JP6330898B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

  The present disclosure relates to an imaging device that captures an image of a surrounding environment while being rotated in a predetermined rotation direction.

  As an imaging device, there is a monitoring camera that images a surrounding environment in a state where an installation position is fixed. In the monitoring camera, it is desirable to rotate the lens in a predetermined rotation direction depending on the relationship between the range that can be imaged by the lens of the monitoring camera and the location where the user wants to image by the monitoring camera.

  Patent Document 1 below discloses a surveillance camera having a lens unit having a lens and a support member that supports the lens unit and rotates in the pan direction.

JP 2012-93579 A

  Incidentally, in Patent Document 1, the rotation amount of the lens unit in the pan direction is not regulated. For this reason, since the lens unit can rotate in the pan direction without limitation, there is a possibility that, for example, a wire (lead wire or the like) connected to the lens unit is twisted. For this reason, it is desirable to provide a rotation amount regulating mechanism that regulates the rotation amount of the lens unit.

  On the other hand, for example, when a member that contacts the support member and restricts the rotation of the support member is provided as the rotation amount restriction mechanism, it is difficult to rotate the lens unit 360 degrees in the pan direction. In such a case, there is a risk that the security function of the surveillance camera may not be sufficiently exhibited.

  Therefore, the present disclosure proposes an imaging device that can rotate the lens unit 360 degrees or more while restricting the rotation amount of the lens unit.

  According to the present disclosure, a lens unit having a lens, a support member that supports the lens unit and rotates together with the lens unit in a predetermined rotation direction, and contacts the rotating support member, the support member A rotation restricting member that restricts the rotation of the rotation restricting member, and a predetermined amount of movement in the rotation direction of the rotation restricting member that is in contact with the support member is allowed so that the support member can rotate 360 degrees or more in the rotation direction. There is provided an imaging device including a movement allowing unit.

  According to this imaging apparatus, the rotation regulating member can regulate the rotation of the support member by contacting the rotating support member, so that the rotation amount of the lens unit can be regulated. In addition, since the movement allowing portion allows a predetermined amount of movement in the rotation direction of the rotation restricting member in contact with the support member so that the support member can rotate 360 degrees or more in the rotation direction, the lens unit can be rotated 360 degrees. It can be rotated as described above.

  As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to rotate the lens unit by 360 degrees or more while restricting the rotation amount of the lens unit.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an external configuration of a monitoring camera 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a figure which shows the external appearance structure of the surveillance camera 100 of the state which removed the exterior cover. 2 is an exploded view of a monitoring camera 100. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a pan table 150. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of the stopper 160. FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a chassis 170. It is a figure for demonstrating the position adjustment of the pan stand 150 to the pan direction. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an external configuration of a lens unit 120. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a lens unit 120. FIG. It is a figure which shows the external appearance structure of the lens unit 120 of the state which removed the lower case.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in this specification and drawing, about the component which has the substantially same function structure, duplication description is abbreviate | omitted by attaching | subjecting the same code | symbol.

The description will be made in the following order.
1. 1. Configuration example of imaging device 2. Position adjustment of pan base in pan direction Example of lens unit configuration 4. Summary

<1. Configuration Example of Imaging Device>
A configuration example of the monitoring camera 100 that is an example of an imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an external configuration of a monitoring camera 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The monitoring camera 100 is fixed to a horizontal plane H such as the ceiling of the room shown in FIG. The surveillance camera 100 has a lens unit and captures the surrounding environment as a moving image or a still image.

  The lens unit can image the surrounding environment at various angles by moving in three directions (pan direction, tilt direction, and rotation direction). Here, the pan direction is a direction parallel to the horizontal direction, the tilt direction is a direction along the vertical direction, and the rotation direction is a direction around the optical axis. In this embodiment, the user manually moves the lens unit in the pan direction, the tilt direction, and the rotation direction.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an external configuration of the monitoring camera 100 with the exterior cover removed. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the surveillance camera 100. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of the pan table 150. FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of the stopper 160. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration example of the chassis 170. 5A is a view of the stopper 160 as viewed from above, and FIG. 5B is a view of the stopper 160 as viewed from below.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the surveillance camera 100 includes an exterior cover 110, a lens unit 120, an inner cover 130, a plate leaf spring 140 that is an example of an elastic member, and a pan table 150 that is an example of a support member. A stopper 160, which is an example of a rotation restricting member, a chassis 170, which is an example of a base, a main board 180, and a bottom plate 190.

(Exterior cover 110)
The exterior cover 110 is a cover that covers a portion other than the bottom surface of the monitoring camera 100. In the present embodiment, the exterior cover 110 is made of resin. Ribs are formed inside the exterior cover 110, and the ribs contact the chassis 170. For this reason, the impact acting on the exterior cover 110 is transmitted to the chassis 170.

(Lens unit 120)
The lens unit 120 includes a lens and an imaging element that generates an electric signal by imaging and photoelectrically converting light transmitted through the lens. The lens unit 120 is supported by the pan table 150 and is rotatable in the tilt direction and the rotation direction. The lens unit 120 has a substrate inside and is connected to a wire such as an external lead wire. The detailed configuration of the lens unit 120 will be described later.

(Inner cover 130)
The inner cover 130 is made of, for example, resin and covers the bread leaf spring 140. The inner cover 130 also has a function of protecting the sub board 182 fixed to the upper surface of the chassis 170. Electronic components such as switches are attached to the sub-board 182. The inner cover 130 has a hook 130 b that engages with the chassis 170. The inner cover 130 is fixed to the chassis 170 by the hook 130 b engaging with the chassis 170.

(Bread leaf spring 140)
The leaf spring 140 for bread is a thin plate spring made of, for example, a metal (SUS, etc.). The plate leaf spring 140 presses the pan table 150 against the chassis 170. The plate spring 140 for bread has an engagement hole 140b and a protrusion 140c.

  The engagement holes 140b are formed in the four bent portions 140a of the bread leaf spring 140, respectively. When the engagement hole 140 b is engaged with the chassis 170, the bread leaf spring 140 is fixed to the chassis 170.

  The protrusion 140 c protrudes toward the pan table 150 and contacts the pan table 150. In the plate spring 140 for bread, four protrusions 140c are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The protrusion 140c presses the pan table 150 (specifically, the base 150a). The protrusion 140c is formed by drawing the bread leaf spring 140. In FIG. 3, four protrusions 140c are formed, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be three or less.

(Bread stand 150)
The pan table 150 has a function of supporting the lens unit 120. The pan table 150 supports the lens unit 120 and rotates together with the lens unit 120 in the pan direction which is a predetermined rotation direction. The pan table 150 can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise in the pan direction (see FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 4, the pan table 150 includes a base portion 150a, a pair of support portions 150b, and a bending portion 150c.

  The base 150a has a circular shape and is rotatably mounted on the chassis 170. The base 150a is pressed by the protrusion 140c of the bread leaf spring 140 located above. Thereby, the position is held in a state where the pan table 150 is rotated. The pressing force of the protrusion 140c is adjusted by the thickness of the bread leaf spring 140 and the protrusion amount of the protrusion 140c.

  The support portion 150 b is bent from the base portion 150 a to the pan leaf spring 140 and supports the lens unit 120. The lens unit 120 is rotatable in the tilt direction around the support portion 150b.

  The bent portion 150 c is bent from the base portion 150 a toward the chassis 170 and can contact a stopper 160 attached to the chassis 170. And when the bending part 150c contacts the stopper 160, rotation to the pan direction of the pan stand 150 is controlled. A bend 150d for increasing the strength of the pan table 150 is formed at the outer peripheral edge of the base 150a.

(Stopper 160)
The stopper 160 is made of resin and is attached to the chassis 170. The stopper 160 supports the lens unit 120 and contacts the pan table 150 rotating in the pan direction, thereby restricting the rotation of the pan table 150. In the present embodiment, the stopper 160 contacts the pan table 150 that is rotating clockwise and counterclockwise in the pan direction, and regulates clockwise rotation and counterclockwise rotation. Thereby, the amount of rotation of the lens unit 120 in the pan direction can be regulated.

  The stopper 160 has a contact convex portion 160 a that can come into contact with the bent portion 150 c of the pan table 150. As shown in FIG. 5, the contact convex portion 160 a is formed in the central portion of the stopper 160. When the contact convex part 160a contacts the bending part 150c, the rotation of the pan table 150 in the pan direction is restricted.

  Further, the stopper 160 is movably attached to the movement allowable recess 170d of the chassis 170 so as to allow a predetermined amount of movement in the pan direction. The stopper 160 has a moving part 160b (FIG. 5) that moves along the movement-permissible recess 170d. The moving unit 160b can move by a predetermined angle in the pan direction while the contact convex portion 160a is in contact with the pan table 150 as the pan table 150 rotates in the pan direction. With this configuration, the pan table 150 can ensure a rotation of 360 degrees or more in the pan direction while being restricted from rotating by the stopper 160.

(Chassis 170)
The chassis 170 is a base of the monitoring camera 100, and is made of, for example, aluminum die casting. Since it is made of die casting, the robustness of the surveillance camera 100 can be ensured. A pan stand 150 is placed on the chassis 170 so as to be rotatable in the pan direction. Further, a sub-board 182 (see FIG. 3) is attached to the chassis 170. As shown in FIG. 6, the chassis 170 includes an engagement protrusion 170 b, a placement surface 170 c, and a movement allowable recess 170 d that is an example of a movement allowable part.

  The engagement protrusion 170 b engages with the engagement hole 140 b of the pan leaf spring 140. The engagement protrusions 170b are formed at positions corresponding to the four engagement holes 140b. When the engagement protrusion 170b is engaged with the engagement hole 140b, the pan leaf spring 140 is fixed to the chassis 170.

  The base 150a of the pan table 150 is placed on the placement surface 170c. When the base portion 150a rotates in the pan direction on the placement surface 170c, the lens unit 120 supported by the pan table 150 also rotates in the pan direction.

  The movement allowable recess 170d is a recess formed on the inner peripheral surface of the chassis 170 by a predetermined width along the pan direction. A stopper 160 is attached to the movement allowable recess 170d. A guide groove 170e that guides the movement of the moving portion 160b of the stopper 160 is formed in the movement-permissible recess 170d. With this configuration, the movement-permissible recess 170d has a predetermined amount of rotation in the rotation direction (clockwise and counterclockwise) of the stopper 160 in contact with the pan table 150 so that the pan table 150 can rotate 360 degrees or more in the pan direction. Allow movement.

  Incidentally, as described above, the rib formed inside the exterior cover 110 contacts the chassis 170. For this reason, the chassis 170 receives an impact acting on the exterior cover 110. Since the chassis 170 in the present embodiment is made of die casting, it can receive an impact. Further, since the chassis 170 receives the impact, it is not necessary for the exterior cover 110 to directly receive the impact. In this embodiment, the exterior cover 110 is made of resin.

(Main board 180 and bottom plate 190)
The main board 180 is provided with various electronic components such as circuits necessary for the operation of the monitoring camera 100. The bottom plate 190 is located below the main board 180, and the main board 180 is attached thereto. Further, the bottom plate 190 is fixed to a horizontal plane H such as a ceiling as shown in FIG.

<2. Position adjustment of pan base in pan direction>
The position adjustment in the pan direction of the pan table 150 that holds the lens unit 120 will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the position adjustment of the pan table 150 in the pan direction is performed by manually rotating the pan table 150 by the user.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the position adjustment of the pan base 150 in the pan direction. In FIG. 7, for convenience of explanation, the lens unit 120 supported by the pan table 150 is not shown.

  The pan table 150 can rotate clockwise and counterclockwise in the pan direction shown in FIG. Here, it is assumed that the user rotates the pan table 150 counterclockwise from the state shown in FIG. 7A (first state) as shown in FIG. 7B.

  When the pan table 150 further rotates counterclockwise from the state shown in FIG. 7B (second state), the bent portion 150c of the pan table 150 causes the contact convex portion 160a of the stopper 160 attached to the movement allowable concave portion 170d. Contact with. Thereafter, when the user further rotates the pan table 150 counterclockwise, a force is applied to the stopper 160 from the bent portion 150c, and the moving portion 160b of the stopper 160 is counterclockwise along the guide groove 170e of the movement allowable recess 170d. Move around.

  Thereafter, when the user further rotates the pan table 150 counterclockwise, the state shown in FIG. 7C (third state), that is, the stopper 160 further moves and contacts the side wall of the movement-permissible recess 170d. To the state. As can be seen from FIG. 7A and FIG. 7C, the pan table 150 is rotated 360 degrees or more.

  That is, when the user rotates the pan table 150 counterclockwise in the pan direction, the stopper 160 contacts the pan table 150 and restricts counterclockwise rotation. On the other hand, since the stopper 160 in contact with the pan table 150 moves counterclockwise in the movement allowable recess 170d, the lens unit 120 supported by the pan table 150 can rotate 360 degrees or more counterclockwise in the pan direction.

  In the above, the example in which the pan table 150 rotates counterclockwise in the pan direction has been described, but the same applies to the case where the pan table 150 rotates clockwise. That is, even when the state shown in FIG. 7C is changed to the state shown in FIG. 7A, the stopper 160 comes into contact with the pan table 150 and restricts the clockwise rotation. Since the lens unit 120 moves clockwise in 170d, the lens unit 120 supported by the pan table 150 can rotate 360 degrees or more clockwise in the pan direction.

<3. Example of lens unit configuration>
A configuration example of the lens unit 120 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of the lens unit 120. FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the lens unit 120. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an external configuration of the lens unit 120 with the lower case 280 removed.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the lens unit 120 includes an upper case 210, a lens holding unit 220, a cylindrical member 230, a rotation table 240, a tilt table 250, a rotation leaf spring 260, a pressing member 270, A lower case 280.

  The upper case 210 and the lower case 280 constitute an exterior cover for the lens unit 120. The upper case 210 covers the lens holding unit 220, and the lower case 280 covers the rotation base 240, the tilt base 250, and the rotation leaf spring 260. The upper case 210 and the lower case 280 are made of resin, for example.

  The lens holding unit 220 is formed of a sheet metal or the like and holds the lens 222. A substrate on which electronic components such as an image sensor are attached is fixed in the lens holding unit 220. The lens holding unit 220 is fixed to the rotation table 240. For this reason, when the rotation table 240 rotates in the rotation direction, the lens holding unit 220 also rotates in the rotation direction.

  The cylindrical member 230 is made of, for example, resin, and is fitted to the rotation table 240, the tilt table 250, and the rotation leaf spring 260. The cylindrical member 230 has an annular wall 230a, a plurality of insertion holes 230b formed in the annular wall 230a, and a notch 230c.

  The annular wall 230a is a wall that protrudes toward the lower case 280 and is formed in an annular shape. The insertion holes 230b are formed in the annular wall 230a at a predetermined interval. In the present embodiment, four insertion holes 230b are formed. The pressing members 270 are inserted into the four insertion holes 230b, respectively. The notch 230c is formed by notching between the two insertion holes 230b in the annular wall 230a. The protrusion of the rotation leaf spring 260 is locked to the notch 230c, thereby preventing the rotation of the rotation leaf spring 260.

  The rotation table 240 supports the lens holding unit 220 and rotates together with the lens holding unit 220 in a direction around the optical axis (rotation direction). The rotation table 240 has a protrusion that can come into contact with the lower case 280, and the rotation of the rotation table 240 is restricted when the protrusion comes into contact with the lower case 280.

  The tilt table 250 is supported so as to be movable in the tilt direction (vertical direction) with respect to the pan table 150 (FIG. 3). When the tilt table 250 is tilted, the lens holding unit 220 is also tilted.

  The rotation leaf spring 260 is, for example, a metal circular plate-like thin leaf spring. The rotation leaf spring 260 is positioned below the tilt table 250 and presses the tilt table 250 and the rotation table 240. The rotation leaf spring 260 has a plurality of protrusions 260a and a locking projection 260b.

  The plurality of protrusions 260 a are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, protrude toward the tilt table 250, and come into contact with the tilt table 250. The protrusions 260 a are formed by drawing as with the leaf spring 140 for bread. The locking projection 260b is formed to protrude toward the center in the radial direction. The locking projection 260 b is locked with the notch 230 c of the cylindrical member 230, thereby preventing the rotation of the rotation leaf spring 260.

  The pressing member 270 is inserted into the insertion hole 230 b of the cylindrical member 230. The pressing member 270 comes into contact with the rotation leaf spring 260 when inserted into the insertion hole 230b. Then, the pressing member 270 presses the rotation table 240 and the tilt table 250 via the rotation plate spring 260. When the pressing member 270 is pressed, the position of the rotated rotation table 240 is maintained.

<4. Summary>
In the monitoring camera 100 described above, the stopper 160 comes into contact with the rotating pan base 150 together with the lens unit 120 and restricts the rotation of the pan base 150 in the pan direction. Therefore, the rotation amount of the lens unit 120 in the pan direction. Can be regulated. Further, the movement allowable recess 170d of the chassis 170 allows a predetermined amount of movement in the pan direction of the stopper 160 in contact with the pan table 150 so that the pan table 150 can rotate 360 degrees or more in the pan direction. The lens unit 120 can be rotated 360 degrees or more in the pan direction. Thereby, even if the stopper 160 is provided, the lens unit 120 can capture images in all directions in the pan direction, so that the function of the monitoring camera 100 can be prevented from being deteriorated.

  In the above-described embodiment, the bent portion 150c is formed in the pan table 150, the movement allowable recess 170d is formed in the chassis 170, and the stopper 160 moves in the movement allowable recess 170d. However, the present invention is not limited to this. . For example, the bent portion may be formed on the chassis 170 side, the movement allowable recess may be formed on the pan table 150 side, and the stopper 160 may move in the movement allowable recess. Even in such a case, the lens unit 120 can be rotated 360 degrees or more in the pan direction.

  In the above-described embodiment, the stopper 160 as the rotation restricting member and the movement allowance concave portion 170d as the movement allowance portion are described as examples. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Any other shape may be used as long as it allows the movement of the member.

  In the above-described embodiment, the stopper 160 and the movement-allowing recess 170d for rotating the lens unit 120 360 degrees or more in the pan direction have been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a stopper for rotating the lens unit 120 360 degrees or more in the rotation direction and a movement allowable recess may be provided.

  In the above-described embodiment, the user manually rotates the lens unit 120 in the pan direction or the rotation direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the monitoring camera 100 may automatically rotate the lens unit 120 in the pan direction or the rotation direction.

  In the above-described embodiment, the monitoring camera 100 is described as an example of the imaging apparatus, but the present invention is not limited to this. Any device may be used as long as the camera rotates at least 360 degrees in a predetermined rotation direction and picks up an image.

  The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure can come up with various changes or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. Of course, it is understood that it belongs to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

The following configurations also belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.
(1)
A lens unit having a lens;
A support member that supports the lens unit and rotates in a predetermined rotation direction together with the lens unit;
A rotation restricting member that contacts the rotating support member and restricts the rotation of the support member;
A movement allowing portion that allows a predetermined amount of movement of the rotation regulating member in contact with the support member in the rotation direction so that the support member can rotate 360 degrees or more in the rotation direction;
An imaging apparatus comprising:
(2)
A base on which the support member is rotatably mounted;
The movement allowing portion is a recess formed in the base along the rotation direction,
The imaging device according to (1).
(3)
The rotation restricting member is movably attached to the recess.
The imaging device according to (2).
(4)
The support member has a circular base portion and a bent portion bent from the base portion,
The rotation restricting member restricts rotation of the support member in contact with the bent portion.
The imaging device according to any one of (1) to (3).
(5)
The support member is rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise in the rotation direction;
The rotation restricting member is in contact with the support member rotating clockwise and counterclockwise to restrict the rotation of the support member;
The movement permitting portion permits a predetermined amount of clockwise and counterclockwise movement of the rotation regulating member in contact with the support member;
The imaging device according to any one of (1) to (4).
(6)
The predetermined rotation direction is a pan direction parallel to the horizontal direction.
The imaging device according to any one of (1) to (5).
(7)
The support member has a circular base and a support that is bent from the base and supports the lens unit;
A plate-like elastic member having a plurality of protrusions for pressing the base;
The imaging device according to any one of (1) to (6).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Surveillance camera 120 Lens unit 122 Lens 140 Pan leaf spring 140c Protrusion 150 Pan stand 150a Base part 150b Support part 150c Bending part 160 Stopper 160a Contact convex part 160b Moving part 170 Chassis 170d Movement allowable concave part 170e Guide groove 220 Lens holding part 230 Cylinder Member 240 Rotation table 250 Tilt table 260 Leaf spring for rotation 270 Press member

Claims (5)

A lens unit having a lens;
A support member that supports the lens unit and rotates in a predetermined rotation direction together with the lens unit;
A rotation restricting member that contacts the rotating support member and restricts the rotation of the support member;
A movement allowing portion that allows the rotation restricting member in contact with the support member to move in the same direction as the support member, and allows a predetermined amount of movement of the rotation restricting member in the rotation direction;
A base on which the support member is rotatably mounted;
The support member has a circular base that is placed on the base, and a bent portion that extends from the base toward the inner space of the base,
The movement allowing portion is a recess formed in the base along the rotation direction and opened to an inner space of the base ,
The rotation regulating member, Rutotomoni movably mounted in the recess, has a convex portion protruding towards the inside of the base from the concave portion,
As the support member rotates, the bent portion of the support member comes into contact with the convex portion of the rotation restricting member, so that the rotation restricting member moves in the concave portion and contacts the side wall of the concave portion. apparatus. The support member is rotatable clockwise and counterclockwise in the rotation direction;
The rotation restricting member is in contact with the support member rotating clockwise and counterclockwise to restrict the rotation of the support member;
The movement permitting portion permits a predetermined amount of clockwise and counterclockwise movement of the rotation regulating member in contact with the support member;
The imaging device according to claim 1 . The predetermined rotation direction is a pan direction parallel to the horizontal direction.
The imaging device according to claim 1 or 2 . The support member has a circular base and a support that is bent from the base and supports the lens unit;
A plate-like elastic member having a plurality of protrusions for pressing the base;
The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The rotation restricting member in contact with the support member is movable in the same direction as the support member so that the support member can rotate 360 degrees or more in the rotation direction;
The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .

Images