IMAGER HEAD ADJUSTABLE MIRROR MOUNT FOR BORESCOPE

• US 20110090493A1
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inspectron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Perceptron Incorporated (Atlas Copco AB)
• Inventors: Whitcomb, Shepherd H., Draper, Owen W., Newman, Tye L., Boehnlein, Al, Schober, Jeffrey C., Guerra, Josh T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,587,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/241.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/9542 using a probe
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/954 Inspecting the inner surface of hollow bodies, e.g. bores
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2453 of the proximal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70

Abstract

A remote inspection device imager assembly includes an imager body having a male threaded portion. An accessory assembly includes: a tubular body portion having first internal female threads engaged with the male threaded portion such that tubular body portion rotation axially translates the tubular body portion with respect to the imager body; and a mirror obliquely angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of both the imager assembly. A threaded coupler positioned between the imager body and tubular body portion has second internal female threads engaged with the male threaded portion. The threaded coupler is selectively axially translated by rotation to a first contact position with the imager body or a second contact position with the tubular body portion. The second contact position binds the first and second internal female threads with the male threaded portion to prevent tubular body portion axial rotation and fix a mirror orientation.

Claims

1. An imager assembly for a remote inspection device, comprising:

an imager body having a male threaded portion;

an accessory assembly, including;

a tubular body portion having first internal female threads engaged with the male threaded portion of the imager body such that rotation of the tubular body portion axially translates the tubular body portion with respect to the imager body; and

a mirror obliquely angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of both the imager body and the accessory assembly; and

a threaded coupler positioned between the imager body and the tubular body portion having second internal female threads engaged with the male threaded portion such that the threaded coupler is selectively axially translated by rotation to a first contact position with the imager body or a second contact position with the tubular body portion, the second contact position operating to bind the first and second internal female threads with the male threaded portion to prevent axial rotation of the tubular body portion and fix an orientation of the mirror.

2. The imager assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a light receiving cavity created in the tubular body portion of the accessory assembly for receiving light reflected from an object; and

a mounting cap connected to the tubular body portion having a mirror mount pad, the mirror being fixed to the mirror mount pad at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis.

3. The imager assembly of claim 2, wherein the accessory assembly further includes an LED aligned with and operating to emit light through a light pipe, the light pipe aligned to reflect the light off the mirror and out of the tubular body portion through the light receiving cavity and toward the object.

4. The imager assembly of claim 3, wherein the accessory assembly further includes an imager window positioned proximate to the light pipe, the imager window operating to receive light reflected off the object and the mirror through the light receiving cavity into a lens.

5. The imager assembly of claim 4, wherein the tubular body portion is rotated until a proximate end of the mirror is positioned closest to the imager window and furthest from the light pipe.

6. The imager assembly of claim 2, further including:

a first marking created on the imager body; and

a second marking created on the tubular body portion, the second marking when co-axially aligned with the first marking visually indicating alignment of a reflective surface of the mirror with the light receiving cavity.

7. The imager assembly of claim 6, wherein the threaded coupler is positioned in the second contact position after co-axially aligning the first and second markings to fix the mirror alignment with the light receiving cavity.

8. The imager assembly of claim 4, wherein the tubular body portion further includes a partial wall oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

9. The imager assembly of claim 8, further including a light restricting aperture created through the partial wall sized to prevent light emitted by the light pipe from directly reflecting off the mirror and through the imager window to reach the lens.

10. An imager assembly for a remote inspection device, comprising:

an imager body having male external threads;

a component assembly having a light emitting diode, the component assembly positioned in the imager body;

an imager cap having an imager window fixed to the imager cap, the imager cap connected to the imager body;

an accessory assembly having a mirror fixed to the accessory assembly oriented at an oblique angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the imager assembly, the accessory assembly having internal female threads threadably connected to the male external threads of the imager body for longitudinal movement of the accessory assembly by axial rotation with respect to the imager body; and

a threaded coupler having female internal threads threadably engaged with the male external threads of the imager body, the threaded coupler contacting a receiving face of the imager cap to releasably lock the imager cap against axial rotation with respect to the imager body when the mirror is aligned with the imager window.

11. The imager assembly of claim 10, further comprising a light pipe fixed to the imager cap.

12. The imager assembly of claim 11, wherein the light pipe is aligned with the light emitting diode when the imager cap is connected to the imager body, the light pipe aligned to emit light reflecting off the mirror through the a light receiving cavity of the accessory assembly to an object.

13. The imager assembly of claim 11, wherein the tubular body portion is rotated until a proximate end of the mirror is positioned closest to the imager window and furthest from the light pipe.

14. The imager assembly of claim 10, wherein the threaded coupler is positioned between the imager cap and an end face of the imager body.

15. The imager assembly of claim 10, further including:

a first marking created on the imager body; and

a second marking created on a tubular body portion of the accessory assembly, the second marking when co-axially aligned with the first marking visually indicating alignment of the mirror with the light receiving cavity;

the accessory assembly rotated on the male external threads of the imager body to position a proximate end of the mirror at a first distance from the imager window and a distal end of the mirror at a second distance from the imager window greater than the first distance such that light reflected from an object external to the imager assembly traverses the first distance to enter the imager window.

16. The imager assembly of claim 10, further including:

a light pipe fixed to the imager cap;

a lens connected to the imager cap and aligned with the imager window;

a partial wall of the tubular body portion oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and

a light restricting aperture created through the partial wall sized to prevent light emitted by the light pipe from directly reflecting off the mirror and through the imager window to reach the lens.

17. An imager assembly for a remote inspection device, comprising:

an imager body having male external threads;

a component assembly having a light emitting diode, the component assembly loaded into the imager body;

an imager cap having a light pipe and an imager window both fixed to the imager cap, the imager cap connected to the imager body having the light pipe aligned with the light emitting diode;

an accessory assembly having a mirror fixed to the accessory assembly oriented at an oblique angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the imager assembly, the accessory assembly having internal female threads threadably connected to the male external threads of the imager body; and

a threaded coupler having female internal threads threadably engaged with the male external threads of the imager body, the threaded coupler positioned between the imager cap and an end face of the imager body, the threaded coupler contacting a receiving face of the imager cap to releasably lock the imager cap against axial rotation with respect to the imager body with the mirror aligned with the imager window and the light pipe.

18. The imager assembly of claim 17, further including:

a first marking created on the imager body; and

a second marking created on a tubular body portion of the accessory assembly, the second marking when co-axially aligned with the first marking visually indicating alignment of the mirror with the light receiving cavity.

19. The imager assembly of claim 18, wherein the threaded coupler is positioned in the second contact position after co-axially aligning the first and second markings to fix the mirror alignment with the light receiving cavity.

20. The imager assembly of claim 17, further including:

an inner wall of the imager body; and

a circumferential wall of the imager cap, the circumferential wall of the imager cap fixedly connected to the inner wall of the imager body.

21. The imager assembly of claim 20, further including:

an outer surface of the imager cap; and

an inner wall of a tubular body portion of the accessory assembly, the inner wall being in sliding contact with the outer surface.

22. The imager assembly of claim 17, further including:

a mounting cap of the accessory assembly; and

a mirror mount pad of the mounting cap, the mirror being fixed to the mirror mount pad such that the mirror co-rotates with the accessory assembly.

23. The imager assembly of claim 22, wherein the accessory assembly further includes a light receiving cavity, the mirror being aligned with the light receiving cavity, the accessory assembly rotated on the male external threads of the imager body to position a proximate end of the mirror at a first distance from the imager window, and a distal end of the mirror positioned at a second distance from the imager window greater than the first distance such that light reflected from an object traverses the first distance to enter the imager window.