CAMERA AND IMAGE PICK-UP DEVICE UNIT HAVING AN OPTICAL MEMBER THAT IS VIBRATED TO REMOVE DUST

• US 20080013945A1
• Filed: 07/24/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OM Digital Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: TAKIZAWA, Hiroyuki, Kawai, Sumio
• Granted Patent: US 7,591,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/439
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/52 Elements optimising image sensor operation, e.g. for electromagnetic interference [EMI] protection or temperature control by heat transfer or cooling elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/811 by dust removal, e.g. from surfaces of the image sensor or processing of the image signal output by the electronic image sensor

Abstract

A camera is provided that includes a dust-proofing member which has a transparent portion through which a visible light component is transmitted among beams incident from a photographing lens and which absorbs an infrared component, opposed to the front of an image pick-up device at a predetermined interval. A member for vibration is arranged at a peripheral portion of the dust-proofing member, and applies vibrations to the dust-proofing member. And a sealing structure portion is arranged at a portion formed by opposing the image pick-up device and the dust-proofing member, for sealing a space portion that is substantially sealed at peripheral portions of the image pick-up device and the dust-proofing member.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a photographing lens which inputs a subject image;

an image pick-up device which comprises a photoelectrically converting surface, and which produces an image signal corresponding to beams of the subject image irradiated onto the photoelectrically converting surface;

a dust proofing member which is interposed between the photographing lens and the image pick-up device, and which comprises a transparent portion through which a visible light component is transmitted among beams of the subject image input by the photographing lens to the image pick-up device, the transparent portion being opposed to a front of the image pick-up device at a predetermined interval;

a vibration member which is arranged at a peripheral portion of the dust-proofing member and vibrates the dust-proofing member;

a sealing part which seals a space between the image pick-up device and the dust-proofing member; and

a spring pressing member which presses the dust proofing member at periphery thereof toward the sealing part.

2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the spring pressing member presses the dust proofing member at a plurality of points on the periphery thereof.

3. The camera according to claim 1, wherein an infrared reflection layer is provided on the dust-proofing member on a side facing the photographing lens.

4. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the dust-proofing member comprises an infrared absorbing glass and an infrared reflection layer is provided on the surface of the infrared absorbing glass.

5. The camera according to claim 4, wherein an infrared refection layer is provided on the infrared absorbing glass on a side facing the photographing lens.

6. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the dust-proofing member has a low-pass filter function which limits transmission of a high spatial frequency component.

7. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising a photographing lens attaching unit for attaching photographing lens, wherein the photographing lens is detachable from the photographing lens attaching unit.

8. A camera comprising:

an image pick-up device which comprises a photoelectrically converting surface, and which produces an image signal corresponding to beams irradiated onto the photoelectrically converting surface;

a dust proofing member comprising transparent portion through which a visible light component is transmitted, the transparent portion being opposed to a front of the image pick-up device at a predetermined interval;

a vibration member which is arranged at a peripheral portion of the dust-proofing member, and which vibrates the dust-proofing member;

a sealing part which seals a space between the image pick-up device and the dust-proofing member; and

a spring pressing member which presses the dust proofing member at periphery thereof toward the sealing part.

9. The camera according to claim 8, wherein the spring pressing member presses the dust proofing member at a plurality of points on the periphery thereof.

10. The camera according to claim 8, wherein an infrared reflection layer is provided on the dust-proofing member on a side facing a photographing lens.

11. The camera according to claim 8, wherein the dust-proofing member comprises an infrared absorbing glass and an infrared reflection layer is provided on the surface of the infrared absorbing glass.

12. The camera according to claim 11, wherein an infrared refection layer is provided on the infrared absorbing glass on a side facing the photographing lens.

13. The camera according to claim 8, wherein the dust-proofing member has a low-pass filter function which limits transmission of a high spatial frequency component.

14. The camera according to claim 8, further comprising a photographing lens attaching unit for attaching photographing lens, wherein the photographing lens is detachable from the photographing lens attaching unit.

15. An image pick-up device unit comprising:

an image pick-up device which comprises a photoelectrically converting surface, and which produces an image signal corresponding to beams irradiated onto the photoelectrically converting surface;

an optical member which is opposed to a front of the image pick-up device at a predetermined interval;

a vibration member which is arranged at a peripheral portion of the optical member, and which vibrates the dust-proofing member; and

a spring pressing member which presses the dust proofing member at periphery thereof toward the sealing part.

16. The image pick-up unit according to claim 15, wherein the spring pressing member presses the dust proofing member at a plurality of points on the periphery thereof.

17. The image pick-up device unit according to claim 15, wherein the optical member comprises an infrared absorbing glass and an infrared reflection layer is provided on the surface of the infrared absorbing glass.

18. The image pick-up device unit according to claim 15, wherein the optical member has a low-pass filter function which limits transmission of a high spatial frequency component.

19. The image pick-up device unit according to claim 18, wherein the optical member comprises an optical low-pass filter.

20. The image pick-up device unit according to claim 18, wherein the optical member is formed by adhering an infrared absorbing glass and an optical low-pass filter to a glass plate.

21. The image pick-up device unit according to claim 18, wherein the optical member is formed by adhering an infrared absorbing glass and an optical low-pass filter.

22. The image pick-up device unit according to claim 18, wherein the optical member is formed by adhering an optical low-pass filter having the infrared reflection layer onto a glass plate.

23. The image pick-up device unit according to claim 15, wherein the vibration member comprises an electromechanical transducer.

24. The image pick-up device unit according to claim 23, wherein the electromechanical transducer comprises a piezoelectric element.

25. The image pick-up device unit according to claim 24, wherein the piezoelectric element is made of piezoelectric ceramics.