A night vision device comprising a facemask housing assembly having a peripheral surface defined by a rear surface contoured to a user's face and an open front surface, the housing assembly operative for encasing a pair of optical assemblies operative for receiving light from a viewed object via a first folded optical path and via a second direct optical path, combining the light from the first and second paths, and directing the combined light to a user's eye for viewing the object; where each optical assembly detachably coupled to the housing assembly Each optical assembly comprises an objective lens assembly for receiving and focusing visible and infrared light from a viewed object along the first folded optical path; image intensifier means responsive to the focused light from the objective lens assembly for converting the visible and infrared light to visible intensified light; and beam combining means responsive to the visible intensified light and to the direct path light for combining with one another and directing the combination to the user's eye for viewing

Enhanced night vision device

A monocular night vision device comprising an objective lens assembly for receiving low intensity light; an image intensifier assembly comprising a variable gain image intensifier tube having an adjustable potentiometer mounted external to the tube for converting the low intensity light into a visible output image; a single eyepiece lens assembly for viewing the output image from the image intensifier assembly; and a non-metallic housing for receiving the objective lens assembly, image intensifier assembly, and eyepiece lens assembly, wherein the housing aligns the objective lens assembly with the image intensifier assembly and the eyepiece lens assembly along an optical axis.

Night vision monocular device

The invention relates to a binocular observation device, in particular a field glass, with two visual optical paths and with a laser distance meter with a laser transmitter and a laser receiver and with an opto-electronic display element. A part of an optical path of the laser transmitter is integrated in a first visual optical path and a part of an optical path of the laser receiver is also integrated in the first visual optical path.

Observation device with a distance meter

A night vision goggle system is provided having an image intensifier tube that may be installed or replaced without requiring realignment of the optics. The image intensifier tube is coupled to a first locating feature that is in a predetermined relationship to the optical center of the image intensifier tube. The system includes a second locating feature that interacts with the first locating feature to position the image intensifier tube in a predetermined relationship to an optical component of the night vision system.

Night-vision system including field replaceable image intensifier tube

The invention relates to a binocular observation device, especially binoculars, comprising two visual beam paths and a laser range finder having a laser transmitter and a laser receiver, and an opto-electronic display element. A part of the beam path of the laser transmitter is integrated into a first visual beam path, a part of a beam path of the laser receiver also being integrated into the first visual beam path.

Observation device with range finder

A night vision device having an image intensifier tube, collimator lenses and at least one aspheric ocular lens are retained within a unistructurally formed optical bed. The optical bed is essentially a tubular structure having a large receptacle at one end to receive the image intensifier tube. The tubular structure is configured so that the various collimator lenses can be stacked within the tubular structure in a highly precise yet labor and cost efficient manner. A housing is provided that conforms to the shape of the electro-optical subassembly. The housing has a substantially similar ocular end structure and objective end structure. An objective lens assembly and ocular lens assembly are retained by the housing. Both the objective lens assembly and the ocular lens assembly contain at least one lens held with a commonly shaped lens casing. Since the lens casings for both the ocular lens assembly and the objective lens assembly are substantially the same and the object and objective ends of the housing are substantially the same, a common focusing assembly can be used on both the objective end and the ocular end of the housing. The use of identical parts in both the objective and the ocular of the night vision device, as well as the use of the optical bed provides for a night vision device that is low cost to manufacture and easy to assemble.

Gary L. Palmer

Papers

Night Vision Monocular with unistructural optical bed