JP2010226227A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus having a heat dissipation mechanism capable of improving a heat dissipation effect without changing an internal structure. <P>SOLUTION: A CMOS camera 10 includes: a fitting 22 to which an imaging unit 21 which may generate heat is attached and a heat dissipation fitting 25 which is a member for connecting an external cable to an external terminal 13 connectable to the external cable and attached through a gap in an internal member of the CMOS camera 10. Heat generated in the imaging unit 21 is transmitted to the external terminal 13 through the heat dissipation fitting 25. Since the CMOS camera 10 is connected to the external cable during photography, the heat is transmitted to the external cable and dissipated from the external cable. Since the heat dissipation fitting 25 is arranged in the gap of the internal member, the CMOS camera 10 can efficiently dissipate heat generated in the inside to the outside. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, and more particularly to an image pickup apparatus effective for heat generation of an image pickup element.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, imaging devices such as CMOS cameras and CCD cameras have been downsized and increased in density due to an increase in the number of pixels of an imaging device, and imaging devices capable of outputting small and high-definition image quality have been provided. However, a large amount of heat is generated from an image pickup unit including an image pickup element such as a CMOS image sensor and a CCD image sensor and a signal processing circuit when shooting with these image pickup apparatuses. Since there is a problem that the image quality deteriorates when the temperature around the image pickup device rises, the heat dissipation mechanism of the image pickup unit is regarded as important.

  Regarding a heat dissipation mechanism of an image pickup unit, a digital camera has been proposed that dissipates heat generated in the image pickup unit by contacting a heat sink having a surface area larger than that of a circuit board on which an image pickup element is mounted (see Patent Document 1). reference).

JP 2004-104632 A

In an imaging apparatus that outputs image information outside the main body, instead of a digital camera that performs image processing and display inside as proposed in Patent Document 1, the imaging apparatus is connected to an external electronic device via a cable. Connect to and use. In such an imaging apparatus that is connected to an external cable in this manner, power is generally supplied from an external electronic device via a cable, and captured image information is output via the cable. An imaging apparatus connected to an external cable has a small internal configuration, and thus can be reduced in size. In order to further enhance the heat dissipation effect, it is difficult to incorporate a new heat dissipation mechanism into the normal internal structure.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an imaging apparatus having a heat dissipation mechanism that can enhance the heat dissipation effect without changing the internal structure.

An imaging apparatus according to the present invention is connectable to a casing, an imaging element provided in the casing, an attachment member for fixing the imaging element in the casing, and a cable connected from the outside of the casing. An external terminal, and a heat transfer member that is installed in a gap in the housing so as to be in contact with the mounting member and the external terminal, and is an integral member that guides the heat generated by the imaging device to the external terminal. It is characterized by that.

  By adding a heat radiating member along the gap of the conventional internal structure, an imaging device with a high heat generation effect can be realized.

The figure which shows an example of the external appearance of the CMOS camera in this embodiment. The disassembled perspective view which shows an example of the CMOS camera in this embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the structure of the CMOS camera in this embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an overview of a CMOS camera 10 in the present embodiment. FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of an example of the appearance of the CMOS camera 10 in the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B shows a side view of an example of the appearance of the CMOS camera 10 in the present embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a CMOS camera 10, a front case 11, a rear case 12, and an external terminal 13. In the present embodiment, FIG. 1B will be described with the left-right direction as the front-rear direction, the up-down direction as it is, the up-down direction as it is, the front direction as the left direction, and the back direction as the right direction.

  The CMOS camera 10 has an internal CMOS image sensor as an image sensor, and is an image pickup apparatus capable of taking a forward image. The CMOS camera 10 can be connected to an external electronic device via an external cable by an external terminal 13, and has a function of taking an image with power supplied from the external electronic device and outputting an image to the external electronic device. . In the present embodiment, a CMOS image sensor is illustrated as an image sensor, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a CCD image sensor or the like may be used as the image sensor.

  The front case 11 is a part of the case of the CMOS camera 10, covers the internal structure of the CMOS camera 10, protects it from impacts, etc., and has a function of supporting a part of the members built in the CMOS camera 10. is doing.

  The rear housing 12 is a part of the housing of the CMOS camera 10, covers the internal structure of the CMOS camera 10, protects it from impacts, etc., and has a function of supporting a part of the members built in the CMOS camera 10. is doing. The rear housing 12 is connected and fixed to the front housing 11. The rear housing 12 has an external terminal hole that is a hole through which the external terminal 13 passes.

  The external terminal 13 partially protrudes from the inside of the CMOS camera 10 through an external terminal hole provided in the rear housing 12, and can be connected to a corresponding external cable. Normally, when the CMOS camera 10 is used, an external cable is connected to the external terminal 13.

  FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the CMOS camera 10 in the present embodiment. FIG. 2 shows the CMOS camera 10, front housing 11, rear housing 12, external terminal 13, imaging unit 21, mounting bracket 22, sub-board 23, flexible cable 24, heat radiation bracket 25, housing screw 26, and screw 27. It is shown.

  In the present embodiment, in the CMOS camera 10, an imaging unit 21, a mounting bracket 22, a sub board 23, a flexible cable 24, a heat radiating bracket 25, and an external terminal 13 are provided in the casing (between the front casing 11 and the rear casing 12). Built in.

  The imaging unit 21 includes a CMOS sensor and a CMOS sensor substrate. The CMOS sensor has a function of receiving forward light and inputting the received light to the CMOS camera 10 as an electrical signal. The electrical signal generated by the CMOS sensor is transmitted to a CMOS sensor substrate connected to the CMOS sensor, and the CMOS sensor substrate performs predetermined signal processing on the received electrical signal.

  The mounting bracket 22 is fixed to the front housing 11, and the imaging unit 21 is fixed to the front surface of the mounting bracket 22 with an adhesive. The mounting bracket 22 is fixed to the front housing 11 by screws with screws 27.

  The sub-board 23 is provided with an electronic board in front (not shown in FIG. 2), and an external terminal 13 is connected to the rear. The sub board 23 is provided with an electronic component such as the above-described electronic board, and the external terminal 13 is connected so that an electric signal can be transmitted.

  The flexible cable 24 is a bendable sheet provided with a cable for transmitting an electrical signal, and electrically connects the CMOS sensor substrate of the imaging unit 21 and the sub substrate 23. The flexible cable 24 enables electrical signals to be transmitted between the CMOS sensor substrate and the electronic substrate.

  The heat dissipating metal fitting 25 is formed of copper in the present embodiment, and is a thin plate-like metal part having high thermal conductivity. One end of the heat radiating bracket 25 is in contact with the mounting bracket 22, and the other end is in contact with the external terminal 13. The heat radiating bracket 25 is fixed to the mounting bracket 22 by screws. The mounting bracket 22 and the heat radiating bracket 25 are overlapped so as to contact in the front-rear direction, and are connected to the front casing 11 by screws 27. Further, the heat radiating metal fitting 25 has a spring property, and due to the spring property, a force is generated at the end on the external terminal 13 side so as to press the external terminal 13, thereby contacting the external terminal 13. The heat radiating bracket 25 has a function as a heat transfer member that directly transmits heat generated from the imaging unit 21 and transmitted to the mounting bracket 22 to the external terminal 13. Since the CMOS camera 10 is connected to an external cable by the external terminal 13 when the CMOS camera 10 that generates heat from the imaging unit 21 is used, the heat generated from the imaging unit 21 is attached to the mounting bracket 22, the heat radiating bracket 25, and the external terminal 13. The heat is transferred to the outside, and the heat conduction is high, and heat is radiated to the outside from an external cable having a sufficient length. As a result, the CMOS camera 10 obtains high heat dissipation efficiency. Further, the heat dissipating metal fitting 25 may be in contact with not only the external terminal 13 but also the rear housing 12. In this way, heat can be further dissipated from the surface of the rear housing 12. Heat dissipation efficiency can be obtained. In addition, when it is in contact with the upper surface of the sub-board 23, it is possible to dissipate heat generated from the electronic board supported by the sub-board 23. In this embodiment, although copper was illustrated as a substance which forms the heat sink 25, it is not limited to this, The heat sink 25 is not limited to being a metal. However, as the material forming the heat radiating metal fitting 25, a material having high heat conductivity is preferable, and a metal having high heat conductivity is considered suitable. Moreover, stainless steel etc. can be considered as another specific example of forming the heat radiating metal fitting 25. Further, since the mounting bracket 22 is connected to the front housing 11, heat generated in the imaging unit 21 is transmitted not only in the rear direction of the CMOS camera 10 where the external terminals 13 are present but also in the front direction, and thus high heat dissipation. Efficiency can be obtained.

  The housing screw 26 is a screw for fixing the front housing 11 and the rear housing 12.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the CMOS camera 10 in the present embodiment. FIG. 3A is a front view of the CMOS camera 10 according to the present embodiment as viewed from the front, and FIG. 3B is a side view illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the CMOS camera 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a CMOS camera 10, a front housing 11, a rear housing 12, an external terminal 13, an imaging unit 21, a mounting bracket 22, a sub board 23, a heat radiating bracket 25, a housing screw 26, a screw 27, a filter glass 31, And the electronic substrate 32 is shown.

  FIG. 3A is a view of the CMOS camera 10 as viewed from the front, and FIG. 3B shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

  The imaging unit 21 is composed of a CMOS sensor and a CMOS sensor substrate shown in FIG. A filter glass 31 is provided in front of the CMOS sensor, and the filter glass 31 has a function of neatly entering a photographed image into the CMOS sensor.

  An electronic board 32 is provided in front of the sub board 23 as shown in the figure, and a predetermined signal for outputting from the external terminal 13 an electrical signal indicating image information received from the imaging unit 21 via the flexible cable 24. Perform signal processing.

  Since the image pickup apparatus in the present embodiment is directly connected without using some members by means of a heat-dissipating fitting provided so that the mounting substrate for fixing the image pickup unit and the external terminals do not interfere with other member configurations, It is possible to efficiently dissipate the heat generated from the imaging unit when shooting with an external cable connected. Also, there is almost no need to change the normal internal configuration.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

10: CMOS camera 11: Front housing 12: Rear housing 13: External terminal 21: Imaging unit 22: Mounting bracket 23: Sub board 24: Flexible cable 25: Heat radiation bracket 26: Housing screw 27: Screw 31: Filter glass 32: Electronic substrate

Claims (4)

A housing,
An image sensor provided in the housing;
An attachment member for fixing the image sensor in the housing;
An external terminal connectable with an external cable connected from outside the housing;
A heat transfer member that is an integral member that is installed in a gap in the housing so as to contact the mounting member and the external terminal and guides the heat generated by the imaging device to the external terminal. An imaging device. The mounting member is fixed to the front of the casing to conduct heat to the front of the casing, and the heat transfer member is provided to the rear of the imaging element to conduct heat to the rear of the casing. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer member is further in contact with a housing. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer member is a metal.

Images