Retrofittable tubular intermediary element
AssigneeLeica Microsystems Inc.
InventorsPaul Grafenhain, Ruedi Rottermann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a tubular intermediary unit for a microscope comprising a relatively small upper part and a similarly small lower part, the upper part being pivotable about an axis of rotation relative to the lower part. Two deflecting mirrors are located in the observation beam path in the upper and lower parts. At least one of the deflecting mirrors can be pivoted, preferably about the same axis of rotation about which the upper part pivots, depending upon the tilt angle of the upper part relative to the lower part. The invention allows an observer to freely adjust an eyepiece tube carried by the upper part without changing the view on the field of vision under the microscope.
Claims32
An intermediate tube unit for selective removable mounting between a microscope body and an eyepiece tube for enabling angular adjustment of the eyepiece tube relative to the microscope body, said intermediate tube unit comprising:
- a beam path having an optical path length;
- a lower part including a beam entrance hole on said beam path, said lower part being adapted for removable mounting on said microscope body and having peripheral dimensions;
- an upper part pivotally coupled to said lower part for rotation about an essentially horizontal axis through an angular range, said upper part including a beam exit hole on said beam path and being adapted for removably mounting said eyepiece tube thereon;
- a positive lens placed at said beam entrance hole and a negative lens placed at said beam exit hole to reduce the optical path length of said beam path;
- first and second beam deflecting mirrors in said beam path between said beam entrance hole and said beam exit hole, said first and second beam deflecting mirrors being spaced close together without an optical element for image inversion therebetween;
- and
- a drive connecting said upper part to at least one of said first and second beam deflecting mirrors for rotating said at least one beam deflecting mirror at a reduced angle depending on the rotational movement of said upper part about said axis.
An intermediate tube unit for selective removable mounting between a microscope body and an eyepiece tube for enabling angular adjustment of the eyepiece tube relative to the microscope body, said intermediate tube unit comprising:
- a beam path;
- a lower part including a beam entrance hole on said beam path, said lower part being adapted for removable mounting on said microscope body and having peripheral dimensions;
- an upper part pivotally coupled to said lower part for rotation about an essentially horizontal axis through an angular range, said upper part including a beam exit hole on said beam path and being adapted for removably mounting said eyepiece tube thereon, said upper part having peripheral dimensions;
- first and second beam deflecting mirrors in said beam path between said beam entrance hole and said beam exit hole, said first and second beam deflecting mirrors being spaced close together without an optical element for image inversion therebetween, said axis of rotation of said upper part being substantially coplanar with a reflecting surface of one of said first and second beam deflecting mirrors;
- and
- a drive connecting said upper part to at least one of said first and second beam deflecting mirrors for rotating said at least one beam deflecting mirror at a reduced angle depending on the rotational movement of said upper part about said axis.
An intermediate tube unit for selective removable mounting between a microscope body and an eyepiece tube for enabling angular adjustment of the eyepiece tube relative to the microscope body, said intermediate tube unit comprising:
- a beam path;
- a lower part including a beam entrance hole on said beam path, said lower part being adapted for removable mounting on said microscope body;
- an upper part pivotally coupled to said lower part for rotation about an essentially horizontal axis through an angular range, said upper part including a beam exit hole on said beam path and being adapted for removably mounting said eyepiece tube thereon;
- a brake for selectively fixing the rotational position of said upper part relative to said lower part;
- first and second beam deflecting mirrors in said beam path between said beam entrance hole and said beam exit hole, said first and second beam deflecting mirrors being spaced close together without an optical element for image inversion therebetween;
- and
- a drive connecting said upper part to at least one of said first and second beam deflecting mirrors for rotating said at least one beam deflecting mirror at a reduced angle depending on the rotational movement of said upper part about said axis.
An intermediate tube unit for selective removable mounting between a microscope body and an eyepiece tube for enabling angular adjustment of the eyepiece tube relative to the microscope body, said intermediate tube unit comprising:
- a beam path;
- a lower part including a beam entrance hole on said beam path, said lower part being adapted for removable mounting on said microscope body;
- an upper part pivotally coupled to said lower part for rotation about an essentially horizontal axis through an angular range, said upper part including a beam exit hole on said beam path and being adapted for removably mounting said eyepiece tube thereon;
- a spring between said lower part and said upper part remotely of said axis of rotation for at least partially compensating weight of said eyepiece tube;
- first and second beam deflecting mirrors in said beam path between said beam entrance hole and said beam exit hole, said first and second beam deflecting mirrors being spaced close together without an optical element for image inversion therebetween;
- and
- a drive connecting said upper part to at least one of said first and second beam deflecting mirrors for rotating said at least one beam deflecting mirror at a reduced angle depending on the rotational movement of said upper part about said axis.
An intermediate tube unit for selective removable mounting between a microscope body and an eyepiece tube for enabling angular adjustment of the eyepiece tube relative to the microscope body, said intermediate tube unit comprising:
- a beam path;
- a lower part including a beam entrance hole on said beam path, said lower part being adapted for removable mounting on said microscope body;
- an upper part pivotally coupled to said lower part for rotation about an essentially horizontal axis through an angular range, said upper part including a beam exit hole on said beam path and being adapted for removably mounting said eyepiece tube thereon;
- first and second beam deflecting mirrors in said beam path between said beam entrance hole and said beam exit hole, said first and second beam deflecting mirrors being spaced close together without an optical element for image inversion therebetween;
- and
- a drive connecting said upper part to at least one of said first and second beam deflecting mirrors for rotating said at least one beam deflecting mirror at a reduced angle depending on the rotational movement of said upper part about said axis, wherein said drive includes an elongated drive lever and an angle caliper, said drive lever having one end mounted on said lower part and another end mounted on said upper part such that said drive lever is substantially parallel to said axis of rotation when said upper part is at an intermediate angular position in said angular range, said drive lever further having a spherical segment at its mechanically effective center, and said angle caliper is operatively connected to said spherical segment and said at least one beam deflecting mirror to rotate said at least one beam deflecting mirror depending on rotational movement of said upper part about said axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.