Television – Camera – system and detail – Support or housing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-19
2002-03-19
Garber, Wendy R. (Department: 2612)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Support or housing
C348S351000, C348S376000, C235S439000, C358S483000, C359S823000, C396S529000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06359652
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting structure for the photographic element of a camera which uses a semiconductor element that performs photoelectric transfer, such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), as its photographic element.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been rapid development in the field of video cameras that include an optical lens and photographic elements.
FIG. 1
is an exploded perspective view of the conventional mounting structure used to hold the photographic element in a video camera. This mounting structure is composed of a chassis
101
for mounting the optical lens, a substrate
103
for mounting the photographic element
102
, and four screws
104
-
107
for screwing the substrate
103
to the chassis
101
.
The chassis
101
features an aperture
108
into which the photographic element
102
is inserted. Connected to the aperture
108
on the side of the chassis
101
that faces away from the substrate
103
, a lens cover mounting
109
is formed with a thread in its outer surface. Four substrate supports
110
-
113
for supporting the substrate
103
are formed at the corners of the chassis
101
on the substrate
103
side. These substrate supports
110
-
113
feature threaded holes
114
-
117
for the screws
104
-
107
.
Four holes
118
-
121
are drilled into the substrate
103
at positions corresponding to the threaded holes
114
-
117
.
FIG. 2
is a cross-section, taken parallel to the optical axis C-C′ of the lens, of the mounting structure of
FIG. 1
that mounts the photographic element
102
.
The mounting method for the photographic element
102
is described below with reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2
. This photographic element
102
is housed by the protective package
201
. Elements such as the pins
202
and
203
of the photographic element
102
are soldered onto the substrate
103
so that the center of the substrate
103
is aligned with the center of the photographic element
102
. Here, the solder
204
and
205
may be replaced by sockets fixed to the substrate
103
, with the pins
202
and
203
being inserted into the sockets to hold the photographic element
102
. After this, screws
104
-
107
are inserted into the holes
118
-
121
in the substrate
103
and are screwed into the threaded holes
114
-
117
of the chassis
101
, and, with the substrate
103
loosely attached to the chassis
101
, the optical lens cover holding the optical lens is attached to the chassis
101
. The photographic element
102
is then attached to a measuring apparatus and while shooting a test pattern or the like, the substrate
103
is repositioned so that the center of the photographic element
102
coincides with the optical axis of the lens. When this position is found, the screws
104
-
107
are tightened to attach the substrate
103
to the chassis
101
.
This mounting structure for photographic element
102
has a major drawback in that it is difficult to solder the photographic element
102
in the dead center of the substrate
103
. Also, a considerable amount of time is required to adjust the position of the substrate
103
with the screws
104
-
107
loosely attached so that the center of the photographic element
102
coincides with the optical axis of the lens, making the assembly process troublesome and requiring special skills. Such adjustment also requires the use of special equipment.
The mounting structure for the photographic element described above suffers from another drawback in that it is necessary to mount a metal cover to reduce the amount of radiation generated by the photographic element
102
and the substrate
103
that would otherwise escape to the periphery.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the stated problems, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a mounting structure for a photographic element of a camera that does not require equipment for adjustment of the optical axis and that easily adjusts the optical axis.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a mounting structure for the photographic element of a camera that reduces the effects of external radiation on the photographic element and plate and reduces the amount of radiation generated at the photographic element and plate that would otherwise escape to the periphery.
The stated first object can be achieved by a mounting structure for a photographic element of a camera, including: a photographic element package (a) on whose main surface a light-sensitive surface of the photographic element is arranged, (b) in whose side surfaces two standard surfaces that meet at a predetermined angle are formed, and (c) where a center of the light-sensitive surface of the photographic element is defined as a point which is a first offset amount from one of the standard surfaces and a second offset amount from another of the standard surfaces; a chassis (a) provided with a lens holding unit and an aperture which is located behind a lens that is set in the lens holding unit, (b) formed so that an aperture brim of the aperture is larger than the photographic element package to allow the photographic element package to move when inserted into the aperture brim, (c) has two contact surfaces that meet at the predetermined angle formed in the aperture brim, and (d) has the two contact surfaces positioned so that respective distances from the two contact surfaces to an optical axis of the lens are equal to the first offset amount and second offset amount of the light-sensitive surface of the photographic element; and a mounting member (a) which mounts and attaches the photographic element package onto the chassis in a state where the main surface of the photographic element package faces the lens through the aperture in the chassis and where the two standard surfaces are aligned with the two contact surfaces, (b) which includes an energizing unit, and (c) the energizing unit energizes the photographic element package in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens, as a result of the photographic element package being mounted onto the chassis, so that the two standard surfaces of the photographic element package firmly press against the two contact surfaces of the chassis.
With the stated construction, the standard surfaces of the photographic element package firmly press against the contact surfaces of the chassis so that the center of the light-sensitive surface of the photographic element is positioned on the optical axis of the lens. As a result, equipment for adjusting the optical axis of the lens is unnecessary and operations for centering the light-sensitive surface on the optical axis can be completely eradicated.
Here, a circuit board for a circuit that processes a signal generated by the photographic element may be provided on a back of the photographic element package, with the circuit board being integrated with the photographic element package via a connecting member, wherein the chassis may have at least one support part for supporting at least one part of the circuit board, and wherein the energizing unit of the mounting member may be an elastic member which, when the photographic element package is mounted onto the chassis, directly applies a force to side edges of the circuit board.
With the stated construction, the photographic element package will definitely be able to move within the aperture brim, and the standard surfaces will definitely press against the contact surfaces.
Here, the mounting member may have at least one pressing member for pressing the side edges of the circuit board onto the support part from behind when the photographic element package is mounted on the chassis.
With the stated construction, a circuit board can be attached to the chassis.
Here, the elastic member may be composed of a first spring for pressing the circuit board in a direction so that one of the standard surfaces firmly presses against one of the contact surfaces and a second spring for pressing the circuit board in another direction so tha
Garber Wendy R.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Price and Gess
Vu Ngoc-Yen
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