APERTURE-PLATE MOVING MECHANISM

• US 20180119782A1
• Filed: 10/31/2017
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
• Original Assignee: Shimadzu Corporation
• Inventors: MAJI, Takeshi, ATSUMI, Shunsuke
• Granted Patent: US 10,591,030 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2025/204 Axial sliding means, i.e. for rotary support and axial guiding of nut or screw shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2025/2059 Superposing movement by two screws, e.g. with opposite thread direction telescopic screws with three screw members F16H25/2056
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2025/2075 Coaxial drive motors
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/2003 with arrangements for taking up backlash F16H25/2209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0004 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/04 involving mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/088 for both incident illumination and transillumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/361 Optical details, e.g. image relay to the camera or image sensor G02B21/364 takes precedence; illumination details G02B21/06 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/003 Light absorbing elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/005 Diaphragms for cameras G03B9/02

Abstract

Provided is an aperture-plate moving mechanism, including: a drive block 308 fixed to an aperture plate 301; a linear motion guide 306 for allowing the drive block to move along an axis while preventing the drive block from moving in other directions; a feed screw 302 laid in a direction of the axis; a nut member 305 having a threaded hole engaged with the feed screw, the nut member being prevented from rotating due to a rotation of the feed screw; and an urging member 309 for pressing the drive block onto the nut member in the direction of the axis. With respect to the direction of the axis, the contact portion of either the drive block or the nut member is a convex surface, while the contact portion of the other member is a concave surface having a larger radius of curvature than the convex surface.

Claims

1. An aperture-plate moving mechanism, comprising:

a) a drive block fixed to an aperture plate;

b) a linear motion guide for allowing the drive block to move along an axis while preventing the drive block from moving in other directions;

c) a feed screw laid in a direction of the axis;

d) a nut member having a threaded hole engaged with the feed screw, the nut member being prevented from rotating due to a rotation of the feed screw; and

e) an urging member for pressing the drive block onto the nut member in the direction of the axis to make a contact portion of the drive block be in contact with a contact portion of the nut member,

where;

with respect to the direction of the axis, the contact portions of the drive block and the nut member are shaped so that one of the contact portions has a convex surface while the other contact portion has either a flat surface or a concave surface having a larger radius of curvature than the convex surface.

2. The aperture-plate moving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the other contact portion is a flat surface.

3. The aperture-plate moving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the other contact portion is a surface having a curvature in each of two directions which are orthogonal to each other.

4. The aperture-plate moving mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the other contact portion is a surface having a curvature in each of two directions which are orthogonal to each other.

5. The aperture-plate moving mechanism according to claim 1, wherein two helical threads proceeding in opposite directions are formed on the feed screw, and the threaded hole of the nut member is engaged with each of the threads.

6. The aperture-plate moving mechanism according to claim 2, wherein two helical threads proceeding in opposite directions are formed on the feed screw, and the threaded hole of the nut memberengaged with each of the threads.

7. The aperture-plate moving mechanism according to claim 3, wherein two helical threads proceeding in opposite directions are formed on the feed screw, and the threaded hole of the nut member is engaged with each of the threads.

8. The aperture-plate moving mechanism according to claim 4, wherein two helical threads proceeding in opposite directions are formed on the feed screw, and the threaded hole of the nut member is engaged with each of the threads.

9. An infrared microscope, comprising an aperture-plate moving mechanism including:

a) a drive block fixed to an aperture plate;

b) a linear motion guide for allowing the drive block to move along an axis while preventing the drive block from moving in other directions;

c) a feed screw laid in a direction of the axis;

d) a nut member having a threaded hole engaged with the feed screw, the nut member being prevented from rotating due to a rotation of the feed screw; and

e) an urging member for pressing the drive block onto the nut member in the direction of the axis to make a contact portion of the drive block be in contact with a contact portion of the nut member,

where;

with respect to the direction of the axis, the contact portions of the drive block and the nut member are shaped so that one of the contact portions has a convex surface while the other contact portion is has either a flat surface or a concave surface having a larger radius of curvature than the convex surface.

10. The infrared microscope according to claim 9, wherein the other contact portion is a flat surface.

11. The infrared microscope according to claim 9, wherein the other contact portion is a surface having a curvature in each of two directions which are orthogonal to each other.

12. The infrared microscope according to claim 10, wherein the other contact portion is a surface having a curvature in each of two directions which are orthogonal to each other.

13. The infrared microscope according to claim 9, wherein two helical threads proceeding in opposite directions are formed on the feed screw, and the threaded hole of the nut member is engaged with each of the threads,

14. The infrared microscope according to claim 10, wherein two helical threads proceeding in opposite directions are formed on the feed screw, and the threaded hole of the nut member is engaged with each of the threads.

15. The infrared microscope according to claim 11, wherein two helical threads proceeding in opposite directions are formed on the feed screw, and the threaded hole of the nut member is engaged with each the threads.

16. The infrared microscope according to claim 12, wherein two helical threads proceeding in opposite directions are formed on the feed screw, and the threaded hole of the nut member is engaged with each the threads.