Webcam Lens Cover via Rotating Housing and Folding Base
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current webcams lack a compact, portable design that effectively protects the lens from damage and allows easy attachment to various surfaces for efficient use in video conferencing and telephony.
Innovation Solution
A webcam with a camera housing that includes a rotatable base and hinges, allowing the camera opening to be folded and covered, along with a motorized pin and processor-controlled motorized hinges for adjustable positioning and dust protection, enabling easy mounting on monitors or surfaces and compact transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the webcam is designed with a fixed camera opening, then the lens is exposed and vulnerable to damage, but if the camera opening is made movable to allow covering, then the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting base is integrated with the camera housing to form a unified protective structure. The top wall of the mounting base serves dual purposes: as a mounting surface and as a protective cover for the camera opening when folded down, eliminating the need for a separate lens cover mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera housing is made rotatable relative to the mounting base through a hinge connection, allowing the camera opening to be dynamically positioned. The housing can rotate to face the camera opening toward the mounting base (covered position) or away from it (exposed position), providing flexible protection without permanent structural complexity.
2Weight of moving object
If the webcam is designed to be compact for portability, then the lens may be more vulnerable to damage, but if the lens is protected with a fixed cover, then portability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover (top wall) is designed to be dynamically foldable rather than fixed. It can be folded down to cover the camera opening during transport to protect the lens, and folded up when the webcam is in use to allow light entry, providing protection only when needed without permanently compromising portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The top wall of the mounting base serves multiple functions: it provides a mounting surface for attaching the webcam to monitors or surfaces, serves as a protective cover for the camera opening, and can be folded flat to reduce the overall profile for portability. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate protective components.
3Productivity
If the camera opening is exposed for light capture, then the webcam functions properly, but dust can enter and contaminate the lens
Solution Approach 1:
The top wall is designed as a dynamic foldable cover that can be positioned in two states: folded down to cover the camera opening and prevent dust entry, or folded up to expose the opening for light capture. This dynamic positioning allows the system to alternately protect the lens and enable light entry based on operational needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cover is positioned to cover the camera opening in the default or transport state, preventing dust contamination before the webcam is set up for use. The user only needs to fold the cover up to expose the opening, rather than requiring a separate cleaning or protection step.
4Volume of moving object
If the mounting base is made foldable for compact storage, then portability is improved, but the ease of mounting to surfaces is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting base is designed with a hinge connection allowing the top wall to be folded relative to the back wall. This dynamic structure enables the base to be folded flat for compact storage and transport, while still providing a stable mounting surface when unfolded and attached to monitors or surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting base serves multiple functions in different configurations: when unfolded, it provides a stable mounting surface for attaching the webcam to monitors or surfaces; when folded flat, it reduces the overall volume for portable storage. The same structural components perform both mounting and compact storage functions.
Data Source
AI summary
An image capturing device includes a camera housing configured to house a set of electronic modules for generating a video stream from captured light. The camera housing includes a camera opening configured to let light enter the camera housing to be captured by the set of electronic modules. The webcam further includes a camera-housing base rotationally coupled to the camera housing, and includes a mounting base rotationally coupled to the camera-housing base. The camera housing is configured to rotate with respect to the camera-housing base to face the camera opening toward the mounting base or face the camera housing opening away from the mounting base. The webcam further includes a first hinge rotationally coupling the mounting base to the camera-housing base. With the camera opening facing toward the mounting base, the first hinge is configured such that the mounting base is foldable onto the camera opening to cover the camera opening.