Camera device

• US 7,497,632 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujiwara, Yoshihiro, Shimaoka, Takayuki, Wada, Jyouji, Kajino, Tetsurou
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey; W. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang; Fang-Chi
• Application Number:
  US11/145,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20050276599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 396/427, 396/419, 348373-376, 348/143
• US Class Current: 396/427
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A camera is covered with a camera housing. The camera and the camera housing form a shooting window portion of a double structure having a clearance. A blowing tunnel communicated with the clearance of the shooting window portion is arranged on each of both sides of the shooting window portion. A blower sends a wind to the shooting window portion through the blowing tunnel. Further, a heater for heating the air sent to the shooting window portion is arranged in the blowing tunnel. Thus, dew condensation preventing ability can be improved by such a construction.

Claims

1. A camera device comprising a camera, a camera housing for covering said camera, and a blowing section, wherein said camera and said camera housing form a shooting window portion of a double structure with the two structures overlaying each other having a clearance in between, and a blowing tunnel communicated with the clearance of said shooting window portion is arranged on each of both sides of said shooting window portion, and said blowing section sends a wind to said shooting window portion through said blowing tunnel,

wherein said camera and said camera housing have a camera dome cover and a housing dome cover, respectively with said two dome covers overlying each other,

wherein said camera housing has a front face to which said housing dome cover is attached, and said front face comprises a tunnel wall portion formed on each of the upper and lower sides of said shooting window portion, and wherein said tunnel wall portion is located in part in the transverse direction, and the surface of said tunnel wall portion is projected outside from the surface of the remaining portion of said front face which is close to the outer surface of said camera.

2. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein said blowing tunnel is formed by the outer face of said camera and the inner face of said camera housing.

3. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein said blowing tunnel is arranged so as to form a blowing path around the circumference of said camera.

4. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the camera device further comprises a heater for heating the air supplied to said shooting window portion.

5. The camera device according to claim 4, wherein the camera device further comprises a temperature detecting section, and a control section for controlling the operations of said blowing section and said heater in accordance with temperature detected by said temperature detecting section.

6. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein in said tunnel wall portion, a concave portion is arranged on the inner face of said camera housing, and wherein said concave portion and the outer face of said camera form the front face portions of said blowing tunnel,

wherein said housing dome cover is sandwiched between said front face portions.

7. The camera device according to claim 6, wherein the depth of said concave portion of said tunnel wall portion is set to be approximately equal to the distance of the clearance between said camera dome cover and said housing dome cover, and wherein the width of said concave portion of said tunnel wall portion is set to be approximately equal to the diameter of said camera dome cover and said housing dome cover.

8. A camera housing constructed so as to cover a camera and comprising:

a window member of the camera housing side for forming a shooting window portion of a double structure with the two structures overlaying each other having a clearance in between;

a tunnel wall portion for forming a blowing tunnel communicated with the clearance of said shooting window portion on each of the upper and lower sides of said shooting window portion; and

a blowing section for sending a wind to said shooting window portion through said blowing tunnel,

wherein said tunnel wall portion is formed on each of the upper and lower sides of said shooting window portion,

wherein said camera housing has a housing dome cover and a front face to which said housing dome cover is attached, and said front face comprises said tunnel wall portion, and wherein said tunnel wall portion is located in part in the transverse direction, and the surface of said tunnel wall portion is projected outside from the surface of the remaining portion of said front face which is close to the outer surface of said camera.

9. The camera housing according to claim 8, wherein in said tunnel wall portion, a concave portion is arranged on the inner face of said camera housing, and wherein said concave portion and the outer face of said camera form the front face portions of said blowing tunnel,

wherein said housing dome cover is sandwiched between said front face portions.

10. The camera housing according to claim 9, wherein said camera has a camera dome cover, said camera dome cover and said housing dome cover overlying each other, wherein the depth of said concave portion of said tunnel wall portion is set to be approximately equal to the distance of the clearance between said camera dome cover and said housing dome cover, and wherein the width of said concave portion of said tunnel wall portion is set to be approximately equal to the diameter of said camera dome cover and said housing dome cover.