Surveillance camera with impact absorbing structure

• US 7,170,560 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: I-Pro Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Wada, Jyoji, Tatewaki, Toshikazu, Iiizumi, Masaomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Ngoc-Yen
• Assistant Examiner(s): PASIEWICZ, DANIEL M
• Application Number:
  US10/309,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20030103160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/151, 348373-376, D16/203
• US Class Current: 348/375
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1963 Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ]

Abstract

A surveillance camera device is provided which has an impact absorbing structure. The camera device includes a rotary base supporting a camera unit, a rotary bracket supporting the rotary base, and coil springs. The coil springs work to elastically urge the rotary base away from the rotary bracket to as to permit the rotary base to move straight against the mechanical pressure of the springs when subjected to a damaging impact on the device, thereby absorbing the impact to avoid damage to the camera unit.

Claims

1. A surveillance camera device comprising:

a camera unit working to capture an image of a surveillance target and output an image signal indicative of the captured image;

a supporting member supporting said camera unit;

a bracket supporting said supporting member, said bracket having a support arm in which a hole elongated in a vertical direction which is parallel to an axis of said bracket is formed, said supporting member being retained by said bracket through a screw inserted into the elongated hole so as to permit said supporting member to move straight in the vertical direction along the elongated hole as well as to rotate in the vertical direction about the screw;

an elastic member working to elastically urge said supporting member away from said bracket;

a mount body on which said bracket is mounted; and

a cover installed on said mount body.

2. A surveillance camera device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said elastic member is implemented by a coil spring disposed between said screw and the support arm.

3. A surveillance camera device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a tilt plate disposed between said supporting member and the support arm, said tilt plate working to define a tilt angle of said supporting member relative to said bracket.

4. A surveillance camera device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bracket is made of an annular plate.

5. A surveillance camera device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bracket is retained at a periphery thereof by at least one tension roller and a plurality of guide rollers.