U.S. patent application number 11/978684 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-06 for connector for a combination cable.
Invention is credited to Reinhold Blazejewski, Wolfgang Ries.
Application Number | 20080058598 11/978684 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7697505 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080058598 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ries; Wolfgang ; et
al. |
March 6, 2008 |
Connector for a combination cable
Abstract
A connector for a combination cable comprising at least one
light guide and several electric lines has a body, which can be
introduced in the plugging direction into a socket and by means of
which the connector can be held in the socket, a light guide holder
having a light guide reception channel open at both sides and at
least two contact elements in each case connectable to one of the
electric lines.
Inventors: |
Ries; Wolfgang;
(Leopoldshafen, DE) ; Blazejewski; Reinhold;
(Sexau, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ANTONELLI, TERRY, STOUT & KRAUS, LLP
1300 NORTH SEVENTEENTH STREET
SUITE 1800
ARLINGTON
VA
22209-3873
US
|
Family ID: |
7697505 |
Appl. No.: |
11/978684 |
Filed: |
October 30, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10488525 |
Aug 18, 2004 |
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PCT/EP02/09574 |
Aug 28, 2002 |
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11978684 |
Oct 30, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
600/132 ;
174/113R; 385/86; 403/322.1; 439/252; 600/101 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02B 6/3897 20130101;
G02B 6/4298 20130101; G02B 6/3817 20130101; G02B 6/3825 20130101;
Y10T 403/591 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
600/132 ;
174/113.00R; 385/086; 403/322.1; 439/252; 600/101 |
International
Class: |
A61B 1/00 20060101
A61B001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 3, 2001 |
DE |
101 43 058. 2 |
Claims
1. Connector for a combination cable comprising at least one light
guide and several electric lines, having a body, which can be
inserted in a plugging direction into a socket and by means of
which the connector can be held in the socket, a light guide holder
having a channel open at both sides for receiving the light guide
and a plurality of contact elements in each case connectable to one
of the electric lines, wherein the contact elements are positioned
on at least one circle coaxial to the light guide holder.
2. Connector according to claim 1, wherein the light guide holder
extends beyond the body in the plugging direction.
3. Connector according to claim 2, wherein the portion of the light
guide holder extending beyond the body in the plugging direction
has a length of at least 10 mm.
4. Connector according to claim 2, wherein at least in the portion
extending beyond the body in the plugging direction, the light
guide holder has a tubular construction.
5. Combination cable with at least one light guide and several
electric lines, whose one end is connected to a connector according
to claim 2, the electric lines being conductively connected to the
contact elements and the light guide being so positioned in the
channel of the light guide holder that the light guide projects out
of the body in the plugging direction.
6. Combination cable according to claim 5, characterized in that
the light guide projects out of the body in the plugging direction
by at least four times its diameter.
7. Combination cable according to claim 5, characterized in that
the light guide projects out of the body by at least 10 mm in the
plugging direction.
8. Combination cable according to claim 5, characterized in that at
least in a portion projecting beyond the body in the plugging
direction, the light guide is stiffened by the light guide
holder.
9. Combination cable according to claim 5, characterized in that
its other end is connected to a camera head, which has an
optoelectronic camera connected to the electric lines and with a
focusing device adjustable for focusing purposes and a light guide
channel opening in the viewing direction of the optoelectronic
camera and in which is located the light guide for the illumination
of at least part of the visual range which can be covered by the
optoelectronic camera.
10. Combination cable according to claim 9, characterized in that
the camera head has a movable focusing ring, which is connected to
the focusing device in such a way that the focusing device is
adjustable by moving the focusing ring.
11. Combination cable according to claim 9, further comprising a
switch for operating the optoelectronic camera or other electrical
devices provided on a portion of the camera head located in front
of the optoelectronic camera in the viewing direction thereof.
12. Socket for a connector according to claim 2 with a socket body
for receiving the connector, a socket channel passing through the
socket for receiving a portion of a light guide introduced into the
connector when the connector is plugged into the socket and with
contact elements connectable with electric lines for contacting the
contact elements of the connector.
13. Socket according to claim 12, wherein the socket channel is
constructed for receiving the portion of the light guide holder of
the connector extending beyond the body.
14. Socket according to claim 13, wherein the light guide holder
includes in a portion located between the contact elements and the
end of the light guide holder in the plugging direction that is not
rotationally symmetrical to a longitudinal axis of the connector
and wherein at least a portion of the socket channel has a
cross-section, whose shape corresponds to the cross-section of the
non-rotationally symmetrical portion of the light guide holder.
15. Device for feeding light into at least one light guide of a
combination cable according to claim 5 with a socket comprising a
socket body for receiving the connector, a socket channel passing
through the socket for receiving a portion of a light guide
introduced into the connector when the connector is plugged into
the socket and the contact elements connectable with electric lines
for contacting the contact elements of the connector, and a light
source positioned in the device in such a way that the light
emitted by the light source can be fed into the light guide located
in the connector of the combination cable when the connector is
plugged into socket.
16. Device according to claim 15, characterized in that an optical
device is provided for focusing the light emitted by the light
source onto the end of the light guide.
17. Plug connection system with a connector for a combination cable
comprising at least one light guide and several electric lines, and
a socket according to claim 12.
18. Endoscopy system with an optoelectronic camera, a supply and
evaluating device with a light source and a combination cable,
according to claim 5, wherein the light guide can illuminate at
least part of the visual range of the optoelectronic camera with
the light from the light source and the electric lines electrically
connect the optoelectronic camera to the supply and evaluating
device, wherein the combination cable can be detachably connected
to the supply and evaluating device.
19. Connector according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal axis of
the light guide holder is coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the
body.
20. Connector according to claim 2, wherein the contact elements
are positioned on at least one circle coaxial to the light guide
holder.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S.
application Ser. No. 10/488,525, filed Mar. 3, 2004, the contents
of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a connector for a
combination cable comprising at least one light guide and several
electric lines, a combination cable with such a connector, as well
as a socket for use with the connector.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Combination cables with a light guide and several electric
lines are fundamentally known and are e.g. used in endoscopy
systems with an optoelectronic camera, e.g. a CCD camera. The
electric lines in the combination cable are used for connecting the
optoelectronic camera to a supply and evaluating device, in order
to on the one hand supply a supply voltage to the optoelectronic
camera and on the other to transfer image data or arrays acquired
by the camera to the supply and evaluating device, where evaluation
thereof takes place. The light guide in the combination cable is
used for transmitting light of a light source located in the supply
and evaluating device into the area of the optoelectronic camera,
so as to illuminate at least part of the visual range of the
optoelectronic camera with light from the light source. In the case
of endoscopy systems, the light passing out of the light guide does
not necessarily have to directly strike the area to be illuminated
and can instead be passed to said area by deflection using a
further light guide or other optical means.
[0004] The light guide can comprise a monofilament or several
light-conducting fibres.
[0005] In order to ensure a maximum illumination level at the
reception location accompanied by a low power consumption of the
light source, the combination cable is normally fixed to the supply
and evaluating device. The light guide extends into the vicinity of
the light source, so that light from the latter is efficiently fed
into the same. This avoids connections between light guides, which
either lead to high losses or which can only be produced with
considerable effort and expenditure.
[0006] However, certain disadvantages result from the fixed
connection between combination cable and supply and evaluating
device.
[0007] Thus, it is only possible to a certain extent to clean
and/or sterilize the combination cable, which must generally pass
into the vicinity of the patient to be treated, because generally
the supply and evaluating device is not sterilizable due to the
electronics contained therein.
[0008] Moreover, in the case of damage to the combination cable,
simple replacement thereof is impossible. Changing between cables
of different lengths is also impossible, although such a
possibility of change would be desirable, particularly when using
the endoscopy system for different treatment types.
[0009] The problem of the invention is to provide devices to
detachably connect a combination cable comprising at least one
light guide and several electric lines to other devices, whilst
creating a combination cable suitable for detachable
connections.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] This problem is solved by a connector having the features of
claim 1, a combination cable having the features of claim 7 and a
socket having the features of claim 14.
[0011] A connector according to the invention for a combination
cable of the aforementioned type has a body, which can be inserted
in a socket in a plugging direction and by means of which the
connector can be held in the socket, a light guide holder having a
channel open at both sides for receiving the light guide and at
least two contact elements in each case connectable to one of the
electric lines.
[0012] As a result of the construction of the connector according
to the invention, it is simultaneously possible to provide a
connection for the light guide and the electric lines.
[0013] The combination cable according to the invention has at
least one light guide and at least two electric lines. One end of
the combination cable is connected to the connector according to
the invention and electric lines of the combination cable are
conductively connected to contact elements of the connector. The
light guide is so positioned in the channel of the light guide
holder, that it projects from the body in the plugging direction.
This is made possible by the inventive channel in the light guide
holder of the connector.
[0014] The light guide can comprise a single monofilament or also a
group of light-conducting fibres.
[0015] A socket according to the invention has a socket body for
receiving the connector according to the invention and a socket
channel, passing through the socket, for receiving a portion of a
light guide to be inserted in the inventive connector when the
latter is plugged into the socket and contact elements connectable
to electric lines for contacting the contact elements of the
inventive connector.
[0016] Through the combination of the inventive connector on an
inventive combination cable with the inventive socket it is
possible to easily provide a detachable connection both for the
light guide and for the electric lines. In particular, light from a
light source can be fed directly into the light guide of the
combination cable, if the connector with said combination cable is
plugged into the inventive socket, the light guide extending
through the inventive light guide holder channel and the light
guide portion projecting from the body in the plugging direction
can be guided by the inventive socket channel directly into the
area of the light source, so that the feeding in of light requires
no further connection between two light guides and the intensity
losses resulting from such a connection can be avoided.
[0017] Further developments and preferred embodiments of the
invention are described in the description, claims and
drawings.
[0018] Preferably the contact elements for the connector according
to the invention are positioned on at least one circle running
coaxially to the light guide holder. The contact elements in the
socket according to the invention are also located on at least one
circle passing coaxially to the light guide holder. This
symmetrical arrangement makes it possible to press the connector
into the socket without significant tilting. Thus, a light guide
projecting from the connector body on insertion into the socket
channel can be less easily deformed and possibly damaged through
tilting.
[0019] In particularly preferred manner for this purpose, the
contact elements are mutually spaced by identical angular
distances.
[0020] In the case of the contact elements of the connector, they
can be constituted by contact pins and then the socket contact
elements are preferably constructed as contact springs. However,
the contact pins can also be located in the socket, so that the
contact elements of the inventive connector are constituted by
contact springs.
[0021] Preferably a portion of the inventive connector body open in
the plugging direction has a sleeve-like construction, the contact
elements being located within the sleeve portion of the body. Thus,
particularly when the contact elements are constituted by contact
pins, the contact elements are on the one hand protected against
mechanical damage and on the other against unintentional contacting
with e.g. statically charged objects. In addition, a contacting
between the contact elements of the connector and the socket at an
appropriate sleeve depth can only take place when the body is
guided by the socket body, so that there can be no contact
element-damaging tilting of the connector in the socket.
[0022] In order to be able to position at a greater distance from
the socket a light source whose light is to be fed into the light
guide of an inventive combination cable, the portion projecting out
of the body is preferably constructed in such a way that the light
guide end is positioned outside the socket when the connector is
plugged into said socket.
[0023] With the combination cable according to the invention, it is
preferable for the light guide to project from the body in the
plugging direction by at least four times its diameter.
[0024] Preferably the light guide of the combination cable
according to the invention and independently of its diameter
projects in the plugging direction out of the body by at least 10
mm and in particularly preferred manner by 30 mm. Thus,
independently of the light guide diameter, it is possible to avoid
high heat loading of the socket, of the electrical connections
connected to the contact elements of said socket and the housing
wall holding the socket by a light source, whose light is fed into
the light guide of the combination cable.
[0025] The portion of the light guide of the inventive combination
cable projecting from the connector body can be deformed or even
broken off by the weight of the light guide or by careless or
incorrect handling of the connector or a combination cable provided
therewith and this can often lead to damage to the light guide. In
order to prevent bending of the light guide portion projecting from
the body, said portion can be provided in the combination cable
according to the invention in preferred manner at least in the
portion projecting over the body in the plugging direction with an
element stiffening the light guide and preferably a corresponding,
bending-resistant jacket.
[0026] However, preferably the supporting and guiding of the light
guide takes place by means of the light guide holder of the
connector according to the invention, which for this purpose
projects beyond the body in the plugging direction. Thus, the light
guide located in the light guide holder channel can be particularly
well protected against deformations, particularly bending. In this
case the socket channel is constructed in such a way that the light
guide holder can be inserted in said channel.
[0027] Preferably the light guide holder portion extending beyond
the body in the plugging direction has a length of at least 10 mm
and in particularly preferred manner 30 mm, in order to bring about
an adequate stiffening and supporting of a light guide introduced
into the light guide holder channel. As a result of such a
supporting action the light guide portion of an inventive
combination cable projecting over the connector body can be
particularly long in order to permit an adequately large spacing
between a light source and a socket receiving the connector. In
particularly preferred manner the light guide holder can receive
the light guide at least up to its free end.
[0028] Preferably the light guide holder of the inventive
connector, at least in the portion extending beyond the body in the
plugging direction has a tubular construction, which firstly, as a
result of symmetry, can significantly facilitate the first
insertion of the light guide holder into the socket channel and
secondly permits inexpensive manufacture.
[0029] In particularly preferred manner on the connector and the
socket body can be provided guide elements, which ensure the
centring necessary for the contacting of the contact elements and
an azimuthal orientation of the connector with the socket. These
can in particular be constituted by a lug on the connector or in
the socket and a corresponding recess in the socket or in the
connector.
[0030] However, preferably, a centring can also be brought about in
that the cross-section of the light guide holder of the connector
according to the invention in a centring portion which, considered
in the plugging direction, is located between the contact elements
and the end of the light guide holder is not rotationally
symmetrical to an axis extending in the plugging direction. The
channel of the socket according to the invention then preferably
has a portion with a cross-section, whose shape corresponds to the
cross-section of the non-rotationally symmetrical light guide
holder portion. The cross-sections are chosen in such a way that it
is possible to completely insert the light guide holder portion
projecting over the body in the plugging direction into the socket
channel. Thus, following the insertion of the light guide holder
into the socket channel, there can simultaneously be an azimuthal
orientation of the contact elements with respect to one another.
Such a cross-section change can also lead to a further mechanical
stiffening.
[0031] In order to permit a reliable anchoring of the inventive
connector in an inventive socket, the connector body is preferably
provided on its outer circumference with an element for a latching
connection, by means of which the connector can be locked in the
inventive socket which has a corresponding element for the latching
connection. The latching elements can e.g. be a resilient catch on
the connector and a corresponding recess in the socket body.
However, in principle, the latch can also be located in the socket,
the connector body then having a corresponding recess.
[0032] In particularly preferred manner, a sleeve movable parallel
to the plugging direction and surrounding the connector body is
provided and this makes it possible to release a latching
connection with respect to a socket. This makes it possible in
simple manner to release the connector from a socket.
[0033] Preferably the other end of the combination cable according
to the invention is connected to a camera head, which has an
optoelectronic camera connected to the electric lines provided with
a focussing device adjustable for focussing purposes and a light
guide channel open in the camera viewing direction and in which is
located the light guide for illuminating at least part of the
visual range detectable by the camera. The viewing range is here
understood to mean the range which is imaged by the optoelectronic
camera and which when using corresponding optical devices need not
be located directly in front of said camera. Thus, the statement
that the light guide is provided for illuminating at least part of
the visual range covered by the camera also does not mean that this
range or area must be directly illuminated, but instead that light
exiting the light guide can be deflected either by a further light
guide or by other optical devices onto the area to be imaged by the
optoelectronic camera.
[0034] Such a combination cable with camera head can be easily
connected in detachable manner to a supply and evaluating unit.
Thus, the combination cable with camera head can be separated from
the supply and evaluating unit for cleaning and/or sterilization or
for interchanging with another combination cable.
[0035] For easy focussing purposes, the camera head preferably has
a movable focussing ring, which is so connected to the focussing
device that by moving the focussing ring the focussing device is
adjustable. This makes it possible for the camera head user,
particularly when using it in conjunction with an endoscopy system,
to simultaneously hold the camera head and focus the optoelectronic
camera with a single finger, e.g. the thumb.
[0036] In order to permit easy operation of the optoelectronic
camera or other electronic devices, a corresponding switching
device is provided on the camera head portion located in front of
the optoelectronic camera in the viewing direction. In particular,
the electric lines leading to said switching device can be the
lines of the combination cable. This makes it possible with only
one hand to simultaneously guide the optoelectronic camera and at
certain times to store and/or print out images acquired by said
camera by operating the switching device.
[0037] In particular in conjunction with the movable focussing
ring, this leads to a camera head which can be very easily operated
with one hand, together with an optoelectronic camera, which as
such may not have the combination cable and/or connector according
to the invention.
[0038] A further object of the invention is a device for coupling
or feeding light into the light guide of an inventive combination
cable, which has an inventive socket and a light source, which is
positioned in said device in such a way that the light emitted by
the light source can be fed into the light guide located in the
inventive connector of the combination cable, when said connector
is plugged into the socket. In particular, a corresponding spacing
can be provided between the socket and light source and this
corresponds to the length of the light guide portion extending
beyond the body in the plugging direction.
[0039] In particularly preferred manner and for the better feeding
in of the light emitted by the light source, there is an optical
device for focussing the light emitted by the light source onto the
end of the light guide. Preferably the spacing between the socket
and the focussing device is made to correspond to the length of the
light guide portion extending beyond the body in the plugging
direction, which ensures a particularly high light efficiency.
[0040] A further object of the invention is a plug connection
system with an inventive connector and an inventive socket.
[0041] A further object of the invention is an endoscopy system
with an optoelectronic camera, a supply and evaluating device with
a light source and a combination cable, which comprises a light
guide for illuminating at least part of the visual range of the
optoelectronic camera with light from the light source and electric
lines for the electrical connection of the optoelectronic camera to
the supply and evaluating device, in which the combination cable
can be connected in detachable manner to the supply and evaluating
device. This can in particular be achieved when using an inventive
combination cable and a corresponding inventive socket and an
inventive device for feeding light into the light guide of the
inventive combination cable.
[0042] In such an endoscopy system the combination cable can be
easily removed for cleaning and/or sterilization or easily replaced
in the case of damage. It is also possible to use combination
cables of different lengths with a single supply and evaluating
device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0043] A preferred embodiment of the invention is now described in
exemplified manner relative to the attached drawings, wherein
show:
[0044] FIG. 1 A diagrammatic, partial view of an endoscopy system
according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0045] FIGS. 2a and 2b Diagrammatic, perspective views of a portion
of the combination cable with the connector according to the
preferred embodiments of the invention.
[0046] FIG. 2C A transverse, cross sectional view of a preferred
embodiment of the socket corresponding to the connector of FIG.
2B.
[0047] FIG. 3 A part sectional view of the connector of FIG. 2A or
2B in a socket according to the preferred embodiment of the
invention.
[0048] FIG. 4 A diagrammatic sectional view through the camera head
of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0049] In FIG. 1 an endoscopy system according to a preferred
embodiment of the invention has a camera head 2 with an
illumination system, a supply and evaluating device 4 and a
combination cable 6 connecting the camera head 2 to the supply and
evaluating device 4 in accordance with an exemplified embodiment of
the invention.
[0050] The combination cable 6 is used for transmitting a supply
voltage and electric signals between the camera head 2 and the
supply and evaluating device 4 and for the supply of light to the
camera head 2 from the supply and evaluating device 4.
[0051] For this purpose the combination cable 6 has in a jacket 8 a
light guide 10 and several electric lines 12. As is not shown in
the drawings, the light guide 10 comprises a group of
light-conducting fibres.
[0052] Whilst the camera head 2 is connected in fixed manner to the
end of the combination cable 6, by means of a connector 14 located
at the other cable end, by means of a socket 16 in a housing wall
18 of the supply and evaluating device 4, the combination cable is
connected thereto.
[0053] For the supply of the camera head and the evaluation of the
images taken, the supply and evaluating device 4 has an electronic
unit 20 connected to the socket 16. A light source 22 is also
provided and its light can be focussed by means of a lens 24.
[0054] The connector 14 in conjunction with the socket 16 are used
for the connection of the combination cable 6 to the supply and
evaluating device 4. In FIG. 2A the connector 14 has a sleeve-like
body 26 with a circular cross-section, which is connected to one
end of the combination cable 6, the transition between the body 26
and combination cable 6 being covered by a plastic cuff 28.
[0055] A light guide holder 30 is positioned to have a longitudinal
axis A coaxially to the body 26 and in the plugging direction X
extends beyond the body 26 by approximately 65 mm and in a channel
32 contains the light guide 10 of the combination cable 6, which
terminates at the end of channel 32 located in plugging direction
X.
[0056] The light guide holder 30 is shown in greater detail in FIG.
3. It is essentially tubular with a wall thickness of approximately
0.5 mm and has a fixing portion 34 with a greater wall thickness,
to which the light guide holder is fixed in a holding ring 36
secured in body 26. At its end located in the plugging direction X,
the light guide holder 30 is bevelled in order to permit easy
insertion of the connector into socket 16.
[0057] The light guide holder 30 also has a stiffening tube 38 with
a length of approximately 33 mm and a wall thickness of
approximately 0.5 mm, which surrounds the tubular portion of the
light guide holder 30 receiving the light guide 10 and which
extends by roughly a third into the socket 16 and by two thirds
beyond the same in the plugging direction X, when the connector 14
is plugged into the socket 16.
[0058] In the interior of the body 26, the holding ring 36 contains
sixteen contact pins (cf. FIG. 2A) on a circle coaxial to the body
26, the light guide 10 and light guide holder 30 and which by means
of connector terminals, whereof only terminal 42 is visible in FIG.
3, are connected to electric lines 12 of combination cable 6 (of
FIG. 3).
[0059] The socket 16 located in the housing wall 18 of the supply
and evaluating device 4 has a socket body 44, which is provided
with an external thread 46 and a collar 48, so that it can be slid
into an opening in the housing wall 18, as is diagrammatically
shown in FIG. 1 and can be fixed by a nut 50 screwed onto the
external thread 46.
[0060] The socket body 44 is pot-shaped, so that the body 26 of
connector 14 can be engaged in the pot opening of the socket body
44.
[0061] The socket body 44 also contains a hollow cylindrical
portion 52, whose external diameter is selected in such a way that
the wall of the body 26 of connector 14 can be slid with only
limited tolerance between the inner wall of the socket body 44 and
the outer wall of the hollow cylindrical portion 52.
[0062] As is only diagrammatically shown in FIG. 3, the tubular
portion also has holes 54 with contact spring elements, which are
conductively connected to corresponding socket terminals on the
other side of the socket body 44, whereof only socket terminal 56
is shown in FIG. 3. By means of the socket terminals and lines
which are e.g. soldered thereto and whereof FIG. 3 only shows line
58, the contact spring elements are connected to the electronic
unit 20. The holes 54 are positioned in such a way that on
inserting the body 26 into the socket body 44, the contact pins 40
of the connector can be introduced into the holes 54 with contact
spring elements of socket 16.
[0063] The hollow cylindrical portion 52, together with a
corresponding hole in the socket body 44, forms a socket channel
60, whose internal diameter corresponds to the external diameter of
the fixing portion 34. As the external diameter of the light guide
holder 30 in the area upstream of the fixing portion 34 in the
plugging direction is smaller than in the fixing portion 34, this
permits an easy introduction of the light guide holder 30 into the
socket channel 60. Simultaneously as a result of the press fit
between the fixing portion 34 and socket channel 60, there is a
precise positioning of the light guide holder 30 and consequently
the light guide 10 contained therein.
[0064] According to the invention the light guide holder 30 with
the light guide 10 projects in the plugging direction beyond the
body 26, as shown in FIG. 3 and following the insertion into the
socket 16 through socket channel 60 continues well into the
interior of the housing of the supply and evaluating unit 4 (cf.
FIG. 1). The light source 22 and the focussing lens 24 are
positioned directly upstream of the end of light guide 10, so that
a precise focussing of the light of light source 22 onto the end of
the light guide 10 is ensured by the precise positioning of the
light guide holder 30 and consequently a good feeding in of light
takes place.
[0065] This arrangement ensures a comparatively large spacing
between the light source 22 and lens 24 from the portion of socket
16 located within the housing of the supply and evaluating device
4, so that neither the housing wall 18, socket 16 nor socket
terminals 56 on socket 16, which in the fitted state normally have
soldered connections, are exposed to the heat given off by the
light source 22. In the exemplified case, for this purpose the
length of the portion of light guide holder 30 extending beyond the
body 26 in the plugging direction is approximately 65 mm.
[0066] A centring can also be brought about as shown in FIGS. 2B
and 2C in that the cross-section of the light guide holder of the
connector according to the invention in a centring portion C which,
considered in the plugging direction, is located between the
contact elements 40 and the end of the light guide holder 30' is
not rotationally symmetrical to the axis A extending in the
plugging direction, as shown in FIG. 2B. The channel 60' in the
socket body 44' of the socket 16' according to the invention then
preferably has a portion with a cross-section, whose shape
corresponds to the cross-section of the non-rotationally
symmetrical light guide holder portion C, as shown in FIG. 2C. The
cross-sections are chosen in such a way that it is possible to
completely insert the light guide holder portion 30 projecting over
the body 26 in the plugging direction into the socket channel 60'.
Thus, following the insertion of the light guide holder 30' into
the socket channel 60', there can simultaneously be an azimuthal
orientation of the contact elements 40 with respect to one another.
Such a cross-section change can also lead to a further mechanical
stiffening.
[0067] The camera head is shown in greater detail in FIG. 4. It has
a CCD camera 62, which is equipped with a CCD sensor 64 connected
to the electric lines 12 and an only diagrammatically shown
focussing device 66 with a lens system 68 with which light entering
the camera head can be focussed onto the CCD sensor 64. Image
signals generated by the CCD sensor 64 are transmitted to the
supply and evaluating device 4 for evaluation purposes.
[0068] On the camera head 2 is provided a focussing ring 70, which
can be turned around the optical axis of the CCD camera 62. By
means of a pin 72 the movement of the focussing ring 70 can be
transferred to the focussing device 66, so that by solely moving
the focussing ring 70, an image acquired with the CCD camera can be
easily focussed with one finger.
[0069] On the camera head is also provided a light guide channel 74
opening in the viewing direction of the CCD camera 62 and into
which leads the light guide 10 of combination cable 6. Thus, the
light guide channel 74 is positioned in such a way that the light
transmitted via the light guide 10 enables the illumination of at
least part of the visual range of the CCD camera 62.
[0070] On the top of the camera head and connected to two electric
lines 12 is provided a push-button switch 76, which is able to
trigger the storage in the electronic unit 20 of an image recorded
by the CCD camera 62 and transmitted to the supply and evaluating
device 4.
[0071] The camera head 6 with CCD camera 62, with illumination by
the light guide 10, the focussing ring 70 and the push-button
switch 76 allow the camera to be easily handled with one hand.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0072] TABLE-US-00001 2 Camera head 4 Supply and evaluating device
6 Combination cable 8 Jacket 10 Light guide 12 Electric lines 14
Connector 16 Sockets 18 Housing wall 20 Electronic unit 22 Light
source 24 Lens 26 Body 28 Cuff 30 Light guide holder 32 Channel 34
Fixing portion 36 Holding ring 38 Stiffening tube 40 Contact pins
42 Connector terminal 44 Socket body 46 External thread 48 Collar
50 Nut 52 Hollow cylindrical portion 54 Holes with contact spring
elements 56 Socket terminal 58 Line 60 Socket channel 62 CCD camera
64 CCD sensor 66 Focussing device 68 Lens system 70 Focussing ring
72 Pin 74 Light guide channel 76 Push-button switch
* * * * *