Borescope apparatus

• US 5,048,956 A
• Filed: 12/13/1989
• Issued: 09/17/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Ueda, Yasuhiro, Miyazaki, Atsushi, Nakamura, Takeaki, Sakamoto, Nobuyuki, Fuse, Eiichi, Nishigaki, Shinichi, Nishikori, Toshiaki, Aoki, Yoshisada, Mizumoto, Morihide, Shishido, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenberger, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US07/450,299
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 356/241, 350/96.26, 128/4, 128/6
• US Class Current: 356/241.4
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/26 using light guides for illumination G02B23/2469

Abstract

A borescope apparatus comprises an insertion section having a bending portion and a flexible portion, a bending mechanism for bending the bending portion under the pressure of supplied fluid, a pressurized fluid supplying unit for supplying the fluid to the jet port and the bending mechanism and a flow control unit for controlling the fluid supplied to jet ports which are provided in the distal end of either the bending portion or flexible portion and the bending mechanism.

Claims

1. A borescope apparatus comprising:

an insertion section having a bending portion and a flexible portion;

jet ports formed in a distal end of either one of said bending portion and said flexible portion;

bending means for bending said bending portion under pressure of supplied fluid;

pressurized fluid supplying means for supplying said fluid to said jet ports and said bending means; and

flow control means for controlling said fluid supplied to said jet ports and said bending means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bending means comprises:

a plurality of cylindrical segments provided in tandem in said bending portion and linked to each other;

operating wires each having on end connected to front most portions of the cylindrical segments; and

fluid actuators connected to the other ends of said operating wires and pulling and pushing said operating wires by pressure change of said fluid.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said fluid actuator comprises a cylinder having a head to which said fluid is supplied and a piston to which said operating wire is connected.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said jet port communicates with an inner space of said cylinder such that said fluid in said cylinder is ejected from said jet port when said piston pushes said operating wire under the pressure of said fluid and approaches the head of said cylinder.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said fluid actuator has a spring for urging said piston in a direction in which said operating wire is pulled.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said fluid actuator is provided with a rubber tube and restricting means for restricting axial elongation of said rubber tube.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bending means comprises:

at least two cylindrical segments spaced apart from each other;

a cylinder having heads to which said fluid is supplied;

a piston slidably inserted in said cylinder;

a first arm axially extending from one head of said cylinder and pivoted to a peripheral wall on a plane on which a central line of one of said cylindrical segments lies;

a first rod axially extending from the other head of said cylinder and pivoted to a peripheral wall substantially perpendicular to said plane of said one of said cylindrical segments;

a second arm provided on said piston, passing through said other head, extending in series with said first arm, and pivoted to a peripheral wall of the other cylindrical segment; and

a second rod provided on said piston, passing through said one of said cylindrical segments, extending in series with said first rod, and pivoted to a peripheral wall of said one of said cylindrical segments.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said jet port communicates with a space in said cylinder.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising suction means for sucking said fluid supplied to said bending means.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said fluid actuator has a compressor unit, said suction means has a suction pump, and said fluid control means has fluid passage change-over means for selectively connecting said fluid actuator to either one of said compressor unit and said suction pump.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, which further comprises an operating section connecting to a proximal end of said insertion section, and wherein said fluid passage change-over means has a manually operated fluid passage change-over valve provided on said operating section.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said fluid passage change-over valve has means for operating either one of said suction pump and said compressor unit in response to movement of said fluid passage change-over valve.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fluid control means comprises bending angle adjusting means for adjusting bending angles of said bending portion and said flexible portion and flow adjusting means for adjusting flow of said fluid ejected from said jet port.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said pressurized fluid supplying means comprises a compressor unit, a first passage connected to said compressor unit and communicating with said fluid actuator and a second passage connected to said compressor unit and communicating with said jet port, said bending angle adjusting means has a first fluid control valve provided for said first passage, and said flow adjusting means has a second fluid control valve provided for said second passage.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said pressurized fluid supplying means has a third passage for discharging said fluid from said fluid actuator, said third passage merging said second passage at an acute angle so as to flow said fluid in said third passage in said second passage.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a guide tube detachably mounted on said flexible portion of said insertion section, said guide tube comprising an annular operating section, an annular flexible portion and an annular bending portion.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said guide tube comprises a fluid jet port provided in an distal end of either one of said annular bending portion and said annular flexible portion, bending means for bending said annular bending portion under pressure of the supplied fluid, pressurized fluid supplying means for supplying said fluid to said jet port and said bending means, and fluid control means for controlling said fluid supplied to said jet port and said bending means.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a drum unit for taking up and accommodating said insertion section.

19. A borescope apparatus comprising:

a borescope having an insertion section with a flexible portion;

a guide tube detachably mounted on the flexible portion of said insertion section, the guide tube including an annular operating section, an annular flexible portion, an annular bending portion, a fluid jet port provided in an distal end of either one of the annular bending portion and the annular flexible portion, and bending means for bending the annular bending portion under pressure of supplied fluid;

pressurized fluid supplying means for supplying the fluid to said jet port and said bending means; and

fluid control means for controlling the fluid supplied to said jet port and said bending means.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said bending means comprises a plurality of cylindrical segments provided in tandem in said bending portion and linked to each other, operating wires each having one end connected to front most portions of the cylindrical segments, and fluid actuators connected to the other ends of said operating wires and pushing and pulling said operating wires by pressure change of said fluid.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said fluid actuator comprises a cylinder having a head to which said fluid is supplied and a piston to which said operating wire is connected.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said jet port communicates with an inner space of said cylinder such that said fluid in said cylinder is ejected from said jet port when said piston pushes said operating wire under the pressure of said fluid and approaches the head of said cylinder.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said fluid actuator has a spring for urging said piston in a direction in which said operating wire is pulled.