JPH08340471A - Image input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain an image input device having structure which is tolerant of noise. CONSTITUTION: The image signal obtained by an image pickup part is inputted to a device main body and then processed. This device is equipped with a camera head 2 which is provided on the tip side of posts 5 and 6 connected through plural joint parts 4, 11, 12, 15, and 16, a signal processing part incorporated in the base 14 of the device main body supporting the base end side of the posts 5 and 6, and a cable which is provided along the posts 5 and 6 to connect the camera head 2 to the signal processing part. The base 14 has a metallic bottom plate, a circuit board for signal processing, a metallic weight, and a resin-made cover. The base supports the post 6 through the 3rd joints 15 and 16, the bottom plate and weight are made electrically conductive, and the circuit board for signal processing is arranged between them.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image input device for picking up various documents or a subject such as a person.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Regarding a conventional image input device of this type,
This will be described with reference to FIGS. 24 and 25. In FIG. 24,
Reference numeral 301 is a lens, 302 is a camera head that incorporates a CCD element (not shown) and its substrate, and 303 is an arm, which is composed of a bellows-shaped or spiral-shaped metal pipe. The arm 303 has a signal cable inserted therein and can be bent into an arbitrary shape. Reference numeral 304 denotes a base which incorporates a main board, which will be described later, and is combined with a chassis that also functions as a weight, 305 denotes a monitor connected via a cable 306, 307 denotes an original, and 30
Reference numeral 8 is an operator or its position, and reference numeral 309 is an image of the operator as a subject displayed on the monitor 305.

In the conventional image input apparatus having the above-described structure, a typical method of photographing a person will be described. First, the operator turns on a power switch (not shown) provided on the base 304. Then, the subject (person) imaged by the camera head 302 is displayed on the monitor 3
It is projected on 05. In the case of FIG. 24, the camera head 30
2 captures the operator at position 308, so monitor 305
An image 309 of the operator is displayed on the screen. At this time, if necessary, the focus ring provided on the lens 301 is rotated to focus.

Next, description will be given of the case of the document image photographing for photographing the original document 307 placed on the desk. When taking a document image, the operator holds the camera head 302 and moves the camera head 302 to a position 302a indicated by a broken line in FIG.
To move. Since the arm 303 is formed of a bellows-shaped metal pipe that can be bent into an arbitrary shape, the operator can easily move the camera head 302.

The camera head 3 moved to the position 302a
For 02, the operator places the document 307 with the base 304 side down as shown in FIG. 24 (upright state when viewed from the base 304). The original 30 is placed with such a directivity because the CCD built in the camera head 302 is mounted so that it is vertically correct with respect to the time of photographing a person. Manuscript 307
This is because the upper and lower sides of must be set as shown in FIG. As a result, the document 307 captured by the camera head 302 at the position 302a is displayed on the monitor 305 in the correct vertical orientation, and the document image is captured. At this time,
If necessary, the focus ring provided on the lens 301 is rotated to focus.

Next, an example of the internal structure of the base 304 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 25, the base 30
4 is provided with a cylindrical portion 304a for holding the arm 303, and is fixed to the chassis 315 by a screw (not shown). A main board 316 is screwed to the chassis 315. Connector 32 to main board 316
Substrate 317, 318, 319 by 0, 321, 322
Are connected to each other, thereby effectively utilizing the internal space of the base 304 to secure the substrate area.

The main board 316 is further provided with a connector 316a for connecting a cable (a flexible board made of polyimide in the embodiment) for transmitting a signal from the camera head 302, and an image for connecting with the cable 306 (FIG. 24). And an output terminal. The chassis 315 is made of a zinc material and includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped block 315a. The block 315a serves not only as a bottom plate for attaching the main board 316 and the base 304, but also as a weight that stably supports the entire apparatus.

[0008]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, as shown in FIG.
Since the base 304 covering 6 is made of a resin material, the entire main substrate 316 cannot be electrically shielded. It should be noted that although the chassis 315 can secure a certain degree of shielding property, the chassis 315 alone can perform only partial shielding. In this type of image input device, the noise with respect to the image signal significantly affects the image quality of the output image. In the conventional device, since the shield property for the main substrate 316 having a large number of electronic elements mounted thereon is insufficient, it is unavoidable that it is weak against noise. Then, the image quality of the output image may be deteriorated due to the influence of noise.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image input device having a structure resistant to noise.

[0010]

An image input device of the present invention is an image input device in which an image signal obtained by an image pickup section is input to the apparatus main body and signal processing thereof is performed. A camera head provided on the front end side of a support column connected via a base, a signal processing unit built in the base of the apparatus main body supporting the base end side of the support column, the camera head provided along the support column, and A cable for connecting the signal processing unit is provided, and the base has a metal bottom plate, a signal processing circuit board, a metal weight, and a resin cover.

Further, in the image input device of the present invention, the first joint portion including the first hinge portion and the first rotating portion, and the second joint portion
A second joint portion including a hinge portion, a third hinge portion, and a second joint portion.
The bottom plate is provided with a third joint portion formed of a rotating portion and a pair of columns connected via a second joint portion, supporting the column via the third joint portion on the base. And the weight are electrically connected, and the signal processing circuit board is arranged between them.

Further, in the image input apparatus of the present invention, the camera head is rotated at one end of the first support column through the first joint portion in the optical axis direction with respect to the first support column and around the optical axis. Angles are supported so as to be adjustable respectively, and the first support column has a second joint at the other end via the second joint portion.
The second pillar is supported so that its axial direction can be adjusted with respect to the pillar, and the second pillar has the axial direction with respect to the vertical axis of the base and a rotation angle around the axis via the third joint portion at the base end thereof. Adjustably supported.

[0013]

According to the present invention, the base is composed of the metal bottom plate, the signal processing circuit board, the metal weight and the resin cover, and the signal processing is performed between the metal bottom plate and the metal weight. By arranging the circuit board, the signal processing circuit board is wrapped by the metal bottom plate and the metal weight. Therefore, the signal processing circuit board that is easily affected by noise is electrically shielded, and a structure extremely resistant to noise can be realized.

In order to normally provide a shield, a method of providing a metal shield case or the like on the substrate is generally performed. However, when such a shield case is separately provided, the number of parts increases and the structure must be complicated. In this respect, in the present invention, the weight for maintaining the balance of the device is configured so as to also serve as a shield case, and it is not necessary to add a new shield case, and it is resistant to noise and is inexpensive and has a simple structure. The input device is realized.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the image input apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view that best represents the features of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a lens, which includes a focus adjusting ring 1 a and a diaphragm adjusting ring 1 b, which will be described later, and a dashed line in the drawing represents the optical axis direction of the lens 1. Reference numeral 2 denotes a camera head, which is not shown in the drawing, which includes a CCD as an image pickup device and an electronic circuit board for processing an image signal therein.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a head base for supporting the camera head 2. The camera head 2 and the head base 3 are provided with arrows A1 and A2 about the axis 4a which is the same as the lens optical axis by the first rotating portion 4. It is rotatably supported in the direction. Reference numeral 5 is an arm as a first support for supporting the camera head 2, and 6 is an arm as a second support. Each of these arms 5 and 6 is made of a hollow pipe, and joints 7, 8 and 9, 10 are press-fitted to both ends thereof. The joint 7 and the head base 3 are rotatably supported by a hinge 11 as a first hinge portion around a central axis 11a indicated by a chain line in the directions of arrows B1 and B2. The first rotating portion 4 and the hinge 11 form a first joint portion.

The joint 8 and the joint 9 are rotatably supported in the directions of arrows C1 and C2 by a hinge 12 as a second hinge portion around a central axis 12a shown by a chain line. The hinge 12 and the joint 9 are
It is covered by the outer case 13. In addition, hinge 1
The second joint portion is constituted by 2. Joint 10 is
The hinge 15 (not shown) serving as the third hinge portion and the second rotating portion 16 are arranged around the central axes 15a and 16a, which are indicated by alternate long and short dash lines, respectively, with respect to the main body base 14 serving as the base, and the arrow D1. , D2 direction and arrow E1,
It is rotatably supported in the E2 direction. The second rotating portion 16 and the hinge 15 form a third joint portion.

Inside the main body base 14, an electronic circuit board (not shown in FIG. 1) as a signal processing unit for processing image signals and controlling input / output, and a weight for improving the stability of the apparatus. It is equipped with a bird. Body base 14
Is further provided with a power switch 17 and a power LED lens 18 provided on the substrate for guiding the light of a power LED for lighting and displaying the ON / OFF state of the power to the outside.
And a switch for various functions and an LED lens showing its operating state. Reference numeral 19 is an automatic gain control switch (hereinafter referred to as AGC switch) for automatically controlling the brightness of an image, 20 is a negative / positive inversion switch, 21 is a microphone mute switch, and 22 is a white balance switch (hereinafter referred to as WB switch).
Therefore, the hue can be adjusted by the WB volume 23. Each switch 19, 21, 22 on the board
An LED that indicates the operating state of is illuminated is provided, and the light is guided to the outside by the LED lens 24.

Reference numeral 25 denotes a main cable, which connects the substrate inside the camera head 2 and the substrate inside the main body base 14. Main cable 2 as a cable in the present invention
5 is inserted through the inside of the arms 5 and 6. A part of the main cable 25 is exposed between the head base 3 and the joint 7, and between the joints 8 and 9.
Although not shown, both ends are clamped at the head base 3 and the main body base 14, respectively. 26
Is a lens cap that protects the lens 1 when the device is not in use.

Although not shown, 27 is a main body base 14.
Rubber feet 28 provided on the bottom surface of the device for preventing the device from slipping and improving stability are hinge covers, which rotate with the hinge 16 around the central axis 16a. The power LED lens 1 is provided on the hinge cover 28 when the camera head 2 is on the center line of the main body base 14.
The index 28a that matches 8 is displayed. Furthermore, 30
Is an AC adapter for converting AC current to DC current,
Reference numerals 31 and 32 are connection cords for outputting an image signal and a stereo audio signal to an external monitor 33 having a stereo speaker, and a DC input terminal, an image output terminal and an audio output provided on the back surface of the main body base 14, respectively. Connected to the terminal. An external microphone 34 collects the voice of the operator in stereo, and is connected to a microphone input terminal 29 provided on the side surface of the main body base 14. Reference numeral 35 is a document as a subject.

FIG. 2 shows an input / output terminal panel provided on the back surface of the main body base 14. In the figure, 40 is a DC input terminal connected to the above-mentioned AC adapter 30, 41 is an S terminal as the above-mentioned image output terminal, and 42 is a video terminal as the above-mentioned image output terminal. Similarly, 43 is the above-mentioned audio output terminal, which is a stereo (R) or (L) 2
Composed of terminals. Reference numeral 44 is a changeover switch for switching the shutter speed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of signal processing in this embodiment. In the figure, 50 is CP
U, 51 are image signal processing units, 52 are audio signal processing units, 5
3 is a timing generator and 54 is an amplifier.

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the apparatus when photographing a document. Here, the apparatus main body and the document 35 are placed on a placing surface 36 such as a desk. In the figure, the camera head 2 and the arm 5, the arm 5 and the arm 6, and the arm 6 and the mounting surface 36 are substantially at right angles. In this configuration or posture, the entire original 35 can be photographed in the full screen of the monitor 33. For example, in the present embodiment, the original size at this time is set to A4 size. The symbol L in the figure is the distance between the hinges 11 and 12, D is the radius of the main body base 14 having a substantially circular shape, and W1 is the original 35.
, W2 represents the imaging range of the CCD, and d is the distance between the original 35 and the main body base 14. The reference numerals in the other figures are the same as those described above, and therefore their explanations are omitted.

5, 6, and 7 show preferable examples of the turning angles of the hinges and the turning portion. Figure 5 shows hinge 1
7, 12 is a side view of the rotation range of the first and second rotation parts 15, FIG. 6 is a top view of the second rotation part 16 of the rotation range, and FIG.
[Fig. 4] is a view of the rotation range of the first rotation unit 4 as seen from the lens 1 side. Here, FIG. 7 shows a state in which the camera head 2 is turned horizontally by the hinge 11 in the document image taking mode shown in FIG.

5 to 7, an angle θ in the drawings represents a turning angle of each hinge and a turning portion with reference to the state shown in FIG. The reference numerals in the other drawings are the same as those in the above description, and thus the description thereof is omitted. As will be described later, each hinge has a stopper that regulates the rotation angle, and the maximum rotation angle Ω set by this stopper is specifically as follows in this embodiment. Ω (A1) = 60 °, Ω (A2) = 190 ° Ω (B1) = 140 °, Ω (B2) = 15 ° Ω (C1) = 20 °, Ω (C2) = 90 ° Ω (D1) = 40 °, Ω (D2) = 24 ° Ω (E1) = 180 °, Ω (E2) = 180 ° It is necessary for each hinge and the rotating part to maintain the rotation angle against the self-weight. Holding torque is generated. The generated holding torque is set to a value such that the camera head 2 does not drop by its own weight no matter what angle each hinge has.

FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged view of the upper surface of the lens 1. The focus adjusting ring 1a is preferably made of hard rubber, and an index for focusing is formed by convex characters.
Since it is made of rubber, even if the lens 1 collides with the mounting surface during operation, the impact is absorbed and the CCD and the substrate inside the lens 1 and the camera head 2 are prevented from being damaged. Further, the aperture value is displayed on the aperture adjustment ring 1b by printing or the like.

Further, both the focus adjustment ring 1a and the aperture adjustment ring 1b have such an index of 180 with respect to the optical axis.
° A pair is provided at opposite positions. That is, when viewed from the back side of the paper surface of FIG. 8, the same index as that shown in FIG. 8 is displayed. Further, both the focus adjustment ring 1a and the aperture adjustment ring 1b have a torque required for their rotation set to be smaller than the rotation torque of the first rotation unit 4, so that each ring 1a or 1b is This prevents the camera head 2 from being driven to rotate when the camera head 2 rotates.

FIG. 9 is a top view showing the rotation state of the camera head 2 when enlarging and photographing a part of the document 35. Since the reference numerals in the figure are the same as those described above, the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 10 is a top view showing the rotation state of the camera head 2 when photographing the original 35 placed at a position displaced from the central axis of the main body base 14. Since the reference numerals in the figure are the same as those described above, the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing an example of a case in which a subject such as a person is photographed in the horizontal direction.

FIG. 12 is a side view showing an example of a case in which the apparatus is transported or stored. Symbol h in the figure
Is the distance between the tip of the lens 1 and the mounting surface 36.

FIG. 13 is a side view showing an example of the form of the apparatus for enlarging and photographing a part of the original 35. The symbol W1 in the drawing represents the width of the original 35 as described above, and W3 represents the enlarged image capturing range.

FIG. 14 is a side view showing an example of the form of the apparatus for photographing an entire original document larger than the standard size original document 35. Here, the form represented by the chain double-dashed line is the form of the apparatus for photographing the A4 size original 35 as in FIG. Symbols W1 and W2 in the drawing respectively represent the width of the original 35 and the photographing range of the CCD as described with reference to FIG. 4, and W3 ′ represents an enlarged photographing range.

FIG. 15 shows how the main cable 25 bends as the hinge 11 rotates. In the figure, the alternate long and short dash line represents the shape of the main cable 25 when the sliding treatment is not performed on the main cable 25. In addition, the broken line indicates the main cable 25 when slipping is performed.
Represents the shape of.

FIG. 16 is a schematic top view for explaining the camera head 2. Note that, in FIG. 16, the camera case and the shield case are omitted. In the figure, 201 is a low-pass filter having a substantially rectangular shape, 20
Reference numeral 2 denotes a cushioning material for sandwiching the low-pass filter 201 between the CCD 203 and the lens 1, and an elastic body having a substantially katakana "b" shape with a square hole in the center (as a material in this embodiment, Silicon rubber is suitable, but not limited to this material only), 204 is a lens chassis for holding the lens 1, CCD substrate 206, and video substrate 208, and 205 is the CCD substrate 206 touching the lens chassis 204. Insulating sheet for preventing short circuit (vinyl chloride is suitable as the material in this embodiment, but it is not limited to this as long as it is an insulator). The CCD 203 is soldered to the CCD substrate 206. The video board 208 includes the CCD board 20.
6, the connector 209 engaging with the connector 207 on the 6 and the connector 21 engaging with the connector of the main cable 25.
0,211 is installed.

Reference numeral 212 is provided with a round hole 212a for engaging the head shaft 219 and a vertical plate 213, the head chassis screwed to the lens chassis 204 at three bent portions, and 214 is the main cable 25. Is a sheet (vinyl chloride is suitable as the material in the present embodiment, but is not limited to this) for preventing each signal line 25a from contacting the edge or the like of the lens chassis 204. It is fixed to the vertical plate 213 by the attached double-sided tape. Reference numeral 215 denotes substantially the groove portion 21 of the vertical plate 213.
The mold clamp 216 for fixing each signal line 25a at the position 3a includes a stopper 216a (not shown) which will be described later, and a boss 219 of the head shaft 219.
a, 219b, the head chassis 2
The head pan plate regulates the amount of rotation of the 12 head shafts 219 in the directions of arrows A1 and A2 by a stopper 216a. The head pan plate 216 also serves as a regulation unit for the amount of bending of the wave washer 217.

The wave washer 217 is used for the head chassis 21.
The torque at the time of rotation in the directions of arrows A1 and A2 of 2 is generated. Reference numeral 218 is a washer for improving the sliding feeling at the time of rotation (the material and sliding feeling will be described later), the head shaft 219 is the head chassis 21.
2 becomes the center when rotating in the directions of arrows A1 and A2.
Further, 220 is a tilt chassis, and 221 is a metal clamp having a sawtooth shape at one end for fixing the main cable 25.

FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the camera head 2. In the figure, reference numerals 225 and 226 denote camera cases 227 and 2 fixed by screws 231.
Reference numeral 28 is a shield case, and 229 and 230 are head base cases fixed with screws 232.

FIG. 18 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the rotation of the head base 3 in the directions of arrows B1 and B2. In FIG. 18, the head base cases 229 and 230 and the main cable 25 that form the head base 3 are omitted. In the figure, 235 is a disc spring for generating a rotational torque, 236 is a metal washer, 237 is a washer, 238 is a tilt axis that serves as a rotation axis of the head base 3, and 239 serves as a rotation axis of the head base 3. It is a tilt axis that regulates the rotation angle.

FIG. 19 shows a side partial cross section of the hinge 12. Here, the outer case 13 and the main cable 25 are omitted. In the figure, 101 is a metal rotary shaft that fits into a D-cut hole (not shown) of the joint 8 and is driven to rotate, and 102 is excellent in wear resistance and can be easily molded into an arbitrary shape. A sliding washer made of a resin material, 103 is a sliding sheet made of, for example, an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheet having excellent wear resistance, 104 is a rotating washer made of a metal plate, 105 is a disc spring, and 106 is a screw of a rotating shaft. A metal nut that is screwed to the portion and compresses the disc spring 105, and 107 is a support plate that rotatably supports the joint 8 and a rotation shaft and is fixed to the joint 9.

FIG. 20 shows a side view of the hinge 12. Here, the nut 106 and the disc spring 105 are omitted. In the figure, both sides of the rotary shaft 101 are D-cut. The hole of the rotary washer 104 is also D-cut on both sides, and the tongue-shaped extension 102a of the sliding washer 102 is sandwiched between the rotary shaft 101 and the rotary washer 104. Further, a part 107a of the support plate 107 projects in a protruding shape, and a part of the joint 8 has an arc-shaped rib 8a.
a is provided.

FIG. 21 shows a sectional view of the hinge 15. In the figure, 111 is fixed to the joint 10,
A rotating plate that rotates around the central axis 15a, a base plate 112 that rotatably supports the rotating plate 111, and a support plate 113 that similarly rotatably supports the rotating plate 111 and that is attached to the base plate 112. A fixed base auxiliary plate 114 is a metal support shaft that pivotally supports the rotating plate, and is fitted in round holes provided in the base plate 112 and the base auxiliary plate 113. Although not shown, the support shaft 114 and the base plate 11
2 and a base auxiliary plate 113 are provided with a detent to prevent the support shaft 114 from rotating.
Reference numeral 115 denotes a sliding washer made of a resin material which has excellent wear resistance and can be easily molded into an arbitrary shape, 116 denotes a sliding sheet made of, for example, an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheet having excellent wear resistance, and 117 denotes a metal plate. Fixed washer, 118
Is a disc spring, 119 is a metal nut that is screwed into the screw portion of the support shaft and compresses the disc spring, and 120 is a blindfold that is locked by an elastic claw provided on the hinge cover and closes the opening of the hinge cover 28. It is a plate.

FIG. 22 shows a side view of the hinge 15 and a sectional view of the second rotating portion 16. Here, the nut is omitted. Both sides of the support shaft 114 are D-cut as shown in the figure. Further, the holes of the fixed washer 117 are also D-cut on both sides, and the tongue-shaped extension 115a of the sliding washer 115 supports the support shaft 114 and the fixed washer 11.
It is sandwiched between 7. Further, a part 111 of the rotating plate 111
a projects in a protruding shape, and a part 112a of the base plate 112 and a part 113a of the base auxiliary plate 113 are bent in a tongue shape.

Reference numeral 130 denotes a second rotating portion 1 which is made of a resin material having good slidability and rotates about the central shaft 16a.
6, a sliding shaft serving as a rotation center, 131, a wave washer for generating a torque at the time of rotation, 132, a washer made of an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheet for improving a sliding feeling, and 133, a stopper. Positioned by the boss of the sliding shaft 131, E1 and E2 of the sliding shaft 131
It is a metal pan plate whose rotation amount is restricted by its stopper. This bread plate 133 has wave washers 131.
Also serves as a regulation means for the amount of flexure of the.

FIG. 23 is a schematic sectional view for explaining the inside of the main body base 14. In the figure, reference numeral 245 is a ballast having a shape substantially the same as the inside of the main body base 14 and fixed to the main body base 14 by screws not shown. The ballast 245 has a hole 245a for passing the central main cable 25 and a square hole 245b for the power LED in the front direction, and also functions as a weight so that the image input device does not fall down. 246 is a power LED that lights up when the power is turned on, 247 is a metal clamp for fixing the main cable 25 to the ballast 245, 248
Is a main board with a hole through which the main cable 25 passes, 2
Reference numeral 49 denotes a back lid which has a screw portion 249a for a tripod and a hole portion 249b into which a rotation preventing pin is inserted and serves as a lid for the square hole of the chassis 253.

Further, 250 is a negative / positive changeover switch button, 251 is a coil spring for urging the negative / positive changeover switch button 250 vertically upward, and 252 is a groove portion provided in the negative / positive changeover switch button 250. A ring for fitting and preventing the switch button 250 from coming out of the main body base 14 (in this embodiment, a C-shaped resin sheet material is preferable, but a general E-ring or the like can also be used. ) 253 is a chassis to which a main board is attached and a square hole for attaching and detaching a connector is provided in the center.

Next, the operation of the image input apparatus configured as described above will be described step by step. First, the basic flow of signal processing will be described with reference to FIG. When the power switch 17 is turned on at the beginning, the lens 1 causes C
The light imaged on the CD 203 is converted into an electric signal at regular time intervals. Then, the amplifier 54 and the image signal processing unit 5
After 1, the image signal is output to the S output terminal 41 or the video output terminal 42 as an image signal, and the image is displayed on the monitor 33 connected via the connection cord 31.

When the microphone 34 is connected to the microphone input terminal 29, the electric signal from the microphone 34 is output to the audio output terminal 43 in stereo after passing through the audio signal processing section 52. Then, it is output as stereo sound from the speaker of the monitor 33 connected via the connection cord 32. It should be noted that a monaural type speaker may be used, and there is no problem except that the sense of presence is reduced.

Next, the operation for shooting a document image will be described. In this embodiment, A4 size, which is the most commonly used document size, is the standard document. First, as shown in FIG. 1, a document 35 to be a subject is placed on a placing surface 36. At this time, the power LED lens 1 of the main body base 14
Using 8 as a guide, the positions are adjusted so that the center line of the main body base 14 and the center line of the document 35 are aligned. Then, the angle formed by the camera head 2, the arm 5 and the arm 6 is approximately 9
Set to 0 °. In this embodiment, at this time, the A4 size original 35 is set to be photographed on the monitor screen.

Next, the second rotating portion 1 is adjusted so that the index 28a of the hinge cover 28 matches the power LED lens 18.
When 6 is rotated, the camera head 2 is positioned substantially at the center of the original 35. That is, in the image input apparatus of the present embodiment that is not provided with the document table, it is difficult to understand where the document 35 should be placed as it is. In the device of the present invention, the base 14
The power LED lens 18 of the main body is arranged in the center of the device,
Since the original 35 is placed according to the power LED lens 18, it is extremely easy to use. And
In this way, the standard A4 size original 35
Since it is possible to take a picture, the annoyance of moving the document or the camera head while looking at the screen of the monitor 33 is eliminated.
By effectively using the display section, such as the power LED lens 18, that indicates the operating state of the device as a mark when the document 35 is placed, the operability at the time of photographing a document is improved and the device design is uncomfortable. Get rid of

Finally, the focus adjusting ring 1a of the lens 1
Is rotated to adjust the focus, and then the camera head 2 is rotated by the first rotation unit 4 to move the monitor 3
The inclination of the image of the original 35 on the screen of No. 3 is corrected. After the manuscript 35 is set as described above, the photographing is performed.

At this time, the relationship as shown in FIG. 4 is established between the apparatus form and the document size. That is, when the angle formed by the camera head 2 and the arm 5, the angle formed by the arm 5 and the arm 6, and the angle formed by the arm 6 and the mounting surface 36 are approximately 90 °, respectively, the image is projected sideways on the monitor 33. The A4 size original 35 is set so that it will fit on the entire screen. Further, the main body base 14 and the original 3 are set so that the main body base 14 does not enter the screen.
The interval d of 5 is set as follows. d = L-D
-W2 / 2> 0 In this embodiment, the standard size of the original is A4, but it is not limited to this.

By the way, as shown in FIG.
Is divided into two parts facing each other on both sides of the main cable 25.
It crosses the central axis 11a. This eliminates the need to slacken and detour the main cable 25 to avoid the hinge 11, thus providing a natural crawling of the main cable 25.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when the rotation angle θ (B1) of the hinge 11 is close to 0 °, that is, the camera head 2
And when the arm 5 is almost vertical, the main cable 25
Is bent at a right angle, and a large stress is locally applied to the main cable 25, and there is a risk of disconnection. The shape of the main cable 25 bent in such a manner is shown by a chain line in FIG. So the main cable 2
By winding a resin tube or the like having good slidability around a part of 5, the inner wall of the arm 5 and the main cable 25 become slippery with respect to each other. By subjecting the main cable 25 to the sliding treatment, the main cable 25 can be moved by the arrow F in FIG.
You will slip in the direction. As a result, the main cable 25
Has a large arc shape (having a large radius of curvature) as shown by the broken line in FIG. 15, so that it is possible to avoid local concentration of stress and prevent disconnection. At this time, the hinge 12
Since the main cable 25 is exposed and bent at, the main cable 25 is easily slipped in the F direction.

In order to make the main cable 25 slide well, a tube having good slidability is used in this embodiment, but a lubricant such as grease is used, or it is slid on the inner wall of the arm 5. The same effect can be expected by applying a paint having good dynamic properties, for example, fluorine coating.

Here, the functions of various switches will be described. AGC switch 19 The AGC is turned on when the power switch 17 is turned on. In FIG. 3, the amplifier 54 operates in response to a signal from the CPU 50 to appropriately adjust the brightness of the image of the original 35 on the monitor 33. It However, a high-luminance portion, so-called "whiteout" may occur depending on the surrounding illumination, the gloss of the document surface, and the like. In such a case, first, the aperture adjustment ring 1b of the lens 1 is opened. Then C
Since the PU 50 has high brightness, the PU 50 tries to reduce the brightness by setting the gain to the minimum. When the AGC switch 19 is pressed here, the gain is fixed at the lowest value because the AGC switch 19 is a switch for fixing the gain at that time. Since the brightness of the screen of the monitor 33 is lowered as the aperture adjustment ring 1b is closed, the operator can adjust the aperture adjustment ring 1b while watching the screen of the monitor 33 to obtain appropriate brightness. .

Further, for example, when a person is photographed against a background of a window, the background may be brighter than the subject, and in this case, the CPU 50 lowers the gain due to the brightness of the background, and the subject is It gets dark. In such a case, first, the aperture adjustment ring 1b is fully stopped.
Then, the CPU 50 sets the gain to the maximum value. Therefore, when the AGC switch 19 is pressed here, the gain is fixed at the maximum value. Therefore, the operator can open the aperture adjustment ring 1b while viewing the screen of the monitor 33 so that proper brightness can be obtained. Note that normally AGC is O
Since it is used in N, the LED near the aperture adjustment switch is turned off. When the AGC is off, that is, when the gain is fixed, the light is turned on.

WB (white balance) switch 22 When the operator wants to change the color of the subject on the monitor 33 to the one desired by the operator, the WB switch 22 is pressed. Then C
The PU 50 sends a signal to the image signal processing section 51 to white balance the subject. While the white balance is being taken, the LED near the WB switch 22 blinks to notify the operator that the adjustment is in progress.
When the adjustment is completed, the LED is turned off, and the operator thereafter turns the volume 23 to adjust the desired tint.

In this embodiment, turning from the neutral position to the right increases the blue tint, and turning to the left increases the red tint. That is, when the volume switch 23 is turned, the CPU 50 detects the rotation direction and the rotation amount from the neutral position, determines whether the color is reddish or bluish based on the rotation direction, and determines the amount of change in tint from the rotation amount. To do. The CPU 50 sends a signal to the image signal processing unit 51, and the image signal processing unit 51 is a CCD.
It is possible to change the tint of the image signal from.

Shutter changeover switch 44 Since the illumination of an ordinary fluorescent lamp or the like repeatedly blinks at the frequency of the commercial power source, if the blinking frequency of the illumination does not match the shutter speed of the CCD or is not an integral multiple, the image Flicker, that is, flicker occurs. For example, in the eastern Japan area such as Tokyo, the commercial power source is 50 Hz, so flicker occurs when the shutter speed is 1/60 sec. Therefore, in this embodiment, the shutter speed is 1/6.
It can be selected from 0 sec or 1/100 sec, and can be switched and used according to the frequency of the commercial power source. For example, in the case of Tokyo, the shutter speed is 1/10
By switching to 0 sec, flicker can be prevented. At this time, the CPU 50 sends a signal to the timing generator 53 according to the state of the shutter changeover switch 44 to control the speed of the CCD shutter.

Negative / Positive inversion switch 20 When photographing a negative film such as a still picture, place the negative film on a light box as a light source,
Press the positive inversion switch 20. Then, the CPU 50 sends a signal to the image signal processing unit 51, and the image signal processing unit 51 performs predetermined processing on the image signal from the CCD,
The negative image can be output by reversing it to a normal positive image.

Microphone mute switch 21 For example, when the device of the present invention is used in a video conference, the voice of the operator is collected by the external microphone 34. When the user wants to temporarily cut the voice while using the microphone, the operator presses the microphone mute switch 21. Then, CPU50
Sends a signal to the audio signal processing unit 52, and the audio processing unit stops the output of the audio signal to the audio output terminal 43. At this time, since the LED near the microphone mute switch 21 is turned on, the operator can easily recognize that the voice is cut. On the other hand, when it is desired to collect the sound again, the microphone processing switch 52 outputs the sound to the sound output terminal 43 by pressing the microphone mute switch 21 again. At this time, since the LED is turned off, the operator can easily recognize that voice is being collected.

Next, a case where a person is photographed will be described with reference to FIGS. 7, 8 and 11. In photographing a person, first, the arm 6 is rotated in the D1 direction, and then the arm 5 and the camera head 2 are oriented substantially horizontally. The camera head 2 is separated from the subject by rotating in the D1 direction, and adjustment is performed so that the camera head 2 has an optimum size on the monitor 33. Therefore, the maximum rotation angle Ω (D1) of the hinge 15 in the D1 direction is set to a large value of 40 ° as described above. Next, in FIG. 7, the camera head 2 is rotated 180 ° in the A2 direction.
This is because the up and down direction of the person is reversed only by pointing the camera head 2 horizontally from the state of taking the document image of FIG.

In the conventional image input device, since the camera head cannot rotate 180 ° as described in the conventional example, the top and bottom of the CCD of the image pickup unit are set with reference to a person.
When shooting a document, the operator had to place it upside down when shooting. Therefore, as described above, there is a problem that it is difficult for an operator to read a document or the like, but since the camera head 2 can be rotated by 190 ° in the present embodiment, it is easy to use even at the time of photographing a document. Has improved. That is, the erect document and its image can be viewed on the monitor 33 from the operator's side.

By the way, as described above, the index shown in FIG. 8 is displayed at a position opposed to the focus adjusting ring 1a and the diaphragm adjusting ring 1b of the lens 1 by 180 °. As a result, even when the camera head 2 is rotated 180 °, the operator can perform focus adjustment and aperture adjustment while looking at the index as in the case of shooting a document image. In this embodiment, the diaphragm adjusting ring 1b has different colors on the front side and the 180 ° opposite side. This is because the camera head 2 is facing the person's direction or the document's direction without checking the monitor screen, such as when the power is off or not connected to the monitor ( This is so that the image is displayed as an upright image when it is displayed on the monitor). In this embodiment, the operability is improved by such a configuration.

Further, in order to distinguish the person direction / writing direction, a logo such as “person” is attached to one side of the exterior of the camera head 2 and a logo such as “writing” is attached to the opposite side to make a similar effect. Can also be obtained. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a display unit M for displaying the logo of the document image capturing mode is provided at an appropriate place on the exterior of the camera head 2, and a display unit M ′ for displaying the logo of the person image capturing mode is provided on the back side of the display unit M. To provide.

Further, even if the main body base 14 is placed on a tilted surface, the camera head 2 is prevented from tilting the image.
The maximum turning angle Ω (A2) of the (first turning unit 4) is set to 190 ° as described above. With this, up to 10
Even when the main body base 14 is placed on a surface inclined to ゜,
Only the camera head 2 can be appropriately rotated to horizontally correct the image. Further, by setting the angle to 190 °, problems in parts accuracy or assembly accuracy can be solved. This is a tilt error of the CCD imaging surface with respect to the mounting portion on the CCD, a tilt error in mounting the CCD with respect to the camera head,
The rotation angle necessary to absorb the accumulated tilt error of the rotation stopper with respect to the camera head may not be 180 ° in some cases, and a margin of the rotation angle is required from this aspect as well. The angle is 190 °. After that, the position of the camera head 2 is finely adjusted while observing the monitor 33, the focus is further adjusted, the brightness and the hue are adjusted, or the shutter speed is switched to complete the preparation for photographing.

It is needless to say that, in the person photographing mode described above, photographing of a vertical surface such as a drawing attached to a wall surface or a blackboard can be similarly performed.

Next, referring to FIGS. 9 and 13, the original 35
The partial enlargement shooting of will be described. When it is desired to enlarge a part of the document 35, the lens 1 may be brought close to the document 35 as shown in FIG. The shooting range at this time is W3,
Since this range is displayed on the monitor 33, enlarged photography is performed. At this time, in this embodiment, the maximum rotation angle Ω of the hinge 15 is set so that the lens 1 reaches the corner of the A4 size document 35.
(D2) is 24 °.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, when enlarging the right corner of the original 35, the camera head 2 is rotated by the angle Ω (E2) with the second pivot 16 as the pivot. Then, the angle Ω is set with the first turning portion 4 as a turning fulcrum.
It is necessary to rotate only (A1) as shown in the figure. In this way, the two heads are rotated by the camera head 2.
If only is rotated by Ω (E2) around the second rotation unit 16, the corner of the document 35 is projected on the monitor 33 in an oblique manner (not an upright image), which is extremely difficult to see. This is to prevent such an inconvenience, but to obtain an erect image on the monitor 33, although it becomes an image.

Although Ω (A1) is set to 60 ° in the present embodiment, basically, Ω (E2) = Ω (A1) is set at any position within a predetermined rotation range in which the original 35 is projected. This problem can be solved by configuring the device so that the above can be performed. Similarly, when photographing the left corner in FIG. 9, the camera head 2 is rotated in the A2 direction. As described above, the maximum rotation angle Ω of the camera head 2 in the A2 direction
Since (A2) is set to 190 °, it is possible to take a magnified image even at the corner even for a large document of A4 size or more. Further, since the camera head 2 rotates in the A1 and A2 directions in this way, the entire document 35 can be photographed even in the case of the document 35 placed away from the center line of the main body as shown in FIG.

Next, with reference to FIG. 12, a case where the apparatus is transported and a case where it is stored will be described. First, mount the arm 6 on the mounting surface 3
It is arranged almost perpendicular to 6. Next, the camera head 2
Is rotated in the B1 direction by the hinge 11 until it is regulated by a rotation stopper of the hinge 11 described later. Next, the arm 5 is moved by the hinge 12 in the C2 direction to a hinge 12 to be described later.
It rotates until it is regulated by the rotation stopper. At this time, the stopper of the hinge 12 is set so that the arm 5 and the arm 6 are substantially parallel to each other.

By folding the columns and the like through the joints in this manner, the entire device becomes a compact form as shown in the drawing, and when the device is not used, it can be placed on the desk without disturbing the user. There is an advantage. Further, when the apparatus is transported, the arms 5 and 6 are easily gripped together to facilitate transportation. In this way, the maximum rotation angle Ω of the hinge 12 is set so that the device can take a compact form.
(C2) is set to 90 °.

In other words, in the device of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 12, the arms 5 and 6 are folded substantially parallel to each other, so that the transportability and the storability are greatly improved. When folded in this manner, the main cable 25 is exposed and bent at the hinge 12 as shown in FIG. Therefore, even if the form of FIG. 12 is adopted, no unreasonable force is applied to the main cable 25, and there is no fear of breakage. Further, in such a compact form, the maximum rotation angle Ω (B1) of the hinge 11 in the B1 direction is set so that there is a space of h between the tip of the lens 1 and the mounting surface 36.
Is set to 140 °. Since such an interval h is generated, there is no risk of the lens 1 hitting the mounting surface and being damaged when folded as shown in FIG. 12 or placed on the mounting surface after being conveyed in the state of FIG.

Next, as described above, the standard original 35 is A4 size in this embodiment, but the case of photographing an entire original larger than this is described with reference to FIG. The form shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 14 corresponds to the form shown in FIG. From the form of the two-dot chain line described above, the arm 6 is moved in the D2 direction by the hinge 15, the arm 5 is moved in the C1 direction by the hinge 12, and the camera head 2 is moved in the hinge 1 direction.
1 is rotated in the B2 direction. As a result, since the position of the camera head 2 is raised, the photographing range is expanded from W3 to W3 ', and a larger document can be photographed entirely. In order to take such a form, the maximum rotation angle Ω (B2) of the hinge 11 in the B2 direction is 1
At 05 °, the maximum rotation angle Ω (C
1) is set to 20 °.

Next, the main cable 25 connected to the camera head 2 will be described. In FIG. 16, the main cable 25 is a 19-core composite cable including, for example, three 75Ω coaxial wires. A shield material (in this embodiment, a single braid winding of tin-plated annealed copper wire is preferable, but not limited to this) is provided inside the outer skin of the main cable 25, and this shield material covers the outer skin. The conductive copper foil tape 25b is folded back and wound. The metal clamp 221 includes a substantially arc-shaped portion 221a and a substantially sawtooth portion 2
21b, the tape 25b portion of the main cable 25 is pressed by the substantially arcuate portion 221a, and the substantially serrated portion 221b bites into the outer skin of the main cable 25 to securely fix the main cable 25 to the tilt chassis 220. ing. By fixing in this manner, the main cable 25 is prevented from being pulled in the direction of the arrow 223 and coming off from the camera head 2, and the internal cable being disconnected.

Further, the main cable 25 is a tape 25
After being released from the constraint of b, it is separated into each signal line 25a, passed through the head shaft 219, and then fixed by the mold clamp 215. This is because the main cable 25 is made to correspond when the head shaft 219 of the head chassis 212 is rotated in the directions of the arrows A1 and A2 about the rotation axis. That is, since the video board 208 also rotates with this rotation, the main cable 25 fitted to the connector of the video board 208 is also twisted. In this case, arrow A
Although the main cable 25 is rotated in two directions by 190 °, the outer cover can be twisted up to 60 ° in the circumferential direction against the twist of the main cable 25 with the outer cover still covered. Therefore, as described above, the outer cover is removed to separate the signal lines 25a, and the signal lines 25a are bound by the mold clamp 215 so that the signal lines 25a can be smoothly rotated by 190 °.

Each signal line 25a fixed by the mold clamp 215 is then inverted by the vertical plate 213 and fitted with the connectors 210 and 211 on the video board 208. Each signal line 25a not covered with the shield material becomes a noise source for the CCD 203 as it is, but the vertical plate 213 shields noise from each signal line 25a. On the other hand, each signal line 25a itself is also susceptible to noise because there is no shield material. Therefore, in this embodiment, the following measures are taken.

That is, the tape 25 of the main cable 25
The GND line 25c is soldered to b, and the GND line 25c is connected to the GND of the video board 208 by a connector. The GND of the video board 208 is grounded to the lens chassis 204, and as shown in FIG.
7, 228 are screwed to the lens chassis 204. Therefore, the shield cases 227 and 228 are grounded to the shield material of the main cable 25 via the video board 208, the GND line 25c and the tape 25b. As a result, each signal line 25a is shielded from noise by the shield cases 227 and 228.

Next, the camera head 2 is moved to the arrows A1 and A2.
The case of rotating in the direction will be described. As shown in FIG. 16, in the camera head 2, the lens chassis 204 is screwed to the head chassis 212 to form its skeleton.
With respect to this skeleton, as shown in FIG. 17, the shield case 22
7, 228 and camera cases 225, 226 are attached to form the camera head 2, so that the head chassis 2
The rotation of the camera head 2 is realized by the rotation of the arrows 12 in the directions A1 and A2.

Therefore, in FIG. 16, the head chassis 212 is rotatably supported by the head shaft 219 through the round hole 212a, and is urged by the urging force of the wave washer 217 through the washer 218 in the direction of the arrow 223. There is. The washer 218 is formed of an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheet having a small friction coefficient and excellent wear resistance in this embodiment. When the head chassis 212 rotates, the washer 218 rotates together with the head chassis 212, while the washer 218 and the wave washer 217 slide. When the frictional force between the head pan plate 216 and the wave washer 217 is a, the frictional force between the wave washer 217 and the washer 218 is b, and the frictional force between the washer 218 and the head chassis 212 is c, these are This is because the magnitude relationships of the frictional forces are a> b and c> b, and the frictional forces of the washer 218 and the wave washer 217 are the smallest.

The washer 218 and the wave washer 21 are also included.
Since the materials of the two materials are the resin sheet and the metal, the sliding that occurs between 7 provides a smoother sliding feeling than the sliding that is performed between the metals. And wave washer 217
When the head chassis 212 rotates in the directions of the arrows A1 and A2 due to the urging force of the camera head 2, the rotation torque T is generated, and even if the operator stops the rotation of the camera head 2 at an arbitrary position, the camera head 2 loses its own weight. It is possible to prevent accidental rotation due to inertia. Furthermore, the rotation torque T is
This value is larger than the rotational torque of the focus adjusting ring 1a and the aperture adjusting ring 1b provided on the camera, so that even if the operator turns these rings, the camera head 2 itself does not rotate.

As described above, the camera head 2 has the arrow A
Although it rotates in the 1 and A2 directions, when the head chassis 212 rotates in the direction of the arrow A1 by about 60 ° in FIG.
The rotation of the sixteen stoppers 216a is restricted by coming into contact with the stoppers 216a. Similarly, in the case of the arrow A2 direction as well, when rotated by approximately 190 °, the claw portion 212b of the head chassis 212 comes into contact with the stopper 216a (not shown) of the head pan plate 216 to restrict the rotation.

Next, the joint 7 including the camera head 2
Will be described in the case of rotating in the directions of arrows B1 and B2. In FIG. 18, the tilt shaft 238 is an arc-shaped protrusion 23.
8b and 238c are positioned in the arc-shaped holes 220a and 220b of the tilt chassis 220, and the screw 240
It is fixed to the tilt chassis 220 by. Shaft 23
8a engages with the hole 7a of the joint 7, the washer 237, the metal washer 236, and the disc spring 235, and serves as a rotating shaft in the directions of arrows B1 and B2. The washer 237, the metal washer 236 and the disc spring 235 are used for the tilt chassis 2
It is sandwiched between 20 and joint 7. Further, the disc spring 235 generates a biasing force in the direction of the arrow 242, and biases the washer 237 to the joint 7 via the metal washer 236. The metal washer 236 has a role of transmitting the biasing force of the disc spring 235 to the entire surface of the washer 237. Assuming that there is no metal washer 236,
The disc spring 235 bites into the washer 237, and as a result, the disc spring 235 cannot obtain the necessary amount of bending, and as a result, the correct biasing force is not generated.

Therefore, when the metal washer 236 obtains an appropriate biasing force of the disc spring 235, a predetermined rotational torque is generated when the tilt chassis 220 rotates in the directions of arrows B1 and B2. This rotation torque enables the camera head 2 and the joint 7 to be held at the position intended by the operator. Further, the washer 237 is formed of an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene sheet having a small friction coefficient and excellent wear resistance in this embodiment. Therefore, when the tilt chassis 220 rotates, the tilt chassis 2
20, the disc spring 235, the metal washer 236, and the washer 237 rotate, and the washer 237 and the joint 7
Is configured to slide. This is a washer 237
This is because the frictional force between the joint 7 and the joint 7 is the smallest as compared with other portions.

Regarding the sliding feeling of the washer 237 and the joint 7, since the materials of the both are the resin sheet and the metal, a smoother sliding feeling can be obtained than in the case of sliding between metals. The tilt shaft 239 has holes 220c, 220 of the tilt chassis 220 by the cylindrical protrusions 239a, 239b and the arc-shaped protrusion 239c.
It is positioned at d and 220e and fixed to the tilt chassis 220 by screws 241. The shaft portion 239c engages with the hole 7b of the joint 7 and serves as a rotation shaft in the directions of arrows B1 and B2. In addition, the protrusion 239 of the tilt shaft 239
d is engaged with the arc-shaped long hole 7c of the joint 7, and when the tilt chassis 220 is rotated by 50 ° in the arrow B1 direction and by 105 ° in the arrow B2 direction with respect to the horizontal axis, the protrusion 239d is formed. The rotation is regulated by contacting the end surface of the long hole 7c. Thus, the joint 7 including the camera head 2 can rotate in the directions of arrows B1 and B2.

The mechanism of torque generation of the hinge 12 will be described with reference to FIG. The nut 106 has a rotation groove for the driver to access, and when the nut 106 is rotated clockwise by the driver, the disc spring 105 gradually bends. Then, due to the repulsion of the disc spring 105, the joint 8 is pressed from both sides. The fixed washer 104 is a thick metal plate (1.6 mm in this embodiment).
This is because the fixed washer 104 is prevented from bending due to the repulsive force generated by the disc spring 105, and the force of the disc spring 105 is widely dispersed to increase the frictional force described later. Is.

Friction force is generated in the joint 8 at two points as described below, and a holding torque is generated. First, since the sliding washer 102 is fixed to the joint 8 so as not to rotate, although not shown, the support plate 107 and the sliding washer 102 slide, and a frictional force is generated at the contact surface between them.
Next, since the rotary washer 104 is fitted to the rotary shaft 101 and integrally rotates, the sliding sheet 103 sandwiched between them is supported by the support plate 107 or the rotary washer 104.
The frictional force is generated by sliding with any of the above.

At this time, since the sliding sheet 103 is freely rotatable and the support plate 107 and the rotating washer 104 are made of the same material and have substantially the same friction coefficient, the sliding sheet 103 is generated on both sides of the sliding sheet 103. The frictional forces are almost equal. As a result, depending on a slight difference in the roughness of the sliding surface and environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity, as the sliding surface, between the support plate 107 and the sliding washer 102, or between the sliding sheet 103 and the rotating washer 104. However, in any case, the holding torque generated at that time is not significantly affected.

The holding torque thus generated depends on the pressing force in the axial direction. The pressing force depends on the compression amount of the disc spring 105. Therefore, in order to obtain a desired holding torque, the rotation amount of the nut 106 may be adjusted. The sliding washer 102 has an L-shaped cross section, and an axially extending portion is inserted between the circular hole of the support plate 107 and the rotating shaft 101. This is to prevent the supporting plate 107 and the rotating shaft 101 from directly contacting and sliding to wear the metals from each other. In addition, when rotating the nut 106, a hexagon wrench or a dedicated jig may be used in addition to the driver.

Next, the loosening prevention of the hinge 12 will be described with reference to FIG. In this case, the structure on the right side of the center line is particularly relevant to the drawing in FIG. 20, and therefore the following description is limited to the right side of the center line.

As described above, the shaft portion of the rotating shaft 101 and the hole of the rotating washer 104 are D-cut on both sides.
The D-cut width of the rotating washer 104 is larger than the D-cut width of the rotating shaft 101. The tongue-shaped extension 102a of the sliding washer 102 is sandwiched in the gap formed by the shaft and the hole to prevent loose rotation of the nut 106 as described below.

When the joint 8 rotates, the rotation shaft 101
Along with this, the rotation washer 104 is driven to rotate. Here, assuming that the rotary washer 104 is not driven by the joint 8, the rotary washer 104 is stationary and the nut 10
6 is a frictional force that keeps the nut 106 stationary through the disc spring 105, and the nut 106 through the threaded portion of the rotating shaft 101.
The frictional force that rotates the will act. If the frictional force that keeps the nut 106 stationary is greater than the other, the nut 10
6 and the rotating shaft 101 relatively easily rotate, and the nut 106 rotates in a direction in which the nut 106 slightly loosens as the rotation is repeated, and as a result, the holding torque may decrease.

Therefore, first, D is inserted in the hole of the rotating washer 104.
A method is conceivable in which the rotary washer 104 is not rotated by making a cut and fitting it with the D cut of the rotary shaft 101. However, even with this method, a slight gap is formed between the hole and the shaft due to the limit of processing accuracy. The backlash generated from the slight gap transmits a frictional force to the nut 106 to cause it to stand still, and as a result, the nut 106 rotates in the loosening direction as described above. Therefore, as described above, a part of the sliding washer 102 is extended and the rotary washer 104 is lightly press-fitted to eliminate such looseness and prevent loose rotation of the nut 106.

Next, the rotation angle of the hinge 12 will be described with reference to FIG. The arc-shaped rib 8a of the joint 8 and the projecting portion 17a of the support plate 17 constitute a stopper that regulates the rotation angle. That is, when the joint 8 rotates, the rib 8a and the protrusion 17a come into contact with each other.
It will not rotate any further. The rotation angles at this time are the maximum rotation angles Ω (C1) and Ω (C2). This rib 8a
Alternatively, it goes without saying that a desired maximum rotation angle can be obtained by appropriately changing the position of the protruding portion 17a.

Next, the mechanism of torque generation of the hinge 15 will be described with reference to FIG. The nut 106 has a groove for rotation for the driver to access, and the nut 11
When 9 is rotated clockwise, the disc spring 118 gradually bends. Then, due to the repulsion of the disc spring 118, the rotating plate 1
11 is pressed from both sides. Here fixed washer 117
Is a thick metal plate (1.6 mm thick in this embodiment). This prevents the fixed washer 117 from bending due to the repulsive force generated by the disc spring 118, and moreover, the disc spring 118
This is to increase the frictional force, which will be described later, by widely distributing the force of (1) to the surface. Then, the rotating plate 111 generates a holding torque by generating a frictional force at two places as described below. First, since the sliding washer 115 is fixed to the base plate 112 so as not to rotate, the rotating washer 115 is not shown.
The sliding washer 115 slides, and a frictional force is generated at this contact surface.

Next, since the sliding sheet 116 is freely rotatable and the rotating plate 111 and the fixed washer 117 are made of the same material and have substantially the same friction coefficient, both sides of the sliding sheet 116 are The generated frictional forces are almost equal.
As a result, depending on a slight difference in roughness of the sliding surface and environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity, a sliding surface is formed between the rotating plate 111 and the sliding washer 115 or between the sliding sheet 116 and the fixed washer 117. To be done. In any case, there is no great influence on the holding torque generated at that time.

The holding torque thus generated depends on the pressing force in the axial direction. The pressing force depends on the compression amount of the disc spring 118. Therefore, to obtain the desired holding torque,
The rotation amount of the nut 119 may be adjusted. The sliding washer 115 has an L-shaped cross section, and an axially extending portion is inserted between the circular hole of the rotating plate 111 and the support shaft 114. This is to prevent the rotating plate 111 and the support shaft 114 from directly touching each other and sliding to cause metal wear.

Next, the loosening prevention of the hinge 15 will be described with reference to FIG. As described above, the shaft portion of the support shaft 114 and the hole of the fixed washer 117 are D-cut on both sides. The D-cut width of the fixed washer 117 is larger than the D-cut width of the support shaft 114. The tongue-shaped extension 115a of the sliding washer 115 is sandwiched in the gap formed by the shaft and the hole, and this is to prevent loose rotation of the nut 119 as described below.

When the rotating plate 111 is rotated, the frictional force is transmitted to the fixed washer 117 through the sliding sheet 116,
I try to rotate this. Here fixed washer 117
When is freely rotated, the frictional force is transmitted to the nut 119 through the disc spring 118. A frictional force is also generated in the nut 119 and the threaded portion of the support shaft 114. However, if the frictional force transmitted from the rotating plate 111 is slightly larger than this frictional force, the nut 119 will move as the rotation is repeated. It rotates in the direction of loosening little by little. As a result, the holding torque may decrease.

Then, first, D is inserted in the hole of the fixed washer 117.
A method in which the fixed washer 117 is not rotated by making a cut and fitting it with the D cut of the support shaft 114 can be considered. However, even with this method, a slight gap is formed between the hole and the shaft due to the limit of processing accuracy. The backlash generated from the slight gap transmits a frictional force to the nut 119, causing the nut 119 to rotate in the loosening direction. Therefore, as described above, a part of the sliding washer 115 is extended and the fixed washer 117 is lightly press-fitted to eliminate looseness and prevent loose rotation of the nut 119.

If a torque drop occurs,
There is a removable blind cover 120, and after removing the blind cover 120, the holding torque can be increased again by tightening the nut 119 with a screwdriver. Further, when rotating the nut 119, a hexagon wrench or a dedicated jig may be used in addition to the driver.

Next, the rotation angle of the hinge 15 will be described with reference to FIG. The protrusion 1 of the rotating plate 111 described above.
11a, the tongue-shaped piece 112a of the base plate 112, and the tongue-shaped piece 113a of the base auxiliary plate 113 constitute a stopper that regulates the rotation angle. That is, when the rotating plate 111 rotates, the protrusion 111a and the tongues 112a and 113a come into contact with each other, so that the rotating plate 111 does not rotate any more. The rotation angles at this time are the maximum rotation angles Ω (D1) and Ω (D2). It goes without saying that a desired maximum rotation angle can be obtained by appropriately changing the position of the protruding portion 111a or the tongue-shaped pieces 112a and 113a.

Next, the rotation of the rotating portion 16 will be described with reference to FIG. The base plate 112 of the hinge 15 described above.
The sliding shaft 130 to which is fixed is rotatably fitted around the shaft 16a in the round hole of the main body base 14, and the pan plate 1 is sandwiched between the washer 131 and the wave washer 132 from below.
33 is fixed. Here, when the wave washer 132 bends, the repulsive force causes the sliding shaft 130 to come into pressure contact with the main body base 14 to generate a frictional force, thereby generating a torque during rotation. As described in the description of the camera head 2, the washer 131 is used because of the frictional force.
Since the wave washer 132 slides, a smooth sliding feeling can be obtained.

By the way, the bottom surface of the base plate 112 of the hinge 15 is circular. Although not shown, a part thereof projects in the plane direction. The main body base 14 also has a part of the sliding surface with the sliding shaft 130 protruding (14a), and the base plate 1
When 4 rotates, the above-mentioned protrusions come into contact with each other to serve as a stopper for restricting rotation. The positions of the both projecting portions are arranged so that the rotation angle of the hinge 16 is 180 °, but of course the present invention is not limited to this.

There is a through hole at the center of the support shaft 130, and the main cable 25 passing through the inside of the arm 6 passes through this through hole. Further, since the hinge 15 also has a space in the center as described above and does not obstruct the path of the main cable 25, a structure in which an excessive force is not applied to the cable at the hinge 15 and the second rotating portion 16. It has become.

Next, the inside of the main body base 14 will be described. In FIG. 23, the main cable 25 is inserted through the arm 6, the joint 10 and the hole 245 a of the ballast 245, and the ballast 245 is attached by the metal clamp 247.
It is fixed to. The metal clamp 247 is provided with a substantially arcuate portion 247a and a substantially sawtooth portion 247b. The substantially arcuate portion 247a presses the conductive copper foil tape 25d portion of the main cable 25, and the substantially sawtooth portion 2
47b bites into the outer surface of the main cable 25, and the arrow 2
Even if the main cable 25 is pulled in the 53 direction, it will not come off.

Further, the main cable 25 is a tape 25
The signal line 25e is released from the restraint of d, then passes through a hole (not shown) of the main board 248, and is connected to the connector provided on the solder surface of the main board 248. On the solder surface of the main board 248, an adjustment connector (not shown) is additionally provided. Then, in a final form in which all the components other than the back cover 249 are attached, it is possible to perform final electrical adjustments such as signal synchronization and image tint by using this adjustment connector.

By separating the main cable 25 from the tape 25d to each signal line 25e, it is possible to fold it back in a narrow space as shown in FIG. In this case, each signal line 25e is not shielded in particular, so that noise is likely to be received as it is. Therefore, in this embodiment, the foot portion 245c of the ballast 245 is screwed to the chassis 253. The chassis 253 is connected to the power supply ground via the main substrate 248, and the ballast 245 is made of a zinc material so as to function as a weight. Therefore, the ballast 245 is connected to the power supply ground via the screw.

As a result, each signal line 25e is shielded by the ballast 245 and the chassis 253. This point is similar to the main board 248, that is, the chassis 253 and the ballast 245 allow the main board 2
Shields 48 from noise. Also, tape 25
Since d is fixing the shield material inside the outer cover of the main cable 25, the shield material of the main cable 25 is connected to the ballast 245 via the tape 25d and is grounded to the power supply ground. This allows the main cable 2
The entire 5 is shielded, and the cable is strong against noise. The ballast 245 serves not only as a weight but also as a shield material as described above, and has a silver surface. Therefore, in the square hole 245b, the ballast itself serves as a reflecting surface to amplify the light quantity of the power LED 246, and the bright light with good visibility can be emitted from the power LED lens 18.

The main body base 14 has an AGC switch 1
9, a negative / positive changeover switch 20, a microphone mute switch 21, and a WB switch 22 are provided. Here, the negative / positive changeover switch 20 will be described. The negative / positive changeover switch 20 includes a negative / positive changeover switch button 250, a coil spring 251, and a ring 252. The operator is negative /
When the positive changeover switch button 250 is pressed, the main board 2
48 tact switch 248a is turned on, and the negative of the image /
The positive can be switched.

The image input apparatus also includes a hole 24 in which a screw 249a for a tripod of the back cover 249 and a pin for preventing rotation are inserted.
By 9b, it can be attached to a tripod for a camera or a video camera. This not only on the desk,
The tripod allows the operator to install it at the desired location.

Further, in the present image input apparatus, if the main cable 25 is broken due to bending during use and an image is no longer output, the main cable 25 can be replaced as follows. That is, first, the back cover 249
Disconnect the main cable 2 connector from the main board 2
Then, the chassis 253 is removed from the main body base 14 vertically downward. Then, the metal clamp 247 is removed from the ballast 245, and the portion of the main cable 25 exposed from the joint 7 is pulled out from the pull arm 6 in the direction of arrow 253. Next, the main cable 25 fixed to the camera head 2 and the head base 3 is removed, and the portion of the main cable 25 exposed from the joint 7 is taken out from the pull arm 5. Thereby, the broken main cable 25 can be taken out and can be easily replaced with a new cable.

Note that the specific numerical values such as the angles in the above embodiments can be appropriately changed within the scope of the present invention, and the optimum one can be selected according to actual use. Also,
In particular, the structure around the joint portion connecting the columns and the cable routing structure or method in the above embodiment can be effectively applied to, for example, an electronic device or an electronic device that can adopt this type of structure. . As one example thereof, in a lighting device such as a table lamp, or a medical device, the distal end member is set to a desired position via a column with respect to the proximal end member, and both members are connected by a cable. You can

[0115]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the image input device of this type for inputting the image signal obtained by the image pickup unit to the main body of the device and performing the signal processing, the metal forming the base is used. By arranging the signal processing circuit board between the bottom plate and the metal weight, the signal processing circuit board is wrapped by the metal bottom plate and the metal weight. As a result, the signal processing circuit board, which is easily affected by noise, can be electrically and reliably shielded, and a structure extremely resistant to noise can be realized. Therefore, a high-quality image can be obtained on the image output device side such as a monitor.

Further, when the signal processing circuit board is electrically shielded, the weight for maintaining the balance of the device is effectively utilized so that the function of the shield case is exerted, whereby a new shield case is added. Therefore, it is possible to realize an image input device that is resistant to noise, inexpensive, and simple in structure.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an image input device that best represents an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view for explaining a rear panel according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining signal transmission / reception in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view for explaining a form of photographing a document image according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view for explaining rotation of the hinge according to the embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic top view for explaining rotation of the hinge according to the embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic front view for explaining rotation of the hinge according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic top view for explaining the lens unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic top view for explaining photographing around the document according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic top view for explaining photographing of a misaligned document portion according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view for explaining person shooting according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic side view for explaining a transportation mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic side view for explaining a partially enlarged image pickup according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic side view for explaining the photographing of a large original according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 15 is a schematic side view for explaining the cable bending of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a schematic top view for explaining the camera head unit of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the camera head unit of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a schematic perspective view for explaining rotation of the head base according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 19 is a schematic front sectional view for explaining a hinge portion according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a schematic side view for explaining a hinge part according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a schematic front cross-sectional view for explaining a hinge portion according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a schematic side sectional view for explaining a hinge part according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the inside of the main body base of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a schematic perspective view showing a conventional example.

FIG. 25 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 lens, 2 camera heads, 3 head base,
4,16 Rotating part, 5,6 support, 7,8,9,10 Joint, 11,12,15 Hinge, 14 Main body base, 18 LED lens, 25 Main cable, 28
Hinge cover, 30 AC adapter, 33 monitor,
34 external microphone, 35 original, 36 original placing surface, 5
0 CPU, 51 image signal processing unit, 52 audio signal processing unit, 53 timing generator, 54 amplifier, 1
01 rotating shaft, 102 sliding washer, 103 sliding seat, 104 rotating washer, 105 disc spring, 106
Metal nut, 107 support plate, 111 rotating plate, 11
2 base plate, 113 base auxiliary plate, 114 support shaft,
115 sliding washer, 116 sliding sheet, 119
Metal nut, 201 low pass filter, 202 cushioning material, 203 CCD, 204 lens chassis, 205
Insulation sheet, 208 video board, 210, 211
Connector, 212 head chassis, 215 mold clamp, 216 head pan plate, 217 wave washer, 220 tilt chassis, 221 metal clamp,
229,230 Head base case, 235 Belleville spring, 236 Metal washer, 238,239 Tilt shaft.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image input device for inputting an image signal obtained by an image pickup unit to an apparatus main body and performing signal processing thereof, the image input device being provided at a tip end side of a column connected through a plurality of joints. A camera head, a signal processing unit built in the base of the apparatus main body that supports the base end side of the support column, a cable for connecting the camera head and the signal processing unit provided along the support column, The image input device, wherein the base has a metal bottom plate, a signal processing circuit board, a metal weight, and a resin cover. 2. The image input device according to claim 1, wherein a first joint portion including a first hinge portion and a first rotating portion, a second joint portion including a second hinge portion, and a third hinge portion. And a third joint portion including a second rotating portion, and a pair of columns connected via the second joint portion, and supporting the column on the base via the third joint portion. An image input device, wherein the bottom plate and the weight are electrically connected, and the signal processing circuit board is arranged between them. 3. The camera head is supported at one end of a first support via the first joint so that an optical axis direction with respect to the first support and a rotation angle around the optical axis can be adjusted. , The first strut is supported at the other end through the second joint so that the axial direction of the second strut can be adjusted, and the second strut has the third joint at its base end. The image input device according to claim 2, wherein an axial direction of the base with respect to a vertical axis and a rotation angle around the axis are adjustable so as to be respectively supported.