JP2020076948A - Imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a waterproofness improved structure with which it is possible to reduce the size of the imaging device, and an imaging device having this waterproofness improved structure.SOLUTION: Provided is an imaging device comprising: a camera unit capable of rotating in a tilt direction; a revolving shaft around which the camera unit rotates; a base member for supporting the revolving shaft; an ultrasonic motor for driving the camera unit in the tilt direction and arranged coaxially with the revolving shaft; a waterproof member arranged between the base member and the camera unit; and a presser member for pressing the ultrasonic motor against the base member. In the direction of the revolving shaft, the camera unit, the waterproof member, the base member, the ultrasonic motor, and the presser member are arranged in the order stated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a photographing device having a waterproof structure.

  2. Description of the Related Art Some conventional image capturing devices, such as surveillance cameras, can operate a pan / tilt angle of a camera unit with a step motor in order to capture an image of a position / direction desired by a user. Here, in the case of an image capturing apparatus that is not generally provided with a protective cover for the camera part, which is called a dome, raindrops or dust may enter the inside of the housing through the gap between the fixed-side member and the driving-side member of the housing during pan-tilt operation. is there. As a measure against this, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a packing is sandwiched between a fixed-side member and a driving-side member of a housing in a pan-tilt operation, and the pan-tilt operation is performed while sliding the packing.

  Conventionally, a step motor is used to perform a pan / tilt operation in an image capturing apparatus. In the case of a step motor, the motor is fixed in an enclosed space covered by the cover of the fixed member, the driving force is transmitted to the rotating shaft via the belt and the gear, and the camera unit is rotated. In this photographing apparatus, the packing for preventing raindrops / dust from entering the housing can be attached so as to seal the gap between the camera unit and the fixed member near the outer circumference of the rotating shaft.

  Here, in a case where the object is zoomed and photographed from a distance, it is necessary to finely adjust the photographing direction of the camera in order to fit the object within the angle of view. Therefore, it is conceivable to perform the pan-tilt operation using an ultrasonic motor (Ultrasonic Motor: USM), which is generally superior in stop position accuracy than a step motor, as a drive source of the camera.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2017/9363932

  USM requires the stator to be pressed against the rotor in order to transmit vibrations. Moreover, the packing has an elastic force. Therefore, depending on the positional relationship between the packing and the USM, the pressing force and the elastic force may affect each other, and adjustment may be difficult.

  In view of the above-mentioned situation, it is an object of the present invention to provide an imaging device that can easily adjust the pressing force of the ultrasonic motor and the waterproof member.

In order to solve the above problems, an imaging device according to one aspect of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, a camera unit that can rotate in the tilt direction,
A rotation axis serving as a rotation center of the camera unit,
A base member supporting the rotating shaft,
An ultrasonic motor that is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis and drives the camera unit in a tilt direction,
A waterproof member arranged between the base member and the camera unit,
A pressing member that presses the ultrasonic motor against the base member,
The camera unit, the waterproof member, the base member, the ultrasonic motor, and the restraining member are arranged in this order in the rotation axis direction.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imaging device that can easily adjust the pressing force of the ultrasonic motor and the waterproof member.

FIG. 1 is an external view of a photographing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing a schematic configuration of a camera unit in the image capturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing a schematic configuration of a tilt unit in the image capturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing a schematic configuration of a pan unit in the image capturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a sectional view in a pan axis direction showing a schematic configuration of the image capturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

  Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, relative positions of components, and the like described in the following embodiments are arbitrary, and can be changed according to the configuration of the device to which the present invention is applied or various conditions. Further, the same reference numerals are used between the drawings to indicate the same or functionally similar elements.

  In the following embodiments, a surveillance camera is illustrated as an imaging device having the waterproof structure according to the present invention, but the application example of the present invention is not limited to the surveillance camera as long as the imaging device requires weather resistance. In the following embodiments, electronic boards, wiring cables, etc. that have no direct relationship with the present invention may be treated as not shown. Further, for convenience of description, the shapes of parts and the like may be simplified and described.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows an external view of a photographing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 shows an exploded view of the camera unit 200 in the photographing apparatus 100, FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the tilt unit 300, and FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of the pan unit 400 and the bottom unit 500. Further, FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of the photographing apparatus 100 in the pan axis direction.

  The image capturing apparatus 100 includes a camera unit 200, a tilt unit 300, a pan unit 400, and a bottom unit 500. The camera unit 200 is actually composed of an optical system of a camera, an image pickup device, and the like (not shown) for photographing an object existing in the optical axis L1 direction. The tilt unit 300 supports the camera unit 200 and rotates it around the tilt axis L2. The pan unit 400 (see FIG. 3) supports the tilt unit 300 and rotates the tilt unit 300 and the camera unit 200 around the pan axis L3 as described later. The bottom unit 500 substantially includes the pan unit 400 inside and serves as a fixing member when the imaging device 100 is mounted on a wall surface or a ceiling. Hereinafter, each unit will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Camera unit 200>
First, the camera unit 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 5. In this embodiment, the camera unit 200 includes a lens barrel 201, a front case 202, a rear case 203, and camera covers 204a and 204b. The lens barrel 201 including the image sensor is covered with a camera case including a front case 202 and a rear case 203. Hollow shafts serving as tilt rotation shafts 203a and 203c are integrally molded with the rear case 203 at both ends in the tilt axis L2 direction of the camera case. The tilt rotation shafts 203a and 203c are provided with stepped portions 203b and 203d formed by reducing the diameter at a predetermined distance from the rear case 203.

  In the present embodiment, the substantially annular sliding packings 206 and 207 having a waterproof function are coaxial with the tilt rotation shafts 203a and 203c on both side surfaces of the camera case and arranged so as to wind the tilt rotation shafts 203a and 203c. .. More specifically, the sliding packing 206 (207) has a substantially tubular shape, and has flange portions 206a and 206b projecting outward at both ends of the generally tubular shape. The case-side flange portion 206a located on the camera case side constitutes a flat portion that can come into contact with the camera case side surface from which the tilt rotation shaft 203a projects. The bearing-side flange portion 206b, which is located on the opposite side of the case-side flange portion 206a, has a shape projecting outside the outer ring of the bearing 301 described later.

  The sliding packings 206 and 207 are fixed to the camera case by sandwiching the bearing side flange portion (206b) between the annular packing retainers 208 and 209 and the side surface of the camera case (see FIG. 5). A part of the exterior of the camera case is covered with a camera cover including an upper cover 204a and a lower cover 204b. The connection surface between the front case 202 and the rear case 203 is kept watertight by a waterproof member (not shown) such as packing. The camera case is, for example, an aluminum die-cast molded product, and has sufficient rigidity so as not to be deformed by a reaction force of sliding packings 206 and 207 and a ring USM305 which will be described later. In addition, the camera unit 200 can photograph the exposed optical axis L1 direction.

<Tilt unit 300>
Next, the tilt unit 300 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5. In this embodiment, the tilt unit 300 includes bearings 301 and 302, tilt support members 303 and 304, a ring USM 305, a holding plate 306, side covers 307 and 308, and a top cover 309. The tilt unit 300 supports the above-described camera unit 200 by bearings 301 and 302 so as to be rotatable around the tilt axis L2. The rotation of the camera unit 200 around the tilt axis L2 is controlled by the ring USM305. Hereinafter, details of the tilt unit 300 will be described.

  The tilt rotation shafts 203a and 203c of the camera case are inserted into the bearings 301 and 302, and the inner rings of the bearings 301 and 302 are inserted to the positions where they abut the stepped portions 203b and 203d. The outer rings of the bearings 301 and 302 are fitted and supported by through holes provided in the tilt support members 303 and 304. The tilt support members 303 and 304 are fixed to a tilt base 401 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) described later. Thus, the camera unit 200 is supported by the tilt support members 303 and 304 so as to be rotatable about the tilt axis L2 with respect to the tilt base 401.

  The ring USM305 is composed of an annular stator 305a having a drive signal line, and an annular rotor 305b which is rotationally driven relative to the stator 305a. The ring USM 305 is arranged on the side of the tilt support member 303 opposite to the camera unit 200 so as to be coaxial with the tilt rotation shaft 203a. At that time, the rotor 305b is arranged closer to the camera unit 200 (camera unit side) than the stator 305b. Further, the pressing plate 306 is fixed to the tilt rotation shaft 203a while compressing the ring USM305 in the tilt axis L2 direction. Therefore, as a result, the ring USM 305 is sandwiched between the tilt support member 303 and the holding plate 306.

  At this time, the stator 305a is arranged on the tilt support member 303 side, and the rotor 305b is arranged on the holding plate 306 side. Further, the stator 305a is connected to a control board 402 described later by a signal line 411 (see FIG. 5). By driving the stator 305a according to a control signal from the control board 402, the rotor 305b rotates around the tilt axis L2. That is, with respect to the tilt support member 303 and the stator 305a, the rotor 305b, the pressing plate 306, and the camera unit 200 can rotate around the tilt axis L2, and the tilt operation can be performed.

  The pressing plate 306 compresses the ring USM 305 with a sufficient force so that the ring USM 305 exerts the force of tilt-rotating the camera unit 200. If the compression force applied to the ring USM305 is too large, the stator 305a may not be able to drive the rotor 305b, resulting in a defective rotational operation. If the compressive force applied to the ring USM305 is too small, the stator 305a may slip with respect to the rotor 305b, and the rotational force may not be transmitted, resulting in a defective rotational operation. Note that it is well known that the axial compression force applied to the ring USM305 is important for the ring USM305 to exert a desired drive torque and stop position accuracy, and therefore detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  Here, the tilt support members 303 and 304 have sufficient rigidity such that they are difficult to deform even if the ring USM 305 and the sliding packings 206 and 207 are compressed, for example, they are molded by aluminum die casting.

  The sliding packing 206 fixed on the camera case by the packing retainer 208 is arranged such that the tilt rotation shaft 203a is located inside the substantially cylindrical shape on the side surface of the tilt support member 303 on the camera unit 200 side. The bearing-side flange portion 206b of the sliding packing 206 is in contact with the tilt support member 303 around the outer periphery of the bearing 301. This abutting position is located inside the ring USM305.

  A compressive force is applied to the sliding packing 206 by the contact surface with the case side flange portion 206a of the camera case and the contact surface with the bearing side flange portion 206b of the tilt support member 303. The compressive force applied to the sliding packing 206 needs to be large enough to prevent raindrops and dust from entering between the camera case and the tilt support member 303. If the compressive force applied to the sliding packing 206 is excessively large, the sliding resistance increases, which may cause the camera unit 200 to malfunction in rotation. Further, if the compressive force applied to the sliding packing 206 is too small, the sliding packing 206 will be deformed when external pressure is applied to the sliding packing 206, and raindrops and dust will be generated from the gap formed on the sliding surface. May get inside. Since it is well known that the compression force applied to the sliding packing 206 is important for the sliding packing 206 to exhibit a desired sealing performance, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  The sliding packing 206 applies a biasing force to the tilt support member 303 in a direction away from the camera case. On the other hand, the ring USM 305 applies an urging force to the tilt support member 303 in the direction of approaching the camera case by the compression force applied from the holding plate 306 fixed to the tilt rotation shaft 203a. Here, in the present embodiment, the compression force applied to the ring USM 305 is made larger than the compression force applied to the sliding packing 206. Therefore, due to the difference in the compressive force, the tilt support member 303 is biased in the direction of approaching the camera case. However, the bearing 301 is grounded to a stepped portion (not shown) provided on the tilt support member 303 by a clearance fit, and the tilt support member 303 is positioned by the bearing 301 with respect to the stepped portion 203b. Therefore, even if the bearing 301 is not fixed to the tilt support member 303, the positional relationship between the tilt support member 303 and the camera case is always constant due to the biasing force in the direction of approaching the camera case. To be kept.

  The side covers 307 and 308 are fixed to the tilt support members 303 and 304, respectively, with packing (not shown) interposed therebetween. The side covers 307 and 308 cover the outside of the tilt support members 303 and 304 (the surface on the side opposite to the camera cover) to cover the ring USM 305 and the holding plate 306 while keeping the connection surface watertight. Further, the tilt base 401, the tilt support members 303 and 304, and the side covers 307 and 308 are covered with the top cover 309, so that the tilt unit 300 is protected.

  The top cover 309 and part of the camera covers (204a, 204b) have a loose fitting structure in the tilt axis L2 direction. Therefore, the jet flow passing through the gap between the top cover 309 and the camera cover 204 does not directly reach the gap between the camera case and the tilt support members 303 and 304. Therefore, the jet flow is depressurized before reaching the gap, and a large water pressure is not applied to the sliding packings 206 and 207.

  As described above, the sliding packings 206 and 207 are arranged between the tilt support members 303 and 304 and the camera case, which is a gap between the fixed side and the driving side during the tilt operation, and the inside and the outside thereof are arranged. It is spatially separated. Therefore, raindrops and dust that have entered this gap do not reach the internal space of the housing in which the bearings 301 and 302 and the ring USM305 are arranged due to the sealing action of these sliding packings 206 and 207.

  The sliding packing 206 slides inside the ring USM305 with respect to the tilt rotation shaft 203a. Therefore, the friction torque generated by the sliding packing 206 during the tilting operation can be reduced.

  Further, in order for the ring USM 305 to exert sufficient drive torque and stop position accuracy for tilting the camera, the rotor compression amount is important. Similarly, the compression amount of the sliding packing 206 is important for the sliding packing 206 to exhibit sufficient sealing performance to protect the camera case, the image pickup device inside thereof, and the like from raindrops and dust. According to this embodiment, the compression amount (rotor compression amount) of the ring USM 305 can be adjusted by changing the fixing surface of the ring USM 305 on the tilt support member 303 and the shape of the holding plate 306. At that time, the reaction force from the ring USM305 is transmitted to the tilt rotation shaft 203a via the holding plate 306. Therefore, the force that pulls the tilt rotation shaft 203a outward in the tilt axis direction changes. However, in this embodiment, the tilt rotation shaft 203a remains unchanged in the tilt axis L2 direction at the position where the stepped portion 203b hits the bearing 301. Therefore, the gap between the camera case and the tilt support member 303 in the tilt axis L2 direction does not change, and the compression amount of the sliding packing 206 does not change.

  Similarly, by changing the shape of the case side flange portion 206a of the sliding packing 206 on the camera case and the bearing side flange portion 206b that abuts on the sliding surface of the tilt support member 303, the compression amount of the sliding packing 206 can be reduced. Can be changed. At this time, the reaction force from the sliding packing 206 is set to be sufficiently smaller than the reaction force from the ring USM305. Therefore, even if the bearing 301 moves with respect to the tilt rotation shaft 203a, a biasing force toward the stepped portion 203b is applied to the bearing 301. Therefore, the tilt rotation shaft 203a remains unchanged in the tilt axis L2 direction at the position where the stepped portion 203b abuts on the bearing 301. Therefore, the positional relationship among the stepped portion 203b, the tilt support member 303, and the holding plate 306 does not change, and the change in the compression amount of the sliding packing 206 does not affect the compression amount (rotor compression amount) of the ring USM305.

  With the above configuration, the sliding packing 206 and the ring USM305 do not affect each other within a range in which the compressive force applied to the ring USM305 is larger than the compressive force applied to the sliding packing 206, and the respective compression amounts. Can be managed individually. That is, after adjusting the compression amount so that the sliding packing 206 can exhibit sufficient sealing performance, it can be adjusted so that the ring USM305 can exert sufficient drive torque and stop position accuracy. On the contrary, after adjusting the compression amount of the ring USM 305, the compression amount of the sliding packing 206 can be adjusted.

<Bread unit 400>
Hereinafter, the pan unit 400 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. In the present embodiment, the pan unit 400 includes a tilt base 401, a control board 402, a holding plate 403, bearings 404 and 405, a ring USM406, a pan base 407, a packing holder 408, a sliding packing 409, and a bottom plate 410. It The above-described pair of tilt support members 303 and 304 are fixed to the upper surface of the tilt base 401 so that the surfaces supporting the bearings 301 and 302 face each other.

  The tilt base 401 is fixed to the pan base 407 by a packing (not shown) while keeping its connection surface watertight. The pan base 407 has a through hole, and the outer rings of the bearings 404 and 405 are fitted and supported in the through hole. The bottom plate 410 is integrally formed with a hollow shaft that serves as a pan rotation shaft 410a in the pan axis L3 direction. The pan rotation shaft 410a is provided with a stepped portion 410b which is formed by reducing the diameter at a predetermined distance from the bottom plate 410 and whose diameter increases when viewed from the end direction of the pan rotation shaft.

  The bearings 404 and 405 are inserted into the pan rotation shaft 410a so that the inner ring of the bearing 405 arranged on the stepped portion 410b side abuts the stepped portion 410b. With this configuration, the pan base 407 is rotatably supported by the bottom plate 410 via the bearings 404 and 405.

  In this embodiment, the sliding packing 409 having a substantially annular shape, which has a waterproof function, is arranged on the bottom plate 410 on the side of the pan base 407 so as to be coaxial with the pan axis L3 and to wind the pan rotation axis 410a. More specifically, the sliding packing 409 has a substantially tubular shape, and has flange portions 409a and 409b protruding outward at both ends of the substantially tubular shape. The bottom side flange portion 409a located on the bottom plate 410 side forms a flat portion that can come into contact with the flat surface on the bottom plate 410 side from which the pan rotation shaft 410a projects. The bearing-side flange portion 409b, which is located on the opposite side of the bottom-side flange portion 409a, has a shape projecting outside the outer ring of the bearing 405. The sliding packing 409 is fixed to the bottom plate 410 by sandwiching the bottom side flange portion 409a between the packing retainer 408 and the bottom plate 410 (see FIG. 5).

  The ring USM 406 is composed of an annular stator 406a having a drive signal line and an annular rotor 406b which is rotationally driven relative to the stator 406a. Further, the ring USM406 is arranged on the pan base 407 on the camera unit 200 side so as to be coaxial with the pan rotation axis 410a. The rotor 406b is arranged closer to the camera unit 200 (camera unit side) than the stator 406a. The holding plate 403 is fixed to the pan rotation shaft 410a while compressing the ring USM406 in the pan axis L3 direction. Therefore, as a result, the ring USM 406 is sandwiched between the pan base 407 and the holding plate 403.

  At this time, the stator 406a is arranged on the pan base 407 side and the rotor 406b is arranged on the restraining plate 403 side. The stator 406a is connected to the control board 402 mounted on the pan base 407 by a signal line 411. By driving the stator 406a in response to a control signal from the control board 402, the stator 406a rotates relative to the rotor 406b about the pan axis L3. That is, with respect to the bottom plate 410, the pressing plate 403, and the rotor 406b, the stator 406a, the pan base 407, the tilt unit 300, and the camera unit 200 can rotate around the pan axis L3, and the pan operation can be performed. Although the signal line 411 is actually connected in a configuration other than that shown in the drawing, only the minimum wiring state is shown in the drawing in order not to reduce the visibility of the drawing.

  The pressing plate 403 compresses the ring USM 406 with a sufficient force so that the ring USM 406 exerts a pan-rotating force on the camera unit 200. Note that it is well known that the compression force in the pan axis L3 direction applied to the ring USM406 is important for the ring USM406 to exhibit desired drive torque and stop position accuracy, and therefore description thereof is omitted here.

  Here, the pan base 407 and the bottom plate 410 have sufficient rigidity such that they are not easily deformed even when the ring USM 406 and the sliding packing 409 are compressed, for example, they are molded by aluminum die casting.

  The sliding packing 409 fixed on the bottom plate 410 by the packing retainer 408 is arranged on the side surface of the bottom plate 410 of the pan base 407 so that the pan rotation shaft 410a is located inside the substantially cylindrical shape. The bearing-side flange portion 409b of the sliding packing 409 is in contact with the facing surface of the pan base 407 around the outer circumference of the bearing 405. This contact position is located inside the ring USM406 with respect to the pan axis L3.

  A compressive force is applied to the sliding packing 409 by the contact surface of the bearing side flange portion 409b on the surface of the pan base 407 facing the bottom plate 410 and the contact surface of the bottom plate 410 on the bottom side flange portion 409a. Be done. The compressive force applied to the sliding packing 409 needs to be large enough to prevent raindrops and dust from entering between the pan base 407 and the bottom plate 410. Since it is well known that the compression force of the sliding packing 409 is important for the sliding packing 409 to exhibit a desired sealing performance, the description thereof is omitted here.

  The sliding packing 409 applies an urging force to the pan base 407 in a direction of separating from the bottom plate 410. On the other hand, the ring USM 406 applies an urging force to the pan base 407 in the direction of approaching the bottom plate 410 by the compression force applied from the pressing plate 403 fixed to the pan rotation shaft 410a. Here, in the present embodiment, the compression force applied to the ring USM 405 is made larger than the compression force applied to the sliding packing 409. Therefore, due to this difference in compression force, the pan base 407 is biased in a direction to approach the bottom plate 410. However, the pan base 407 is positioned by the bearing 405 with respect to the stepped portion 410b. Therefore, even if the bearing 405 is not fixed to the pan base 407, the positional relationship between the pan base 407 and the bottom plate 410 is always constant due to the biasing force in the direction of approaching the bottom plate 410. To be kept.

<Bottom unit 500>
The bottom unit 500 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. In this embodiment, the bottom unit 500 includes a bottom case 501, a power supply board 502, and a bottom cover 503.

  The bottom plate 410 is fixed by a bottom case 501 and a packing (not shown) with the connecting surface kept watertight. A power supply board 502 for supplying power is attached inside the bottom case 501. By attaching the bottom cover 503 to the bottom case 501, the bottom case 501 is covered with the bottom cover 503. The bottom case 501 or the bottom cover 503 can mount and fix the main body of the image capturing apparatus 100 on a ceiling or a wall by using fixing screws (not shown).

  The top cover 309 and a part of the bottom cover 503 have a loose fitting structure in the pan axis L3 direction. Therefore, the jet flow passing through the gap between the top cover 309 and the bottom cover 503 does not directly reach the gap between the pan base 407 and the bottom plate 410. Therefore, the jet flow is depressurized before reaching the gap, and a large water pressure is not applied to the sliding packing 409.

  As described above, the sliding packing 409 is disposed between the pan base 407 and the bottom plate 410, which is the gap between the fixed side and the driving side during the pan operation, and the inside and the outside thereof are spatially separated. is doing. Therefore, raindrops and dust that have entered this gap do not reach the internal space of the housing in which the bearings 404 and 405 and the ring USM406 are arranged due to the sealing action of the sliding packing 409.

  The sliding packing 409 slides inside the ring USM406 with respect to the pan rotation shaft 410a. Therefore, the friction torque generated by the sliding packing 409 during the pan operation can be reduced as compared with the conventional configuration in which the packing is arranged outside the ring USM.

  Further, in order for the ring USM 406 to exhibit sufficient drive torque and stop position accuracy for panning the camera, the rotor compression amount is important. Similarly, in order for the sliding packing 409 to exhibit sufficient sealing performance to protect the mechanism for pan-rotating the camera and the like from raindrops and dust, the compression amount of the sliding packing 409 is important. According to the present embodiment, the amount of compression of the ring USM 406 can be adjusted by changing the shape of the fixing surface of the ring USM 406 on the pan base 407 and the shape of the holding plate 403. At this time, the reaction force from the ring USM406 is transmitted to the pan rotation shaft 410a via the pressing plate 403. Therefore, the force for pulling the pan rotation shaft 410a toward the camera unit 200 changes. However, in the present embodiment, the pan rotation shaft 410a remains unchanged in the pan axis L3 direction at the position where the stepped portion 410b abuts the bearing 405. Therefore, the gap between the pan base 407 and the bottom plate 410 in the pan axis L3 direction does not change, and the compression amount of the sliding packing 409 does not change.

  Similarly, by changing the shape of the bottom side flange portion 409a of the sliding packing 409 on the bottom plate 410 and the bearing side flange portion 409b that abuts on the sliding surface of the pan base 407, the compression amount of the sliding packing 409 is changed. Can be changed. At this time, the reaction force from the sliding packing 409 is set to be sufficiently smaller than the reaction force from the ring USM406. Therefore, even if the bearing 405 moves with respect to the pan rotation shaft 410a, a biasing force toward the stepped portion 410b is applied to the bearing 405. Therefore, the pan rotation shaft 410a remains unchanged in the pan axis L3 direction at the position where the stepped portion 410b abuts the bearing 405. Therefore, the positional relationship among the stepped portion 410b, the pan base 407, and the holding plate 403 does not change, and the change in the compression amount of the sliding packing 409 does not affect the compression amount of the ring USM406.

  With the above configuration, the sliding packing 409 and the ring USM 406 can individually manage the compression amounts without affecting each other. That is, after adjusting the compression amount so that the sliding packing 409 can exert sufficient sealing performance, it can be adjusted so that the ring USM 406 can exert sufficient driving torque and stop position accuracy. On the contrary, the compression amount of the sliding packing 409 can be adjusted after the compression amount of the ring USM406 is adjusted.

  As described above, the present invention provides a structure for improving the waterproof effect in the photographing device. For example, the tilt rotation shaft includes a camera unit 200, a rotation shaft, a bearing 301, a base member, a holding member, an ultrasonic motor, and a waterproof member (sliding packing 206). The camera unit 200 includes an image sensor. The rotary shaft exemplified by the tilt rotary shaft 203a functions as a rotary shaft of the camera unit 200, and is rotatably supported by the bearing 301 around the tilt shaft L2. The base member exemplified by the tilt support member 303 supports the outer ring of the bearing 301 by fitting them together. The holding member exemplified by the holding plate 306 is fixed to the tilt rotation shaft 203a, preferably an end portion thereof. The ultrasonic motor (ring USM305) is arranged coaxially with the tilt rotation shaft 203a, and has a rotor 305b pressed against the restraining plate 306 and a stator 305a pressed against the tilt support member 303. The waterproof member exemplified by the sliding packing 206 is arranged between the tilt support member 303 and the camera unit 200. Then, the camera unit 200, the sliding packing 206, the tilt support member 303, the ring USM 305, and the holding plate 306 are arranged in this order in the rotation axis direction. With such an arrangement, the above-mentioned waterproof effect can be obtained. It should be noted that the waterproof effect described in the present specification does not mean that water is prevented from entering as literally described, but is an effect of improving the function of preventing entry of water.

  In addition, it is preferable to further include camera covers 204 a and 204 b and a side cover 307 as a configuration for obtaining the waterproof effect regarding the tilt rotation axis described above. The camera covers 204a and 204b cover the camera unit 200 and rotate integrally with the camera unit 200. The side cover 307 covers the tilt support member 303. Further, the camera covers 204a and 204b may be loosely fitted in the hole in which the tilt rotation shaft 203a and related components are inserted in the side cover 307 so that the camera covers 204a and 204b can be freely rotated in the rotation axis direction. By arranging the covers in this way, it is possible to prevent the configuration related to the tilt rotation shaft from being exposed to the external space. Although the camera covers 204a and 204b are inserted into the holes of the side cover 307 in the embodiment, they may be reversed. That is, the camera covers 204a and 204b and the side cover 307 can be loosely fitted to each other.

  Further, as described above, the ring USM 305 is sandwiched between the holding plate 306 and the tilt support member 303. Further, the sliding packing 206 is sandwiched between the camera unit 200 and the tilt support member 303. At that time, in the sandwiching, the compression force in the rotation axis direction applied to the ring USM 305 is preferably larger than the compression force in the rotation axis direction applied to the sliding packing 206. By setting the compression force in this way, the positional relationship between the bearing 301 and the camera unit 200 is stabilized, and stable rotation force can be provided by the ring USM305.

  In the structure described above, for example, for the pan rotation shaft, the tilt unit 300, the base member, the bearing 405, the rotation shaft, the fixing member, the holding member, the ultrasonic motor, and the waterproof member are provided. Prepare The tilt unit 300 includes a camera unit 200 including an image sensor. The camera unit 200 is indirectly attached to the base member exemplified by the pan base 407 by attaching the tilt unit 300. The bearing 405 supports the pan base 407 rotatably around the pan axis L3. The rotation shaft exemplified by the pan rotation shaft 410a supports the bearing 405 rotatably around the pan axis L3 and functions as a rotation center of the tilt unit 300. Further, the pan rotation shaft 410 a is fixed to a fixing member exemplified by the bottom plate 410. The holding member exemplified by the holding plate 403 is fixed to the pan rotation shaft 410a, preferably an end portion thereof. The ultrasonic motor (ring USM406) is arranged coaxially with the pan rotation shaft 410a, and has a rotor 406b pressed against the restraining plate 403 and a stator 406a pressed against the pan base 407. The waterproof member exemplified by the sliding packing 409 is arranged between the bottom plate 410 and the pan base 407. Then, the pressing plate 403, the ring USM 406, the pan base 407, the sliding packing 409, and the bottom plate 410 are arranged in this order in the rotation axis direction. With such an arrangement, the above-mentioned waterproof effect can be obtained.

  In addition, it is preferable that a camera side cover member and a fixing member cover member are further provided as a configuration for obtaining the above-described waterproof effect regarding the pan rotation axis. The camera side cover member exemplified by the top cover 309 covers the holding plate 403, the ring USM 406, the pan base 407, and the sliding packing 409. The fixing member cover member exemplified by the bottom case 501 covers the bottom plate 410. Further, the top cover 309 and the bottom case 501 may have a loose fitting structure with each other in the direction of the pan axis L3 which is the rotation axis. By configuring the top cover 309 and the bottom case 501 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the configuration related to the pan rotation shaft from being exposed to the external space.

  Further, as described above, the ring USM 406 is sandwiched between the holding plate 403 and the pan base 407. Further, the sliding packing 409 is sandwiched between the pan base 407 and the bottom plate 410. At this time, in sandwiching these, the compression force in the rotation axis direction applied to the ring USM 406 is preferably larger than the compression force in the rotation axis direction applied to the sliding packing 409. By setting the compression force in this way, the positional relationship between the bearing 405 and the bottom plate 410 is stabilized, and stable rotation force can be provided by the ring USM406.

  In both the tilt rotation mechanism and the pan rotation mechanism described above, the rotation shafts (203a, 410a) preferably have stepped portions 203b, 410b whose diameters change. The positions of the bearings 301 and 405 that support the rotating shafts (203a and 410a) are defined by contacting the stepped portions 203b and 410b.

  As described above, the waterproof member is configured by the tubular sliding packings 206 and 409, one end of which is fixed and the other end of which is slidable with respect to the contacting member. In the present embodiment, the rings USM305 and 406 have a ring shape, thereby achieving simplification of the structure and miniaturization. However, it is also possible to use ultrasonic motors of other shapes depending on the usage conditions. Further, the diameter from the rotation center of each configuration to the corresponding sliding portion of the sliding packing 206, 409 is set smaller than the inner radius of the ring shape of the rings USM 305, 406. This setting is made possible by arranging the respective configurations related to the rotation as described above, the friction torque when rotating the members that abut against the sliding packings 206, 409 can be kept small, and the load on the rings USM 305, 406 can be maintained. Can be reduced. The forms of the sliding packings 206 and 409 are preferably those described above, but the shapes and the like of both flange portions are not limited to those in the embodiment as long as the same action can be obtained.

  In addition, as a structure for improving the waterproof effect in the above-described photographing device, the photographing device includes a photographing unit, a rotating shaft, a bearing, a support member, an ultrasonic motor, and a sliding packing. For example, the photographing unit exemplified in the camera unit 200 has an image sensor. The imaging unit is supported so as to be rotatable in the tilt direction (tilt rotatable). Further, the rotation shaft exemplified by the tilt rotation shaft 203a serves as a rotation center when the camera unit 200 is rotated. The tilt rotation shaft 203a is rotatably supported by, for example, a bearing 301 around the tilt axis L2, and the bearing 301 is supported by a support member exemplified by the tilt support member 303. The ultrasonic motor exemplified by the ring USM305 supplies a rotational force for tilt-rotating the camera unit 200. One end surface (case-side flange portion 206a) of the sliding packing 206 abuts and is fixed to a surface from which the tilt rotation shaft 203a of the camera case projects. Further, the end surface (bearing side flange portion 206b) on the tilt support member 303 side slidably abuts around the outer periphery of the bearing 301 in the tilt support member 303. Further, the sliding packing 206 has a tubular portion that connects the case-side flange portion 206a and the bearing-side flange portion 206b. By disposing such a sliding packing 206 between the flat surface of the camera case and the surface of the tilt support member 303 facing the flat surface, the waterproof effect is enhanced and the rotation of the camera unit exemplified by the tilt rotation is performed. It is possible to downsize the configuration for.

  In the image capturing apparatus having the above-mentioned structure, the ring USM305 is arranged coaxially with the tilt rotation shaft 203a. Further, a holding member (holding plate 306) fixed to the tilt rotation shaft 203a may be further provided, and the rotor 305b of the ring USM305 may be pressed against one of the holding member and the tilt support member 303, and the stator 305a may be pressed against the other. .. The diameter of the bearing side flange portion 206b, which is the other end surface of the sliding packing 206, is set smaller than the inner diameter of the ring USM305. As a result, the friction torque when rotating the member that abuts against the sliding packings 206 and 409 can be kept small, and the load on the rings USM 305 and 406 can be reduced. Further, the tilt rotation shaft 203a has a stepped portion 203b whose diameter changes, and the bearing 301 is in contact with the stepped portion 203b to define a position for supporting the tilt rotation shaft 203a. Further, the sliding packing 206 is arranged so that the region of the tilt rotation shaft 203a having a large diameter due to the formation of the stepped portion 203b is located inside the tubular portion. Since the tilt rotation shaft 203a freely rotates inside the tubular shape, the friction torque received by the mechanism required for tilt rotation from the sliding packing 206 is only the torque due to the sliding.

  The above-described configuration of the present invention can be understood as a waterproof effect improving structure that enhances the waterproof effect in, for example, a photographing device. The structure includes a rotated portion, a rotating shaft, a bearing, a supporting member, an ultrasonic motor, and a sliding packing. For example, the camera unit 200 corresponds to the rotated portion, and the tilt rotation shaft 203a corresponds to the rotation axis that serves as the center of rotation when rotating the rotated portion. A bearing 301 corresponds to a bearing that rotatably supports a rotating shaft, and a tilt support member 303 corresponds to a supporting member that supports the bearing, and an ultrasonic motor that supplies a rotational force for rotating a rotated portion. Corresponds to USM305. An example of the sliding packing is a sliding packing 206 having a cylindrical portion, one end surface of which is fixed to the surface from which the rotary shaft projects, and the other end surface of which is slidable around the outer circumference of the bearing in the support member. Contact.

  With the waterproof effect improving structure having such a configuration, in the photographing apparatus according to the present invention, the packing around the rotation axis can be housed inside the ultrasonic motor with respect to the rotation axis. For this reason, the friction torque of the packing in the tilt rotation operation can be reduced, and the ultrasonic motor with a small diameter can be used, which leads to downsizing of the main body of the imaging apparatus. Further, the compression amount of the ultrasonic motor can be adjusted between the base member and the restraining member, and the compression amount of the packing can be adjusted between the base member and the camera case or the fixing member. Therefore, each compression amount can be managed individually. By adjusting the amount of compression, the ultrasonic motor can exert sufficient drive torque and stop position accuracy to drive the camera. Moreover, the packing can exhibit sufficient sealing performance to keep the inside of the camera housing airtight from raindrops and dust.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail above based on its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various embodiments within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. included. Further, some of the above-described embodiments may be appropriately used without performing all of the above-described embodiments. For example, the sliding packing according to the present invention can be used only for the tilt rotation mechanism, and the conventional waterproof mechanism can be used for the pan rotation mechanism. Alternatively, it can be reversed. The waterproof structure is preferably arranged on both the tilt and pan rotation shafts, but it may be arranged on only one of them depending on the required stopping accuracy and the like. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to partially obtain the waterproof property that the present invention is intended to achieve.

  An O-ring or an oil seal may be used for the sliding packing if the sliding packing is compressed in the direction of the rotation axis for waterproofing. Although the tilt rotation shaft 203a is formed integrally with the camera case, it may be a separate component. Similarly, the pan rotation shaft 410a is integrally formed with the bottom plate 410, but may be a separate component. The stepped portions 203b, 203d, 410b may be separate parts that serve as a retaining ring or a stopper if the axial position of the bearing is determined by abutting the bearing. The amount of compression of the rings USM305 and 406 may be adjusted by inserting / removing a spacer between the holding plate 306 and the tilt rotation shaft 203a or between the holding plate 403 and the pan rotation shaft 410a. As a connection method between the lens barrel 201 and the control board 402 and a connection method between the control board 402 and the power supply board 502, thin line coaxial, FFC, FPC, or slip ring can be used depending on the pan-tilt rotation angle. ..

100 ... Imaging device 200 ... Camera unit 201 ... Lens barrel 202 ... Front case 203 ... Rear case 203a, 203c ... Tilt rotation shafts 203b, 203d ... Stepped portion 204 ... Camera cover 204a. Upper cover 204b ... Lower covers 206, 207 ... Sliding packing 208, 209 ... Packing retainer 300 ... Tilt units 301, 302 ... Bearings 303, 304 ... Tilt support member 305 ... Ring USM
305a ... Stator 305b ... Rotor 306 ... Suppression plates 307, 308 ... Side cover 309 ... Top cover 400 ... Pan unit 401 ... Tilt base 402 ... Control board 403 ... Suppression plates 404, 405 ... Bearing 406 ... Ultrasonic motor 406a ... Stator 406b ... Rotor 407 ... Pan base 408 ... Packing holder 409 ... Sliding packing 410 ... Bottom plate 410a ... Pan rotation shaft 410b ... Stepped portion 411 412 Signal line 500 Bottom unit 501 Bottom case 502 Power supply board 503 Bottom cover

Claims (15)

A camera unit that can rotate in the tilt direction,
A rotation axis serving as a rotation center of the camera unit,
A base member supporting the rotating shaft,
An ultrasonic motor that is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis and drives the camera unit in a tilt direction,
A waterproof member arranged between the base member and the camera unit,
A pressing member that presses the ultrasonic motor against the base member,
An imaging apparatus, wherein the camera unit, the waterproof member, the base member, the ultrasonic motor, and the restraining member are arranged in this order in a rotation axis direction. A camera cover that covers the camera unit and rotates integrally with the camera unit; and a cover member that covers the base member,
The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the camera cover is loosely fitted to the cover member in the rotation axis direction.   The compressive force in the rotation axis direction applied to the ultrasonic motor when the ultrasonic motor is sandwiched between the restraining member and the base member is generated by the waterproof member between the camera unit and the base member. The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photographing force is greater than the compressive force applied to the waterproof member in the rotation axis direction when the waterproof member is sandwiched. The ultrasonic motor has a rotor and a stator,
The photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotor is arranged closer to the camera unit than the stator. A camera unit that can rotate in the tilt direction,
A base member to which the camera unit is attached,
A rotation axis serving as a rotation center of the camera unit,
A fixing member for fixing the rotating shaft,
A pressing member fixed to the rotating shaft,
An ultrasonic motor that is arranged coaxially with the rotation axis and drives the camera unit in a tilt direction,
A waterproof member disposed between the base member and the fixing member,
An imaging apparatus, wherein the restraining member, the ultrasonic motor, the base member, the waterproof member, and the fixing member are arranged in this order in the rotation axis direction. A camera-side cover member that covers the holding member, the ultrasonic motor, the base member, and the waterproof member;
Further comprising a fixing member cover member for covering the fixing member,
The imaging device according to claim 5, wherein the camera side cover member is loosely fitted to the fixing member cover member in the rotation axis direction.   The compressive force in the rotation axis direction when the ultrasonic motor is sandwiched between the restraining member and the base member is the rotation when the waterproof member is sandwiched between the fixed member and the base member. The photographing device according to claim 5, wherein the photographing force is larger than the compressive force in the axial direction. The ultrasonic motor has a rotor and a stator,
The photographing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the rotor is arranged closer to the camera unit than the stator. Further comprising a bearing that allows the camera unit to rotate,
9. The rotary shaft has a stepped portion whose diameter changes, and the bearing is brought into contact with the stepped portion to define a position with respect to the rotary shaft. The imaging device according to the item. The waterproof member has a tubular sliding packing, one end of which is fixed, and the other end of which is slid with respect to a member in contact with the waterproof member.
The ultrasonic motor has a ring shape,
The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein a diameter from the rotation center to a sliding portion of the sliding packing is smaller than an inner diameter of the ultrasonic motor. A shooting unit that can rotate in the tilt direction,
A rotation axis that serves as a rotation center when rotating the imaging unit,
A bearing that rotatably supports the rotating shaft,
A support member for supporting the bearing,
An ultrasonic motor that drives the imaging unit in the tilt direction,
One end surface is fixed to a surface from which the rotating shaft projects, and the other end surface slidably abuts around the outer periphery of the bearing in the support member, and a sliding packing having a tubular portion. Imaging device characterized by. Further comprising a restraining member fixed to the rotating shaft,
The said ultrasonic motor is arrange | positioned coaxially with the said rotating shaft, and has the rotor which press-contacts one of the said suppression member and the said support member, and the other press-contacted, The stator of Claim 11 characterized by the above-mentioned. Shooting device.   The imaging device according to claim 12, wherein the rotor is arranged closer to the camera unit than the stator. The ultrasonic motor has a ring shape,
14. The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein a diameter of the other end surface having an annular shape is smaller than an inner diameter of the ring shape of the ultrasonic motor. The rotating shaft has a stepped portion whose diameter changes, and the bearing defines a position for supporting the rotating shaft by contacting the stepped portion,
15. The imaging device according to claim 11, wherein the sliding packing is arranged such that a region of the rotation shaft having the large diameter is located inside the tubular portion. ..

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