JPH085881A - Optical element adjusting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an optical element adjusting mechanism capable of accurately performing fine adjustment. CONSTITUTION:A movable member 14 where a mirror 18 is fixed is held to be rotated around a shaft perpendicular to drawing in columnar cavity formed on the holding member 12. The outer periphery of the movable member 14 is nearly columnar surface as a whole and a plane part 16 is formed at one part of the member 14. Two screw holes 20 are formed at a part opposed to the plane part 16 on the holding member 12. The screw 22 is screwed in a state where balls 24 are inserted in the screw holes 20.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical element adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position and orientation of an optical element used in an optical instrument such as a microscope, a measuring instrument and a laser instrument.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 shows a conventional example of an adjusting mechanism for an optical element. The movable member 14 to which the mirror 18 is fixed is rotatably held in the cylindrical cavity of the holding member 12. Two screw holes 20 are formed in the holding member 12 at a portion facing the flat surface portion 16 of the movable member 14. Screw hole 20
A flat pointed set screw 26 with a flat tip as shown in (A) or a pointed set screw 28 with a pointed end as shown in (B) is screwed into this. In this adjusting mechanism, the direction of the mirror 18 is changed by loosening one screw 26 or 28 and tightening the other screw 26 or 28.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of another conventional optical element adjusting mechanism. Cylindrical movable member 3 holding lens 36
2 is slidably accommodated inside a cylindrical holding member 40. On the outer periphery of the movable member 32, a pair of inclined surface portions 34 that are inclined opposite to each other are provided. Two screw holes 42 are formed in the holding member 40 at intervals substantially equal to the intervals of the slope portions 34 of the movable member 32, and the conical tip end of the sword tip set screw 48 screwed into the screw hole 42 is formed. Slope 34
And the movable member 32 is fixed. In this adjusting mechanism, the lens 36 is moved left and right by loosening one screw 44 and tightening the other screw 44.

[0004]

In the adjusting mechanism of the type shown in FIG. 3, the flat member 16 of the movable member 14 is pushed by the tip of the flat-end set screw 26 or the sword-end set screw 28 to move the movable member 14.
However, at this time, the edge of the flat tip set screw 26 and the tip of the sword tip set screw 28 bite into the flat portion 16, and the movable member 14 may not rotate smoothly.

In the adjusting mechanism of the type shown in FIG. 4, since the inclination angle of the inclined portion 34 coincides with the conical angle 90 ° of the tip of the sword stop screw 48, the movable member 3 is tightened when the screw is tightened.
The lateral component of the force for moving 2 or the force acting on the slope 34 is not sufficiently obtained, and the movable member 32 is difficult to move.

Therefore, both the adjusting mechanism shown in FIG. 3 and the adjusting mechanism shown in FIG. 4 have a common disadvantage that it is difficult to finely adjust the optical element. It is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustment mechanism that allows easy delicate adjustment of an optical element.

[0007]

An optical element adjusting mechanism according to the present invention comprises a movable member to which the optical element is fixed, and a holding member for movably holding the movable member. The holding member has two screw holes facing the force acting portion of the movable member, and further, the holding member has two screw holes that are screwed into the screw holes of the holding member. With a screw and an abutting member having a substantially spherical portion,
The contact member is provided between the movable member and the screw so that the spherical portion contacts the force acting portion of the movable member.

Alternatively, another optical element adjusting mechanism according to the present invention comprises a movable member to which the optical element is fixed and a holding member for movably holding the movable member, and the movable member moves the movable member in the opposite direction. The holding member has two screw holes that face the force acting portion of the movable member, and the tip screwed into the screw hole of the holding member has a substantially spherical shape. Equipped with screws.

[0009]

In the adjusting mechanism of the present invention, the spherical portion of the contact member or the spherical tip of the screw abuts the force acting portion of the movable member. Therefore, the force when the screw is tightened is transmitted to the force acting portion of the movable member via the spherical portion of the contact member or the spherical tip of the screw. There is little friction between the spherical portion of the contact member or the spherical tip of the screw and the force acting portion of the movable member, and it is slippery, so that the movable member moves smoothly. This allows fine adjustment of the optical element.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The structure of the adjusting mechanism of the optical element of the first embodiment is shown in FIG. Movable member 14 with mirror 18 fixed
Are held in a cylindrical cavity formed in the holding member 12 so as to be rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the drawing. The outer periphery of the movable member 14 is a substantially cylindrical surface as a whole, and a flat surface portion 16 is formed in a part thereof. In the holding member 12,
Two screw holes 20 are formed in a portion facing the flat surface portion 16. A screw 22 is screwed into the screw hole 20 with a ball 24 inserted therein. The illustration shows two screws 22
Are fastened together and the tightening force is the ball 2
4 acts on the left and right portions of the flat portion 16, and as a result, the movable member 14 is in a fixed state.

To change the direction of the mirror 18, one screw 2 is used.
2 is loosened and the other screw 22 is tightened.
For example, rotate the mirror 18 clockwise (clockwise)
To do so, loosen the left screw 22 and screw in the right screw 22. The right side screw 22 can be tightened only by loosening the left side screw 22. Thereby, the movable member 14
Rotates clockwise and the orientation of the mirror 18 changes. When the mirror 18 is rotated counterclockwise, the reverse operation may be performed.

According to the present embodiment, the tightening force of the screw 22 is transmitted to the flat surface portion 16 via the ball 24, so that the movable member 14 rotates smoothly, which causes the mirror 18 to rotate.
The direction of can be finely adjusted.

In the present embodiment, the ball 24 is interposed between the flat surface portion 16 and the screw 22, but a cylindrical body having a spherical end may be inserted instead of the ball. Also, screw 2
Instead of the combination of 2 and the ball 24, a screw having a spherical tip may be used.

Next, FIG. 2 shows the structure of the adjusting mechanism of the optical element of the second embodiment. The lens 36 is fixed to the inside of the cylindrical movable member 32. This movable member 32
Is housed inside a cylindrical holding member 40, and is slidable therein. A part (upper side in the figure) of the outer periphery of the movable member 32 is provided with a pair of slope portions 34. The pair of slope portions 34 are inclined on opposite sides. Two screw holes 42 are formed in the holding member 40 at intervals substantially equal to the intervals of the sloped portions 34 of the movable member 32. The movable member 32 has the sloped portions 34 just below the screw holes 42 at a regular position. It is arranged so that it will come out. A ball 46 is inserted into the screw hole 42, and a screw 44 is screwed onto the ball 46. The ball 46 is pressed against the inclined surface portion 34 by the screw 44, whereby the movable member 32 is fixed.

The lens 36 is moved by loosening one screw 44 and tightening the other screw 44. For example, to move the lens 36 to the left, loosen the left screw 44 and screw in the right screw 44. This allows
The ball 46 on the right side pushes the movable member 32 to the left via the slope 34, and the slope 34 on the left pushes up the ball 46. The movable part 32 can move until the clearance between the screw 44 and the ball 46, which is generated by loosening the left screw 44, disappears. After the lens 36 reaches the desired position, the left side screw 44 is tightened to eliminate the gap left between the screw 44 and the ball 46, and the position of the movable member 32 is fixed.

According to this embodiment, the force for tightening the screw 44 is transmitted to the slope portion 34 via the ball 46,
The movable member 32 moves smoothly. This makes the lens 3
The position of 6 can be finely adjusted. The inclination angle of the slope 34 is preferably 45 degrees or less so that the lateral component of the force acting on the slope 34, which is a factor that moves the movable portion 32, increases.

In this embodiment, the ball 46 is inserted between the inclined surface portion 34 and the screw 44, but instead of the ball, a cylindrical body having a spherical end may be inserted. Further, instead of the screw 44 and the ball 46, a screw having a spherical tip may be used.

[0018]

According to the present invention, since the movable member moves smoothly, the fine adjustment of the optical element can be easily performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an adjusting mechanism of an optical element according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an adjusting mechanism of an optical element according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional example of an adjusting mechanism of an optical element.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional example of an optical element adjusting mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

12 ... Holding member, 14 ... Movable member, 16 ... Planar part, 18
... mirror, 20 ... screw hole, 22 ... screw, 24 ... ball.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A mechanism for adjusting an optical element, comprising: a movable member to which the optical element is fixed; and a holding member for movably holding the movable member, the movable member receiving a force for moving the movable member in the opposite direction. It has two force acting parts, the holding member has two screw holes toward the force acting part of the movable member, two screws screwed into the screw holes of the holding member, and a substantially spherical portion. An adjusting mechanism for an optical element, comprising: an abutting member provided with the abutting member disposed between the movable member and the screw so that the spherical portion comes into contact with the force acting portion of the movable member. 2. A mechanism for adjusting an optical element, comprising: a movable member to which the optical element is fixed; and a holding member for movably holding the movable member, and the movable member receives a force for moving the movable member in the opposite direction. The holding member has two force acting portions, the holding member has two screw holes toward the force acting portion of the movable member, and the tip end screwed into the screw hole of the holding member has a substantially spherical screw. , Optical element adjustment mechanism.