JP2007214682A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus capable of uniformly lighting an imaging object on a visual field even when the size of the visual field is changed. <P>SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus 2 fixes positions of light receiving lenses LA to LC and moves an imaging element 34 in an optical axis direction of the lenses to change the size of the visual field of the imaging element 34. It is possible for the imaging apparatus 2 to change the visual field without using a closeup ring having been needed for prior arts for the adjustment of the visual field. Further, a lighting section 21 of the imaging apparatus 2 emits illumination light toward an imaging object 50 in a way of surrounding a light receiving visual field F. Moreover, an aperture diameter D1 of the lighting section 21 is selected to be smaller than an inner diameter D2 of a light receiving lens hold part 33. Since the lighting section 21 can be located as close as possible to an outer edge of the light receiving visual field F, the lighting section 21 can uniformly light the imaging object 50. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging device, and more particularly to an imaging device used in a sensor device.

  Automation is being promoted at the manufacturing site from the viewpoint of labor saving and high efficiency. In order to realize automation, many sensors using light, electricity, radio waves, sound waves and the like are used. Among such sensors, a visual sensor (image sensor) is often used that can photograph a product or the like and process the photographed image to determine the quality of the product or identify the ID of the product. According to the visual sensor, since the detection function similar to the detection by human vision can be realized, its application range is wide.

  Many visual sensors are composed of a camera that captures an imaging target and an image processing device (also referred to as an amplifier unit) that processes an image obtained from the camera. The image processing apparatus determines whether an area having a predetermined shape is included in an image captured by the camera.

  In order to allow the camera field of view to cover the examination area, the user often selects the lens with the optimum focal length. However, in close-up photography, the size of the field of view does not change much even if the focal length of the lens is changed. Generally, a close-up ring is inserted between a lens and a camera during close-up.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a configuration during close-up photography in a conventional imaging apparatus.
With reference to FIG. 15, the imaging apparatus 102 includes a lens 111, a camera 112, and a close-up ring 113. The close-up ring 113 is inserted between the lens 111 and the camera 112.

FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a change in the size of the visual field in the imaging apparatus 102 of FIG.
Referring to FIG. 16, the vertical axis of the graph indicates the distance between the object images (the distance between the imaging target and the lens 111), and the horizontal axis indicates the range of the visual field. The distance between the object images changes according to the thickness of the close-up ring 113. In the graph of FIG. 16, if the distance between the object images is y and the range of the visual field is x, the relationship y = 1.8632x + 22.451 is established. That is, it can be seen from the graph of FIG. 16 that the distance between the object images and the size of the field of view are in a proportional relationship.

In recent years, visual sensors and imaging devices for visual sensors that can improve user convenience by integrating an illumination device and a camera have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-320538 (Patent Document 1) discloses a visual sensor that can suppress the regular reflection light of illumination from entering the camera while making the adjustment of each part unnecessary by integrating the camera and the illumination. Is done. In this visual sensor, the first polarizing filter is provided on the optical path from the light emitting unit of the illumination unit to the imaging surface, and the first polarizing filter and the polarizing surface are approximately 90 degrees different from each other on the optical path from the imaging surface to the imaging device. A two-polarization filter is provided.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-320538

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a conventional imaging device used for a visual sensor.
Referring to FIG. 17, the imaging apparatus 102A includes an illumination unit 121 including a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) 131, light receiving lenses LA to LC, a lens holder 133 that holds the light receiving lenses LA to LC, and imaging. Element 134. Since the reflected light from the inspection object enters the light receiving lens, the central portion of the illumination unit 121 is opened.

  The illumination used for the visual sensor needs to illuminate the inspection object as uniformly as possible. Therefore, the illumination unit 121 needs to be arranged as close as possible to the outer edge of the light receiving field F. However, when using a conventional method of moving the light receiving lens to make the field of view variable (for example, a method of providing a close-up ring between the lens and the image sensor or a method of replacing the lens itself). The light receiving lens and the lens holder protrude to the imaging target 150 side.

  FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of an imaging device in which the light receiving lenses LA to LC and the lens holder 133 in FIG. 17 are configured to be able to protrude toward the imaging target side.

  Referring to FIG. 18, in imaging device 102 </ b> B, the opening of illumination unit 121 is formed larger than lens holder 133 so that lens holder 133 can freely change the distance from imaging target 150. However, the illumination unit 121 moves away from the outer edge of the light receiving field F by increasing the opening. Therefore, it becomes difficult to illuminate the imaging target 150 uniformly.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus capable of uniformly illuminating an imaging target on the visual field even when the size of the visual field is changed.

  In summary, the present invention is an imaging apparatus, and includes an imaging unit. The imaging unit includes a light receiving lens, a light receiving lens holding unit, and an imaging device. The light receiving lens holding unit holds the light receiving lens so as to cover the periphery of the light receiving lens. The imaging element is movable along the optical axis of the light receiving lens, and images an imaging target imaged by the light receiving lens. The imaging device further includes an illumination unit. The illumination unit is integrated with the imaging unit and emits illumination light toward the imaging target. An opening having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the light receiving lens holding portion is formed at the center of the illumination portion.

  Preferably, the imaging device further includes a housing that houses the imaging unit and the illumination unit. The casing is made of a water-resistant material, has a sealed structure, and a transparent material is provided at least on the side where the illumination light is projected.

Preferably, the light receiving lens is replaceable.
Preferably, the imaging unit further includes a first substrate, a drive circuit, a second substrate, and a connection member. The first substrate is mounted with an image sensor and is movable along the optical axis. The drive circuit drives the image sensor. A drive circuit is mounted on the second substrate. The connecting member connects the first and second substrates so that the first and second substrates can move together.

  More preferably, the imaging unit further includes a shaft that passes through the first and second substrates in parallel with the optical axis and serves as a movement guide.

  Preferably, the imaging unit further includes a substrate and a drive circuit. The substrate is mounted on the first main surface on the side facing the light-receiving lens, and is movable along the optical axis. The drive circuit is mounted on the second main surface which is the back side of the first main surface of the substrate, and drives the image sensor.

  More preferably, the imaging unit further includes a shaft that penetrates the substrate in parallel with the optical axis and serves as a guide for movement.

More preferably, the illumination unit is provided on the imaging target side with respect to the light receiving lens holding unit.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the imaging device is a light receiving lens, an imaging element, a first substrate, a drive circuit, a second substrate, a connection member, and a shaft that serves as a guide for movement. With. The imaging element captures an imaging target imaged by the light receiving lens. The first substrate mounts an image sensor. The drive circuit drives the image sensor. A drive circuit is mounted on the second substrate. The connecting member connects the first and second substrates so that the first and second substrates can move together. The shaft passes through the first and second substrates in parallel with the optical axis.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, an imaging apparatus includes a light receiving lens, an imaging element, a substrate, a drive circuit, and a shaft that serves as a movement guide. The imaging element captures an imaging target imaged by the light receiving lens. The substrate mounts the imaging element on the first main surface on the side facing the light receiving lens. The drive circuit is mounted on the second main surface which is the back side of the first main surface of the substrate, and drives the image sensor. The shaft passes through the substrate in parallel with the optical axis.

  Preferably, any of the above-described imaging devices is used for a visual sensor.

  According to the present invention, even when the size of the visual field is changed, it is possible to uniformly illuminate the imaging target on the visual field.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an application example of an imaging apparatus of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the visual sensor 100 is arranged on a production line. The visual sensor 100 captures a product that is continuously conveyed, and if a pre-registered color and area are included in the captured image, the product is determined to be a non-defective product. The visual sensor 100 may be configured to output the determination result to another device (not shown).

  The visual sensor 100 includes an image processing device 1 and an imaging device 2. The imaging device 2 captures an imaging target and outputs an image signal. The imaging device 2 may be a device that captures either a still image or a moving image. The image processing apparatus 1 is connected to the imaging apparatus 2 via a cable 4 provided for transmitting image signals. The image processing apparatus 1 performs the above-described determination process based on the image signal.

  The image processing apparatus 1 includes a display unit 8 and an input unit 12. The display unit 8 displays captured images and images processed by the image processing apparatus 1. As an example, the display unit 8 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), an EL display (Electro Luminescence display), and the like. The input unit 12 is a part that receives a setting command, a change command, a determination command, and the like from the user.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of the imaging device 2.
With reference to FIG. 2, the imaging device 2 includes a housing 20, an illumination unit 21, an imaging unit 22, and an attachment unit 23.

  The housing 20 houses the illumination unit 21 and the imaging unit 22. In the following FIGS. 2 to 5, the portions in the imaging apparatus 2 in which the illumination unit 21 and the imaging unit 22 are housed are indicated as “illumination unit 21” and “imaging unit 22”, respectively.

  The housing | casing 20 is comprised with the material which has water resistance, and has a sealing structure. In addition, a transparent material 24 such as glass or an acrylic plate is provided on at least the front surface of the housing 20 (that is, the side on which the illumination unit 21 projects illumination light).

  The illumination unit 21 illuminates the imaging target. The imaging unit 22 is a main part of the imaging device 2 and images an imaging target. The illumination unit 21 and the imaging unit 22 are integrated. Details of the configurations of the illumination unit 21 and the imaging unit 22 will be described later.

The attachment portion 23 is used for installing the imaging device 2.
Although details will be described later, the imaging device 2 moves the imaging element provided inside the imaging unit 22 along the optical axis direction of the lens when changing the field of view. This eliminates the need to use a spacer such as a close-up ring when changing the field of view in the image pickup apparatus 2, thereby eliminating the need to project the lens. Therefore, the imaging device 2 does not need to have an extra space on the front surface, and thus can be miniaturized. Moreover, since the inside of the imaging device 2 is sealed by the housing 20 made of a material having water resistance, the waterproof property can be improved.

  Next, an example of the dimension of the imaging device 2 will be specifically shown. Hereinafter, the lengths in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction in FIG. 2 are referred to as “width”, “height”, and “depth”, respectively.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the imaging apparatus 2 of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a top view of the imaging device 2 of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a right side view of the imaging apparatus 2 of FIG.
With reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, the width and height of the illumination unit 21 are both 52.5 mm and the depth is 33 mm. The width and height of the imaging unit 22 are both 35.5 mm and the depth is 50.7 mm. The mounting portion 23 has a height of 4 mm and a depth of 34 mm. An external connection connector 25 and a waterproof protection unit 26 are provided on the back side of the image pickup unit 22 (on the side opposite to the illumination unit 21). The depths of the external connection connector 25 and the protection part 26 are 9.8 mm and 5.6 mm, respectively.

Next, a method for changing the field of view in the imaging apparatus 2 will be described in more detail.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing in detail the back surface of the imaging unit 22 shown in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 6, a visual field adjustment mechanism 28 into which a shaft 39 is inserted is provided on the back surface of the imaging unit 22 in addition to the external connection connector 25, the cable 4, and the protection unit 26 described above. The tip of the shaft 39 is a screw head. The user can adjust the size of the field of view of the imaging device 2 by rotating the tip (screw head) of the shaft 39 using a screwdriver.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the inside of the imaging device 2 of FIG. FIG. 7 shows only the main part of the imaging device 2.

  Referring to FIG. 7, the illumination unit 21 includes a substrate 32 on which a plurality of LEDs 31 and a drive circuit for the plurality of LEDs 31 are mounted.

  The imaging unit 22 includes a lens holder 33 (light receiving lens holding unit) that holds a light receiving lens (not shown), an image sensor 34, and a substrate 35 on which the image sensor 34 is mounted. In the lens holder 33, one or a plurality of light receiving lenses are provided.

  The imaging element 34 images the imaging target imaged by the light receiving lens. The imaging device is, for example, a CCD (Coupled Charged Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor. The substrate 35 mounts the image sensor 34.

The imaging unit 22 further includes a drive circuit 36, a substrate 37, and a support member 38A.
The drive circuit 36 is a circuit that drives the image sensor 34, and is, for example, an IC (Integrated Circuit) that applies a drive pulse to the image sensor 34 according to an input timing pulse and extracts a signal from each pixel of the image sensor. The substrate 37 has a drive circuit 36 mounted thereon.

  The substrates 35 and 37 are attached to the support member 38A by screws 38B. In order for the image sensor 34 to capture an image, the substrate 35 is attached to the support member 38A so as to face the light receiving lens. On the other hand, the substrate 37 is attached to the opposite side of the substrate 35 in the support member 38A.

The imaging unit 22 further includes shafts 39, 41, 42 and a nut 40.
The shafts 39, 41, 42 penetrate the substrates 35, 37 and the support member 38A in parallel with the optical axis direction (Y direction in the drawing) of the light receiving lens. The shafts 39, 41, 42 serve as guides for moving the substrates 35, 37. The substrates 35 and 37 move along these shafts. In the present embodiment, the movable range of the image sensor 34 is, for example, 3 mm.

  Holes through which the tip portions 39A, 41A, 42A of the shafts 39, 41, 42 pass are formed in the substrates 35, 37 and the support member 38A. A thread groove is formed on the outer surface of the tip 39A of the shaft 39. On the other hand, in the support member 38A, the nut 40 is inserted into a portion through which the tip 39A passes. By rotating the shaft 39, the substrates 35 and 37 can move along the optical axis direction (Y direction) of the light receiving lens, and the positions thereof are determined. 7 is equal to the direction along the Y direction in FIG.

  Further, by passing the shafts 41 and 42 through the substrates 35 and 37, when the shaft 39 is rotated, the substrates 35 and 37 can be moved in the optical axis direction of the lens without rotating.

  In order to move the substrate, when a holder for holding the substrate and a guide for moving the holder are provided, the image pickup apparatus inevitably increases in size. The imaging device 2 enables the size of the entire device to be reduced by making the substrates 35 and 37 movable by a shaft passing through the substrates 35 and 37.

  The imaging unit 22 further includes a substrate 43 and a cable 44. The substrate 43 is equipped with a control circuit that controls the overall operation of the imaging device 2. The cable 44 includes connectors 44 A and 44 B at both ends, and connects the substrate 43 to the substrate 37. A signal from each pixel of the image sensor 34 taken out by the drive circuit 36 is output to the outside of the imaging device 2 via the substrate 43 and the cable 4 connected to the substrate 43.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the effect of the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment.
With reference to FIGS. 8 and 18, in the imaging apparatus 2, the imaging element 34 moves along the direction of the light receiving lenses LA to LC. On the other hand, in the imaging device 112, the lens holder 133 moves along the direction of the light receiving lenses LA to LC. The lens holder 33 and the lens holder 133 hold the light receiving lenses LA to LC so as to cover the periphery of the light receiving lenses LA to LC.

  By changing the distance between the lens and the object to be imaged, the size of the field of view in the image sensor changes. Since the position of the image pickup device is fixed in a general camera, the distance between the lens and the image pickup device is changed using a close-up ring or the like. Since the imaging device 112 illustrated in FIG. 18 has a movable lens, the field of view can be changed.

  On the other hand, the imaging device 2 fixes the positions of the light receiving lenses LA to LC, and moves the imaging element 34 in the optical axis direction of the lens to change the size of the field of the imaging element 34. The imaging device 2 can change the field of view without using a close-up ring that has been conventionally required when adjusting the field of view. Therefore, for example, when the imaging device 2 is installed at a manufacturing site and adjustment is performed so that a field of view having an optimum size for product inspection can be obtained, the labor of an operator can be reduced.

  In addition, when the imaging apparatus is installed, if there is not enough distance between the front surface of the imaging apparatus (glass 24 in FIG. 2) and the imaging target, there is a possibility that the lens cannot be brought close to the imaging target using the close-up ring. is there. According to the present embodiment, since the size of the field of view can be changed simply by moving the image sensor inside the imaging device 2, such a problem can be solved.

  Further, in the imaging device 2, the illumination unit 21 emits illumination light toward the imaging target 50 so as to surround the light receiving field F. The opening diameter D1 of the illumination unit 21 is set to be smaller than the inner diameter D2 of the light receiving lens holding unit 33. As a result, the illumination unit 21 can be arranged as close as possible to the outer edge of the light receiving field F, so that the imaging target 50 can be illuminated uniformly. Therefore, when the visual sensor 100 shown in FIG. 1 checks whether a pre-registered color and area are included in the photographed image of the product, a highly accurate inspection can be performed.

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a part related to the lens holder 33, the image sensor 34, and the drive circuit 36 in the image pickup apparatus 2 shown in FIG. 7, as viewed from the front.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the part shown in FIG. 9 as seen from the rear of the right side surface.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the part shown in FIG. 9 as viewed from above.

  Referring to FIGS. 9 to 11, a connector 45 is used for electrical connection with substrates 35 and 37. The connector 45 is provided to integrate the substrates 35 and 37 in the same manner as the support member 38A of FIG.

  By using a connector for the electrical connection between the substrates 35 and 37, the signal transmission distance between the image sensor 34 and the drive circuit 36 is shorter than when a harness is used. Thereby, the reliability of the operation when the image sensor 34 is operated at high speed can be increased.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 9 to 11, the substrates 35 and 37 are provided to face each other. Thereby, since the size of the moving parts (substrates 35 and 37) in the imaging device 2 can be reduced as a whole, the imaging device 2 can be reduced in size as a whole. The substrate 37 includes a main surface 37A facing the substrate 35 and a main surface 37B.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, by moving the image sensor, the size of the field of view can be changed without causing the lens to protrude toward the imaging target, and imaging is performed regardless of the size of the field of view. The object can be illuminated uniformly. Furthermore, according to Embodiment 1, it is possible to realize an imaging device having excellent waterproofness.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the size of the imaging apparatus and improve the operation reliability.

[Embodiment 2]
The overall configuration of the imaging apparatus of the second embodiment is the same as that of the imaging apparatus 2 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, but the internal configuration of the imaging unit 22 is different from that of the imaging apparatus 2. Therefore, only the difference in the internal configuration of the imaging unit will be described below with respect to the configuration of the second embodiment. Since other parts of the imaging apparatus of the second embodiment have the same configuration as that of the imaging apparatus 2 of the first embodiment, the following description will not be repeated.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating differences from the first embodiment with respect to the inside of the imaging unit included in the imaging device according to the second embodiment.

  Referring to FIG. 12, image pickup device 34 and drive circuit 36 are mounted on both surfaces of substrate 35, respectively. In this respect, the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment. An imaging element 34 is mounted on the surface 35A of the substrate 35 (that is, the first main surface that is the surface facing the light receiving lens). A drive circuit 36 is mounted on a surface 35B opposite to the lens holder 33 with respect to the surface 35A (a second main surface on the back side of the first main surface). The substrate 35 is, for example, a multilayer wiring board, and electrically connects the image sensor 34 and the drive circuit 36 by internal wiring. The cable 4 is connected to the surface 35B.

  The shafts 39, 41, and 42 penetrate the substrate 35 in parallel with the optical axis direction (Y direction) of the lens. The shafts 39, 41 and 42 serve as guides for moving the substrate 35. The substrate 35 moves along the shaft in the optical axis direction of the lens. A nut 40 is provided inside the portion of the substrate 35 through which the shaft 39 passes. Thereby, in the second embodiment, the position of the substrate can be set as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the imaging device can be downsized in the second embodiment as well as the first embodiment.

  In the second embodiment, an image sensor and a drive circuit are mounted on both surfaces of one substrate. Therefore, according to the second embodiment, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the first embodiment, so that the cost can be reduced.

  In the second embodiment, the signal transmission distance between the image sensor 34 and the drive circuit 36 is shorter than that in the first embodiment, so that the operation reliability is increased when the image sensor 34 is operated at high speed. be able to.

[Embodiment 3]
The imaging device of the third embodiment is different from the imaging devices of the first and second embodiments in that the light receiving lens can be replaced. Thus, in the third embodiment, when it is desired to change an optical parameter other than the position of the lens, the parameter can be easily changed by exchanging the lens.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of the imaging apparatus according to the third embodiment.
Referring to FIG. 13, imaging device 2A is different from the imaging devices of Embodiments 1 and 2 in that lens 33A can be replaced. In general, the lens of the camera can be exchanged in a state of being housed in a lens holder. Therefore, in the description of the third embodiment, the “light receiving lens” and the “lens holder” are collectively referred to as “lens”.

  The imaging unit 22 is provided with a lens mount 33B. The “mount” refers to a portion for fixing a lens to be exchanged in a camera capable of lens exchange.

  For example, a C mount is applied to the lens mount 33B. That is, the lens 33A is a so-called “C mount lens”.

  A camera using a CCD or CMOS sensor generally uses a CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) lens. This lens mount has a shape called a C mount or CS mount. In particular, C-mount lenses are widely applied to industrial television cameras. Therefore, according to Embodiment 3, the versatility of the imaging device can be improved.

FIG. 14 is a view showing the outer shape of the lens 33A of FIG.
Referring to FIG. 14, in the lens 33A, the dimension (flange back D) from the flange surface 51 to the imaging surface 53 is set to 17.526 mm. The flange surface 51 is a surface for fixing the C-mount lens to the imaging unit 22. In the imaging unit 22, the imaging element 34 is arranged so that the position of the imaging plane 53 matches the position of the imaging plane of the imaging element 34. The screw portion 52 for attaching the lens 33A to the lens mount 33B has a thread pitch of 32 threads per inch.

  The lens mount 33B may be a CS mount instead of the C mount. Also in this case, many commercially available lenses can be attached to the imaging device 2A. When a CS mount is applied to the lens mount 33B, the dimension of the flange back D shown in FIG. 17 is about 12.5 mm.

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, since the lens can be exchanged, the optical parameter can be easily changed.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

It is a figure which shows the example of application of the imaging device of this invention. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an imaging apparatus 2. FIG. It is a front view of the imaging device 2 of FIG. It is a top view of the imaging device 2 of FIG. It is a right view of the imaging device 2 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the back surface of the imaging part 22 shown in FIG. 2 in detail. It is a figure which shows the inside of the imaging device 2 of FIG. It is a figure explaining the effect by the imaging device of this embodiment. It is the perspective view which looked at the part regarding the lens holder 33, the image pick-up element 34, and the drive circuit 36 among the imaging devices 2 shown in FIG. 7 from the front. It is the perspective view which looked at the part shown in FIG. 9 from the right side rear surface. It is the perspective view which looked at the part shown in FIG. 9 from upper direction. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a difference from the first embodiment with respect to the inside of an imaging unit included in the imaging device according to the second embodiment. 6 is a diagram illustrating an appearance of an imaging apparatus according to Embodiment 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows the external shape of the lens 33A of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure at the time of close-up in the conventional imaging device. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a change in the size of a visual field in the imaging device of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the conventional imaging device used for a visual sensor. It is sectional drawing which shows the example of the imaging device comprised so that the light reception lenses LA-LC of FIG. 17 and the lens holder 133 could protrude to the imaging target side.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image processing apparatus, 2,2A, 102,102A, 102B Imaging apparatus, 4,44 cable, 8 Display part, 12 input part, 20 Case, 21,121 Illumination part, 22 Imaging part, 23 Attachment part, 24 Transparent Material, 25 external connection connector, 26 protective section, 28 field of view adjustment mechanism, 31 LED, 32, 35, 37, 43 substrate, 33, 133 lens holder, 33A, 111 lens, 33B lens mount, 34, 134 imaging device, 36 Drive circuit, 38A support member, 38B screw, 39, 41, 42 shaft, 39A, 41A, 42A tip, 40 nut, 44 cable, 44A, 44B, 45 connector, 50, 150 imaging object, 51 flange surface, 52 screw Part, 53 imaging plane, 100 visual sensor, 112 camera, 113 close-up ring, D Flange back, LA to LC Light receiving lens.

Claims (11)

With an imaging unit,
The imaging unit
A light receiving lens;
A light receiving lens holding portion for holding the light receiving lens so as to cover the periphery of the light receiving lens;
An image sensor that is movable along the optical axis of the light receiving lens and that captures an image of an image formed by the light receiving lens;
An illumination unit that is integrated with the imaging unit and emits illumination light toward the imaging target;
An imaging device in which an opening having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the light receiving lens holding portion is formed at the center of the illumination portion. The imaging device
A housing for storing the imaging unit and the illumination unit;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the casing is made of a water-resistant material, has a sealed structure, and a transparent material is provided on a side where at least the illumination unit projects the illumination light.   The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving lens is replaceable. The imaging unit
A first substrate on which the image sensor is mounted and movable along the optical axis;
A drive circuit for driving the image sensor;
A second substrate on which the drive circuit is mounted;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a connection member that connects the first and second substrates so that the first and second substrates can move together. The imaging unit
The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a shaft that penetrates the first and second substrates in parallel with the optical axis and serves as a movement guide. The imaging unit
A substrate mounted on the first main surface on the side facing the light-receiving lens and movable along the optical axis;
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a drive circuit that is mounted on a second main surface that is the back side of the first main surface of the substrate and drives the image sensor. The imaging unit
The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a shaft that penetrates the substrate in parallel with the optical axis and serves as a guide for movement.   The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the illumination unit is provided on the imaging target side with respect to the light receiving lens holding unit. A light receiving lens;
An image sensor for imaging an imaging object imaged by the light receiving lens;
A first substrate on which the image sensor is mounted;
A drive circuit for driving the image sensor;
A second substrate on which the drive circuit is mounted;
A connecting member for connecting the first and second substrates so that the first and second substrates can move together;
An imaging apparatus comprising: a shaft serving as a guide for movement that penetrates the first and second substrates in parallel with the optical axis. A light receiving lens;
An image sensor for imaging an imaging object imaged by the light receiving lens;
A substrate on which the imaging element is mounted on the first main surface on the side facing the light receiving lens;
A drive circuit mounted on the second main surface which is the back side of the first main surface of the substrate and driving the image sensor;
An imaging apparatus comprising: a shaft that penetrates the substrate in parallel with the optical axis and serves as a guide for movement.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging apparatus is used for a visual sensor.

Images