Patent ID: 6069652
Filing Date: 2000-05-30
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A high temperature camera apparatus including a video camera for viewing the interior of a high temperature chamber through an opening in a wall of the chamber, the apparatus comprising:(a) an elongated camera housing tube forming an interior passageway, for extending through the opening and having an exterior end for mounting relatively nearer the exterior of the chamber wall and an interior end for mounting near the interior of the chamber wall;(b) a removable, elongated camera support member extending into and along the camera housing tube and having the camera mounted near an interior end of the support member and extending to the exterior end, the support member supporting the camera at the interior end of the camera housing tube;(c) a ceramic heat shield tube telescopically surrounding and spaced from at least a portion of the camera, wherein the ceramic heat shield tube telescopically surrounds and is spaced outwardly from the camera housing tube and extends from the interior end of the camera housing tube toward the exterior end of the camera tube at least a distance so it surrounds the entire video camera and wherein a plurality of spacers project outwardly from the exterior surface of the camera housing tube to space the heat shield tube from the camera housing tube;(d) an air inlet manifold including an air inlet in fluid communication with the interior passageway of the camera housing tube for transporting cooling fluid along the interior passageway and cooling the camera; and(e) a steel end plate mounted at the interior end of the camera housing tube, the steel end plate having an image hole aligned with an image axis of the camera and a plurality of spaced ventilation holes surrounding the image hole.