Imager head adjustable mirror mount for borescope

• US 8,587,647 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inspectron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Inspectron, Inc.
• Inventors: Schober, Jeffrey C., Whitcomb, Shepherd H., Draper, Owen W., Guerra, Josh T., Newman, Tye L., Boehnlein, Al
• Primary Examiner(s): Czekaj, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, TRACY Y
• Application Number:
  US12/907,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20110090493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 348/82
• US Class Current: 348/82
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/9542 using a probe
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/954 Inspecting the inner surface of hollow bodies, e.g. bores
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2453 of the proximal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70

Abstract

A remote inspection device imager assembly includes an imager body having a male threaded portion. An accessory assembly includes: a tubular body portion having first internal female threads engaged with the male threaded portion such that tubular body portion rotation axially translates the tubular body portion with respect to the imager body; and a mirror obliquely angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of both the imager assembly. A threaded coupler positioned between the imager body and tubular body portion has second internal female threads engaged with the male threaded portion. The threaded coupler is selectively axially translated by rotation to a first contact position with the imager body or a second contact position with the tubular body portion. The second contact position binds the first and second internal female threads with the male threaded portion to prevent tubular body portion axial rotation and fix a mirror orientation.

Claims

1. An imager assembly for a remote inspection device, comprising:

an imager body having a male threaded portion;

an

accessory assembly, including;

a tubular body portion having first internal female threads engaged with the male threaded portion of the imager body such that rotation of the tubular body portion axially translates the tubular body portion with respect to the imager body; and

a mirror obliquely angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the accessory assembly; and

a threaded coupler positioned between the imager body and the tubular body portion having second internal female threads engaged with the male threaded portion such that the threaded coupler is selectively axially translated by rotation to a contact position where the threaded coupler contacts the tubular body portion, the contact position operating to bind the first and second internal female threads with the male threaded portion to prevent axial rotation of the tubular body portion and fix an orientation of the mirror.

2. The imager assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a light receiving cavity created in the tubular body portion of the accessory assembly for receiving light reflected from an object; and

a mounting cap connected to the tubular body portion having a mirror mount pad, the mirror being fixed to the mirror mount pad at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis.

3. The imager assembly of claim 2, wherein the accessory assembly further includes an LED aligned with and operating to emit light through a light pipe, the light pipe aligned to reflect the light off the mirror and out of the tubular body portion through the light receiving cavity and toward the object.

4. The imager assembly of claim 3, wherein the accessory assembly further includes an imager window positioned proximate to the light pipe, the imager window operating to receive light reflected off the object and the mirror through the light receiving cavity into a lens.

5. The imager assembly of claim 4, wherein the tubular body portion is rotated until a proximate end of the mirror is positioned closest to the imager window and furthest from the light pipe.

6. The imager assembly of claim 2, further including:

a first marking created on the imager body; and

a second marking created on the tubular body portion, the second marking when co-axially aligned with the first marking visually indicating alignment of a reflective surface of the mirror with the light receiving cavity.

7. The imager assembly of claim 6, wherein the threaded coupler is positioned in the contact position after co-axially aligning the first and second markings to fix the mirror alignment with the light receiving cavity.

8. The imager assembly of claim 4, wherein the tubular body portion further includes a partial wall oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

9. The imager assembly of claim 8, further including a light restricting aperture created through the partial wall sized to prevent light emitted by the light pipe from directly reflecting off the mirror and through the imager window to reach the lens.

10. An imager assembly for a remote inspection device, comprising:

an imager body having a male threaded portion;

an

accessory assembly, including;

a tubular body portion having first internal female threads engaged with the male threaded portion of the imager body such that rotation of the tubular body portion axially translates the tubular body portion with respect to the imager body, the tubular body portion further comprising an aperture; and

a mirror obliquely angled with respect to the longitudinal axis of the accessory assembly; and

a threaded coupler positioned between the imager body and the tubular body portion, the threaded coupler having second internal female threads engaged with the male threaded portion such that the threaded coupler is selectively axially translated to a contact position with the tubular body portion, wherein the first and second internal female threads bind with the male threaded portion to prevent axial rotation of the tubular body portion and fix an orientation of the aperture.

11. The imager assembly according to claim 10, wherein the imager body further comprises an imager window at a free end of the imager body.

12. The imager assembly according to claim 11, wherein the contact position of the tubular body portion and the threaded coupler is configured to selectively align the aperture with the imager window.

13. A method for aligning an oblique mirror of an imager assembly for a remote inspection device, comprising:

rotationally connecting a threaded coupler to an imager body;

rotationally connecting a tubular body portion of an accessory assembly to the imager body, the accessory assembly comprising an aperture, the aperture being aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the imager body;

rotationally binding the threaded coupler and the tubular body portion such that the aperture is rotationally aligned with an imaging window of the imager body.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the accessory assembly comprises a mirror, the mirror being obliquely aligned with the longitudinal axis of the imager body.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the rotationally binding of the threaded coupler and the tubular body is configured to provide for a longitudinal space between the threaded coupler and an end face of the imager body.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the imager body comprises a male threaded portion.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the threaded coupler comprises first female internal threads, the tubular body comprises second female internal threads, and the binding occurs between the first female internal threads, the second female internal threads, and the male threaded portion.