Image capturing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12339570-B2
Application number	US-202318515590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2023
Priority date	Nov 25, 2022
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus is attachable to a heating cooker that heats food. The image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit and a blower unit. The image capturing unit is configured to perform image capturing. The blower unit is supported by the heating cooker, the blower unit being freely attachable to and detachable from the heating cooker. The blower unit supports the image capturing unit and disposes the image capturing unit at a position facing the heating cooker. The blower unit is configured to generate an air current that flows through a gap between the heating cooker and the image capturing unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image capturing apparatus attachable to a heating cooker that heats food, the image capturing apparatus comprising:
an image capturing unit configured to perform image capturing; and
a blower unit supported by the heating cooker, the blower unit being freely attachable to and detachable from the heating cooker,
wherein the blower unit supports the image capturing unit and disposes the image capturing unit at a position facing the heating cooker,
the blower unit is configured to generate an air current that flows through a gap between the heating cooker and the image capturing unit,
the air current generated by the blower unit is a first air current,
the image capturing unit includes a wall contacting the blower unit,
the wall includes a contact region in which the wall contacts the blower unit and a non-contact region outside the contact region,
the wall includes a first air passage in the contact region and a second air passage in the non-contact region,
the first air current flows from the blower unit into the first air passage, through the first air passage, and then out of the first air passage toward the gap between the heating cooker and the image capturing unit, and
due to a suction force caused by the first air current flowing through the gap between the heating cooker and the image capturing unit, air outside the image capturing apparatus flows into the second air passage to generate a second air current that flows through the second air passage and then out of the second air passage toward the gap between the heating cooker and the image capturing unit.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image capturing unit is freely attachable to and detachable from the blower unit.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the heating cooker includes
a main body including therein a cooking space in which food is heated, and
a window that is disposed at the main body and through which an inside of the cooking space is visible from outside the heating cooker, and

with the image capturing unit being supported by the blower unit, the image capturing unit faces the window and captures an image of the inside of the cooking space through the window.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image capturing unit further includes an air current disperser disposed in the gap between the heating cooker and the image capturing unit, and
the air current disperser disperses the air current generated by the blower unit.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the blower unit includes
a blower device configured to generate the air current, and
an air current disperser configured to disperse the air current blown out of the blower device, and

the air current dispersed by the air current disperser is blown out of the blower unit toward the gap between the heating cooker and the image capturing unit.

Assignees

• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Kitaura Tomohiro
• Nakamura Kota
• Makino Ryunosuke
• Okamoto Yuuki
• Shimizu Osamu
• Mizuno Hiroshi

Classifications

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• F24C15/04

  with transparent panels · CPC title

• G03B17/55 Primary

  with provision for heating or cooling, e.g. in aircraft · CPC title