Image pickup unit

• US 8,456,562 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishii, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): VILLECCO, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US13/372,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20120182458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 348/65, 348/66, 348/67, 348/68, 348/71, 348/72, 348/73, 348/74, 348/75, 348/76, 348/335, 348/340, 348/344, 600/109, 600/112, 600/129, 600/130, 600/160, 600/170, 600/171, 600/172, 396/17, 359/833, 359/514, 359/678
• US Class Current: 348/335
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0011 Manufacturing of endoscope parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00179 for off-axis viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00188 with focusing or zooming features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/02 involving prisms or mirrors G02B23/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/243 Objectives for endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/26 using light guides for illumination G02B23/2469
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/00 Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/17 with reflectors arranged in beam forming the photographic image, e.g. for reducing dimensions of camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• 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

Abstract

In an image pickup unit, a first optical system holding frame has a hole axis orthogonal to an optical axis of photographing light made incident on a first object lens group, and a through-hole portion through which a second optical system holding frame can be inserted and arranged is formed in the first optical system holding frame and the first optical system holding frame and the second optical system holding frame are set relatively movable in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the photographing light made incident on the first object lens group and the second optical system holding frame and a third optical system holding frame are set relatively movable in a direction along the optical axis of the photographing light made incident on a solid-state image pickup device such that predetermined optical performance adjustment can be performed during assembly.

Claims

1. An image pickup unit comprising:

a first optical system holding frame configured to hold a first object lens group;

a second optical system holding frame fit in the first optical system holding frame and configured to hold a second object lens group and store a prism that reflects photographing light made incident on the first object lens group and subjects the photographing light to optical path conversion; and

a third optical system holding frame fit in the second optical system holding frame and configured to hold an image pickup device that detects the photographing light subjected to the optical path conversion by the prism and photoelectrically converts the photographing light, wherein,

the first optical system holding frame has a hole axis orthogonal to an optical axis of the photographing light made incident on the first object lens group, and a through-hole portion through which the second optical system holding frame can be inserted and arranged is formed in the first optical system holding frame, and

the first optical system holding frame and the second optical system holding frame are set relatively movable in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the photographing light made incident on the first object lens group, and the second optical system holding frame and the third optical system holding frame are set relatively movable in a direction along the optical axis of the photographing light made incident on the solid-state image pickup device such that predetermined optical performance adjustment can be performed during assembly.

2. The image pickup unit according to claim 1, wherein

the through-hole portion is formed in a perfect circular shape in cross section,

a fitting region of the second optical system holding frame fit in the first optical system holding frame is formed in a columnar shape that can be inserted into and fit in the through-hole portion, and

the first optical system holding frame and the second optical axis holding frame are relatively pivotable.

3. The image pickup unit according to claim 1, wherein

the second optical system holding frame includes a prism storage frame in which the prism is stored, and

the image pickup unit further comprises:

a prism storing section formed in the prism storage frame and including an opening portion on a side portion of the prism storage frame such that the prism can be stored from a direction orthogonal to an optical axis of the photographing light; and

a cover body fit in the prism storage frame to cover the opening portion.

4. The image pickup unit according to claim 3, wherein

the prism storage frame has a projection in a slope portion of the prism storage frame to which a reflection surface of the prism is arranged to be opposed, and

the prism is stored in the prism storing section in a state in which an area outside a light beam of an incident surface or an area outside the light beam of an exit surface is in contact with an inner surface of the prism storage frame and the reflection surface is in contact with the projection and positioned.

5. The image pickup unit according to claim 4, wherein an angle formed by the incident surface and the reflection surface of the prism is an obtuse angle.

6. The image pickup unit according to claim 3, wherein an ultraviolet ray is irradiated on the prism from the opening portion of the prism storage frame, and one side surface arranged to be opposed to a bottom surface of the prism storing section is firmly fixed in the prism storage frame by an ultraviolet curing adhesive.

7. An image pickup unit comprising:

first holding means for holding a first object lens group;

second holding means fit in the first holding means and for holding a second object lens group and storing optical path converting means for reflecting photographing light made incident on the first object lens group and subjecting the photographing light to optical path conversion; and

third holding means fit in the second holding means and for holding image pickup means for detecting the photographing light subjected to the optical path conversion by the optical path converting means and photoelectrically converting the photographing light, wherein

the first holding means has a hole axis orthogonal to an optical axis of the photographing light made incident on the first object lens group, and a through-hole portion through which the second holding means can be inserted and arranged is formed in the first holding means and,

the first holding means and the second holding means are set relatively movable in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the photographing light made incident on the first object lens group and the second holding means and the third holding means are set relatively movable in a direction along the optical axis of the photographing light made incident on the image pickup means such that predetermined optical performance adjustment can be performed during assembly.