IMAGING DEVICE

• US 20160234412A1
• Filed: 04/20/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Takahiro Hiramatsu
• Inventors: HIRAMATSU, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,116,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/02 for lenses supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 11/04 Hoods or caps for eliminating unwanted light from lenses, viewfinders or focusing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 11/045 Lens hoods or shields
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

An imaging device includes an imaging unit having an imaging part, and a holder to hold the imaging part at one end; a housing including a recess part in a first surface to house the imaging unit; and a hinge device having a hinge member housed in the recess part pivotally coupled to the housing around an axle extending in parallel with the first surface. The imaging unit pivots around the axle via the hinge device between a housing position and a projecting position of the imaging unit. The imaging part includes a rectangular imaging element, a lens introducing external light into the imaging element, and a lens hood at an outer periphery of the lens. The lens hood projects from the lens surface by a distance allowing the imaging part to introduce necessary light from the lens into the imaging element and block unnecessary light.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

an imaging unit having an imaging part configured to image a subject, and a holder configured to hold the imaging part at one end thereof;

a housing including a recess part formed in a first surface thereof, and configured to house the imaging unit; and

a hinge device having a hinge member housed in the recess part pivotally coupled to the housing around an axle extending approximately in parallel with the first surface inside the recess part of the housing, wherein

the imaging unit pivots around the axle via the hinge device between a housing position at which the imaging unit is housed inside the recess part of the housing and a projecting position at which the imaging unit is projected from the recess part of the housing, wherein

the imaging part includes an imaging element having an approximately rectangular shape, a lens configured to introduce external light into the imaging element, and a lens hood mounted at an outer periphery of the lens, and wherein

the lens hood projects from a surface of the lens by a distance to allow the imaging part to introduce light necessary for imaging a subject from the lens into the imaging element and to block unnecessary light introduced from the lens into the imaging element.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

when R represents the distance by which the lens hood projects from the surface of the lens, R is 1.0 mm≦

R≦

2.0 mm.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the lens hood includes an opening part to expose the surface of the lens when the lens is fit into the lens hood, and

at least three protruding objects are mounted mutually at equal internals on an outer periphery of the opening part.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the lens hood further includes a gradient part, and

the gradient part is inclined from a periphery of a subject side end face of the lens hood to a periphery of the opening part of the lens hood toward an imaging element side.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

a subject side end face of the lens hood includes a middle part and end parts that sandwich the middle part, and

at least the middle part projects toward a subject side with respect to the end parts that sandwich the middle part.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the lens hood is formed of a resilient material.

7. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the recess part includes a part facing the imaging part at a housing position at which the imaging unit is housed, and

at least the part facing the imaging part is formed of a resilient material.