Condensation prevention camera device

• US 9,525,809 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2012
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: I-Pro Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kondou, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): CUTLER, ALBERT H
• Application Number:
  US14/348,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20150049242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/00 Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/55 with provision for heating or cooling, e.g. in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19619 Details of casing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/52 Elements optimising image sensor operation, e.g. for electromagnetic interference [EMI] protection or temperature control by heat transfer or cooling elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

A camera device includes: a camera including a lens; a first casing including a light-transmitting cover disposed to oppose the lens; a second casing which supports the camera within the first casing, and which surrounds the camera such that a side of the second casing opposing the light-transmitting cover is spaced from the camera with a gap; and an air flow path which allows air within the second casing to flow out toward the light-transmitting cover via the gap. The air flow path is formed between the second casing and a lens barrel of the lens.

Claims

1. A camera device comprising:

a camera including a lens and a lens barrel;

a first casing including a light-transmitting cover opposed to the lens;

a second casing which supports the camera such that the second casing is spaced from the light-transmitting cover with a gap, the second casing is enclosed by the first casing;

an air flow path which allows air within the second casing to flow out toward the light-transmitting cover via the gap,

wherein the air flow path is positioned between the second casing and the lens barrel, and

a heating member provided within the second casing,

wherein the air warmed by the heating member flows into the air flow path,

wherein the second casing has an opening, of which a width is greater than a width of the lens, formed by a distal end portion that is closer to the light-transmitting cover than the lens in an optical axis direction of the lens.

2. The camera device according to claim 1,

wherein the heating member comprises a circuit board configured to drive at least an image pickup element.

3. The camera device according to claim 2,

wherein the second casing further comprises a cable slit that is smaller than the opening through which the circuit board connects via a cable to a control board located outside of the second casing.

4. The camera device according to claim 3,

wherein the circuit board is positioned between the lens and the cable slit.

5. The camera device according to claim 1,

wherein the second casing is supported so as to be movable along the light-transmitting cover.

6. The camera device according to claim 1,

wherein the second casing comprises a wall portion which covers a periphery of the lens so as to have a gap therebetween, and

wherein the wall portion also serves as a gripping portion at a time of adjusting an imaging direction.

7. The camera device according to claim 6,

wherein the wall portion has a cylindrical shape.

8. The camera device according to claim 1,

wherein the distal end portion of the second casing is disposed between the lens and the light-transmitting cover.

9. The camera device according to claim 1,

wherein the distal end portion of the second casing is disposed at a position which protrudes relative to the lens so as not to cause vignetting at a time of imaging.

10. The camera device according to claim 1,

wherein the second casing is completely enclosed by the first casing, and the second casing is movable within the first casing.

11. The camera device according to claim 1,

wherein a distance between the distal end portion and the light-transmitting cover in an optical axis direction of the lens is less than a distance between the lens and the light-transmitting cover in the optical axis direction of the lens.

12. The camera device according to claim 11,

wherein the distance between the distal end portion and the light-transmitting cover in the optical axis direction of the lens is less than a distance between the lens barrel and the light-transmitting cover in the optical axis direction of the lens.

13. A camera device comprising:

a first casing including a light-transmitting cover;

a second casing, positioned in the first casing;

a camera, including a lens and an imager, which is supported by and positioned in the second casing, the lens being positioned between the light-transmitting cover and the imager, the imager taking an image through the lens;

an air flow path which is formed by an outer surface of the lens and an inner surface of the second casing and corresponds to a gap between the outer surface of the lens and the inner surface of the second casing;

wherein the second casing has an opening, of which a width is greater than a width of the lens, formed by a distal end portion that is closer to the light-transmitting cover than the lens in an optical axis direction of the lens,

wherein the imager is positioned in an upstream side of the air flow path and the distal end portion is positioned in a downstream side of the air flow path,

wherein air warmed by the imager flows into the light-transmitting cover through the opening, the warmed air flowing from the upstream side to the downstream side.

14. The camera device according to claim 13,

wherein the imager comprises an image pickup element and a circuit board on which the image pickup element is mounted, a length of the circuit board in a planar direction is greater than a width of the lens in a perpendicular direction to an optical axis direction of the lens.

15. The camera device of claim 13,

wherein the second casing comprises a wall portion which is positioned on an inside of the second casing, the wall portion having a cylindrical shape and including the distal end portion,

wherein the lens is positioned in the wall portion.

16. The camera device of claim 15,

wherein a portion, including the distal end portion, of the wall portion protrudes from a second portion of the second casing toward the light-transmitting cover.

17. The camera device according to claim 13,

wherein the imager comprises an image pickup element and a circuit board on which the image pickup element is mounted,

the second casing further comprises a cable slit that is smaller than the opening through which the circuit board connects via a cable to a control board located outside of the second casing.

18. The camera device according to claim 13,

wherein a distance between the distal end portion and the light-transmitting cover in an optical axis direction of the lens is less than a distance between the lens and the light-transmitting cover in the optical axis direction of the lens.

19. The camera device according to claim 18,

wherein the distance between the distal end portion and the light-transmitting cover in the optical axis direction of the lens is less than a distance between the lens barrel and the light-transmitting cover in the optical axis direction of the lens.

20. A camera device comprising:

a first casing including a light-transmitting cover;

a second casing, positioned in the first casing, which has an opening formed by a distal end portion of the second casing;

a camera, including a lens and an imager, which is supported by and positioned in the second casing, the lens being positioned between the light-transmitting cover and the imager, the imager taking an image through the lens;

an air flow path which is formed by an outer surface of the lens and an inner surface of the second casing and corresponds to a gap between the outer surface of the lens and the inner surface of the second casing;

wherein the imager is positioned in an upstream side of the air flow path and the distal end portion is positioned in a downstream side of the air flow path,

wherein air warmed by the imager flows into the light-transmitting cover through the opening, the warmed air flowing from the upstream side to the downstream side,

wherein a distance between the distal end portion and the light-transmitting cover in an optical axis direction of the lens is less than a distance between the lens and the light-transmitting cover in the optical axis direction of the lens.