Measuring head of an endoscopic device and process for inspecting and measuring an object

• US 10,165,935 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Rolls-Royce Deutschland Limited & Company KG (Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Bauer, Joachim, Schrader, Sigurd, Burger, Martin, Pulwer, Silvio, Heinrich, Friedhelm, Ksianzou, Viachaslau, Steglich, Patrick, Blondeau, Jean, Villringer, Claus
• Primary Examiner(s): AKANBI, ISIAKA O
• Application Number:
  US15/007,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20160220104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 3562411, 3562372-2376
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0646 with illumination filters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0661 Endoscope light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2513 with several lines being projected in more than one direction, e.g. grids, patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2518 Projection by scanning of the object
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/9544 with emitter and receiver on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/954 Inspecting the inner surface of hollow bodies, e.g. bores
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/243 Objectives for endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2461 Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/005 Diaphragms for cameras G03B9/02

Abstract

A measuring head of an endoscopic device is provided. The measuring head has an optical projection unit (projection optics) intended and designed to illuminate an object to be examined with light, and an optical measurement unit (measurement optics) intended and designed to record the light reflected or diffused from the object to be examined. It is provided that the optical measurement unit (measurement optics) has an aperture diaphragm of which the aperture is settable.

Claims

1. A measuring head of an endoscopic device comprising:

an optical projection unit including a light source for illuminating an object to be examined with light, and

an optical measurement unit including a light sensor for recording the light reflected or diffused from the object to be examined,

wherein the optical measurement unit has an aperture diaphragm including a variable aperture;

an aperture setting unit selectively changing the variable aperture between;

a first size of the variable aperture providing a lower resolution for inspecting the object;

a second size of the variable aperture larger than the first size providing a higher resolution for measuring the object;

the optical projection unit including a pattern forming element for projecting a pattern onto the object;

the pattern being imagable when the variable aperture changed to the second size providing the higher resolution for measuring the object and non-imagable when the variable aperture changed to the first size providing the lower resolution for inspecting the object.

2. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the aperture setting unit includes a color filter forming the aperture diaphragm, with the variable aperture of the color filter depending on a wavelength of the light from the light source.

3. The measuring head in accordance with claim 2, wherein the color filter has at least two concentric zones with differing transmission spectra for light.

4. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the aperture setting unit includes a polarization filter forming the aperture diaphragm, where the size of the variable aperture depends on a polarization of the light from the light source.

5. The measuring head in accordance with claim 4, wherein the polarization filter includes at least two concentric zones with different polarization directions.

6. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the aperture setting unit sets the size of the aperture by at least one chosen from mechanically, electro-optically, electro-chromatically, thermo-chromatically and by switchable liquid crystals.

7. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pattern forming element includes a transmission grating.

8. The measuring head in accordance with claim 7, wherein the transmission grating has different grating constants in different grating areas.

9. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pattern forming element includes at least two monomode optical waveguides, lights of which interfere with one another while forming a grating, where a space between the optical waveguides is settable in order to set grating constants of the grating.

10. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measuring head further includes an image processing unit for evaluating distortions of a grating line on the object with respect to 3D information provided by the distortions.

11. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical axes of the optical projection unit and the optical measurement unit are at a non-zero angle.

12. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical projection unit is designed such that a centered imaging or an off-centered imaging is provided.

13. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the aperture setting unit includes a first illumination unit of the optical projection unit and a second illumination unit of the optical projection unit, the first illumination unit being arranged and constructed to provide light such that the aperture diaphragm adopts the first size of the variable aperture, and the second illumination unit arranged and constructed to provide light such that the aperture diaphragm adopts the second size of the variable aperture.

14. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, and further comprising a sensor for recording an image generated by the optical measurement unit.

15. A method for inspection and measurement of an object using an endoscope with a measuring head, comprising:

providing a measuring head of an endoscopic device comprising;

an optical projection unit including a light source for illuminating an object to be examined with light, and

an optical measurement unit including a light sensor for recording the light reflected or diffused from the object to be examined,

wherein the optical measurement unit has an aperture diaphragm including a variable aperture;

the variable aperture being selectively settable between;

a first size of the variable aperture providing a lower resolution for inspecting the object;

a second size of the variable aperture larger than the first size providing a higher resolution for measuring the object;

the optical projection unit including a pattern forming element for projecting a pattern onto the object;

the pattern being imagable when the variable aperture is set at the second size providing the higher resolution for measuring the object and non-imagable when the variable aperture is set at the first size providing the lower resolution for inspecting the object;

setting the first size of the variable aperture for performing an inspection of the object with low resolution;

setting the second size of the variable aperture for performing a measurement of the object with higher resolution.

16. The method in accordance with claim 15, and further comprising using the measuring head to measure defects in an aircraft engine.

17. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein when the second size of the variable aperture is adopted, light of a first illumination unit is used for object illumination, and when the first size of the variable aperture is adopted, light of a second illumination unit is used for object illumination.

18. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein when the first size of the variable aperture is adopted, using optical fiber bundles for object illumination.

19. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein, when the second size of the variable aperture is used, projecting the pattern onto the object.

20. A measuring head of an endoscopic device comprising:

an optical projection unit including a light source for illuminating an object to be examined with light, and

an optical measurement unit including a light sensor for recording the light reflected or diffused from the object to be examined,

wherein the optical measurement unit has an aperture diaphragm including a variable aperture, the aperture diaphragm including;

a first zone including a first color filter being permeable to a first range of wavelength of light;

the first zone establishing a first size of the variable aperture;

a second zone concentric to the first zone and positioned radially aligned with the first zone, the second zone including a color filter being permeable to a second range of wavelength of light different from the first range of wavelength of light;

the second zone establishing a second size of the variable aperture different from the first size of the variable aperture;

wherein the aperture diaphragm is selectable between the first size of the variable aperture and the second size of the variable aperture depending on a wavelength of light transmitted by the optical projection unit;

wherein the first zone and second zone are simultaneously permeable to the light depending on the wavelength of the light transmitted by the optical projection unit.

21. A measuring head of an endoscopic device comprising:

an optical projection unit including a light source for illuminating an object to be examined with light, and

an optical measurement unit including a light sensor for recording the light reflected or diffused from the object to be examined,

wherein the optical measurement unit has an aperture diaphragm including a variable aperture, the aperture diaphragm including;

a first zone including a first polarization filter being permeable to a first polarization of light;

the first zone establishing a first size of the variable aperture;

a second zone concentric to the first zone and positioned radially aligned with the first zone, the second zone including a second polarization filter being permeable to a second polarization of light different from the first polarization of light;

the second zone establishing a second size of the variable aperture different from the first size of the variable aperture;

wherein the aperture diaphragm is selectable between the first size of the variable aperture and the second size of the variable aperture depending on a polarization of light transmitted by the optical projection unit;

wherein the first zone and second zone are simultaneously permeable to the light depending on the wavelength of the light transmitted by the optical projection unit.

22. A measuring head of an endoscopic device comprising:

an optical projection unit including a light source for illuminating an object to be examined with light, and

an optical measurement unit including a light sensor for recording the light reflected or diffused from the object to be examined,

wherein the optical measurement unit has an aperture diaphragm including a variable aperture;

the optical projection unit including a pattern forming element for projecting a pattern onto the object;

wherein the pattern forming element includes at least two monomode optical waveguides, lights of which interfere with one another while forming a grating, where a space between the optical waveguides is settable in order to set grating constants of the grating.