Endoscope Objective Optical Unit Beveled Lens Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Endoscopes face challenges in miniaturization to achieve thinner insertion portions while maintaining effective optical alignment and assembly, leading to issues with vision vignetting and drainage, and there is a need to enhance assembly productivity and prevent erroneous assembly.
Innovation Solution
The endoscope design incorporates a distal end optical lens with a beveled surface and a dual lens barrel system, featuring inward and outward projections, which ensures precise alignment and secure fixation, preventing the distal end optical lens from dislodging and allowing for a thinner profile, thus enhancing assembly efficiency and image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the insertion portion is thinned to reduce invasiveness, then patient comfort is improved, but assembly precision and optical alignment become more difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The beveled portion is formed on the distal end optical lens in advance during manufacturing, creating a pre-positioned alignment feature that guides the lens into correct orientation during assembly, thereby maintaining precision even in thinned insertion portions
Solution Approach 2:
The beveled surface acts as an intermediary alignment feature between the distal end optical lens and the lens barrel, providing a mechanical interface that ensures precise optical alignment without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms
2Reliability
If the distal end optical lens is securely fixed to prevent dislodgement, then reliability is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beveled portion creates an asymmetric geometry on the otherwise circular lens periphery, allowing the lens to be inserted in only one correct orientation. This asymmetric feature provides secure fixation through geometric constraint rather than complex mechanical fastening systems
Solution Approach 2:
The lens barrel is divided into multiple segments (first lens barrel and second lens barrel) with distinct functions, where the inward projection portion in the first barrel provides positioning and the second barrel provides additional structural support, achieving secure fixation through distributed simple features rather than a single complex mechanism
3Productivity
If the insertion portion is miniaturized to enhance productivity, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but the risk of erroneous assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The beveled portion creates a unique asymmetric feature that can only fit into a corresponding asymmetric recess in the lens barrel, providing built-in error prevention. This allows rapid assembly without complex verification steps, enhancing productivity while preventing erroneous assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The beveled alignment feature enables the lens to self-position and self-align within the lens barrel during insertion, eliminating the need for external alignment tools or complex positioning mechanisms, thereby simplifying the assembly process and reducing error risk
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscope includes: an objective optical unit; an illumination optical system including an illumination lens; and a distal end portion body included in a distal end portion, and the objective lens barrel includes a first lens barrel and a second lens barrel, the first lens barrel includes a disposition hole, an inward projection portion and an outward projection portion, the second lens barrel includes a reception hole, a light input surface and a first distal end face are arranged in a same plane by a beveled surface of a beveled portion being in surface contact with a lens positioning surface of the inward projection portion, and the first distal end face and a second distal end face are arranged in a same plane by a first barrel positioning surface being in surface contact with an objective optical unit positioning surface.