Infrared camera with rotatable core assembly

• US 9,083,865 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2011
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guangzhou Sat Infrared Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Guangzhou Sat Infrared Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wu, Jiping
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMR, SALAME M
• Application Number:
  US13/103,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20120057027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: 248/125.8, 250/353, 348/78, 348/164, 370/402, 382/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/02 Viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

An infrared camera with a rotatable core assembly, the infrared camera having; a main body including a body shell and a signal processor installed in the body shell; a core assembly including a core assembly housing, an infrared lens provided at the front end of the core assembly housing, and a sensing unit installed in the core assembly housing; a handle connected to the main body; and a LCD display used to display a picture and rotatably installed on one side of the main body, wherein the core assembly is rotatably connected to the front end of the body shell. The infrared camera according to the present application can switch its shooting modes among horizontal type, gun type and upright type according to the requirements of the observation by a user.

Claims

1. An infrared camera with a rotatable core assembly, while

the infrared camera comprising:

a main body including a signal processor;

a core assembly including an infrared lens, a sensing unit comprising an infrared detector, and a fitting part having a U groove including a U cavity surrounded by first and second side walls;

a LCD display used to display a picture and rotatably installed on one side of the main body; and

a first rotating mechanism by which the core assembly rotates relatively to the main body, such that the infrared camera switches its shooting modes among horizontal type, upright type and gun type;

a second rotating mechanism coupled with the fitting part and rotatably coupled to the core assembly;

a viewfinder including a viewfinder body; and

a mechanism that rotates the viewfinder body into the U cavity when the infrared camera operates in the shooting mode of the horizontal type or the gun type,

wherein in the horizontal type shooting mode the angle between the principle axis of the infrared lens and an extending direction of the main body is 0°

, and further wherein from the horizontal type shooting mode the core assembly is rotatable via the first rotating mechanism in an anticlockwise direction until reaching an angle of 0°

to 90°

between the principle axis of the infrared lens and the extending direction of the main body in the gun type shooting mode, and further wherein from the gun type shooting mode the core assembly is further rotatable via the first rotating mechanism in an anticlockwise direction until reaching an angle of 90°

between the principle axis of the infrared lens and the extending direction of the main body in the upright type shooting mode,

wherein the core assembly can be holdup or stabilized at any angle in its 0°

to 90°

rotation relative to the main body, and

wherein the second rotating mechanism comprises;

first and second rotating arms;

two via holes of the rotating arms each provided on one of the rotating arms respectively;

two bolts; and

two dishing springs, wherein each bolt passing through one of the dishing springs inserts into one of the two via holes of the rotating arms.

2. The infrared camera with a rotatable core assembly according to claim 1, wherein the core assembly is detachably coupled to the main body via the first rotating mechanism.

3. The infrared camera with a rotatable core assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first rotating mechanism comprises:

a shaft fixed on the shaft base; and

a brake gasket collared on the shaft.

4. The infrared camera with a rotatable core assembly according to claim 3, wherein the main body further comprises:

a fitting part for the first rotating mechanism having

an extending arm provided at the front end of the main body on one side near the LCD display and extending from the front end of the main body.

5. The infrared camera with a rotatable core assembly according to claim 1, wherein the core assembly further comprises:

a hinge block provided on a wall of the U groove; and

two via holes of the hinge block provided on two sides of the hinge block, wherein each bolt passing through one dishing spring and one via hole of the rotating arm respectively inserts into one of the via holes of the hinge block of the fitting part for the second rotating mechanism to be fixed respectively.

6. The infrared camera with a rotatable core assembly according to claim 1, having a mechanism that rotates the viewfinder body out of the core assembly when the infrared camera operates in the shooting mode of the upright type out of the core assembly.

7. The infrared camera with a rotatable core assembly according to claim 1, wherein the core assembly further comprises:

a visual light lens provided at a front end of the core assembly housing disposed over the infrared lens;

a laser indicator provided at the front end of the core assembly housing on one side of the infrared lens; and

a lamp provided at the front end of the core assembly housing on another side of the infrared lens.

8. The infrared camera with a rotatable core assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a handle disposed on a top surface of the main body, and having a keypad part with a plurality of keys.

9. The infrared camera with a rotatable core assembly according to claim 1, wherein the LCD display has a second rotating mechanism disposed to cause the screen of the LCD display to rotate relative to the main body.

10. The infrared camera with a rotatable core assembly according to claim 1, wherein the infrared camera comprises a plurality of electric functional modules that implement functions of infrared imaging, visual light imaging, storing and outputting of vocal information and video information.

11. The infrared camera with a rotatable core assembly according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of electric functional modules comprise:

a lamp control circuit, a vocal control circuit and a video control circuit provided within a body shell of the main body; and

an internet online interface and a Bluetooth interface provided at a rear end of the body shell, wherein the lamp is connected to the signal processor via the lamp control circuit;

the keypad part is electrically coupled to the signal processor via the vocal control circuit, the video control circuit and the lamp control circuit respectively; and

the signal processor is electrically coupled to the internet or the communication devices via the internet online interface and the Bluetooth interface respectively.