Borescope with pattern projection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11619486-B2
Application number	US-202017776631-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2020
Priority date	Nov 15, 2019
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

A borescope includes an electronic image capture unit having two image capture sensors as a borescope lens at an end of a shaft that is designed for being inserted into a borescope opening, a position and alignment of the image capture sensors in relation to one another being suitable for ascertaining three-dimension (3D) information using triangulation; and a pattern projector configured to project a pattern into a common recording region of the image capture sensors. The pattern projector includes: a fundamentally optically imaging light-guide bundle, which is made up of statistically distributed optical fibers having differing transmittances, to whose input surface a light source is coupled and whose output surface is aligned with the region captured by the image capture sensors.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A borescope, in particular for borescoping aircraft engines, the borescope comprising:
an electronic image capture unit comprising two image capture sensors as a borescope lens at an end of a shaft that is designed for being inserted into a borescope opening, a position and alignment of the image capture sensors in relation to one another being suitable for ascertaining three-dimension (3D) information using triangulation; and
a pattern projector configured to project a pattern into a common recording region of the image capture sensors, the pattern projector comprising:
a fundamentally optically imaging light-guide bundle, which is made up of statistically distributed optical fibers having differing transmittances, to whose input surface a light source is coupled and whose output surface is aligned with the region captured by the image capture sensors.

2. The borescope as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light-guide bundle has a diameter from 0.5 mm to 1.10 mm.

3. The borescope as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light-guide bundle comprises 6500 to 10,000 optical fibers.

4. The borescope as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an individual optical fiber has a diameter of 8 μm to 10 μm.

5. The borescope as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED).

6. The borescope as claimed in claim 1 , the borescope comprising at least one optical element configured for beam deflection or configured for beam influencing between the light source and the input surface.

7. The borescope as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the light source is configured to output white light or infrared light.

8. The borescope as claimed in claim 1 , wherein recording cones of the image capture sensors are aligned at a specified viewing angle with respect to the shaft.

9. The borescope as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the image capture unit comprises at least one image capture sensor for capturing color images.

10. The borescope as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shaft is a flexible shaft.

11. The borescope as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one optical element for beam deflection comprises a prism, and the at least one optical element for beam influencing comprises a stop or a lens element.

Assignees

• Lufthansa Technik Ag

Inventors

• Peters Jan Oke
• Thies Michael
• Wedow Sören
• Blöcher Ronald
• Neumann Oliver
• Mostafa Tarek
• Neddermeyer Werner
• Bahr Sönke
• Rasche Sven

Classifications

• G01B11/2513 Primary

  with several lines being projected in more than one direction, e.g. grids, patterns · CPC title

• G02B6/04

  formed by bundles of fibres (G02B6/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03B17/54

  with projector · CPC title

• G01B11/2545

  with one projection direction and several detection directions, e.g. stereo · CPC title

• G01B11/2518

  Projection by scanning of the object · CPC title