Ranging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9429423-B2
Application number	US-201113995298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 26, 2011
Priority date	Dec 28, 2010
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A ranging apparatus includes a body, a substrate on which a sensor unit is mounted and fitted to a surface of the body, a sensor holder attached to the surface of the body and configured to hold the substrate, a lens unit attached to another surface of the body, and a positioning mechanism to position and connect the body, the surface and the sensor holder. The positioning mechanism includes first and second engaging parts which are provided between the body and the substrate and configured to engage the body and the substrate, and third and fourth engaging parts which are provided between the substrate and the sensor holder and configured to engage the substrate and the sensor holder. The first and second engaging parts are different in shape, and the third and fourth engaging parts are different in shape.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ranging apparatus, comprising:
a body;
a substrate on which a plurality of sensors is mounted and fitted to a surface of the body;
a sensor holder attached to the surface of the body and configured to hold the substrate on which the plurality of sensors is mounted;
a lens unit attached to another surface of the body; and
a positioning mechanism configured to position and connect the body, the substrate and the sensor holder,
wherein the positioning mechanism including a first engaging part and a second engaging part which are provided between the body and the substrate and configured to engage the body and the substrate, and a third engaging part and a fourth engaging part which are provided between the substrate and the sensor holder and configured to engage the substrate and the sensor holder,
wherein the first engaging part and the second engaging part being different in shape, and the third engaging part and the fourth engaging part being different in shape, and
wherein the first engaging part includes a first groove provided in the substrate and a first protrusion provided on the body and the first protrusion is engaged with the first groove, the second engaging part includes a second groove provided in the substrate and a second protrusion provided on the body and the second protrusion is engaged with the second groove, the third engaging part includes a third groove provided in the substrate and a third protrusion provided on the sensor holder and the third protrusion is engaged with the third groove, the fourth engaging part includes a fourth groove provided in the substrate and a fourth protrusion provided on the sensor holder and the fourth protrusion is engaged with the fourth groove.

2. The ranging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a recess provided in the surface of the body and an abutment part provided in the recess,
wherein the substrate is fitted in the recess, and
when the substrate is fitted in the recess, the abutment mechanism abuts with the plurality of sensors.

3. The ranging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first groove has a V-character shape and the second groove has a trapezoidal shape, the first protrusion is fitted in the first groove to be in contact with inclines of the first groove, and the second protrusion is fitted in the second groove to be in contact with an upper surface of the second groove.

4. The ranging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the third groove has a V-character shape and the fourth groove has a trapezoidal shape, the third protrusion is fitted in the third groove to be in contact with inclines of the third groove, and the fourth protrusion is fitted in the fourth groove to be in contact with an upper surface of the fourth groove.

5. The ranging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
further comprising an elastic member disposed between the substrate and the sensor holder.

6. The ranging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the body and the sensor holder are fixed by a laser welding.

7. The ranging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the lens unit is attached to the body and a lens holder is attached to the body to hold the lens unit,
wherein the lens unit has at least two ranging lenses arranged at a predetermined interval,
two bosses are provided on a line passing centers of the lenses on one end surface of the lens unit,
two positioning holes are provided in the lens holder at positions facing the bosses, and
the lens unit and the lens holder are positioned by fitting the bosses in the positioning holes.

8. The ranging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the lens unit is attached to the body and a lens holder is attached to the body to hold the lens unit,
wherein the body and the lens holder are fixed by a laser welding.

Assignees

• Kimura Takayuki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kimura Takayuki

Classifications

• H04N23/54

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

• G02B7/30

  using parallactic triangle with a base line · CPC title

• G03B13/20

  Rangefinders coupled with focusing arrangements, e.g. adjustment of rangefinder automatically focusing camera · CPC title

• H04N5/2253

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G02B7/003 Primary

  Alignment of optical elements (G02B7/001, G02B7/002 take precedence; for mirrors G02B7/1822) · CPC title