Camera unit having a stand and pivotable arms

{
  "publication_number": "US11553114B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Camera unit having a stand and pivotable arms",
  "abstract": "Disclosed herein is a camera unit including a camera main body, and a stand configured to support the camera main body, in which the camera main body includes a light receiving section and a main body housing in which the light receiving section is accommodated, the stand includes a first arm portion configured to support the main body housing for pivotal motion such that an orientation in an upward and downward direction of an optical axis of the light receiving section is adjustable, and a second arm portion attached for pivotal motion to the first arm portion, and the main body hosing has a protrusion that projects downwardly at a lower portion of the camera unit in a use state of the camera unit.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A camera unit comprising: a camera main body; and a stand configured to support the camera main body; wherein the camera main body includes a light receiving section and a main body housing in which the light receiving section is accommodated, the stand includes a first arm portion configured to support the main body housing for pivotal motion such that an orientation in an upward and downward direction of an optical axis of the light receiving section is adjustable, and a second arm portion attached for pivotal motion to the first arm portion, and the main body housing has a protrusion that projects downwardly at a lower portion of the camera unit in a use state of the camera unit.",
    "2. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein the first arm portion includes an arm housing having an opening at a rear portion thereof, and the camera unit further comprises a cable that is electrically connected to a circuit board accommodated in the main body housing, that extends rearwardly passing the inside of the main body housing and the arm housing and that is exposed from the opening.",
    "3. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein the main body housing is supported for pivotal motion at an upper portion thereof by the first arm portion.",
    "4. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein the second arm portion is attached to the first arm portion for pivotal motion between a closed position at which the second arm portion is positioned close to the camera main body and an open position at which the second arm portion is spaced away from the camera main body.",
    "5. The camera unit according to claim 4, wherein the protrusion is provided at a position at which the protrusion does not interfere with the second arm portion in a state in which the second arm portion is positioned at the closed position.",
    "6. The camera unit according to claim 4, wherein a lower face of the second arm portion in the state in which the second arm portion is at the closed position includes a first holding point for holding a posture of the second arm portion and a curved face that includes a second holding point for holding a posture of the second arm portion in the rear with respect to the first holding point, as viewed from a leftward and rightward direction.",
    "7. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein a rear face of the protrusion is inclined forwardly toward the downward.",
    "8. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein a lower face of the main body housing is inclined upwardly toward the rear.",
    "9. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein the main body housing has a slip-proof member on a lower face thereof.",
    "10. The camera unit according to claim 9, wherein the slip-proof member is provided over a range from the lower face of the main body housing to the rear face of the protrusion.",
    "11. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein a slip-proof member is provided on an inner face of a tip portion of the second arm portion.",
    "12. The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is provided projecting downwardly so as to be caught by a front face of a display device in the use state of the camera unit."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to a camera unit that is attached to an upper edge of a display device.\n\nJP 2018-10117A discloses a camera unit that includes a camera and a stand and that is attached to an upper edge of a display device (for example, a television set or a display of a personal computer). The camera unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 adopts a structure that has three centers of rotation provided for mounting of the camera unit on a display device and for adjustment of the orientation of the camera.\n\nSuch a camera unit as described above preferably has a more simplified configuration with which it can be attached to a display device.\n\nIt is desirable to provide a camera unit that has a simplified configuration with which it can be attached to a display device.\n\nA camera unit for solving the problem described above includes a camera main body, and a stand configured to support the camera main body, in which the camera main body includes a light receiving section and a main body housing in which the light receiving section is accommodated, the stand includes a first arm portion configured to support the main body housing for pivotal motion such that an orientation in an upward and downward direction of an optical axis of the light receiving section is adjustable, and a second arm portion attached for pivotal motion to the first arm portion, and the main body hosing has a protrusion that projects downwardly at a lower portion of the camera unit in a use state of the camera unit.",
  "cpc": [
    "G03B 17/561",
    "F16B 2/06",
    "F16M 11/04",
    "F16M 13/022",
    "F16M 2200/022",
    "G03B 17/566",
    "G06F 1/1605",
    "G06F 1/1607",
    "G06F 1/1686",
    "H04N 23/51",
    "H04N 23/531",
    "H04N 5/2252",
    "H04N 5/225251"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F16B 2/06",
    "F16M 11/04",
    "F16M 13/02",
    "G03B 17/56",
    "G06F 1/16"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Katsuhisa Tadano",
    "Naoki Ogishita",
    "Nozomu Uchida",
    "Kenta KIDOBA"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2021-05-17",
  "publication_date": "2023-01-10",
  "grant_date": "2023-01-10",
  "priority_date": "2020-05-29",
  "application_number": "US-202117321951-A",
  "family_id": "78704485",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "JPH10136241A",
    "JPH10191137A",
    "US5855343A",
    "JP2000152037A",
    "US6738094B1",
    "JP2004112731A",
    "US7048454B2",
    "JP2006172361A",
    "JP2010147535A",
    "US20120056973A1",
    "JP2012054813A",
    "JP2013001300A",
    "JP2018010117A",
    "US20180017204A1",
    "US10184606B2"
  ]
}