Rotating-Plate Filter Changer for Compact Endoscopic Cameras
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing filter changing apparatuses for endoscopic cameras face limitations in space efficiency, require multiple parts leading to increased costs and wear, and suffer from frictional forces causing jamming and inaccuracies in filter movement.
Innovation Solution
A filter changing apparatus with a rotating plate and pivotable filter holders, featuring a rotating plate with guide planes and guide elements, allowing filters to be pivoted in and out efficiently with low friction, enabling quick and precise filter changes without overlapping or jamming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a pivotable carrier is arranged close to the inner wall of the housing to maximize filter capacity, then the number of filters that can be accommodated increases, but the housing requires more movable individual parts which increases complexity, cost, and wear
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple filter carriers are merged into a single rotating plate structure. Instead of having separate pivotable carriers for each filter, the patent combines them into one rotating plate that holds multiple filters, reducing the number of individual movable parts while maintaining the capacity to accommodate multiple filters.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating plate serves multiple functions: it acts as both the mounting structure for multiple filters and the pivoting mechanism itself. This universal structure eliminates the need for separate pivot axes and carriers for each filter, simplifying the overall device while maintaining filter capacity.
2Ease of operation
If multiple guide elements are arranged in a groove to enable filter pivoting, then filter movement is enabled, but frictional forces increase causing jamming and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The guide elements are extracted from the groove structure and replaced with a rotating plate design. The filters are mounted on the rotating plate itself, eliminating the need for guides within grooves and thereby removing the source of frictional forces that caused jamming and wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex mechanical guide system with multiple guide elements in grooves is replaced by a simpler rotating plate mechanism. This substitution reduces frictional contact and eliminates the jamming issues associated with the previous guide element design.
3Productivity
If a rotating plate with guide planes is used to pivot filters, then filter changing speed increases, but the apparatus requires precise alignment and manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating plate design allows filters to be pivoted automatically through the rotation motion itself. The guide planes on the rotating plate work with the rotation to naturally guide the filters into position, reducing the need for external alignment mechanisms and simplifying manufacturing requirements while maintaining fast filter changing capability.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a filter changing apparatus for an endoscopic camera, wherein a first rotating plate bearing with two recesses for the passage of one guide element each is arranged between a first housing part and a first plate surface of a rotating plate, the rotating plate is rotatable relative to the at least first housing part, at least two pivotable filter holders are each arranged on the first housing part so as to be rotatable by means of a rotation axle, and each have a guide element oriented toward the rotating plate, wherein the rotating plate has, on its first plate surface, at least a first guide plane with a shaped, circumferential contact surface on a circumference so that, when the rotating plate is rotated, a pressure force of the shaped, circumferential contact surface on at least one of the two guide elements can pivot the associated filter holder into or out of the optical passage or position it in an initial position free from the optical passage. Furthermore, the invention relates to a camera head and to a retrofit kit for retrofitting a camera head and/or an endoscope.