Patent ID: 6798587
Filing Date: 2004-09-28
Classification: G01J,G02B,H01H,H04N

Abstract:
In combination, an assembly for the thermal profiling of heat generating elements within the interior of an enclosure encompassed by a cabinet, the cabinet having a first face, the heat generating elements disposed a fixed distance, within a range, from said first face, the combination comprising:(a) a lens assembly, said lens assembly of the fish-eye configuration, including (i) a housing; (ii) a series of infrared transmitting optical lenses mounted within said housing; said housing configured to have a co-axially aligned open front end and open rear end, said open front end being substantially smaller in relation to said open rear end; (b) a thermal imaging camera, each of said lenses in said series of infrared transmitting optical lenses being compatible with the spectral transmissivity of said thermal imaging camera; (c) means for connecting said open rear end of said housing to said thermal imaging camera, to thereby form a camera-lens assembly, said camera-lens assembly having a field of view; (d) an access opening formed in the face of the cabinet, said access opening having a maximum diameter of 16 mm nominal, said access opening having a predetermined relationship to the heat generating elements; and, (e) an infrared view port fixedly secured to the face of the cabinet, said infrared view port having a central opening, said infrared view port central opening being positioned about and approximately coextensive with said access opening, said infrared view port adapted and configured to form a nesting platform, centered about said infrared view port central opening, said infrared view port central opening having a predetermined relationship to the heat generating elements, said open front end of said housing adapted and configured to cooperatively engage said nesting platform so as to enable said open front end of said housing to be pivotally disposed on said nesting platform such that the operator can pivot the camera-lens assembly within a predetermined degree of rotation, in any direction, to thereby facilitate viewing an extended area of the interior which can be viewed within the field of view of the camera-lens assembly, and thus capture the thermal image due to the infrared radiation rays originating from the heat generating elements within the field of view including the heat generating elements in the extended area of the interior.