Encapsulated television camera and method and apparatus for fabricating same
First Claim
1. An encapsulated television camera assembly comprising:
- a television camera body having a forward end and a rearward end;
a television camera lens secured to said camera body at said forward end;
an electric cable secured to and extending from said body for carrying power supply and video signals between said camera body and a remote location; and
a housing comprising a solid mass of molded plastic encapsulate material surrounding said camera body, said housing having a viewing opening exposing said forward end to permit light to enter said housing via said lens, said encapsulate material being chemically bonded about said electrical cable, wherein said encapsulate material fills all voids within said housing and said camera body is suspended in said encapsulate material and sealed against exposure to ambient conditions.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A television camera is encapsulated in plastic material providing protection from environmental hazards. The camera, including a camera body, lens and lens cover glued to the lens, is embedded in and chemically bonded to the encapsulate material. A lens opening in the forward end of the encapsulate housing exposes the lens cover. A camera cable and pushrod extend from the rearward end of the housing and are chemically bonded to the encapsulate material. Individual light sources, partially embedded in the encapsulate material, are disposed in respective recesses oriented in an annular pattern about the lens opening. The encapsulation process employs a mold assembly having a base with a raised pedestal on which the lens cover is placed to support the camera. Multiple lamp receivers are disposed in the base in an annular pattern about the pedestal to sealingly receive the forward portions of respective lamps while leaving the remaining rearward portions exposed. At least one additional mold section mates with the base to provide an enclosure having a single opening at its top through which flowable encapsulate material may be poured.
54 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An encapsulated television camera assembly comprising:
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a television camera body having a forward end and a rearward end; a television camera lens secured to said camera body at said forward end; an electric cable secured to and extending from said body for carrying power supply and video signals between said camera body and a remote location; and a housing comprising a solid mass of molded plastic encapsulate material surrounding said camera body, said housing having a viewing opening exposing said forward end to permit light to enter said housing via said lens, said encapsulate material being chemically bonded about said electrical cable, wherein said encapsulate material fills all voids within said housing and said camera body is suspended in said encapsulate material and sealed against exposure to ambient conditions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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9. A method for fabricating an encapsulated television camera assembly comprising the steps of:
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(a) supporting a television camera in a mold base with a transparent protective lens cover abutting a pedestal projecting from the interior surface of the mold base; (b) enclosing the television camera in a mold assembly that includes said mold base and has only one opening communicating between the mold assembly interior and the ambient environment; (c) flowing encapsulate material into said mold assembly to fill all voids therein while embedding the television camera in the encapsulate material, whereby the abutting relation between the pedestal and the lens cover prevents flow of encapsulate material therebetween; and (d) hardening the encapsulate material within the mold assembly to form a solid housing of encapsulate material chemically bonded to parts of the camera and in which the camera is embedded, wherein the housing has a lens opening defined by the abutting relation between the pedestal and the lens cover. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A mold assembly for fabricating an encapsulation housing for a television camera assembly of the type having a self-contained source of illumination, said mold assembly comprising:
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a mold base having a substantially cup-like configuration with a bottom interior surface from which a pedestal upwardly projects, said pedestal having a generally frusto-conical configuration with a flat circular top surface; at least one lamp receiver projecting from said interior surface in spaced relation to said pedestal and configured to resiliently engage a forward portion of a light source in pressure sealed relation to prevent fluid from reaching the forward portion of the light source, the retainer being configured to expose a rearward portion of the light source; and at least one additional mold section adapted to engage said mold base to form a mold assembly having only a single opening at its top for permitting flowable plastic material to be poured into the mold assembly.
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Specification