Night Vision Monocular with unistructural optical bed

TLDR: In this paper, 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.

Abstract: 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.