JP2002341432A - Imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging device constituting so that a camera can be surely set so as to pick up an image through a window surface, and also, the camera can be easily detached and fixed in the original position again as necessary, besides, dew condensation on the inside surface of the window may be prevented. SOLUTION: As for the imaging device 1, the device 1 is provided with a base member 10 which is fixed to the inside surface of a window light-transmissive plate (automobile front glass G) and equipped with an image pickup opening A, a camera case 20 which has an image pickup opening B corresponding to the image pickup opening A, which is attached to the base member 10 and by which a closed space is formed behind the base member 10, and a camera 30, nearly the whole of which is stored in the camera case 20 with leaving a control part (a camera horizontal angle adjusting screw 32 and camera vertical angle adjusting screws 33 and 34) outside the camera case 20 so that the camera can be operated from the outside, and having a lens part 31 whose optical axis faces the front glass G through the image pickup openings A and B, and the base member 10 and the camera case 20 are freely attachably/detachably engaged with each other by using recessed and projection parts (recessed grooves 11a and 12a and projections 21 and 22).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus for picking up an image of a car, a train, an airplane, a building, or the like through a window for detecting a white line, monitoring surroundings, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-112605 discloses a conventional technique for mounting an electronic camera inside a window glass in order to image the outside of the window glass from inside a car, train, airplane, building, or the like.
There is one disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 69211. This is, as shown in FIG. 4, a fixing device 5 in which the electronic camera 30 is fitted.
0 is fixed to the inner surface of the window glass G. Here, the fixing device 50 is fixed to the window glass G by a fixing portion 51 made of a suction cup, an adhesive member or an adhesive member, and the lens portion 31 of the electronic camera 30 is covered by a hood portion 52 of the fixing device 50. Looking outside through window glass G.

[0003]

However, this prior art has the following problems. (1) Since the fixing device 50 is fixed to the window glass G by a suction cup, an adhesive member, or an adhesive member, if the fixing strength is too small, the electronic camera 30 is easily dropped together with the fixing device 50 and travels on a rough road. It cannot be applied to cases where the vibration is large, such as fixing to a windshield of a car. On the other hand, if the fixing strength is too large, the fixing device 5
In some cases, the electronic camera 30 cannot be removed until the electronic camera 30 has been removed, so that the electronic camera 30 and the lens unit 31 cannot be replaced or repaired even when necessary, such as when a failure occurs. (2) It is extremely difficult to accurately fix the electronic camera 30 once dropped or removed again to its original position. (3) A fixing tool 5 covered like a hood inside the window glass G
Since the inside of the window 0 often becomes hot, if the outside air temperature suddenly drops, the inner surface of the window glass G is condensed and it becomes impossible to take an image through the window glass G. Further, the dew condensation water may cause a short circuit in the internal circuit of the electronic camera 30 to cause a failure of the electronic camera 30.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to allow a camera to be reliably installed so that an image can be taken through a window surface and to easily remove the camera when necessary. It is another object of the present invention to propose an imaging device which can fix the original position again to the original position and can prevent the occurrence of dew condensation on the inner surface of the window.

[0005]

That is, an image pickup apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention corresponds to a base member having an image pickup opening fixed to an inner surface of a light transmitting plate for a window, and a base member having the image pickup opening. A camera case having an imaging opening and being attached to the base member to form a closed space behind the base member, and substantially the entirety of the camera case except for an operation unit so that the operation unit can be operated from outside the camera case. A camera whose optical axis of the lens unit is directed to the window light transmitting plate through the two imaging openings, wherein the base member and the camera case are detachably fitted with irregularities. Features.

In such an image pickup apparatus, an image pickup opening is provided in each of the base member and the camera case, and the optical axis of the lens portion of the camera is directed to the window light transmitting plate through both image pickup openings. The outside can be imaged through the light plate. Since the camera case housing the camera is detachably fitted to the base member firmly fixed to the inner surface of the window light transmitting plate so as not to fall off, The camera can be securely installed inside the translucent plate for windows so that it does not fall off, and can be easily removed and fixed in its original position when necessary.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the imaging device of the first aspect, an elastic body is interposed in a fitting portion between the base member and the camera case, and the urging force of the elastic body is provided. The fitting strength is thereby increased.

[0008] In such an image pickup apparatus, since the fitting strength between the base member and the camera case is enhanced by the interposition of the elastic body, it is possible to prevent the image pickup from being shaken (vibrate) and the noise from being generated due to the vibration.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an imaging apparatus as set forth in the first or second aspect.
A drying unit for blowing hot air onto the inner surface of the window light-transmitting plate corresponding to the imaging opening of the base member is provided.

[0010] In this image pickup apparatus, since the drying means blows warm air onto the inner surface of the window light transmitting plate corresponding to the image pickup opening of the base member, even if the outside air suddenly cools, the inside of the window light transmitting plate is not heated. No condensation on the sides. Therefore, the field of view in front of the lens portion of the camera is always good, and the camera is prevented from being broken due to short circuit due to dew condensation.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the image pickup apparatus according to the third aspect, further comprising a rectifying unit for preventing the hot air sent from the drying unit from being directly blown to the camera. It is characterized by the following.

In such an image pickup apparatus, since the rectifying means prevents the hot air from being blown directly to the camera, the camera can be prevented from being damaged due to heating.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the imaging apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the inside of the camera case is painted dark. .

[0014] In such an imaging apparatus, since the inside of the camera case is painted in a dark color, penetrating light is not irregularly reflected in the camera case, and a stable imaging environment can be maintained.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, the same elements will be denoted by the same reference symbols, without redundant description.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing an embodiment of an image pickup apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the same, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. In these figures, the symbol G
Denotes a windshield of an automobile, which is a light-transmitting plate for a window, and reference numeral 1 denotes an imaging device. The imaging device 1 includes a base member 10
, A camera case 20 and a camera 30.

The base member 10 is strongly adhered to the inner surface of the windshield G with an adhesive, and is usually not removable. The base member 10 includes a left frame 11,
The right frame 12 and the lower frame 13 form a substantially U-shaped frame, and an opening area A surrounded by the left frame 11, the right frame 12, and the lower frame 13 functions as an imaging aperture. Left frame 11, right frame 12
Are formed with grooves 11a and 12a, respectively.

The camera case 20 includes a base member 10 so as to form a closed space behind the base member 10 (inside the room).
It is a box attached to. The camera case 20 is formed by arranging plate members on six front, rear, left, right, and upper surfaces. An imaging opening B is formed in the front surface of the camera case 20. When the camera case 20 is attached to the base member 10, the imaging opening B matches the imaging opening A of the base member 10. I have.

On both sides of the imaging opening B of the camera case 20, ridges 21 and 22 are formed to fit into the concave grooves 11a and 12a of the base member 10, respectively. Then, the camera case 20 is slid downward from above with respect to the base member 10 fixed to the windshield G while aligning the concave grooves 11a and 12a with the ridges 21 and 22, respectively. The camera case 20 can be easily attached. Conversely, if the camera case 20 is slid upward from below, the camera case 20 can be easily removed from the base member 10. Incidentally, since the camera case 20 is fitted from above the base member 10, even if the windshield G vibrates due to running on a rough road of an automobile or the like, the camera case 20 is mounted on the base member 1.
There is no deviation from zero.

At the center of the top ends of the ridges 21 and 22 of the camera case 20, leaf springs 21a and 22a as elastic bodies are provided, respectively. These leaf springs 21a and 22a are interposed between the concave groove 11a and the convex ridge 21 and between the concave groove 12a and the convex ridge 22 in a state where the camera case 20 is attached to the base member 10, and the base member 10 exerts an urging force in a direction of moving the left frame 11 and the right frame 12 away from each other. Therefore, the fitting strength between the camera case 20 and the base member 10 is increased, and the camera case 20 does not shake (chatter) due to the vibration of the windshield G, and no abnormal noise is generated at the fitting portion.

The front surface of the camera case 20 is inclined along the windshield G, but its upper and lower surfaces are all horizontal, and its left, right and rear surfaces are all vertical. An operation hole 23 is formed on the lower surface of the camera case 20 so that a camera left / right angle adjustment screw 32 serving as an operation unit of the camera 30 housed in the camera case 20 can be operated from outside the camera case 20. I have. Similarly, operation holes 24 and 25 are respectively formed on the left and right surfaces of the camera case 20 so that the camera vertical angle adjustment screws 33 and 34 of the camera 30 housed in the camera case 20 can be operated from outside the camera case 20. Has been drilled. Further, on the upper surface of the camera case 20, a harness 35 of the camera 30 housed in the camera case 20 and a fan heater 4 described later are provided.
0 harness insertion hole 26 for inserting the harness 43
Are drilled.

The inner surface of the camera case 20 and the base member 10 are painted in a dark color such as black. Therefore, it is possible to prevent light that has entered from the harness insertion hole 26 or the like from being irregularly reflected inside the camera case 20 and damaging the imaging environment.

The camera 30 is an electronic camera having a lens unit 31 and a solid-state image sensor such as a CCD or a CMOS (not shown). The camera 30 includes a camera case 20 except for a camera left / right angle adjustment screw 32 and camera vertical angle adjustment screws 33 and 34. It is housed and fixed inside. One end of a harness 35 is connected to the camera 30, and the other end of the harness 35 is connected to a camera body having a storage unit, a display unit, and the like installed outside the camera case 20 through a harness insertion hole 26 of the camera case 20. (Not shown). The optical axis of the lens unit 31 of the camera 30 is transmitted through the imaging aperture B of the camera case 20 and the imaging aperture A of the base member 10 so that the windshield G
So that the camera 30 can take an image of the outside through the windshield G. At this time, the camera left-right angle adjustment screw 32 is
By operating the camera vertical angle adjusting screws 33 and 34, the direction of the optical axis of the lens unit 31 of the camera 30 can be adjusted and held. Note that the camera 30 is also painted dark.

In front of the lens portion 31 of the camera 30 inside the camera case 20, a fan heater 40 as a drying means for blowing hot air onto the inner surface of the front glass G corresponding to the imaging openings A and B is provided. I have. One end of a harness 43 is connected to the fan heater 40, and the other end of the harness 43 is connected to a power supply (not shown) installed outside the camera case 20 through the harness insertion hole 26 of the camera case 20. . The fan heater 40 is
By blowing the hot air generated by the heater 41 as warm air on the inner surface of the windshield G with the fan 42 to prevent dew condensation, the field of view in front of the lens unit 31 of the camera 30 becomes cloudy, making it impossible to take an image. It plays a role of avoiding a situation in which the circuit of the camera 30 is short-circuited by water droplets and the camera 30 is broken.

The camera 3 inside the camera case 20
In order to prevent the warm air generated from the fan heater 40 from directly hitting the camera 30 and causing the camera 30 to break down, the fan 40 and the lens unit 31
A rectifying plate 36 is provided as rectifying means for separating the rectifying means from the rectifying means. Of course, the tip of the current plate 36 is at a height such that it does not enter the field of view of the lens unit 31 of the camera 30. The current plate 36 is also painted black, and the camera case 2
Consideration is made so that light that has entered inside 0 does not reflect irregularly.

Although the embodiment of the imaging apparatus according to the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made according to the gist of the invention. For example, the window light-transmitting plate may be a light-transmitting plate material that partitions a space, and is not a windshield of an automobile as in the present embodiment, but a window glass installed in a building, a train, an airplane, or the like. An acrylic plate or the like may be used. In addition, since the base member and the camera case need only be detachably fitted with irregularities, it is limited to a case where a concave portion such as a concave groove is provided on the base member and a convex portion such as a convex line is provided on the camera case. Alternatively, a convex portion may be provided on the base member and a concave portion may be provided on the camera case.

The elastic body is not limited to a leaf spring, and its shape, material, quantity, position, and the like can be arbitrarily determined as long as the fitting strength between the base member and the camera case can be increased by the urging force. . The material, shape, and the like of the drying unit and the rectifying unit are also arbitrarily determined as long as they fulfill their functions. In addition to the case where the dark color coating is directly applied, a change is appropriately made such as attaching a dark color film. Note that the elastic body, the drying means, the rectifying means, and the dark color coating are all optional components, and should be implemented in appropriate combinations.

[0028]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the base member and the camera case are each provided with an imaging opening, and the optical axis of the lens portion of the camera passes through both imaging openings. The camera can take images outside through the window light-transmitting plate. Since the camera case housing the camera is detachably fitted to the base member firmly fixed so as not to fall off on the inner side surface of the window light transmitting plate with irregularities, vibration The camera can be securely fixed inside the window light-transmitting plate so as not to fall off, and can be easily removed and fixed to the original position again when necessary.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the fitting strength between the base member and the camera case is increased by the interposition of the elastic body, so that the image is shaken (vibrated) by the vibration and the noise is generated. It can be prevented from occurring.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the drying means blows warm air onto the inner surface of the window light transmitting plate corresponding to the imaging opening of the base member, so that even if the outside air suddenly cools down. No dew condensation on the inner surface of the window translucent plate. Therefore, the field of vision in front of the lens portion of the camera is always good,
Also, it is possible to prevent the camera from breaking down due to the short circuit caused by the condensed water.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the rectifying means prevents the hot air from being directly blown to the camera, it is possible to avoid a failure of the camera due to heating.

Further, according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the inside of the camera case is dark-colored, intrusion light is not irregularly reflected in the camera case, and a stable imaging environment can be maintained. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view illustrating an embodiment of an imaging device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a conventional technique of mounting an electronic camera inside a window glass.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 imaging device 10 base member 11 left frame 11a concave groove 12 right frame 12a concave groove 13 lower frame 20 camera case 21, 22 convex ridges 21a, 22a leaf springs 23, 24, 25 Operation hole 26 Harness insertion hole 30 Camera (electronic camera) 31 Lens part 32 Camera left / right angle adjustment screw 33, 34 Camera vertical angle adjustment screw 35 Harness 36 Rectifying plate 40 Fan heater 41 Heater 42 Fan 43… Harness 50… Fixture 51… Fixing part 52… Hood A, B… Imaging aperture G… Windshield (window glass)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G03B 15/00 G03B 15/00 SV V H04N 5/225 H04N 5/225 C 7/18 7/18 J ( 72) Inventor Eiji Sato 4-6-4 Tanuma, Fujieda-shi, Shizuoka F-term (reference) 2H105 AA01 AA02 DD06 DD07 DD08 EE05 EE21 EE23 EE35 5C022 AA04 AB62 AB65 AC07 AC27 AC61 AC65 AC66 AC77 5C054 CE01 CE11 CF01 CF06 EA07 HA29 HA30

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A base member having an imaging opening fixed to an inner surface of a window light-transmitting plate, and an imaging opening corresponding to the imaging opening, being attached to the base member and rearward of the base member. A camera case forming a closed space in the camera case, and substantially the entirety thereof is housed in the camera case except for an operation unit so that the window can be operated from the outside of the camera case, and the optical axis of the lens unit passes through the two imaging openings for the window. An imaging apparatus comprising: a camera directed to a light transmitting plate; wherein the base member and the camera case are detachably fitted with irregularities. 2. The fitting according to claim 1, wherein an elastic body is interposed in a fitting portion between the base member and the camera case, and a fitting strength is increased by a biasing force of the elastic body. Imaging device. 3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a drying unit that blows hot air onto an inner surface of the window light-transmitting plate corresponding to the imaging opening of the base member. 4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a rectification unit that prevents the hot air sent from the drying unit from being directly blown to the camera. 5. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the camera case is painted in a dark color.