JPH07177401A - Camera apparatus for video telephone - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form a camera apparatus for a video telephone capable of eliminating backlash generated in a gear structure and smoothly performing rotation in the camera apparatus for the video telephone for which a camera block is rotated and the line of sight of a camera is adjusted to an object. CONSTITUTION:In this camera apparatus for the video telephone for which the camera block 11 is rotated with rotary shafts 12a and 12b as a center and the line of sight of the camera is adjusted to the object, a roller 13b provided with a tapered circumferential surface (a) is provided on the side of the camera block 11 and a projection part 16a provided with the tapered circumferential surface (b) pressed and brought into contact with the tapered circumferential surface (a) is provided on the side of an operation knob 16. Thus, when the operation knob 16 is rotated, the sliding contact frictional force of the rotation is transmitted from the tapered circumferential surface (b) to the tapered circumferential surface (a) and the camera block 11 is smoothly rotated. Also, by simplifying a rotation mechanism, a cost and assembly man-hour can be reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a videophone camera device in which a camera block is rotated so as to match the line of sight of the camera with a subject.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a videophone camera device has been designed to rotate a camera block within a certain angle range in order to match the line of sight of the camera with the subject.
Generally, a gear mechanism has been used as the rotary motion transmission member.

The structure of a conventional videophone camera device will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of a conventional videophone camera device. The camera block 1 includes rotating shafts 2a, 2 provided on both sides thereof.
Since b is held by the bearings 3a and 3b provided on the main body side, it is configured to rotate about the rotating shafts 2a and 2b. A gear 4 is attached to one of the rotating shafts 2b. A biasing spring 5 is attached to the other rotating shaft 2a, and the spring pressure presses the camera block 1 toward the gear 4 so that the camera block 1 does not rotate unnecessarily due to its own weight.

A rotary operation knob 6 and a gear 8 for rotating the camera block 1 are inserted into a shaft 7 and rotatably held by bearings 3b and 3c. The gear 4 and the gear 8 are engaged with each other. When the user turns the operation knob 6, the gear 8 rotates at the same time, the rotation is transmitted to the gear 4, and the camera block 1 is rotated about the rotation shafts 2a and 2b, whereby the line of sight of the camera is adjusted to the subject. ing.

[0005]

However, when the gears 4 and 8 are used as the rotary motion transmitting members as described above,
Since backlash is generated when the gear 4 and the gear 8 are engaged with each other, there is a problem that smooth rotation of the camera block 1 is impaired. Further, the gears 4 and 8 and the operation knob 6 are required to have strict design, processing and assembling accuracy, and the camera block 1 does not rotate under its own weight unless the center of gravity of the camera block 1 is on the rotary shafts 2a and 2b. Such a mechanism and members for holding and fixing the gears 4 and 8 are also required, and the number of parts is increased, which is a major obstacle to cost reduction and man-hour reduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a videophone camera device capable of improving the rotational operability of a camera block and realizing cost reduction and man-hour reduction.

[0007]

To this end, the present invention comprises a camera block, a rotation axis of the camera block, and a rotary operation knob for rotating the camera block around the rotation axis. In a videophone camera device, a roller having a tapered circumferential surface is provided on the camera block side, and a protrusion having a circumferential surface that is in pressure contact with the tapered circumferential surface is provided on the rotary operation knob side. The rotation of the rotary operation knob is transmitted to the camera block by the sliding contact frictional force between the circular circumferential surface and the circumferential surface.

[0008]

According to the above structure, the camera block can be smoothly rotated, and the number of parts can be greatly reduced to simplify the entire structure.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a videophone camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the same. In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 11 denotes a camera block, on both sides of which rotary shafts 12a and 12b are integrally formed. 14a and 14b are rotating shafts 12a,
12b bearing. The roller 1 is attached to one rotating shaft 12b.
3 is installed. As shown in FIG. 2, the roller 13 is composed of two rollers 13a and 13b. One roller 13a is formed integrally with the camera block 11, and the other roller 13b is in contact with the end surface of the one roller 13a. The roller 13b has a tapered circumferential surface a.
have.

Reference numeral 16 is a rotary operation knob, and its rotary shafts 17a and 17b are held by bearings 14b and 14c. A roller-shaped protrusion 16 is provided on the end surface of the operation knob 16.
a is integrally formed, and the protrusion 16a has a tapered circumferential surface b. Tapered circumferential surface a of the roller 13b
And the tapered circumferential surface b of the protrusion 16a are in contact with each other, and the rotation of the operation knob 16 is transmitted to the camera block 11 by the sliding contact frictional force between the tapered circumferential surface a and the tapered circumferential surface b. It By forming the tapered circumferential surface b on the protrusion 16a as well, the contact area of the roller 13b with the tapered circumferential surface a is increased, and stable rotation transmission can be performed. Further, in order to increase the sliding contact friction force, the roller 1
3b is preferably formed of a material having a large friction coefficient such as rubber, and at least one of the tapered circumferential surface a and the tapered circumferential surface b is preferably roughened such as knurled. 15 is a receiving portion of the roller 13a,
The rotation of the camera block 11 by its own weight is urged by the sliding contact frictional force, and by receiving the reaction force of the pressing force applied to the tapered circumferential surface a from the tapered circumferential surface b shown in FIG. The tapered circumferential surface b is firmly pressed against the tapered circumferential surface a.

This videophone camera device is constructed as described above, and when the operation knob 16 is rotated, the rotation is from the tapered circumferential surface b of the projection 16a to the roller 13.
transmitted to the tapered circumferential surface a of the camera block 11
Can rotate about the rotation axes 12a and 12b to align the line of sight of the camera with the subject. In this case roller 13b
By making the circumferential surface of the taper circumferential surface a, frictional force in the radial direction as well as frictional force in the thrust direction is generated, so that the camera block 11 can be reliably rotated.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, the backlash generated in the gear structure can be eliminated and the camera block can be smoothly rotated, and the number of parts and the number of assembling steps can be greatly reduced to be inexpensive. It is possible to realize a videophone camera device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a videophone camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a videophone camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of a conventional videophone camera device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 camera block 12a, 12b rotating shaft 13b roller 15 receiving portion 16 operation knob 16a protrusion a, b tapered circumferential surface

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A camera block, a rotation axis of the camera block, and a rotary operation knob for rotating the camera block about the rotation axis, wherein a tapered circumferential surface is provided on the camera block side. With a roller having, provided on the side of the rotary operation knob a projection having a circumferential surface in pressure contact with the tapered circumferential surface, by the sliding contact frictional force between the tapered circumferential surface and the circumferential surface, A videophone camera device, wherein the rotation of the rotary operation knob is transmitted to the camera block. 2. The videophone camera device according to claim 1, wherein a receiving portion for receiving the roller is provided on a side opposite to a position where the tapered circumferential surface and the circumferential surface are in pressure contact with each other.