JP2004159253A - Supervisory camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To block an illumination light from a light emitting element in the same case as that of a camera from straying back into the camera body which would disturb an image. <P>SOLUTION: A shade member F made from an elastic thin-walled material expanding like a handguard is laid around a lens of a camera. When the camera is shed in its case, the shade member contacts the inner surface of a curved window 9 so that a line or a surface terminated at contact points of the shade member F with the window 9 surrounds the periphery of the camera lens without interruption. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a surveillance camera used in a security alarm system.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, surveillance cameras have been installed in stores and important buildings that require surveillance, and the images sent from these surveillance cameras are displayed on monitors installed in surveillance rooms, etc. Surveillance camera systems that record and store this video are used. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views of a conventional surveillance camera.
[0003]
A surveillance camera 1 includes a chassis 2, and a camera unit support 3 is formed on the chassis 2. The camera unit 5 supports the camera body 4 constituting the camera unit 5 in a rotatable state about a vertical axis Y, and the camera unit 5 is rotatable about a horizontal axis X on the camera unit support 3. Supported in state. A plurality of light emitting elements 6 are attached to the outer periphery of the camera unit 5 so as to illuminate the object to be photographed by the camera. A cylindrical light shielding member 7a is attached around the lens of the camera. A spherical cover 8 is mounted on the chassis 2 so as to cover the entire structure.
[0004]
The camera body 4 includes a lens and a CCD or the like having sensitivity from the visible to the infrared region. The light emitting element 6 is composed of an LED that emits infrared light, and is turned on when it is dark, such as at night, so that the monitoring area can be clearly photographed. When installing the surveillance camera, the chassis 2 is fixed to the ceiling or the wall and fixed, and the direction of the camera is adjusted with the cover 8 removed. The camera unit 5 rotates around the X axis, and the camera body 4 rotates around the Y axis inside the camera unit 5, so that the camera can be directed in a required direction. The cover 8 is mounted after the camera direction is determined, and the mounting operation is completed. The light-blocking member 7a is provided to prevent infrared light emitted from the light-emitting element 6 from being reflected by the cover 8 and entering the camera body 4 to make the image unclear.
[0005]
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a configuration using a light shielding member 7b extending at a predetermined interval along the cover 8 instead of the light shielding member 7a in FIG. Such a configuration is disclosed in JP-A-2001-145004.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the surveillance camera as described above, considering that the camera unit 5 freely rotates around the X axis and the camera body 4 freely around the Y axis when adjusting the surveillance area, the inner surface shape of the cover 8 is It is limited to the shape that matches the movement. That is, in the example of FIG. 1, the cover 8 and the light shielding member 7a are always kept in line contact, and in the example of FIG. 2, the cover 8 and the light shielding member 7b are maintained at a constant interval. Therefore, the shape of the inner surface of the cover 8 is limited to an accurate spherical surface, and the center of the spherical surface must exactly match the rotation center of the camera (the intersection of the X axis and the Y axis). This indicates that precise design and manufacturing control are required. As is apparent from the above, these configurations can be adopted only in a surveillance camera having a limited shape. The cover 8 can be made of a resin molded product, and as its shape, various patterns are conceivable in design, but the design of the entire surveillance camera is limited due to the restriction of an accurate spherical surface. There's a problem.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention arranges a shielding member formed of a thin elastic material around a lens of a camera, and when the camera is housed in a case, the shielding member is arranged. However, the unnecessary light comes in contact with the inner surface of the curved window of the case.
[0008]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the surveillance camera of the present invention. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the conventional surveillance camera described in FIGS. The surveillance camera includes a chassis 2 on which a camera unit support 3 is formed. The camera unit 5 supports the camera body 4 constituting the camera unit 5 in a rotatable state about a vertical axis Y, and the camera unit 5 is rotatable about the horizontal axis X on the camera unit support 3. It is supported in a state. A plurality of light-emitting elements 6 are mounted on the outer periphery of the camera unit 5 so as to illuminate a subject to be shot by the camera. A shielding member F made of a thin elastic material is arranged around the lens of the camera and formed of a thin elastic material. When the camera is stored in the case, the shielding member is attached to the inner surface of the curved window 9. A line or surface that contacts and connects the contact point between the shielding member F and the window 9 is configured to surround the periphery of the camera lens without any gap.
[0009]
The camera body 4 includes a lens and a CCD or the like having sensitivity from the visible to the infrared region. The light emitting element 6 is composed of an LED that emits infrared light, and is turned on when it is dark, such as at night, so that the monitoring area can be clearly photographed. When installing a surveillance camera, the chassis 2 is attached to a ceiling or a wall and fixed, and the direction of the camera is adjusted with the window 9 removed. The camera unit 5 rotates around the X axis, and the camera body 4 rotates around the Y axis inside the camera unit 5, so that the camera can be directed in a required direction. The window 9 is mounted after the direction of the camera is determined, and the mounting operation is completed. The shielding member F prevents infrared light emitted from the light emitting element 6 from being reflected on the inner surface of the window 9 and entering the camera body 4 to obscure an image.
[0010]
FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view around the shielding member F before the window 9 is mounted in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view near the shielding member F after the window 9 is mounted in the embodiment shown in FIG. Is shown. The shielding member F forms a thin portion radially extending around the optical axis of the lens, and before the window 9 is mounted, the thin portion has a shape that is gentler than the inner surface of the window 9. ing. When the window 9 is mounted, as shown in FIG. 5, since the thin portion has elasticity, a force for pushing back the window 9 acts, and the window 9 always comes into close contact with the window 9. Then, due to the elasticity of the thin portion, the shielding member F creates a state of contact with the window 9 without any gap around the entire lens, and prevents light from the light emitting element 6 from entering the lens.
[0011]
Instead of the shielding member F, a shielding member G having a shape shown in FIG. 6 can be used. At the tip of the thin portion of the shielding member G formed of a thin elastic material, a projection is provided over the entire circumference, and when the window 9 is mounted, a force for pushing back the window 9 by elasticity works. The projection always comes into close contact with the window 9. The shape of the shielding member is not limited to the range described above, and may be any shape as long as the window and the shielding member can always be in close contact with each other. Further, the material of the shielding member may be any material, such as black rubber, as long as it does not transmit light and has appropriate elasticity.
[0012]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since the shielding member is always in close contact with the window over the entire area around the lens of the camera, it is possible to completely prevent light emitted from the light emitting element 6 from entering the camera body. For this reason, adverse effects on the image such as a virtual image of the light source being displayed on the screen are eliminated, and deterioration of the screen quality is prevented. Further, even if the rotation centers of the camera body 4 and the camera unit 5 are displaced from the center of curvature of the window 9, the contact with the window inner surface can be maintained with some allowance due to the elasticity and size of the shielding member. This eliminates the need for high-precision design and manufacturing control as in conventional products. For this reason, the present invention can be adopted in many surveillance cameras, and the degree of design freedom is increased.
[0013]
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional surveillance camera.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional surveillance camera.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the surveillance camera of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of a shielding member F before the window 9 is mounted in the embodiment shown in FIG.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the vicinity of a shielding member F after the window 9 is mounted in the embodiment shown in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a view showing an embodiment of another shape of the shielding member.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Surveillance camera 2 ... Chassis 3 ... Camera unit support part 4 ... Camera main body 5 ... Camera unit 6 ... Light emitting element 7 ... Light shielding member 8 ... Cover 9 ..Window F: shielding member G: shielding member

Claims (1)

A camera held in an angle-adjustable state, and an illumination light source for illuminating an object to be photographed by the camera, in a camera housed in the same case having a curved window, around a lens of the camera. , A shielding member formed of a thin elastic material is arranged, and when the camera is stored in the case, the shielding member contacts the inner surface of the curved window of the case, and A surveillance camera characterized in that a line or a surface connecting a contact point between a member and a window surrounds a periphery of a lens of the camera without a gap.

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