Endoscope and method for assembling components of an optical system

Abstract

An endoscope has a tubular shaft whose interior contains components, in particular lenses, spacers, diaphragms, prisms and filters of an optical system, said components being at least partially surrounded by a support piece made of shrunk material. It is proposed that the components be surrounded by a transparent and tube-sleeve-shaped shrunk material which has been shrunk before the components are introduced into the tubular shaft.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An endoscope, comprising:
 a tubular shaft, having an inside face,   an optical system having several components, said components of said optical system are contained in an interior of said tubular shaft,   said components comprising at least two of the following: a lens, a spacer, a diaphragm, a prism and a filter, said components directly surrounded by a support piece made of a shrunk material, wherein   said shrunk material is a transparent material,   said support piece made of said transparent material has a shape of a tube, and   said tube containing said components of said optical system has been shrunk prior to inserting said tube into said interior of said tubular shaft, for allowing a visual check of a position of said components relative to one another, and   a gap located between an outside surface of said tube of shrunk material and said inside face of said tubular shaft.   
     
     
       2. The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein said components are surrounded by a single tube made of said transparent material. 
     
     
       3. The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein said shrunk transparent tube containing said components is fixed to the inside face of said tubular shaft. 
     
     
       4. The endoscope of  claim 3 , wherein said tube being fixed to said inside face of said tubular shaft by a radial expansion of said shrunk material. 
     
     
       5. The endoscope of  claim 4 , wherein said shrunk tube containing said components has in at least one area a configuration effecting a radial expansion during an axial shrinkage of said tube already inserted into said hollow shaft. 
     
     
       6. The endoscope of  claim 5 , wherein said configuration being at least one of thickened parts, beads and incisions of said transparent material. 
     
     
       7. The endoscope of  claim 1 , wherein said components comprise at least one of each of the following: a lens, a spacer, a diaphragm, a prism and a filter. 
     
     
       8. An endoscope, comprising:
 a tubular shaft having an interior and an inside face;   an optical system including a plurality of components positioned in the interior of said shaft, the plurality of components comprising at least two of the following: a lens, a spacer, a diaphragm, a prism and a filter;   a support piece comprising a shrunk material enclosing said optical system to fit into the interior of said tubular shaft and providing support for said optical system, said shrunk material directly surrounding said plurality of components;   wherein said optical system is enclosed by and in contact with said shrunk material prior to insertion into said interior of said tubular shaft; and   wherein said shrunk material is either transparent or translucent such that visual inspection of said plurality of components relative to each other may be conducted prior to insertion into said interior of said tubular shaft, and   a gap located between an outside surface of said tube of shrunk material and said inside face of said tubular shaft.   
     
     
       9. The endoscope of  claim 8 , wherein said plurality of components is surrounded by a single tube made of said transparent or translucent material. 
     
     
       10. The endoscope of  claim 8 , wherein said shrunk transparent or translucent material containing said plurality of components is affixed to the inside face of said tubular shaft. 
     
     
       11. The endoscope of  claim 10 , wherein said shrunk transparent or translucent material is affixed to said inside face of said tubular shaft by a radial expansion of said shrunk transparent or translucent material. 
     
     
       12. The endoscope of  claim 11 , wherein said shrunk transparent or translucent material containing said plurality of components has in at least one area a configuration effecting a radial expansion during an axial shrinkage of said transparent or translucent material already inserted into the interior of said tubular shaft. 
     
     
       13. The endoscope of  claim 11 , wherein said configuration being at least one of thickened parts, beads and incisions of said transparent or translucent material. 
     
     
       14. The endoscope of  claim 8 , wherein said plurality of components comprise at least one of each of the following: a lens, a spacer, a diaphragm, a prism and a filter. 
     
     
       15. An endoscope, comprising:
 a tubular shaft having an inside face;   an optical system having several components contained in an interior of the tubular shaft;   the components comprising at least two of the following: a lens, a spacer, a diaphragm, a prism, and a filter;   the components directly surrounded by a shrunk material to form a shape of a tube;   the tube containing the components shrunk prior to inserting the tube into the interior of the tubular shaft;   the shrunk material adapted to permit a visual check of a position of the components relative to one another through the shrunk material;   a gap located between an outside surface of the tube and the inside face of the tubular shaft to permit inserting the tube into the interior of the tubular shaft.   
     
     
       16. The endoscope of claim 15, wherein the shrunk material is shrunk by the application of heat. 
     
     
       17. The endoscope of claim 15, wherein the shrunk material transmits light to permit the visual check. 
     
     
       18. The endoscope of claim 17, wherein the shrunk material is transparent. 
     
     
       19. The endoscope of claim 17, wherein a transparency of the shrunk material permits the visual check. 
     
     
       20. The endoscope of claim 15, wherein the shrunk material is fixed to the inside face of the tubular shaft. 
     
     
       21. The endoscope of claim 20, wherein the shrunk material is fixed to the inside face of the tubular shaft by a radial expansion of the shrunk material. 
     
     
       22. The endoscope of claim 21, wherein the radial expansion of the shrunk material fills the gap. 
     
     
       23. The endoscope of claim 21, wherein the shrunk material has in at least one area a configuration effecting a radial expansion during an axial shrinkage of the shrunk material. 
     
     
       24. The endoscope of claim 23, wherein the configuration comprises at least one of thickened parts, beads, and incisions of the shrunk material. 
     
     
       25. The endoscope of claim 15, wherein the components comprise at least one of each of the following: a lens, a spacer, a diaphragm, a prism, and a filter. 
     
     
       26. An endoscope, comprising:
 a tubular shaft having an interior and an inside face;   an optical system including a plurality of components positioned in the interior of the tubular shaft, the plurality of components comprising at least two of the following: a lens, a spacer, a diaphragm, a prism, and a filter;   a shrunk material enclosing the optical system and providing support for the optical system, the shrunk material directly surrounding the plurality of components to form a shape of a tube;   the optical system enclosed by and in contact with the shrunk material prior to insertion into the interior of the tubular shaft;   the shrunk material adapted to permit visual inspection of the plurality of components relative to each other through the shrunk material;   a gap located between an outside surface of the tube and the inside face of the tubular shaft to permit inserting the tube into the interior of the tubular shaft.   
     
     
       27. The endoscope of claim 26, wherein the shrunk material transmits light to permit the visual inspection. 
     
     
       28. The endoscope of claim 27, wherein the shrunk material is transparent. 
     
     
       29. The endoscope of claim 26, wherein the shrunk material is affixed to the inside face of the tubular shaft. 
     
     
       30. The endoscope of claim 29, wherein the shrunk material is affixed to the inside face of the tubular shaft by a radial expansion of the shrunk material. 
     
     
       31. The endoscope of claim 30, wherein the radial expansion of the shrunk material fills the gap. 
     
     
       32. The endoscope of claim 30, wherein the shrunk material containing the plurality of components has in at least one area a configuration effecting a radial expansion during an axial shrinkage. 
     
     
       33. The endoscope of claim 26, wherein the plurality of components comprises at least one of each of the following: a lens, a spacer, a diaphragm, a prism, and a filter. 
     
     
       34. The endoscope of claim 26, further comprising a retaining device for holding the tube and permitting the visual inspection of the plurality of components relative to each other through the shrunk material.