Articulated laser beam guide tube

Claim 2

In an articulated guide tube for guiding an input beam emitted unidirectionally from a beam source including a stationary tube member connected at one end with said beam source for guiding the input beam, a gear box containing therein a rotatable reflector mirror for reflecting the guided input beam and fixedly connected to the other end of said stationary tube member, and a moving tube member opened at one end to an object and rotatably connected at the other end with said gear box for further guiding the reflected input beam to the object, the improvement comprising a gear mechanism in said gear box and including: a reflector support having a recess formed therein for fixedly carrying said reflector mirror; a pivotal shaft integrally connected with said reflector support and located at a point at which the extention of the axis of said stationary tube member intersects that of said moving tube member; a first spur gear rotatably mounted on said pivotal shaft and fixedly connected to said stationary tube member; a second spur gear fixedly mounted on said pivotal shaft at a spacing from said first spur gear; a stationary shaft parallel to and spaced from said pivotal shaft; a third spur gear rotatably mounted on said stationary shaft and engaging with said first spur gear; and a fourth spur gear mounted on said stationary shaft integrally with said third spur gear and engaging with said second spur gear, the gear ratio of said first and third spur gears being 1 vs. 2 and the gear ratio of said fourth and second spur gears being 1 vs. 1, whereby saiD reflector mirror is rotated by an angle equal to one-half of an angle by which said moving tube member is rotated with respect to said stationary tube member so that the beam passing through said stationary tube member is guided by and projected from said moving tube member in the direction thereof.

Claim 3

A tube according to claim 1 further comprising at least one additional gear box similar to said gear box and at least one additional intermediate tube member fixedly connected at one end to one of said gear boxes and slidably connected at the other to another gear box.

Claim 4

A tube according to claim 1, wherein said moving tube member includes two halves which are axially slidably held in mating engagement with each other whereby said moving tube member rotates about and slides along the axis of said stationary tube member.

Claim 5

A tube according to claim 1, wherein the leading end portion of said moving tube member is tapered toward its extreme end and is provided therein with a convex lens for focussing the guided beam on the object.

Claim 6

An articulated tube member according to claim 1, wherein said stationary tube member includes two halves one of which has a reduced end and the other has a bore fitting with said reduced end, said two halves peripherally slidably held in mating engagement with each other, whereby said moving tube member rotates about the axis of said stationary tube member.

Claim 7

An articulated guide tube according to claim 5 further comprising at least two cylindrical ball bearings interposed between said two halves, whereby said moving tube member rotates about the axis of said stationary tube member.

Claim 8

An articulated guide tube according to claim 5 further comprising a cylindrical roller bearings interposed between said two halves, whereby said moving tube member rotates about and slides along the axis of said stationary tube member.

Claim 9

In an articulated guide tube for guiding an input beam emitted unidirectionally from a beam source including a stationary tube member connected at one end with said beam source for guiding the input beam, a gear box containing therein a rotatable reflector mirror for reflecting the guided input beam and fixedly connected to the other end of said stationary tube member, and a moving tube member opened at one end to an object and bidirectionally rotatably connected at the other end with said gear box for further guiding the reflected input beam to the object, the improvement comprising first and second gear mechanisms in said gear box for operatively supporting said reflector mirror, said first gear mechanism including: a reflector support accommodated in a square-shaped box; a pair of pivotal shafts extending from said square-shaped box and pivotally received at their one ends by a pair of parallel flat walls of said gear box; a pair of first spur gears rotatably mounted on said pivotal shafts and fixedly connected to said stationary tube member; a pair of s second spur gears fixedly mounted on said pivotal shafts at a spacing from said first spur gears; a pair of stationary shafts parallel to and spaced from said pivotal shafts; a pair of third spur gears rotatably mounted on said stationary shafts and engaging with said first spur gears, and a pair of fourth spur gears mounted on said stationary shafts integrally with said third spur gears, the gear ratio of said first and third spur gears being 1 vs. 2 and the gear ratio of said fourth and second spur gears being 1 vs. 1, and said second gear mechanism including: a pair of pivotal shafts inserted pivotally through the facing walls of said square-shaped box and fixedly connected to the outer walls of said reflector support; a pair of first spur gears rotatably mounted on said pivotal shafts of said second gear mechanism and fixedly connected to said stationary tube member; a pair of second spur gears fixedly mounted on said pivotal shafts of said second gear mechanism at a spacing from said first spur gears of said second gear mechanism; a pAir of stationary shafts parallel to and spaced from said pivotal shafts of said second gear mechanism and fixedly connected to said square-shaped box; a pair of third spur gears rotatably mounted on said stationary shafts of said second gear mechanism and engaging with said first spur gears of said second gear mechanism; and a pair of fourth spur gears mounted on said stationary shafts of said second gear mechanism integrally with said third spur gears of said second gear mechanism, the gear ratio of said first and third spur gears of said second gear mechanism being 1 vs. 2; and the gear ratio of said fourth and second spur gears of said second gear mechanism being 1 vs. 1, and said pairs of pivotal shafts of said first and second gear mechanisms being perpendicular to each other, whereby said reflector mirror is rotated by an angle equal to one-half both of an angle, by which said moving tube member is rotated with respect to said stationary tube member, and of an angle perpendicular to the second-mentioned angle so that the beam passing through said stationary tube member is guided by and projected from said moving tube member in the direction thereof.

Claim 10

In an articulated guide tube for guiding an input beam emitted unidirectionally from a beam source including a stationary tube member connected at one end with said beam source for guiding the input beam, a gear box containing therein a rotatable reflector mirror for reflecting the guided input beam and fixedly connected to the other end of said stationary tube member, and a moving tube member opened at one end to an object and bidirectionally rotatably connected at the other end with said gear box for further guiding the reflected input beam to the object, the improvement comprising first and second gear mechanisms in said gear box for operatively supporting said reflector mirror, said first gear mechanism including: a reflector support accommodated in a square-shaped box; a pair of pivotal shafts extending from said square-shaped box and pivotally received at their one ends by a pair of parallel flat walls of said gear box; a pair of first spur gears rotatably mounted on said pivotal shafts and fixedly connected to said stationary tube member; a pair of s second spur gears fixedly mounted on said pivotal shafts at a spacing from said first spur gears; a pair of stationary shafts parallel to and spaced from said pivotal shafts; a pair of third spur gears rotatably mounted on said stationary shafts and engaging with said first spur gears, and a pair of fourth spur gears mounted on said stationary shafts integrally with said third spur gears, the gear ratio of said first and third spur gears being 1 vs. 2 and the gear ratio of said fourth and second spur gears being 1 vs. 1, and said second gear mechanism including: a pair of pivotal shafts inserted pivotally through the facing walls of said square-shaped box and fixedly connected to the outer walls of said reflector support; a pair of first spur gears rotatably mounted on said pivotal shafts of said second gear mechanism and fixedly connected to said stationary tube member; a pair of second spur gears fixedly mounted on said pivotal shafts of said second gear mechanism at a spacing from said first spur gears of said second gear mechanism; a pAir of stationary shafts parallel to and spaced from said pivotal shafts of said second gear mechanism and fixedly connected to said square-shaped box; a pair of third spur gears rotatably mounted on said stationary shafts of said second gear mechanism and engaging with said first spur gears of said second gear mechanism; and a pair of fourth spur gears mounted on said stationary shafts of said second gear mechanism integrally with said third spur gears of said second gear mechanism, the gear ratio of said first and third spur gears of said second gear mechanism being 1 vs. 2; and the gear ratio of said fourth and second spur gears of said second gear mechanism being 1 vs. 1, and said pairs of pivotal shafts of said first and second gear mechanisms being perpendicular to each other, whereby said reflector mirror is rotated by an angle equal to one-half both of an angle, by which said moving tube member is rotated with respect to said stationary tube member, and of an angle perpendicular to the second-mentioned angle so that the beam passing through said stationary tube member is guided by and projected from said moving tube member in the direction thereof.

Claim 11

A tube according to claim 8, wherein said first spur gears of said first and second gear mechanisms are fixedly connected to said moving tube member through four leaf springs angled at 90* to one another.