JP2010175835A - Camera apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To maintain the internal temperature of a camera apparatus by efficiently cooling and warming the inside of the camera with low power consumption in a monitoring camera apparatus for outdoor use utilizing a far infrared ray. <P>SOLUTION: The camera apparatus comprises a lens part, a camera module, and a camera housing for storing them. The lens part and the camera module are covered with a constant temperature box of a heat insulating structure inside the camera housing. A peltier element is installed on one surface of the constant temperature box so that an internal heat radiator fin is mounted inside the constant temperature box and an external heat radiator fin is mounted outside the constant temperature box so as to be contacted with the peltier element. The peltier element is controles so as to make the internal heat radiator fin temperature lower and the external heat radiator fin temperature higher in the case the external temperature is high, and the internal heat radiator fin temperature higher and the external heat radiator fin temperature lower in the case the external temperature is low. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera device, and more particularly, to a camera device suitable for acquiring an image without correcting an offset due to a temperature change by keeping the temperature inside the camera of a far-infrared camera constant.

  In the case of a bolometer-type far-infrared camera, when the temperature around the camera element changes, the video signal falls outside the signal range. As a countermeasure, generally, calibration is performed and the signal level is corrected to stabilize the video signal level. However, when calibration is performed, the image is stopped for about 0.3 to 1 second. May end up. In particular, in the case of a surveillance camera used outdoors, since the change in outside air is large, calibration frequently occurs, and the video is paused each time.

  Therefore, it is desirable to maintain a constant temperature inside the camera regardless of changes in the outside air environment. In general, in order to cool a camera device used for surveillance applications, etc., a fan is attached so that the air inside the camera device is circulated and a cooling element such as a Peltier device is brought into contact with the heat generating part. The technology to make it known is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure for forced air cooling of a video camera, and Patent Document 2 detects a temperature change of an image sensor and controls a Peltier element to change the temperature of the image sensor. An image sensor for monitoring that keeps constant is disclosed.

JP 2006-295855 A JP 2001-189926 A

  The cooling method by air cooling has a simple device configuration and can be realized at a relatively low cost. Therefore, it is used not only for camera devices but also for various devices. However, when the camera device is large, it is necessary to increase the amount of air flowing for cooling, which causes a problem that the power consumption of the motor for rotating the fan increases.

  A Peltier element is a plate-like semiconductor element that uses the Peltier effect, in which heat is transferred from one metal to the other when a current is passed through the junction of two types of metal. When flowing, one surface absorbs heat and the opposite surface generates heat. The cooling structure using the Peltier element has the advantage that the basic configuration may be only a Peltier element and a DC power source, and a compact and vibration-free system can be configured. Further, when the polarity of the current is reversed, the relationship is reversed, and it is said that the current polarity is suitable for high-precision temperature control.

  However, since the heat dissipation amount of the element itself is larger than the heat to be moved, there is a problem that power efficiency is poor as a cooling mechanism.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and its purpose is to efficiently cool and heat the inside of the camera device with low power consumption and keep the inside of the camera device at a constant temperature. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a camera device that eliminates the need for calibration.

  The camera device of the present invention is a camera device that includes a lens unit and a camera module and includes a camera housing that houses them. In order to keep the temperature of the lens unit and the camera module constant, the camera device is provided inside the camera housing. It shall be covered with a thermostatic box with a heat insulating structure. And a Peltier element is installed in the lens part and one surface opposite to a camera module.

  Then, an internal radiating fin is attached inside the thermostatic box and an external radiating fin is attached outside the thermostatic box so as to contact the Peltier element. Each radiating fin is provided with a FAN to facilitate air exchange.

  At this time, when the outside air temperature is high, the temperature of the internal radiating fin is lowered and the temperature of the external radiating fin is raised, and conversely, when the outside air temperature is low, the temperature of the internal radiating fin is raised and the temperature of the external radiating fin is lowered. Thus, the Peltier element is controlled.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a camera apparatus that eliminates the need for calibration by efficiently cooling and heating the interior of the camera apparatus with low power consumption and maintaining the interior of the camera apparatus at a constant temperature. can do.

It is sectional drawing of the camera apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the constant temperature box 4 of the camera apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a camera apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the thermostatic box 4 of the camera device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The camera device of the present embodiment is assumed to be a monitoring camera device using far infrared rays installed outdoors. As a structure of the camera device of this embodiment, a camera module 2 and a lens unit 3 of a far-infrared camera are provided inside an outdoor camera housing 1. The camera module 2 and the lens unit 3 are surrounded by a thermostatic box 4 having a heat insulating structure formed of a highly heat insulating material, and the air temperature inside the camera housing 1 and the camera module unit 2 are blocked. Therefore, the influence of the temperature change inside the camera module 2 is reduced by the temperature change inside the camera housing 1, and a large temperature change is not detected by the temperature sensor B11.

  In addition, a Peltier element 5 is disposed on the opposite wall surface of the thermostat box 4 to the lens unit 3 and the camera module 2, and an internal radiating fin 6 is provided on the inner side of the thermostat box 4. Are attached so that the external heat radiation fins 8 are in contact with each other. Moreover, the radiation fin has a structure in which, for example, an aluminum substrate is laminated so as to increase the surface area. And FAN7 is installed in the internal radiation fin 6, FAN9 is installed in the external radiation fin 8, and heat exchange is accelerated | stimulated by sending air into a radiation fin.

  Here, when the outside air temperature (the temperature outside the camera housing 1) is high, the Peltier element 5 is used (a DC circuit for controlling the Peltier element is not shown), and the internal radiation fin 6 The temperature is lowered and the temperature of the external radiation fin 8 is raised. Inside the constant temperature box 4, air cooled from the FAN 7 attached to the heat radiating fins 6 is sent to the camera module 2 side. It escapes to the outside of the thermostatic box 4 through the heat radiating fins 8.

  On the other hand, when the outside air temperature is low, the current flowing through the Peltier element 5 in the above case is caused to flow backward to increase the temperature of the internal radiation fin 6 and decrease the temperature of the external radiation fin 8. Contrary to the above, in this case, the warmed air is sent from the FAN 7 attached to the radiating fin 6 to the camera module 2 inside the constant temperature box 4 and attached to the radiating fin 8 outside the constant temperature box 4. The cooled air taken in from the FAN 9 is released to the outside of the thermostatic box 4 through the heat radiation fins 8.

  The level of the outside air temperature can be measured by a temperature sensor A10 disposed between the camera housing 1 and the constant temperature box 4.

  As described above, by covering the lens unit 3 and the camera module 2 with the constant temperature box 4, while keeping the influence of changes in the outside air temperature on the lens unit 3 and the camera module 2 to a minimum, the Peltier element 5 By controlling the temperature of the radiating fin so as to be opposite to the temperature change, the temperature change of the lens unit and the camera module can be kept constant.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Outdoor camera housing, 2 ... Camera module, 3 ... Lens, 4 ... Constant temperature box, 5 ... Peltier element, 6 ... Internal heat radiation fin, 7 ... Internal heat radiation fin, 8 ... External heat radiation fin, 9 ... External heat radiation fan, 10 ... Sensor A, 11 ... sensor B.

Claims (1)

In a camera device comprising a lens unit and a camera module, and comprising a lens housing and a camera housing for housing the camera module,
The lens unit and the camera module are covered with a thermostat box having a heat insulating structure inside the camera housing, and a Peltier element is installed on one surface of the thermostat box, and the thermostat is in contact with the Peltier element. An internal radiating fin inside the box and an external radiating fin outside the constant temperature box are attached,
When the outside air temperature is high, the temperature of the internal radiating fin is low, the temperature of the external radiating fin is high,
The camera device, wherein the Peltier element is controlled such that when the outside air temperature is low, the temperature of the internal radiating fin is increased and the temperature of the external radiating fin is decreased.

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