JPH09230251A - Microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the moving accuracy of an observation part from being lowered and to facilitate handle operation. SOLUTION: This microscope is constituted of a base 1 supporting a stage 3 on which an examinee is placed, the observation part 15 for observing the examinee, a supporting member 5 supporting the observation part 15, a support 2 having a 1st guide 4 supporting the supporting member 5 and guiding it in a direction perpendicular to the placing surface of the stage 3, and provided in the base 1, and driving devices 7 to 10 and 10a driving the supporting member 5 along the 1st guide 4. In such a case, the 1st guide 4 is provided on the surface other than the front surface of the support 2, and a 2nd guide 6 guiding a moving body 7 in a back-and-forth direction perpendicular to the 1st guide 4 is provided in the supporting member 5, then the driving devices 7 to 10 and 10a are constituted of 1st and 2nd members 8 and 9 constituting a Scott-Russell parallel motion mechanism converting the motion of the moving body 7 in the back-and-forth direction into the motion of the supporting member 5 in the direction perpendicular to that direction, and the driving mechanisms 10 and 10a driving the moving body 7 along the 2nd guide 6.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a microscope, and more particularly to a microscope having an epi-illumination device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 (front view) shows the appearance of a conventional microscope.
It is shown in FIG. 4 (side view). The object to be inspected placed on the stage 103 fixed to the base 101 is optically observed by the observation section 115 installed above the object. The observation unit 115 includes an epi-illumination device 111 that horizontally illuminates the test object from above. The lighting device 111
The light emitted from the light source unit 111a of the
The object to be inspected is illuminated through the objective lens 113 by being bent by, for example, a semi-transmissive mirror (not shown) arranged above. Light from the light source unit 111a is generated by many optical members (not shown) arranged in the optical path leading to the semi-transmissive mirror.
The illumination light is adjusted to bring out the performance of the objective lens 113.

As shown in FIG. 4, a support member 105 for holding the observation section 115 is a guide 104 such as a dovetail mechanism provided on the front surface of a column 102 fixed to the base 101.
A movable handle 110a of a drive mechanism including a rack and pinion, which is movably held in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage, is driven to drive the stage.

[0004]

In the prior art device,
Since the epi-illumination device 111 is long, if it is attempted to extend the illumination device rearward, it cannot be attached because it interferes with the support column 102 and the guide 104 on the front surface thereof. When the guide 104 is extended rightward or leftward, a rotational moment about the front-rear direction acts on the guide 104, which may reduce the movement accuracy of the observation unit 115. Further, the handle 110a
Is coaxial with the pinion that meshes with the rack fixed to the column, and is located at the innermost portion of the support member, and is difficult to operate. In particular, when the lighting device is extended rightward or leftward, the lighting device projects in front of the handle, which makes it difficult to operate the handle.

It is an object of the present invention to propose a microscope in which the movement accuracy of the observation section does not deteriorate and the handle can be easily operated.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a base (1) for supporting a stage (3) on which an object to be inspected is placed.
An observation section (15) for observing the object to be inspected, a support member (5) for supporting the observation section, and a support member for supporting the support member and guiding the stage in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the stage. In a microscope provided with a column (2) provided on the base and having a first guide (4), and a drive device (7 to 10 and 10a) for driving the support member along the first guide. In the above, the first guide is provided on a surface other than the front surface of the column, and the support member is provided with a second guide (6) for guiding the moving body in a front-back direction that is perpendicular to the first guide. , A first member (8) rotatably supported at one end A by the pillar and the other end B by a movable body (7) constituting the drive device, and one end C at the first member (8). The other end D is rotatably supported by the support member at the intermediate portion between the bearings A and B of the first member. Consists out with the second member (9), and the Bearing A, B, together with C are disposed in a straight line,
CD: BC = BC: AC, a link mechanism for converting the longitudinal movement of the moving body into the movement of the supporting member in a direction perpendicular to the stage mounting surface of the stage that is at a right angle thereto, and the moving body. With a driving mechanism (10, 10a) for driving along the second guide.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the microscope according to the first aspect, the supporting member (5) has an inverted L-shape, and the first guide (4) is provided on the column (2). The vertical portion of the inverted L-shaped support member is provided in the lower portion and has a structure in which the pillar is covered with the first guide therein from above, and the epi-illumination device (11) of the observation portion (15).
Is disposed above the horizontal portion of the support member so as to project rearward.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the microscope according to the second aspect, the movable body (7) is a rack, and the drive mechanism rotates the pinion (10) meshing with the rack and the pinion. The second guide (6) and the rack, including the handle (10a), are disposed inside a horizontal portion positioned in front of the vertical portion of the inverted L-shaped support member.

[0009]

1 and 2 are side views, partly in section, showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
The observing section 15 is lowered, and FIG. 2 is the observing section 15 raised. On the upper surface of the base 1 having a flat upper surface, on the front side (observer side), a stage 3 for mounting an object to be inspected is installed. Behind the base 1, a pillar 2 having a quadrangular cross section is planted. The guide 4a of the first linear slide guide 4 is fixed to the rear surface of the base 2. The inverted L-shaped bracket 5 is vertically movable by a slider 4b guided by a guide 4a in which the lower surface of the vertical portion 5a is opened so that the column 2 is fitted therein.
Inside the horizontal portion 5b of the bracket 5, a guide 6a of the second linear guide 6 is provided substantially horizontally in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in the drawing). A rack 7 is fixedly installed on a slider 6b that moves in the front-rear direction along the second linear guide 6.

One end A of the first member 8 is rotatably supported by a pin on the side surface of the column 2, and the other end B is rack 7.
It is rotatably supported by a pin at the end on the far side (right side in the figure). One end D of the second member 9 is rotatably supported by a pin on the inner surface of the corner portion of the bracket 5, and the other end of the second member 9 is rotated in the intermediate portion C of the first member 8 with respect to the first member 8. It is rotatably supported by a pin. Hereinafter, the supported positions are also represented by A to D. The bearing positions A, B and C are aligned, and CD:
BC = BC: AC. Therefore, the first member 8 and the second member 9 constitute a so-called Scott-Russell parallel movement link, and the movement of the end portion B of the first member 8 in the front-rear direction is changed to the first movement.
The end portion A of the member is converted into an approximate linear motion in the vertical direction. The bearing A is, for example, a pin and the front-back direction (left-right direction in the figure)
Is used as a long axis to eliminate the influence of an error from the linear movement of the end portion A of the first member 8. In this embodiment, AC
Since the position of C is selected so that = BC,
The movement of the end portion A of the member 8 is a strict linear movement, and the elongated hole of the bearing A may be a simple hole. In any case, the straight line connecting A and D is the guide 4 of the first straight guide 4.
Positions A and D are set so as to be parallel to the guide direction of a. The position of B is on the front side of D (observer side).

A rack 7 is attached to the horizontal portion 5b of the bracket 5.
A handle 10a is rotatably provided coaxially with the pinion 10 that meshes with. An observation unit 15 is provided at the tip of the horizontal portion 5b of the bracket 5. That is, the epi-illumination device 11 and the eyepiece tube portion 12 are installed above the horizontal portion 5b of the bracket 5, and the revolver 14 having the objective lens 13 is attached below the horizontal portion 5b of the bracket 5. The epi-illumination device 11 is attached so as to extend rearward along the upper surface of the bracket 5.

A focusing operation for observing an object placed on the stage 3 in the microscope having such a structure will be described. When the handle 10a is rotated, the rack 7 is guided by the second linear guide 6 via the pinion 10 coaxial with the handle 10a (via the slider 6b) and moves in the front-rear direction (left-right direction in the drawing). From the state shown in FIG. 1, the rack 7
When the handle 10a is rotated to the right so as to move inward, the distance between the bearing positions B and D becomes narrower. At the same time, the distance between the bearing positions A and D increases. One end A of the first member 8 is the post 2
, The bracket 5 is pushed up by the end D of the second member 9, and the observation unit moves upward. That is, the first member 8 rotates about the end portion A as a center of rotation, and as a result, the slider 4b moves upward along the guide 4a of the first linear slide guide 4 of the column 2.
As a result, the inverted L-shaped bracket 5, the illumination unit 11, and the observation unit 15 move upward. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the observation unit 15 is raised to the highest position. When the handle 10a is rotated counterclockwise, the rack 7 moves to the front side, and the distance between the bearing positions B and D increases. At the same time, the distance between the bearing positions A and D becomes smaller. As a result, the observation unit 15 moves downward.

[0013]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first guide for guiding the support member is provided on a surface other than the front surface of the column, so that the length of the epi-illumination device that can be extended rearward becomes long. . According to the invention of claim 2, the epi-illumination device can be extended rearward regardless of its length without interfering with the support, so that the first guide for guiding the support member is centered in the front-rear direction. The moment does not act, and the movement accuracy of the observation unit does not decrease. Further, the epi-illumination device does not project to the front of the handle, and the handle can be operated easily.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the position of the handle can be located in front, the operability of the handle is further improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view in which a part of an embodiment of the present invention is shown as a sectional view.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state where the observation unit is raised to the highest level in the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a conventional device.

4 is a side view of the device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Base 2 ... Post 3 ... Stage 4 ... First linear guide (first guide) 5 ... Bracket (supporting member) 6 ... Second linear guide (second guide) 7 ... ... rack (moving body) 8 ... first member 9 ... second member 10 ... pinion (drive mechanism) 10a ... handle (drive mechanism) 11 ... epi-illumination device 15 ... observation device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A microscope configured to move an observation unit and an epi-illumination device in a vertical direction by a guide provided in a vertical direction on a column to focus on an object to be inspected on a stage placed on a base. The first guide is provided on a surface of the column other than the observation portion side, and the support member is provided with a second guide that guides a moving body that moves in a front-rear direction that is perpendicular to the first guide. The driving device has a first member whose one end A is rotatably supported by the column and the other end B which is rotatably supported by the movable body forming the driving device, and one end C of which is the first member. Bearing A
And B, the other end D is composed of a second member rotatably supported by the support member, and the bearings A, B, and C are arranged in a straight line. CD: BC
= BC: AC, a link mechanism for converting the back-and-forth movement of the moving body into the movement of the supporting member in a direction perpendicular to the stage surface of the stage that is at a right angle thereto, and the moving body, And a drive mechanism that is driven along the guide. 2. The microscope according to claim 1, wherein the support member has an inverted L-shape, and the first guide is provided at a lower portion of the column, and the vertical portion of the inverted L-shape support member is provided. With the first guide inside the pillar,
A microscope having a structure of covering from above, wherein the epi-illumination device of the observing section is arranged so as to project rearward above a horizontal portion of the supporting member. 3. The microscope according to claim 2, wherein the moving body is a rack, and the drive mechanism includes a pinion that meshes with the rack and a handle that rotates the pinion, and the second guide and The rack and the reverse L
A microscope characterized in that it is arranged inside a horizontal portion positioned in front of a vertical portion of a character-shaped support member.