An FPD Link camera

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of FPDLink cameras, it is related to industrial imaging technical field, including shell and lens assembly, the shell includes gasket, sealing ring shell and cover, the boss for limiting is arranged in the shell, the boss is fixed with light source board and camera mainboard by bolt connection, the light source board is provided with homogenizing plate above, the camera mainboard is provided with image sensor, the shell is also provided with lens cover, sealing ring and gasket are arranged between the cover and the shell.The utility model aims at overcoming the above-mentioned defects of prior art, provide a kind of FPDLink camera, it has the characteristics of compact structure, high integration, uniform illumination and interface uniformity.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of industrial imaging technology, specifically to an FPDLink camera. Background Technology

[0002] In fields such as machine vision and automated inspection, industrial cameras are core components. Existing industrial cameras typically separate modules such as image sensors, processing motherboards, and lenses, connecting and powering them via various cables. This discrete structure suffers from problems such as large size, inconvenient installation, and numerous interfaces. Especially in applications requiring integrated lighting, additional independent light source equipment is often needed, which not only increases system complexity and space occupation but may also lead to uneven illumination, affecting image quality. Furthermore, complex cable connections reduce system reliability and cause inconvenience in on-site wiring. Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a highly integrated industrial camera with a unified interface, built-in uniform illumination, and a well-sealed structure. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art and provide an FPDLink camera that features a compact structure, high integration, uniform illumination, and unified interface.

[0004] To solve the above problems, the technical solution provided by this utility model is as follows:

[0005] An FPDLink camera includes a housing and a lens assembly. The housing includes a gasket, a sealing ring housing, and a cover. A boss for limiting positioning is provided inside the housing. A light source board and a camera mainboard are fixed to the boss by bolts. A light distribution plate is provided above the light source board. An image sensor is provided on the camera mainboard. The housing also includes a lens cover. A sealing ring and a gasket are provided between the cover and the housing.

[0006] By employing a specific structure comprising a housing consisting of a gasket, a sealing ring, and a cover, and with a protrusion inside the housing for positioning, the camera achieves a high degree of integration and modular fixation. This integrates the light source, core imaging components (camera motherboard and image sensor), and lens assembly into a unified housing, fundamentally solving the problems of separate components and bulky size in existing technologies. Furthermore, by explicitly stating that a sealing ring and gasket are provided between the cover and the housing, the camera is directly endowed with basic sealing and protection functions to withstand harsh industrial environments.

[0007] Alternatively, the boss may be an annular boss surrounding the inner wall of the housing.

[0008] The boss is defined as a "ring-shaped boss surrounding the inner wall of the housing". This structure provides a continuous and uniform ring-shaped support surface, which can more stably support the usually circular light source board and camera motherboard compared to discrete bump supports, preventing board deformation and helping to achieve balanced distribution and structural reinforcement within the housing.

[0009] Alternatively, the light source board can be an LED light source board.

[0010] It is explicitly stated that "the light source board is an LED light source board." Its function is to define the specific technical means to achieve the advantage of "self-contained uniform illumination." LEDs are characterized by small size, low power consumption, long lifespan, and high brightness, making them particularly suitable for integration into compact cameras as a light source.

[0011] Alternatively, the image sensor may be a CMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor.

[0012] The image sensor type is specified as either a "CMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor." This defines the technical scope of the core imaging device to which this invention applies. These two sensors represent current mainstream and mature technologies, covering the vast majority of industrial camera application scenarios, ensuring the practicality and feasibility of the solution.

[0013] Alternatively, the light-diffusing plate may be made of a light-transmitting material.

[0014] Translucent materials are a prerequisite for a light diffuser to modulate and scatter light rather than block or absorb it.

[0015] Optionally, the light-diffusing plate is in close contact with the light source plate.

[0016] It optimizes the light homogenization effect and improves light energy utilization. It ensures that the light emitted from the light source board can enter the homogenization plate for homogenization to the maximum extent, reducing reflection loss in the air gap.

[0017] Alternatively, the lens cover may be a cylindrical structure.

[0018] It provides physical protection, mounting positioning, and stray light shielding for the lens. The cylindrical structure surrounds the lens to prevent impacts and provides guidance and a fixed base for lens installation. At the same time, its inner wall can be processed to a dark color or equipped with an aperture barrier to effectively block stray light from entering the lens and improve image quality.

[0019] Alternatively, the sealing ring may be a rubber sealing ring.

[0020] Rubber is the most commonly used and effective material choice for manufacturing sealing rings due to its excellent elasticity, low compression set, and weather resistance.

[0021] Alternatively, the housing and lens assembly are integrated into one unit and have a unified FPDLink interface.

[0022] This invention highlights and emphasizes its core system-level advantage: high integration and unified interface. It ultimately reduces all the aforementioned structural features to a single, unified FPDLink interface, directly solving the problems of numerous interfaces and complex cabling in the prior art.

[0023] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution provided by this utility model has the following advantages:

[0024] The technical solution provided by this utility model integrates core components such as the light source board and camera motherboard into a single unit using internal bosses and bolts. It employs a unified FPDLink interface for data and power transmission, fundamentally solving the problems of large size, numerous interfaces, and complex system wiring inherent in traditional discrete industrial cameras. This achieves miniaturization, portability, and extreme simplification of system connections, improving installation efficiency and reliability. Secondly, the built-in LED light source board, combined with a light-diffusing plate made of translucent material, efficiently converts point or line light sources into uniform surface light sources through close contact, providing shadowless and uniform illumination to the imaging area. This effectively overcomes the uneven illumination defects of external light sources, significantly improving image acquisition quality. Furthermore, the use of a rubber sealing ring between the cover and the housing, along with a metal casing, provides the camera with excellent sealing and structural strength, effectively preventing dust and moisture damage, adapting to harsh industrial environments, and ensuring long-term stability and lifespan. In summary, this camera successfully integrates lighting, imaging, control, and sealing protection functions, making it an ideal industrial vision solution that is compact, easy to connect, has high image quality, and is highly adaptable to various environments. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an FPDLink camera proposed for an embodiment of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 2 An exploded view of a lens assembly for an FPDLink camera, provided as an embodiment of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 3 An exploded view of the housing of an FPDLink camera as provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0028] 1. Outer shell; 11. Cover; 12. Gasket; 13. Sealing ring; 14. Housing; 2. Lens assembly; 21. Light diffuser; 22. Light source board; 23. Camera mainboard; 25. Lens cover. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To further understand the content of this utility model, a detailed description of this utility model will be provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0030] Example 1

[0031] Combined with appendix Figure 1-3 An FPDLink camera includes a housing 1 and a lens assembly 2. The housing 1 includes a gasket 12, a sealing ring 13, a shell 14, and a cover 11. A boss for positioning is provided inside the shell 14. A light source plate 22 and a camera mainboard 23 are fixed to the boss by bolts. A light-diffusing plate 21 is provided above the light source plate 22. An image sensor is provided on the camera mainboard 23. The shell 14 also has a lens cover 25. A sealing ring 13 and a gasket 12 are provided between the cover 11 and the shell 14. The boss acts as a supporting frame within the shell 14, providing a precise mounting reference surface and fixing points for the light source plate 22 and the camera mainboard 23, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the relative positions of the components. Through the rigid connection method of bolt connection, the functional modules (light source plate 22, camera mainboard 23) are firmly mounted on the boss, forming a compact and stable internal core unit. The sealing ring 13 and the gasket 12 are compressed when the cover 11 is joined to the housing 14, filling the gaps at the joint surface and forming a physical barrier to prevent external media such as dust and moisture from intruding, thereby ensuring the cleanliness and safety of the camera's interior.

[0032] Combined with appendix Figure 1 , 3 The boss is an annular boss surrounding the inner wall of the housing 14. The annular boss is integrally formed with the inner wall of the housing 14, creating a high-strength and stable mounting platform. When the bolts are tightened, the pressure is evenly transmitted to the entire housing 14 through the annular boss, avoiding stress concentration. It also ensures that the light source board 22 and the camera mainboard 23 are subjected to uniform force, ensuring the reliability of the connection and the structural stability for long-term use.

[0033] Combined with appendix Figure 1 , 2 The light source board 22 is an LED light source board 22. An LED (light-emitting diode) is a semiconductor light-emitting element. When current passes through an LED, electrons and holes in the semiconductor recombine and release energy, emitting light in the form of photons. Using an LED array to construct the light source board 22, it can be directly powered by the camera motherboard 23 or externally via an FPDLink interface. It has high luminous efficiency, is easy to control, and provides a reliable and efficient solution for integrated lighting.

[0034] The image sensor is either a CMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor. Both CMOS and CCD sensors operate using the photoelectric effect. Their surfaces are covered with photosensitive pixels (photodiodes). When light converged by the lens shines on the sensor, photon energy is absorbed and an electric charge is generated. CCD sensors transfer the charge line by line to amplifiers in the corners for conversion; while CMOS sensors have built-in amplification and conversion circuitry for each pixel, allowing for parallel reading. Both convert light signals into electrical signals, which are then processed by the circuitry on the camera's mainboard 23 to form a digital image. The structural design of this invention can well accommodate and support both types of sensors.

[0035] The light diffuser 21 is made of a light-transmitting material. It is typically made of transparent or semi-transparent optical-grade plastics such as acrylic (PMMA) or polycarbonate (PC). When a point light source or a strong directional beam emitted from the LED on the light source plate 22 illuminates the light diffuser 21, the light undergoes multiple refractions, reflections, and scatterings within the light-transmitting material and its microstructure (such as a frosted surface or microprism structure). This process disrupts the original directionality of the light, transforming the uneven incident light into diffused light evenly distributed on the emitting surface, thereby illuminating the object being photographed and preventing bright spots or shadows.

[0036] The light diffuser plate 21 is in close contact with the light source plate 22. According to optical principles, when light travels from one medium (such as air) into another medium (such as the light diffuser plate 21), reflection occurs at the interface. If there is an air gap between the light diffuser plate 21 and the LED light source, some light will be reflected back to the light source side, resulting in light loss. By achieving a "close contact" (usually by filling the space between the light diffuser plate 21 and the LED with optical silicone or by using mechanical pressure to achieve seamless bonding), the air gap can be reduced or eliminated, allowing light to couple into the light diffuser plate 21 more efficiently. This not only improves brightness but also helps to achieve a more ideal and uniform light output effect.

[0037] The lens hood 25 has a cylindrical structure. This cylindrical structure is a simple yet effective mechanical protection and guidance design. Its inner diameter matches the outer diameter of the lens, ensuring that the lens is accurately and concentrically mounted onto the imaging optical path. The cylindrical wall itself forms a protective barrier and a light tunnel, restricting light from entering the lens to only light within a specific forward viewing angle, thus reducing interference from stray light from the sides on the image sensor.

[0038] The sealing ring 13 is a rubber sealing ring 13. The principle of the rubber sealing ring 13 (such as an O-ring) is to utilize the elastic deformation of rubber. When the cover 11 is tightened onto the housing 14 by bolts, the rubber sealing ring 13 located between the two is compressed and undergoes elastic deformation, filling all microscopic unevenness and design gaps on the mating surface, forming a continuous, leak-free sealing band, thereby reliably isolating the external environment.

[0039] The housing 1 and lens assembly 2 are integrated into one unit and feature a unified FPDLink interface. This "integration" is the result of the combined effect of all the aforementioned structural features (housing 14, boss, bolt fixing, built-in light source board 22, etc.). The operating principle of the "unified FPDLink interface" lies in the fact that FPDLink is a serial video interface technology that can simultaneously transmit high-speed video data, camera control signals, and power through a single coaxial cable or differential pair. This allows the camera of this invention to complete all functional connections with only one physical interface, greatly simplifying external wiring and improving system reliability and ease of use.

[0040] The present invention and its embodiments have been described above illustratively. This description is not restrictive, and the figures shown are only one embodiment of the present invention; the actual structure is not limited thereto. Therefore, if those skilled in the art are inspired by this description and design similar structures and embodiments without departing from the inventive spirit of the present invention, such designs should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An FPDLink camera, characterized in that, The device includes a housing and a lens assembly. The housing includes a gasket, a sealing ring housing, and a cover. A boss for limiting the position is provided inside the housing. A light source plate and a camera mainboard are fixed to the boss by bolts. A light-diffusing plate is provided above the light source plate. An image sensor is provided on the camera mainboard. The housing also includes a lens cover. A sealing ring and a gasket are provided between the cover and the housing.

2. An FPDLink camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The boss is an annular boss that surrounds the inner wall of the shell.

3. An FPDLink camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light source board is an LED light source board.

4. An FPDLink camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The image sensor is a CMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor.

5. An FPDLink camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light-diffusing plate is made of a light-transmitting material.

6. An FPDLink camera according to claim 5, characterized in that, The light-diffusing plate is in close contact with the light source plate.

7. An FPDLink camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lens cover has a cylindrical structure.

8. An FPDLink camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing ring is a rubber sealing ring.

9. An FPDLink camera according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The housing and lens assembly are integrated into one unit and have a unified FPDLink interface.

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