GB1566717A - Creación de Inventos y Patentes con Inteligencia Artificial

GB1566717A – Hand held microscope
– Google Patents

GB1566717A – Hand held microscope
– Google Patents
Hand held microscope

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Publication number
GB1566717A

GB1566717A
GB4116376A
GB4116376A
GB1566717A
GB 1566717 A
GB1566717 A
GB 1566717A
GB 4116376 A
GB4116376 A
GB 4116376A
GB 4116376 A
GB4116376 A
GB 4116376A
GB 1566717 A
GB1566717 A
GB 1566717A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
microscope
members
connecting structure
lens
accordance
Prior art date
1975-10-06
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)

Expired

Application number
GB4116376A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)

Arthur D Little Inc

Original Assignee
Arthur D Little Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
1975-10-06
Filing date
1976-10-04
Publication date
1980-05-08

1976-08-18
Priority claimed from US05/715,624
external-priority
patent/US4095874A/en

1976-10-04
Application filed by Arthur D Little Inc
filed
Critical
Arthur D Little Inc

1980-05-08
Publication of GB1566717A
publication
Critical
patent/GB1566717A/en

Status
Expired
legal-status
Critical
Current

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Classifications

G—PHYSICS

G02—OPTICS

G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

G02B21/00—Microscopes

G02B21/0004—Microscopes specially adapted for specific applications

G02B21/0008—Microscopes having a simple construction, e.g. portable microscopes

Description

(54) HAND-HELD MICROSCOPE
(71) We, ARTHUR D. LITTLE, INC., a corporation organised under the laws of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United
States of America, or 25 Acorn Park,
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, United
States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a microscope useful for students and others in laboratory and field work. Objects of the invention are to produce an inexpensive and rugged microscope which is easy and safe to handle even by unskilled users in the steps of inserting slide or liquid specimens, focusing and observing. Moreover, in one embodiment of the microscope a standard or classical glass slide is not necessary.
From one aspect, the present invention consists in a microscope comprising two members of which one member comprises a stage capable of being illuminated and defining a specimen position, and the other member has a viewing aperture which accepts and holds a lens, said members being resiliently joined by, and extending as cantilevers from, a connecting structure means said members being provided with hand pressure regions for stressing said connecting structure means to change the distance between said lens and said stage in a resilient manner, said connecting structure means establishing, in an unstressed position, a nonfocused rest relation between said lens and said stage, the range of movement permitted by stressing said connecting structure means to a focusing position in response to deflection of said hand pressure regions enabling focusing between said lens and said stage, and release of said pressure enabling return by said connecting structure means of said lens and said stage to said rest relation, and at least one of said members being resiliently deflectable towards the other about said connecting structure means for focusing.
From another aspect, the present invention consists in a microscope comprising a unitary molding of synthetic resinous plastics having top and bottom members joined along a respective edge of each by, and extending as cantilevers from, a plastics hinge, one of said members defining a viewing aperture and the other delning a specimen stage and a light-admitting aperture, said microscope being capable of being focused by hinged movement between said top and bottom members.
The hinge may comprise a reducedthickness segment joining corresponding edges of the top and bottom parts, the parts having mutually engaging portions spaced from the hinge, providing a fulcrum for the deflection.
Preferably, the hand pressure regions are spaced from the lens such that resilient deflection of at least one of said members towards the other in response to hand pressure at said regions translates into relatively reduced motion between the lens and the stage.
Advantageously, the two members are both resiliently deflectable towards each other about locations in said members which are between the lens and the viewing aperture openings registering with retainers for a specimen slide may be provided in said members to facilitate resilient deflection.
Preferably, a tapered, light-admitting aperlure is located at the specimen stage and has its smaller diameter nearer the lens, which serves both to reduce admission of scattered light and to precisely locate a liquid specimen.
Preferably, the top and bottom members have a partially closed rest position, which is achieved by permanent set of the resinous plastic. Also. the slide retainers are preferably associated with the bottom member in a position to make them capable of entering openings in the top member when the two members are brought towards each other.
From a further aspect, the present invention consists a microscope comprising top and bottom members joined along a respective edge of each by, and extending as cantilevers from, a hinge, one of said members defining a viewing aperture and the other defining a specimen stage and a lightadmitting aperture, and spring means biasing said top and bottom members apart in a nonfocusing position, said microscope being capable of being focused by hinged movement between said top and bottom members overcoming said spring means.
From a still further aspect, the present invention consists in an initially flat blank suitable for folding to form a microscope, characterized as being a rectangular sheet of material comprising in order first and second top member sections of equal dimensions having centrally-positioned openings, said first top member section being foldable through 1800 to be adhered to said second top member section to form a top member with said openings aligned to form a lens aperture suitable for positioning and holding a lens therein when said first top member section is adhered to said second top member section; a first relatviely narrow connecting structure means section being foldable relative to said top member; first and second bottom member sections of equal dimensions having centrally-positioned openings, said second bottom member section being foldable through 1800 to be adhered to said first bottom member section to form a bottom member with said openings aligned to form a light-admitting aperture, said bottom member being foldable relative to said first connecting structure means section; and a second relatively narrow connecting structure means section being foldable relative to said second section of said bottom member for adhering to said first connecting structure means section to form a connecting structive means and thus a microscope having said top and bottom members extending as cantilevers from said connecting structure means, with said light admitting aperture being alignable with said lens aperture and said top and bottom members being joined by said connecting structure means in hinged relationship in a nonfocusing position alterable to a focusing position by hinged movement between said top and bottom members.
In order that the invention may be more readily understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of microscope constructed in accordance with this invention;
Figs. 2-7 are views taken respectively from the top, front edge, bottom, back edge and left and right ends of the embodiment of Fig. 1;
Fig. 8 is a top view of the microscope of Fig. 1 shown open in the position in which it comes from the mold or as opened for insertion of a specimen;
Fig. 9 is a partial cross-section taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8;
Fig. 10 is a front edge view of the micrpscope folded in closed position;
Fig. 11 is a cross-section view taken on lines 11-11 of Fig. 10;
Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the microscope with the specimen inserted, in the position of use by a student;
Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but showing the hands of the student focusing the microscope;
Figs. 14 and 15 are cross-sectional views taken on lines 14-14 and 15-15 of Fig. 13;
Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the light admitting aperture of Fig. 15 on an enlarged scale;
Fig. 17 is a plan view of a blank used in forming another embodiment of the microscope of this invention;
Fig. 18 is a fragmentary plan view showing a modification in the construction of the blank used to form the microscope;
Fig. 19 illustrates in a perspective view the steps of folding to make the microscope of this invention from the blank of Fig. 17;
Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the microscope in the rest or non-focused position; and
Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the microscope in its stressed or focusing position.
Referring to Figs. 1-16, the first embodiment of the microscope is shown as a unitary molding comprising member 10 forming the bottom of the microscope as illustrated in
Fig. 1 joined by a flexible plastics hinge 12 to a member 14 forming the top of the microscope as illustrated in Fig. 1. Members 10 and 14 are of elongated form, the hinge extending along their length and the joining long edges of the two members. Top member 14 has a central aperture 20 for viewing, a spherical lens 22 being mounted in the aperture 20 by means of an integral peripheral mounting flange 24 retained in position by a resilient c-shaped spring member 26. The bottom member has a lightadmitting aperture 28 aligned with viewing aperture 20, the aperture tapering from diameter d1 to diameter d2 over length t, (Fig. 16). Typically for a value of t = inch, d1 may be 13/G4 inch and d2 ll/G4 inch.
Bottom member 10 also has a pair of specimen slide retainers 30 mounted to press a specimen slide 32 (see Fig. 8) against stage surface 18 of the bottom member. In closed position, referring to Fig. 12, the user graps the clamshell microscope, registers viewing aperture 20 with his eye and looks through the assembly and light-admitting aperture 28 toward a light source. A liquid specimen introduced into the light-admitting aperture 28, as suggested by the dropper 34 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8 and by liquid specimen S in Fig. 16, is precisley located with respect to the lens by the cooperation of surface tension effects and the tapered construction of the aperture. Such a liquid drop specimen is illuminated and viewed.
Certain light rays R, non-parallel to the optical axis L, strike the tapered wall and that portion of the light which is not absorbed is reflected to the opposite wall, thence back from the microscope, with resultant benefit in the quality of illumination.
Coarse focusing is achieved by moving the bottom and top members 10 and 14 from their spread-apart position, e.g. the position shown in Fig. 8, to their preset rest relationship, e.g. the position of top member 14 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 11. The focusing is achieved by the further deflection of the matching ends of the bottom and top members by the fingers grasping and squeezing the unit as suggested in Figs. 12-15.
Details of construction, now to be discussed, facilitate this action.
Referring to Figs. 8, 9 and 11, the hinge 12 comprises a thin flexible strip of generally well-known predetermined form, and each edge joined by the hinge comprises a first elongated rib 40 joined to the hinge.
A second rib 42 is spaced from first rib 40 by a distance which generally corresponds to the thickness of the ribs, each rib 40 being joined to a rib 42 at the bottom by the body of the respective member 10 or 14.
Excepting at their ends, the outer ribs 40 are shorter in height by distance d (e.g. 0.010 inch) than the inner ribs 42 as shown in
Fig. 9. Thus, when the top and bottom members are pressed together as shown in the solid lines in Fig. 11, inner ribs 42 meet at contact region A while ribs 40 do not meet except at their extreme ends. For stabilizing the ribs, cross ribs 44 are provided, being spaced, for example, about one inch apart. When folded to the position of Figs. 1 and 11, the major widths of the top and bottom members extend as cantilevers from the region of contact A. Deflection of these cantilevers towards each other is increasingly resisted by the hinge 12, the contact region
A serving as a fulcrum and the hinge being placed under increasing tension.
Serrated finger pressing regions 50 on both extremities of both top and bottom members, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, locate the proper position of the fingers for producing this focusing deflection.
Because the pressure applying regions 50 are spaced longitudinally at distance 1 from the central viewing line, and because the resilient hinge is continuous along the edge of the top and bottom members, deflection of the regions 50 toward each other results in a deflection about locations in the body of the top and bottom members between the regions 50 and the lens of somewhat lesser magnitude of the lens towards the specimen than that of the outer ends of the top and bottom members. Thus motion of the user’s fingers result in relatively finer focusing movement of the lens toward the specimen.
This effect is facilitated by cut-outs (openings) 52 and 54 in both members 10 and 14, providing resulting in reduced movement of the central portion, which carries the lens relative to that of the extremities beyond the cut-outs. Furthermore, the increased thickness 56 of the top member in the region of the lens, relative to the thickness of the extremities, providing further resistance to deflection of the top member and reduces again the ratio of the deflection of the lens to the deflection of the extremities 50 of the microscope.
The cut-outs 52 and 54 serve other purposes as well. By looking downward through the cut-outs 52 in top member 14, on either side of the aperture 20, it is possible to see the outlines of the specimen slide, this serving as a visual guide for aligning the specimen slide with the viewing aperture. Furthermore, slide retainers 30, projecting integrally from the inner rib 42 of the lower member, and serving as spring retainers for the specimen slide 32 as viewed in Fig. 8, can, upon deflection of parts 10 and 14 toward each other, enter the openings 52 in the upper member. This in turn avoids concentration of detrimental force upon the specimen slide that would result if the retainers were forced against the upper member.
The size of the top and bottom members 14 and 10 is greater than the predetermined size of the specimen slide 32, thus allowing freedom for the specimen to be moved longitudinally or laterally for alignment with the aperture while being retained within the protective boundaries offered by the top and bottom members. This protects the user from cuts and the specimen slide from breakage.
In the embodiment of Figs. 1-16, the entire microscope body, i.e. top and bottom members 14 and 10 and joining hinge 12, is molded as an integral unit of a suitable polymeric resin such as polypropylene. Then, while still warm from the molding process, the unit of Fig. 8 is folded to assume its closed configuration and chilled. Thus a permanently set, partially closed position is achieved as shown in the dotted lines in
Fig. 11. Lens 22, e.g. of 30X or 50X magnification, is then inserted, followed by insertion of the spring retainer 26.
Typically, the top and bottom members are about 4 inches long, 11 inches wide, and generally s inch thick. Ribs 42 extend somewhat in excess of an additional + inch from the main body of the top and bottom mem bers, establishing a closed spacing between the lens and specimen in excess of k inch and an overall thickness of the microscope in closed position of less than one inch.
Thus the microscope is readily portable.
The permanent set of the unit in partially open position produces some resistance by the hinge before closure to parallelism of the top and bottom members, which is helpful to achieving focus, especially when unusually thick specimen slides are employed. For portability the unit is slipped into an envelope which overcomes this resistance and holds the unit compactly in closed position.
Figs. 17-21 illustrate another embodiment of the microscope of this invention an embodiment which is initially formed as a flat piece or blank of a relatively rigid material such as paper board, cardboard, boxboard or a bendable plastics. This initial flat blank is then folded to form the microscone having the desired characteristics.
Fig. 17 is a plan view of the internal surface of a flat blank 60 divided into sections 61 and 62 used to form the top member 63, sections 64 and 65 used to form the bottom member 66, section 67 joining top member 63 and bottom member 66, and serving as one part of the connecting structure means, and section 68 used to form the other part of the connecting structure means.
Flat blank 60 may be constructed in one of several ways. For example, as shown in
Fig. 18, the various sections 61-68 may be separate individual pieces of e.g. paperboard, cardboard or plastics film adhered on their internal surface to a continuous bendable sheet material 70 such as a resin coated paper. The sections are placed in spaced relationship, the spaces, such as space 71 between sections 61 and 62, being of a sufficient width to allow free bending of the sections 61, 62 etc., relative to each other.
Alternatively, the flat blank may be formed of a unitary piece of material as show in
Fig. 17 and the boundaries 72-76 between the sections may be scored or otherwise treated to permit bending of the sections as hereinafter described.
The central viewing aperture of the assembled microscope includes openings 78 and 79 (normally circular) in sections 61 and 62 forming upper member 63. Lens 80 is affixed to either section 61 or 62 to be concentric with either opening 78 or 79 so that when section 61 is folded through 180t to contact section 62, and is adhered thereto, openings 78 and 79 coincide and lock in lens 80 to form central viewing aperture 81 (Fig. 20) corresponding to central viewing aperture 20 of Fig. 1. In like manner, the light-admitting aperture comprises openings 82 and 83 in sections 64 and 65 which, when section 65 is fdded through 1800 to contact section 64 and is adhered thereto, coincide to form light-admitting aperture 84 (Fig. 20) corresponding to light-admitting aperture 28 of
Fig. I.
Preferably, the inner surface 85 of the initial blank is coated with an adhesive 86 which may be a delayed-tack, pressure-sensitive adhesive or a so-called cohesive adhesive covered with an easily removable release sheet 87 which, when pulled off, allows the microscope to be formed as illustrated in
Fig. 19. Alternatively, the inner surface of the initial blank may be coated with an appropriate adhesive just prior to assembly.
The external surface, i.e., that surface opposite to the internal surface shown in
Fig. 1, may have indicia (e.g., designs or instructions) imprinted thereon. As a final coating on the external surface, it is preferable to have a film or layer of a material which will release a pressure-sensitive tape through a number of applications and removals. Thus, it is preferable when the assembly of the microscope is complete to have the inside surface 88 and outside surface 89 coated with a material such as polyurethane, varnish, or a film of polyethylene teraphthalate.
In forming the microscope, section 60 is folded inwardly, as indicated by arrow 90a in Fig. 19, to contact and be adhered to section 62 to form top member 63 with lens 80 firmly held between sections 61 and 62 and positioned in central viewing aperture 81. In like manner, section 65 is folded inwardly, as indicated by arrow 90b to contact and be adhered to section 64 to form bottom member 66. Finally, section 68 is folded back as indicated by arrow 90c and adhered to section 67 to complete formation of the connecting structure means 91.
Thus, it will be appreciated that the connecting structure means 91 is constituted by a narrow section consisting of sections 67 and 68 formed by folding the top and bottom members 63 and 66 to form angles approaching right angles with the narrow section when the microscope is in the focussing position illustrated in Fig. 21. The inside surface of bottom member 66 forms stage surface 92 which, as noted above, is preferably coated with a material to which a strip of a transparent pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 93 may be repeatedly applied and removed. This permits specimens 94 which are to be examined in the microscope to be adhered to the surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape which is exposed, through light-admitting aperture 84, on the outside of the assembled microscope. Thus, in this mode of operation, the cost and danger of using a thin glass slide are eliminated. It is, however, also possible to adhere a glass slide to stage surface 92 through the use of a pressure-sensitive adhesive. Alterna tively, a drop of liquid for examination may be placed in light-admitting aperture 84 in the same manner as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 16 for aperture 28.
As in the case of the embodiment of
Figs. 1-16, the embodiment of Figs. 17-21 has both an unstressed nonfocusing position (Fig. 20) and a focusing position (Fig. 21) due to the resilient nature of the joining of the top and bottom member through the connecting structure means. The top member 63 provides finger pressing regions 96 (shown only- for top member 63) which may or may not be marked as shown in Fig. 21 and the microscope embodiment of Figs.
17-21 is used in the same manner as illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13.
The embodiment shown in Fig. 17-21 is particularly suited for being printed on eontainers for cutting out or for sale as a flat blank along with a lens. It thus provides an educational toy possessing many different applications.
It will be appreciated that various modi fications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, instead of the top and bottom members being biassed apart in the nonfocussing position by the hinge, spring means may be provided to effect such biassing and focussing is accomplished by hinged movement between the top and bottom members overcoming the sprlbg means.
WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A microscope comprising two mem- bers of which one member comprises a stage capable of being illuminated and defining a specimen position, and the other member has a viewing aperture which accepts and holds a lens, said members being resiliently joined by, and extending as cantilevers from, a connecting structure means, said members being provided with hand pressure regions for stressing said connecting structure means to change the distance between said lens and said stage in a resilient manner, said connecting structure means establishing, in an unstressed position, a nonfocused rest relation between said lens and said stage, the range of movement permitted by stressing said connecting structure means to a focusing position in response to deflection of said hand pressure regions enabling focusing between said lens and said stage, and release of said pressure enabling return by said connecting structure means of said lens and said stage to said rest relation, and at least one of said members being resiliently deflectable towards the other about said connecting structure means for focusing.
2. A microsope in accordance with claim 1, wherein said connecting structure means comprises a hinge of resilient resinous plastics moulded integrally with said members.
3. A microscope in accordance with claim 2, wherein said hinge comprises a reducedthickness segment joining corresponding edges of said members, said members having mutually engaging portions spaced from said hinge, providing a fulcrum for said deflection.
4. A microscope in accordance with claim 1, wherein said connecting structure means comprises a narrow section formed by folding said members to form angles approaching right angles with said narrow section when said microscope is in said focusing position.
5. A microscope in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said hand pressure regions are spaced from said lens such that resilient deflection of at least one of said members towards the other in response to hand pressure at said regions translates into relatively reduced motion between said lens and said stage.
6. A microscope in accordance with claim 5, wherein both said two members are resiliently deflectable towards each other about locations in said members which are between said pressure regions and said viewing aperture.
7. A microscope in accordance with claim 6, wherein said two members have openings to facilitate said resilient deflection said openings registering with retainers for specimen slides.
8. A microscope comprising a unitary molding of synthetic resinous plastics having top and bottom members joined along a respective edge of each by, and extending as cantilevers from, a plastics hinge, one of said members defining a viewing aperture and the other defining a specimen stage and a light-admitting aperture, said microscope being capable of being focused by hinged movement between said top and bottom members.
9. A microscope in accordance with claim 8, wherein said top and bottom members have a partially closed rest position, the unit resiliently resisting movement toward the completely closed position.
10. A microscope in accordance with claim 8 or 9, including slide retaining means disposed between said top and bottom members and connected to said bottom member to retain slides on said stage and openings in said top member to receive said slide retaining means when said top and bottom members are closed toward each other.
11. A microscope in accordance with claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein said light-admitting aperture comprises a tapered hole located at the specimen stage and adapted to position a liquid droplet specimen inserted therein.
12. A microscope in accordance with
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (24)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. tively, a drop of liquid for examination may be placed in light-admitting aperture 84 in the same manner as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 16 for aperture 28. As in the case of the embodiment of Figs. 1-16, the embodiment of Figs. 17-21 has both an unstressed nonfocusing position (Fig. 20) and a focusing position (Fig. 21) due to the resilient nature of the joining of the top and bottom member through the connecting structure means. The top member 63 provides finger pressing regions 96 (shown only- for top member 63) which may or may not be marked as shown in Fig. 21 and the microscope embodiment of Figs. 17-21 is used in the same manner as illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13. The embodiment shown in Fig. 17-21 is particularly suited for being printed on eontainers for cutting out or for sale as a flat blank along with a lens. It thus provides an educational toy possessing many different applications. It will be appreciated that various modi fications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, instead of the top and bottom members being biassed apart in the nonfocussing position by the hinge, spring means may be provided to effect such biassing and focussing is accomplished by hinged movement between the top and bottom members overcoming the sprlbg means. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. A microscope comprising two mem- bers of which one member comprises a stage capable of being illuminated and defining a specimen position, and the other member has a viewing aperture which accepts and holds a lens, said members being resiliently joined by, and extending as cantilevers from, a connecting structure means, said members being provided with hand pressure regions for stressing said connecting structure means to change the distance between said lens and said stage in a resilient manner, said connecting structure means establishing, in an unstressed position, a nonfocused rest relation between said lens and said stage, the range of movement permitted by stressing said connecting structure means to a focusing position in response to deflection of said hand pressure regions enabling focusing between said lens and said stage, and release of said pressure enabling return by said connecting structure means of said lens and said stage to said rest relation, and at least one of said members being resiliently deflectable towards the other about said connecting structure means for focusing.

2. A microsope in accordance with claim 1, wherein said connecting structure means comprises a hinge of resilient resinous plastics moulded integrally with said members.

3. A microscope in accordance with claim 2, wherein said hinge comprises a reducedthickness segment joining corresponding edges of said members, said members having mutually engaging portions spaced from said hinge, providing a fulcrum for said deflection.

4. A microscope in accordance with claim 1, wherein said connecting structure means comprises a narrow section formed by folding said members to form angles approaching right angles with said narrow section when said microscope is in said focusing position.

5. A microscope in accordance with claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said hand pressure regions are spaced from said lens such that resilient deflection of at least one of said members towards the other in response to hand pressure at said regions translates into relatively reduced motion between said lens and said stage.

6. A microscope in accordance with claim 5, wherein both said two members are resiliently deflectable towards each other about locations in said members which are between said pressure regions and said viewing aperture.

7. A microscope in accordance with claim 6, wherein said two members have openings to facilitate said resilient deflection said openings registering with retainers for specimen slides.

8. A microscope comprising a unitary molding of synthetic resinous plastics having top and bottom members joined along a respective edge of each by, and extending as cantilevers from, a plastics hinge, one of said members defining a viewing aperture and the other defining a specimen stage and a light-admitting aperture, said microscope being capable of being focused by hinged movement between said top and bottom members.

9. A microscope in accordance with claim 8, wherein said top and bottom members have a partially closed rest position, the unit resiliently resisting movement toward the completely closed position.

10. A microscope in accordance with claim 8 or 9, including slide retaining means disposed between said top and bottom members and connected to said bottom member to retain slides on said stage and openings in said top member to receive said slide retaining means when said top and bottom members are closed toward each other.

11. A microscope in accordance with claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein said light-admitting aperture comprises a tapered hole located at the specimen stage and adapted to position a liquid droplet specimen inserted therein.

12. A microscope in accordance with
claim 11, wherein the smaller diameter of said hole is closer to said lens.

13. A microscope comprising top and bottom members joined along a respetcive edge of each by, and extending as cantilevers from, a hinge, one of said members defining a viewing aperture and the other defining a specimen stage and a light-admitting aperture, and spring means biasing said top and bottom members apart in a nonfocusing position, said microscope bieng capable of being focused by hinged movement between said top and bottom members overcoming said spring means.

14. An initially flat blank suitable for folding to form a microscope characterized as being a rectangular sheet of material com- prising in order
(a) first and second top member sections of equal dimensions having centraly-positioned openings, said first top member section being foldable through 1800 to be adhered to said second top member section to form a top member with said openings aligned to form a lens aperture suitable for positioning and holding a lens therein when said first top member section is ad- hered to said second top member section;
(b) a first relatively narrow connecting structure means section being foldable relative to said top member;
(c) first and second bottom member sections of equal dimensions having centrallypositioned openings, said second bottom member section being foldable through 180 to be adhered to said first bottom member section to form a bottom member with said openings aligned to form a light-admitting aperture, said bottom member being foldable relative to said first connecting structure means section; and
(d) a second relatively narrow connecting structure means section being foldable relative to said second section of said bottom member for adhering to said first connecting structure means section to form a connecting structure means and thus a microscope having said top and bottom members extending as cantilevers from said connecting structure means, with said light admitting aperture being alignable with said lens aperture and said top and bottom members being joined by said connecting structure means in hinged relationship in a nonfocusing position alterable to a focusing position by hinged movement between said top and bottom members.

15. A flat blank in accordance with claim 14, wherein said sheet is a unitary piece of said material having scoring between said sections to permit the folding of said sections.

16. A flat blank in accordance with claim 14, wherein said material is paperboard, cardboard, boxboard, or palstics.

17. A flat blank in accordance with claim 14, wherein said sheet comprises a unitary bendable component to which said sections are adhered as separate pieces in spaced apart relationship to permit the folding of said sections.

18. A flat blank in accordance with any one of claims 14 to 17, including a pressuresensitive adhesive covering the internal contacting surfaces of said sections and a removable release sheet covering said adhesive.

19. A flat blank in accordance with any one of claims 14 to 18, including a coating covering the external surface of said sections, said coating being of a material to which a pressure-sensitive tape may be repeatedly applied and removed.

20. A microscope substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 16 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A microscope substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 17 and 19 to 21 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A microscope substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 18 to 20 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A flat blank suitable for folding to form a microscope substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 17 of the accompanying drawings.

24. A flat blank suitable for folding to form a microscope substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 17 as modified by Figure 18 of the accompanying drawings.

GB4116376A
1975-10-06
1976-10-04
Hand held microscope

Expired

GB1566717A
(en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number
Priority Date
Filing Date
Title

US61962575A

1975-10-06
1975-10-06

US05/715,624

US4095874A
(en)

1975-10-06
1976-08-18
Hand-held microscope

Publications (1)

Publication Number
Publication Date

GB1566717A
true

GB1566717A
(en)

1980-05-08

Family
ID=27088558
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Application Number
Title
Priority Date
Filing Date

GB4116376A
Expired

GB1566717A
(en)

1975-10-06
1976-10-04
Hand held microscope

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JP
(1)

JPS5245942A
(en)

CA
(1)

CA1082502A
(en)

DE
(1)

DE2644949A1
(en)

FR
(1)

FR2327558A1
(en)

GB
(1)

GB1566717A
(en)

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1987-08-17
1989-04-12
Garcia Diaz Nicolas
Simple microscope comprising a transparent sphere

GB2210177A
(en)

1987-09-23
1989-06-01
Anthony Charles Lewis
Hand-held focussable magnifying device

WO2010122365A1
(en)

2009-04-22
2010-10-28
Poliedro Informatica, Consultoria E Servicos Ltda Shc/Sul
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Title

FR2923670B1
(en)

2007-11-13
2010-08-20
Poliedro Informatica Consultor

PORTABLE TELECOMMUNICATIONS APPARATUS WITH INTEGRATED DIGITAL MICROSCOPE

US9696535B2
(en)

2012-02-10
2017-07-04
The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University
Optical microscope

US9810892B2
(en)

2013-03-15
2017-11-07
The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University
Optical lens fabrication

WO2015033817A1
(en)

2013-09-03
2015-03-12
Sato Tadao
Simple microscope and dark-field observation method and photographic video recording method employing same

1976

1976-08-26
CA
CA259,888A
patent/CA1082502A/en
not_active
Expired

1976-10-04
GB
GB4116376A
patent/GB1566717A/en
not_active
Expired

1976-10-04
JP
JP51118634A
patent/JPS5245942A/en
active
Pending

1976-10-05
DE
DE19762644949
patent/DE2644949A1/en
not_active
Withdrawn

1976-10-05
FR
FR7629946A
patent/FR2327558A1/en
not_active
Withdrawn

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party

Publication number
Priority date
Publication date
Assignee
Title

GB2208725A
(en)

1987-08-17
1989-04-12
Garcia Diaz Nicolas
Simple microscope comprising a transparent sphere

GB2210177A
(en)

1987-09-23
1989-06-01
Anthony Charles Lewis
Hand-held focussable magnifying device

GB2210177B
(en)

1987-09-23
1991-06-26
Anthony Charles Lewis
Improvements relating to optical magnifying devices

WO2010122365A1
(en)

2009-04-22
2010-10-28
Poliedro Informatica, Consultoria E Servicos Ltda Shc/Sul
Portable telecommunication apparatus with a built-in digital microscope

Also Published As

Publication number
Publication date

DE2644949A1
(en)

1977-04-07

CA1082502A
(en)

1980-07-29

JPS5245942A
(en)

1977-04-12

FR2327558A1
(en)

1977-05-06

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