Steering base and image acquisition module

Abstract

A steering base comprises a first shell, a second shell, a clamping piece and at least one elastic piece. The first shell is provided with a clamping structure. The second housing is rotatably connected to the first housing along a rotational axis. The clamping piece is movably arranged on the second shell, the clamping piece is suitable for moving to a first position along a first direction parallel to the rotating axis to be clamped with the clamping structure, and the clamping piece is suitable for moving to a second position along a second direction opposite to the first direction. The at least one elastic piece is arranged between the second shell and the clamping piece and is suitable for providing elastic force in the first direction, the clamping piece is positioned at the first position through the elastic force, and the clamping piece is suitable for resisting the elastic force to move towards the second position through external force from the second shell. An image acquisition module is also provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a base and an image acquisition module, and particularly to a swivel base and an image acquisition module having the same. Background Art

[0002] Generally, outdoor monitors are more vulnerable to external impacts, resulting in damage to their structures. When using the IK10 impact test to simulate external forces, if an outdoor monitor has a relatively long casing, the rotating shaft of the outdoor monitor will be subjected to a stronger impact due to the relatively long lever arm, making the internal structure more likely to be damaged. The IK10 impact simulates the impact force generated by a 5-kilogram object falling from a height of 40 centimeters. Outdoor monitors on the market generally enhance the structural strength of the rotating shaft to improve impact resistance. However, an overly strong structure may cause permanent damage to the structure due to the hard contact between structures. Therefore, how to reduce the probability of permanent damage to the internal structure of an outdoor monitor when it is subjected to external forces is a direction that the field is committed to exploring. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention provides a swivel base and an image acquisition module, which have a simple structure and better reliability.

[0004] The swivel base of the present invention includes a first housing, a second housing, a engaging member, and at least one elastic member. The first housing has a engaging structure. The second housing is rotatably connected to the first housing along a rotation axis. The engaging member is movably disposed in the second housing, wherein the engaging member is adapted to move to a first position along a first direction parallel to the rotation axis and engage with the engaging structure, and the engaging member is adapted to move to a second position along a second direction opposite to the first direction. At least one elastic member is disposed between the second housing and the engaging member and is adapted to provide an elastic force along the first direction, wherein the engaging member is positioned at the first position by the elastic force, and the engaging member is adapted to move against the elastic force to the second position by an external force from the second housing.

[0005] An image acquisition module of the present invention includes the above-mentioned swivel base and an image acquisition unit. The image acquisition unit is disposed on the first housing or the second housing.

[0006] In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned engaging structure includes a plurality of first teeth, and the engaging member has a plurality of second teeth, and these first teeth are adapted to engage with these second teeth.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned first teeth are arranged annularly around the rotation axis, and the above-mentioned second teeth are arranged annularly around the rotation axis.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned engaging member has at least one convex post, and at least one elastic member is sleeved on at least one convex post.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned at least one elastic member includes at least three elastic members.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned three elastic members form the three vertices of an equilateral triangle.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned rotation axis passes through the geometric center of the equilateral triangle.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned steering base further includes at least one fastener. The engaging member has at least one through hole, at least one fastener passes through at least one through hole and is fastened to the second housing, and at least one fastener restricts the movable range of the engaging member.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned at least one fastener includes a fastening portion and a stop portion connected to each other. The fastening portion passes through at least one through hole and is fastened to the second housing, and the engaging member is restricted between the stop portion and the second housing.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the movable range of the above-mentioned engaging member is greater than the engagement depth between the engaging member and the engaging structure.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned at least one elastic member includes a plurality of elastic members, and these elastic members are arranged at equal intervals.

[0016] Based on the above, in the steering base of the present invention, the engaging member provided on the second housing is not completely fixedly engaged with the engaging structure of the first housing. Instead, the engaging member is engaged with the engaging structure by the elastic force of the elastic member and can be temporarily moved in a direction away from the engaging structure through the elastic deformation of the elastic member. Accordingly, when an external impact force is applied to the second housing of the steering base, the impact force resists the elastic force of the elastic member to cause displacement of the engaging member, thereby temporarily releasing the complete engagement state between the engaging member and the engaging structure. Thus, the steering base of the present invention can avoid structural damage caused by forced relative movement when the engaging member and the engaging structure bear the impact force, thereby improving the reliability of the steering base. In addition, in the steering base structure of the present invention, the movable direction of the engaging member is parallel to the rotation axis direction of the steering base. Accordingly, only by simply arranging an elastic member between the second housing and the engaging member along the above direction can the above action effect be achieved. Therefore, the steering base structure of the present invention is simple and easy to assemble. Description of the Drawings

[0017] Figure 1It is a side view of an image acquisition module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is Figure 1 an exploded view of the steering base.

[0019] Figure 3 It is Figure 1 a partial sectional view of the steering base.

[0020] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 the movement of the engaging part.

[0021] Figure 5 It shows Figure 2 the elastic part sleeved on the engaging part.

[0022] Figure 6A It is Figure 2 a perspective view of the engaging part.

[0023] Figure 6B It is Figure 6A a perspective view of the engaging part from another perspective.

[0024] Figure 7 It is Figure 2 a partial enlarged view of the first housing.

[0025] Figure 8 It is Figure 1 a sectional view of the steering base.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0027] 10: Image acquisition module

[0028] 20: Image acquisition unit

[0029] 100: Steering base

[0030] 110: First housing

[0031] 111: Engaging structure

[0032] 112: First mounting surface

[0033] 120: Second housing

[0034] 121: Positioning post

[0035] 122: Surface

[0036] 123: Second mounting surface

[0037] 130: Engaging part

[0038] 131: Second tooth part

[0039] 132: Convex post

[0040] 133: Through hole

[0041] 134: Positioning hole

[0042] 140: Elastic member

[0043] 150: Fastener

[0044] 151: Fastening portion

[0045] 152: Stopping portion

[0046] 170: Fastener

[0047] 1111: First tooth portion

[0048] 1112: Surface

[0049] 1311: Top surface

[0050] A: Axis of rotation

[0051] D1: First direction

[0052] D2: Second direction

[0053] R: Movable range

[0054] S: Engagement depth

[0055] X, Y, Z: Axial directions Detailed implementation manners

[0056] For convenience and clarity of illustration, the thickness or size of each element in the drawings is represented in an exaggerated, omitted, or schematic manner for those skilled in the art to understand and read. And the size of each element is not completely its actual size, which is not used to limit the implementable conditions of the present invention, so it does not have a substantial technical meaning. Any modification of the structure, change in the proportional relationship, or adjustment of the size, without affecting the effects that the present invention can produce and the purposes that can be achieved, should still fall within the scope covered by the technical content disclosed in the present invention. The same reference numerals will be used to represent the same or similar elements in all the drawings.

[0057] Figure 1 is a side view of an image acquisition module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is Figure 1 an exploded view of the steering base. Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the image acquisition module 10 of the present embodiment is, for example, an outdoor monitor. The image acquisition module 10 includes a steering base 100 and an image acquisition unit 20. The image acquisition module 10 can acquire images of the external environment through the image acquisition unit 20. It should be noted that,Figure 1 The image acquisition unit 20 is schematically shown by a dashed line, and it can actually be of other appropriate shapes and sizes. The steering base 100 includes a first housing 110 and a second housing 120. The second housing 120 is rotatably connected to the first housing 110 along the rotation axis A, and the image acquisition unit 20 is disposed on the second housing 120. The user can adjust the position and angle of the image acquisition unit 20 by rotating the second housing 120 relative to the first housing 110. In other embodiments, the steering base 100 can be applied to other types of devices other than the image acquisition module, and the present invention does not limit this.

[0058] In addition, as Figure 1 shown, the steering base 100 further includes a fastener 170, such as a screw. The fastener 170 passes through the second housing 120 and is fastened to the first housing 110, so that the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 are fastened to each other in the direction parallel to the rotation axis A, and the second housing 120 can rotate relative to the first housing 110. On the other hand, in one embodiment, the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 are cylindrical structures and extend along a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis A. The first housing 110 is provided with a first mounting surface 112 ( Figure 2 ), and the second housing 120 is provided with a second mounting surface 123 ( Figure 2 ). The first mounting surface 112 and the second mounting surface 123 are correspondingly arranged. The first housing 110 is connected to the second mounting surface 123 of the second housing 120 through the first mounting surface 112. In this embodiment, the first mounting surface 112 and the second mounting surface 123 are respectively perpendicular to the rotation axis A. When the first housing 110 is fixed to the installation position, the adjustable angle of the second housing 120 is between +90 degrees and -90 degrees. For example, the direction of the rotation axis A is the Z-axis direction, the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 extend along the X-axis direction, and the second housing 120 can be adjusted relative to the first housing 110 between the positive Y-axis direction and the negative Y-axis direction.

[0059] In addition, in other embodiments, the image acquisition unit 20 can also be disposed on the first housing 110, so that the user can adjust the position and angle of the image acquisition unit 20 by rotating the first housing 110 relative to the second housing 120.

[0060] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a partial cross-sectional view of the steering base. Figure 4 Show Figure 3 the movement of the engaging member. Please refer to Figures 2 to 4, the steering base 100 of this embodiment further includes a engaging member 130 and a plurality of elastic members 140. The first mounting surface 112 of the first housing 110 has an engaging structure 111. The engaging member 130 is movably disposed in the second housing 120. The elastic member 140 is disposed between the second housing 120 and the engaging member 130 and is adapted to provide an elastic force along a first direction D1 parallel to the rotation axis A. The engaging member 130 is adapted to move along the first direction D1 to Figure 3 the first position shown in and engage with the engaging structure 111, and be positioned at the first position by the elastic force. Further, the engaging member 130 is adapted to move along a second direction D2 opposite to the first direction D1 to Figure 4 the second position shown in by an external force from the second housing 120.

[0061] As described above, in the steering base 100 of this embodiment, the engaging member 130 disposed in the second housing 120 is not completely fixedly engaged with the engaging structure 111 of the first housing 110. Instead, the engaging member 130 is engaged with the engaging structure 111 by the elastic force of the elastic member 140 and can be temporarily moved in a direction away from the engaging structure 111 by the elastic deformation of the elastic member 140. Accordingly, when an external impact force is applied to the second housing 120 of the steering base 100, the impact force resists the elastic force of the elastic member 140 to cause displacement of the engaging member 130, and further temporarily releases the complete engagement state between the engaging member 130 and the engaging structure 111. Thus, the steering base 100 of this embodiment can avoid structural damage caused by forced relative movement when the engaging member 130 and the engaging structure 111 bear the impact force, thereby improving the reliability of the steering base 100. In addition, in the structure of the steering base 100 of this embodiment, the movable direction of the engaging member 130 is parallel to the rotation axis A of the steering base 100. Accordingly, only by simply arranging the elastic member 140 between the second housing 120 and the engaging member 130 along the direction can the above operation effect be achieved. Therefore, the structure of the steering base 100 of this embodiment is simple and easy to assemble.

[0062] Figure 5 shown Figure 2 The elastic member is sleeved on the engaging member. In this embodiment, there may be a plurality of elastic members 140, for example, three elastic members 140, and the three elastic members 140 are arranged at equal intervals, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Preferably, the three elastic members 140 form the three vertices of an equilateral triangle, and the rotation axis A passes through the geometric center of this equilateral triangle (the centroid, incenter or circumcenter of the equilateral triangle). Accordingly, the three elastic members 140 are evenly disposed on the engaging member 130 to evenly provide an elastic force to the engaging member 130, so as to enable the engaging member 130 to stably move along the first direction D1. In other embodiments, the number and distribution manner of the elastic members 140 are not limited to the above.

[0063] The specific structure of the steering base 100 of this embodiment will be described in more detail below.

[0064] Figure 6A is Figure 2 a three-dimensional view of the engaging member. Figure 6B is Figure 6A a three-dimensional view of the engaging member from another perspective. Please refer to Figure 6A and Figure 6B , the engaging member 130 of this embodiment is a circular sheet body and has three convex columns 132. The three convex columns 132 are located on a surface corresponding to the second housing 120 as shown in Figure 3 . The elastic member 140 is, for example, a spring and is arranged in a manner of sleeving on the convex column 132 as shown in Figure 5 . The present invention does not limit the number of the convex columns 132.

[0065] In this embodiment, the material of the engaging member 130 is POM (Polyoxymethylene) GF910. POM GF910 has the characteristics of being smooth, abrasion-resistant, and hard, and its tensile strength is 88 MPa, bending strength is 125 MPa, and impact strength (with notch) is 5 kJ / m 2 . Such characteristics make the engaging member 130 suitable for being arranged between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 made of zinc alloy, but the material of the engaging member 130 is not limited thereto. Specifically, when the first housing 110 or the second housing 120 is subjected to an external force, the above characteristics make the engaging member 130 not easily worn and not directly damaged due to the external force. In addition, the engaging member 130 of this embodiment can move relative to the second housing 120. Therefore, when the engaging member 130 is damaged due to an external force on the first housing 110 or the second housing 120, the user can separate the engaging member 130 from the second housing 120 to make it easy to repair and replace.

[0066] Figure 7 is Figure 2 a partial enlarged view of the first housing. Figure 8 is Figure 1 a cross-sectional view of the steering base. Please refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 , the engaging structure 111 of the first housing 110 includes a plurality of first tooth portions 1111, and these first tooth portions 1111 are arranged annularly around the rotation axis A. The engaging member 130 has a plurality of second tooth portions 131 on a surface corresponding to the engaging structure 111, and these second tooth portions 131 are also arranged annularly around the rotation axis A. When the engaging member 130 is in the first position as shown in Figure 3 , these first tooth portions 1111 are as shown in Figure 8As shown, it engages with these second tooth portions 131. By engaging the annular second tooth portion 131 of the engaging member 130 with the annular first tooth portion 1111 of the engaging structure 111, a sufficient engaging area can be provided between the engaging member 130 and the engaging structure 111 to firmly fix the relative angle between the first housing 110 and the second housing 120.

[0067] On the other hand, as Figure 2 shown, the steering base 100 of this embodiment further includes a plurality of fasteners 150. The engaging member 130 has a plurality of through holes 133 (as Figure 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 8 illustrated). These fasteners 150 are respectively passed through these through holes 133 and fastened to the second housing 120 as Figure 3 shown. The steering base 100 restricts the engaging member 130 to move only within the movable range R through the fasteners 150. Specifically, as Figure 3 shown, the fastener 150 includes a connected fastening portion 151 and a stop portion 152. The fastening portion 151 is passed through the through hole 133 and fastened to the second housing 120. The engaging member 130 is restricted between the stop portion 152 and the second housing 120. That is, the movable range R of the engaging member 130 is located between a surface 122 of the second housing 120 and the stop portion 152.

[0068] In this embodiment, the fastener 150 is, for example, a screw, but the present invention does not limit the type of the fastener 150. In addition, in this embodiment, the numbers of the fasteners 150 and the through holes 133 are both two, but the numbers of the fasteners 150 and the through holes 133 are not limited thereto.

[0069] As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the movable range R of the engaging member 130 of this embodiment is larger than the engaging depth S between the engaging member 130 and the engaging structure 111. Accordingly, it can be ensured that in the state shown in Figure 4 , the amount of engagement between the first tooth portion 1111 and the second tooth portion 131 will decrease, and even there will be no engagement amount between the first tooth portion 1111 and the second tooth portion 131. Furthermore, it can indeed avoid structural damage caused by forced relative movement when the engaging member 130 and the engaging structure 111 are subjected to impact forces as described above.

[0070] It should be noted that when the engagement amount between the second tooth portion 131 and the first tooth portion 1111 decreases, the top surface 1311 ( Figure 6B ) of the second tooth portion 131 and a surface 1112 ( Figure 7 ) of the engaging structure 111 are still in contact with each other.

[0071] In addition, the steering base 100 can increase the strength of the structure by increasing the widths of the first tooth portion 1111 of the engaging structure 111 and the second tooth portion 131 of the engaging member 130. Moreover, when the steering base 100 bears an impact force, the steering base 100 enables the engaging member 130 and the engaging structure 111 to have buffering properties through the elastic member 140 sleeved on the engaging member 130, so as to reduce the probability of structural damage.

[0072] In addition, please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 6A Moreover, the second housing 120 of this embodiment further includes a plurality of positioning posts 121, and the engaging member 130 has a plurality of positioning holes 134, and these positioning posts 121 respectively pass through these positioning holes 134. Accordingly, the fastener 150 and the positioning posts 121 jointly restrict the engaging member 130 to be movable relative to the second housing 120 only along the first direction D1 and the second direction D2, so as to prevent the engaging member 130 from rotating or shifting in other directions relative to the second housing 120 unexpectedly. For example, the number of the positioning posts 121 and the positioning holes 134 in this embodiment is two, but the present invention does not limit the number of the positioning posts 121 and the positioning holes 134.

[0073] In summary, in the steering base of the present invention, the engaging member provided on the second housing is not completely fixedly engaged with the engaging structure of the first housing. Instead, the engaging member is engaged with the engaging structure by the elastic force of the elastic member and can be temporarily moved in a direction away from the engaging structure through the elastic deformation of the elastic member. Accordingly, when an external impact force is applied to the second housing of the steering base, the impact force resists the elastic force of the elastic member to cause the engaging member to displace, and then temporarily releases the complete engagement state between the engaging member and the engaging structure. Thus, the steering base of the present invention can avoid structural damage caused by forced relative movement when the engaging member and the engaging structure bear an impact force, thereby improving the reliability of the steering base. In addition, in the steering base structure of the present invention, the movable direction of the engaging member is parallel to the rotation axis direction of the steering base. Accordingly, simply arranging an elastic member between the second housing and the engaging member along the direction can achieve the above action effect, so the steering base structure of the present invention is simple and easy to assemble.

[0074] Although the technical content of the present invention has been disclosed above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, makes some modifications and refinements, which should all be covered within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A steering base, characterized in that, Comprising: A first housing having an engaging structure; A second housing rotatably connected to the first housing along a rotation axis; An engaging member movably disposed in the second housing, wherein the engaging member is adapted to move to a first position in a first direction parallel to the rotation axis to engage with the engaging structure, and the engaging member is adapted to move to a second position in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and At least one elastic member disposed between the second housing and the engaging member and adapted to provide an elastic force in the first direction, wherein the engaging member is positioned at the first position by the elastic force, and the engaging member is adapted to move to the second position against the elastic force by an external force from the second housing.

2. The steering base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The engaging structure includes a plurality of first tooth portions, and the engaging member has a plurality of second tooth portions, and the first tooth portions are adapted to mesh with the second tooth portions.

3. The steering base according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first tooth portions are arranged annularly around the rotation axis, and the second tooth portions are arranged annularly around the rotation axis.

4. The steering base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The engaging member has at least one convex post, and the at least one elastic member is sleeved on the at least one convex post.

5. The steering base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one elastic member includes at least three elastic members.

6. The steering base according to claim 5, characterized in that, The three elastic members form the three vertices of an equilateral triangle.

7. The steering base according to claim 6, characterized in that, The rotation axis passes through the geometric center of the equilateral triangle.

8. The steering base according to claim 1, characterized in that, It further includes at least one fastener, wherein the engaging member has at least one through hole, and the at least one fastener passes through the at least one through hole and is fastened to the second housing, and the at least one fastener limits the movable range of the engaging member.

9. The steering base according to claim 8, characterized in that, The at least one fastener includes a connected fastening portion and a stop portion, the fastening portion passes through the at least one through hole and is fastened to the second housing, and the engaging member is restricted between the stop portion and the second housing.

10. The steering base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable range of the engaging member is greater than the engagement depth between the engaging member and the engaging structure.

11. The steering base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one elastic member includes a plurality of elastic members, and the elastic members are arranged at equal intervals.

12. An image acquisition module, characterized in that, Comprising: A steering base according to any one of claims 1 to 11; And An image acquisition unit disposed on the first housing or the second housing.

Images