Patent US3969013A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3969013A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Thermally controlled microscope stage assembly
Assignee: Bpifrance Financement SA
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Filing: 1975-03-25
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Granted: 1976-07-13
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Expires: 1995-03-25
Abstract
Abstract A thermally controlled microscope stage assembly for use in measuring transformation temperatures between -180° and +600°C. The stage assembly includes a thick-walled platen with a resistance heater in an annular cavity adjacent a specimen chamber and a cooling channel arranged along the periphery of the platen for, respectively, heating and cooling the specimen chamber. The platen has a lighting well disposed along the optical axis of the associated microscope. A condenser is built in the lighting bore and includes a pair of axially spaced plano-spherical fused quartz lenses both with their spherical surface facing the incident illuminating beam. The lens closer to the microscope has its plane surface, which defines its isophote plane, level with the upper surface of the platen. The specimen chamber is defined by the top surface of the platen, a thick-walled annular member seated on the platen and a thin transparent plate member. The temperature in the specimen chamber is measured by a platinum resistance probe which forms one arm of a linearizer bridge. A heating relay and a cooling relay are connected respectively in series with heating and cooling supplies and a thermostat control selectively controlling one of the relays in response to the sign of the voltage difference between the output voltage of the linearizer bridge and a set voltage determined by an adjustable voltage source corresponding to the set temperature.
Inventors
- 👤 Bernard Poty
- 👤 Jacques Leroy
- 👤 Leon Jachimowicz
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 11:10
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B21/00; G02B21/06; G02B21/24; G02B21/26; G02B21/34
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
249 words
A thermally controlled microscope stage assembly for use in measuring transformation temperatures between -180° and +600°C, comprising a thick-walled platen with means for heating and means for cooling a specimen, a lighting well extending through said platen so as to be along the optical axis of the objective of a microscope associated therewith, a condenser for an illuminating beam built in said lighting well, the surface of the condenser facing the objective of the microscope containing the isophote plane of the condenser and lying level with the top surface of said platen, a specimen chamber bounded along its bottom by said platen, along its sides by a thick lateral wall in thermal contact with said platen, and along its top by a thin transparent platen member, heating supply means and cooling supply means for supplying respectively said means for heating and cooling the specimen, thermometric means including a resistance probe disposed in said platen adjacent the bottom of said specimen chamber and voltage measuring means, said resistance probe forming one arm of a linearizer bridge, heating relay means and cooling relay means connected respectively in series with said heating supply means and said cooling supply means and thermostat control means, said thermostat control means selectively controlling one of said relay means in response to the sign of the voltage difference between the output voltage of said linearizer bridge and a set voltage, said set voltage being provided by an adjustable voltage source and corresponding to a desired set temperature.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
249 words
A thermally controlled microscope stage assembly for use in measuring transformation temperatures between -180° and +600°C, comprising a thick-walled platen with means for heating and means for cooling a specimen, a lighting well extending through said platen so as to be along the optical axis of the objective of a microscope associated therewith, a condenser for an illuminating beam built in said lighting well, the surface of the condenser facing the objective of the microscope containing the isophote plane of the condenser and lying level with the top surface of said platen, a specimen chamber bounded along its bottom by said platen, along its sides by a thick lateral wall in thermal contact with said platen, and along its top by a thin transparent platen member, heating supply means and cooling supply means for supplying respectively said means for heating and cooling the specimen, thermometric means including a resistance probe disposed in said platen adjacent the bottom of said specimen chamber and voltage measuring means, said resistance probe forming one arm of a linearizer bridge, heating relay means and cooling relay means connected respectively in series with said heating supply means and said cooling supply means and thermostat control means, said thermostat control means selectively controlling one of said relay means in response to the sign of the voltage difference between the output voltage of said linearizer bridge and a set voltage, said set voltage being provided by an adjustable voltage source and corresponding to a desired set temperature.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
63 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 1, wherein said condenser comprises two fused quartz plano-spherical lenses both arranged with their spherical surfaces facing the incident illuminating beam, the second of said lenses along path of the illuminating beam therethrough terminating in a frusto-conical tail portion of which the minor base is said surface of the condenser facing the objective of the microscope.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 2, wherein the frusto-conical tail portion of the second lens has a 30° apex half-angle, said frusto-conical tail portion being fitted into a complementary frusto-conical surface in said lighting well.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 2, wherein said platen is formed as a body of revolution with a vertical axis substantially coinciding with the axis of said lighting bore, and wherein said thick lateral wall is defined by an annular member bearing on the top surface of said platen, the diameter of said specimen chamber being at most two-fifths of the outer diameter of said annular member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 4, wherein said means for heating is a resistance heater arranged in an annular cavity in said platen, and said means for cooling is an annular channel at the periphery of said platen for the flow of cooling fluid therethrough.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
68 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 5, wherein said annular channel is comprised of at least two axially spaced grooves separated by at least one partition but communicating by means of staggered orifices extending through the partition, and of an outer sleeve with a cooling fluid inlet orifice and a cooling fluid outlet orifice, said sleeve closing said channel peripherally but out of contact with said partition.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 5, wherein said annular member has a depending peripheral flange extending around said platen but out of thermal conductive relation therewith.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 5, further comprising a tubular screening member adapted to be in moderate sliding friction contact with the objective of the microscope and having a flange bearing on said annular member.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
84 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 5, wherein the cooling fluid is a gas under pressure; said cooling supply means is a source of gas under pressure; and said cooling relay means is an electrically controlled valve which is followed by a heat exchanger and disposed between said source of gas under pressure and said means for cooling said platen; further comprising a needle valve for adjusting the flow of gas to said means for cooling when the electrically controlled valve is open.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 9, wherein said heat exchanger is a tubular coil immersed in liquified gas contained in a thermally insulated container.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
35 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 10, wherein the gas of said source of gas under pressure is nitrogen at less than about 1 bar relative pressure, and said liquified gas is liquified nitrogen.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a frame for supporting said platen including low thermally conductive feet, said frame having micrometric means for the translation of said platen in mutually perpendicular directions.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 12, wherein said frame has a recess aligned with said condenser, a filter being disposed in said recess for eliminating infrared rays from the incident illuminating beam before it enters said lighting well.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
92 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 1, wherein said resistance probe produces a voltage proportional to the temperature in centigrade measured thereby, wherein voltage measuring means is a digital voltmeter, and wherein said thermostat control means comprises a first threshold triggering means for energizing said heating relay means in response to the difference between the output voltage of said bridge and the set voltage, and a second threshold triggering means controlling said heating relay means in response to the difference between the set voltage and the output voltage of said bridge.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
A microscope stage assembly according to claim 3, further comprising elastic diaphragm means urging said tail portion against said complementary frusto-conical surface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-07-13 | 1980-01-12 | 1980-07-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-07-13 | 1984-01-12 | 1984-07-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-07-13 | 1988-01-12 | 1988-07-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |