Apparatus For Video-Endoscopy

Abstract

An apparatus for video endoscopy, in particular for industrial video endoscopy, has a device part which has a housing and an electronics component arrangement which is arranged in the housing. The electronics component arrangement is arranged within a sealed-off region in the housing. A heat sink is arranged in the housing, the said heat sink being thermally coupled to the electronics component arrangement in order to absorb heat from the electronics component arrangement. A fan for generating an air flow of ambient air is arranged in the housing, the said air flow flowing out of the housing along the heat sink in order to discharge the heat from the heat sink, wherein the air flow does not come into contact with the electronics component arrangement.

Claims

1. A video endoscopy apparatus, comprising: a device part, the device part having a device part housing, a sealed-off region inside the device part housing, an electronics component arrangement arranged in the sealed-off region in the device part housing, a heat sink arranged in the housing, the heat sink being thermally coupled to the electronics component arrangement in order to absorb heat from the electronics component arrangement, a fan for generating an air flow of ambient air, the fan being arranged in the device part housing, the air flow flowing out of the housing along the heat sink in order to discharge the heat from the heat sink, wherein the air flow does not come into contact with the electronics component arrangement.

2. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink is thermally coupled to the electronics component arrangement in the sealed-off region.

3. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plug part having a plug part housing, the plug part being configured to be coupled to the device part.

4. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the device part housing has a cutout, and wherein the plug part housing is configured to be inserted into the cutout in the device part housing, and wherein at least a portion of the plug part housing, in the state in which it is inserted into the cutout, completes the device part housing and remains visible from the outside.

5. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the cutout and the plug part housing extend over at least half the width of the device part housing in direction of a width dimension of the device part housing.

6. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plug part housing has a large number of cooling fins.

7. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plug part contains a light source.

8. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plug part contains a laser source.

9. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plug part has a sealed-off region inside the plug part housing, and a further electronics component arrangement arranged in the sealed-off region, wherein the plug part has a further heat sink thermally coupled to the further electronics component arrangement in order to absorb heat from the further electronics component arrangement.

10. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the further heat sink is thermally coupled to the further electronics component arrangement in the sealed-off region.

11. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the plug part and the device part are arranged along a single common axis, wherein the heat sink and the further heat sink adjoin one another in the direction of the common axis, and wherein the air flow, which is generated by the fan, also flows along the further heat sink in order to discharge the heat from the further heat sink, without coming into contact with the further electronics component arrangement.

12. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink has at least one air channel running through the interior of the heat sink, the air flow generated by the fan passing through the air channel.

13. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the further heat sink has at least one further air channel running through the interior of the further heat sink, the air flow generated by the fan passing through the further air channel.

14. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the heat sink has at least one air channel running through the interior of the heat sink, the air flow generated by the fan passing through the air channel, wherein the at least one air channel communicates with the at least one further air channel.

15. The video endoscopy apparatus according to 1, wherein the fan is arranged on a device part housing-side end of the device part.

16. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plug part is arranged on a device part housing-side end of the device part which is averted from the fan.

17. A video endoscopy apparatus, comprising: a device part, the device part having a device part housing having a cutout, a sealed-off region inside the device part housing, an electronics component arrangement arranged in the sealed-off region in the device part housing, a plug part configured to be coupled to the device part housing, the plug part having a plug part housing configured to be inserted into the cutout in the device part housing, and, in the inserted state, to complete the device part housing and to remain visible from the outside.

18. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the cutout in the device part housing has a first contour, and the plug part housing has a second contour, wherein the first and second contours are complementary with respect to each other, so that the plug part housing can engage into the cutout in an interlocking form-fit manner.

19. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the cutout and the plug part housing extend over at least half the width of the device part housing in direction of a width dimension of the device part housing.

20. The video endoscopy apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the plug part has a sealed-off region inside the plug part housing, and a further electronics component arrangement arranged in the sealed-off region.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and will be described in more detail below with reference to said drawing, in which:

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a video endoscopy apparatus comprising a device part and an endoscope;

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a section through the device part in FIG. 1 along the section line II shown in FIG. 1, wherein a plug part of the video endoscope apparatus is coupled to the device part;

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a video endoscope apparatus comprising a device part and a plug part according to a further exemplary embodiment, wherein the plug part is removed from the device part;

[0049] FIG. 4 shows the video endoscope apparatus according to FIG. 3, wherein the plug part is coupled to the device part;

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a view of the video endoscope apparatus in FIG. 4 from the rear; and

[0051] FIG. 6 shows a partially broken-off illustration of the video endoscope apparatus in FIGS. 3 to 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0052] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus, provided with general reference symbol 10, for video endoscopy. Further details of the apparatus 10 are shown in FIG. 2.

[0053] The video endoscope apparatus 10 is used, in particular, in industrial applications for visual inspection. The video endoscope apparatus 10 is designed, in particular, to be used in harsh environmental conditions.

[0054] The video endoscope apparatus 10 has a device part 12. An endoscope 14 which is in the form of a video endoscope with an integrated camera or in the form of an endoscope with a connected camera, for example a camera 15, is also shown in FIG. 1. The endoscope 14 is connected or can be connected to a cable 16 which has a plug part 18 at the proximal end.

[0055] The device part 12 has a housing 20. A display screen or monitor 22 is arranged in the housing 20.

[0056] A plug socket 24 into which the plug part 18 can be inserted is further arranged on the housing 20, so that the plug part 18 can be coupled to the device part 12. This is illustrated by an arrow 26 in FIG. 1.

[0057] According to FIG. 2, an electronics component arrangement 28 which has one or more electronic components is arranged in the housing 20 of the device part 12. Since the device 12 primarily has the function of a camera control unit for the endoscope camera, the electronics component arrangement is, for example, part of the control electronics system for the endoscope camera.

[0058] During operation of the video endoscope apparatus 10, the electronics component arrangement 28 generates heat as an undesired by-product.

[0059] The electronics component arrangement 28 is tightly encapsulated from its surrounding area in the housing 20 of the device part 12, as is illustrated by a dash-dotted boundary line 30 which outlines a sealed-off region within the housing 20. The tight encapsulation of the electronics component arrangement 28 can be realized, for example, by one or more seal elements along the boundary line 30. The tight encapsulation of the electronics component arrangement 28 has the effect that the electronics component arrangement 28 does not come into contact with dust, liquids, spray mist and the like which can be carried along by the ambient air into the interior of the housing 20.

[0060] A heat sink 32 which is thermally coupled to the electronics component arrangement 28 in order to absorb heat from the electronics component arrangement 28 is arranged in the housing 20 of the device part 12. The thermal coupling between the heat sink 32 and the electronics component arrangement 28 can be realized by thermal radiation, thermal convection or by thermally conductive connection or by a plurality of these coupling types. In particular, the heat sink 32 is thermally coupled to the electronics component arrangement 28 in the sealed-off region 30.

[0061] Furthermore, a fan 34 is arranged in the housing 20 of the device part 12, specifically at a housing-side end 36 of the housing 20. Ventilation openings 38, for example in the form of a ventilation grille 40 (also see FIG. 1), are present at the end 36 of the housing 20. The fan 34 draws in ambient air via the ventilation openings 38 during operation. The fan 34 generates an air flow, which is indicated by a line 42 in FIG. 2, from the drawn-in ambient air.

[0062] The air flow 42 flows here through at least one air channel 44 which runs through the interior of the heat sink 32.

[0063] On account of the tight encapsulation of the electronics component arrangement 28, the air flow 42 does not come into contact with the electronics component arrangement 28 since the air flow 42 cannot enter the sealed-off region 30.

[0064] FIG. 2 shows the plug part 18 in the state in which it is coupled to the device part 12. The plug part 18 likewise has an electronics component arrangement 46 which has one or more electronic components. The electronics component arrangement 46 of the plug part 18 is tightly encapsulated from its surrounding area, as is illustrated by a dash-dotted boundary line 48 which outlines the sealed-off region of the plug part 18. The tight encapsulation of the plug part 18 can be realized by the plug part 18 being sealed off to the outside overall.

[0065] The plug part 18 has a heat sink 50 which is thermally coupled to the electronics component arrangement 46 in order to absorb heat from the electronics component arrangement 46. The thermal coupling between the heat sink 50 and the electronics component arrangement 46 can be realized, as described above for the heat sink 32 and the electronics component arrangement 28 of the device part 12, by thermal conduction, thermal convection and/or thermal radiation. Here, thermal coupling is also performed primarily in the sealed-off region 48 of the plug part 18 again.

[0066] As is clear from FIG. 2, the plug part 18 and the device part 12 are arranged along one axis 52, wherein the heat sink 50 of the plug part 18 and the heat sink 32 of the device part 12 adjoin one another in the direction of the axis 52, but separately from one another, as is indicated by a further axis 54 in FIG. 2. The axis 54 is the separating line between the plug part 18 and the device part 12.

[0067] The air flow which is generated by the fan 34 also flows along the heat sink 50 in order to dissipate the heat from the heat sink 50, without coming into contact with the electronics component arrangement 46, since the said electronics component arrangement is tightly encapsulated from its surrounding area. The heat sink 50, like the heat sink 32, has at least one air channel 55 which runs through the interior of the heat sink 50, the air flow which is generated by the fan 34 passing through the said air channel. The air flow passes out of the heat sink 50 into the surrounding area in accordance with flow arrows 56. Since the plug part 18 adjoins the device part 12 along the axis 53, and the fan 34 is arranged on the end 36 of the housing 20 of the device part 12 which is averted from the plug part 18, a compact design of the video endoscopy apparatus 10, in which only the one fan 34 is required in order to additionally also cool the plug part 18, is produced.

[0068] FIGS. 3 to 6 show a further exemplary embodiment of an apparatus, which is provided with the general reference symbol 110, for video endoscopy. The apparatus 110 has a device part 112 which has a housing 114. The housing 114 has a front side 116 which is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, and a rear side 118 which is shown in FIG. 5.

[0069] The apparatus 110 has a plug part 120. The plug part 120 is connected or can be connected to a cable 122, wherein the cable 122 can be connected to an endoscope or video endoscope (not illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6), for example to the endoscope 14 in FIG. 1.

[0070] The plug part 120 can be coupled to, in particular can be plugged together with, the device part 112. FIG. 3 shows the plug part 120 in the state in which it is removed from the device part 112, while FIGS. 4 and 5 and also FIG. 6 show the plug part 120 in the state in which it is connected to the device part 112.

[0071] The housing 114 of the device part 112 has a cutout 126 into which the plug part 120 can be inserted, in particular can be inserted in an interlocking form-fit manner. To this end, the plug part 120 has a housing 128 which can be inserted into the cutout 126 in the housing 114 of the device part 112 and therefore completes and closes the housing 114 of the device part 112. In the state in which the plug part 120 is inserted into the cutout 126 in the housing 114, a portion of the housing 128 of the plug part 120 remains visible from the outside. In this case, the visible part of the housing 128 of the plug part 120 completes the housing 114 of the device part 112, in the exemplary embodiment shown the housing 128 of the plug part 120 completes the rest of the housing 114 of the device part 112 in a complementary manner. In other words, the housing 128 of the plug part 120 forms, in the inserted state of the plug part 120, a portion of the housing 114 of the device part 112. In the inserted state, the housing 128 closes off the cutout 126 at least in a dust-tight manner, preferably also in an air- and liquid-tight manner.

[0072] The housing 128 of the plug part 120 extends, in the direction of a width dimension of the housing 114 of the device part 112, which width dimension is illustrated by two arrows B in FIG. 4, at least over half of the said width dimension (cf. also the view from the rear in FIG. 5 in this respect).

[0073] That portion of the housing 128 of the plug part 120 which remains visible in the inserted state of the plug part 120 has a large number of cooling fins 130. These cooling fins 130 serve to discharge the heat from the interior of the plug part 120.

[0074] According to FIG. 6, different components, which are schematically illustrated in FIG. 6, are arranged in the interior of the plug part 120.

[0075] These components can include electrical components 132 which serve, for example, to transmit electrical energy from the device part 112 to the video endoscope (for example video endoscope 14 in FIG. 1). Furthermore, electronic components 134 which can serve for bidirectional data transmission, for example for transmitting control commands from the device part 112 to the video endoscope and/or for transmitting video data from the video endoscope to the device part 112, can be arranged in the plug part 120. In this case, electrical energy and/or data are/is transmitted via the cable 122.

[0076] Furthermore, a light source 136, preferably with a high light yield, is preferably arranged in the plug part 120, the light which is generated by the said light source likewise being transmitted via the cable 122 to the video endoscope to illuminate a working or observation area.

[0077] Furthermore, a laser source 138, which provides laser light for a measurement system, in particular a multipoint measurement system, can be arranged in the plug part 120.

[0078] The abovementioned components are able to be accommodated in the plug part 120 by the integration of the housing 128 into the housing 114 of the device part 112 as provided according to the invention, without the apparatus 110 as a whole having to be larger for this purpose.

[0079] Heat can advantageously be discharged via the cooling fins 130 not only from the interior of the plug part 120, but also from the interior of the device part 112. In terms of a cooling concept, the device part 112 can correspond substantially to the device part 12 of the apparatus 10, as has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0080] Furthermore, a groove 140 into which the cable 122 is placed when the plug part 120 is connected to the device part 112 is made in the region of a corner of the housing 114 of the device part 112.

[0081] Otherwise, it goes without saying that the refinement of the plug part 120 and of the housing 114 with the cutout 126 can also be realized in the case of the apparatus 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein the cooling concept described with reference to FIG. 1 and the concept of sealing off electronics component arrangements can be retained.