Microscope with endplate for viewing surface end of fiber optic cable

Claim 2

A portable microscope for inspecting a glass fiber of a fiber optic cable secured in a ferrule of a fiber optic connector, said microscope comprising: an elongate enclosure having a magnifying channel with a head end and a viewing end; a housing formed at the head end of said enclosure, said housing including an aperture for receiving a glass fiber in a ferrule; a magnifying system mounted in the magnifying channel of said enclosure, said magnifying system including an adjustable focus lens positioned in said housing; a battery powered light source mounted in said enclosure, said light source directing light into said housing; an end plate secured to said housing to cover the aperture in said housing, said end plate including an aperture aligned with the housing aperture adjacent the adjustable focus lens; an adapter secured in the aperture of said end plate, said adapter including a tubular aperture extending through said adapter for receiving and positioning the glass fiber adjacent the adjustable focus lens; and a ring-shaped insert positioned in said tubular aperture for engaging the glass fiber in the tubular aperture.

Claim 3

The portable microscope defined in claim 1 wherein said ring-shaped insert is made from tygon.

Claim 4

The portable microscope defined in claim 1 wherein said adapter includes an integral concave reflection bowl formed on an inner surface of said adapter about the tubular aperture.

Claim 5

A portable microscope for inspecting a glass fiber of a fiber optic cable secured in a ferrule of a fiber optic connector, said microscope comprising: an elongate enclosure having a magnifying channel with a head end and a viewing end; a housing formed at the head end of said enclosure, said housing including an aperture for receiving a glass fiber in a ferrule; a magnifying system mounted in the magnifying channel of said enclosure, said magnifying system including an adjustable focus lens positioned in said housing; a battery powered light source mounted in said enclosure, said light source directing light into said housing; an end plate secured to said housing to cover the aperture in said housing, said end plate including a sloped segment formed in an outer surface of said end plate and an aperture formed in the sloped segment such that the aperture is aligned with the housing aperture and is adjacent the adjustable focus lens; and an adapter secured in the aperture in the sloped segment of said end plate, said adapter including a tubular aperture extending through said adapter for receiving and positioning the glass fiber adjacent the adjustable focus lens, and including an integral concave reflection bowl formed on an inner surface of said adapter about the tubular aperture.

Claim 6

A portable microscope for inspecting a glass fiber of a fiber optic cable secured in a ferrule of a fiber optic connector, said microscope comprising: an elongate enclosure having a magnifying channel with a head end and a viewing end; a housing formed at the head end of said enclosure, said housing including an aperture for receiving a glass fiber in a ferrule; a magnifying system mounted in the magnifying channel of said enclosure, said magnifying system including an adjustable focus lens positioned in said housing; a battery powered light source mounted in said enclosure, said light source directing light into said housing; an end plate secured to said housing to cover the aperture in said housing, said end plate including a sloped segment formed in an outer surface of said end plate and an aperture formed in the sloped segment such that the aperture is aligned with the housing aperture and is adjacent the adjustable focus lens; and an adapter secured in the aperture in the sloped segment of said end plate, said adapter including a tubular aperture extending through said adapter for receiving and positioning the glass fiber adjacent the adjustable focus lens, and including an integral concave reflection bowl formed on an inner surface of said adapter about the tubular aperture.

Claim 7

A portable microscope for inspecting a glass fiber of a fiber optic cable secured in a ferrule of a fiber optic connector, said microscope comprising: an elongate enclosure having a magnifying channel with a head end and a viewing end; a housing formed at the head end of said enclosure, said housing including an aperture for receiving a glass fiber in a ferrule; a magnifying system mounted in the magnifying channel of said enclosure, said magnifying system including an adjustable focus lens positioned in said housing; a battery powered light source mounted in said enclosure, said light source directing light into said housing; an end plate secured to said housing to cover the aperture in said housing, said end plate including an aperture aligned with the housing aperture adjacent the adjustable focus lens; and a rocker head adapter pivotably connected to said end plate and positioned in the aperture of said end plate, said rocker head adapter including a tubular aperture extending through said adapter for receiving and positioning the glass fiber adjacent the adjustable focus lens whereby the rocker may be pivoted to change the angle at which an end surface of the glass fiber is viewed through the lens.

Claim 8

A portable microscope for inspecting a glass fiber of a fiber optic cable secured in a ferrule of a fiber optic connector, said microscope comprising: an elongate enclosure having a magnifying channel with a head end and a viewing end; a housing formed at the head end of said enclosure, said housing including an aperture for receiving a glass fiber in a ferrule; a magnifying system mounted in the magnifying channel of said enclosure, said magnifying system including an adjustable focus lens positioned in said housing; a battery powered light source mounted in said enclosure, said light source directing light into said housing; an end plate secured to said housing to cover the aperture in said housing, said end plate including an aperture aligned with the housing aperture adjacent the adjustable focus lens; and a rocker head adapter pivotably connected to said end plate and positioned in the aperture of said end plate, said rocker head adapter including a tubular aperture extending through said adapter for receiving and positioning the glass fiber adjacent the adjustable focus lens whereby the rocker may be pivoted to change the angle at which an end surface of the glass fiber is viewed through the lens.

Claim 9

The portable microscope defined in claim 5 wherein said rocker head adapter includes an integral concave reflection bowl formed on an inner surface of said adapter about the tubular aperture.

Claim 10

The portable microscope defined in claim 5 wherein said rocker head adapter is positioned on the end plate for direct viewing such that the end surface of the glass fiber is aligned perpendicular to the lens for direct viewing of the end surface of the glass fiber, and wherein said rocker head can be pivoted up to approximately thirty degrees for viewing the end surface of the glass fiber at an angle.

Claim 11

The portable microscope defined in claim 7 wherein said rocker head adapter is pivotable from a direct viewing position through approximately twenty-two degrees for angled viewing of the end surface of the glass fiber.

Claim 12

The portable microscope defined in claim 5 wherein said end plate includes a pair of spaced-apart mounting arms at one end of the end plate which form the aperture in the end plate, and said rocker head adapter includes corresponding mounting slots which are positioned about the mounting arms of said base plate.

Claim 13

The portable microscope defined in claim 9 wherein the mounting arms of said end plate include a horizontal segment and a sloped segment to facilitate the pivoting of the rocker head adapter.

Claim 14

A portable microscope for inspecting a glass fiber of a fiber optic cable secured in a ferrule of a fiber optic connector, said microscope comprising: an elongate enclosure having a magnifying channel with a head end and a viewing end; a magnifying system mounted in the magnifying channel of said enclosure, said magnifying system including an adjustable focus lens positioned at the head end of said enclosure; a battery powered light source positioned at the head end of said enclosure, said light source emitting light adjacent the lens; a spacer block connected to the head end of said enclosure, said spacer block being positioned adjacent said light source and including a reflective surface for reflecting light received from said light source; and an end plate secured to said spacer block and extending from said spacer block to a position adjacent the lens, said end plate including a tubular aperture for receiving and positioning the glass fiber adjacent the lens, whereby light from the light source and from the reflective surface of said spacer block are directed towards the glass fiber when viewing the glass fiber through the lens.

Claim 15

A portable microscope for inspecting a glass fiber of a fiber optic cable secured in a ferrule of a fiber optic connector, said microscope comprising: an elongate enclosure having a magnifying channel with a head end and a viewing end; a magnifying system mounted in the magnifying channel of said enclosure, said magnifying system including an adjustable focus lens positioned at the head end of said enclosure; a battery powered light source positioned at the head end of said enclosure, said light source emitting light adjacent the lens; a spacer block connected to the head end of said enclosure, said spacer block being positioned adjacent said light source and including a reflective surface for reflecting light received from said light source; and an end plate secured to said spacer block and extending from said spacer block to a position adjacent the lens, said end plate including a tubular aperture for receiving and positioning the glass fiber adjacent the lens, whereby light from the light source and from the reflective surface of said spacer block are directed towards the glass fiber when viewing the glass fiber through the lens.

Claim 16

The portable microscope defined in claim 11, wherein said end plate includes a reflection bowl formed in an inner surface of said end plate about the tubular aperture.

Claim 17

The portable microscope defined in claim 11, wherein said end plate includes a rocker head adapter pivotably connected to mounting arms of said end plate and the tubular aperture for said end plate is formed through said rocker head adapter, whereby the rocker head adapter may be pivoted to view an end surface of the glass fiber at various angles.

Claim 18

The portable microscope defined in claim 13, wherein the rocker head pivotably connected to said end plate includes a reflection bowl formed in an inner surface of said end plate about the tubular aperture.

Claim 19

The portable microscope defined in claim 13, wherein said rocker head adapter is positioned on the end plate for direct viewing such that the end surface of the glass fiber is aligned perpendicular to the lens for direct viewing of the end surface of the glass fiber, and wherein said rocker head can be pivoted up to approximately thirty degrees for viewing the end surface of the glass fiber at an angle.

Claim 20

The portable microscope defined in claim 13 wherein said end plate includes two retention stops formed in said end plate selectively engaging said rocker head adapter to limit the pivoting action of said rocker head adapter.

Claim 21

The portable microscope defined in claim 13 wherein said retention stops are formed on opposite side of said rocker head and are offset to limit the pivoting of said rocker head to approximately a thirty degree angle.