Multidirectional viewing borescope
First Claim
1. An elongated tubular inspection instrument having a longitudinal axis and a control head at a proximal end thereof and an objective assembly at the distal end thereof for viewing an object to be inspected comprising:
- optic means located between said control head and said objective assembly for transmitting an image from said distal end to said control head; and
said objective assembly including;
an objective head for supporting a distal end of said optic means; and
image conversion means rotatably mounted on said objective head about the longitudinal axis at an end distant from said control head for movement between first and second positions, said image conversion means including an image reflecting member and forward viewing means which are relatively fixed such that in said first position, said optic means is aligned with said forward viewing means and has an unhampered forward view whereby an image is received at said control head of an object positioned beyond said objective assembly, and such that in said second position, said image reflecting member is aligned with said optic means whereby an image is received at said control head of an object positioned laterally of said objective assembly; and
said image conversion means being ineffective to transmit an image to said control head when positioned intermediate said first and second positions.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An elongated, tubular inspection instrument characterized as having a control head at its proximal end and an objective assembly at its distal end. Flexible fiber or rigid optics extend between the control head and the objective assembly for the purpose of transmitting to the control head an image viewed from the distal end. Optics located at the objective assembly can be manipulated at the control head to provide, rapidly in succession, either a forward looking view or a sideward looking view. The sideward looking view is always at a positively positioned predetermined angle from the forward looking view.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. An elongated tubular inspection instrument having a longitudinal axis and a control head at a proximal end thereof and an objective assembly at the distal end thereof for viewing an object to be inspected comprising:
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optic means located between said control head and said objective assembly for transmitting an image from said distal end to said control head; and said objective assembly including; an objective head for supporting a distal end of said optic means; and image conversion means rotatably mounted on said objective head about the longitudinal axis at an end distant from said control head for movement between first and second positions, said image conversion means including an image reflecting member and forward viewing means which are relatively fixed such that in said first position, said optic means is aligned with said forward viewing means and has an unhampered forward view whereby an image is received at said control head of an object positioned beyond said objective assembly, and such that in said second position, said image reflecting member is aligned with said optic means whereby an image is received at said control head of an object positioned laterally of said objective assembly; and said image conversion means being ineffective to transmit an image to said control head when positioned intermediate said first and second positions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An endoscope type instrument having proximal and distal ends thereof and having a longitudinal axis, said instrument comprising:
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a control head at the proximal end of said instrument; an objective head at the distal end of said instrument; optic means located between said control head and said objective head for transmitting an image from said distal end to said control head for viewing an object to be inspected, said objective head supporting a distal end of said optic means; image conversion means for selective viewing in one of only two distinct directions, a first direction through a first view path and a second direction through a second view path; means for mounting said image conversion means to said objective head for rotation about the longitudinal axis so as to selectively enable each of said first and second view paths in said image conversion means to be moved, respectively, to a location adjacent said distal end of said optic means on said objective head beyond said objective head; and said control head including means for selecting one of said directions to be viewed in response to which said image conversion means is positioned so that a selected one of said first and second view paths is located adjacent said distal end of said optic means for viewing in said associated direction and a resultant image is received by the distal end of said optic means and transmitted to said control head. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification