Abstract:
In a vehicle closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera apparatus mounted on a vehicle to capture images of internal and external surroundings thereof and to transmit the captured images, the camera apparatus includes: a camera module; a holding device configured to hold the camera module in a manner that enables capturing angles of the camera module to be adjusted; a housing configured to house the camera module while having an inner bottom surface coupled to the holding device; and a shock-absorbing member interposed between the holding device and the housing to absorb shock by elastically supporting the holding device and the camera module.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0070804, filed on Jun. 20, 2013, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The following description generally relates to a camera apparatus of a closed-circuit television (CCTV), and more particularly to a vehicle CCTV camera apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle to capture images of internal and external surroundings of the vehicle and transmit the captured images. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems have been widely used in areas that require security and safety, such as residential areas, department stores, banks, exhibition centers, and the like, to manage these areas by monitoring images captured and transmitted by the CCTV systems. The CCTV system is provided with a camera to film areas and to transmit the captured images. 
     More recently, such CCTV systems are also used for vehicles, such as cars, trains, trucks, buses, and the like, to prevent crimes, thefts, accidents, or the like, in which camera apparatuses are installed inside of vehicles to capture internal and external surroundings thereof. As a conventional camera apparatus, Korean Laid-open Patent Publication No. 10-2009-0028950 (published on Mar. 20, 2009) discloses a camera module that is held by a holding device in a manner that enables capturing angles of the camera module to be adjusted, and the holding device is coupled to a housing by screw coupling. 
     Such camera apparatus may be vibrated and given a shock when a vehicle travels for a long time. As the holding device is generally made of plastic material, there occurs a problem in that the vibration and shock causes cracks and the like in the holding device. Further, coupling of the holding device with the housing may be loosened by the vibration and shock when a vehicle travels for a long time, leading to a problem in which a lens of the camera module is deviated. 
     SUMMARY 
     Disclosed is a vehicle CCTV camera apparatus that prevents cracks in a holding device, which holds a camera module, and deviation of a lens of the camera module even when the vehicle with the camera apparatus mounted thereon travels for a long time. 
     In one general aspect, there is provided a vehicle closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera apparatus, including: a camera module; a holding device configured to hold the camera module in a manner that enables capturing angles of the camera module to be adjusted; a housing configured to house the camera module while having an inner bottom surface coupled to the holding device; and a shock-absorbing member interposed between the holding device and the housing to absorb shock by elastically supporting the holding device and the camera module. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a vehicle CCTV camera apparatus according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating the inside of the vehicle CCTV camera apparatus in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a holding device coupled to a housing with a shock-absorbing member interposed therebetween. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the shock-absorbing member in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram to explain an example of an action performed by the embossing portions of the shock-absorbing member in  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein. Accordingly, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein will be suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for increased clarity and conciseness. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a vehicle CCTV camera apparatus according to an embodiment.  FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating the inside of the vehicle CCTV camera apparatus in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating a holding device coupled to a housing with a shock-absorbing member interposed therebetween. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the vehicle CCTV camera apparatus  100  includes a camera module  110 , a holding device  120 , a housing  130 , and a shock-absorbing member  140 . 
     The camera module  110  includes a case  111  to house a circuit board (not shown) on which an image pickup device is mounted, a barrel  113  that holds a lens  112  and is housed to be exposed from the case  111 , and luminous elements  114  arranged in the case  111  along the periphery of the lens  112 . The luminous elements  114  are provided for lighting, and may be LEDs and the like. The circumferential surface of the case  111  is formed in a circular shape, and may be formed in a curved shape along an optical axis direction of the lens  112 . 
     The holding device  120  holds the camera module  110  in a manner that enables capturing angles of the camera module  10  to be adjusted. For example, as the holding device  120  holds the camera module  110  in a manner that allows tilting and panning of the camera module  110 , capturing angles of the camera module  110  may be adjusted properly according to an environment where the camera apparatus  100  is installed. In this case, the holding device  120  may include a tilting holder  121  and a panning holder  126 . The tilting holder  121  is formed to be hollow with an upper portion and a lower portion that are open, and surrounds the circumference of the camera module  110 . The tilting holder  121  holds the camera module  110  in a manner that enables the camera module  110  to be tilted. The tilting holder  121  has hinge protrusions at positions facing both sides of the camera module  110 . The camera module  110  has hinge grooves on both sides thereof so that these hinge protrusions may be inserted into the hinge grooves, thereby enabling the camera module  110  to be tilted upward and downward with respect to the tilting holder  121 . 
     Further, the tilting holder  121  has a cut-out portion corresponding to a front portion where the barrel  113  of the camera module  110  is positioned, so as to expose the front portion of the barrel  113 . A circular border  122  may be formed around a lower edge of the tilting holder  121  to be protruded in a radial direction. Fixing grooves  122   a  are formed with a regular pitch on the surface of the circular border  122  in a circumferential direction. 
     The panning holder  126  is formed to be hollow with an upper portion and a lower portion that are open, and holds a lower circumference of the tilting holder  121  in a manner that allows the camera module  110  to be panned. The panning holder  126  may be formed in a ring shape. Further, the panning holder  126  may have an upper portion formed in a recess shape to house the circular border  122  of the tilting holder  121 . The panning holder  126  may have pairs of protrusions, each of which is arranged on both sides of the panning holder  126 . Each pair of protrusions is inserted into two corresponding fixing grooves  122   a  among fixing grooves  122   a  arranged on the circular border  122 , so that the tilting holder  121  may be fixed with angles adjusted along a left and right panning direction with respect to the panning holder  126 . 
     The housing  130  houses the camera module  110 . For example, the housing  130  includes a housing base  131  and a housing cover  136 . The housing cover  136  is combined to the top of the housing base  131  to house the camera module  110 . The housing cover  136  may have a transparent portion that corresponds to the camera module  110 . 
     An inner bottom surface of the housing  130 , that is, a top surface of the housing base  131  is coupled to the holding device  120 . A coupling portion  132  is formed on the top surface of the housing base  131 . The coupling portion  132  includes bosses, each of which has a screw groove and is protruded from the top surface of the housing base  131 . The panning holder  126  includes coupling pieces  127  that extend to correspond to each of the bosses. Each of the coupling pieces  127  may have a through hole to enable a screw  128  to pass therethrough. The screw  128  passes through the through hole of the coupling piece  127  to be coupled to a screw groove of a boss, such that the panning holder  126  may be fixed to the housing base  131 . 
     The shock-absorbing member  140  is interposed between the holding device  120  and the housing  130  to absorb shock by elastically supporting the holding device  120  and the housing  130 . The shock-absorbing member  140  may be inserted between the panning holder  126  and the housing base  131 . The shock-absorbing member  140  may be made of an elastic material such as rubber, silicon, or the like. In a case where the camera apparatus  100  is vibrated and given a shock while mounted on a vehicle travelling for a long time, the shock-absorbing member  140  may absorb the vibration and shock by being positioned between the panning holder  126  and the housing base  131 . Accordingly, even when the panning holder  126  is made of a material with the same rigidity as a plastic material and the like, which is capable of stably holding the tilting holder  121 , problems, such as cracks and the like in the panning holder  126 , may be prevented. 
     Further, even when coupling of the panning holder  126  and the housing base  131  is loosened by the vibration and shock in a vehicle while travelling for a long time, the shock-absorbing member  140  elastically pushes the panning holder  126  from the housing base  131 , such that the panning holder  126  and the housing base  131  may be tightly coupled. Moreover, as the shock-absorbing member  140  elastically supports the camera module  110 , deviation of the lens  112  of the camera module  110  may be prevented. 
     The housing  130  includes a protruded supporter  133 . The protruded supporter  133  is protruded by passing through the holding device  120  from the inner bottom surface of the housing  130  to surround the lower portion of the camera module  110 . For example, a pair of the protruded supporters  133  may be formed to be bilaterally symmetrical and have a recess middle portion. The protruded supporter  133  may have a cut-out portion that corresponds to the rear side of the camera module  110 . Accordingly, in a case where a cable  115  is connected through the rear side of the camera module  110 , the cable  115  may be easily movable through the cut-out rear portion of the protruded supporter  133 , and as a result, the camera module  110  may be readily tilted and/or panned. Further, the protruded supporter  133  may be formed in a concavely curved shape along a circumferential direction to surround a curved lower portion of the camera module  110 . 
     The shock-absorbing member  140  includes a shock-absorbing body  141  and a shock-absorbing flange  146 . The shock-absorbing body  141  is formed to surround a top surface and a circumferential surface of the protruded supporter  133 . The shock-absorbing body  141  has a specific thickness to surround the top surface and the circumferential surface of the protruded supporter  133 . The shock-absorbing body  141  may have a cut-out portion that corresponds to the cut-out rear portion of the protruded supporter  133 . 
     The shock-absorbing body  141  may include protrusions  142 , each of which is protruded from the top surface of the shock-absorbing body  141  to be radially arranged. Each protrusion  142  may be formed to be radially extended. The protrusions  142  are formed to be elastically transformed, with the lower portion of the camera module  110  sitting on the top surface of the shock-absorbing body  141 . Accordingly, the protrusions  142  may further enhance elasticity provided for the camera module  110  by the shock-absorbing body  141 , thereby enabling the camera module  110  to be stably held in a long vehicle trip. 
     The shock-absorbing flange  146  is protruded from a lower circumference of the shock-absorbing body  141  to be contacted with the inner bottom surface of the housing  130 , to support a lower surface of the edge of the holding device  120 . The shock-absorbing flange  146  may be formed in a circular band shape to support the lower surface of the panning holder  126 . The shock-absorbing flange  146  may include a plurality of embossing portions  147  that are protruded from the top surface thereof. As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the embossing portions  147  have a concave shape as viewed from the lower surface of the shock-absorbing flange  146 , and have a convex shape as viewed from the upper surface of the shock-absorbing flange  146 . Further, the embossing portions  147  may have a truncated cone shape, or a hemispherical shape, but the shape of the embossing portions  147  is not limited thereto. 
     The embossing portions  147  are elastically transformed while being pressured when the panning holder  126  is coupled to the housing base  131 , and the embossing portions  147  is restored to an original state when the panning holder  126  is detached from the housing base  131 . While being elastically transformed, the embossing portions  147  apply elasticity to the panning holder  126 . Accordingly, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , when the screw  128  is unscrewed to adjust angles of the camera module  110  in a tilting direction and/or a panning direction, the embossing portions  147  elastically push the panning holder  126 , and accordingly, the camera module  110  may be arranged in a position that enables the camera module  110  to avoid interference with the shock-absorbing body  141 . As a result, angles of the camera module  110  may be easily adjusted. Each of the embossing portions  147  is formed to be tapered toward the top thereof, allowing them to be easily transformed and restored. 
     In the present embodiments, by using a shock-absorbing member, it is possible to prevent problems, such as cracks in a holding device that holds a camera module or deviation of a lens of the camera module, even in a case where a camera apparatus is vibrated and given a shock when being mounted on a vehicle travelling for a long time. 
     Further, in the present embodiment, when the holding device is decoupled from the housing, a camera module is disposed in a position that enables the camera module to avoid interference with a shock-absorbing body by using embossing portions of the shock-absorbing member, such that angles of the camera module may be easily adjusted. 
     A number of examples have been described above. Nevertheless, it should be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order and/or if components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims. Further, the above-described examples are for illustrative explanation of the present invention, and thus, the present invention is not limited thereto.