JPS6332366B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an epi-illuminated bright field illumination device for a microscope.

Conventionally, as an epi-illuminated dark-field illumination device for a microscope, a ring-shaped reflector for dark-field illumination and a semi-transparent mirror for bright-field illumination are integrated with a dark-field illumination lens and a bright-field illumination lens, respectively, in the optical path. A so-called epi-illuminated bright-dark-field illumination device is known that can easily switch between dark-field illumination and bright-field illumination by switching and inserting the illumination device. However, in this type of conventional apparatus, when switching from dark-field illumination to bright-field illumination (or when switching from bright-field illumination to dark-field illumination), the ring-shaped reflector for dark-field illumination is located slightly away from the optical axis of the objective lens. When moving to the sample surface, the illumination light from the ring-shaped reflector does not become dark field illumination, that is, a part of it is not blocked by the light-shielding cylinder and directly reaches the sample surface, and the light reflected there enters the field of view (this light is It was extremely dazzling due to stray light. Although this is a temporary phenomenon when switching the optical path, switching the optical path during observation has drawbacks such as damaging the speculum's eyes.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an epi-illuminated bright-field illumination device that is equipped with a shutter that operates in conjunction with the optical path switching operation to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and protect the eyes of the speculum. One embodiment of the invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an optical path switching section of an embodiment of the device according to the invention, and FIG. FIG. 1 is a body frame in which a mirror base mounting part is formed at the bottom and a lens barrel mounting frame 2 is integrally fixed to the upper part; 3 is a frame for preventing dark-field illumination light from directly entering the objective lens; A light-shielding tube 4 fixed to the main body frame 1 is equipped with a dark-field illumination lens 5, a ring-shaped reflector 6 for dark-field illumination, a bright-field illumination lens 7, and a semi-transparent mirror 8 for bright-field illumination. A dovetail 9 that engages with a dovetail groove formed in the cylinder mounting frame 2 so as to be able to slide in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG.
It is an optical path switching frame to which a dark field illumination optical system (see FIG. 3) and a bright field illumination optical system are selectively configured by operating an optical path switching knob 10. 11 is a light-shielding tube fixed to the ring-shaped reflecting mirror 6, and 12 is an illumination lens frame fixed to the main body frame 1, which supports an illumination lens (not shown). Reference numeral 13 denotes a shutter for blocking harmful light during optical path switching, which is rotatably mounted on the optical path switching frame 4 around a shaft 14 (see Figures 3 and 4), and is located on the right side in Figure 3. The rotation is limited by a stopper 15. 16 is when the optical path switching frame 4 is in a position constituting the dark field illumination optical system (see Fig. 3).
This is a repelling member fixed to the lens barrel mounting frame 2 for abutting the protrusion 13a of the shutter 13 and repelling the shutter 13 out of the optical path.

The operation of the apparatus according to the present invention constructed as above will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. In the case of dark-field illumination shown in FIG. 3, the optical path switching knob 10 is pushed in, and the shutter 13 has its protruding portion 13a abutting against the splashing member 16 fixed to the lens barrel mounting frame 2, so that the optical path changes. It is rotated to the left around a shaft 14 fixed to the switching frame 4 and is rejected out of the optical path. Here, when the optical path switching knob 10 is pulled out slightly as shown in FIG. 4, the shutter 13 rotates to the right around the shaft 14 due to its own weight as the optical path switching frame 4 moves to the left, and contacts the stopper 15 to change the illumination optical path. Partially shielded. In this way, the shutter 13 blocks harmful light (stray illumination light) that is directly reflected from the sample surface and enters the field of view. Furthermore, when the optical path switching knob 10 is pulled out to switch to bright field illumination, the shutter 13 is in a position where it is in contact with the stopper 15 as shown in Fig. 4, and a part of the illumination optical path remains blocked; In the case of lighting, this is not a problem because the illumination light itself is sufficiently bright. Also, if you push the optical path switching knob 10 from the bright field illumination position,
Immediately before switching to dark field illumination, the projection 13a of the shutter 13 comes into contact with a repelling member 16 fixed to the lens barrel mounting frame 2, and the shutter 13 is repelled out of the illumination optical path. Therefore, even when switching from bright field illumination to dark field illumination, the harmful light is prevented from entering the field of view.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the shutter is operated in conjunction with the optical path switching operation using a simple configuration, harmful light at the time of optical path switching can be removed without requiring any special operation. It is very effective in protecting the eyes of people and improving observation efficiency at the same time.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an optical path switching section of an embodiment of an epi-illuminated bright-field illumination device according to the present invention, and FIG.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines shown in Fig. 2 when switched to dark-field illumination, Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines shown in Fig. 2 when the light path switching knob is slightly pulled out from the state shown in Fig. FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 in a state where the portion is shielded; 1... Body frame, 2... Lens barrel mounting frame, 3, 11...
... Light shielding tube, 4 ... Optical path switching frame, 5 ... Dark field illumination lens, 6 ... Ring-shaped reflector, 7 ... Bright field illumination lens, 8 ... Semi-transparent mirror, 9 ... Dovetail, 10 ...
Optical path switching knob, 12...Illumination lens frame, 13...
...shutter, 14...shaft, 15...stopper,
16...Splashing member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In an epi-illuminated bright-dark-field illumination device for a microscope that performs epi-illuminated dark-field illumination and epi-illuminated bright-field illumination by switching between a dark-field illumination optical system and a bright-field illumination optical system, the dark-field illumination optical system and the bright-field illumination optical system an optical path switching member movably attached to the apparatus main body to switch between the field illumination optical system; a splash member fixed to the apparatus main body; and a splash member rotatably attached to the optical path switching member and the dark a shutter capable of blocking illumination stray light from a field illumination optical system, and when the optical path switching member is moved to a dark field illumination position, the splashing member rotates the shutter out of the illumination optical path, and An epi-illuminated bright-dark field illumination device, characterized in that the shutter blocks illumination stray light from a dark field illumination optical system when switching the optical path.