Industrial camera

Abstract

The utility model discloses an industrial camera, which comprises a shell, a fan, and a radiator, an image sensor module, a master control module and a communication module which are all accommodated in the shell, and the image sensor module and the communication module are both electrically connected with the master control module. The shell is provided with a shooting hole for avoiding the image sensor module to obtain images outwards, the image sensor module, the main control module and the communication module directly conduct heat with the radiator or indirectly conduct heat with the radiator through the shell, and the surface of the shell is provided with an air inlet hole and an air outlet hole. The fan is located outside the shell and fixedly connected with the shell, and the fan is used for driving external air to flow into the air inlet hole; according to the invention, the heat dissipation efficiency of the industrial camera is improved, and the industrial camera can maintain a small size.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of industrial cameras, and more particularly to an industrial camera. Background Technology

[0002] In the current context of industrial automation, the demand for machine vision is increasing daily, with industrial cameras being one of the core components. Effective heat dissipation for high-power industrial cameras has always been a key research area. To improve heat dissipation efficiency, most industrial cameras on the market currently feature large-area heat sinks on their casings, coupled with external fans. However, this method is inefficient and prone to damaging internal image sensor modules or main control modules. Furthermore, the large heat sinks on the camera's outer surface increase its size, and the external fan further increases this bulk. Therefore, improvements to existing industrial cameras are necessary. Utility Model Content

[0003] This utility model provides an industrial camera, which mainly solves the technical problem of how to improve the heat dissipation efficiency of industrial cameras while also enabling them to maintain a small size.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution:

[0005] An industrial camera includes a housing, a fan, a heat sink, an image sensor module, a main control module, and a communication module, all housed within the housing. The image sensor module and the communication module are electrically connected to the main control module. The housing has an image capture hole that avoids the image sensor module from acquiring images. The image sensor module, the main control module, and the communication module conduct heat directly to the heat sink or indirectly to the heat sink through the housing. The surface of the housing has an air inlet and an air outlet. The fan is located outside the housing and is fixedly connected to the housing, and the fan drives outside air to flow into the air inlet.

[0006] In one of the technical solutions, the outer casing includes a front casing, a middle casing, and a rear casing that are fixedly connected in sequence;

[0007] The image sensor module is fixed between the front housing and the middle housing, the heat sink is fixed between the middle housing and the rear housing, the main control module is fixed between the middle housing and the heat sink, the middle housing has a through hole for avoiding connection between the image sensor module and the main control module, the communication module is fixed between the rear housing and the heat sink, the fan is fixed on the outer wall of the rear housing, the front housing has a through shooting hole, and the rear housing has a through air inlet and an air outlet.

[0008] In one of the technical solutions, the heat sink is fixedly connected to the middle housing, and the side of the middle housing facing the front housing is provided with a first heat-conducting surface that conducts heat with the image sensor module.

[0009] In one of the technical solutions, the heat sink is fixedly connected to the middle housing, and the side of the middle housing facing away from the front housing is provided with a second heat-conducting surface that conducts heat to the main control module.

[0010] In one of the technical solutions, the communication module is fixed to the heat sink and conducts heat directly to the heat sink.

[0011] In one of the technical solutions, the inner wall of the middle housing is provided with a boss protruding towards the rear housing. The boss is connected to the heat sink and the main control module respectively. The second heat-conducting surface is disposed on the boss. The middle housing is provided with a heat dissipation channel on the outer periphery of the boss. The heat dissipation channel is connected to the air inlet and the air outlet respectively.

[0012] In one of the technical solutions, the air inlet and the air outlet are arranged diagonally on the rear housing, and two heat dissipation channels are provided on the outer periphery of the boss, with one end of each heat dissipation channel facing the air inlet and the other end of each heat dissipation channel facing the air outlet.

[0013] In one of the technical solutions, a groove is provided on the side of the boss facing the rear housing, the main control module is housed in the groove, and the second heat-conducting surface is disposed at the bottom of the groove.

[0014] In one of the technical solutions, the industrial camera further includes an interface module, which is fixed between the rear housing and the communication module and electrically connected to the communication module and the main control module respectively. The rear housing is also provided with a clearance hole for exposing the interface.

[0015] In one of the technical solutions, the heat sink has a receiving slot on the side facing the rear housing, and the communication module is housed in the receiving slot.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the industrial camera provided by this utility model has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0017] When the industrial camera in this solution is in operation, the fan draws cool external air into the camera through the air inlet on the housing. The cool air then passes through the inner wall of the housing and the heat sink before being exhausted out through the air outlet on the housing. Since the image sensor module, main control module, and communication module conduct heat directly to the heat sink or indirectly through the housing, the cool air quickly dissipates the heat from these modules, significantly improving the heat dissipation performance of the industrial camera. In other words, this solution places the heat dissipation surface inside the camera, eliminating the need for large-area heat dissipation fins on the outer wall of the housing. This allows for improved heat dissipation while maintaining a smaller size. Furthermore, the fan in this solution is located on the outside of the housing, allowing for a smaller housing compared to solutions with the fan inside, further reducing the overall size of the industrial camera. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an industrial camera provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 An exploded view of the structure of an industrial camera provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shell provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the heat sink provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rear housing provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0024] Figure label:

[0025] 1. Outer shell; 11. Camera hole; 12. Clearance hole; 13. Air inlet; 14. Air outlet; 15. Front shell; 16. Middle shell; 161. Through hole; 162. First heat-conducting surface; 163. Second heat-conducting surface; 164. Boss; 1641. Groove; 165. Heat dissipation channel; 17. Rear shell; 2. Fan; 3. Heat sink; 31. Receiving slot; 4. Image sensor module; 5. Main control module; 6. Communication module; 7. Interface module. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0027] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0028] It should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0029] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0031] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 5This utility model embodiment provides an industrial camera, mainly including a housing 1, a fan 2, a heat sink 3, an image sensor module 4, a main control module 5, and a communication module 6. The fan 2 is fixed to the outside of the housing 1, while the heat sink 3, image sensor module 4, and main control module 5 are all housed inside the housing 1. The main control module 5 is electrically connected to both the image sensor module 4 and the communication module 6. The housing 1 has a shooting hole 11, corresponding to the position of the image sensor, allowing the image sensor module 4 to acquire images. When the main control module 5 receives a trigger signal, it drives the image sensor module 4 to start, acquiring external images. During this process, the image sensor module 4 converts the light signal of the image into an electrical signal and transmits the data to the main control module 5. The main control module 5 then transmits the electronic information of the image to an external device (such as a computer) via the communication module 6, either wirelessly or via wired transmission, for the computer software to analyze the image. Preferably, the industrial camera in this embodiment also has an interface module 7 inside the housing 1. Based on the interface module 7, a clearance hole 12 is provided on the outer wall of the housing 1 to expose the interface (integrated on the interface module 7). The interface module 7 is electrically connected to the main control module 5, enabling the main control module 5 to operate when the interface module 7 is connected to a power source. Furthermore, the interface module 7 can also be electrically connected to the communication module 6, allowing the communication module 6 to transmit electronic image data to an external computer when the external computer is connected to the interface module 7 via a cable. It should be noted that while the main control module 5, communication module 6, and interface module 7 can be integrated, this embodiment designs and arranges them separately along the height of the camera. This design helps to reduce the length and width of the camera.

[0032] Specifically, the image sensor module 4, main control module 5, and communication module 6 are directly connected to the heat sink 3 for heat conduction, or indirectly connected to the heat sink 3 through contact with the housing 1. In addition, the outer surface of the housing 1 is provided with an air inlet 13 and an air outlet 14 that penetrate into the interior. The fan 2 is located outside the housing 1 and is fixedly connected to the housing 1. The fan 2 is used to drive outside air into the air inlet 13. Specifically, the fan 2 can be designed at the air inlet 13 and blow air inward, or the fan 2 can be designed at the air outlet 14 and blow air outward. Both of these methods can achieve the purpose of letting outside cold air flow into the air inlet 13. Specifically, when the industrial camera of this solution is working, the fan 2 draws external cold air into the camera through the air inlet 13 on the housing 1. The cold air passes through the inner wall of the housing 1 and the heat sink 3 before being exhausted out through the air outlet 14 on the housing 1. Since the image sensor module 4, the main control module 5, and the communication module 6 conduct heat directly to the heat sink 3 or indirectly through the housing 1, the cold air quickly removes the heat from the image sensor module 4, the main control module 5, and the communication module 6, thereby significantly improving the heat dissipation performance of the industrial camera. In other words, this solution places the heat dissipation surface inside the camera, eliminating the need for large-area heat dissipation fins on the outer wall of the housing 1. This helps to improve heat dissipation performance while maintaining a small size for the industrial camera. Furthermore, since the fan 2 of this solution is located outside the housing 1, compared to solutions where the fan 2 is housed inside the housing 1, the housing 1 of this solution can be made smaller, which helps to reduce the overall size of the industrial camera.

[0033] Please refer to them again. Figures 1 to 5In this embodiment, the outer casing 1 specifically includes a front casing 15, a middle casing 16, and a rear casing 17 that are fixedly connected in sequence. The image sensor module 4 is fixed between the front casing 15 and the middle casing 16. The heat sink 3 is fixed between the middle casing 16 and the rear casing 17. The main control module 5 is fixed between the middle casing 16 and the heat sink 3. The middle casing 16 has a through hole 161 that allows the image sensor module 4 and the main control module 5 to be inserted into each other. The communication module 6 is fixed between the rear casing 17 and the heat sink 3. The interface module 7 is fixed between the rear casing 17 and the communication module 6. The fan 2 is fixed on the outer wall of the rear casing 17. The front casing 15 has a through shooting hole 11. The rear casing 17 has a through clearance hole 12, an air inlet 13, and an air outlet 14. In other words, the front housing 15, image sensor module 4, middle housing 16, main control module 5, heat sink 3, communication module 6 and interface module 7 are stacked sequentially along the height of the camera. This stacking structure is beneficial for the image sensor module 4, main control module 5 and communication module 6 to quickly dissipate heat through the housing 1 or heat sink 3. It also helps to reduce the length and width of the industrial camera, achieving the goal of reducing the size of the camera while achieving efficient heat dissipation.

[0034] More specifically, in this embodiment, the heat sink 3 is preferably fixed to the aforementioned middle housing 16, meaning that the middle housing 16 and the heat sink 3 have a direct heat-conducting relationship. Based on this, a first heat-conducting surface 162 is provided on the side of the middle housing 16 facing the front housing 15. This first heat-conducting surface 162 is used to contact the image sensor module 4, allowing the image sensor module 4 to conduct heat to the heat sink 3 through contact with the middle housing 16. Secondly, a second heat-conducting surface 163 is also provided on the side of the middle housing 16 facing the front housing 15. This second heat-conducting surface 163 is used to contact the main control module 5, allowing the main control module 5 to conduct heat to the heat sink 3 through contact with the middle housing 16. The aforementioned communication module 6 is fixed to the heat sink 3 to improve heat dissipation efficiency through direct heat conduction with the heat sink 3.

[0035] Please see Figure 3 The inner wall of the middle housing 16 protrudes towards the rear housing 17 with a boss 164. This boss 164 is used for the fixed connection of the heat sink 3 and the main control module 5. The aforementioned second heat-conducting surface 163 is disposed on this boss 164. The middle housing 16 is provided with a heat dissipation channel 165 on the outer periphery of this boss 164. This heat dissipation channel 165 is connected to the air inlet 13 and the air outlet 14 respectively. That is, the cold air coming in from the outside will flow into this heat dissipation channel 165. By setting this heat dissipation channel 165, the heat exchange area between the middle housing 16 and the cold air can be increased, which is conducive to further improving the heat dissipation performance of the camera.

[0036] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 The air inlet 13 and air outlet 14 are preferably arranged diagonally on the rear housing 17. Two heat dissipation channels 165 are provided on the outer periphery of the boss portion 164. The flow paths of both heat dissipation channels 165 are preferably L-shaped, with one end of each channel facing the air inlet 13 and the other end facing the air outlet 14. The heat dissipation path is as follows: Figure 1 As shown by the solid arrow in the image, external cold air enters the interior through the air inlet 13 of the rear housing 17. The airflow then surrounds the entire interior of the camera through the two heat dissipation channels 165 of the middle housing 16 and the fins on the outer surface of the heat sink 3, before being discharged outward through the air outlet 14 of the rear housing 17.

[0037] Please see Figure 3 The boss portion 164 has a groove 1641 on the side facing the rear housing 17. The main control module 5 is housed in this groove 1641, thereby enabling the industrial camera of this embodiment to have excellent heat dissipation performance while also reducing its height. The aforementioned second heat-conducting surface 163 is essentially disposed in the bottom of the groove 1641. Furthermore, please refer to... Figure 4 The heat sink 3 has a receiving groove 31 on the side facing the rear housing 17, and the communication module 6 is housed in the receiving groove 31, so that the industrial camera of this embodiment can have excellent heat dissipation performance while further reducing its height.

[0038] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model, and only specifically describe the technical principles of the present utility model. These descriptions are only for explaining the principles of the present utility model and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present utility model in any way. Based on this explanation, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model, as well as other specific embodiments of the present utility model that can be conceived by those skilled in the art without creative effort, should be included within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An industrial camera, characterized in that The industrial camera comprises a shell, a fan, a radiator, an image sensor module, a main control module and a communication module, the image sensor module and the communication module are electrically connected with the main control module, the shell is provided with a shooting hole for avoiding the image sensor module to acquire images outward, the image sensor module, the main control module and the communication module are directly heat-conducted with the radiator or indirectly heat-conducted with the radiator through the shell, the surface of the shell is provided with an air inlet hole and an air outlet hole, the fan is located outside the shell and is fixedly connected with the shell, and the fan is used for driving external air to flow into the air inlet hole.

2. The industrial camera of claim 1, wherein, The shell comprises a front shell body, a middle shell body and a rear shell body which are sequentially fixedly connected. The image sensor module is fixed between the front shell body and the middle shell body, the radiator is fixed between the middle shell body and the rear shell body, the main control module is fixed between the middle shell body and the radiator, the middle shell body is provided with a through hole for avoiding the connection between the image sensor module and the main control module, the communication module is fixed between the rear shell body and the radiator, the fan is fixed on the outer wall of the rear shell body, the front shell body is provided with the through shooting hole, and the rear shell body is provided with the through air inlet hole and the through air outlet hole.

3. The industrial camera of claim 2, wherein, The radiator is fixedly connected with the middle shell body, and one side of the middle shell body facing the front shell body is provided with a first heat-conduction surface for heat-conducting with the image sensor module.

4. The industrial camera of claim 2, wherein, The radiator is fixedly connected with the middle shell body, and one side of the middle shell body facing away from the front shell body is provided with a second heat-conduction surface for heat-conducting with the main control module.

5. The industrial camera of claim 2, wherein, The communication module is fixed on the radiator and directly heat-conducts with the radiator.

6. The industrial camera of claim 4, wherein, The inner wall of the middle shell body is provided with a boss portion protruding towards the rear shell body, the boss portion is connected with the radiator and the main control module respectively, the second heat-conduction surface is arranged on the boss portion, and the middle shell body is provided with a heat dissipation channel around the boss portion, and the heat dissipation channel is communicated with the air inlet hole and the air outlet hole respectively.

7. The industrial camera of claim 6, wherein, The air inlet hole and the air outlet hole are diagonally arranged on the rear shell body, the boss portion is provided with two heat dissipation channels around the boss portion, and one end of each of the two heat dissipation channels faces the air inlet hole, and the other end of each of the two heat dissipation channels faces the air outlet hole.

8. The industrial camera of claim 6, wherein, One side of the boss portion facing the rear shell body is provided with a groove, the main control module is accommodated in the groove, and the second heat-conduction surface is arranged on the groove bottom.

9. The industrial camera of claim 2, wherein, The industrial camera further comprises an interface module, the interface module is fixed between the rear shell body and the communication module, and is electrically connected with the communication module and the main control module respectively, and the rear shell body is further provided with an avoiding hole for exposing the interface.

10. The industrial camera of claim 2, wherein, One side of the radiator facing the rear shell body is provided with an accommodation groove, and the communication module is accommodated in the accommodation groove.

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