Camera head having a flexible printed circuit board with thin folding portions arranged in a cylindrical housing

• US 6,002,437 A
• Filed: 07/15/1997
• Issued: 12/14/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Morioka, Masanobu, Kato, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITE, MITCHELL
• Application Number:
  US08/893,063
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 348/373, 348/375, 348/376, 439/81, 439/82, 439/83, 439/67, 439/77, 361/749
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/778 Coupling parts carrying sockets, clips or analogous counter-contacts H01R12/78, H01R12/79 take precedence
• 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: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence

Abstract

A small-sized camera head having a connection device for a flexible printed circuit board to which connection pins of a small-sized round type connector can be soldered easily, and a small-sized multi-pin round connector permits easily performing a soldering operation for the connection pins. The round type connector connects a flexible printed circuit board to the round type connector having an even number of connection pins arranged symmetrically on parallel boundary lines of a band-shaped boundary area of a preset width passing through a center axis of a main body of the connector for dividing a connection surface into two equal portions and to plural connection pins arranged on the circumference of the circle centered about the center axis.

Claims

1. A camera head having a flexible printed circuit board housed in a cylindrical outer casing, comprising:

a first electrical component mounting portion and a second electrical component mounting portion, each being formed by a thick film interconnected by a folding portion comprised of a thin film, said first and second electrical component mounting portions being folded about said folding portion, so that flat surfaces of the first and second electrical component mounting portions carrying electrical components face outwardly, wherein

said printed circuit board has substantially rectangular first and second electrical component mounting portions,

first and second soldering portions connected to short sides of said first electrical component mounting portion via second and third folding portions formed by thin films, said first and second soldering portions being thick films; and

third and fourth soldering portions connected to short sides of said second electrical component mounting portion via fourth and fifth folding portions formed by thin films, said third and fourth soldering portions being thick films, wherein

said first to fourth soldering portions are folded at said second to fifth folding portions for soldering thereto.

2. The camera head as claimed in claim 1 wherein

said first to fourth soldering portions are bent substantially 90°

at said second to fifth folding portions, respectively, for soldering thereto.

3. The camera head as claimed in claim 2 further comprising:

a round type connector connected to said printed circuit board and having a plurality of connection pins arranged on concentric boundary lines of a band area passing through a center of a circular connection surface thereof and dividing the connection surface in two equal portions; and

a plurality of connection pins arranged along a circumference of said connection surface.

4. The camera head as claimed in claim 3 wherein

a protruding amount from the connection surface of said connection pins arranged facing one another on said boundary lines is larger than a protruding amount of the circumferentially arranged connection pins.

5. The camera head as claimed in claim 1 further comprising two flanges provided on said outer casing so that a band member for securing the camera head is not deviated from its pre-set position, wherein one of said two flanges is provided with an indication for identifying a signal system of said camera head.

6. The camera head as claimed in claim 1 further comprising two flanges provided on said outer casing so that a band member for securing the camera head is not deviated from its pre-set position, wherein one of said two flanges is provided with an indication for identifying a top side and a bottom side of said camera head and the other of the two flanges is provided with an indication for identifying a signal system of said camera head.

7. The camera head as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a holding member for holding an optical filter at a preset position relative to said outer casing.

8. The camera head as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a band member for securing the camera head to an external object.

9. A camera head having a flexible printed circuit board housed in a cylindrical outer casing, comprising:

a first electrical component mounting portion and a second electrical component mounting portion, each being formed by a thick film interconnected by a folding portion comprised of a thin film, said first and second electrical component mounting portions being folded about said folding portion, so that flat surfaces of the first and second electrical component mounting portions carrying electrical components face outwardly; and

two flanges provided on said outer casing so that a band member for securing the camera head is not deviated from its pre-set position, wherein one of said two flanges is provided with an indication for identifying a top side and a bottom side of said camera head.

10. A camera head having a flexible printed circuit board housed in a cylindrical outer casing, comprising:

a first electrical component mounting portion and a second electrical component mounting portion, each being formed by a thick film interconnected by a folding portion comprised of a thin film, said first and second electrical component mounting portions being folded about said folding portion, so that flat surfaces of the first and second electrical component mounting portions carrying electrical components face outwardly; and

an inner casing of a length corresponding to a length of said printed circuit board and having on one side thereof an engagement portion with a back plate of an image sensor housed within said outer casing and having on another end thereof an inner casing having an engagement portion for engaging with said round type connection,

wherein said inner case is made up of two inner casing halves abutted to each other and used for position matching in a rotational direction about an optical axis of the camera head.

11. The camera head as claimed in claim 10 wherein said round type connector has a first engagement portion for engaging with said inner casing and a second engagement portion for engaging with said outer casing.

12. The camera head as claimed in claim 10 wherein

said back plate is formed by molding of plastics material and includes a step portion and burrs produced during said molding of said step are formed on a surface other than an adhesive surface.