Abstract: Disclosed is an outside rear-view mirror for a vehicle, having a mirror base and a mirror housing which is adapted to assume a normal position for use relative to said mirror base and to rock forwardly and rearwardly and which is coupled to said mirror base by a rocker. To reduce the danger of injuries particularly of fingers, caused by a back-swinging mirror housing between said mirror and said mirror base, at least one spreading spring is provided one end of which abuts said mirror housing and the other end of which abuts said mirror base, and which urges said housing to a fully backward tilted position relative to said mirror base.

Abstract: An aspheric mirror, for example in the form of an off-axis parabolic mirror or a toric mirror, that includes a first element having a front surface which defines a spherical reflector and a spaced apart rear surface. The spherical reflector includes a constant radius of curvature, an X-axis with an X-axis radius of curvature and a Y-axis with a Y-axis radius of curvature. The first element possesses a first rigidity factor. A second element includes a front surface sized to mate with the rear surface of the first element along an interface zone. The second element possesses a second rigidity factor. An interface contour device produces a differential contour within the interface zone between the first and second elements. The interface contour device is aligned to modify the X-axis radius of curvature of the shperical reflector without significantly modifying the Y-axis radius of curvature.

Abstract: A retractable antiglare shield for an exterior rear view mirror that is mounted in a vehicle door and includes a flexible shield which can be stored in the door when not in use. This shield is supported on a roller mechanism and has its upper end formed with a support member which is insertable between the window and the door frame for maintaining the shield in the operative raised position.

Abstract: A side member of a spectacles frame comprises an elongate rod and a wider ear part extending rearwardly from the rod. The ear part comprises at least two spars extending substantially parallel in spaced apart relationship to form an opening therebetween. Rear ends of the spars are interconnected. The ear part can be deformed when heated, while providing the wearer with the comfort associated with a wide part.

Abstract: An external mirror for a motor vehicle is provided. The mirror includes parts that are pivotable to a limited extent between two end positions. An electric motor serves to pivot these parts, with a slip coupling being interposed between the electric motor and the pivotable parts. To be able to automatically establish a synchronization between the pivotable parts and the electric motor, supply of power to the motor is effected via contact strips having an effective length that is greater than the pivot path of the pivotable parts such that even in the end positions of these parts, power can still be supplied to the electric motor. A loop that is associated with the contact strips is connected to the electric motor in such a way as to move therewith.

Abstract: The invention concerns a control system for adjusting the rear view mirror of a vehicle in response to the position of the steering gear. This object is achieved in that the apparatus the controlling parts, viz. a magnet and a reed contact are simple and inexpensive elements which can be so positioned without difficulty as to sense the movements of the steering gear, and their function is quite unaffected by the rough conditions by way of road dirt, water and oil to which they may be subjected when placed below the front end of a vehicle.

Abstract: An optical element comprises a polarization diffraction element that is provided with diffraction gratings that are respectively mounted on different faces of a transparent substrate of a flat plate shape, which grating pitches are equal to each other and approximately equal to the wavelength of an incident light, and which grating lines are parallel. The thickness of the substrate is set such that the difference that occurs between the phases of the P and S polarizations of a light due to the grating, and the difference that occurs between the phases of the two polarizations when the light propagates through the substrate cancel out.

Abstract: An ultra-black film is disclosed, which essentially consists of a base, a Ni-P alloy layers formed on said base and a phosphate layer formed on said Ni-P layer, the spectral reflectance of said ultra-black film being 0.04 to 0.4%. The claimed invention provides an optical calorimeter optical receiver having an inner surface provided with an ultra-black film.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording Lippman holographic mirrors comprises an exposing volume optically coupled on one side with an index-matching fluid to the holographic material to be recorded. The volume is exposed on an adjacent side to a light beam expanded in one direction into a plane of light whose projection on the volume is a line. The line of light and the holographic material are moved relative to each other on an interrupted or a continuous basis to expose the holographic material.

Abstract: A computer assisted optical instrument analyzes a differential wave front developed by subtracting the wave front due to a circular grating reticle only in the optical path, from the wave front due to a reflecting surface being analyzed in the optical path including the reticle, to obtain a Foucault shadow fringe pattern indicating the surface curvature. The differential wave front is analyzed by the circular grating and a CCD camera, in polar coordinates, to obtain polynomial coefficients defining the wave front. The polynomial is then plotted and displayed as the topographic shadow fringe pattern of the reflected surface. Dedicated lens and reflector combinations adapt the instrument to specific embodiments in ophthalmology and metrology.

Abstract: Apparatus for testing dark adaptation comprises a test panel. Four test stimuli, comprising arrays of light emitting diodes, are arranged on the test panel around a fixation light emitting diode. Translucent covers are mounted over the arrays of light emitting diodes. Four switches to enable a subject to input the identity of a visible test stimulus are provided, each switch is operated by a button formed by a respective cover of the test stimuli. A test stimulus is randomly selected and switched on at a predetermined level of luminance. On a correct identification, another test stimulus is selected and switched on at a reduced level of luminance. The times from the commencement of the test until the various correct identifications are recorded, as are the corresponding level of luminance of the test stimuli.

Abstract: A holographic apparatus of the type comprising a conoscopic system including a birefringent crystal inserted between two polarizers, wherein the apparatus also includes an aperture angle limiter inserted on the path of the light rays and wherein one of the birefringent crystal and the aperture angle limiter is disposed off the optical axis of the apparatus.

Abstract: Surface treatment of a substrate by ion beam sputtering (IBS). The sputtered material impacts on the substrate with a kinetic energy which may be several orders of magnitude higher than in conventional sputter deposition techniques, and material is deposited along a path with high energy directed substantially normal to the target surface, allowing precise control of deposition conditions.Novel treatment processes with IBS sputtering include coating or activating of circuit board holes, alloying or transformation of surface chemistry, and the deposition of metallic, crystalline or large-molecule coatings which are intimately bonded to a crystalline or amorphous substrate. Special homologous and graded coatings allow the repair of lattice damage in crystalline substrates, and permit the formation of stress free and crystalling layers, and other coatings with diverse electrical, optical, chemical or other physical surface properties.

Abstract: A holographic method of the type implementing a conoscopic system including a birefrigent crystal inserted between two polarizers and a photosensitive element, wherein the method includes a step consisting in inserting one-dimensional optical means on the path of the light rays such that the conoscopic system only collects light that is parallel or quasi-parallel to a plane including the axis of the conoscopic system. The invention also provides apparatus for implementing the method.

Abstract: An ultra-black film is disclosed, which essentially consists of a base, a Ni-P alloy layer formed on said base and a phosphate layer formed on said Ni-P layer, the spectral reflectance of said ultra-black film being 0.04 to 0.4%. The invention provides a no reflection optical terminator comprising a cap having a recessed formed in one end surface and containing an ultra-black film on the surface of said recess.

Abstract: A lightweight mirror is disclosed in which the core and backsheet of the mirror are constructed from a single piece of glass. The core is lightweighted by drilling or otherwise forming a series of pockets in the core with the machining process proceeding from the front of the core toward the backsheet. A plurality of walls left between each of the adjacent machined-out areas to provide the core with rigidity and to aid in supporting a facesheet on which a reflecting surface is formed. The facesheet is fastened to the rim of the core and to the walls which remain between the adjacent pockets in the core using a frit bonding process.

Abstract: Hydraulic actuators are disclosed which are useful for controlling the reflecting surface of deformable mirrors or positioning the segments a segmented reflecting mirror. In one embodiment electrodistortive actuators are used to control movement of a piston into or out of a reservoir containing a fluid. The fluid controls movement of a second, smaller piston whose movement may be coupled to a surface whose shape or position it is desired to influence. In a second preferred embodiment two sets of actuators are used to permit the disclosed mechanism to impart movement in two directions to the reflecting surface or optical element whose shape or position it is desired to control.

Abstract: A process and resulting structure for a window typically used on weapons with infrared sensors. The window has a plurality of transparent blocks connected in a mosaic pattern. Between the blocks are slots, that allow a coolant to flow through and cool the window, such that the window does not have a thermal signature.

Abstract: A 2f Fourier transform optical correlator uses two simple, single element lenses, with the second lens performing both quadratic phase term removal and the inverse Fourier transform operation in a compact two-focal-length space. This correlator performs correlations quite well and uses three less lens elements than a prior 2f system, is shorter by a factor of two compared to the standard 4f system, and uses one less lens than the 3f system, while still retaining the variable scale feature.

Abstract: A broadband diffractive lens or imaging element produces a sharp focus and/or a high resolution image with broad bandwidth illuminating radiation. The diffractive lens is sectored or segmented into regions, each of which focuses or images a distinct narrowband of radiation but all of which have a common focal length. Alternatively, a serial stack of minus filters, each with a diffraction pattern which focuses or images a distinct narrowband of radiation but all of which have a common focal length, is used. The two approaches can be combined. Multifocal broadband diffractive elements can also be formed.