Drying agent arrangement for optical instruments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759903-B2
Application number	US-201213461966-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2012
Priority date	May 2, 2011
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A drying agent arrangement for optical instruments, in particular for endoscopic instruments, having a hygroscopic substance in the instrument housing, such that the hygroscopic substance, configured as individual molded bodies, is positioned in an intake receptacle that can be replaceably inserted in the instrument housing. To provide a drying agent arrangement that, along with simple, versatile application, allows the intake of a great quantity of drying agent, the intake receptacle may be configured as a double-walled sleeve, such that the two walls, forming an intake space for the molded bodies of the hygroscopic substance, are radially distanced from one another and positioned in such a way that the walls, closing the intake space at one axial end of the sleeve, are connected with one another at the end and on the other axial end of the sleeve, releasing the intake space, are radially distanced from one another at the end.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drying agent arrangement for optical instruments, having a hygroscopic substance installed inside an instrument housing of the optical instrument, such that the hygroscopic substance, configured as individual moulded bodies, is installed in an intake receptacle that can be replaceably inserted in the instrument housing,
characterized in that
the intake receptacle is configured as a double-walled sleeve, such that the two walls, forming an intake space for the moulded bodies of the hygroscopic substance, are distanced radially from one another and positioned so that the walls, closing the intake space at an axial end of the sleeve, are connected with one another at the end, and at the other axial end of the sleeve, releasing the intake space, are distanced radially from one another at the end.

2. The drying agent arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the moulded bodies of the hygroscopic substance can be mounted in several layers in the intake receptacle in axial direction.

3. The drying agent arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein in the intake space, separate, radially surrounding intake shafts, extending in the axial direction, are configured for the moulded bodies of the hygroscopic substance.

4. The drying agent arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein the moulded bodies of the hygroscopic substance are positioned radially at a distance from one another in the intake shafts of the intake space.

5. The drying agent arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the moulded bodies of the hygroscopic substance can be secured in the intake receptacle by a fixer element, preferably an O-ring.

6. The drying agent arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein in the intake receptacle a radially surrounding groove is configured for intake of the fixer element.

7. The drying agent arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the moulded bodies of the hygroscopic substance are configured as spheres or small rods.

8. The drying agent arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the inside of the sleeve is equipped to minimize scattered light by coloring, coating and/or surface structuring.

9. The drying agent arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein on the inside of the sleeve, fluting is configured to provide a surface structure that minimizes scattered light.

10. The drying agent arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the optical instruments are endoscopic instruments.

Assignees

• Buerk Andre
• Egle Michael
• Storz Karl Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Buerk Andre
• Egle Michael

Classifications

• A61B1/00195

  with eyepieces · CPC title

• G02B23/2476 Primary

  Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports · CPC title

• A61B1/127

  with means for preventing fogging (A61B1/253 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B1/00142

  with means for preventing contamination, e.g. by using a sanitary sheath · CPC title

• A61B1/00137

  End pieces at either end of the endoscope, e.g. caps, seals or forceps plugs · CPC title