JPH058571Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (a) Technical field The present invention relates to an optical axis adjustment device for distance measurement of a camera, and more specifically, the invention relates to an optical axis adjustment device for distance measurement of a camera, and more specifically, a device that receives projected light from a light emitting element for distance measurement and directs it toward a subject. The present invention relates to an optical axis adjustment device for distance measurement of a camera that adjusts the optical axis of a light projecting element to match the optical axis of a light projecting optical system that projects light.

(b) Prior art A distance detection method that automatically detects object distance based on a triangulation method uses infrared light emitted from a camera's light emitting element to measure the object through a light emitting optical system consisting of a condenser lens, etc. There is a so-called active method (projection light method) in which the distance to the object is detected by projecting infrared light toward a distance object and receiving the reflected infrared light by an optical position detector provided within the camera. This active method has advantages such as being independent of the brightness and contrast of the subject, and having excellent durability since there are no moving parts.

When distance measurement is performed using such an active method, correct distance measurement cannot be performed unless the optical axis of the light projection optical system and the optical axis of the light projection element match.
Therefore, optical axis adjusting devices as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7 have been proposed and put into practical use.

In this conventional device, as shown in a plan view in FIG. 3, a rear view in FIGS. 4 and 6, and a side view in FIGS.
is fixed to an immovable part of the camera (not shown), and a substantially L-shaped holding plate 32 made of a plate spring is fixed to one end of this base plate part 30 by a screw 31.
Optical axis 33a of light emitting element 33 supported by rising portion 32a of holding plate 32 (omitted in FIGS. 4 and 6)
is the optical axis 3 of the projection optical system consisting of the condenser lens 34 etc.
4a (hereinafter referred to as the planned optical axis),
Optical path 35 along which light projected from light projecting element 33 travels
(Only shown in FIG. 3) A pressing portion 32c protruding from one side of the outer horizontal portion 32b is connected to the optical path 35.
The optical axis can be adjusted by pressing with the tip of an adjustment screw 36α that is screwed into a threaded portion 30a protruding from the side of the outer substrate portion 30.

Now, for example, as shown in FIG.
a is misaligned, in order to match them, rotate the adjusting screw 36 so as to move downward in the figure.
is pressed, and as shown in FIG. 7, the horizontal portion 32b is pushed down against its elastic force, and accordingly, the rising portion 32a moves downward, and the optical axis 33a intersects with the planned optical axis 34a. However, since the upper end of the rising portion 32a is free and not subject to any restrictions, it moves downward while maintaining the bending angle formed by the rising portion 32a and the horizontal portion 32b shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the planned optical axis 34
Only the vertical positions of a coincide with each other in the vicinity of the surface of the light projecting element 33, but the optical axis 33a generates an error angle Δθ and a positional deviation Δl in the direction of the planned optical axis 34, and the light is projected from the condenser lens 34. This causes the light flux to spread out.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG.
The adjusting section 2c is disposed on the side of the substrate section 30 and the horizontal section 32b away from the optical path 35 so as not to affect the optical path 35. Therefore, in order to align the optical axes 33a as described above, when the holding plate 32 is pushed down using the adjusting screw 36, the horizontal portion 32b is centered around the portion fixed to the screw 31, as shown in FIG. As a result, the rising portion 32a supporting the light emitting element 33 rotates counterclockwise around the center of its lower end, generating an error angle α, and emitting light. The position of the element 33 in the left and right direction is shifted. Since this positional deviation in the left-right direction results in a positional deviation of the spot light incident on the above-mentioned optical position detector, correct distance measurement cannot be performed, resulting in a problem that the distance measurement accuracy is reduced.

On the other hand, when the vertical position of the light-projecting element 33 is adjusted as described above, the horizontal position will be distorted. Therefore, it is possible to provide a horizontal adjustment means for adjustment in the horizontal direction in addition to the vertical adjustment means shown in Figs. 3 to 7 so that the horizontal position deviation caused by the vertical position adjustment can be corrected by the horizontal adjustment means. However, in this case, the structure becomes complicated and the adjustment work in the manufacturing process becomes cumbersome, resulting in an increase in manufacturing costs.

(c) Purpose This invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to simplify the adjustment work of the optical axis for distance measurement with an inexpensive and simple configuration, and to improve the accuracy of distance measurement. An object of the present invention is to provide an optical axis adjustment device for distance measurement of a camera that can improve the distance measurement.

(d) Structure In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention includes a light projecting element for distance measurement on the optical axis of a light projecting optical system that receives the projected light from the light projecting element and projects it toward the subject. An optical axis adjustment device for distance measurement of a camera that adjusts the optical axes to match, which is fixed to a fixed part of the camera and has a substrate surface substantially parallel to the optical axis of the light projection optical system, and whose central axis is the substrate surface. a substrate portion having a base axis provided substantially perpendicular to the base axis; a guide support part having a guide surface corresponding to a part of a rotating cylindrical surface obtained when parallel line segments rotate about the base axis; and a thin plate spring material formed into a substantially L-shape, one of which An arm piece is rotatably supported on the base plate surface about the base shaft, and the other arm piece is bent into a substantially L-shape and extended from the one arm piece, and slides against the guide surface. a light emitting element holding member movably pressed into contact with the light emitting element; a light emitting element attached to the other arm such that its optical axis substantially coincides with the optical axis of the light emitting optical system; and the light emitting element holder. One arm piece of the member is temporarily fixed at an arbitrary rotational angle position about the base axis, and the other arm piece is in sliding contact with the guide support part and is perpendicular to the optical axis of the light projection optical system. and an adjusting means for moving the light emitting optical system in a direction of This is what I did.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 and 2 are diagrams showing the configuration of an embodiment of the optical axis adjustment device for distance measurement of a camera according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view with a part omitted,
The figure is a longitudinal sectional side view taken along a vertical plane including the optical axis in FIG. In both figures above, 1 is a spherical condenser lens, 2 is a light projecting element consisting of a light emitting diode that emits infrared light to measure the distance to a subject by a so-called active method, and has a lens part 2a and a base 2b. It is composed of an electrode 2c and the like. 3
is the optical axis of the light projecting optical system including the condenser lens 1, the light projecting element 2, etc., that is, the planned optical axis with which the optical axis of the light projecting element 2 should coincide. Reference numeral 4 denotes a thick plate-shaped substrate portion fixed to a fixed part (not shown) of the camera, 4a to 4d constitute this substrate portion 4, and 4a and 4b are both substrate surfaces substantially parallel to the planned optical axis 3. ,4
4d is a mounting hole (not shown in FIG. 1) that is drilled approximately perpendicularly through the substrate surfaces 4a and 4b;
A more extended plate-shaped adjustment section 5 indicates this adjustment section 4
a threaded portion drilled in d and having a female thread threaded on the inner periphery;
Reference numeral 6 denotes a base shaft provided so that its central axis is substantially perpendicular to the planned optical axis 3, and coincides with the center of the mounting hole 4c. 7 is erected from the side surface of the substrate part 4 and is arranged at a predetermined distance from the substrate part 4, and a line segment parallel to the base axis 6 and separated from the base axis 6 by a certain distance rotates around the base axis 6. This is a stopper part as a guide support part having a guide surface 7a corresponding to a part of the rotating cylindrical surface obtained when ing. This stopper section 7 is substantially integrally connected to the base plate section 4 via a side plate 8.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a holding plate as a light emitting element holding member formed in a substantially L shape with a thin plate spring material, and the end of the horizontal portion 10 as one arm piece is connected to the eyelet 11.
The tip of a rising portion 9 serving as the other arm is slidably pressed against the guide surface 7a. The rising portion 9 includes a fork-shaped portion 9a cut out in a U-shape in the upper half, and a hemispherical portion fixed near the upper end of the fork-shaped portion 9a to smooth the sliding movement between the guiding surface 7a and the fork-shaped portion 9a. slider 9b
and a cut-and-raised spring 9c that supports the light emitting element 2 by pressing the base 2c of the light emitting element 2 fitted into the substantially U-shaped notch of the fork-shaped part 9a, and a horizontal It has an angular notch 9d cut out in the shape of a long rectangular hole over the portion 10. The horizontal part 10 as one arm has an inclined part 10a which is bent at an acute angle from the lower end of the rising part 9 and is provided in a row, and an intermediate part of this inclined part 10a. An escape hole 10 formed with an arc-shaped elongated hole
b, a contact portion 10c that contacts the substrate surface 4b, and a mounting hole 10 drilled in the center of this contact portion 10c.
It has d. Note that this holding plate 12 is rotatably attached to the base plate part 4 by the eyelet 11 as described above. 13 is inserted into the escape hole 10b from below and is screwed into the threaded portion 5, allowing the holding plate 12 to rotate within a predetermined angle around the base shaft 6 and being held on the base plate 4. This is an adjustment screw that connects the plates 12 in a semi-fixed manner. still,
This adjustment screw 13, escape hole 10b and threaded portion 5
constitutes an adjustment means. Further, the centers of the mounting holes 10d, 4c and the threaded portion 5 are arranged so as to be included in a plane passing through the optical axis. Further, when the holding plate 12 is in a free state where no external force is applied, for example when the adjusting screw 13 is not screwed into the threaded portion 5, the inclined portion 10a is slightly lowered in FIG. 2 with respect to the contact portion 10c. The tip of the fork-shaped portion 9a and the slider 9b are formed so that when the contact portion 10c contacts the substrate surface 4b in this free state, the tip of the fork-shaped portion 9a and the slider 9b are located at a position 14 (omitted in FIG. 1) shown by a dotted line. has been done.

The assembly procedure and operation of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained.

First, the holding plate 12 is attached to the base plate part 4, and the eyelets 11 are inserted into the attachment holes 4c and 10d and caulked.
In this state, the slider 9b of the rising portion 9 is at a position 14 where it is not in contact with the guide surface 7a, as shown by the broken line in FIG. Therefore, since no elastic force is generated anywhere on the holding plate 12, there is an advantage that the attachment work can be easily performed.

Next, the light projecting element 2 is fitted into the substantially U-shaped notch from the upper end of the fork-shaped portion 9a, and the base 2b is pressed by the cut-and-raised spring 9c to fix the light projecting element 2.
At this time, a notch 7b is formed approximately in the center of the stopper portion 7.
is formed, so the protruding lens portion 2
without hitting the guide surface 7a, the light receiving element 2
Therefore, there is an advantage that no excessive force is applied to the rising portion 9. Next, insert the adjustment screw 13 into the escape hole 10 from the bottom in the figure.
b, and then screw it into the threaded part 5. When the adjusting screw 13 is further rotated and moved upward in the drawing, the head 13a of the adjusting screw 13 comes into sliding contact with the lower surface of the inclined portion 10a, that is, the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the escape hole 10b. From this point on, an elastic force is generated in the horizontal part 10, and when the adjustment screw 13 is further screwed upward against this elastic force, the horizontal part 10 is pushed upward and moved to a position slightly away from the guide surface 7a. 14 rising portion 9
moves to the position shown by the solid line, and the slider 9b is pressed against the guide surface 7a in a slidable state. By further screwing in the adjustment screw 13, the adjustment range is entered, and the rising portion 9, that is, the light emitting element 2 moves in the direction along the base axis 6 (orthogonal to the planned optical axis 3) approximately in proportion to the vertical movement of the adjustment screw 13. direction).
Normally, as the inclined part 10a is displaced upward, the upper end of the rising part 9 moves upward and tries to rotate clockwise in FIG. 2, but its position is restricted by the guide surface 7a via the slider 9b. Therefore, the rising portion 9, that is, the light projecting element 2 can be moved only in the direction perpendicular to the planned optical axis 3, that is, vertically, without being displaced in the direction along the planned optical axis 3. Furthermore, within the above adjustment range, the adjustment screw 13 and the retaining plate 12 are semi-fixedly connected by the elastic frictional force generated between the head 13a and the lower surface of the inclined portion 10, so that the retaining plate 12 is rotatable about the base shaft 6 by applying an external force. Therefore, as described above, by aligning the vertical position of the optical axis of the light projecting element 2 with the planned optical axis 3 and further rotating the holding plate 12 around the base shaft 6, the first position of the light projecting element 2 can be adjusted. The position in the horizontal direction in the figure can be adjusted. Moreover, at this time, the rising portion 9 is guided via the slider 9b to the guide surface 7a, which has an arcuate surface along the rotational movement about the base axis 6, so that the optical axis of the light projecting element 2 is held horizontally. light emitting element 2 in the state
The left and right positions can be adjusted. Holding plate 1
2 can be rotated by, for example, inserting the tip of a screwdriver-like adjustment tool into the square notch 9d and applying a force in the left-right direction. Therefore, there is a member to be operated during adjustment on the opposite side (underside of the substrate section 4) to the optical path (not shown) formed around the planned optical axis 3, and since it is located on the same side, operability is good. During the adjustment operation, the adjusting jig such as the driver does not enter the optical path, making it easy to align the optical axis while projecting from the light emitting element 2. Do not damage or cut spring 9c.
There is no need to worry about shifting the support position of the light projecting element 2 which is supported by pressure.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the vertical position of the light emitting element 2 can be adjusted by moving the adjustment screw 13 forward and backward in the adjustment range, and by rotating the holding plate 12 around the base shaft 6. Since the horizontal position of the light emitting element 2 can be adjusted, and the vertical and horizontal positions can be adjusted independently, the advantage is that correct adjustment can be easily made without the need for complicated adjustment operations as in the past. be.

In addition, since the position of the rising portion 9 is regulated by the guide surface 7a, the positional shift of the light emitting element 2 in the planned optical axis direction does not occur due to the above-mentioned vertical and horizontal position adjustments, and the light is focused. There is an advantage that adjustment work can be performed stably while maintaining the distance between the lens 1 and the lens 1.

In addition, since the member (or part) that is operated to perform the above-mentioned vertical position adjustment and horizontal position adjustment is located at a single location on the opposite side of the optical path, the operability for adjustment is good and the time required for adjustment work is shortened. can. Also, since the adjustment tool does not enter the optical path,
For example, there are advantages in that it does not interfere with the optical axis alignment work using a collimator or the like, and it does not damage the light projecting element 2.

In addition, in a free state where no external force is applied, the holding plate 12 does not come into contact with the stopper part 7 even if it is attached to the base plate 4, so there is no repulsive force generated on the holding plate 12, and the assembly work is facilitated. be.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, the light projecting element 2 does not need to be disposed in the middle of the rising portion 9, and the stopper portion 7 may be moved closer to the substrate portion 4 and fixed to the upper end of the rising portion 9. . That is, the light projecting element 2 may be arranged above the stopper 7.

Further, the means for pivotally attaching the holding plate 12 to the base plate portion 4 is not limited to the eyelet 11, but may be pivotably attached using bolts, nuts, or the like.

Furthermore, the light emitting element 2 is not limited to being supported by the approximately U-shaped notch of the fork-shaped portion 9a, but a hole into which the light emitting element 2 can be fitted is provided in the rising portion, and the light emitting element 2 is inserted into this hole. It may be fixed in a fixed state.

In addition, the adjustment section 4d of the substrate section 4 can be arranged on the substrate surface without providing a step if a sufficient adjustment range can be secured.
It may be the same surface as b, or it may be an inclined surface.

Furthermore, the condensing lens is not limited to a normal spherical lens, but may also include an aspherical lens or the like.

(e) Effects As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the light projection optical system can be used in the direction along the base axis (vertical direction) orthogonal to the optical axis of the light projection optical system and in the direction orthogonal to this (horizontal direction). Since the adjustments can be made independently, the adjustments can be made easily and quickly, and since the other arm of the light emitting element holding member is configured to slide into contact with the guide support while being guided, We have developed an optical axis adjustment device for camera distance measurement that does not change the position of the light emitting element in the optical axis direction through adjustment, stably maintains the focus position of the light emitting optical system, and further improves distance measurement accuracy. can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an embodiment of the optical axis adjustment device for distance measurement of a camera according to the present invention;
The figure is a vertical sectional side view of the same embodiment, and Figures 3 to 5 are views showing the configuration of the conventional example, where Figure 3 is a plan view, Figure 4 is a rear view, and Figure 5 is a side view. , 6th
FIG. 7 is a rear view and a side view, respectively, for explaining the operation of the conventional example. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Condenser lens, 2... Light projecting element, 3... Planned optical axis, 4... Substrate part, 5... Screw part, 6... Base shaft, 7... Stopper part, 7a... Guide surface, 9...
Rising part, 9b...Slider, 10...Horizontal part,
10a... Slanted part, 10b... Relief hole, 10c...
...Abutment part, 10d...Mounting hole, 11...Grotmet,
12...Retention plate, 13...Adjustment screw.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] An optical axis for distance measurement of a camera that is adjusted so that the optical axis of the light projection element matches the optical axis of a light projection optical system that receives the projection light from the light projection element for distance measurement and projects it toward the subject. In the adjustment device, a substrate portion is fixed to a fixed portion of the camera and has a substrate surface substantially parallel to the optical axis of the light projection optical system, and a base axis provided such that the central axis is substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface; , obtained when a line segment that is substantially integral with the substrate portion, is arranged at a predetermined distance from the substrate portion, is spaced a certain distance from the base axis, and is parallel to the base axis, rotates about the base axis. A guide support part having a guide surface corresponding to a part of the rotating cylindrical surface and a thin plate spring material are formed in a substantially L shape, and one arm piece thereof is rotatable about the base axis on the base plate surface. A light projecting element holding member is pivotally supported, and the other arm piece is bent into a substantially L-shape and extended from the one arm piece and is slidably pressed against the guide surface, and the optical axis is A light emitting element attached to the other arm piece so as to approximately coincide with the optical axis of the light emitting optical system, and one arm piece of the light emitting element holding member can be rotated arbitrarily about the base axis. adjustment means for temporarily fixing the other arm piece at the moving angle position and moving the other arm piece in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the light projection optical system while slidingly contacting the guide support part; An optical axis adjustment device for distance measurement of a camera, characterized in that the means and the light projecting element are arranged so as to be substantially located on a plane passing through the optical axis of the light projecting optical system.