Eyepiece Shield Structure for Light Blocking and Debris Exclusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sporting optics, such as binoculars or spotting scopes, often suffer from light interference and debris entry due to gaps between the eyepieces and the user's face, affecting visibility and cleanliness.
Innovation Solution
An eyepiece shield with an irregular frusto-conical shell that fits over the eyepieces, featuring a flexible and resilient material with a concave eye opening to match the user's face, and a fastener system for opening and closing, blocking ambient light and weather while reducing eye strain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a gap is formed between the eyepiece and the user's face, then the eyepiece design is simple and comfortable, but light interference occurs on the lens and visibility is obscured
Solution Approach 1:
An eyepiece shield is introduced as an intermediary component between the eyepiece and the user's face. The shield includes a light-blocking portion that prevents ambient light from entering the eyepiece, and a weather-resistant portion that protects against environmental elements. This mediator structure eliminates light interference and weather effects while maintaining the simple eyepiece design and user comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The eyepiece shield is divided into distinct functional segments: a light-blocking portion with irregular shape that conforms to the user's face and blocks ambient light, and a weather-resistant portion that protects against weather elements. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function effectively while working together as an integrated solution.
2Device complexity
If a gap is formed between the eyepiece and the user's face, then the eyepiece structure is simple, but debris can enter the eyepiece and obscure visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The eyepiece shield acts as a protective intermediary barrier between the external environment and the eyepiece. The weather-resistant portion specifically prevents debris such as dirt and lint from entering the eyepiece through the gap, while the overall structure remains relatively simple and does not complicate the eyepiece design.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If an eyepiece shield is added to block light and weather, then visibility and protection are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The eyepiece shield utilizes flexible, resilient materials that can be molded into the required shape. The shield includes a light-blocking portion and a weather-resistant portion made from elastomeric materials that provide protection while maintaining a relatively simple single-piece construction. This approach provides comprehensive protection without significantly increasing device complexity.
4Measurement precision
If the eye opening is non-parallel with the eyepiece hole and has a concave profile, then visual acuity is improved by matching face contours, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The eyepiece shield incorporates specific geometric parameters: the eye opening is positioned non-parallel to the eyepiece hole and features a concave profile that matches the natural contours of the user's face. These parameter changes optimize visual acuity by ensuring proper alignment and contact with the face, while the use of flexible materials allows for tolerance in manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The shield is constructed from flexible, resilient elastomeric materials that can be molded into the complex concave shape required for optimal facial contact. The material flexibility compensates for minor manufacturing variations and allows the shield to conform precisely to different user face contours, achieving high visual acuity without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The shield improves visual acuity by blocking light and weather, prevents debris entry, and provides a comfortable, cushioned fit, enhancing user experience.
Implementation Method 1
The shell can comprise a flexible and resilient, and/or an elastic, material
Data Source
AI summary
An eyepiece shield (10, 10b) for a sporting optic (14, 14b), such as binoculars or a spotting scope, comprises an irregular frusto-conical shell (22, 22b) with a narrower end circumscribing at least one eyepiece hole (26), and a wider end circumscribing an oblong eye opening (30, 30b). The eye opening is non-parallel with the eyepiece hole, and has a concave profile with respect to at least one viewing axis (34) between the holes. The shell comprises a flexible and resilient, laminate material with different inner and outer layers sandwiching an intermediate foam layer. In addition, the shield comprises a fastener (114) with first and second fastener portions (118, 120) carried on opposite sides of the shell at the eye opening to closed the shield with the opposite sides of the eye opening folded in towards one another, and the fastener is fastened with the first and second fastener portions joined together.