Image pickup apparatus and driving apparatus

• US 6,707,189 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2002
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Tetsuya, Ito, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLINS, BURTON S
• Application Number:
  US10/117,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20020145346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 248/651-652, 248/660, 396/12-13, 396/427-428, 310/75.R, 310/67.R, 310/112, 310/114
• US Class Current: 310/75.00R
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/10 Structural association with clutches, brakes, gears, pulleys or mechanical starters

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus comprise a camera unit for photographing a subject and a driving device for driving the camera unit in a circumferential angle direction and an elevation angle direction, wherein the driving device includes a motor which drives the camera unit in the circumferential angle direction, and a motor which drives the camera unit in the elevation angle direction, and each of the motor and the motor is constituted of a permanent magnet motor including a planetary reduction gear.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup device for photographing a subject; and

a driving device for driving the image pickup device in a circumferential angle direction and an elevation angle direction,

wherein said driving device includes a first driving device which drives said image pickup device in the circumferential angle direction, and a second driving device which drives said image pickup device in the elevation angle direction, and

each of said first driving device and said second driving device constitutes a permanent magnet motor including a planetary reduction gear,

wherein said permanent magnet motor includes;

a stator having a winding;

a rotor which has a permanent magnet, and rotates by passing a current through said winding;

a rotation shaft which is formed integrally with the rotor, and has a driving gear formed on an outer periphery thereof;

a planetary gear which is disposed so as to be rotatable around an axis center line of the rotation shaft and meshes with said driving gear, and which is disposed so as to be rotatable on an axis center line extending in parallel to an axial direction of said rotation shaft,

a fixed internal gear which is disposed coaxially with said rotation shaft, fixed to said stator, and meshes with said planetary gear in an inner periphery thereof;

a rotary internal gear which is disposed coaxially with said rotation shaft, disposed so as to be freely rotatable around said axis center line, meshes with said planetary gear in the inner periphery thereof and has the number of teeth different from the number of teeth of said fixed internal gear; and

a driving shaft which rotates integrally with the rotary internal gear.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said permanent magnet motor includes a hollow portion present inside a driving shaft which outputs a driving force, and a wiring connected to said image pickup device through the hollow portion.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said permanent magnet motor includes:

a conductive member disposed on said driving shaft; and

a conducting member which is connected to the conductive member and secures conduction of electricity to the outside from said first driving device or said second driving device.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said permanent magnet motor includes a conductive member disposed on said driving shaft, and a conducting member which is connected to the conductive member and secures conduction of electricity to the outside from said first driving device or said second driving device.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fixed internal gear has teeth which are smaller in number than those of the rotary internal gear.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a teeth number difference between the fixed internal gear and the rotary internal gear is equal to the number of planetary gears provided.

7. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said planetary gears are at least three in number.

8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a control member configured to control a change in a relative position of the axis center line of the planetary gear.

9. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second driving devices are made of permanent magnet motors that are similar in structure.

10. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said winding is a three-phase winding.

11. A driving apparatus comprising:

a driving device for driving the image pickup device in a circumferential angle direction and an elevation angle direction,

wherein said driving device includes a first driving device which drives said image pickup device in the circumferential angle direction, and a second driving device which drives said image pickup device in the elevation angle direction, and

each of said first driving device and said second driving device constitutes a permanent magnet motor including a planetary reduction gear,

wherein said permanent magnet motor includes;

a stator having a winding,

a rotor which has a permanent magnet, and rotates by passing a current through said winding;

a rotation shaft which is formed integrally with the rotor, and has a driving gear formed on an outer periphery thereof,

a planetary gear which is disposed so as to be rotatable around an axis center line of the rotation shaft and meshes with said driving gear, and which is disposed so as to be rotatable on an axis center line extending in parallel to an axial direction of said rotation shaft;

a fixed internal gear which is disposed coaxially with said rotation shaft, fixed to said stator, and meshes with said planetary gear in an inner periphery thereof;

a rotary internal gear which is disposed coaxially with said rotation shaft, disposed so as to be freely rotatable around said axis canter line, meshes with said planetary gear in the inner periphery thereof, and has the number of teeth different from the number of teeth of said fixed internal gear; and

a driving shaft which rotates integrally with the rotary internal gear.

12. The driving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said permanent magnet motor includes a hollow portion present inside a driving shaft which outputs a driving force, and a wiring connected to said image pickup device through the hollow portion.

13. The driving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said permanent magnet motor includes a conductive member disposed on said driving shaft, and a conducting member which is connected to the conductive member and secures conduction of electricity to the outside from said first driving device or said second driving device.

14. The driving apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said permanent magnet motor includes:

a conductive member disposed on said driving shaft; and

a conducting member which is connected to the conductive member and secures conduction of electricity to the outside from said first driving device or said second driving device.

15. The driving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said fixed internal gear has teeth which are smaller in number than those of the rotary internal gear.

16. The driving apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a teeth number difference between the fixed internal gear and the rotary internal gear is equal to the number of planetary gears provided.

17. The driving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said planetary gears are at least three in number.

18. The driving apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a control member configured to control a change in a relative position of the axis center line of the planetary gear.

19. The driving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said first and second driving devices are made of permanent magnet motors that are similar in structure.

20. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said winding is a three-phase winding.