Camera

Abstract

The utility model provides a camera. The camera comprises a housing; a bottom plate, wherein the bottom plate is arranged in the shell; the laser radar and the imaging assembly are supported on the bottom plate and located on the same side of the bottom plate; the temperature control assembly comprises a refrigerating device and a fan, and the refrigerating device is arranged on the bottom plate; wherein the cold end of the refrigerating device is attached to the outer surface of the laser radar, the hot end of the refrigerating device and the laser radar are located on the two opposite sides of the bottom plate respectively, and the fan provides heat dissipation airflow for the hot end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of camera equipment, in particular to a camera with a laser radar. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing demand for intelligent and multifunctional cameras, the types of functional modules integrated in cameras are increasing. Currently, conventional cameras are generally required to meet the requirements of use in a wide temperature range of -30-60℃, while some functional modules, such as lasers, have a smaller operating temperature range and cannot meet the requirements of camera use in low and high temperature environments.

[0003] In order to ensure the accuracy of the laser, an existing laser product uses a thermoelectric cooler to cool the laser, and the hot end dissipates heat through a water-cooled plate. It is necessary to continuously introduce room temperature water for heat exchange, and the overall structural design is relatively complex. Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the utility model provides a camera with a laser radar, which adopts a refrigeration device to dissipate heat for the laser radar and isolates the laser radar from the heat dissipation end, thereby effectively improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0005] In one embodiment, a camera is provided, comprising:

[0006] case;

[0007] A bottom plate, the bottom plate is installed in the shell;

[0008] A laser radar and an imaging assembly, the laser radar and the imaging assembly are supported by the base plate and are located on the same side of the base plate;

[0009] A temperature control assembly, the temperature control assembly comprising a refrigeration device and a fan, the refrigeration device being mounted on the bottom plate;

[0010] The cold end of the refrigeration device is attached to the outer surface of the laser radar, the hot end of the refrigeration device and the laser radar are respectively located on opposite sides of the base plate, and the fan provides heat dissipation airflow to the hot end.

[0011] In one embodiment, the cold end is attached to the first surface of the laser radar.

[0012] The temperature control assembly comprises:

[0013] A heat pipe is thermally connected between the first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface.

[0014] In one embodiment, a heat pipe support assembly is included, and the heat pipe support assembly includes:

[0015] a first support member, the first support member fixedly connecting the heat pipe to the first surface;

[0016] a second support member, the second support member fixedly connecting the heat pipe to the second surface;

[0017] A connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion fixedly connects the first supporting member and the second supporting member;

[0018] Wherein, the first supporting member is supported on the bottom plate.

[0019] In one embodiment, the temperature control assembly includes a heat dissipation bracket and a bracket mounted on the heat dissipation bracket, and the bracket is fixed to the bottom plate;

[0020] The bottom plate has a first opening penetrating therethrough, the bracket is embedded in the first opening, and the refrigeration device is fixedly mounted on the bracket.

[0021] In one embodiment, it includes a first cover body, which is connected to the bottom plate to form a closed first inner cavity in the shell;

[0022] The laser radar and the imaging component are installed inside the first inner cavity;

[0023] The bracket is fixed to the bottom plate from the outside of the inner cavity.

[0024] In one embodiment, the heat dissipation support includes heat dissipation fins, and the hot end of the refrigeration device is attached to the heat dissipation support;

[0025] The fan is mounted on the heat dissipation bracket to provide heat dissipation airflow to the heat dissipation fins.

[0026] In one embodiment, the bracket includes a second opening extending therethrough, the second opening corresponds to the refrigeration device, the refrigeration device is installed in the second opening, the cold end of the refrigeration device is attached to the first surface of the laser radar, and the hot end is attached to the heat dissipation bracket.

[0027] In one embodiment, it includes: thermal insulation foam, the thermal insulation foam is located between the first surface and the bracket, and the thermal insulation foam has a third opening that exposes the cold end of the refrigeration device.

[0028] In one embodiment, a second cover is included, which is connected to the base plate to form a closed second inner cavity in the shell, the laser radar is installed inside the second inner cavity, and the imaging component is installed outside the second inner cavity.

[0029] In one embodiment, it includes: a temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor detects the temperature of the laser radar;

[0030] The temperature control component includes a power supply circuit for providing current to the refrigeration device, and the direction of the current corresponds to the detected temperature of the temperature sensor.

[0031] In this example, the imaging assembly 30 and the laser radar 20 are supported on the bottom plate 10 and are located on the same side of the bottom plate 10. In a specific example, the imaging assembly 30 and the laser radar 20 are located above the bottom plate 10. The cold end of the refrigeration device 41 is attached to the outer surface of the laser radar 20, and the hot end is arranged below the bottom plate 10, then the laser radar 20 and the heat dissipation end of the refrigeration device are separated by the bottom plate 10 respectively, then the heat of the laser radar 20 can be transferred to the hot end via the cold end of the refrigeration device 41 for dissipation, and the laser radar 20 and the dissipated heat are separated by the bracket 46 on the bottom plate 10, thereby improving the heat dissipation efficiency of the temperature control assembly 40. Optionally, when the temperature of the laser radar 20 is too low and needs to be heated, by changing the direction of the current, the end in contact with the laser radar 20 becomes the hot end, and the cold end is located below the bottom plate 10, and the heating efficiency of the laser radar 20 by the refrigeration device 41 can also be improved through the isolation of the bracket 46 on the bottom plate 10.

[0032] Preferably, the temperature control assembly 40 of this embodiment further includes a fan 42 for dissipating heat from the hot end of the refrigeration device 41 to further improve the heat dissipation efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The following drawings are only used to illustrate and explain the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a camera of the present utility model.

[0035] Figure 2 It is an exploded schematic diagram of the camera of the present utility model.

[0036] Figure 3 It is a partial schematic diagram of the camera of the utility model.

[0037] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a camera of the present utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In order to have a clearer understanding of the technical features, purposes and effects of the utility model, the specific implementation of the utility model is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals represent the same parts.

[0039] In this document, “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration”, and any diagram or implementation described in this document as “exemplary” should not be interpreted as a more preferred or more advantageous technical solution.

[0040] In order to simplify the drawings, only the parts related to the utility model are schematically shown in each figure, and do not represent the actual structure of the product. In addition, in order to simplify the drawings and facilitate understanding, in some figures, only one of the parts with the same structure or function is schematically drawn or marked.

[0041] In this document, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, etc. are only used to indicate the relative position relationship between related parts, rather than to limit the absolute positions of these related parts.

[0042] In this article, "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish each other, and do not indicate the importance and order, or the premise of each other's existence.

[0043] In this article, "equal", "same" and the like are not strictly limited in the mathematical and / or geometric sense, but also include errors that can be understood by those skilled in the art and are allowed in manufacturing or use. Unless otherwise specified, the numerical ranges herein include not only the entire range within its two endpoints, but also several sub-ranges contained therein.

[0044] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] In order to solve the problems in the prior art, the utility model provides a camera with a laser radar, which adopts a refrigeration device to dissipate heat for the laser radar and isolates the laser radar from the heat dissipation end, thereby effectively improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0046] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, an embodiment of the utility model provides a camera, comprising:

[0047] Housing 100;

[0048] The bottom plate 10 is installed in the housing 100;

[0049] The laser radar 20 and the imaging assembly 30 are supported by the base plate 10 and are located on the same side of the base plate 10;

[0050] A temperature control assembly 40, the temperature control assembly 40 includes a refrigeration device 41 and a fan 42, and the refrigeration device 41 is installed on the bottom plate 10;

[0051] Among them, the cold end of the refrigeration device 41 is attached to the outer surface of the laser radar 20, the hot end of the refrigeration device 41 and the laser radar 20 are respectively located on the opposite sides of the base plate 10, and the fan 42 provides heat dissipation airflow to the hot end.

[0052] In this example, the camera includes an imaging component 30 and a laser radar 20. The laser radar 20 needs to strictly control the working temperature due to its accuracy requirements, and the imaging component 30 can often meet a wider temperature range. Therefore, in this example, a temperature control component 40 dedicated to the laser radar 20 is provided to meet the overall heat dissipation requirements of the camera.

[0053] Among them, the temperature control component 40 uses a cooling device (TEC) 41 as the main temperature adjustment module, which has a two-way temperature adjustment function. It can be used for cooling and heat dissipation, and can also be used to increase the local temperature of the laser radar 20 to adapt to different usage environments.

[0054] The working principle of refrigeration is based on the Peltier effect, which is a type of thermoelectric effect. When an electric current passes through a thermocouple pair consisting of N-type and P-type materials, electrons and holes flow in the materials, causing heat to transfer from one end to the other. When the direction of the current changes, the direction of the heat flow also changes. In this way, a cooling effect can be generated at one end of the material and a heating effect at the other end.

[0055] In this example, the imaging assembly 30 and the laser radar 20 are supported on the base plate 10 and are located on the same side of the base plate 10. In a specific example, the imaging assembly 30 and the laser radar 20 are located above the base plate 10. The cold end of the refrigeration device 41 is attached to the outer surface of the laser radar 20, and the hot end is arranged below the base plate 10. The laser radar 20 and the heat dissipation end of the refrigeration device are separated by the base plate 10 respectively, and the heat of the laser radar 20 can be transferred to the hot end through the cold end of the refrigeration device 41 to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the temperature control assembly 40. Optionally, when the temperature of the laser radar 20 is too low and needs to be heated, by changing the direction of the current, the end in contact with the laser radar 20 becomes the hot end, and the cold end is located below the base plate 10.

[0056] In this embodiment, the cold end and the hot end of the refrigeration device 41 are defined only for the purpose of distinction, and their functions are determined based on the direction of the current. Since the operating temperature of the laser radar 20 is usually high, most of them need to be dissipated and cooled, so the end in contact with the laser radar 20 is called the "cold end", but its function is not limited to absorbing heat.

[0057] Preferably, the temperature control assembly 40 of this embodiment further includes a fan 42 for dissipating heat from the hot end of the refrigeration device 41 to further improve the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0058] Specifically, the cold end is attached to the first surface 20a of the laser radar 20.

[0059] The temperature control assembly 40 includes:

[0060] The heat pipe 43 is thermally connected between the first surface 20 a and the second surface 20 b opposite to the first surface 20 a .

[0061] In order to improve the cold conduction efficiency between the laser radar 20 and the refrigeration device 41, the heat pipe 43 is simultaneously attached to the upper and lower concave surfaces of the laser radar 20 for efficient heat conduction. The first surface 20 can be the lower surface of the laser radar 20, and the second surface 20b can be the upper surface of the laser radar 20.

[0062] like Figure 2 As shown, the camera of this embodiment includes a heat pipe support assembly 44, and the heat pipe support assembly 44 includes:

[0063] A first support member 441 , the first support member 441 fixedly connects the heat pipe 43 to the first surface 20 a;

[0064] A second support member 442 , the second support member 442 fixedly connects the heat pipe 43 to the second surface 20 b ;

[0065] A connecting portion 443, wherein the connecting portion 443 fixedly connects the first supporting member 441 and the second supporting member 442;

[0066] The first supporting member 441 is supported on the bottom plate 10 .

[0067] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the temperature control assembly 40 includes a heat dissipation bracket 45 and a bracket 46 mounted on the heat dissipation bracket 45, and the bracket 46 is fixed to the bottom plate 10;

[0068] The bottom plate 10 has a first opening extending therethrough. The bracket 46 is embedded in the first opening. The refrigeration device 41 is fixedly mounted on the bracket 46 .

[0069] like Figure 4 As shown, it includes a first cover body 50, and the first cover body 50 is connected to the bottom plate 10 to form a closed first inner cavity in the shell;

[0070] The laser radar 20 and the imaging assembly 30 are installed inside the first inner cavity;

[0071] The bracket 46 is fixed to the bottom plate 10 from the outside of the inner cavity.

[0072] In this example, the first cover body 50 and the base plate 10 form a closed shell to form a closed first inner cavity inside the shell of the camera, wherein the hot end of the refrigeration device 41 is located outside the first inner cavity, and the laser radar 20 is located inside the first inner cavity, thereby isolating the cold end from the hot end of the refrigeration device 41 through the first inner cavity to improve the heat dissipation efficiency for the laser radar 20.

[0073] In one example, the heat dissipation support 45 includes heat dissipation fins 451 , and the hot end of the refrigeration device 41 is attached to the heat dissipation support 45 ;

[0074] The fan 42 is mounted on the heat dissipation bracket 45 to provide heat dissipation airflow to the heat dissipation fins 451 .

[0075] The bracket 46 includes a second opening 461 that penetrates therethrough. The second opening 461 corresponds to the refrigeration device 41 . The refrigeration device 41 is installed in the second opening 461 . The cold end of the refrigeration device 41 adheres to the first surface 20a of the laser radar 20 , and the hot end adheres to the heat dissipation bracket 45 .

[0076] Preferably, it includes: a heat-insulating foam 47 , the heat-insulating foam 47 is located between the first surface 20 a and the bracket 46 , and the heat-insulating foam 47 has a third opening 471 exposing the cold end of the refrigeration device 41 .

[0077] In order to avoid the internal crystal structure of the refrigeration device 41 being damaged by long-term pressure due to the dimensional tolerance of the structural parts, a certain gap is set between the hot and cold end surfaces and the structural parts, and filled with thermal conductive interface material. The gap is minimized as much as possible within the design tolerance range of related components to reduce thermal resistance. In this solution, the gap is set to 0.1mm, and preferably the gap is filled with thermal conductive gel.

[0078] In order to reduce the heat conduction loss between the cold and hot ends, the bracket 46 is made of plastic material and has a groove design. The heat conduction cross-sectional area is reduced while meeting the strength requirements, and the heat conduction resistance between the cold and hot ends is increased as much as possible to reduce the heat conduction between the cold and hot ends. In order to prevent the TEC wiring from affecting the fit between the TEC and the cold and hot end components, a slot is set on the back side of the bracket 46 corresponding to the TEC outlet position, and an insulating foam 47 is set between the heat dissipation profile of the cold end - the second support member 442 and the heat dissipation fin 451 of the hot end to block water vapor and heat conduction, etc. The insulating foam 47 is set with a third opening 471 corresponding to the arrangement position of the refrigeration device 41, and at the same time plays a role in limiting the installation and fixation of the auxiliary refrigeration device 41.

[0079] The size of the heat sink fin is determined according to the actual heat dissipation power consumption requirements of the product. In order to enhance heat exchange, increase the convection heat transfer coefficient h, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the cold and hot ends, improve the conversion efficiency of the refrigeration device 41, and reduce the power consumption requirements, a fan 42 is set at the hot end to achieve forced convection heat dissipation. The fan 42 at the hot end is fixed to the fan fixing sheet metal 421 and then locked on the heat sink fin. In addition to the laser radar, there are multiple heat sources such as the visible light imaging component 30 and the power control board in the first inner cavity. Due to the heat generation of each part, the ambient temperature in the first inner cavity has a certain temperature rise compared to the atmospheric environment temperature. In a specific example, this temperature rise is about 10°C. The refrigeration efficiency of the refrigeration device 41 decreases as the temperature difference between the cold and hot ends increases. In order to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of the TEC, the temperature difference between the cold and hot ends needs to be reduced. By correspondingly slotting the bottom plate 10 of the first inner cavity, the heat sink fin 451 is directly exposed in the shell, and ventilation holes are set on the surface of the shell so that the heat sink fin 451 can directly exchange heat with the atmospheric environment. Preferably, the heat dissipation fins 451 are fastened to the heat dissipation bracket 45 by screws, and retaining ribs and a circle of sealing rings are arranged on the periphery to achieve waterproof sealing of the first inner cavity.

[0080] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the second housing 60 is also included, and the second housing 60 is connected to the bottom plate 10 to form a closed second inner cavity in the housing, the laser radar 20 is installed inside the second inner cavity, and the imaging component 30 is installed outside the second inner cavity. The front end of the second housing 60 has a reinforcement structure 61 to support the imaging component 30.

[0081] In a preferred example, it includes: a temperature sensor 70 , the temperature sensor 70 detects the temperature of the laser radar 20 ;

[0082] The temperature control assembly 40 includes a power supply circuit for providing current to the refrigeration device 41 , and the direction of the current corresponds to the detected temperature of the temperature sensor 70 .

[0083] The direction and on-off of the current correspond to the working state of the refrigeration device 41. For example, when the laser radar does not need to be heated, the power supply circuit is disconnected and there is no current, and the refrigeration device 41 does not work. When the laser radar needs to be heated, the power supply circuit is connected and has a first current direction, corresponding to the cold end of the refrigeration device 41 as the heating end. When the laser radar needs to be cooled, the power supply circuit is connected and has a second current direction, corresponding to the cold end of the refrigeration device 41 as the heat absorbing end.

[0084] It can be seen that the switching of the power supply circuit can be achieved by a simple controller, and the controller uses the detected temperature of the temperature sensor 70 and the preset target value as a control signal. Among them, the preset target value can be a specific temperature value or a temperature range. When the detected temperature is higher than the preset target value, it corresponds to the working state that the laser radar needs to be dissipated and the cold end of the refrigeration device 41 is the heat absorbing end. When the detected temperature is lower than the preset target value, it corresponds to the working state that the laser radar needs to be heated and the cold end of the refrigeration device 41 is the heating end. When the detected temperature is equal to the preset target value, it corresponds to the state that the laser radar does not need to be heated and the refrigeration device 41 is not working.

[0085] In one example, for example: when the detected temperature is lower than 20° C., heating is turned on; when the detected temperature is within the range of 20-30° C., TEC does not work; when the detected temperature is greater than 30° C., TEC cooling is turned on.

[0086] In this example, the controller for the power supply circuit may be implemented with a comparator and a switch circuit.

[0087] In a further example, the magnitude of the current can also be used as a control signal based on the detected temperature of the temperature sensor 70 and the preset target value. The duty cycle of the refrigeration device 41 is used as the control target, the preset cooling target temperature is 30°C, the heating target temperature is 20°C, and the duty cycle is adjusted according to the temperature deviation: when the deviation value is greater than 10°C, the duty cycle of the refrigeration device 41 is 100%; when the deviation value is between 10-5°C, the duty cycle of the refrigeration device 41 is 60%; when the deviation value is less than 5°C, the duty cycle of the refrigeration device 41 is 30%.

[0088] The duty cycle is defined as the ratio of the time in a specific state (such as active or high state) to the total cycle time within a cycle. In power converters and battery chargers, the flow of energy can be controlled by adjusting the duty cycle to achieve a stable output voltage and current.

[0089] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific descriptions of feasible implementation methods of the utility model, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the utility model. Any equivalent implementation plans or changes that do not deviate from the technical spirit of the utility model, such as combination, division or repetition of features, should be included in the scope of protection of the utility model.

Claims

1. A camera, characterized in that: include: case; A bottom plate, the bottom plate is installed in the shell; A laser radar and an imaging assembly, the laser radar and the imaging assembly are supported by the base plate and are located on the same side of the base plate; A temperature control assembly, the temperature control assembly comprising a refrigeration device and a fan, the refrigeration device being mounted on the bottom plate; The cold end of the refrigeration device is attached to the outer surface of the laser radar, the hot end of the refrigeration device and the laser radar are respectively located on opposite sides of the base plate, and the fan provides heat dissipation airflow to the hot end.

2. The camera according to claim 1, characterized in that The cold end is attached to the first surface of the laser radar, The temperature control assembly comprises: A heat pipe is thermally connected between the first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface.

3. The camera according to claim 2, characterized in that A heat pipe support assembly is included, wherein the heat pipe support assembly includes: a first support member, the first support member fixedly connecting the heat pipe to the first surface; a second support member, the second support member fixedly connecting the heat pipe to the second surface; A connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion fixedly connects the first supporting member and the second supporting member; Wherein, the first supporting member is supported on the bottom plate.

4. The camera according to claim 1, characterized in that The temperature control assembly includes a heat dissipation bracket and a bracket mounted on the heat dissipation bracket, and the bracket is fixed to the bottom plate; The bottom plate has a first opening extending therethrough, the bracket is embedded in the first opening, the refrigeration device is fixedly mounted on the bracket, and the cold end and the hot end of the refrigeration device are respectively located on two opposite sides of the bracket.

5. The camera according to claim 4, characterized in that It comprises a first cover body, wherein the first cover body is connected to the bottom plate to form a closed first inner cavity in the shell; The laser radar and the imaging component are installed inside the first inner cavity; The bracket is fixed to the bottom plate from the outside of the inner cavity.

6. The camera according to claim 5, characterized in that The heat dissipation support comprises heat dissipation fins, and the hot end of the refrigeration device is attached to the heat dissipation support; The fan is mounted on the heat dissipation bracket to provide heat dissipation airflow to the heat dissipation fins.

7. The camera according to claim 6, characterized in that The bracket includes a second opening that penetrates therethrough, the second opening corresponds to the refrigeration device, the refrigeration device is installed in the second opening, the cold end of the refrigeration device is attached to the first surface of the laser radar, and the hot end is attached to the heat dissipation bracket.

8. The camera according to claim 7, characterized in that include: The thermal insulation foam is located between the first surface and the bracket, and has a third opening that exposes the cold end of the refrigeration device.

9. The camera according to claim 4, characterized in that: It includes a second cover body, which is connected to the bottom plate to form a closed second inner cavity in the shell. The laser radar is installed inside the second inner cavity, and the imaging component is installed outside the second inner cavity.

10. The camera according to claim 1, characterized in that include: A temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor detects the temperature of the laser radar; The temperature control component includes a power supply circuit for providing current to the refrigeration device, and the direction of the current corresponds to the detected temperature of the temperature sensor.

Images