-focus mechanism 20 adjusts a focal length of the optical system on the basis of a distance to the observation object measured by a distance sensor 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a binocular loupe used during medical treatment or precision machining work. [Background technology]

[0002] Binocular loupes have been widely used in various fields, including medicine, precision machining, and jewelry processing, as a means of magnifying and visually inspecting a localized object close at hand. These fields require high precision for delicate manual operations, and binocular loupes are expected to have bright, clear, and high-quality images in addition to excellent resolution, a wide field of view, and focal length.

[0003] In addition, binocular loupes used in the medical field are related to people's health and lives, so they are required to have functions such as appropriate vision correction and astigmatism correction to suit the practitioner's eyesight.

[0004] However, conventional binocular loupes require high precision in manual operation by medical practitioners, but they cannot be adapted to the type of procedure or changing conditions during the procedure to suit the practitioner's visual acuity when correcting the practitioner's farsightedness or nearsightedness or adjusting the focal length of the lenses, resulting in unevenness in the field of view and visual precision.

[0005] Furthermore, human eyesight constantly changes depending on physical condition and fatigue level, and can even change between morning and afternoon on the same day. However, conventional binocular loupes could not be adapted to the practitioner's fluctuating eyesight, and practitioners often had to select and use binocular loupes with inappropriate eyesight to perform surgical procedures.

[0006] For this reason, binocular loupes have been known in the past in which multiple types of focus adjustment units with different focal lengths are prepared in advance, one of which can be selected and detachably attached to the eyepiece (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0007] FIG. 9 shows a first prior art example of a binocular loupe of the type described in Patent Document 1, in which the loupe body is fixedly attached to a carrier lens.

[0008] In Figure 9, the magnifying glass body 3 includes a built-in magnifying optical system that adjusts the image of the object to a predetermined magnification, such as 2x or 3x. The magnifying glass body 3 is composed of an eyepiece tube 2a located at the eyepiece end, and a tube 2c with an objective lens mounted on a larger diameter section via a sloped section 2b whose outer diameter gradually increases. A magnetic ring 6 that can be attracted to a magnet is attached to the rear end of the eyepiece tube 2a. If the magnifying glass body 3 includes a mechanism that allows the lens to move back and forth, focus adjustment becomes possible.

[0009] A magnetic lens holder 12 surrounds the circular focus adjustment lens 11 so that it can be fitted into the eyepiece end of the loupe body 3. This focus adjustment lens 11 is used to correct the eyesight of the user of the binocular loupe when magnifying and observing an object with the left and right loupe bodies 3, and can be used to correct not only long distances or short distances, but also as a lens to correct astigmatism, etc., in accordance with the loupe body 3 as needed.

[0010] For this reason, a focus adjustment ring (not shown) for adjusting the height of the focus adjustment may be provided inside the focus adjustment lens 11. Furthermore, even if the user of the binocular loupe does not normally require vision correction, the use of the focus adjustment lens 11 ensures adjustment of vision when the practitioner's vision (nearsightedness or farsightedness) fluctuates during treatment.

[0011] Thus, in the example of the prior art shown in Figure 9, in which the loupe body is fixedly attached to the carrier lens, although the focus adjustment lens 11 is configured to be detachable from the eyepiece end of the loupe body 3, the loupe body 3 is fixedly attached to the carrier lens 4, so when changing the magnification, it was necessary to transfer the binocular loop itself, including the eyeglass frame, to another binocular loupe.

[0012] On the other hand, since the required magnification of binocular loupes varies depending on the area being treated, there are also known types of binocular loupes that have several types of binocular loupes on hand, and the binocular loupe with the optimal magnification can be selected and worn each time (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0013] Figure 10 shows an example of a second prior art binocular loupe, such as that described in Patent Document 2, in which the loupe body to be used each time is selected from several types of binocular loupe bodies prepared in advance and is detachably attached to a carrier lens.

[0014] Figure 10 shows an example of a second prior art in which a loupe holder 9 for detachably receiving a loupe body 3 is attached to a carrier lens 4. As shown in the figure, the loupe holder 9 is attached to the carrier lens 4 of the eyeglass frame 10, and one loupe body 3 selected from multiple types of loupe bodies prepared in advance can be detachably attached to the loupe holder 9.

[0015] 10, the magnifying glass body 3 is detachably attached to a magnifying glass holder 9 fixed to a carrier lens 4 via a ring 6 and a magnetic ring 5 having multiple recesses 8 around the periphery of the side of the magnifying glass body. In this example, for reasons such as ease of production, the magnetic ring 5 is made up of two semicircular rings 5a and 5b that are joined together magnetically, and engages with the magnifying glass holder 8 via the ring 6.

[0016] On the other hand, a convex magnetic protrusion 7 is provided on the periphery of the eyepiece side of the magnifying glass body 3, which engages with a recess 8 in the magnetic ring 5, and the magnifying glass body 3 is formed so that the two engage with each other when attracted to the magnetic ring 5.

[0017] However, in this second conventional example, since the magnet ring 5 and magnetic ring 6 are connected to the eyepiece end of the loupe body 3, the lens diameter at the eyepiece end of the binocular loupe must be small, which results in a narrow field of view (field of view) of the binocular loupe, preventing the optical system of the binocular loupe from being bright. In particular, in order to securely lock the loupe body 3 to the loupe holder by the magnetic attraction force, the volume (diameter x thickness) of the magnet ring 5 and magnetic ring 6 had to be large.

[0018] In this second conventional example, as mentioned above, multiple types of focus adjustment units with different focal lengths are prepared in advance, one of which can be selected and attached freely and detachably, and multiple binocular loupes with adjustable magnification are prepared, from which the most suitable one is selected as appropriate.In conventional binocular loupes, the structure of the binocular loupe body and the attachment part (eyepiece part) of the loupe holder that supports it is complex, and there are many parts in the attachment and detachment mechanism, so the glass diameter of the eyepiece lens is small, and as a result, the practitioner's field of view (width of field of view) is narrowed.

[0019] In response to this, the present applicant has proposed binocular loupes in Patent Documents 3 and 4, in which the loupe body, which houses an optical system for magnifying and visually recognizing an object to be observed, and the focus adjustment unit can be easily replaced to the desired magnification. However, the binocular loupes described in these documents do not have an autofocus function in the loupe body. In the medical field in particular, there is a demand for practitioners to be able to perform autofocus adjustment while wearing the binocular loupes during treatment, without having to touch the binocular loupes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0020] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5032332 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-144297 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 7169472 [Patent Document 4] Patent No. 7359984 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0021] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a binocular loupe that allows automatic focus adjustment without touching the binocular loupe when a binocular loupe with a replaceable loupe body is attached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0022] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a binocular loupe for magnifying and viewing an object of observation close at hand, comprising a pair of loupe bodies (left and right) each having an optical system built in, an eyeglass frame holding a carrier lens that supports the pair of loupe bodies in a field of view toward the object of observation, a cylindrical loupe holder attached to the carrier lens and inserted from the eyepiece side of the pair of loupe bodies to detachably receive the loupe bodies, and a fluid-type autofocus mechanism provided on each of the pair of loupe bodies, wherein the contact surfaces of the cylindrical loupe holder and the loupe bodies that are in close contact with the cylindrical inner surface of the loupe holder and the eyepiece end side are formed from plastic magnets molded by mixing magnetic powder into a plastic material, and the loupe body is engaged in close contact with the cylindrical inner surface of the loupe holder by the magnetic attraction force at the contact surface on the cylindrical inner surface and the eyepiece end side.

[0023] In this way, the binocular loupe according to the present invention makes it possible to provide a binocular loupe that performs automatic focus adjustment without touching the binocular loupe when a binocular loupe with a replaceable loupe body is attached.

[0024] The fluidic autofocus mechanism electronically varies the focal length of a fluid lens, and further includes a distance sensor that measures the distance from the optical system to the object, a fluid lens included in the optical system, a control unit that electronically controls the focal length of the fluid lens based on the distance measured by the distance sensor, and a battery that supplies power to the distance sensor, the fluid lens, and the control unit.

[0025] In the binocular loupe according to the present invention, the loupe body is further attached to the loupe holder via a protruding ring having a protrusion, in order to more reliably lock the loupe body in the loupe holder, and the loupe holder has a hook-shaped groove engaging portion that engages with the protrusion, so that the loupe body does not come off the loupe holder. This allows the cylindrical loupe holder to be made even thinner, which in turn allows the glass diameter of the eyepieces to be increased, thereby widening the practitioner's field of view (width of field) and making it possible to provide a binocular loupe with bright, clear, and high image quality.

[0026] Here, the ring with projections is formed from a plastic magnet molded from a plastic material mixed with magnetic powder, and strengthens the force of attraction and attachment of the magnifier body to the magnifier holder.

[0027] Furthermore, at least the magnifying glass holder and the magnifying glass body are each formed from an anisotropically magnetized material in which the crystalline molecular arrangement of the magnetic powder is oriented in a certain direction, and each of the magnifying glass bodies is attached to the magnifying glass holder in a predetermined rotational direction.

[0028] Here, the protruding ring is made of an anisotropically magnetized material in which the crystal molecular arrangement of the magnetic powder is oriented in a certain direction, thereby increasing the holding force of the magnifying glass body in the magnifying glass holder.

[0029] The loupe holder is fixed at a predetermined angle to the surface of the loupe holder so that the inserted loupe body and the distance sensor face the object of observation, which not only allows for astigmatism correction by the practitioner but also enables automatic focus adjustment.

[0030] Furthermore, the loupe body of this binocular loupe may be prepared in advance in multiple types with different adjustable magnification ranges and / or vision adjustment distance ranges according to the optical system, and one of these may be selected and attached to the loupe holder.

[0031] Here, a plurality of types of the magnifying glass body are prepared in advance, each having a different adjustable magnification range according to the optical system, one of which is selected and attached to the magnifying glass holder, and one of a plurality of prepared vision distance adjusting lenses is detachably fitted to the eyepiece end of the magnifying glass body. In this case, the vision distance adjusting lens is held by a rim surrounding the lens, and the rim is made of a ferrite magnetic material.

[0032] The binocular loupe of the present invention is a binocular loupe for magnifying and viewing an object of observation close by, and comprises a pair of loupe bodies (left and right) each having an optical system built in, an eyeglass frame holding a carrier lens that supports the pair of loupe bodies in a field of view toward the object of observation, a cylindrical loupe holder attached to the carrier lens and inserted from the eyepiece side of the pair of loupe bodies to detachably receive the loupe bodies, and a mechanical autofocus mechanism provided on each of the pair of loupe bodies, wherein the contact surfaces of the cylindrical loupe holder and the loupe bodies that are in close contact with the cylindrical inner surface of the loupe holder and the eyepiece end side are formed from plastic magnets molded by mixing magnetic powder into a plastic material, and the loupe body is held in close contact with the cylindrical inner surface of the loupe holder by the magnetic attraction force at the contact surface on the cylindrical inner surface and the eyepiece end side.

[0033] The mechanical autofocus mechanism electronically varies the focal length of part or all of the optical system, and further includes a distance sensor that measures the distance from the optical system to the object of observation, a lens moving means that moves part or all of the optical system in the optical axis direction, a control unit that drives the lens moving means based on the distance measured by the distance sensor, and a battery that supplies power to the distance sensor, the lens moving means, and the control unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0034] According to the binocular loupe of the present invention, by simply attaching a loupe body having an autofocus function to a binocular loupe with a replaceable loupe body, the autofocus of the binocular loupe can be immediately performed. According to the binocular loupe of the present invention, by providing a fluid autofocus mechanism in each of the pair of loupe bodies, the distance measurement axis of the fluid autofocus mechanism can be positioned closer to the optical axis of each loupe body, thereby enabling more accurate focus adjustment with a simple configuration, particularly in the medical field, when enlarging a very small surgical field. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] An example of the overall appearance of this binocular loupe is shown below. [Figure 2] The following are explanatory diagrams showing how to attach one of the loupe bodies that make up this binocular loupe to the loupe holder on the carrier lens side. (a) shows an explanatory diagram for attaching the loupe body directly to the loupe holder, and (b) shows an explanatory diagram for attaching the loupe body to the loupe holder via a ring with a protrusion. [Figure 3]Corresponding to the respective configurations of Figures 2(a) and (b), explanatory diagrams are shown of one of the loupe bodies constituting this binocular loupe attached to the loupe holder on the carrier lens side, where (a) is an explanatory diagram of the case where the loupe body is attached directly to the loupe holder, (b) is an explanatory diagram of the case where the loupe body is attached to the loupe holder via a ring with a protrusion, and (c) shows an example in which a window (notch) is provided in the loupe holder to ensure the practitioner's field of vision when checking what is at hand through the carrier lens. [Figure 4] Illustrated are examples of the binocular loupe and loupe bodies with multiple magnifications and / or vision adjustment distances that can be attached to the carrier lenses of the binocular loupe. [Figure 5] An example of a loupe body 3 equipped with a fluidic autofocus mechanism 20 in this binocular loupe is shown, where (a) is a side view of the loupe body 3, (b) is a front view of the loupe body 3 as seen from the objective lens 3d side, and (c) is a cross-sectional view. [Figure 5A] 10A and 10B show an example of a deformed state of a fluid lens 3g, where (a) is a cross-sectional view in a state where the curvature is large, and (b) is a cross-sectional view in a state where the curvature is small. [Figure 5B] 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the loupe body 3 equipped with a mechanical autofocus mechanism 20A in the present binocular loupe. [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram of a practitioner wearing the binocular loupes while working is shown below. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the downward mounting angle when attaching a magnifying glass to a carrier lens. [Figure 8] An explanatory diagram of the inner mounting angles p and q when attaching the magnifying glass body to the carrier lens is shown. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the prior art, showing an example of a first prior art in which a magnifying glass body is fixedly attached to a carrier lens. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the prior art, showing an example of a second prior art in which a magnifying glass body is detachably attached to a magnifying glass holder on the carrier lens side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a binocular loupe according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0037] 1 shows the overall configuration of a binocular loupe 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The binocular loupe 100 is composed of an eyeglass frame 10, a loupe body 3 corresponding to each eye for magnifying the image of the work subject, a loupe holder 9 for holding the loupe body 3, and a carrier lens 4 which serves as a loupe holder for attaching the loupe holder 9 to the eyeglass frame 10.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4, the loupe body 3 is equipped with a fluid autofocus mechanism 20 that automatically adjusts the focus of the optical system, and multiple types of loupe bodies 3 are prepared in advance, each with a different adjustable magnification range (for example, a predetermined range of approximately 3x (2.5-3.5x), a predetermined range of approximately 4x (3.5-4.5x), a predetermined range of approximately 5x (4.5-5.5x)) and / or different vision adjustment distance ranges, one of which is selected and removably attached to the loupe holder 9. As will be described later, the vision adjustment function may be achieved by removably fitting one of multiple fluid lenses that are prepared in advance and also serve as a vision distance adjustment lens into the eyepiece end of the loupe body 3. This makes it possible to reduce the number of types of loupe bodies 3 that need to be prepared in advance.

[0039] 1 and 4, the eyeglass frame 10 has substantially the same structure as regular eyeglasses, and includes rims 10a into which the carrier lenses 4 are fitted, temples 10b that are placed over the viewer's ears and a bridge 10c that connects the rims 10a, and nose pads 10d. The eyeglass frame 10 is made of a material that is rust-resistant and flexible, such as titanium, or synthetic resin. Shielding members 10e that protect both sides of the wearer's face and a strap (not shown) for holding the binocular loupes in place can be attached to the temples 10b as needed.

[0040] The carrier lens 4 has openings for supporting the loupe holders 9 that hold the loupe main body 3 at both ends. The loupe holders 9 are fitted into these openings and fixed at a predetermined angle relative to the surface of the carrier lens 4. The material constituting the carrier lens 4 does not necessarily have to be transparent, but transparency is preferable in order to widen the field of view toward the observer's hand. If further vision correction is required, corrective lenses may be used, but if vision correction is not required, simple transparent glass may also be used. In this case, the lens material is glass or plastic. Therefore, the carrier lens 4 not only functions as a loupe holder that supports the loupe main body, but also has the function of correcting vision, if necessary.

[0041] Incidentally, among the loupe bodies 3 shown in Figure 4, the loupe body designated by the symbol 31 indicates the loupe body 31 that allows the practitioner to select the lens magnification and visual acuity adjustment during treatment. The practitioner can set the magnification to approximately 3x (3X), approximately 4x (4X), or approximately 5x (5X) by manually rotating the tube on the objective lens side of the loupe body 3 as needed during treatment.

[0042] The details of fixing the magnifying glass holder 9 while maintaining a predetermined angle with respect to the surface of the carrier lens 4 will be described later.

[0043] Figure 2 shows the binocular loupe 100 of the present invention shown in Figure 1 before the loupe body 3 is attached to the loupe holder 9, which is fixed while maintaining a predetermined angle relative to the surface of the carrier lens 4.

[0044] Figure 2(a) shows the case where the magnifying glass body 3 is attached directly to the magnifying glass holder 9, and Figure 2(b) shows the case where the magnifying glass body 3 is attached directly to the magnifying glass holder 9 and is attached to the magnifying glass holder 9 via a protruding ring 12.

[0045] As shown in Figure 2(a), the magnifying glass holder 9 is fixed to the carrier lens 4 at a predetermined angle, and the magnifying glass body 3 is inserted into this magnifying glass holder 9. The magnifying glass body 3 is a cylindrical body that houses multiple optical lenses, and is formed with a contact surface 3b that comes into close contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical magnifying glass holder 9, an abutment surface 3a that comes into contact with the cylindrical tip surface of the magnifying glass holder 9, and an eyepiece end side surface 3c of the magnifying glass body 3.

[0046] 2(b) shows the case where the magnifying glass body 3 is attached to the magnifying glass holder 9 via a ring with projections 12 that fits tightly against the magnifying glass body. In this case, the magnifying glass holder 9 has a hook-shaped grooved engaging portion 9b (see FIG. 3) that engages with the projections 12a on the ring with projections 12, which prevents the magnifying glass body 3 from easily coming off the magnifying glass holder 9 if the magnifying glass body 3 is touched by, for example, the practitioner's finger or lighting equipment in the treatment room.

[0047] In the example shown in Figure 2(b), the protrusion ring 12 has one protrusion 12a, but by providing multiple protrusions 12a (for example, two or three), it is possible to further strengthen the prevention of the magnifying glass body 3 from coming off the magnifying glass holder 9.

[0048] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 2(a), unlike the example shown in Figure 2(b), the magnifying glass body 3 is designed to be detachably attached directly to the magnifying glass holder 9 without using a ring 12 with a protrusion, but it may also be designed to be detachably attached to the magnifying glass holder 9 via a ring (not shown) that does not have a protrusion 12a.

[0049] 3(a) shows the state in which the magnifying glass body 3 shown in FIG. 2(a) is directly inserted into the magnifying glass holder 9, and FIG. 3(b) shows the state in which the magnifying glass body 3 shown in FIG. 2(b) is inserted into the magnifying glass holder 9 with the protruding ring 12 sandwiched therebetween. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the protruding portion 12a of the protruding ring 12 engages with the engaging portion 9b of the hook-shaped groove provided on the magnifying glass holder 9, so that the magnifying glass body 3 does not easily come off from the magnifying glass holder 9.

[0050] Here, the magnifying glass holder 9, the inner contact surface 3b of the cylindrical magnifying glass holder 9 on the eyepiece end side of the magnifying glass main body 3, the contact surface 3a that abuts against the cylindrical tip surface of the magnifying glass holder 9, and the eyepiece end side surface 3c of the magnifying glass main body 3 are made of plastic magnets molded from a plastic material mixed with magnetic powder. This prevents the magnifying glass main body 3 from coming off the magnifying glass holder 9.

[0051] Incidentally, in the loupe holder 9, as shown in Figure 3(c), in order to prevent the thickness of the loupe holder 9 from obstructing the field of view of the carrier lens 4 when the practitioner looks at something close to them rather than through the loupe body 3, windows (notches) 9a to ensure visibility may be provided, for example, at two locations on the left and right sides of the field of view and / or below the field of view.

[0052] Furthermore, if the magnifying glass body 3 is attached to the magnifying glass holder 9 via a protruding ring 12 having a protrusion, this protruding ring 12 is also formed from a plastic magnet molded by mixing magnetic powder into a plastic material, and therefore the magnifying glass body 3 can be maintained attached to the magnifying glass holder 9 by the strong magnetic force.

[0053] Here, at least the contact parts 3a, 3b, and 3c of the loupe holder 9 and the loupe body 3 with the loupe holder 9 are formed from an anisotropically magnetized material in which the crystalline molecular arrangement of the magnetic powder is oriented in a certain direction, and the loupe body 3 is preferably attached to the loupe holder 9 in a predetermined rotational direction.

[0054] Furthermore, in this case, the projection ring 12 can also be made of an anisotropically magnetized material in which the crystal molecular arrangement of the magnetic powder is oriented in a certain direction, thereby making it possible to further strengthen the holding force of the magnifying glass body in the magnifying glass holder. As mentioned above, the projections 12a of the projection ring 12 made of the above-mentioned plastic magnet material can be in one place, or in two or three places.

[0055] Here, plastic magnets are formed by mixing magnetic powder into plastic, and magnetic plastic parts of the desired shape can be made by die sintering, press molding, injection molding, extrusion molding, etc. It is also possible to make parts with elasticity by adding a small amount of rubber material.

[0056] Magnetic materials with various magnetic strength values ​​can be created by mixing different magnetic materials together. For example, neodymium bond material (Nd-Fe-B) is a plastic magnet made by combining neodymium, iron, and boron with resin, and can be pressed into thin shapes or processed into complex shapes. It is usually isotropic, but can also be magnetized in the radial or vertical direction, and with multiple poles.

[0057] In this way, since plastic magnets can be magnetized to the desired magnetic field direction and magnetic force strength, the contact parts 3a, 3b, and 3c between the loupe holder 9 in the binocular loupe 100 of the present invention and the loupe holder 9 in the loupe body 3 can be magnetized to the desired magnetic property (north pole, south pole) and magnetic force strength.

[0058] For this reason, it is possible to make either the loupe holder 9 or the loupe body 3 in the binocular loupe 100 of the present invention, for example, a plastic magnet made of the neodymium bond material described above, and the other a general ferrite material or ferrite-based plastic magnet material.

[0059] Anisotropic magnetization of plastic magnets is a technique for changing the characteristics and direction of magnetic force. Methods for aligning the anisotropic axis of easy magnetization include axial anisotropy, radial anisotropy, repulsive radial anisotropy, and polar anisotropy. During molding, the magnetic field of the magnet inside the injection molding machine or mold is used to orient the magnetic field in the desired direction, for example, the vertical or horizontal axis.

[0060] Fig. 5 shows an example of the magnifying glass body 3. Fig. 5(a) is a side view of the magnifying glass body 3, Fig. 5(b) is a front view of the magnifying glass body 3 seen from the objective lens 3d side, and Fig. 5(c) is a cross-sectional view.

[0061] As shown in Figure 5(c), the magnifying glass body is made up of a cylindrical body and multiple optical lenses and multiple mechanical parts arranged along the optical axis between the objective lens 3d and the fluid lens 3g, which also serves as an eyepiece. As for the magnifying glass whose magnification can be changed by rotating the cylinder on the objective lens side of the magnifying glass body 3 shown in Figure 4, the optical lenses and internal mechanisms are well known to those skilled in the art, and therefore a description of each component will be omitted.

[0062] A plurality of fluid lenses 3g, which also function as visual acuity distance adjustment lenses, may be removably fitted into the eyepiece end of the loupe body 3. In this case, the fluid lenses 3g should be supported by a thin rim of ferrite magnetic material surrounding the periphery of the lens.

[0063] The binocular loupe 100 is equipped with a fluidic autofocus mechanism 20 in each of the left and right loupe bodies 3. The fluidic autofocus mechanism 20 is equipped with a distance sensor 21 that measures the distance to the subject, a fluid lens (liquid lens) 3g included in the optical system, a fluid lens driver 23 that changes the current or voltage applied to the fluid lens 3g, a control unit 25 that electronically controls the focal length of the fluid lens via the fluid lens driver 23 based on the distance measured by the distance sensor 21, and a battery 27 that supplies power to the distance sensor 21, the fluid lens driver 23, and the control unit 25. The fluid lens driver 23 and the fluid lens 3g are connected by wiring (not shown). The battery 27 supplies power to the fluid lens 3g via the fluid lens driver 23.

[0064] FIG. 5A(a) is a cross-sectional view of the fluid lens 3g when the curvature is large, and FIG. 5A(b) is a cross-sectional view of the fluid lens 3g when the curvature is small.

[0065] The fluid lens 3g is a transparent lens-shaped container that contains a transparent fluid (e.g., optical-grade oil). When the control unit 25 changes the current or voltage applied to the fluid in the fluid lens 3g via the fluid lens driver 23, the shape (curvature) of the fluid lens 3g changes, thereby allowing the focal length to be instantly changed.

[0066] The housing of the fluid autofocus mechanism 20 has a first narrow opening 20a on the observation object side and a second opening 20b on the carrier lens side. The light emitting / receiving surface of the distance sensor 21 is located on the first opening 20a side, and the connection terminal of the battery 27 for connecting to a charging cable such as a USB cable is located on the second opening 20b side.

[0067] The distance sensor 21 may be an infrared sensor or an ultrasonic sensor. The infrared sensor or ultrasonic sensor measures the distance to an object by irradiating the object with infrared rays or ultrasonic waves and receiving the infrared rays or ultrasonic waves reflected from the object. The receiving axis of the distance sensor 21 is arranged along the optical axis of the optical system. Alternatively, the receiving axis of the distance sensor 21 is arranged substantially parallel to the optical axis of the optical system.

[0068] The control unit 25 may be a microcomputer or the like, and electronically controls the focal length of the fluid lens via the fluid lens driver 23 based on the distance measured by the distance sensor 21. The battery 27 may be a lithium-ion battery, and by providing a USB connection terminal, it can be charged via a USB cable.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 5B, instead of the fluid autofocus mechanism 20, the binocular loupe 100 can also be equipped with a mechanical autofocus mechanism 20A on each of the left and right loupe bodies 3. The mechanical autofocus mechanism 20A includes a distance sensor 21 that measures the distance to the subject, a lens moving means 23A that moves part or all of the optical system in the optical axis direction, a control unit 25 that drives the lens moving means 23A based on the distance measured by the distance sensor 21, and a battery 27 that supplies power to the distance sensor 21, the lens moving means 23A, and the control unit 25. Here, the lens moving means 23A moves part or all of the optical system in the optical axis direction.

[0070] The lens moving means 23A adjusts the focal length by moving a part or all of the optical system along the optical axis direction via a drive mechanism (not shown) equipped with, for example, an ultrasonic motor or a stepping motor. The part of the optical system is at least one lens included in the optical system, and the lens moving means 23A can move the barrel of that lens along the optical axis direction.

[0071] A plurality of pre-prepared vision distance adjusting lenses 3e may be detachably fitted to the eyepiece end of the magnifying glass body 3. In this case, the vision distance adjusting lenses 3e should be supported by a thin rim 3f of ferrite magnetic material surrounding the periphery of the lens.

[0072] Next, the attachment of the magnifying glass holder 9 to the surface of the carrier lens 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0073] The loupe holder 9 is fitted into an opening drilled in the carrier lens 4 and fixed at a predetermined angle relative to the surface of the carrier lens 4 so that the loupe body 3 faces the focal point of the observation object. Specifically, the attachment of the loupe holder 9 to the surface of the carrier lens 4 is determined by the downward attachment angle r and the inward attachment angles p and q of the loupe body 3 relative to the plane of the carrier lens 4 when the loupe body 3 is attached to the loupe holder 9, and the interpupillary distance PD of the user of the binocular loupe.

[0074] The binocular loupe 100 is used to magnify and observe an object at a work manipulation position W near the wearer's hand when the wearer is performing work in a forward-leaning position as shown in Figure 6. At this time, the user focuses the gaze of both eyes on the object at the position of the wearer's hand through the left and right loupe bodies 3. Here, referring to Figure 7, the downward mounting angle in this case will be explained. The downward mounting angle r is the downward mounting angle relative to a vertical line from the surface of the carrier lens 4 when the loupe body 3 is attached to the carrier lens 4 via the loupe holder 9, and can be calculated from the angle β determined by the distance M from the work manipulation position W to the carrier lens 4 and the horizontal distance N perpendicular to the vertical line passing through the center of the carrier lens 4, and the forward tilt angle α of the carrier lens 4 when the wearer is performing surgery.

[0075] As shown in Figure 8, the inner mounting angles p and q are the angles at which the line of sight, when the tips of the left and right loupe bodies 3 attached to the loupe holder 9 are directed toward the operation point W, intersects with the line L connecting the center O of the eyeglass frame 1 to the operation point W at the operation point W. The center O is the intersection of the center line of the user's nose and the line connecting the left and right pupils, and the inner mounting angles p and q of the left and right loupe bodies 3 can be calculated from the distances PD1 and PD2 from this center O to the centers of the pupils of both eyes, respectively, and the distance on the line L from the center O to the operation point W.

[0076] Once the downward mounting angle r and the inner mounting angles p, q of the loupe body 3 have been determined, openings for inserting the loupe holders 9 are provided in the left and right carrier lenses 4 at positions corresponding to the pupils of both eyes, and the loupe holders 9 are fixed with adhesive or the like so that they protrude from the surface of the carrier lens 4 at the downward mounting angle r and the inner mounting angle p, and the left loupe holder 9 at the downward mounting angle r and the inner mounting angle q. The binocular loupe 100 is then used by attaching the loupe body 3 and, if necessary, a focus adjustment part (corresponding to symbol 11 in Figures 9 and 10) to the first and second mounting parts of the loupe holder 9, respectively.

[0077] As mentioned above, in the conventional loupe body 3 as shown in Figure 9, although the focus adjustment lens 11 is configured to be detachable from the eyepiece end of the loupe body 3, the loupe body 3 is fixedly attached to the carrier lens 4, so when changing the magnification, it was necessary to transfer the binocular loop itself, including the eyeglass frame, to another binocular loupe.

[0078] For this reason, the binocular loupe 100 of the present invention comprises a pair of loupe bodies 3 (left and right) each incorporating an optical system, an eyeglass frame 10 holding a carrier lens 4 that supports the pair of loupe bodies 3 in the field of view toward the object of observation, a cylindrical loupe holder 9 attached to the carrier lens 4 and removably receiving the eyepiece side ends of the pair of loupe bodies 3 in an inserted state, and a fluidic autofocus mechanism 20 provided on each of the pair of loupe bodies 3, and the loupe holder 9 and the eyepiece side components of the pair of loupe bodies 3 are formed from plastic magnets molded by mixing magnetic powder into a plastic material, thereby solving the problems of the prior art.

[0079] Here, the magnifying glass body 3 is attached to the magnifying glass holder 9 via a protruding ring 12 having a protrusion 12a, and the magnifying glass holder 9 has a hook-shaped groove engaging portion 9b that engages with the protrusion 12a, and is formed so that the magnifying glass body 3 does not come off the magnifying glass holder 9. Furthermore, the fluidic autofocus mechanism 20 includes a distance sensor 21 that measures the distance from the optical system to the object to be observed, a fluid lens 3g included in the optical system, a control unit 25 that electronically controls the focal length of the fluid lens 3g based on the distance measured by the distance sensor 21, and a battery 27 that supplies power to the distance sensor 21, the fluid lens 3g, and the control unit 25.

[0080] Here, the ring 12 with projections is formed from a plastic magnet molded from a plastic material mixed with magnetic powder.

[0081] Furthermore, at least the magnifying glass holder 9 and the magnifying glass body 3 are each formed from an anisotropically magnetized material in which the crystal molecular arrangement of the magnetic powder is oriented in a certain direction, and each of the magnifying glass bodies 3 is mounted in a predetermined rotational direction relative to the magnifying glass holder 9.

[0082] In this way, in the binocular loupe of the present invention, the contact surface of the loupe holder 9 and the loupe body 3 that comes into contact with the loupe holder 9 is formed from a plastic magnet molded from a plastic material mixed with magnetic powder, so the diameter of the eyepiece lens at the eyepiece end of the loupe body 3 can be made larger, thereby widening the practitioner's field of view and making it possible to provide a bright, clear, high-quality binocular loupe. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 3 Magnifying Glass Body 3g fluid lens 4 Carrier Lens 9 Magnifying Glass Holder 9b Magnifying glass holder engagement part 10. Eyeglass frames 12 Pronged ring 12a Protrusion 20 Fluid autofocus mechanism 20A mechanical autofocus mechanism 21 Distance Sensor 23 Fluid Lens Driver 23A Lens moving means 25 Control Unit 27 Batteries 100 Binocular Magnifier

Claims

1. A binocular magnifying glass for magnifying and viewing an object at hand, A pair of loupe bodies with built-in optical systems, an eyeglass frame holding a carrier lens that supports the pair of loupe bodies in a field of view facing an observation object; a cylindrical magnifying glass holder attached to the carrier lens, inserted from the eyepiece side of the pair of magnifying glass bodies, and detachably receiving the magnifying glass bodies; a fluid-type autofocus mechanism provided in each of the pair of loupe bodies; The cylindrical magnifying glass holder and the contact surface of the magnifying glass body that is in close contact with the cylindrical inner surface of the magnifying glass holder and the side surface of the eyepiece end are formed by a plastic magnet molded by mixing magnetic powder into a plastic material, The magnifier body is held in close contact with the cylindrical inner surface of the magnifier holder by the magnetic attraction between the contact surface of the cylindrical inner surface and the side surface of the eyepiece end. A binocular loupe characterized by:

2. 2. The binocular loupe according to claim 1, wherein the fluid autofocus mechanism varies the focal length of the fluid lens by electronic control.

3. The binocular loupe described in claim 1, characterized in that the fluid autofocus mechanism comprises a distance sensor that measures the distance from the optical system to the object of observation, a fluid lens included in the optical system, a control unit that electronically controls the focal length of the fluid lens based on the distance measured by the distance sensor, and a battery that supplies power to the distance sensor, the fluid lens, and the control unit.

4. The magnifier body is further attached to the magnifier holder via a protruding ring having a protrusion, and the magnifier holder has an engaging portion of a hook-shaped groove that engages with the protrusion, 2. The binocular magnifier according to claim 1, wherein the magnifier body is formed so as not to be detached from the magnifier holder.

5. 5. The binocular magnifier according to claim 4, wherein said ring with projections is formed from a plastic magnet molded from a plastic material mixed with magnetic powder.

6. The binocular loupe described in claim 1, characterized in that at least the loupe holder and the loupe body are each formed from an anisotropically magnetized material in which the crystalline molecular arrangement of the magnetic powder is oriented in a certain direction, and each of the loupe bodies is attached to the loupe holder in a predetermined rotational direction.

7. The binocular loupe described in claim 6, characterized in that the protruding ring is formed from an anisotropically magnetized material in which the crystalline molecular arrangement of the magnetic powder is oriented in a certain direction, thereby strengthening the holding force of the loupe body in the loupe holder.

8. 2. The binocular magnifier according to claim 1, wherein the magnifier holder is fixed at a predetermined angle with respect to a surface of the magnifier holder so that the inserted magnifier body and the distance sensor face toward an object to be observed.

9. The binocular loupe according to claim 8, wherein the loupe body is prepared in advance in a plurality of types with different adjustable magnification ranges and / or vision adjustment distance ranges by the optical system, and one of them is selected and attached to the loupe holder.

10. The magnifying glass body is prepared in advance in a plurality of types with different adjustable magnification ranges by the optical system, and one of them is selected and attached to the magnifying glass holder; 2. The binocular magnifier according to claim 1, wherein one of a plurality of prepared visual distance adjusting lenses is detachably fitted to the side surface of the eyepiece end of the magnifier body.

11. 11. The binocular magnifier according to claim 10, wherein the vision distance adjusting lenses are held by a rim surrounding the periphery of the lenses, the rim being made of a ferrite magnetic material.

12. A binocular magnifying glass for magnifying and viewing an object at hand, A pair of loupe bodies with built-in optical systems, an eyeglass frame holding a carrier lens that supports the pair of loupe bodies in a field of view facing an observation object; a cylindrical magnifying glass holder attached to the carrier lens, inserted from the eyepiece side of the pair of magnifying glass bodies, and detachably receiving the magnifying glass bodies; a mechanical autofocus mechanism provided on each of the pair of loupe bodies; The cylindrical magnifying glass holder and the contact surface of the magnifying glass body that is in close contact with the cylindrical inner surface of the magnifying glass holder and the side surface of the eyepiece end are formed by a plastic magnet molded by mixing magnetic powder into a plastic material, The magnifier body is held in close contact with the cylindrical inner surface of the magnifier holder by the magnetic attraction between the contact surface of the cylindrical inner surface and the side surface of the eyepiece end. A binocular loupe characterized by:

13. 13. The binocular loupe according to claim 12, wherein the mechanical autofocus mechanism electronically varies the focal length of part or all of the optical system.

14. The binocular loupe described in claim 12, characterized in that the mechanical autofocus mechanism comprises a distance sensor that measures the distance from the optical system to the object of observation, a lens moving means that moves part or all of the optical system in the optical axis direction, a control unit that drives the lens moving means based on the distance measured by the distance sensor, and a battery that supplies power to the distance sensor, the lens moving means, and the control unit.

Citation Information

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