Camera housing

Abstract

To improve the technology related to cameras that read optical information. [Solution] The camera housing 1 comprises a seat surface 101 to which the lens barrel is attached, and an annular light source 110 surrounding the seat surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a camera housing.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, cameras for reading optical information such as two-dimensional codes or three-dimensional codes are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a ring-shaped external lighting unit applicable to a barcode reader.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the prior art, a configuration is disclosed in which the light of a lighting LED is confined within the field of view of a barcode reader by a ring-shaped Fresnel lens disposed on the light-transmitting portion of an external lighting unit. However, the appropriate irradiation range of the illumination light can vary depending on the usage environment of the camera, such as the performance of the lens barrel attached to the camera and the positional relationship with the object being the subject. For this reason, an external lighting unit with a uniform optical configuration, such as the focal length of the Fresnel lens, may not necessarily be able to cope with various usage environments.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology related to cameras for reading optical information.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A camera housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a seating surface to which a lens barrel is attached, and an annular light source surrounding the seating surface, and includes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, the technology relating to a camera that reads optical information is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a camera housing according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] These are front and side views of the camera housing. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing a cross-sectional view (AA) of the first portion of the camera housing according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing a cross-sectional view (AA) of the first portion of the camera housing according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below.

[0010] (Summary of the embodiment) Referring to Figure 1, a camera housing 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the camera housing 1. The camera housing 1 can be used to read optical information from an object, such as a two-dimensional code or a three-dimensional code. The camera housing 1 is configured to allow the attachment and detachment of a lens barrel to a mounting position P, for example, as shown in Figure 1. Specifically, the camera housing 1 may be capable of attaching any lens barrel that corresponds to a predetermined screw standard, such as a C-mount. The camera housing 1 also includes an annular light Q centered on the mounting position P, which can illuminate the object with illumination light during shooting.

[0011] Figure 2 shows a front view (left side in the figure) and a right side view (right side in the figure) of the camera housing 1. As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the camera housing 1 will be described by dividing it into a first part 10 and a second part 20. In general terms, the first part 10 is the part that is provided with a seating surface to which the lens barrel is attached and an annular light source, as will be described later, and is located on the object side relative to the second part 20. The second part 20 is the part that houses, for example, an image sensor and a power supply unit, and is located on the image side relative to the first part 10.

[0012] Next, with reference to Figure 3, the structure of the camera housing 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the AA cross-section of the first part 10 of the camera housing 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the camera housing 1 comprises a base member 100, a light source 110, an optical member 120, a first fixing member 130, and a second fixing member 140.

[0013] The base member 100 has an inner wall portion 102 and an outer wall portion 103 that protrude toward the object side from the seating surface 101 to which the lens barrel is attached, and form concentric circles around the mounting position P of the lens barrel. The base member 100 may be made of any material, such as resin or metal.

[0014] The light source 110 is an annular light source device provided between the inner wall portion 102 and the outer wall portion 103. In this embodiment, the light source 110 has a plurality of LED elements arranged in an annular shape, but the configuration of the light source 110 is not limited to this example. For example, if the optical member 120 includes a light guide plate as will be described later, the light source 110 may have only one LED element.

[0015] The optical member 120 is an annular optical member positioned in contact with the object-side end faces of the inner wall portion 102 and the outer wall portion 103. In this embodiment, the optical member 120 has an annular Fresnel lens that refracts the light emitted from the light source 110, an annular diffuser plate that diffuses the light emitted from the light source 110, an annular light guide plate that guides the light emitted from the light source 110, or a combination thereof, but the configuration of the optical member 120 is not limited to this example. For example, the optical member 120 may have an annular cover that transmits the light emitted from the light source 110. The annular light Q described above corresponds to a combination of the light source 110 and the optical member 120.

[0016] The first fixing member 130 is a cylindrical member that screws into the inner circumferential surface of the inner wall portion 102. The first fixing member 130 has a first pressing portion 131 that protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surface at least a portion of the circumference of the object-side end. In this embodiment, the first pressing portion 131 protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the entire circumference of the object-side end of the first fixing member 130. The first fixing member 130 is configured to press the optical member 120 from the object side toward the object-side end surface of the inner wall portion 102 by the first pressing portion 131 when screwed into the inner wall portion 102 of the base member 100. Furthermore, the outer diameter of the first fixing member 130 (i.e., the length from the optical axis to the outer circumferential surface of the first fixing member 130) is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the optical member 120 (i.e., the length from the optical axis to the inner circumferential surface of the optical member 120).

[0017] The second fixing member 140 is a cylindrical member that engages with the outer peripheral surface of the outer wall portion 103. The second fixing member 140 has a second pressing portion 141 that protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface at at least a part of the circumference of the object-side end portion. In the present embodiment, the second pressing portion 141 protrudes radially inward from the entire inner peripheral surface of the circumference of the object-side end portion of the second fixing member 140. The second fixing member 140 is configured to press the optical member 120 from the object side toward the object-side end surface of the outer wall portion 103 by the second pressing portion 141 in a state of being screwed with the outer wall portion 103 of the base member 100. Further, the inner diameter of the second fixing member 140 (that is, the length from the optical axis to the inner peripheral surface of the second fixing member 140) substantially coincides with the outer diameter of the above-described optical member 120 (that is, the length from the optical axis to the outer peripheral surface of the optical member 120).

[0018] According to the above-described configuration of the camera housing 1, the first fixing member 130 and the second fixing member 140 are screwed to the inner wall portion 102 and the outer wall portion 103 of the base member 100, respectively, and press the optical member 120 from the object side toward the base member 100, thereby fixing the position of the optical member 120 in the optical axis direction of the camera housing 1. Further, since the outer diameter of the first fixing member 130 substantially coincides with the inner diameter of the optical member 120, and the inner diameter of the second fixing member 140 substantially coincides with the outer diameter of the optical member 120, the position of the optical member 120 in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera housing 1 is fixed.

[0019] Further, when the first fixing member 130 and the second fixing member 140 are removed from the inner wall portion 102 and the outer wall portion 103 of the base member 100, respectively, the optical member 120 becomes replaceable. The optical characteristics required for the optical member 120 may vary depending on the usage environment of the camera housing 1. According to the present embodiment, for example, a plurality of optical members 120 having different optical characteristics are prepared in advance, and the optical member 120 corresponding to the usage environment of the camera housing 1 can be easily replaced. Therefore, the technology related to the camera that reads optical information is improved in that it can cope with various usage environments of the camera housing 1.

[0020] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions and the like included in each component can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and it is possible to combine or divide a plurality of components into one.

[0021] Also, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the optical member 120 is disposed in contact with the object-side end surfaces of the inner wall portion 102 and the outer wall portion 103 of the base member 100 has been described. However, the configuration of the camera housing 1 according to the present disclosure is not limited to this example. For example, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an A-A cross section of a first portion 10 in the camera housing 1 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4, the camera housing 1 according to the second embodiment further includes a first sealing member 150 and a second sealing member 160.

[0022] The first sealing member 150 is an annular sealing member provided between the optical member 120 and the inner wall portion 102 of the base member 100. The first sealing member 150 is compressed when the inner wall portion 102 and the first fixing member 130 are screwed together. For example, an O-ring made of rubber can be adopted as the first sealing member 150, but the first sealing member 150 is not limited to this example.

[0023] The second sealing member 160 is an annular sealing member provided between the optical member 120 and the outer wall portion 103 of the base member 100. The second sealing member 160 is compressed when the outer wall portion 103 and the second fixing member 140 are screwed together. For example, an O-ring made of rubber can be adopted as the second sealing member 160, but the second sealing member 160 is not limited to this example.

[0024] According to the above-described configuration of the camera housing 1 in the second embodiment, the first sealing member 150 and the second sealing member 160 are compressed between the optical member 120 and the inner wall portion 102 and the outer wall portion 103, respectively, while the first fixing member 130 and the second fixing member 140 are screwed into the inner wall portion 102 and the outer wall portion 103 of the base member 100, thereby sealing the space between the optical member 120 and the inner wall portion 102 and the outer wall portion 103. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent liquid or dust from entering the space where the light source 120 is located (i.e., the space defined by the inner wall portion 102 and the outer wall portion 103 of the base member 100 and the optical member 120) from the outside.

[0025] In the second embodiment, the first sealing member 150 may be provided between the optical member 120 and the first pressing portion 131 of the first fixing member 130. Similarly, the second sealing member 160 may be provided between the optical member 120 and the second pressing portion 141 of the second fixing member 140. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to prevent liquid or dust from entering the space where the light source 110 is located from the outside.

[0026] Furthermore, in the embodiments described above, an example was described in which the camera housing 1 has a first part 10 and a second part 20. However, embodiments in which the first part 10 and the second part 20 are configured as separate components are also possible. For example, the second part 20 may be configured as the camera body, and the first part 10 may be configured as an illumination device that can be attached to or detached from the camera body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1 Camera housing 10 Part 1 20 Part 2 100 Base member 101 Seat 102 Inner wall section 103 Exterior wall 110 Light source 120 Optical components 130 First fixing member 131 First Pressing Section 140 Second fixing member 141 Second Pressing Section 150 First sealing member 160 Second sealing member

Claims

1. It is a camera housing, A seat on which the telescope tube is attached, The aforementioned seat surface is surrounded by an annular light source, A camera housing equipped with the following features.

2. A camera housing according to claim 1, The light source is a camera housing that is annular in shape, with the mounting position of the lens barrel on the seat surface as the center.

3. A camera housing according to claim 1 or 2, A camera housing further comprising an annular optical element that transmits light emitted from the aforementioned light source.

4. A camera housing according to claim 3, The optical component is a camera housing having an annular Fresnel lens that refracts the light emitted from the light source and / or an annular diffuser plate that diffuses the light emitted.

5. A camera housing according to claim 3, The base member further comprises an inner wall portion and an outer wall portion that protrude toward the object side from the seat surface and form concentric circles around the mounting position of the lens barrel, The light source is a camera housing provided between the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion.

6. A camera housing according to claim 5, The optical element is arranged on the object-side end faces of the inner wall and the outer wall of the camera housing.

7. A camera housing according to claim 1, The light source is located on the object side of the seat surface, and is a camera housing.

Images