JP2008040110A - Optical member holder, objective lens, and microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To rotate an optical member around an optical axis, and to facilitate attachment and removal work of an optical member holder. <P>SOLUTION: A click 43 that is rotatably engaged to one annular groove 61b provided to a lens barrel 61 is provided to a holding part 41 for holding a quarter wavelength plate 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical member holder, an objective lens, and a microscope.

As a prior art, there is known a microscope including a zoom variable power optical system, an objective lens arranged on the optical axis thereof, and a quarter wavelength plate (optical member) detachably attached to the objective lens. (See Patent Document 1 below).
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-14491

  FIG. 6 is a broken sectional view of an objective lens and an optical member holder according to another prior art different from the prior art.

  The conventional optical member holder 304 includes an outer frame 341, an inner frame 342, and a nut 343. The optical member holder 304 holds an optical member, for example, a quarter wavelength plate 303. The optical member holder 304 can be attached to and detached from the objective lens 306. The outer frame 341 is annular, and a male screw 341a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end portion. The male screw 341a is screwed into a female screw 361a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lens barrel 361 of the objective lens 306. The inner frame 342 has an annular shape, and a male screw 342a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end portion thereof. With the upper end of the inner frame 342 inserted into the outer frame 341, the inner frame 342 is fixed to the lower part of the outer frame 341. The nut 343 has a ring shape, and a female screw 343a into which the male screw 342a of the inner frame 342 is screwed is formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof. By screwing the nut 343 into the male screw 342 a of the inner frame 342, the nut 343 is fixed to the inner frame 342, and the quarter wavelength plate (optical member) 303 held by the inner frame 342 is secured by the nut 343. Fixed to. When the nut 343 is loosened, the quarter-wave plate 303 can be rotated around the optical axis of the objective lens 306.

  The optical member holder 304 is attached to the objective lens 306 by screwing the male screw 341 a of the optical member holder 304 into the female screw 361 a of the objective lens 306.

  When observing a sample with the above-described microscope, for example, by differential interference, it is necessary to dispose a Nomarski prism between the zoom variable power optical system and the objective lens and to remove the quarter-wave plate from the microscope.

  When removing the quarter-wave plate from the microscope, it is necessary to rotate the optical member holder around the optical axis of the objective lens and remove the male screw of the optical member holder screwed into the female screw of the objective lens.

  Further, when returning from the differential interference method to the normal observation method, it is necessary to rotate the optical member holder around the optical axis of the objective lens and screw the male screw of the optical member holder into the female screw of the objective lens.

  As described above, the conventional attaching / detaching work of the optical member holder is complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to make it possible to rotate the optical member around the optical axis and to easily attach and detach the optical member holder.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an optical member holder of the present invention includes an optical member and a holding member that holds the optical member in the optical member holder that can be attached to and detached from the lens barrel tip, and the holding member And a support member that engages with a groove provided in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface or inner peripheral surface of the lens barrel tip portion so as to be rotatable about the optical axis of the lens barrel, and the support member Is a substantially annular elastic member having a plurality of protrusions engageable with a plurality of holes formed along the circumferential direction of the holding member.

  According to this invention, the optical member can be rotated around the optical axis, and the optical member holder can be easily attached and detached.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a microscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state where an optical member holder is mounted on the objective lens of the microscope shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is a top view of the optical member holder shown in FIG. FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the optical member holder.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the microscope includes a quarter-wave plate 3, an optical member holder 4, an objective lens 6, a Nomarski prism housing portion 8, a zoom variable optical unit 11, an illumination device 13, and an eyepiece tube 15. And.

  The quarter wave plate 3 is held by the optical member holder 4.

  The optical member holder 4 includes a holding part (holding member) 41, a peripheral wall part 42, and a pawl (supporting member) 43. It can be said that the optical member holder 4 is formed of an elastic synthetic resin. The holding part 41 has a disk shape. A hole 41 a is formed in the holding portion 41. The quarter wavelength plate 3 is held in the hole 41a. The peripheral wall part 42 is cylindrical. Three cutouts 42a are formed in the circumferential wall portion 42 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The pawls 43 are respectively disposed in the notches 42a. One end of the pawl 43 is coupled to the holding portion 41. A protrusion 43 a is formed on the other end of the pawl 43.

  The objective lens 6 has a lens barrel 61 and a lens 62. The insertion portion 61 a located at the lower end portion of the lens barrel 61 is inserted into the peripheral wall portion 42 of the optical member holder 4. One annular groove (groove) 61b is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 61a. The annular groove 61 b extends along the circumferential direction of the lens barrel 61. The protrusion 43a of the pawl 43 of the optical member holder 4 is engaged with the annular groove 61b. The protrusion 43a is movable in the circumferential direction along the annular groove 61b. Therefore, the optical member holder 4 rotates about the optical axis of the objective lens 6 as a central axis. The depth value of the annular groove 61b is smaller than the height value of the protrusion 43a (the dimension in the radial direction of the optical member holder 4). Therefore, when the protrusion 43a is engaged with the annular groove 61b, a part of the protrusion 43a protrudes from the annular groove 61b. For this reason, when the optical member holder 4 is attached to the objective lens 6, the pawl 43 is slightly warped. As a result, the pawl 43 comes into pressure contact with the insertion portion 61 a of the lens barrel 61. When the pawl 43 is in pressure contact with the insertion portion 61, an appropriate frictional force is generated between the optical member holder 4 and the lens barrel 61, and the optical member holder 4 stops at an arbitrary rotational position.

  The lens 62 is accommodated in the lens barrel 61.

  The Nomarski prism accommodating portion 8 is located between the objective lens 6 and the zoom variable magnification optical unit 11 and accommodates the Nomarski prism 9.

  The zoom variable magnification optical unit 11 includes three lens elements 111, 112, and 113.

  The illumination device 13 includes a light source 131, a first polarizing plate 132, a half mirror 133, and a second polarizing plate 134. The first polarizing plate 132 deflects the light from the light source 131. The half mirror 133 reflects the light deflected by the first polarizing plate 132 toward the sample 20. The second polarizing plate 134 deflects the light transmitted through the half mirror 133.

  The eyepiece tube 15 houses an imaging lens 151, an eyepiece lens 152, and a mirror 153.

  Illumination light emitted from the light source 131 of the illuminating device 13 is converted into linearly polarized light that vibrates in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface by the polarizing plate 132 and enters the half mirror 133. The half mirror 133 reflects the illumination light to the zoom variable magnification optical unit 11. The linearly polarized illumination light that has passed through the zoom magnification optical unit 11 passes through the quarter-wave plate 3, and the illumination light is illuminated onto the sample 20 as circularly polarized light whose vibration direction is rotated by 45 degrees.

  The reflected light reflected by the sample 20 passes through the quarter-wave plate 3 again to rotate the vibration direction by 45 degrees, and the vibration direction is linearly polarized parallel to the vibration direction of the polarizing plate 134. 11, and then passes through the half mirror 133, the polarizing plate 134, and the imaging lens 151. This reflected light is imaged as a primary image 20 ′ in the eyepiece tube 15 by the objective lens 6, the zoom variable magnification optical unit 11, and the imaging lens 151. This primary image 20 ′ is enlarged and observed by the eyepiece 152.

  When the observation is switched from the normal observation method to the differential interference method, it is necessary to remove the quarter-wave plate 3 from the microscope and accommodate the Nomarski prism 9 in the Nomarski prism accommodating portion 8. In order to remove the quarter-wave plate 3, the optical member holder 4 may be removed from the objective lens 6. To remove the optical member holder 4 from the objective lens 6, it is only necessary to pull the optical member holder 4 toward the sample 20. When the optical member holder 4 is pulled, the projection 43a of the claw of the optical member holder 4 is disengaged from the annular groove 61b of the lens barrel 61, the engagement between the optical member holder 4 and the objective lens 6 is released, and the optical member holder 4 Is removed from the objective lens 4. In this way, observation by differential interference is possible.

  When returning from the differential interference method to the normal observation method, the quarter-wave plate 3 may be attached to the microscope and the Nomarski prism 9 may be removed from the Nomarski prism housing 8. In order to attach the quarter-wave plate 3 microscopically, the optical member holder 4 may be attached to the objective lens 6. In order to mount the optical member holder 4 on the objective lens 6, it is only necessary to push the optical member holder 4 into the optical member holder 4 so as to receive the insertion portion 61 a of the lens barrel 61. When pushed in, the claw projection 43a of the optical member holder 4 is engaged with the annular groove 61b of the lens barrel 61, and the optical member holder 4 and the objective lens 6 are engaged. Since the optical member holder 4 mounted on the objective lens 6 can be rotated about the optical axis of the objective lens 6 as a rotation center, the vibration direction of the quarter-wave plate 3 can be adjusted.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, the quarter-wave plate 3 can be rotated around the optical axis of the objective lens 6, and the detachment work of the quarter-wave plate 3 with respect to the objective lens 6 can be easily performed. It can be carried out.

  FIG. 4 is a broken sectional view of the optical member holder and the objective lens according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the optical member holder shown in FIG.

  The optical member holder 204 according to the second embodiment includes a holder body (holding member) 240 and a substantially annular elastic member (support member) 243.

  The holder body 240 has a holding part 241 and a peripheral wall part 242. The holder main body 240 is made of synthetic resin. The holding part 241 has a disc shape and has a hole 241a. The quarter-wave plate 3 is held in the hole 241a.

  Three window holes 242a are formed in the peripheral wall portion 242 at equal intervals. Further, a notch 242b is formed in the peripheral wall portion 242. The notch 242b is located between two adjacent window holes 242a.

  The elastic member 243 includes an annular portion 243a and a knob 243b that is an adjustment portion. An example of the material of the elastic member 243 is a piano wire. The annular portion 243 a is disposed inside the peripheral wall portion 242. The annular portion 243a has three protrusions 243c. The protrusion 243c protrudes outside the peripheral wall portion 242 through the window hole 242a, and this protrusion is inserted into one annular groove (groove) 261a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lens barrel 261 of the objective lens 206.

  The knob 243b is coupled to both ends of the annular portion 243a.

  To attach the optical member holder 204 to the objective lens 206, first, the two knobs 243b are pinched to narrow the distance between them. As a result, as indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 5, the diameter of the annular portion 243a is reduced, and the protrusion 243c is pulled inward.

  In this state, the peripheral wall portion 242 is inserted into the lower portion of the lens barrel 261. At this time, since the protrusion 243c is retracted, the peripheral wall portion 242 can be inserted with almost no insertion force without almost contacting the inner peripheral surface of the lens barrel 261.

  When the peripheral wall 242 is inserted into the lower part of the lens barrel 261, the knob 243b is released. Then, the annular portion 243a returns to the original state (the state indicated by the solid line in FIG. 5), and the protrusion 243c is inserted into the annular groove 261a of the lens barrel 261 through the window hole 242a. Since the protrusion 243c can move along the annular groove 261a, the optical member holder 4 can be rotated. At this time, the protrusion 243c is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the annular groove 261a by the spring force of the annular portion 243a, so that an appropriate frictional force is generated.

  According to the second embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the optical member holder 204 can be attached to the objective lens 261 with a smaller force.

  In the above-described embodiment, the optical member holder portions 4 and 204 hold the quarter-wave plate 3, but the optical member holder of the present invention is not limited to the quarter-wave plate 3, and the present invention For example, the present invention can be applied to a ½ wavelength plate, a ８ wavelength plate, and the like.

  In the first embodiment, the pawl 43 is engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 61a of the lens barrel 6. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the pawl 43 is engaged with the inner peripheral surface of the lens barrel 61. You may make it match.

  In the second embodiment, the protrusion 243 c of the elastic member 243 is inserted into the annular groove 261 a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lens barrel 261, but the lower portion of the lens barrel 261 is placed on the optical member holder 204. The elastic member 243 is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 242, and the protrusion 243 c of the elastic member 243 is formed in an annular groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel 261. The protrusion may be inserted into an annular groove formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel 261.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a microscope according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which an optical member holder is attached to the objective lens of the microscope shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the optical member holder shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a broken sectional view of an optical member holder and an objective lens according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the optical member holder shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a broken sectional view of an objective lens and an optical member holder according to another prior art different from the prior art.

Explanation of symbols

3 1/4 wave plate 4,204 Optical member holder 41 Holding part (holding member)
240 Holder body (holding member)
42 Claw (support member)
243 Elastic member (support member)
6,206 Objective lens 61,261 Lens barrel 61b Annular groove (groove)
261a annular groove (groove)

Claims (5)

In an optical member holder that has an optical member and can be attached to and detached from the lens barrel tip,
A holding member for holding the optical member;
A support member connected to the holding member and engaged with a groove provided in a circumferential direction of an outer peripheral surface or an inner peripheral surface of the lens barrel front end portion so as to be rotatable around the optical axis of the lens barrel;
The support member is a substantially annular elastic member having a plurality of protrusions engageable with a plurality of holes formed in the holding member along the circumferential direction thereof. .   The optical member holder according to claim 1, wherein the support member is a plurality of claws.   The optical member holder according to claim 1, further comprising an adjustment unit that changes a size of the annular elastic member in a radial direction in a part of the elastic member.   An objective lens comprising the optical member holder according to claim 1.   A microscope comprising the objective lens according to claim 4.

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