JPH08320439A - Optical path switching device for microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an optical path switching device for a microscope capable of effectively using a space on the side face of the microscope and also capable of easily operating a stage handle and an optical path switching lever. CONSTITUTION: A rack 23 is installed on a linearly movable prism mount 21 with optical path switching prisms 8a to 8c mounted, and under the rack 23, a pinion 25 engaged with the rack 23 is arranged with a pulley 26 which is integrally rotated with the pinion 25. On the right side of the pulley 26, pulleys 28a and 28b are journaled so as to be independently rotated around a perpendicular shaft. Ahead of the pulleys 28a and 28b, pulleys 30 and 31 are journaled so as to be integrally rotated around a horizontal shaft. Ahead of the pulleys 30 and 31, a pulley 33 and an operation handle 34 are journaled so as to be integrally rotated around the horizontal shaft in the same way. The operation handle 34 is exposed on the side face of the microscope. A flat belt 35 is bent to be laid between the pulleys 26, 28a, 28b and 30, and a flat belt 35 is bent to be laid between the pulleys 31 and 33 respectively so as to transmit the rotation of the operation handle 34 to the pinion 25.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a microscope optical path switching device, and more particularly to an optical path switching device using a prism, a mirror or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A push-pull method using an ali slider as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-107817 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-305565 is generally known as a conventional observation optical path switching method. . FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a conventional optical path switching system. The male ant formed on the mounting base 92 to which the observation optical path switching prisms 91a to 91c are fixed is attached to the female ant 93 provided on the microscope main body.
It is adapted to be fitted in through lubricating oil so as to be able to move in parallel, and the observation optical path can be switched through a switching lever 94 mounted on the mounting base 92. One end of the switching lever 94 is attached to a mounting base 92 in which a plurality of prisms 91a to 91c are arranged in a horizontal row, and the other end is arranged so as to project from the side surface of the microscope main body.

With such a configuration, the observation optical path and the optical path for the camera can be easily switched by simply pushing / pulling the switching lever 94 provided on the side surface of the microscope body even during the microscope observation.

[0004]

In the conventional method, since the switching lever 94 is directly attached to the mount 92, the position of the switching lever 94 is inevitably located on the side surface of the microscope main body which is almost right next to the switching prism. Was limited. On the other hand, since the stage handle of the sample stage is also arranged on one side surface side of the microscope body, the stage handle may be inadvertently touched when operating the optical path switching lever. On the contrary, when the stage handle is close to the switching lever 94, it is difficult for the hand to touch the switching lever 94 when operating the stage handle.

Further, since the switching lever largely protrudes in the side direction in accordance with the optical path switching operation, it becomes an obstacle in placing the manipulation device or the like in the space on the side surface of the microscope main body on the side where the switching lever is arranged, and the optical path switching lever. Is also difficult to operate. Furthermore, because of the desire to attach additional equipment such as photographic equipment to the right side of the microscope body,
It was not possible to adopt a configuration in which the optical axis of the objective lens is branched toward the right side.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to effectively use the space on the side surface of the microscope and to easily operate the stage handle and the optical path switching lever. An object is to provide an optical path switching device.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a microscope, a plurality of prisms for switching an optical path from an objective lens, a movable holding member for holding the plurality of prisms, and a holding member driven. A drive unit for
The operation part of the drive unit, which is located on the front side of the microscope body,
It was configured with.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the interlocking mechanism for interlocking the drive section and the operation section is provided. The invention of claim 3 includes a pulley and a belt member as the interlocking mechanism, and
It is configured to include a pulley for converting the transmission direction of the belt member by approximately 90 degrees.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the movable holding member for holding the plurality of prisms is driven through the drive unit by operating the operation unit arranged on the side surface on the front side of the microscope main body, and the objective The optical path from the lens is switched. According to the invention of claim 2, a plurality of prisms are switched by interlocking the drive force from the operation unit with the drive unit by the interlocking mechanism.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the belt member performs accurate transmission without backlash, and even if the pulleys are arranged so that the rotating shafts are substantially orthogonal to each other, the pulley for converting the transmission direction can freely transmit the power. Is possible.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an optical path of an inverted microscope to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an optical path switching device according to the present invention. The illumination system of the inverted microscope of this embodiment forms the illumination light path 3 by condensing the light from the light source 1 by the condenser lens 2. The illumination light uniformly illuminates the sample placed on the stage 4, and the light beam transmitted through the sample is revolver 6 rotatable with respect to the microscope body 5.
It is guided to the optical path switching prism 8 through the objective lens 7 attached to. The optical path switching prism 8 is configured so that a plurality of prisms 8a, 8b and 8c can be switched, as will be described later, and transmits the light beam and through the mirror 9 to the eyepiece lens 11 in the eyepiece tube 10 to the observation optical path 12 Light path 1
The optical path is arbitrarily switched, for example, by guiding the light beam 3 as a light source 3 or by reflecting a part of the light beam to the side surface of the microscope and guiding the light beam as another photographing optical path 14 (not shown). A 35 mm camera, a large format camera, a TV camera or the like is attached as an image recording device to the output port of each photographing optical path. Further, an operation handle 34 of the optical path switching prism 8 which will be described later is arranged on the side surface on the front side of the microscope main body.

Next, the details of the optical path switching device will be described with reference to FIG. A rack and a pinion, which will be described later, are used in the drive unit of this embodiment, and a pulley and a belt, which will be described later, are used in the interlocking mechanism. The optical path switching prisms 8a, 8b, 8c are mounted in a horizontal row on a prism mount 21 which is a holding member. A male dovetail 21a is formed on the prism mount 21, and by fitting this with a female dovetail 22a formed on the base 22 fixed to the microscope body 5, the prism mount 21 can be slid linearly in the left-right direction. Held in.

The prisms 8a, 8b and 8c are for switching the optical path depending on the application. The prism 8a on the left side of the three prisms is for dividing the light beam that has passed through the sample into a photographing optical path 14 to the left side surface of the microscope and an observation optical path 12, and has a reflectance of 80% and a transmittance of 20%.
It is made up of%. The central prism 8b transmits a light beam and guides it only to the observation optical path 12, and is composed of a glass block having a transmittance of 100%. Further, the prism 8c on the right side is for dividing the illumination light path 3 into a photographing light path 13 to the front of the microscope and an observation light path 12, and is composed of one having a reflectance of 80% and a transmittance of 20%. There is.

The prism mount 21 is positioned so that the optical axes of the prisms 8a, 8b and 8c are aligned with the optical axis of the objective lens 7 in accordance with the optical path switching operation by the operation handle 34 described later. In addition, a well-known click mechanism (not shown) is provided. A rack 23 is integrally arranged below the prism mount 21. Below that, the pinion shaft 2 fixedly planted under the base 22 is provided.
4 are arranged. A pulley 26 and a pinion 25 are rotatably inserted into the shaft 24 in order from the base 22 side. The pinion 25 is arranged so as to mesh with the rack 23. Further, the pinion 25 and the pulley 26 are fixed to each other, and both rotate integrally.

On the right side of the pinion shaft 24, a vertical pulley shaft 27 fixed in the vertical direction by a support member (not shown) integrated with the base 22 is arranged. Two pulleys 28a and 28b are inserted into the shaft 27 side by side in the vertical direction,
The two pulleys are rotatably supported independently of each other. In front of the vertical pulley shaft 27, there is arranged an intermediate pulley shaft 29 rotatably supported by another supporting member (not shown) which is integral with the base 22 so as to be rotatable around a left-right axis orthogonal to the pinion shaft 24. A pulley 30 is fixed to the left side of the shaft 29. The pulley 26 and the pulleys 28a, 28b are arranged in the left-right direction, and the pulleys 28a, 28b
b and the pulley 30 have a positional relationship such that they are lined up in the front-rear direction, and as will be described later, the belt member that is hung on the pulley 26 and the pulley 30 is formed by the pulleys 28a and 28b.
It can be bent at 0 degrees.

A pulley 31 is provided on the right side of the intermediate pulley shaft 29.
Has been fixed. On the front side of the microscope body 5 in front of the pulley 31, a handle shaft 32 rotatably supported by the microscope body 5 in parallel with the intermediate pulley shaft 29 is arranged, and a pulley 33 is fixed to the left side portion thereof. . The right side portion of the handle shaft 32 projects outward from the side surface of the microscope body 5, and the operation handle 34 is fixed thereto.

A flat belt 35, which serves as a belt member, is attached to each of the above-mentioned pulleys, such as a pulley 26, 28a, 30, 28b.
The flat belt 36 is hung around the pulleys 31 and 33 without slack. The flat belt 35 is the pulley 2
The transmission direction is changed by 90 degrees by 8a and 28b,
The pulley 26 and the pulley 3 whose rotation axes are perpendicular to each other
Rotation transmission with 0 is performed. Although not shown, a tension pulley that gives tension to the belt may be separately provided.

Next, the operation of this embodiment thus constructed will be described. In FIG. 2, the prism 8 is placed in the optical path.
The state in which a is positioned is shown. Therefore,
Of the light rays from the light source 1, 20 transmitted through the prism 8a
% Of the light is reflected by the mirror 9 and guided to the observation optical path 12, and 80% of the reflected light is guided to the imaging optical path 14 that reaches the left side surface of the microscope.

When the operation handle 34 is rotated in the direction of arrow A, the pulley 33 rotates in the same direction, and the flat belt 3
6, the rotational force in the same direction is transmitted to the pulley 31 and the pulley 30 that rotates integrally with the pulley 31 via the pulley shaft 29. The rotational force of the pulley 30 is the pulleys 28a, 2
When 8b rotate in opposite directions, the flat belt 35 whose transmission direction is turned by about 90 degrees is transmitted to the pulley 26, and the counterclockwise rotational force is transmitted to the pinion 25 fixed coaxially. As a result, the driving force to the left is transmitted to the rack 23 that meshes with the pinion 25, and the prism mount 21 linearly moves to the left. When the prism 8b is positioned in the optical path, the click mechanism operates and the prism mount 21 is positioned and stopped. Therefore, the light ray is transmitted 100% by the prism 8b and is guided to the observation optical path 12 via the mirror 9.

When the operation handle 34 is further rotated from this state to the arrow A side, the rotational force is similarly transmitted and the optical path switching prism 8 is switched to the prism 8c. When the operation handle 34 is rotated to the arrow B side, the rotational force is sequentially transmitted in the direction opposite to the above-described operation, and the prism mount 21 linearly moves to the right to move the prisms 8b and 8a.
Can be switched in this order.

According to the present embodiment, since the operation handle is arranged on the side surface on the front side of the microscope main body, the optical path switching operation can be easily performed unlike the conventional position right beside the switching prism. Further, since the operation handle does not largely protrude to the side surface of the microscope main body, it does not interfere with the operation of the stage handle, and the manipulation device can be freely placed beside the sample stage. Further, it is possible to connect a photographic device or the like to the right side surface of the microscope main body. Further, since the belt member and the pulley are used as the interlocking mechanism, it is possible to perform accurate transmission without play.

A flat belt 3 is used as the belt member.
Instead of 5, 36, a round belt, a wire, or the like can be used. Alternatively, the intermediate pulley shaft 29 may be omitted, and the flat belt 35 may be hung on the pulley 33 of the handle shaft 32. In this case, the mechanism is simplified by omitting the intermediate pulley shaft 29, the pulleys 30 and 31, and the flat belt 36.

The number of optical path switching prisms is not limited to three. As the image recording device attached to the photographing optical path, a polaroid camera, a still camera, a video camera or the like can be applied in addition to those described in the embodiments.

[0024]

According to the present invention, the space on the side of the microscope body on the upper surface of the desk on which the microscope is placed can be effectively utilized, and the operability of the optical path switching operation section is significantly improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an optical path of an inverted microscope to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an optical path switching device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a conventional optical path switching device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Light Source 2 Condenser Lens 3 Illumination Optical Path 4 Stage 5 Microscope Main Body 6 Revolver 7 Objective Lens 8, 8a, 8b, 8c Prism 9 Mirror 10 Eyepiece Tube 11 Eyepiece 12 Observation Optical Path 13, 14 Photographic Optical Path 21 Prism Mount 22 Base 23 Rack 24 Pinion shaft 25 Pinion 26, 28a, 28b, 30, 31, 33 Pulley 27 Vertical pulley shaft 29 Intermediate pulley shaft 32 Handle shaft 34 Operation handle 35, 36 Flat belt

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. In a microscope, a plurality of prisms for switching an optical path from an objective lens, a movable holding member for holding the plurality of prisms, a drive unit for driving the holding member, and a front side of the microscope main body. An optical path switching device for a microscope, comprising: an operating unit for a driving unit disposed on the side surface of the optical path. 2. The optical path switching device for a microscope according to claim 1, further comprising an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the drive section and the operation section. 3. The optical path switching of a microscope according to claim 2, wherein the interlocking mechanism includes a pulley and a belt member, and a pulley for converting a transmission direction of the belt member by approximately 90 degrees. apparatus.