Optical: systems and elements – Compound lens system – Microscope
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-04
2003-01-28
Sikder, Mohammad (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Compound lens system
Microscope
C359S392000, C359S393000, C359S384000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06512632
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 11-346461, Dec. 6, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rough/fine movement drive mechanism of a focusing device, wherein rough/fine movement handles are operated for vertical rough/fine movement of a table, thereby effecting focusing, for example, on a sample of a microscope.
FIG.
1
A and
FIG. 1B
schematically show a microscope described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-26730.
FIG. 1A
is a plan view, and
FIG. 1B
is a left-side view. A revolver
2
is rotatably disposed at an upper part of a microscope body
1
. An objective lens
3
is attached to the revolver
2
. A lens-barrel
4
and an eyepiece
5
are provided on an optical axis of the objective lens
3
.
A stage receiver
6
is vertically movably disposed at the microscope body
1
. A stage
8
for mounting of a sample
7
is provided on the stage receiver
6
. A left-side focusing handle
9
, a right-side focusing handle
10
and a stage handle
11
are disposed at a lower part of the microscope body
1
. The left-side focusing handle
9
is buried in the microscope body
1
. If the left-side focusing handle
9
is projected like the right-side focusing handle
10
, it would interfere with the stage handle
11
.
With the microscope having this structure, the right-side focusing handle
10
or left-side focusing handle
9
is rotated to vertically move the stage receiver
6
and stage
8
, thereby effecting focusing on the sample
7
.
Since the left-side focusing handle
9
is buried in the microscope body
1
, the focusing handle
10
and stage handle
11
are disposed symmetrical in the right-and-left direction. This enhances operability. In fact, since the frequency of use of the left-side focusing handle
9
is low, the right-hand focusing handle
10
alone is used in most cases.
FIG. 2
shows the structure of a focusing device of a microscope described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 3-111805. A stationary cylinder
23
is fixed in a through-hole portion in the microscope body
20
by means of fixing screws
21
,
22
. A transmission shaft
24
, a rough-movement coupling shaft
25
and a fine-movement coupling shaft
26
are rotatably engaged in succession within a hollow part of the stationary cylinder
23
. Rough-movement rings
27
are disposed at both ends of the rough-movement coupling shaft
25
. Rough-movement handles
28
are screwed on the rough-movement rings
27
. Fine-movement rings
29
are disposed at both ends of the fine-movement coupling shaft
26
. Fine-movement handles
30
are screwed on the fine-movement rings
29
.
FIG. 3
shows a state in which the left-side rough-movement handle
28
and fine-movement handle
30
, for example, are removed in the focusing device, and a cover
31
is attached to conceal the place of the removed elements. Similarly, the right-side rough-movement handle
28
and fine-movement handle
30
may be removed and a cover may be attached for concealment.
Although not shown, the rough-movement handle
28
and fine-movement handle
30
are disposed near the handle for the stage for mounting of the sample. If the operabilities of those handles are to be maintained, the handles need to be disposed very close to each other. As a result, the handles become difficult to operate.
The stage handle is disposed in the vertical direction with respect to the rough-movement handle
28
and fine-movement handle
30
. Normally, it is disposed on one of the right and left sides.
As regards the microscope shown in
FIG. 1
, the stage handle
11
is disposed on the left side. In some cases, however, the stage handle
11
needs to be disposed on the right side from the standpoint of the operability for observation by the user.
In the case where the stage handle
11
is disposed on the right side, the microscope body
1
and focusing handle
10
cannot be shared with the case where the stage handle
11
is disposed on the left side. Moreover, the position of the stage handle
11
cannot be changed to the left side or right side, according to the user's preference.
The manufacturer is required to make two sets of the same microscope bodies
1
and focusing handles
10
for the left-side and right-side positioning of the stage handle
11
. This makes the structure and manufacture complex.
On the other hand, the user is required to choose, from the beginning, a microscope provided with the left-side or right-side stage handle
11
. To change the position of the stage handle
11
to the left side or to the right side after the purchase of the microscope requires considerable labor.
On the other hand, in the focusing device shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
, when the rough-movement handle
28
and fine-movement handle
30
are to be attached/detached, bonding, for example, needs to be broken. The user is unable to perform modifications for detaching/attaching the rough-movement handle
28
and fine-movement handle
30
. If both the right-side and left-side rough-movement handles
28
and fine-movement handles
30
are removed, the operation of the device is disabled.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a drive mechanism for a focusing apparatus, wherein a fine-movement handle can be attached/detached by a user with a simple work, while a space necessary for the operations of a stage and a space around the fine-movement handle can be provided.
In order to achieve the object, according to a first invention, there is provided a rough/fine-movement drive mechanism of a focusing device, comprising: a rough-movement coupling shaft, to both ends of which rough-movement handles are attached; a fine-movement coupling shaft rotatably provided coaxially with the rough-movement coupling shaft; a movement mechanism for vertically moving a stage in accordance with rotation of the rough-movement coupling shaft, and decelerating rotation of the fine-movement coupling shaft and moving the stage by an amount of movement less than an amount of movement provided by the rotation of the rough-movement coupling shaft; a fine-movement ring provided at each of both ends of the fine-movement coupling shaft, disposed outside each of the rough-movement handles, and having a smaller outside diameter than an outside diameter of each of the rough-movement handles; and a fine-movement handle detachably attached to at least one of the fine-movement rings.
According to a second invention, in the rough/fine-movement drive mechanism of a focusing device according to the first invention, the fine-movement handle has a cylindrical shape elongated in an axial direction of the fine-movement coupling shaft.
According to a third invention, in the rough/fine-movement drive mechanism of a focusing device according to the first invention, indices are put on a surface of the fine-movement ring, and lines indicating the indices are put on a circumferential portion of the fine-movement handle.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4269285 (1981-05-01), Ohkoshi et al.
patent: 5022619 (1991-06-01), Mamada
patent: 5655419 (1997-08-01), Aoki
patent: 5771749 (1998-06-01), Yoneyama
patent: 3-111805 (1991-05-01), None
patent: 10-26730 (1998-01-01), None
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
Sikder Mohammad
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