Electronic device

Abstract

An electronic device, comprising: a movable cylinder; a support cylinder configured to support the movable cylinder in such a manner that the movable cylinder can rotate about a pan axis; a flexible wiring connected to a pan control circuit board in the support cylinder; and a housing area that communicates the movable cylinder and the support cylinder and houses the flexible wiring. The flexible wiring includes a first fixed portion formed on the movable cylinder and a second fixed portion formed on the support cylinder. In the housing area, the first fixed portion is fixed to a first fixed portion of the movable cylinder. In the housing area, the second fixed portion is fixed to a second fixed portion of the support cylinder.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic device having a rotational drive device, and more particularly to an electronic device having a rotational drive unit connected to a fixed unit through wiring. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, multi-purpose cameras connected to smartphones, personal computers, tablet terminals, or other devices via wireless communication have been widely used, and such cameras enable users at positions far from the camera to view images from the camera.

[0003] Such cameras combined with technologies such as image recognition and artificial intelligence have been used in various applications.

[0004] The various applications cover a wide range of fields, including fieldwork support for monitoring the construction progress and health conditions of construction site workers, and applications using such cameras installed in elderly facilities to prevent residents from forgetting to take regular medications or taking the wrong medications.

[0005] As an example, a housing structure applicable to such a multi-purpose camera is a camera device having a shooting direction set by horizontal rotation and vertical rotation (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-369038).

[0006] According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-369038, the imaging device includes an imaging element and a vertical rotation mechanism in the horizontal rotation unit, and also includes a horizontal rotation mechanism, a horizontal rotation drive mechanism, a vertical rotation drive mechanism, and other mechanisms in the fixed unit.

[0007] An imaging signal from the imaging element in the rotation unit is sent to the fixed unit and processed by a control circuit board.

[0008] As discussed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 8-178182 and 2014-212392, a flexible cable is used to transmit the imaging signal and is configured to follow the movement of the movable part relative to the fixed unit.

[0009] However, according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-178182, the cable is loose and not restricted within the device.

[0010] This configuration allows reducing the stress on the cable caused by following the movable part. On the other hand, the cable becomes more slack, reducing the stress on the cable connection part, which is not suitable for miniaturizing the device.

[0011] In addition, the cable according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-212392 is slack in the radial direction, resulting in a larger projected area.

[0012] This multi-purpose camera is not truly user-friendly because it does not consider reducing the projected installation area of the imaging device so that the imaging device can be installed anywhere and achieving a smaller size and lower profile housing.

[0013] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a compact rotation drive device having a wiring structure that reduces stress on wiring and wiring connection portions. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] According to an aspect of the present invention, an electronic device includes: a movable cylinder; a support cylinder configured to support the movable cylinder in a manner that the movable cylinder can rotate about a pan axis; a flexible wiring connected to a pan control circuit board in the support cylinder; and a housing area that communicates the movable cylinder and the support cylinder and houses the flexible wiring. The flexible wiring includes a first fixed portion formed on the movable cylinder and a second fixed portion formed on the support cylinder. In the housing area, the first fixed portion is fixed to a first fixed portion of the movable cylinder. In the housing area, the second fixed portion is fixed to a second fixed portion of the support cylinder.

[0015] Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an imaging device in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2A and Figure 2B is an exploded perspective view of the imaging device in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figures 3A to 3C is a perspective view of a wire harness in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of main components of the imaging device in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a detailed structure of a wire harness and components at a portion where a flexible circuit board is fixed and an adjacent area thereof in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 is a top view of the imaging device in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an imaging function of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Hereinafter, a camera device 100 as an electronic device in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals denote the same elements in the drawings.

[0024] The support cylinder 1 (fixed part) and the movable cylinder 2 (movable part) in the present invention are not limited to a cylindrical shape, but may be rectangular (for example, a cube).

[0025] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of a camera device 100 as an electronic device in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2A and Figure 2B It is an exploded perspective view of the camera device 100 in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] (Perspective view of the camera device 100)

[0027] The camera device 100 mainly includes a movable part 2 and a fixed part 1. The movable part 2 mainly includes a top cover 10, a pitching unit 20, a pan unit base 30, and a pan unit rotating plate 40.

[0028] The fixed part 1 mainly includes a base cover 50, a frame unit 60, a circuit board assembly 70, and a bottom unit 80.

[0029] The movable part 2 is held at the top of the fixed part 1 so as to be horizontally rotatable (panned) about a rotation axis P with respect to the fixed part 1.

[0030] The top cover 10 includes a transparent dome 11 molded from a transparent resin material such as acrylic resin.

[0031] The pan unit base 30 is located inside the top cover 10 and holds the top cover 10 with a plurality of screws.

[0032] The pitching unit 20 is inside the top cover 10 and is held so as to be vertically rotatable (pitched) about a rotation axis T with respect to the pan unit base 30.

[0033] The rotation axis P and the rotation axis T are orthogonal to each other, but in one or more embodiments, they are not orthogonal to each other.

[0034] A lens barrel unit 21 having a camera optical system is located in the pitching unit 20.

[0035] A camera device is included inside the lens barrel unit 21, which is not shown.

[0036] The camera device includes a photoelectric conversion device such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (complementary MOS) sensor and a low-pass filter.

[0037] The low-pass filter prevents infrared light from entering the unit to prevent the appearance of a color moiré pattern.

[0038] The imaging device is mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown) together with other electronic components in the pitching unit 20. The wire harness 22 is electrically connected to the printed circuit board.

[0039] The base 30 includes a pitching drive unit 32 that drives the pitching unit 20.

[0040] The wire harness 22 is connected to the pitching drive unit 32, extends in the accommodation area S, and is electrically connected to the control circuit board assembly 70.

[0041] (The wire harness 22)

[0042] As Figure 3A shown, the wire harness 22 includes a plurality of electric wires 22a each constituted by a core wire of a conductor coated with an insulator, and connectors 22b and 22c connected to both ends of the electric wire 22a.

[0043] The electric wires 22a are bundled with an adhesive tape at positions close to the connectors 22b and 22c.

[0044] The electric wires 22a in the wire harness 22 may be appropriate coaxial cables each including an inner conductor, an insulator, an outer conductor, and a protective coating.

[0045] The wire harness 22 extends from the back surface of the pitching unit 20, where the connector 22b of the wire harness 22 is electrically connected to the printed circuit board, and the connector 22c is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly 70 of the fixing portion 1.

[0046] The wire harness 22 further includes a first fixed portion 22d and a second fixed portion 22e. The first fixed portion 22d is fixed to the back surface of the pitching unit 20, and the second fixed portion 22e is fixed inside the fixing portion 1.

[0047] In the imaging device 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the second fixed portion 22e of the wire harness 22 includes a bushing member 22f as an integral part around the outer periphery of the wire harness 22, and the wire harness 22 is fixed to the inside of the fixing portion 1 by using the bushing member 22f.

[0048] It is desirable to integrate the bushing member 22f with the wire harness 22 by crimping, bonding, insert molding, or other techniques.

[0049] The first fixed portion 22d of the wire harness 22 is made of an elastic member 22j such as a cushion pad. The wire harness 22 is fixed to the back surface of the pitching unit 20 by using the elastic member 22j.

[0050] The bushing member 22f is a cylindrical or annular mechanical part that is fitted into a shaft or a cylindrical member to seal a gap or absorb vibration.

[0051] The region between the first fixed part 22d and the second fixed part 22e is a flexible extra-length part 22g.

[0052] As described below, following the pan drive and pitch drive of the movable part 2 relative to the fixed part 1, the extra-length part 22g bends or twists in the accommodation region S including the extra length.

[0053] The extra-length part 22g has at least a length sufficient to follow the pan drive and pitch drive of the movable part 2 relative to the fixed part 1.

[0054] The fixing at the two positions of the first fixed part 22d and the second fixed part 22e is suitable for ensuring that the length of the extra-length part 22g is long enough to have sufficient flexibility in the limited extra-length accommodation region S.

[0055] This is because, if a third fixed part is added to the extra-length part 22g, the extra-length part 22g will lose flexibility and it will be difficult to smoothly follow the pan drive and pitch drive.

[0056] The bent or twisted extra-length part 22g can slightly contact the inner wall or other regions defining the extra-length accommodation region S.

[0057] In addition, if the length is long enough to follow the pan drive and pitch drive of the movable part 2 relative to the fixed part 1, other fixed parts can be added between the first fixed part 22d and the second fixed part 22e.

[0058] This allows the wire harness 22 to be fixed more firmly without affecting the ability of the extra-length part 22g to follow the pan drive and pitch drive.

[0059] (Method of fixing the wire harness 22 to a fixed target using the bushing member 22f)

[0060] Reference will be made to Figure 3B and Figure 3C to describe the method of fixing the wire harness 22 to a fixed target using the bushing member 22f.

[0061] Figure 3B and Figure 3C are diagrams showing the method of fixing the wire harness 22 by engaging the bushing member 22f with a fixed target.

[0062] For example, as Figure 3B shown, the edge of the opening 60a in the base frame 601 described later is assembled into the engaging portion 22i in the bushing member 22f along a direction orthogonal to the opening 60a.

[0063] This allows the wire harness 22 to be reliably fixed to the fixed target and prevents the wire harness 22 from easily detaching from the fixed target.

[0064] The bushing member 22f may be press-fitted with the opening 60a. In this case, it is desirable that the bushing member 22f is made of an elastic body such as a rubber member.

[0065] Figure 3C A case where a relatively large connector is used as the connector 22c of the wire harness 22 is shown.

[0066] In this case, as the size of the connector 22c of the wire harness 22 increases, the opening 60a in the base chassis 601 for passing the connector 22c becomes larger.

[0067] This results in a larger size of the bushing member 22f for use as Figure 3B As shown, the engaging portion 22i of the bushing member 22f is engaged with the end of the opening 60a, so that the operability of the wire harness 22 passing through the opening 60a is deteriorated.

[0068] To solve this problem, Figure 3C As shown, other members such as the retaining members 6200 and 6300 are placed between the bushing member 22f of the wire harness 22 and the base frame 601 to fix the bushing member 22f to the base frame 601, improving the workability.

[0069] Instead of using the above-described method of fixing the wire harness 22 , the bushing member 22 f may be fixed to a fixing target with a screw or may be adhesively mounted to the fixing target.

[0070] The above-mentioned method of fixing the harness 22 is applicable to the pitch unit 20 .

[0071] The tilt unit 20 includes a pair of shaft portions on both side surfaces of the barrel unit 21 .

[0072] The pan unit base 30 includes a pair of bearing portions that support the shaft portion of the tilt unit 20 along the rotation axis T.

[0073] Fitting the respective shaft portions to the corresponding bearing portions allows the tilt unit 20 to be rotatably held relative to the pan unit base 30 .

[0074] The panning unit base 30 includes a hollow rotation shaft 30 a extending in the thrust direction of the rotation axis P.

[0075] The base cover 50 has a cylindrical portion 50 a extending in the thrust direction of the rotation axis P.

[0076] Fitting the hollow rotation shaft 30 a into the cylindrical portion 50 a allows the panning unit base 30 to be rotatable relative to the base cover 50 .

[0077] The pan unit base 30 is installed on the base cover 50 with the base cover 50 assembled between the pan unit base 30 and the pan unit rotating plate 40, and the pan unit base 30 is held rotatable about the rotation axis P.

[0078] The pan unit base 30 further includes a flexible circuit board 31 and a pitch drive unit 32 electrically connected to the flexible circuit board 31.

[0079] The flexible circuit board 31 is electrically connected to the circuit board assembly 70 in the fixed part 1 and follows the pan drive of the pan unit base 30 relative to the fixed part 1.

[0080] When a drive signal from the circuit board assembly 70 is input, the pitch drive unit 32 generates a driving force to cause the pitch unit 20 to perform pitch drive.

[0081] The frame unit 60 includes a base frame 601 and a plurality of metal supports.

[0082] The base frame 601 is made of a material such as aluminum or stainless steel (SUS) and is formed by stamping or drawing into a desired shape.

[0083] The metal supports are made of SUS material or brass material (BS material) and are commonly fixed to the base frame 601.

[0084] The supports are tapped for screw fastening. The frame unit 60 is fixed to the base cover 50 using screws (not shown).

[0085] The frame unit 60 further includes a pan drive unit 610. The pan drive unit 610 includes a flexible circuit board, and one end of the flexible circuit board is electrically connected and fixed to the circuit board assembly 70.

[0086] When a drive signal from the circuit board assembly 70 is input, the pan drive unit 610 generates a driving force to cause the pan unit rotating plate 40 to perform pan drive.

[0087] The circuit board assembly 70 is fixed using screws in contact with the metal supports of the frame unit 60.

[0088] The base frame 601 of the frame unit 60 has a substantially circular opening 60a at the center.

[0089] The wire harness 22 and the flexible circuit board 31 pass through the opening 60a to reach the circuit board assembly 70.

[0090] The bottom unit 80 includes a battery for operating the imaging device 100 and an operation button that can be pressed from the outside.

[0091] The fixing portion 1 is assembled by fixing the bottom unit 80 to the base cover 50 using screws (not shown), and the assembly of the Figure 1 illustrated imaging device is completed.

[0092] ( Figure 7 description of the block diagram in

[0093] Figure 7 FIG. is a block diagram showing a structural example of an imaging device 100 as an example of the imaging device in the present invention.

[0094] Referring to Figure 7 , the system control unit 219 includes a processor (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a microprocessor, or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit)) and a memory (e.g., a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or an SRAM (Static RAM)).

[0095] They perform various types of processing to control each block of the imaging device 100.

[0096] The non-volatile memory (EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)) 210 is an electrically erasable / recordable memory that stores constants and programs for the operation control unit.

[0097] Referring to Figure 7 , the zoom unit 201 includes a zoom lens for performing zooming. The zoom drive control unit 202 performs drive control of the zoom unit 201.

[0098] The focus unit 203 includes a lens for adjusting the focal length. The focus drive control unit 204 performs drive control of the focus unit 203.

[0099] In the imaging unit 206, an imaging device such as a CCD or a CMOS converts an optical image input through an optical system into an electrical signal, and outputs information about charges based on the incident light amount as analog image data to the image processing unit 207.

[0100] The image processing unit 207 performs image processing such as skew correction, white balance adjustment, and color interpolation on the digital image data output through A / D conversion, and outputs the processed digital image data.

[0101] The image recording unit 208 converts the digital image data output from the image processing unit 207 into data in a recording format such as the JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format, and transfers the data to the memory 209 and the image output unit 212.

[0102] The lens barrel rotation drive unit 205 drives the pitch drive unit 32 and the pan drive unit 610 to drive the lens barrel in the pitch direction and the pan direction.

[0103] The device shake detection unit 222 includes a gyroscope sensor (angular velocity meter) that detects the triaxial angular velocity of the imaging device 100 and an accelerometer (accelerator sensor) that detects the triaxial acceleration of the device.

[0104] The device shake detection unit 222 calculates the rotation angle and movement amount of the device based on the detected signals.

[0105] The microphone (sound input unit) 213 acquires the sound signal around the imaging device. The sound signal is A / D converted by an amplifier or other components, and the microphone 213 transmits the converted signal to the sound processing unit 214.

[0106] The sound processing unit 214 performs sound-related processing such as making the input digital sound signal appropriate.

[0107] Then, the system control unit 219 transmits the sound signal processed by the sound processing unit 214 to the memory 209.

[0108] The memory 209 temporarily stores the image signal and the sound signal from the image processing unit 207 and the sound processing unit 214.

[0109] The image processing unit 207 and the sound processing unit 214 read the image signal and the sound signal temporarily stored in the memory 209 and encode them to generate a compressed image signal and a compressed sound signal.

[0110] The system control unit 219 transmits these compressed image signals and compressed sound signals to the recording / playback unit 216.

[0111] The recording / playback unit 216 records the compressed image signal, the compressed sound signal, and other imaging-related control data on the recording medium 217.

[0112] The recording medium 217 can be a recording medium included in the imaging device 100 or a recording medium detachably mounted on the imaging device 100.

[0113] The recording medium 217 can record various data such as compressed image signals, compressed sound signals, and sound signals generated by the imaging device 100, and generally has a larger capacity than the non-volatile memory 210.

[0114] Examples of the recording medium 217 include any type of recording medium such as a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-R (Recordable Compact Disc), a DVD-R (Recordable Digital Versatile Disc), a magnetic tape, a non-volatile semiconductor memory, and a flash memory.

[0115] The recording / reproducing unit 216 reads (and reproduces) the compressed image signal, the compressed sound signal, the sound signal, various data, and programs from the recording medium 217.

[0116] The recording / reproducing unit 216 then transmits the read compressed image signal and compressed sound signal to the image processing unit 207 and the sound processing unit 214.

[0117] The image processing unit 207 and the sound processing unit 214 temporarily store the compressed image signal and the compressed sound signal in the memory 209 respectively, decode these signals according to a predetermined program, and transmit the decoded signals to the image output unit 212 and the speaker (sound output unit) 215 respectively.

[0118] The speaker (sound output unit) 215 outputs a sound pattern preset at the time of imaging or other timing.

[0119] The light emitting device (LED) control unit 211 controls the LED in the imaging device 100 in a lighting / flashing pattern preset at the time of imaging or other timing.

[0120] The image output unit 212 includes, for example, an image output terminal, and transmits an image signal for image display to an externally connected display device or other device.

[0121] The communication unit 218 allows communication between the imaging device 100 and an external device, and transmits and receives data such as sound signals, image signals, compressed sound signals, and compressed image signals.

[0122] As an example, the communication unit 218 receives control signals related to imaging such as a shooting start command, a shooting end command, and pan / tilt and zoom driving, and drives the imaging device 100 according to instructions issued from an external device that can communicate with the imaging device 100.

[0123] The communication unit 218 is a wireless communication module such as an infrared communication module, a communication module, a wireless LAN communication module, or a GPS receiver.

[0124] The power supply control unit 220 includes a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC (Direct Current - Direct Current) converter, and a switch circuit for switching the blocks to be powered on, and detects whether there is an installed battery, the type of the battery, and the remaining capacity of the battery.

[0125] The power control unit 220 also controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection result and an instruction from the system control unit, and supplies an appropriate voltage to components including the recording medium 217 during an appropriate time period.

[0126] The power supply unit 221 includes a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a Li battery, or an AC adapter, etc.

[0127] The power supply unit 221 and the power control unit 220 are connected to each other via a power connector and a power connector on the camera.

[0128] (Cross-sectional view of the wiring and main components in the imaging device 100)

[0129] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main components in the imaging device 100 as an electronic device for explaining the wiring.

[0130] The imaging device 100 includes a movable cylinder 2 and a support cylinder 1, and the support cylinder 1 supports the movable cylinder 2 in such a manner that the movable cylinder 2 can rotate around the pan axis P.

[0131] The imaging device 100 further includes a wire harness 22 that connects the pan control circuit board assembly 70 in the support cylinder and the housing area S. The housing area S is located in the movable cylinder 2, communicates with the support cylinder 1, and contains the wire harness 22.

[0132] For simplicity of explanation, the cross-sectional view shows the first fixed portion 22d of the wire harness 22 that is the main part of the pitch unit 20 and its vicinity, and the rotation axis P of the fixed portion 1 and its vicinity.

[0133] The wire harness 22 and the flexible circuit board 31 extend within the hollow rotation shaft 30a in the pan unit base 30 and are connected to the circuit board assembly 70, and the rotation shaft 30a extends in the thrust direction of the rotation axis P and passes through the opening 60a at the center of the base frame 601.

[0134] The first fixed portion 22d of the wire harness 22 is fixed to the back surface of the pitch unit 20, and the second fixed portion 22e is fixed to the base frame 601 in the fixed portion 1.

[0135] Therefore, the redundant length portion 22g of the wire harness 22 is contained in the redundant length housing area S between the first fixed portion 22d and the second fixed portion 22e.

[0136] In the redundant length housing area S, the redundant length portion 22g of the wire harness 22 behaves as following the pan drive and pitch drive of the movable portion 2 relative to the fixed portion 1.

[0137] During the pan drive and the tilt drive, the second fixed portion 22e is likely to bear a load due to the bending and twisting of the slack portion 22g.

[0138] As described above, the movement of the fixed portion is prevented by fixing via the bushing member 22f integrated with the wire harness 22.

[0139] On the other hand, the first fixed portion 22d bears a load mainly due to the bending of the slack portion 22g during the tilt drive, and hardly bears a load due to the twisting of the slack portion 22g.

[0140] Therefore, a relatively rough fixing method can be applied to the first fixed portion 22d compared to the method applied to the second fixed portion 22e.

[0141] The imaging device 100 of the present exemplary embodiment uses an elastic member 22j, such as a cushion for the first fixed portion 22d.

[0142] The wire harness 22 is fixed by the elastic member 22j sandwiched between the upper cover and the lower cover included in the tilt unit 20.

[0143] The elastic member 22j for the first fixed portion 22d prevents the movement of the fixed portion in a more reliable manner and reduces the stress on the wire harness 22 when the elastic member 22j is sandwiched between the upper cover 20a and the lower cover 20b.

[0144] On the other hand, the flexible circuit board 31 is wound around the wire harness 22 multiple times in the slack accommodation area S and is connected to the circuit board assembly 70.

[0145] One end 31a of the flexible circuit board 31 is adhesively fixed to the pan unit base 30 using a double-sided adhesive tape (not shown) or the like, and the other end 31b is adhesively fixed to the vertical wall portion 620a on the first holding member 620 (to be described later) using a double-sided adhesive tape (not shown) or the like.

[0146] This allows the wound portion 31c of the flexible circuit board 31 to be included at a predetermined position in the slack accommodation area S together with the slack portion 22g of the wire harness 22.

[0147] The wound portion 31c becomes loose or tight in the slack accommodation area S as the pan drive of the movable portion 2 with respect to the fixed portion 1 occurs.

[0148] In the present exemplary embodiment, the first fixed portion 22d of the wire harness 22 is located in the movable cylinder 2 and the second fixed portion 22e is located in the support cylinder 1.

[0149] In the accommodation area S, the first fixed portion 22d is fixed to the first fixed portion of the movable cylinder 2.

[0150] In the housing area, the second fixed part 22e is fixed to the second fixed part of the support cylinder 1.

[0151] The second fixed part 22e is fixed side by side with the swivel axis P of the movable cylinder 2 in the housing area S of the support cylinder 1, rather than being fixed side by side with the swivel axis P of the movable cylinder 2 in the housing area S of the movable cylinder 2.

[0152] The second fixed part 22e is a bushing member 22f that is an integral part around the outer periphery of the wire harness 22.

[0153] The movable cylinder 2 includes a base 30 and a pitching unit 20. The base 30 is supported on the support cylinder 1 so as to be rotatable around the swivel axis P, and the pitching unit 20 is supported on the base 30 so as to be rotatable around a pitching axis T that extends in a direction different from the swivel axis P.

[0154] The wire harness 22 extends from the pitching unit 20.

[0155] The first fixed part 22d is an elastic member 22j on the outer periphery of the wire harness 22.

[0156] The elastic member 22j is clamped in the pitching unit 20.

[0157] The first fixed part 22d is fixed to the pitching unit 20 at a position at a predetermined distance L away from the swivel axis P of the base 30 along a direction parallel to the pitching axis T of the pitching unit 20.

[0158] In the housing area S of the movable cylinder 2, the wire harness 22 is slack in a direction opposite to the direction in which the wire harness 22 extends from the pitching unit 20.

[0159] The support cylinder 1 includes a first holding member 620 that holds the wire harness 22 and a second holding member 630 that fixes the bushing member 22f to the first holding member 620.

[0160] The bushing member 22f includes a joint part 22i in a direction orthogonal to the wiring length direction of the wire harness 22 and a contact part 22h at a position closer to the end of the wire harness 22 than the joint part 22i.

[0161] Between the base 30 and the control circuit board assembly 70, the joint part 22i is assembled into the joint part 630a of the second holding member 630, and the contact part 22h contacts the contact part 620b on the first holding member 620.

[0162] (Fixing method of the wire harness 22 in the fixed part 1 and fixing method of the flexible circuit board 31)

[0163] Next, with reference to Figure 5Specifically describe the fixing method of the wire harness 22 in the fixing portion 1 and the fixing method of the flexible circuit board 31.

[0164] Figure 5 It is an exploded perspective view of the detailed structure of the components for fixing the wire harness 22 and the flexible circuit board 31 in the fixing portion 1.

[0165] The first holding member 620 and the second holding member 630 are located below the slack storage area S.

[0166] The first holding member 620 includes a standing wall portion 620a that protrudes toward the pitching unit 20 along the rotation axis P, and the other end 31b of the flexible circuit board 31 is adhesively fixed to the standing wall portion 620a.

[0167] The first holding member 620 is mounted to the base frame 601, and the standing wall portion 620a protrudes in the slack storage area S.

[0168] Therefore, the wound portion 31c of the flexible circuit board 31 is at a predetermined position included in the slack storage area S.

[0169] The second holding member 630 includes a joint portion 630a in a direction substantially orthogonal to the rotation axis P, and the joint portion 22i of the bushing member 22f, which is an integral part around the outer periphery of the wire harness 22, is assembled to the joint portion 630a.

[0170] The second holding member 630 that holds the wire harness 22 is positioned by the first holding member 620.

[0171] Meanwhile, the second holding member 630 is mounted to the base frame 601 in a state where the contact portion 22h of the bushing member 22f is in contact with the contact portion 620b of the first holding member 620.

[0172] Therefore, the wire harness 22 is held along the rotation axis P in a case where the slack portion 22g of the wire harness 22 is included in the slack storage area S.

[0173] Since the bushing member 22f joined to the second holding member 630 is in contact with the first holding member 620, the wire harness 22 does not rotate when the wire harness 22 is twisted in the slack storage area S.

[0174] In the above structure, the wire harness 22 is fixed to the fixing portion 1 via the bushing member 22f that is an integral part, preventing the wire harness 22 from easily falling off.

[0175] In other words, the slack portion 22g of the wire harness 22 bends or twists following the swing drive and pitching drive of the movable portion 2 in the slack storage area S while maintaining its length.

[0176] When the slack portion 22g of the wire harness 22 bends or twists in the slack storage region S, the wire harness 22 stays in place, preventing the circuit board from bearing a load due to this behavior.

[0177] The first holding member 620 that holds the flexible circuit board 31 by an adhesion fixing process positions the bushing member 22f so that the positional relationship between the wire harness 22 and the flexible circuit board 31 can be easily controlled.

[0178] Therefore, this configuration makes it easy to set the positions of the wire harness 22 and the flexible circuit board 31 to prevent the two from contacting each other during movement, preventing wire breakage or other damage caused by such contact.

[0179] During the pan drive of the movable part 2, the wire harness 22 twists around the rotation axis P without warping. This enables the wire harness 22 to occupy a much smaller area in the imaging device 100.

[0180] In other words, this reduces the slack storage region S, leading to miniaturization of the imaging device 100.

[0181] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the wire harness 22 and the flexible circuit board 31 extend in the slack storage region S inside the hollow rotation shaft 30a including the pan unit base 30 and are connected to the circuit board assembly 70.

[0182] This eliminates the need to pull out the wire harness 22 and the flexible circuit board 31 from the side of the pan unit base 30.

[0183] This enables the wire harness 22 and the flexible circuit board 31 that warp following the movable part 2 to occupy a much smaller space.

[0184] In other words, compared with the case of pulling out the wire harness 22 and the flexible circuit board 31 from the side of the pan unit base 30, the size of the imaging device 100 when viewed along the axis P can be reduced.

[0185] On the other hand, since the slack storage region S decreases as the imaging device 100 is miniaturized, the length of the slack portion 22g of the wire harness 22 that can be contained in the slack storage region S becomes smaller.

[0186] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, together with the effective use of the slack storage region S, the slack portion 22g of the wire harness 22 has a length sufficient to follow the pan drive and pitch drive of the movable part 2 relative to the fixed part 1.

[0187] (Top view of the imaging device 100)

[0188] Figure 6 is a top view of the imaging device 100 in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 6In [description], the top cover 10 is not shown, and for the sake of convenience of explanation, the lens barrel unit 21 and the wire harness 22 are shown by dashed lines.

[0189] The first fixed portion 22d of the wire harness 22 that is connected to the lens barrel unit 21 by the connector 22b is fixed to and held at the back surface of the pitching unit 20 at a position that is a predetermined distance L away from the rotation axis P in a direction parallel to the rotation axis T.

[0190] The redundant length portion 22g of the wire harness 22 is contained in the redundant length region S in a direction parallel to the rotation axis T, warps in a direction opposite to L, and is fixed and held along the rotation axis P.

[0191] This ensures that the length of the redundant length portion 22g of the wire harness 22 is sufficient to follow the pan drive and the pitch drive of the movable portion 2 relative to the fixed portion 1.

[0192] The shapes of the support cylinder 1 (fixed portion) and the movable cylinder 2 (movable portion) of the present invention are not limited to cylindrical shapes, and may also be rectangular (such as a cube).

[0193] The exemplary embodiments and application examples of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to these exemplary embodiments and can be modified and changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0194] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a compact rotation drive device having a wiring structure that reduces stress on the wiring and at the connection portions of the wiring.

[0195] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the appended claims should be given the broadest interpretation to cover all such modifications, equivalent structures, and functions.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: A movable cylinder; A support cylinder configured to support the movable cylinder in a manner that the movable cylinder can rotate about a pan rotation axis; A flexible wiring connected to a pan control circuit board in the support cylinder; and A housing area that communicates the movable cylinder and the support cylinder and houses the flexible wiring, Characterized in that, The flexible wiring includes a first connector connected to the movable cylinder, a first fixed part fixed to the movable cylinder, a second connector connected to the support cylinder, and a second fixed part fixed to the support cylinder, The first connector and the first fixed part are separate, The second connector and the second fixed part are separate, In the housing area, the first fixed part is made of a cushion pad and is mechanically fixed to the movable cylinder, In the housing area, the second fixed part includes a bushing member and is mechanically fixed to the support cylinder via the bushing member integrated with the flexible wiring, In the movable cylinder, the first connector is electrically connected to a connector of the movable cylinder, In the support cylinder, the second connector is electrically connected to a connector of the support cylinder, and the second fixed part is fixed along the pan rotation axis of the movable cylinder in the housing area of the support cylinder, and the first fixed part is not fixed along the pan rotation axis of the movable cylinder in the housing area of the movable cylinder.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The bushing member is an integrated part around the outer periphery of the flexible wiring.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein, The movable cylinder includes a base and a driven body, the base is rotatably supported on the support cylinder around the pan rotation axis, the driven body is rotatably supported on the base around a pitch rotation axis extending in a direction different from the pan rotation axis, and The flexible wiring extends from the driven body.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein, The cushion pad is on the outer periphery of the flexible wiring, and The cushion pad is sandwiched in the driven body.

5. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein, The first fixed part is fixed to the driven body at a position a predetermined distance away from the pan rotation axis of the base along a direction parallel to the pitch rotation axis of the driven body, and The flexible wiring is slack in the housing area of the movable cylinder along a direction opposite to the direction in which the flexible wiring extends from the driven body.

6. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein, The base includes a pitch drive source configured to drive the driven body, and The flexible wiring connected to the drive source extends in the housing area and is electrically connected to the control circuit board.

7. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein, The support cylinder includes a first holding member for holding the flexible wiring and a second holding member for cooperating with the first holding member to fix the bushing member.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein, The bushing member includes a joint portion in a direction orthogonal to the wiring direction of the flexible wiring and a contact portion at a position closer to the end of the flexible wiring than the joint portion, and between the base of the movable cylinder and the control circuit board, the joint portion of the bushing member is joined to the joint portion of the second holding member, and the contact portion of the bushing member contacts the contact portion of the first holding member.

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