Objective lens unit and microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12429680-B2
Application number	US-202318302173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2023
Priority date	Apr 25, 2022
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

An objective lens unit includes an objective lens, a first rotary member, a second rotary member, and a drive section. The objective lens is provided with a correction ring. The first rotary member is mounted on the objective lens. The second rotary member engages with the first rotary member. The first rotary member has a first engagement portion. The second rotary member has a second engagement portion that is to engage with the first engagement portion. The second engagement portion is disposed at a part in the circumferential direction of the second rotary member. The second rotary member rotates to be positioned at an engagement position or a retraction position. The engagement position is a position where the second engagement portion engages with the first engagement portion. The retraction position is a position where the second engagement portion retracts from the first engagement portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An objective lens unit comprising:
an objective lens provided with a correction ring;
a first rotary member that is mounted on the objective lens and that rotates together with the correction ring;
a second rotary member that engages with the first rotary member to rotate the first rotary member; and
a drive section that rotates the second rotary member, wherein the first rotary member has an outer peripheral surface and a first engagement portion formed in the outer peripheral surface,
the second rotary member has a second engagement portion that is to engage with the first engagement portion,
the second engagement portion is disposed at a part in a circumferential direction of the second rotary member, and
the second rotary member rotates to be positioned at an engagement position or a retraction position, the engagement position being a position where the second engagement portion engages with the first engagement portion, the retraction position being a position where the second engagement portion retracts from the first engagement portion.

2. The objective lens unit according to claim 1 , wherein
one of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion is provided as one or more indentations, and
another of the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion is provided as one or more pins that are to engage with the one or more indentations.

3. The objective lens unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the first engagement portion is provided as the one or more indentations,
the second engagement portion is provided as the one or more pins,
the first rotary member includes a first plate with the outer peripheral surface and the first engagement portion,
the second rotary member includes a second plate extending in a direction intersecting a rotation axis of the second rotary member, and
the second engagement portion protrudes from the second plate in a direction in which the rotation axis of the second rotary member extends.

4. The objective lens unit according to claim 3 , wherein the objective lens has:
a first end that is located at an end in a first direction and that is to be opposite to an object; and
a screw part that is located at an end in a second direction opposite to the first direction and that has a screw thread, and
the first plate is disposed on a side of the second plate in the first direction.

5. The objective lens unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the one or more indentations each have paired inner side surfaces located so as to catch a corresponding one of the one or more pins, and
the paired inner side surfaces are located substantially in parallel to each other so as to extend from an outer periphery of the first rotary member toward a central part of the first rotary member.

6. The objective lens unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the number of the one or more indentations is the same as the number of the one or more pins.

7. The objective lens unit according to claim 1 , further comprising
a detection section that detects a rotation position of the first rotary member being or not being positioned at a reference position, wherein
the reference position is a position where the second engagement portion engages with the first engagement portion in rotation of the second rotary member from the retraction position to the engagement position.

8. A microscope comprising:
the objective lens unit according to claim 1 ; and
a microscope main body on which the objective lens unit is mounted.

Assignees

• Screen Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kimura Yuya
• Yabu Mitsuhiro
• Mori Yusuke

Classifications

• G02B27/0068

  having means for controlling the degree of correction, e.g. using phase modulators, movable elements (controlling the phase of light using moving or deformable elements G02B26/06) · CPC title

• G02B21/248 Primary

  objective (or ocular) turrets · CPC title

• G02B7/16

  Rotatable turrets · CPC title

• G02B21/02

  Objectives · CPC title

• G02B7/005

  Motorised alignment · CPC title