Camera Focus Adjustment via Threaded Optics and Sealed Front Screen
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera focus adjustment methods, such as those using motor-driven cam disks or rotary movements in threads, are costly, space-intensive, and difficult to visualize, especially for maintaining protective classes like IP54, IP65, or IP67, and require opening the camera housing for refocusing.
Innovation Solution
A camera with a threaded mechanism for manually adjusting the focus by rotating the reception optics through a front screen with an inner contour, allowing tool engagement without opening the housing, and using a focus position measurement unit with magnetic elements and light strips for intuitive focus visualization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective cover or housing front screen is present above the lens system to maintain protective class, then protection against environmental factors is improved, but the lens system cannot be rotated for refocusing
Solution Approach 1:
The reception optics is nested within the camera housing with its rotation axis perpendicular to the optical axis, allowing the optics to rotate within the confined space without removing the front screen. The threaded mechanism is integrated into the housing structure, enabling focus adjustment while maintaining IP65 or higher protection class.
Solution Approach 2:
A threaded mechanism acts as an intermediary between the rotation of the reception optics and the adjustment of focus position. The thread converts rotational movement into linear displacement of the lens system along the optical axis, enabling refocusing through the sealed front screen.
2Volume of moving object
If rotary movement in a thread is used for focus adjustment, then space required is optimized, but visualization of position of focus is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the thread are coated with different colors or reflective properties. As the reception optics rotates and the thread moves, these color changes provide visual feedback about the focus position and adjustment direction, making it easy to determine when focus is achieved without requiring complex display systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If larger lens system stroke is required for longer focal range, then focus adjustment range is improved, but several thread turns are required which creates ambiguity
Solution Approach 1:
The thread is divided into colored sections that repeat at regular intervals. This allows the user to determine not only the direction of focus adjustment but also the approximate position within the focus range, eliminating ambiguity even when multiple thread turns are required for extended focal ranges.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables simple, space-efficient, and cost-effective focus adjustment that maintains protective classes while allowing continuous, fast refocusing without opening the camera, and provides reliable, user-friendly manual focus adjustment.
Implementation Method 1
The invention relates to a camera that has an image sensor for detecting image data from a detection region, has a reception optics arranged in front of the image sensor, has a focus adjustment unit having a thread for changing the position of focus of the reception optics by way of a rotary movement
Implementation Method 2
using a focus position measurement unit with magnetic elements and light strips for intuitive focus visualization
Data Source
AI summary
A camera is provided that comprises an image sensor for detecting image data from a detection region and a reception optics arranged in front of the image sensor, a focus adjustment unit having a thread for changing the position of focus of the reception optics by way of a rotary movement and a front screen. In this connection the reception optics has a front region having an inner contour that is accessible via the front screen in order to rotate the reception optics from the outside in the thread and to thus adjust the focus.