INSULATOR DESIGN FOR VIDEO INSPECTION DEVICES

• US 20110273556A1
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inspectron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Perceptron Incorporated (Atlas Copco AB)
• Inventors: Schober, Jeffrey C., Plane, Jeff, Scarth, Aaron, Lyons, Brent, Boehnlein, Al, Newman, Tye
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/85
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A method is provided for manufacturing a remote video inspection device. The method includes: applying an insulating coating to an exterior surface of a conduit; forming an imager housing on one end of the conduit using an overmolding process, the imager housing having a cavity configured to receive a circuit board assembly having an imaging device disposed thereon; feeding wires through the conduit and electrically coupling the wires to the circuit board assembly; inserting the circuit board assembly into the cavity of the imager housing; affixing a cap over the cavity of the imager housing; sliding an insulating finger guard over an opposing end of the conduit; affixing the finger guard along the conduit at a location proximate to the opposing end of the cable, such that the finger guard extends radially outward from the cable; and attaching a connector to the opposing end of the conduit. In this way, the remote inspection device has been designed to meet certain electrical safety standards.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a remote video inspection device, comprising:

applying an insulating coating to an exterior surface of a conduit;

forming an imager housing on one end of the conduit using an overmolding process, the imager housing having a cavity configured to receive a circuit board assembly having an imaging device disposed thereon;

feeding wires through the conduit and electrically coupling the wires to the circuit board assembly;

inserting the circuit board assembly into the cavity of the imager housing;

affixing a cap over the cavity of the imager housing, thereby sealing the circuit board assembly in the imager housing;

sliding an insulating finger guard over an opposing end of the conduit and affixing the finger guard along the conduit at a location proximate to the opposing end of the cable, such that the finger guard extends radially outward from the cable; and

attaching a connector to the opposing end of the conduit.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a second insulating coating directly over the insulating coating first applied to the conduit, where the second insulating coating has a different color than the first insulating color.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying a shrink wrap material as the insulating coating to the exterior surface of the conduit.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises applying a silicone material as the insulating coating to the exterior surface of the conduit using an overmolding process.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises forming an imager housing having an annular recess sized to receive the end of the insulated conduit such that the imager housing encircles an end portion of the conduit.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprises applying a second insulating coating over the insulating coating first applied to the conduit, where the second insulating coating encases a portion of the imager housing that encircles the end portion of the conduit.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the finger guard having a disc shape with a hole passing therethrough for receiving the insulated conduit.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises sliding an insulating finger guard over an opposing end of the conduit and affixing the finger guard along the conduit at a location proximate to the opposing end of the cable prior to the steps of feeding wires through the conduit, electrically coupling the wires to the circuit board assembly, inserting the circuit board assembly into the cavity of the imager housing and affixing a cap.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprises attaching a connector to the opposing end of the conduit before affixing the finger guard and affixing the finger guard to the connector.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprises coupling the connector to a display housing of the video inspection device.

11. A remote inspection device, comprising:

a circuit board assembly having an imaging device disposed at an outwardly facing end of the circuit board assembly, the imaging device being operable to capture an image of a viewing area proximate to the outwardly facing end of the flexible cable and convert the image into a video signal;

a display housing having an image processor adapted to receive the video signal from the imaging device and operable to convert the video signal to a video image for display on a display device residing in the display housing;

a cable having a first end coupled to the circuit board assembly and a second end coupled to the display housing, the cable comprised of a metal conduit encased by an insulating material and housing a plurality of wires therein, where the wires operably connect the imaging device to the power source and the image processor;

an imager housing encasing the circuit board assembly and encircling a portion of the first end of the cable; and

a finger guard that extends radially outward from the cable and affixed along the cable at a location proximate to the display housing.

12. The inspection device of claim 11 wherein the metal conduit is encased by two distinct layers of insulating material having a different color from each other.

13. The inspection device of claim 11 wherein the imager housing having a cavity configured to receive the circuit board assembly and an annular channel sized to receive an end of the cable.

14. The inspection device of claim 11 wherein the finger guard having a disc shape with a hole passing therethrough for receiving the cable.

15. The inspection device of claim 11 wherein the finger guard is comprised of an insulating material.

16. The inspection device of claim 11 further comprises a connector disposed on the second end of the cable for detachably coupling the cable to the display housing.

17. The inspection device of claim 11 configured to meet a category IV rating in accordance with safety standards issued by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).