Auxiliary light apparatus for borescope

• US 4,853,774 A
• Filed: 10/28/1988
• Issued: 08/01/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Everest Visual Inspection Technologies, Inc. (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Salvati, Jon, Danna, Dominick A., Ciarlei, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Groody, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US07/264,257
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 358/98, 358/229, 358/210, 358/901, 358/93, 358/100, 128/4, 128/6
• US Class Current: 348/75
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An auxiliary light apparatus for a color video borescope has an auxiliary box that is connected by an umbilical to a receptacle on the video processor unit for the borescope. The insertion tube of the borescope has an interface module which normally connects to a receptacle in the video processor, but also fits a receptacle in the auxiliary box. A sequential primary color illumination is generated in the auxiliary box and supplied through the interface module and a fiber optic bundle in the insertion tube to the distal end of the tube to illuminate a remote target area.

Claims

1. Auxiliary illumination apparatus for extending the working distance between a remote target area and a video processor unit for a video borescope or endoscope of the type which includes an elongated flexible insertion tube, a video camera disposed at a distal end of the insertion tube, an interface module coupled to a proximal end of said insertion tube for connecting to a mating receptacle coupler in said video processor unit for supplying power, synchronizing signals, and auxiliary signals from said video processor device to said video camera and to receive and process video signals produced by said video camera, and further including an optical interface for coupling an illumination source in said video processor unit to a proximal end of a fiber optic bundle within said insertion tube which carries illumination to the distal end of said insertion tube to illuminate said target area;

said auxiliary apparatus comprising

a housing;

receptacle means in said housing for receiving said interface module;

a multiple contact connector mounted on said housing;

electrical harness means within the housing including a plurality of conductors at least certain ones of which terminate at said receptacle means and also terminate at said multiple contact connector;

an illumination generating device within said housing including an optical interface disposed at said receptacle means for supplying illumination through said fiber optic bundle to said target area; and

an umbilical which includes a flexible elongated sheath, a plurality of conductors within said sheath, a distal end connector which mates with said multiple contact connector to couple said plurality of conductors to said electrical harness means, an auxiliary interface module at a proximal end of said umbilical which mates with said mating receptacle coupler in said video processor unit and connected to at least certain predetermined conductors of said plurality of conductors for providing power synchronizing signals, and auxiliary signals over said conductors and through said electrical harness and said insertion tube to said camera and to carry the video signals from said camera to said video processor unit.

2. An auxiliary illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said illumination generating device includes means for sequentially generating primary color illumination, and means synchronizing the sequential illumination with a field rate of said video signal.

3. An auxiliary illumination apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said umbilical includes an additional coupler with contacts connected to predetermined ones of the conductors in said umbilical, and connecting with a mating coupler in said video processor unit, said predetermined conductors being connected through associated conductors in said electrical harness to a synchronizing input of said illumination generating control the synchronization of said sequentially generated primary color illumination.

4. An auxiliary illumination apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said illumination device includes an external lamp unit, a flexible optical conduit having a proximal end coupled to said lamp unit to receive the illumination therefrom, a socket in said housing which mates with a distal end of said flexible optical conduit, and means within said housing which receives the illumination from said conduit and transmits it to said fiber optic bundle.