Portable Modular Unit for Timepiece Lubricant Inspection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for inspecting lubricating agents or epilames with fluorescent markers in timepieces require either harmful ultraviolet radiation or specific blue light sources, posing safety concerns and increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
A portable modular unit comprising an optical housing with an excitation filter, dichroic filter, and emission filter, combined with a portable white light source and magnifying device, allows for the inspection of fluorescent markers using a safe and commonly available white light source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If ultraviolet radiation light source is used to excite fluorescent markers, then the fluorescent markers can be excited effectively, but the radiation is harmful for eyes requiring visual protection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wavelength parameter of the excitation light from ultraviolet to blue light (around 470 nm), which is effective for exciting fluorescent markers but not harmful to eyes. This parameter substitution resolves the contradiction by maintaining excitation effectiveness while eliminating the harmful effect.
2Illumination intensity
If blue light source with optical filters is used to excite fluorescent markers, then the excitation wavelength can be obtained, but a particular blue light source and filters are required increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the complex optical filter system from the illumination path. Instead of using filters to obtain the excitation wavelength, the invention directly uses a blue light source that naturally emits at the required wavelength (around 470 nm), thereby simplifying the device while maintaining excitation accuracy.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a portable white light source is used instead of UV or blue light sources, then safety and cost are improved, but the excitation of fluorescent markers becomes less effective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using a white light source that contains multiple wavelengths, but selectively utilizing only the blue component (around 470 nm) for excitation. The excitation filter isolates this specific wavelength component from the white light, creating a localized effective excitation source while maintaining the overall safety and cost benefits of using a white light source.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution simplifies the inspection process by using a white light source, eliminating the need for harmful radiation and reducing costs, while ensuring effective excitation and visualization of fluorescent markers in timepieces.
Implementation Method 1
an excitation filter configured to select in the excitation luminous flux of said portable white light source, the wavelength range suitable for the excitation of the fluorescent markers
Implementation Method 2
a dichroic filter configured to reflect said filtered excitation luminous flux and to orient said filtered excitation luminous flux in the direction of an inspection opening, said dichroic filter also being configured to allow a reflection luminous flux emitted by said timepiece to pass through
Implementation Method 3
These fluorescent markers emit a green light under the excitation of a luminous flux having a wavelength range between approximately 350 nm and 480 nm
Implementation Method 4
an emission filter configured to filter the reflection luminous flux and transmit a fluorescence luminous flux corresponding to the fluorescence of the fluorescent markers
Data Source
AI summary
A portable modular unit for inspecting in a timepiece the presence of a lubricating agent, or of an epilame, having fluorescent markers, from an excitation luminous flux of white light. The modular unit includes an optical housing forming a first module, a portable white light source (200) emitting an excitation luminous flux forming a second module, and a portable magnifying device forming a third module. The optical housing includes a first mounting interface for removably mounting the portable white light source on the optical housing, the first mounting interface being configured so that the excitation luminous flux emitted by the portable white light source is directed in the direction of the excitation filter; and a second mounting interface for removably mounting the portable magnifying device on the optical housing, the second mounting interface being configured so that the magnifying device is opposite the inspection opening.