JP2009014772A - Lighting system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily change bright field illumination and inclined lighting over to each other without intercepting illumination light with respect to a sample. <P>SOLUTION: A lighting system 5 capable of changing the bright field illumination and the inclined lighting over to each other for the sample includes an aperture diaphragm 14 for restricting an illumination light flux for the sample around an illumination optical axis OA2; and a shading mechanism 30, having a shading sheet 33 shading the illumination light flux, inserting and detaching the shading sheet 33 into and out of the illumination optical path restricted by the aperture diaphragm 14, and asymmetrically shading the illumination light flux with respect to the illumination optical axis OA2, corresponding to the insertion amount of the shading sheet 33 into the illumination optical path. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an illumination device that can switch between bright field illumination and oblique illumination for a specimen.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an illumination device used for a microscope, an illumination device that performs oblique illumination on a specimen is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In oblique illumination, by irradiating only illumination light inclined with respect to the optical axis of the objective lens used for specimen observation, higher resolution can be obtained in specimen observation compared to normal bright field illumination. Note that “oblique illumination” may be referred to as “oblique illumination”, “tilt illumination”, or “oblique illumination”, but “oblique illumination” is used in this specification.

  The epi-illumination oblique illumination device described in Patent Document 1 includes an aperture stop whose aperture diameter can be changed, and the oblique aperture illumination is performed by decentering the aperture stop with respect to the optical axis of the illumination optical system. ing. That is, in this epi-illumination oblique illumination device, normal bright field illumination can be performed when the aperture stop is disposed on the optical axis of the illumination optical system, and when the aperture stop is decentered from the optical axis. Oblique lighting can be performed.

  The microscope having the oblique illumination stop described in Patent Document 2 includes an oblique illumination stop that can be inserted into and removed from the optical axis of the illumination optical system, and the oblique illumination stop is disposed on the optical axis of the illumination optical system. When the oblique illumination stop is retracted from the optical axis, normal bright field illumination can be performed.

JP-A-6-148526 JP 2006-18092 A

  However, in the epi-illumination oblique illumination device described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to perform centering adjustment to match the center of the aperture stop with the optical axis of the illumination optical system every time switching from oblique illumination to bright field illumination, There has been a problem that it takes a lot of labor and time to switch the illumination. Further, in the microscope described in Patent Document 2, the illumination light for the specimen is temporarily blocked by inserting and removing the oblique illumination diaphragm when switching between the oblique illumination and the bright field illumination. There was a problem that the specimen could not be observed. For this reason, there are problems such as the spectrographer losing sight of the specimen and being unable to observe continuously over time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an illumination device that can easily switch between bright field illumination and oblique illumination without blocking illumination light on a specimen.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, an illuminating device according to the present invention is an illuminating device capable of switching between bright field illumination and oblique illumination on a specimen, and illuminating luminous flux for the specimen is predetermined. A diaphragm that restricts around the optical axis; and a light-shielding member that shields the illumination light beam. The light-shielding member is inserted into and removed from the optical path of the illumination light beam restricted by the diaphragm, and the light beam is inserted into the optical path. A light-shielding mechanism that shields the illumination light beam asymmetrically with respect to the predetermined optical axis in accordance with the amount of light-shielding member inserted.

  In addition, the illumination device according to the present invention is an illumination device capable of switching between bright field illumination and oblique illumination with respect to the specimen, and has a stop that restricts the optical path of the illumination light beam to the specimen around a predetermined optical axis. A diaphragm mechanism for changing the aperture diameter of the diaphragm, and a light shielding member that shields the illumination light beam. The light path member is inserted into and removed from the optical path of the illumination light beam limited by the diaphragm, and the optical path A light shielding mechanism that asymmetrically shields the illumination light beam with respect to the predetermined optical axis in accordance with the amount of the light shielding member inserted therein, and at least an insertion movement or a retraction movement of the light shielding member by the light shielding mechanism with respect to the optical path And an interlocking mechanism that interlocks with one of them and changes the opening diameter by the diaphragm mechanism.

  Further, in the illumination device according to the present invention, in the above invention, the interlocking mechanism is configured such that, when the light shielding mechanism inserts the light shielding member by a predetermined amount into the optical path, the aperture diameter is maximized by the diaphragm mechanism. It is characterized by that.

  Further, in the illumination device according to the present invention, in the above invention, the interlocking mechanism is configured such that when the light shielding mechanism retracts the light shielding member from the inside of the optical path to the outside of the optical path, the aperture mechanism causes the aperture diameter to be reduced. The light shielding mechanism is restored to the size before the light shielding member is inserted into the optical path.

  In the illumination device according to the present invention as set forth in the invention described above, the light blocking mechanism inserts and removes the light blocking member with respect to the optical path in the vicinity of the stop.

  In the illumination device according to the present invention as set forth in the invention described above, the light shielding mechanism includes a diffusion optical element that diffuses the illumination light integrally with the light shielding member.

  According to the illumination device of the present invention, it is possible to easily switch between bright field illumination and oblique illumination without blocking illumination light for the specimen.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a lighting device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment. Moreover, in description of drawing, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and shown to the same part.

(Embodiment)
First, a lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a main configuration of a microscope 100 using the illumination device according to the present embodiment. As shown in this figure, a microscope 100 includes a stage 2 on which a specimen 1 is placed, a microscope body 4 that supports the stage 2 via a stage holder 3, and an illumination device 5 that is mounted on the microscope body 4. The revolver 6 provided on the bottom of the front side (left side in FIG. 1) of the illumination device 5, the objective lens 7 that is replaceably attached to the revolver 6, and the illumination device 5 mounted on the illumination device 5 immediately above the revolver 6. A lens barrel 8 and a binocular unit 9 provided on the front side of the lens barrel 8 are provided.

  The stage holder 3 is moved up and down by a focusing mechanism (not shown) in conjunction with the turning operation of the focusing handle 4a protruding from the side surface of the microscope body 4. The specimen 1 and the stage 2 are focused and moved (focused) in the direction of the observation optical axis OA1 as the stage holder 3 moves up and down. The stage holder 3 is freely moved in a plane perpendicular to the observation optical axis OA1 by a plane drive mechanism (not shown). Thereby, the observation position on the sample 1 is adjusted. The observation optical axis OA1 corresponds to the optical axis of the objective lens 7.

  The objective lens 7 cooperates with an imaging lens (not shown) provided in the lens barrel 8 and forms an observation image of the sample 1 illuminated by the illumination device 5. At this time, the objective lens 7 converts the observation light emitted from each point on the sample 1 into a parallel light beam and emits it to the imaging lens. The imaging lens focuses observation light emitted from the objective lens 7 to form an observation image. This observation image is introduced into the binocular unit 9 through a deflecting prism (not shown) provided in the lens barrel 8, and is divided into two in the left-right direction (perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1) by the binocular unit 9, and then binocular The eye is visually observed by a spectroscope through a pair of eyepieces 9 a provided at the tip of the unit 9.

  The illumination device 5 includes a light source 11 that emits illumination light, a collector lens 12 that focuses the illumination light emitted from the light source 11 and forms a primary light source image, and a frosted glass as a diffusion optical element that diffuses illumination light. 13, an aperture stop 14 for limiting the luminous flux of the illumination light collected by the collector lens 12, a field stop 15 for limiting the luminous flux of the illumination light that has passed through the aperture stop 14, and the illumination light that has passed through the field stop 15 are collected. A relay lens 16 that forms a secondary light source image with light and a half mirror 17 that deflects illumination light emitted from the relay lens 16 toward the objective lens 7 along the observation optical axis OA1 are provided. Each optical element from the collector lens 12 to the half mirror 17 is provided in a light projecting tube main body 18 as a housing. The optical elements from the light source 11 to the half mirror 17 are arranged with the illumination optical axis OA2 as a common optical axis.

  The aperture stop 14 is disposed on the image plane of the primary light source image, and is disposed at a position conjugate with the pupil of the objective lens 7. The aperture stop 14 limits the size of the primary light source image together with the illumination light beam collected by the collector lens 12, thereby defining the numerical aperture (NA) of the illumination light irradiated on the sample 1. The field stop 15 is disposed at a position conjugate with the focal plane of the objective lens 7, and restricts the luminous flux of the illumination light that has passed through the aperture stop 14, thereby irradiating the illumination range of the illumination light (illumination) on the specimen 1. Field). In this way, the illuminating device 5 performs Koehler illumination of the specimen 1 via the objective lens 7.

  Here, the aperture stop 14 is configured as a variable stop whose size can be changed, and the frosted glass 13 is an optical path of illumination light limited by the aperture stop 14 (hereinafter referred to as an illumination optical path). ) Is integrally provided. FIGS. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views illustrating the configurations of the diaphragm mechanism 20 and the light shielding mechanism 30 that include the aperture diaphragm 14 and the frosted glass 13, respectively. FIG. 2A illustrates a case where the light shielding member is retracted from the illumination optical path, and FIG. 2B illustrates a case where the light shielding member is inserted into the illumination optical path. FIGS. 2-1 and 2-2 are both diagrams showing a configuration viewed from the upper part of the illumination device 5, and a collector lens 12 and a light source 11 (not shown) are arranged below the figure.

  As shown in these drawings, the diaphragm mechanism 20 is configured by using a pedestal 21, a rotating ring 22, a frame 23 and a lever 24 in addition to the aperture diaphragm 14. The pedestal 21 has a through hole 21a, and is fixed to the bottom of the floodlight tube body 18 with the central axis of the through hole 21a aligned with the illumination optical axis OA2. The pedestal 21 has a recess 21b coaxially with the through hole 21a, and holds the aperture stop 14 in the recess 21b.

  The rotating ring 22 has a through hole 22a at the center, and is fitted in the recess 21b so that the central axis of the through hole 22a coincides with the illumination optical axis OA2. The diameter of the through hole 22a is substantially equal to the diameter of the through hole 21a. The top 23 has an opening 23 a at the center and is attached to the opposite side of the base 21 with respect to the rotating ring 22. One end of the lever 24 is attached to the side surface portion 23 b of the frame 23, and the other end is projected outward from the side wall portion 18 a of the floodlight tube body 18. The top 23 is slidable with respect to the rotating ring 22 as the lever 24 is inserted into and removed from the side wall 18a, that is, the lever 24 moves in the axial direction.

  3A is a diagram illustrating an assembly configuration of the base 21 and the aperture stop 14 viewed from the direction of the arrow III illustrated in FIG. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing an assembled configuration of the rotating ring 22, the top 23, and the lever 24 as seen from the direction of arrow III. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the aperture stop 14 is configured by sequentially combining a plurality of stop blades 14 a in a spiral manner. FIG. 3A shows an aperture stop 14 configured by using four diaphragm blades 14a as an example. However, the aperture stop 14 is not limited to four, and may be configured using five or more stop blades 14a.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the aperture blade 14a is configured by using a substantially C-shaped flat plate member 14b, a fixed pin 14c, and a drive pin 14d. As shown in FIG. 3B, the fixing pin 14c and the drive pin 14d protrude from the flat plate member 14b opposite to each other at different ends of the flat plate member 14b. 3-3 (a) shows the configuration viewed from the direction of arrow III as in FIG. 3-1, and FIG. 3-3 (b) shows the direction of arrow AA in FIG. 3-3 (a). The structure seen from is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, four dowel holes 21c are provided at equal intervals around the illumination optical axis OA2 in the recess 21b of the base 21. Each dowel hole 21c is fitted with a fixing pin 14c of a different diaphragm blade 14a. In addition, four long grooves 22b are provided in the radial direction on the end face of the rotating ring 22 facing the aperture stop 14 as shown in FIG. 3-2. A drive pin 14d of a different diaphragm blade 14a is inserted in each long groove 22b. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3-2, a connecting pin 22 c projects from the end face of the rotating ring 22 that faces the frame 23. The connecting pin 22 c is sandwiched between fork-shaped protrusions 23 c that are provided on the top surface of the top 23.

  In the diaphragm mechanism 20 configured as described above, the frame 23 is linearly moved in the direction perpendicular to the illumination optical axis OA2 by moving the lever 24 in the axial direction, and the rotating ring 22 is moved along with the linear movement. It is rotated around the illumination optical axis OA2. Further, as the rotary ring 22 rotates, the drive pin 14d is guided in the long groove 22b and moved in the radial direction, so that each aperture blade 14a of the aperture stop 14 is driven to open and close. The opening 14e of the aperture stop 14 is formed in a substantially circular shape, and the opening diameter φ (see FIG. 3-1) corresponding to the diameter is continuously within a predetermined range in accordance with the opening / closing drive of each stop blade 14a. Change.

The illumination light beam condensed by the collector lens 12 (hereinafter referred to as illumination beam) is limited by the aperture stop 14 within the range of the opening 14e around the illumination optical axis OA2. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the lever 24 is pulled out from the side wall portion 18a of the light projecting tube main body 18 by a predetermined amount, the opening diameter φ is set to the opening diameter φx corresponding to the drawing amount. The illumination light beam is limited to the illumination light beam OPx corresponding to the aperture diameter φx. As shown in FIG. 2B, when the lever 24 is pushed into the floodlight tube body 18 to the full extent of the movable range, the opening 14e is opened (fully opened), and the opening diameter φ is the maximum opening diameter φ _max. And the illumination light flux is limited to the illumination light flux OP _max corresponding to the aperture diameter φ _max .

  Next, the light shielding mechanism 30 will be described. 4A and 4B are diagrams each illustrating a configuration of the light shielding mechanism 30. FIG. FIG. 4A illustrates a configuration viewed from the IV direction in FIG. 2A. FIG. 4B illustrates a configuration viewed from the IV ′ direction in FIG. As shown in these drawings, the light shielding mechanism 30 is configured using a guide 31, a slider 32, a light shielding sheet 33, and a lever 34 in addition to the frosted glass 13. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the light shielding mechanism 30 is disposed in the vicinity of the diaphragm mechanism 20 in the direction of the illumination optical axis OA2.

  The guide 31 is a linear guide having a U-shaped groove 31a (see FIG. 2-1), and is fixed to the bottom of the light projecting tube body 18 with the guide direction perpendicular to the illumination optical axis OA2. Yes. In addition, the guide 31 is provided with stoppers 31b and 31c at predetermined positions on both ends of the groove 31a. The stoppers 31b and 31c define the slide movement range of the slider 32 guided by the guide 31.

  The slider 32 is a flat plate-like member that is inserted into the groove 31a between the stoppers 31b and 31c, and the disc-shaped frost glass 13 is fitted in a recess 32a provided at a substantially central portion. A light shielding sheet 33 as a light shielding member is attached to an end surface of the slider 32 opposite to the aperture mechanism 20 with respect to the frosted glass 13. One end of the lever 34 is attached to the side surface portion 32 b of the slider 32, and the other end protrudes outside from the side wall portion 18 a of the light projecting tube main body 18. The slider 32 is slidable on the guide 31 as the lever 34 is inserted into and removed from the side wall 18a, that is, the lever 34 moves in the axial direction.

  Further, the slider 32 is provided with a spring mechanism (plunger) 35 in a hole 32 c provided immediately above the frosted glass 13. The spring mechanism 35 is configured using a spring 35a and a ball 35b. The upper end of the ball 35b is biased from the upper end surface 32d of the slider 32 by urging the lower end of the ball 35b with the spring 35a. Protruding with force. On the other hand, a pressing plate 36 is in contact with the upper end surface 32 d of the slider 32. The holding plate 36 is provided above the left and right side wall portions 18a, 18b of the light projecting tube main body 18, and an engagement hole 36a is provided immediately above the illumination optical axis OA2 at a substantially central portion thereof. The engagement mechanism 36a and the spring mechanism 35 constitute a click mechanism. When the slider 32 is slid with respect to the guide 31, the upper end of the ball 35b is temporarily locked at a position where the ball 35b is engaged in the engagement hole 36a, and the frosted glass 13 moves along the illumination optical axis OA2. Positioned above.

  The ball 35b engaged in the engagement hole 36a is easily engaged and disengaged from the engagement hole 36a when the slider 32 is slid by a force equal to or greater than a predetermined amount of force, and the holding plate 36 allows the hole 35b to be It is pushed into the portion 32c. Further, the opening of the light projecting tube main body 18 in the upper part of the pressing plate 36 is closed by a cover 19 so as to be opened and closed.

Shielding sheet 33, as shown in Figure 4-1, the opening 14e at the opening of the aperture stop 14, i.e. has a larger light shielding surface than the light flux cross-section of the illumination light beam OP _max, one o'clock engagement slider 32 by a click mechanism It is affixed to the slider 32 so as to be positioned outside the illuminating light beam OP _max when locked. In the example illustrated in FIG. 4A, the light shielding sheet 33 is provided so as to circumscribe the illumination light beam OP _max at a position where the slider 32 is temporarily locked. From this position, the lever 34 is pushed into the light projecting tube main body 18 and the slider 32 is slid to the state shown in FIG. 4B, whereby the light shielding sheet 33 is inserted into the illumination optical path in the vicinity of the aperture stop 14. In addition, the illumination light beam OP _max is shielded asymmetrically with respect to the illumination optical axis OA2 in accordance with the amount of insertion. In the example shown in FIG. 4B, the light shielding sheet 33 is formed such that at least the edge 33a on the side close to the illumination optical axis OA2 of the left and right edges is linearly formed in the vertical direction, leaving a substantially half-moon shaped light beam. The illumination light beam OP _max is shielded asymmetrically.

The stoppers 31 b and 31 c limit the slide movement range of the slider 32 by bringing the slider 32 into contact therewith. Specifically, the stopper 31b limits the sliding movement range of the slider 32 in the direction in which the lever 34 is pulled out from the light projecting tube main body 18, that is, the direction in which the light shielding sheet 33 is retracted from the illumination optical path. The sliding movement range of the slider 32 in the direction in which it is pushed into the light projecting tube main body 18, that is, the direction in which the light shielding sheet 33 is inserted into the illumination optical path is limited. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, the stopper 31b is provided so that the slider 32 abuts at a position where the slider 32 is temporarily locked by the click mechanism. Further, the stopper 31c is provided so that the slider 32 abuts at a position where the light shielding sheet 33 shields the illumination light beam _OPmax by a predetermined amount as shown in FIG.

  A collar 37 is provided at a desired position of the lever 34 (see FIG. 4A), and the slider 32 is positioned at a desired position between the stoppers 31b and 31c by contacting the collar 37 and the side wall portion 18a. You can also.

  In the illuminating device 5 configured as described above, the lever 34 in the light shielding mechanism 30 is moved in the direction to be pulled out from the light projecting tube main body 18 and is slid until the slider 32 is temporarily locked by the click mechanism. By retracting 33 from the illumination light path, the specimen 1 can be bright-field illuminated. At this time, the lever 24 in the diaphragm mechanism 20 is inserted / removed with respect to the light projecting tube main body 18 and the aperture diameter φ of the aperture diaphragm 14 is appropriately changed, so that the illumination light can be transmitted to the specimen 1 with a desired numerical aperture and Irradiation with illumination light quantity is possible.

In the illuminating device 5, the lever 34 in the light shielding mechanism 30 is moved in the direction for pushing into the light projecting tube main body 18, the slider 32 is slid until it contacts the stopper 31c, and the light shielding sheet 33 is placed in the illumination light path. By obliquely illuminating the specimen 1 by inserting a certain amount and blocking a part of the illumination light beam OP _max . At this time, the tilt angle of the illumination light with respect to the observation optical axis OA1 can be maximized by pushing the lever 24 in the diaphragm mechanism 20 into the light projecting tube main body 18 to the full extent of the movable range and opening the opening 14e.

Further, in the lighting device 5, the lever 34 is moved in a direction to push it into the light projecting tube main body 18, the slider 32 is slid to a desired position before contacting the stopper 31c, and the light shielding sheet 33 corresponds to the desired position. insertion amounts only by inserting into the illumination beam path by blocking part of the illumination light beam OP _max that, by performing the oblique illumination by reducing the inclination angle of the illumination light than to abut the slider 32 with the stopper 31c Can do. In this case, the inclination angle of the illumination light with respect to the observation optical axis OA1 and the amount of illumination light can be changed corresponding to the amount of insertion of the light shielding sheet 33 into the illumination optical path and the aperture diameter φ of the aperture stop 14.

  As described above, the illuminating device 5 according to the present embodiment includes the aperture stop 14 that restricts the illumination light beam with respect to the sample 1 around the illumination optical axis OA2, and the light shielding sheet 33 that blocks the illumination light beam. The light shielding sheet 33 is inserted into and removed from the illumination optical path limited by 14, and the light shielding mechanism shields the illumination light flux asymmetrically with respect to the illumination optical axis OA2 in accordance with the amount of the light shielding sheet 33 inserted into the illumination optical path. 30, the bright field illumination and the oblique illumination can be easily switched without blocking the illumination light with respect to the specimen 1.

  In the illumination device 5, the light shielding mechanism 30 inserts and removes the light shielding sheet 33 in the illumination optical path in the vicinity of the aperture stop 14, that is, in the vicinity of the position conjugate with the pupil of the objective lens 7. The irradiation angle range with respect to can be clearly defined.

(Modification 1)
Below, the modification 1 of the illuminating device concerning embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. In the lighting device 5 described above, the lever 24 in the diaphragm mechanism 20 and the lever 34 in the light shielding mechanism 30 are individually operated. However, in the first modification, the lever 24 is operated in conjunction with the operation of the lever 34. It is supposed to be done.

  In the first modification, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the illumination device 5 is an interlocking mechanism that moves the lever 34 in and out of the light projecting tube main body 18 in conjunction with the insertion and removal of the lever 24. Further, interlocking portions 41 and 42 are provided. One end of the interlocking portion 41 is provided at a predetermined position of the lever 24, and the other end is projected toward the lever 34. Similarly, the interlocking portion 42 has one end ringed at a predetermined position of the lever 34 and the other end protruding toward the lever 24.

  When the lever 34 is pushed into the light projecting tube main body 18 from the state where the light shielding sheet 33 is retracted from the illumination light path as shown in FIG. 5A, the interlocking portion 42 is a protrusion of the interlocking portion 41. Abutting on 41 a, the interlocking portion 41 is pushed in the axial direction of the lever 24 in response to the movement of the lever 34. As a result, the lever 24 is pushed into the light projecting tube main body 18 in conjunction with the movement of the lever 34, and the aperture diameter 14 of the aperture stop 14e is enlarged. That is, the interlocking portions 41 and 42 are interlocked with the insertion movement of the light shielding sheet 33 with respect to the illumination optical path by the light shielding mechanism 30, and the aperture diameter φ of the aperture diaphragm 14 is enlarged and changed by the diaphragm mechanism 20.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the lever 34 is pushed into the light projecting tube main body 18 until the slider 32 comes into contact with the stopper 31c as shown in FIG. The lever 24 is moved into the light projecting tube main body 18 until it is opened. That is, the interlocking portions 41 and 42 maximize the opening diameter φ of the aperture stop 14 by the stop mechanism 20 when the light blocking mechanism 30 inserts the light blocking sheet 33 into the illumination optical path by a predetermined amount.

  Thereby, in the illuminating device 5 according to the first modification, when switching from bright field illumination to oblique illumination, the opening 14e of the aperture stop 14 is interlocked with the insertion movement of the light shielding sheet 33 into the illumination optical path by the light shielding mechanism 30. The opening 14e can be opened without fail when the specimen 1 is obliquely illuminated.

(Modification 2)
Next, Modification Example 2 of the illumination device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first modification described above, the lever 24 is moved in the same direction in conjunction with the movement of the lever 34 in the pushing direction with respect to the light projecting pipe main body 18. However, in the second modification, the light projecting pipe main body 18 is further moved. The lever 24 is moved in the same direction in conjunction with the movement of the lever 34 in the pulling direction. That is, the lever 24 is inserted / removed in conjunction with the insertion / removal of the lever 34 with respect to the light projecting tube main body 18.

  In the second modification, the illumination device 5 includes a diaphragm mechanism 50 instead of the diaphragm mechanism 20 as illustrated in FIGS. 6-1 and 6-2. The aperture mechanism 50 has a lever 54 instead of the lever 24 based on the configuration of the aperture mechanism 20. The lever 54 is configured using levers 54a and 54b. One end of the lever 54a is attached to the side surface 23b of the top 23, and a magnet 54c is provided at the other end. The levers 54a and 54b are coaxially connected by a magnet 54c and can be separated.

  Moreover, the illuminating device 5 in this modification 2 is provided with the tension spring 43 in addition to the interlocking parts 41 and 42 as an interlocking mechanism. The tension spring 43 has its spring force applied in the same direction as the axial direction of the lever 54, and one end is fixed to the lever 54a and the other end is fixed to the lever 54b. The magnet 54c is inserted into the cylindrical tension spring 43 via the lever 54a, and in the range where the interlocking portion 41 and the interlocking portion 42 do not interlock, the magnet 54c is applied to the end of the lever 54b by the contraction force of the tension spring 43. It abuts (see FIG. 6-1). As a result, the levers 54a and 54b are integrally connected in a range where the interlocking portion 41 and the interlocking portion 42 are not interlocked, and operate in the same manner as the lever 24 in the aperture mechanism 20.

  When the lever 34 is pushed into the light projecting tube main body 18 and the protrusion 42a is brought into contact with the protrusion 41a and is pushed in the axial direction of the lever 54, the lever 54a is as shown in FIG. In addition to being disconnected from the lever 54b, it is moved in the direction of its own axis in conjunction with the movement of the lever 34 and the interlocking portion 42. As a result, the aperture diameter of the aperture stop 14 is increased in conjunction with the insertion movement of the light shielding sheet 33 with respect to the illumination optical path, as in the first modification. When the lever 34 is pushed into the light projecting tube main body 18 until the slider 32 comes into contact with the stopper 31c, the aperture diameter 14 of the aperture stop 14 is maximized. The lever 54b is held in the same state by the side wall portion 18a of the light projecting tube main body 18 before and after the lever 54a is disconnected.

  On the other hand, when the lever 34 is pulled out from the light projecting tube main body 18 and the light shielding sheet 33 is retracted from the illumination light path to the outside of the illumination light path, the interlocking portion 42 is moved along with the movement of the lever 34. The lever 54 a and the interlocking portion 41 are moved in a direction in which the magnet 54 c is brought into contact with the end of the lever 54 b by the contraction action of the tension spring 43. As the lever 34 is sufficiently pulled out compared to the movable range of the interlocking portion 41 by the tension spring 43, the magnet 54c is brought into contact with the end of the lever 54b, and the lever 54a is connected to the lever 54b. As a result, the lever 54 is restored to the state before the lever 34 is pushed into the light projecting tube main body 18, and the aperture diameter φ of the aperture stop 14 is the size before the light shielding sheet 33 is inserted into the illumination optical path. To be restored.

  That is, in the illumination device 5 according to the second modification, the interlocking portions 41 and 42 and the tension spring 43 serving as the interlocking mechanism are used when the light shielding mechanism 30 retracts the light shielding sheet 33 from the illumination optical path to the outside of the illumination optical path. The mechanism 50 restores the aperture diameter φ of the aperture stop 14 to the size before the light shielding mechanism 30 inserts the light shielding sheet 33 into the illumination optical path.

  Here, the amount of force of each part is “the braking force of the lever 54b on the side wall 18a” and “the braking force of the lever 34 on the side wall 18a”> “the spring force (contraction force) of the tension spring 43” and “the joining of the magnet 54c”. It is said that the relationship of “force (magnetic force)” is satisfied.

  In the illumination device 5 according to the second modification described above, when switching from bright-field illumination to declination illumination, as with the illumination device 5 according to the first modification, the illumination device 5 is interlocked with the insertion movement of the light shielding sheet 33 by the light shielding mechanism 30. Thus, the opening 14e of the aperture stop 14 can be opened. Further, in the illumination device 5 according to the second modification, when switching from oblique illumination to bright field illumination, the aperture diameter φ of the aperture stop 14 is set to oblique illumination in conjunction with the retreat movement of the light shielding sheet 33 by the light shielding mechanism 30. It can be restored to the size before switching to.

(Modification 3)
Next, Modification Example 3 of the illumination device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the light shielding mechanism 30 described above, the position of the slider 32 on the guide 31 is not fixed in the sliding movement direction except that the slider 32 is temporarily locked by the click mechanism. However, in the third modification, the slider 32 has the stoppers 31b and 31c. It can be fixed at any position in between.

  In the third modification, the illumination device 5 includes a light shielding mechanism 60 illustrated in FIG. 7 instead of the light shielding mechanism 30. As shown in FIG. 7, the light shielding mechanism 60 includes a lever 64 instead of the lever 34 based on the configuration of the light shielding mechanism 30, and further includes a compression spring 65. Other configurations are the same as those of the light shielding mechanism 30, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  One end of the compression spring 65 is fixed to the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 18 b of the light projecting tube main body 18, and the other end is fixed to the side surface portion 32 e of the slider 32. It is provided in parallel. In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the light shielding mechanism 60 includes two compression springs 65, and the slider 32 is urged by the two compression springs 65 so as to be in contact with the stopper 31 b. Note that the compression spring 65 provided in the light shielding mechanism 60 is not limited to two as long as it similarly urges the slider 32, and may be one or three or more.

  The lever 64 has a male screw threaded on the side surface portion 64a and is screwed into a screw hole 18c provided in the side wall portion 18a of the light projecting tube main body 18, and a tip end portion of the slider 32 via the screw hole 18c. It is in contact with the side surface portion 32b. When the tip of the lever 64 is screwed further toward the stopper 31c than the stopper 31b, the lever 64 slides in the direction of the stopper 31c in accordance with the screwed amount.

  In the light shielding mechanism 60 configured as described above, the slider 32 is always brought into contact with the lever 64 or the stopper 31b by the urging force from the compression spring 65, whereby the position in the slide movement direction is fixed. Further, in the light shielding mechanism 60, the slider 32 can be positioned at a desired position between the stoppers 31b and 31c in accordance with the screwing amount of the lever 64 into the screw hole 18c.

  So far, the best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described as an embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Is possible.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the light shielding mechanisms 30 and 60 are integrally provided with the light shielding sheet 33 as the light shielding member and the frosted glass 13 as the diffusion optical element by the slider 32, but are not limited to being integral. It may be provided separately. In that case, for example, the frosted glass 13 may be provided on the illumination optical path in the vicinity of the aperture stop 14, and the light shielding sheet 33 may be inserted into and removed from the illumination optical path between the aperture stop 14 and the frosted glass 13. Accordingly, the light shielding mechanism can be reduced in size and weight, and the operability of the light shielding mechanism can be improved.

  In the above-described embodiment, the light shielding mechanisms 30 and 60 shield the illumination optical path in a knife edge manner by the edge 33a formed linearly in the vertical direction in the light shielding sheet 33. Is not limited to a straight edge, and an edge having an arbitrary shape such as an arc-shaped edge can be used. Thereby, oblique illumination having different illumination effects for each edge shape can be realized.

  In the above-described embodiment, the diaphragm mechanisms 20 and 50 and the light shielding mechanisms 30 and 60 are such that the levers 24, 54, 34, and 64 are manually operated, but an electric drive mechanism using a motor or the like is used. It is good also as what is automatically operated using. Thereby, the operability and controllability of the aperture mechanism and the light shielding mechanism can be improved.

  In the above-described embodiment, the illumination device 5 has been described as performing epi-illumination on the specimen 1. However, the illumination device 5 is not limited to epi-illumination and may be transmitted illumination. The illumination device 5 is used by being mounted on the microscope 100. However, the illumination device 5 is not limited to the microscope, and is used by being mounted on various inspection devices such as a semiconductor inspection device and an FPD (Flat Panel Display) inspection device. Can do.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the microscope using the illuminating device concerning embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the aperture_diaphragm | restriction mechanism and light-shielding mechanism with which the illuminating device concerning embodiment is provided. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the aperture_diaphragm | restriction mechanism and light-shielding mechanism with which the illuminating device concerning embodiment is provided. It is a figure which shows the partial structure of an aperture mechanism. It is a figure which shows the partial structure of an aperture mechanism. It is a figure which shows the structure of an aperture blade. It is a figure which shows the structure of a light-shielding mechanism. It is a figure which shows the structure of a light-shielding mechanism. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the aperture_diaphragm | restriction mechanism and light-shielding mechanism with which the illuminating device concerning the modification 1 of embodiment is provided. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the aperture_diaphragm | restriction mechanism and light-shielding mechanism with which the illuminating device concerning the modification 1 of embodiment is provided. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the aperture_diaphragm | restriction mechanism and light-shielding mechanism with which the illuminating device concerning the modification 2 of embodiment is provided. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the aperture_diaphragm | restriction mechanism and light-shielding mechanism with which the illuminating device concerning the modification 2 of embodiment is provided. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the light-shielding mechanism with which the illuminating device concerning the modification 3 of embodiment is provided.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sample 2 Stage 3 Stage holder 4 Microscope main body 4a Focusing handle 5 Illuminating device 6 Revolver 7 Objective lens 8 Lens tube 9 Binocular part 9a Eyepiece 11 Light source 12 Collector lens 13 Frosted glass 14 Aperture stop 14a Aperture blade 14b Flat plate member 14c Fixed Pin 14d Drive pin 14e Aperture 15 Field stop 16 Relay lens 17 Half mirror 18 Projection tube body 18a, 18b Side wall 18c Screw hole 19 Cover 20 Aperture mechanism 21 Base 21a Through hole 21b Recess 21c Dowel hole 22 Turning ring 22a Through hole 22b Long groove 22c Connecting pin 23 Top 23a Opening 23b Side 23c Projection 24 Lever 30 Light shielding mechanism 31 Guide 31a Groove 31b, 31c Stopper 32 Slider 32a Recess 32b, 32e Side 32c Hole Part 32d Upper end surface 33 Shading sheet 33a Edge 34 Lever 35 Spring mechanism 35a Spring 35b Ball 36 Holding plate 36a Engagement hole 37 Collar 41, 42 Interlocking part 41a, 42a Protrusion part 43 Tension spring 50 Diaphragm mechanism 54, 54a, 54b Lever 54c Magnet 60 Light shielding mechanism 64 Lever 64a Side surface portion 65 Compression spring 100 Microscope OA1 Observation optical axis OA2 Illumination optical axis OPx, OP _max Illumination luminous flux φ, φx, φ _max Aperture diameter

Claims (6)

In an illumination device that can switch between bright field illumination and oblique illumination for a specimen,
A diaphragm for limiting the illumination light flux to the specimen around a predetermined optical axis;
A light shielding member for shielding the illumination light beam; and inserting and removing the light shielding member with respect to the optical path of the illumination light beam limited by the stop; and corresponding to an insertion amount of the light shielding member into the optical path A light shielding mechanism for shielding the illumination light beam asymmetrically with respect to the predetermined optical axis;
An illumination device comprising: In an illumination device that can switch between bright field illumination and oblique illumination for a specimen,
A diaphragm mechanism that restricts the illumination light flux with respect to the specimen around a predetermined optical axis, and changes an aperture diameter of the diaphragm;
A light shielding member for shielding the illumination light beam; and inserting and removing the light shielding member with respect to the optical path of the illumination light beam limited by the stop; and corresponding to an insertion amount of the light shielding member into the optical path A light shielding mechanism for shielding the illumination light beam asymmetrically with respect to the predetermined optical axis;
In conjunction with at least one of insertion movement or retraction movement of the light shielding member by the light shielding mechanism with respect to the optical path, an interlocking mechanism for changing the opening diameter by the diaphragm mechanism;
An illumination device comprising:   The lighting device according to claim 2, wherein the interlocking mechanism maximizes the opening diameter by the diaphragm mechanism when the light blocking mechanism inserts the light blocking member into the optical path by a predetermined amount.   When the light shielding mechanism moves the light shielding member out of the optical path, the interlocking mechanism causes the aperture mechanism to insert the opening diameter, and the light shielding mechanism causes the light shielding member to be inserted into the optical path. The lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the lighting device is restored to the previous size.   The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the light shielding mechanism inserts and removes the light shielding member with respect to the optical path in the vicinity of the diaphragm.   The illumination device according to claim 1, wherein the light shielding mechanism includes a diffusion optical element that diffuses the illumination light integrally with the light shielding member.

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