DOME CAMERA

• US 20140233935A1
• Filed: 04/25/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Wada, Jyouji, Uchida, Tamotsu, Kajino, Tetsuro
• Granted Patent: US 8,992,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/427
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/56 Accessories carrying-cases A45C11/38
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/02 with scanning movement of lens or cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A dome camera includes an inner cover covering a camera lens and a semi-spherical outer cover covering the inner cover, the camera lens being rotatable in a tilt direction and in a pan direction. The inner cover includes a partially spherical portion having an inclined support plane on which the outer cover is supported such that a radial line perpendicular to the inclined support plane is inclined at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a line passing through a center of the partially spherical portion and extends perpendicular to the installation face. A semi-spherical portion has a window, the semi-spherical portion is covered by the outer cover supported on the inclined support plane, and the outer cover rotatable in the pan direction, so as to orient the window in accordance with the orientation of the camera lens.

Claims

1. A dome camera installable to an installation face and having a camera lens, an orientation of the camera lens being adjustable, the dome camera comprising:

an inner cover covering the camera lens; and

a semi-spherical outer cover covering the inner cover,

the camera lens being rotatable in a tilt direction and in a pan direction;

the inner cover including;

a partially spherical portion having an inclined support plane on which the outer cover is supported such that a radial line perpendicular to the inclined support plane is inclined at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a line passing through a center of the partially spherical portion and extends perpendicular to the installation face, and

a semi-spherical portion having a semi-spherical shape, a window provided in the semi-spherical portion, the semi-spherical portion covered by the outer cover supported on the inclined support plane, and

a cover comprising at least the inner cover and the outer cover, the cover being rotatable in the pan direction, so as to orient the window in accordance with the orientation of the camera lens.

2. The dome camera according to claim 1, wherein

the inclined support plane is disposed between the partially spherical portion and the semi-spherical portion.

3. The dome camera according to claim 1, wherein

an optical axis of the camera lens passes through a spherical center of the outer cover.

4. The dome cover according to claim 1, wherein

the inner cover and the outer cover are integrally and continuously combined on the inclined support plane, so as to have a substantially spherical appearance.

5. The dome cover according to claim 1, wherein

the partially spherical portion includes an inclined step portion that supports an end of the outer cover.

6. The dome cover according to claim 1, wherein

spherical centers of the semi-spherical portion and the partially spherical portion are concentric with a spherical center of the outer cover.

7. The dome camera according to claim 1, wherein

the outer cover has plural locking portions, and

the inner cover has plural lock portions engagable with the plural locking portions, and

the locking portions are engaged with the lock portions so as to fix the outer cover to the inner cover.

8. The dome camera according to claim 7, wherein

each of the locking portions includes an L shaped locking projection extending from an end of the outer cover,

each of the lock portions includes a locking recess provided on an inner face of the inner cover,

insertion holes for inserting the locking projections are provided in an inclined step portion of the inner cover, and

the locking projections are configured to be inserted through the insertion holes and to engage with the locking recesses.

9. The dome camera according to claim 8, wherein

each of the locking portions includes a locking hole provided in each locking projection,

each of the lock portions includes a locking protrusion provided on each locking recess,

each of the locking protrusions includes an inclined face and a lock wall,

wherein, upon engagement of the locking projections with the locking recesses, a periphery of each locking hole moves beyond the inclined face, and each locking hole comes into engagement with a locking protrusion, and

upon an attempt to unlock the engagement between the locking projections and the locking recesses, the periphery of each locking hole is locked by the lock wall, so as to prevent unlocking of the engagement between each locking hole and the locking protrusion.

10. The dome camera according to claim 8, wherein

each of the locking portions includes a locking hole provided in each locking projection,

each of the lock portions includes a locking protrusion provided on each locking recess,

each of the locking protrusions includes a first inclined face and a second inclined face,

wherein, upon engagement of the locking projections with the locking recesses, a periphery of each locking hole moves beyond the first inclined face, and each projecting hole comes into engagement with each locked protrusion, and

in unlocking the engagement between the locking projections and the locking recesses, the periphery of each locking hole moves beyond the second inclined face, so as to unlock the engagement between each locking hole and the locking protrusion.

11. The dome camera according to claim 9, wherein

each of the locking projections has a smaller thickness than a thickness of the outer cover.

12. The dome camera according to claim 7, wherein

in an engaged state between the locking portions and the lock portions, inner faces of the outer cover and the inner cover are aligned in height.

13. The dome camera according to claim 5, wherein

the end of the outer cover is of a same color as a color of the inclined step portion of the inner cover.

14. The dome camera according to claim 5, wherein

the end of the outer cover is of a dark color.

15. The dome camera according to claim 1, wherein

a smoke treatment is provided to the outer cover.

16. The dome camera according to claim 1, wherein the window is provided in a portion of the inner cover over which the outer cover extends.

17. The dome camera according to claim 1, wherein the inner and outer covers are connected to prevent relative movement between the inner and outer covers.

18. The dome camera according to claim 1, the outer cover being superimposed on the semi spherical portion of the inner cover and is not superimposed on the partially spherical portion of the inner cover.

19. A dome camera having a camera lens, an orientation of the camera lens being settable, the dome camera comprising:

the camera lens being rotatable in a tilt direction and in a pan direction; and

a camera lens cover, the camera lens being received within the camera lens cover, the camera lens cover comprising an inner cover and an outer cover, the inner cover including a support portion, the inner cover and the outer cover being movable in the pan direction without relative movement therebetween;

the inner cover having a generally partially spherical shape with an outer portion extending from the support portion to an inclined support plane that is inclined with respect to the support portion, and an inner portion extending from the inclined support plane, a window provided in the inner cover, a ledge transitioning between the inner and outer portions, the outer portion of the inner cover being supported by the ledge; and

the outer cover having a generally semi-spherical shape, and overlying the inner portion of the inner cover, an outer surface of the outer cover and an outer surface of the outer portion of the inner cover providing a substantially smooth surface, a shape of an outer surface of the inner portion of the inner cover substantially conforming to a shape of an inner surface of the outer cover.