Image pickup apparatus

• US 8,064,146 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkney, DaWayne
• Application Number:
  US11/825,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20080024883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 359/703, 359808-809, 359/811, 359818-819, 359/822, 396/529, 396/532, 396/535, 396/542, 348/208.99, 348/294, 348/335, 348/340, 348373-374, 348/376
• US Class Current: 359/703
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/022 lens and mount having complementary engagement means, e.g. screw/thread
• 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

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus includes a housing, a lens incorporated in the front of the housing and configured to constitute an imaging optical system, an image pickup device provided in the housing and configured to capture a subject image guided by the imaging optical system, a printed wiring board provided in the housing and having the image pickup device mounted thereon, a barrel provided integrally with the front of the housing, an annular lens cover configured to push a face of the lens facing forward in a rearward direction, and detachably mounted on the front of the barrel, and a support wall projecting rearward outside a rear end of the barrel in the radial direction and inside the housing, and bonded to the printed wiring board with adhesive.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a lens incorporated in the front of the housing and configured as an imaging optical system;

an image pickup device provided in the housing and configured to capture a subject image guided by the imaging optical system;

a barrel including an inner peripheral face adjacent an outer peripheral lens portion, and wherein the barrel is comprised of a continuous body of material that also forms part of the housing;

and a first seal member provided between the barrel and the lens, the first seal being compressed between the lens and barrel by application of force on the lens; and

a sealed recess having the image pickup device located therein and wherein a second seal member is located between the barrel and the sealed recess, and further wherein the second seal is in contact with an outer surface of the barrel; and

wherein the housing includes a front case and a rear case, and a rear end of the front case and a front end of the rear case are coupled detachably,

wherein the barrel and the support wall are provided integrally with the front case,

wherein the printed wiring board is bonded to a rear end of the support wall, and

wherein the rear end of the support wall protrudes rearward from the rear end of the front case.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a support wall includes two support walls provided such that the rear end of the barrel is disposed therebetween.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the rear of the support wall has a rear end face extending on a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the imaging optical system, and

wherein the printed wiring board is bonded to the rear end face with adhesive.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a position of the printed wiring board is adjusted along the optical axis of the lens and in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis so that the subject image guided by the lens is focused on the center of an imaging surface of the image pickup device.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lens includes a single lens formed of glass.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lens includes a plurality of lenses, and the forefront one of the lenses is formed of glass.

7. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lens cover includes:

a cylindrical portion having an internal thread to be screwed on an external thread provided on the periphery of the front of the barrel; and

an annular contact portion provided at a front end of the cylindrical portion in contact with an outer peripheral face of a front face of the lens facing forward.

8. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a lens incorporated in the front of the housing and configured as an imaging optical system;

an image pickup device provided in the housing and configured to capture a subject image guided by the imagine optical system;

a barrel including an inner peripheral face adjacent an outer peripheral lens portion, and wherein the barrel is comprised of a continuous body of material that also forms part of the housing;

and a first seal member provided between the barrel and the lens, the first seal being compressed between the lens and barrel by application of force on the lens; and

a sealed recess having the image pickup device located therein and wherein a second seal member is located between the barrel and the sealed recess, and further wherein the second seal is in contact with an outer surface of the barrel, further comprising;

a sealing material extending over the entire periphery of the lens, the sealing material being compressed in a front-rear direction in a state in which the lens is held in the barrel by the lens cover.

9. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a barrel provided at the front of the housing and configured to support an imaging optical system, and wherein the barrel is comprised of a continuous body of material that also forms part of the housing;

an annular lens mounted on the barrel;

an image pickup device provided inside the housing and supported by a rear side of the barrel and configured to capture a subject image guided by the imaging optical system, the image pickup device located in a sealed recess, an image sensor portion mounted in the sealed recess with an imaging surface thereof facing an aperture of the recess, and a transparent cover plate configured to close the aperture and tightly seal the recess; and

a first seal member provided between the barrel and the annular lens, the first seal being compressed between the lens and barrel by application of force on the annular lens and wherein a second seal member is located between the barrel and the sealed recess, and further wherein the second seal is in contact with an outer surface of the barrel, further comprising;

a printed wiring board on which the image pickup device is mounted; and

a support wall projecting rearward outside the rear of the barrel in the radial direction and inside the housing,

wherein the housing includes a front case and a rear case, and a rear end of the front case and a front end of the rear case are detachably coupled,

wherein the barrel is provided integrally with the front case,

wherein the printed wiring board is bonded to a rear end of the support wall with adhesive, and

wherein the rear end of the support wall protrudes rearward from the rear end of the front case.

10. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the enclosing portion is formed of an elastically deformable annular material.

11. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the enclosing portion is formed of an annular foam material.

12. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the enclosing portion is formed of adhesive.

13. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the enclosing portion is formed of a material that is not air-permeable.

14. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the rear of the barrel has an annular end face facing the cover plate in parallel, and

wherein the enclosing portion is provided between the cover plate and the end face.

15. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the rear of the barrel includes an annular end face facing the cover plate in parallel, and an outer peripheral face projecting from the inner periphery of the end face toward the cover plate.

16. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the cover plate is formed of a transparent glass plate.

17. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a printed wiring board on which the image pickup device is mounted, the printed wiring board being supported in the housing.

18. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a printing wiring board on which the image pickup device is mounted; and

a support wall projecting rearward outside the rear of the barrel in the radial direction and inside the housing,

wherein the image pickup device is bonded to the support wall with adhesive.