JP3174892B2 - Infrared camera - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an infrared camera used in an infrared thermal imaging apparatus, and more particularly to a mechanism for switching an infrared transmission filter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an infrared camera used in an infrared thermal imaging apparatus for detecting infrared radiation emitted from the surface of a subject and displaying a temperature distribution as a visible image (thermal image) is shown in FIG. Some are configured as follows. First, the optical system scanning mechanism of the infrared camera will be described. Light emitted from the surface of the subject 50 is blocked by a silicon window 51 provided in a front opening (not shown) of a housing (not shown) so that visible light 52 is blocked. Incident. In the housing, a decahedral rotating mirror 55 rotated at a constant speed by a driving motor (not shown) is disposed on substantially the same plane as the silicon window 51, and is incident on the housing. The infrared light 53 enters the rotating mirror 55.

The rotating mirror 55 has a polygonal pyramid shape in which plane mirrors 55a, 55b,... Made of a decahedron are slightly inclined in a direction perpendicular to the rotation center O of the rotating mirror. . Therefore, the infrared rays 53 are reflected by the rotating mirror-5.
5 are reflected by the plane mirrors 55a, 55b,. At this time, the plane mirrors 55a, 55b,.
Means that the portion of the subject 50 that is slightly shifted in the vertical direction is scanned in the horizontal direction, and one rotation of the rotating mirror 55 scans a range of 10 ° in the vertical direction. The infrared rays 53 scanned in the horizontal and vertical directions in this manner are reflected by the turning mirror 56 disposed substantially on the same plane as the rotating mirror 55, and the beam is condensed by the condenser lens 58. After that, the light passes through the infrared transmission filter 57 and enters the infrared detector 59.

The infrared detector 59 is composed of ten detection elements arranged in parallel in the direction of the rotation center O of the rotation mirror 55, and the element spacing is 1 ° for a vertical viewing angle of 10 °. The interval is equivalent to every other angle. Therefore, in the first plane mirror 55a of the rotating mirror 55, the 10-element infrared detector 59 moves the subject 50 in the vertical direction.
Simultaneously receive thermal image signals every 1 °, 0.1 ° per line
Are output as ten scanning line signals having the following intervals.
Next, with the rotation of the rotating mirror 55, when the next plane mirror 55b reflects the infrared ray 53 from the subject 50, the plane mirror 55b
Due to the difference in the inclination of b, the 10-element infrared detector 59 simultaneously receives thermal image signals at positions shifted by 0.1 ° from the previous position, and similarly, at intervals of 0.1 ° per line at intervals of 1 °. Are output as ten scanning line signals having.

[0005] When the rotating mirror 55 makes one rotation in this way, the object 50 has been scanned over a vertical viewing angle of 10 °, and ten 0.
Infrared rays 53 from different subjects 50 enter by 1 ° each, and the infrared detector 59 as a whole is output as 100 infrared scanning signals. The infrared scanning signal output from the infrared detector 59 is amplified by an amplifier circuit 60, processed by a processor 61, and displayed as a thermal image on a monitor 62.

In this case, when the temperature measurement range is switched in accordance with the subject 50, the infrared transmission filter 57 is replaced with one having a different transmittance to change the infrared transmittance or the transmission wavelength region. As shown in FIG. 6, the switching mechanism 63 of the infrared transmission filter 57 includes infrared transmission filters 57 having different transmittances.
a, 57b, and 57c are juxtaposed with one end of an operation lever 65 integrally having a rotating shaft 64 so as to be positioned concentrically around the rotating shaft 64 in the radial direction thereof. ing. An operation knob 66 is provided integrally with the other end of the operation lever 65. The infrared transmission filter 57 supported by the operation lever 65 is located between the condenser lens 58 and the infrared detector 59 in a housing (not shown), and their axes 67 coincide with each other. The operation knob 66 of the operation lever 65 is provided so as to protrude from the housing. Therefore, when the operation lever 66 is rotated by gripping the operation knob 66, each of the infrared transmitting filters 57a, 57b,... Are selectively inserted into the optical path L between the infrared transmission filters 57a... According to the observation temperature range of the subject 50.

[0007]

As described above, the switching mechanism 63 of the infrared transmission filter 57 is provided with the condenser lens 5.
8 and the infrared detector 59, and is configured to rotate around the rotation shaft 64. Therefore, the more the number of infrared transmission filters 57a,. There is a problem that space is required in the direction, the shape of the infrared camera itself becomes large, and the space efficiency in the housing is poor.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a support plate on which infrared transmitting filters are mounted at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a rotation of the support plate around the center of the support plate in the width direction at the end. Switching of an infrared transmission filter having a rotating shaft fixed to an operation knob movably supported and having a rear end protruding outside the housing, and a mount fixed to the housing and rotatably supporting the rotating shaft. A mechanism is provided, and the infrared transmitting filter is sequentially positioned between the turning mirror and the condenser lens and in the optical path where the light beam of the scanning light is parallel by turning the support plate in accordance with the turning operation of the operation knob. Thus, the infrared transmission filter switching mechanism is positioned.

[0009]

When the operation knob is turned from the outside of the housing to select the infrared transmission filter according to the measurement temperature range of the subject, the support plate fixed to the tip of the rotation shaft rotates at the center in the width direction. The support plate rotates in the optical path, and the desired infrared transmitting filters mounted on both ends in the longitudinal direction of the support plate are positioned in the optical path L.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the inside of the housing of the infrared camera, and FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are a plan view, a front view, and a side view showing a switching mechanism of the infrared transmission filter. The optical system scanning mechanism will be described using the same reference numerals with reference to FIG. 1 to 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a housing, 2 denotes an opening opening in the front surface of the housing 1, and 3 denotes a window fixing member that fixes a silicon window 51 to the opening 2.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, reference numeral 4 denotes an infrared transmission filter switching mechanism, which is a support plate 5 on which an infrared transmission filter 57 is mounted, a rotating shaft 8 for rotating the support plate 5, and
An operation knob 7 disposed outside the housing 1;
And a mounting base 6 for fixing to the housing 1. The support plate 5 has a length and a width capable of mounting infrared transmission filters 57a and 57b having different transmittances on the upper surfaces of both ends, and the infrared transmission filters 57 are mounted on both ends in the longitudinal direction of the support plate 5, respectively. Openings 5a are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction so as to be open, and are formed at the center in the width direction so as to be rotatably mounted on the upper end of one end of a mounting base 6 having an L-shaped cross section. The supporting column 10 is attached.

A shaft hole 9 through which a rotating shaft 8 fixed to an operation knob 7 penetrates is provided at one end of the mounting base 6, and the back surface of the other end of the mounting base 6 is connected to the housing 1. It is fixed between the attached turning mirror 56 and the condenser lens 58. The front end of the rotating shaft 8 is fixed to and integrated with the supporting column 10, and supports the supporting plate 5 so as to be rotatable around the center in the width direction of the supporting plate 5. The portion is rotatably supported through a shaft hole 9 of the mounting base 6, and an end of the rotating shaft 8 projects outside the housing 1, and a semi-circular ring plate 11 is fixed to the end. The operation knob 7 is fixed in close proximity. Therefore, when the operation knob 7 is rotated, the rotation shaft 8 is rotated together with the movement of the operation knob 7, and the support plate 5
Is configured to rotate about the center in the width direction as the center of rotation. A pin 12 is embedded in the mount 6 along the circumferential direction as a stopper for the ring plate 11. Therefore, when the operation knob 7 is rotated with the one end of the mounting base 6 fixed to the housing 1, the operation knob 7 and the ring plate 11 are integrally rotated, and the support plate 5 is moved in the width direction. It is configured to be rotated by a rotation shaft 8 about a center portion as a rotation center.

As described above, as shown in FIG. 1, the infrared transmission filter switching mechanism 4 is provided in the optical path L between the return mirror 56 and the condenser lens 58 and at a position where the light flux of the scanning light is parallel. The infrared transmitting filter 57 is positioned so as to be positioned, and is disposed in the housing 1 by the mounting base 6. 13 is a screw fixing the support column 10 and the support plate 5, 14 is a noise reduction wall for reducing the wind noise of the rotating mirror 55, 15 is a noise reduction wall and a room temperature adjustment wall. This is a noise-canceling wall that also serves as

Next, the operation will be described. Light (visible light 52 and infrared light 53) from the surface of the subject 50 is blocked by the silicon window 51, and only the infrared light 53 enters the infrared camera 54. The infrared light 53 incident on the inside is vertically and horizontally scanned by a rotating mirror 55 and a turning mirror 56, and this scanning light is incident on an infrared transmission filter 57. At this time, the infrared transmission filter switching mechanism 4 selects an infrared transmission filter 57 having an appropriate transmittance according to the measurement temperature range of the subject 50 in advance. When the operation knob 7 is rotated, the support plate 5 supported by the rotation shaft 8 is rotated about the center in the width direction as the rotation center, and the desired infrared transmission filter 57 is positioned in the optical path L. Then, the scanning light is transmitted through the infrared transmission filter 57, the light beam is condensed by the condenser lens 58, enters the infrared detector 59, is converted into an electric signal, is amplified by the amplifier 60, and is variously processed by the processor 61. Is processed and displayed on the monitor 62.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, if a plurality of support plates 5 are prepared and these support plates 5 are fixed radially to the rotation shaft 8, a large transmittance can be obtained. Different infrared transmission filters 57 can be prepared and selected.

[0015]

According to the present invention, there is provided a support plate on which infrared transmitting filters are mounted at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a front end portion rotatably supporting the support plate around the center in the width direction of the support plate. An infrared transmission filter switching mechanism having a rotation shaft fixed to an operation knob having a rear end protruding outside the housing and a mounting table fixed to the housing and rotatably supporting the rotation shaft; Rotation of the support plate in accordance with the rotation of the knob causes infrared transmission so that the infrared transmission filter is sequentially positioned between the return mirror and the condenser lens and in the optical path in which the light beam of the scanning light is parallel. Since the filter switching mechanism is positioned, the length in the vertical direction in the housing can be reduced as compared with the conventional one, so that the infrared camera can be downsized accordingly. In addition, the operation is simple because the infrared transmission filter can be selected and positioned simply by rotating the operation knob.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2, showing an embodiment of the present invention, is a plan view of an infrared transmission filter switching mechanism.

FIG. 3, showing an embodiment of the present invention, is a front view of an infrared transmission filter switching mechanism.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the present invention and is a side view of an infrared transmission filter switching mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part showing a conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional infrared transmission filter switching mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 50 subject 51 silicon window 53 infrared ray 56 folding mirror 58 focusing lens 59 infrared ray detector 1 housing 4 infrared ray transmitting filter switching mechanism 5 support plate 6 mounting stand 7 operation knob 8 rotation axis L optical path

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-2-170026 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03B 41/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A window that transmits only infrared rays emitted from the surface of an object, and vertically and horizontally scans the infrared rays that have passed through the window, and collects scanning light from a turning mirror through an infrared transmission filter. An optical system scanning mechanism having a condenser lens that emits light, an infrared detector that receives scanning light from the condenser lens of the optical system scanning mechanism and photoelectrically converts the scanning light, an optical system scanning mechanism and the infrared detector, A support plate for mounting the infrared transmission filter at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and rotating the support plate at a tip end about a center in the width direction of the support plate at a tip end. A rotating shaft fixed to an operation knob, which is freely supported and has a rear end protruding outside the housing; and a rotating shaft fixed to the housing and rotatably supported. An infrared transmission filter switching mechanism having a mounting table to be held by the rotation of the support plate in accordance with the rotation of the operation knob. An infrared camera characterized in that the infrared transmission filter switching mechanism is positioned such that the infrared transmission filters are sequentially located in optical paths in which light beams are parallel.