JP2011252921A - Portable infrared camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an infrared camera having an excellent portability and allowing a user to easily handle it with one hand.SOLUTION: This handheld infrared camera includes a lens assembly 2, an electric energy source 5, and a processing means 6 for recording and processing information received via the lens assembly. An extensible-shape housing 3 is provided in which the lens assembly 2 is mounted on one end, and the other end 4 is formed as a handle for an user, preferably, its longitudinal axis 21 is relatively tilt with respect to the optical axis 22 of the lens assembly to form an angle α. This infrared camera further includes a manual control means allowing one-handed operation, and a control means by visual perception allowing the user to view when the camera is held and operated away from the eyes and the body of a camera user. This camera is used for an inspection camera and has a means for wirelessly transmitting information from the camera.

Description

The present invention relates to a handheld infrared camera of the kind described in the premise of claim 1.

It has become increasingly common to use various types of non-contact special equipment to control the local temperature of various items and to examine the condition of those items. For example, it is well known that a heat leak can be searched by a non-contact infrared device in order to perform control at a certain distance from an object. Also, food safety, car manufacturing and repair, airplane inspection, etc.
In many applications, spot pyrometers (non-contact thermometers) are used. However, when using a spot pyrometer, the operator has a way to perform control other than manually scanning the object by pointing the spot pyrometer in various directions to find the actual hot spot. Absent. Therefore, the risk of missing the target object or important hot spots is taken. This is sometimes annoying and time consuming and not an effective way to find the actual hot spot. in this way,
When using a spot pyrometer, there is a risk that results will not be obtained safely.

If an infrared camera is used, the hot spot can be detected more safely. However, as a problem, a normal IR camera is a rather heavy optical device and needs to be handled carefully and carefully with both hands. They are often designed to resemble standard video cameras with a standard viewfinder or liquid crystal display on the rotating joint. Such equipment is relatively fragile and is not suitable for use in many harsh environments where work technicians must perform their duties.

In many applications, technicians need an IR camera that is easy to handle and easy to use in troublesome locations. Also, it is often desirable to have a sturdy device that can withstand considerable rough handling and is easy to carry around in various situations.

An object of the present invention is to provide an infrared camera which is excellent in portability and can be easily operated, preferably with one hand.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an infrared camera that can withstand considerable rough handling and can be used in various and sometimes difficult environments.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a reliable and versatile infrared camera at a reasonable price.

The object of the invention is achieved by an infrared camera having the features of claim 1.
According to the present invention, an infrared camera is obtained in which the housing is substantially elongated, the lens assembly is attached to one end, and the opposite end is formed as a user handle.
The housing is also provided with manual control means for thumb operation by the user and visual control means for viewing at a distance. Thus, the one-handed camera can be easily held and operated away from the user's eyes and body. This inventive camera can be advantageously used in thermographic inspections in various environments.

The elongated shape of the camera housing provides excellent grip, no fragile protruding parts, excellent portability, and contributes to a robust design.
This easy-to-operate design also contributes to better results with the use of the camera.
This is because a worker using the camera can concentrate more on the actual problem to be solved rather than struggling to operate the camera.

The details and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
1 to 4 show an infrared camera 1 according to the present invention. A lens assembly 2 is provided, which is interchangeable and is secured to one end of a substantially elongate housing 3, the opposite end 4 being formed as a user handle. . Inside the housing 3 of the handle part 4, an electrical energy source 5 is suitably provided in the form of a rechargeable battery, although other options are obviously possible. Also provided inside the housing 3 is a processing device 6 for receiving and processing information obtained via the lens assembly 2.

A user interface for operating the camera 1 is arranged in front of the housing 3 in front of the handle portion 4. This interface arrangement is intended to provide easy and quick camera control and operation visually and with only one hand. Thus, the display 7 located in the front part of the upper surface of the front part of the housing 3 and the manual control means located in front of the handle part 4 are provided. Included in the manual control means is a first collection 8 of control means that is intended to be operated by the user's thumb and is located between the display 7 and the handle portion 4. In the embodiment shown here, this first assembly 8
Includes four push buttons 9-12 and an operating lever button 13 which can be tilted in several directions. The push buttons 9 to 12 are preferably located on an arc, and the radius of the arc substantially corresponds to the radius of movement of the thumb of the user holding the handle portion 4. Of course, other types of manual control means than pushbuttons can be used. Also,
Various configurations and numbers of manual control means are possible.

As included in the manual control means, located at the lower front part of the housing 3, intended to be operated by the user's index finger, substantially opposite the first assembly 8;
There is also a second collection 14 of control means. In this embodiment, the second assembly 14 is the camera 1
The trigger 15 is used to activate and deactivate various functions of the. Of course, other embodiments are possible depending on the desired design of the camera and the intended function. As an example, a trigger 15 can activate and deactivate a laser that has a window 16 (FIG. 4) in front of the housing 3 and that is intended to help direct the camera 1 to a desired object.

In some situations, it may be desirable to send measurement results and photos to the control center while performing a mission. For this purpose, the camera 1 is preferably connected to the front of the housing 3 (FIG. 4).
) May include an IRDA link or similar wireless communication device having a communication window 17. It is also possible to use Bluetooth technology or similar technology. If necessary, use the same equipment for infrared images or other information,
It can also be transferred to a computer directly or with a mobile phone. An acoustic alarm device (
(Not shown) can also be placed, which can be set to generate an audible alert when an object or area of interest whose critical temperature is not within a predetermined safe range is found or pointed out. In this way, the operator can be informed of critical situations both visually and acoustically.

As shown in FIG. 5, a docking station 2
In order to allow the camera to be retracted into the camera 4, an assembly 18 of connecting parts that can be contacted via a lid 19 can be provided at the rear end of the handle part 4 or elsewhere as shown in FIG. Device 6 can communicate with a base station for various purposes and for charging purposes.
A holder 20 can be provided on the handle portion 4 so that the camera 1 can be hung on an operator's belt, for example, when not in use.

As shown in FIG. 1, the handle portion 4 has a longitudinal axis 21, and the lens assembly 2 has an optical axis 2.
2 These two axes are parallel to each other or, as shown, make an angle α relative to each other with a maximum value of 90 °. This angle α preferably has a value of less than 45 °. This angle α is preferably in the range of 15-30 °, and is advantageously about 20 °, as shown in the drawing.

According to this embodiment, as schematically shown in FIG. 6, the camera 1 can be held by either hand, and as shown by the solid line, the hand is held at a stable low position, and the image of the display 7 is displayed. It is possible to point the camera at the object while obtaining the image sufficiently and easily. When holding the camera in various positions, it is preferable to arrange the display as far as possible in front of the camera so that the operator 25 can easily see the display 7. This helps alleviate the need for the user to bend the neck to get a good picture. To select a menu made available on the display 7 by the processing device 6, the operator 25 can select the desired function by activating the appropriate button with the thumb and index finger. To facilitate directing the camera to the desired object, the trigger 15 can activate a laser contained in the camera. Once pointed at the object, using trigger 15
You can leave a special photo. The camera can be activated and deactivated by a button operated with a thumb. If necessary, results and images can be temporarily saved and later unloaded at a convenient time. The camera 1 can be easily balanced, and becomes more stable to hold, especially by placing the energy source 5 on the handle portion 4. This also helps to simplify the operation when it is desired to inspect an object that would be difficult to find and fatigue the operator when using conventional equipment.

By making the housing 3 rugged and preferably providing anti-vibration rubber to make it quake-resistant, the LCD-type display 7 is probably well protected. At the same time, by making the manual operation means clear and easy to operate, it is possible to obtain a camera that is extremely portable, can be used conveniently, and can be used in various fields.

As described above, this inventive camera is mainly intended as an infrared camera for thermograph inspection. In an advantageous embodiment, this camera can also be designed for temperature measurement and can therefore be a radiometer camera. Other applications are possible with appropriate modifications, which are within the scope of the present invention.

1 is a side view of a camera according to the present invention. The rear perspective view of the camera of FIG. The side perspective view of the camera of FIG. The front perspective view of the camera of FIG. The figure which shows the camera which entered the docking station. FIG. 2 schematically shows the camera of FIG. 1 being used by a user.

Claims (18)

A handheld infrared camera including a lens assembly (2), the lens assembly (2) supported by a housing (3), the housing (3) comprising an electrical energy source (5);
The housing (3) is provided with user control means configured to hold processing means (6) for recording and processing information received via the lens assembly and for controlling the apparatus manually and visually. In a handheld infrared camera,
The housing (3) is substantially elongated;
The lens assembly (2) is mounted on one end, and the opposite end is a user handle (
4)
Provided on one side of the housing is an assembly of manual control means (8) intended to be operated with the user's thumb and visual control means (7),
When the visual control means (7) is disposed between the assembly (8) of the manual control means and the lens assembly (2) to hold the infrared camera away from the user's eyes and body. Adapted to be seen,
Handheld infrared camera, characterized in that the infrared camera is intended to be operated with one hand. The longitudinal axis (21) of the user handle (4) forms an angle (α) with the optical axis (22) of the lens assembly (2), and the angle is preferably in the range of 0 to 90 °. The handheld infrared camera according to claim 1, wherein is less than 45 °. The optical axis (22) of the lens assembly (2) and the longitudinal axis (21) of the handle portion (4)
The hand-held infrared camera according to claim 2, characterized in that the angle (α) between is in the range of 15-30 °, preferably about 20 °. The assembly (8) of the manual control means includes an operation lever button (13) and an assembly of push buttons (9 to 12) arranged in an arc shape, and the center of the arc is the handle portion ( The hand-held device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hand-held device is intended to substantially coincide with a position of an inner joint of a user's thumb holding 4). Type infrared camera. In order to select and control the operating mode of the infrared camera, a collection of said manual control means (
8) is adapted to control the processing device (6).
Handheld infrared camera as described in. 5. Handheld according to claim 4, characterized in that the pushbutton assembly comprises four pushbuttons (9-12), two pushbuttons being on both sides of the operating lever button (13). Type infrared camera. The handheld device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an electrical energy source (5) is located at the handle portion (4) in order to improve the balance of the infrared camera. Type infrared camera. The free end of the handle part (4) is provided with an electrical connection part (18) in contact with the corresponding electrical connection part of the docking station, preferably the connection part is a lid (1
9. The handheld infrared camera according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the handheld infrared camera is protected by 9). 9. Handheld device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that an alarm device is provided which is adapted to give an acoustic signal when the controlled parameter is outside a predetermined range. Type infrared camera. The handheld infrared camera according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the infrared camera (1) is an infrared inspection camera for infrared images. 11. An infrared camera includes a laser to facilitate aiming of the infrared camera, the laser being adapted to be activated and deactivated by control means. The hand-held infrared camera described in any one of the above. In order to control and select the functions performed by the infrared camera, the housing (3)
Trigger means (1) operated by the index finger of the user holding the infrared camera
The hand-held infrared camera according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein 5) is provided. Handheld according to claim 12, characterized in that the triggering means (15) is intended to activate and deactivate the laser and to start storing information about the object to which the infrared camera is directed. Type infrared camera. The handheld infrared camera according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising means for wirelessly transmitting information from the infrared camera. 15. The lens assembly (2) can be replaced.
The handheld infrared camera described in any one of the items up to. The handheld infrared camera according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein a holder (20) for hanging an infrared camera is provided on the housing (3). 17. The housing (3) is rugged and earthquake resistant.
The handheld infrared camera described in any one of the items up to. The hand-held infrared camera according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the hand-held infrared camera is suitable for temperature measurement.

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