MEASURING HEAD OF AN ENDOSCOPIC DEVICE AND PROCESS FOR INSPECTING AND MEASURING AN OBJECT

• US 20160220104A1
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Published: 08/04/2016
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,165,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 (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,

wherein the optical measurement unit has an aperture diaphragm of which the aperture is settable.

2. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the aperture diaphragm is formed by a colour filter, with the aperture of the colour filter depending on the light wavelength.

3. The measuring head in accordance with claim 2, wherein the colour 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 diaphragm is formed by a polarization filter, where the aperture of the polarization filter depends on the polarization of the light.

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

6. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the aperture diaphragm is settable in respect of the aperture mechanically, electro-optically, electro-chromatically, thermo-chromatically or by switchable liquid crystals.

7. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the projection optics include means or that means are assigned to the projection optics that project a pattern such as a grating onto the object to be examined.

8. The measuring head in accordance with claim 7, wherein the means have a transmission grating.

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

10. The measuring head in accordance with claim 7, wherein the means include at least two monomode optical waveguides, of which the lights interfere with one another while forming a grating, where the space between the optical waveguides and/ or the wavelength is settable in order to set the grating constants.

11. The measuring head in accordance with claim 7, wherein the measuring head has means or that means are assigned to the measuring head that evaluate distortions of the grating line on the object to be examined in respect of the 3D information provided by these distortions.

12. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical axes of the projection optics and measurement optics are at an angle.

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

15. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the projection optics have a first illumination unit and a second illumination unit, said first illumination unit being designed and intended to provide light such that the aperture diaphragm adopts a first aperture, and said second illumination unit being designed and intended to provide light such that the aperture diaphragm adopts a second aperture.

16. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measuring head furthermore has a sensor intended and designed to record the image generated by the measurement optics.

17. The measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein the measuring head is intended and designed to measure defects in an aircraft engine.

18. A method for inspection and measurement of an object using an endoscope with a measuring head in accordance with claim 1, wherein a smaller aperture is set for performance of an inspection function with low resolution and a larger aperture for performance of a measurement function with higher resolution.

19. The method in accordance with claim 18, wherein when the larger aperture is adopted, light of the first illumination unit is used for object illumination, and when the smaller aperture is adopted, light of the second illumination unit is used for object illumination.

20. The method in accordance with claim 18, wherein when the smaller aperture is adopted, optical fiber bundles are used for object illumination.

21. The method in accordance with claim 18, wherein when the larger aperture is used a pattern, for example a grating, is projected onto the object to be examined.

14. (canceled)