Submersible Camera Lens Dome Sealing Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera housings for underwater vehicles face issues such as increased size and weight due to the need for additional components to maintain a watertight seal, potential image quality degradation from reflections, and the complexity of assembly and maintenance, particularly with O-rings and threaded designs.
Innovation Solution
A submersible camera design featuring a housing assembly with a transparent lens dome and a sealing ring made from a hard polymer material, which creates a tight waterproof seal without the need for an O-ring or additional components, thereby eliminating the issues of increased size, weight, and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an O-ring and additional component are used to create a watertight seal, then waterproofing is achieved, but the size and weight of the camera increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the O-ring and additional component from the camera housing design. Instead, it uses a integrated sealing structure where the lens dome itself forms part of the seal through its circumferential edge engagement with the housing, eliminating the need for separate sealing components and reducing overall weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the sealing function directly into the lens dome and housing structure. The circumferential edge of the lens dome is designed to engage directly with the housing interior surface, combining the optical element mounting and sealing functions into a single integrated structure rather than using separate components.
2Reliability
If an O-ring and additional component are used to create a watertight seal, then waterproofing is achieved, but the complexity of assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the O-ring and additional sealing component from the assembly. The simplified design uses direct engagement between the lens dome circumferential edge and the housing interior surface, removing the need for separate sealing elements and reducing assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing function is merged into the basic structural components. The lens dome is designed with a specific circumferential edge geometry that directly interfaces with the housing, combining mounting and sealing functions into a single engagement action rather than requiring separate assembly steps for each function.
3Strength
If a threaded design is used to secure components, then structural integrity is achieved, but galvanic corrosion and wear increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes threaded fasteners from the camera housing design. Instead of using screws or threads to secure components, it employs a friction-fit or interference-fit design where the lens dome is held in place by direct engagement with the housing interior surface, eliminating the threaded connection entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical threaded fastening system with a friction-based retention system. The lens dome is retained through friction between its circumferential edge and the housing interior surface, substituting the screw-thread mechanical connection with a surface-contact friction mechanism that avoids galvanic corrosion issues.
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
The solution provides a compact, reliable, and cost-effective waterproof camera housing that maintains image quality, reduces maintenance needs, and enhances the service life of the camera, while also simplifying integration into underwater vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a sealing ring between a radially outward facing circumferential edge of the lens dome and a radially inward facing surface of the housing cone
Data Source
AI summary
A conventional submersible camera utilizes an O-ring to waterproof the interior of the camera housing. Larger components are required to accommodate this O-ring, which increases the cost and size of the submersible camera. Disclosed embodiments utilize a sealing ring between a circumferential edge of a lens dome and the housing. These embodiments may also utilize a circular printed circuit board that lies in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the submersible camera. Advantageously, these features enable the submersible camera to be more compact and manufactured at lower cost.