Patent Application
20190240796
The present disclosure relates to spin windows with integrated cameras.
Spin windows provide windows that spin rapidly to prevent debris from accumulating on the window. In some implementations, a spin window is incorporated into an outer wall of a machine tool safety enclosure, so that an operator or a camera can clearly view the operation of the machine tools within the safety enclosure from outside the enclosure, even when the machine tools cast liquid or solid debris onto the enclosure's walls. Additional details regarding spin windows are available in U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,055.
A spin window may be summarized as comprising: a rotatable, transparent window including an outer edge portion and a first central longitudinal axis; a rotatable rim coupled to the outer edge portion of the rotatable, transparent window and including a second central longitudinal axis coincident with the first central longitudinal axis; and a camera, wherein at least a portion of the camera is positioned directly radially inward from the rotatable rim.
A spin window may be summarized as comprising: a rotatable, transparent window including an outer edge portion and a first central longitudinal axis; a rotatable rim coupled to the outer edge portion of the rotatable, transparent window and including a second central longitudinal axis coincident with the first central longitudinal axis; and a camera, wherein a first position of at least a portion of the camera overlaps with a second position of the rotatable rim along a dimension parallel to the first and second central longitudinal axes.
A spin window may be summarized as comprising: a rotatable, transparent window including a first central longitudinal axis; a motor coupled to the rotatable, transparent window and including a second central longitudinal axis coincident with the first central longitudinal axis; and a camera, wherein at least a portion of the camera is positioned directly radially outward from the motor.
A spin window may be summarized as comprising: a rotatable, transparent window including a first central longitudinal axis; a motor coupled to the rotatable, transparent window and including a second central longitudinal axis coincident with the first central longitudinal axis; and a camera, wherein a first position of at least a portion of the camera overlaps with a second position of the motor along a dimension parallel to the first and second longitudinal axes.
At least a portion of a camera may include at least a lens of the camera. A spin window may be completely enclosed within outer walls of a machine tool safety enclosure.
A spin window may be summarized as comprising: a housing including an outer rim; a notch formed in the outer rim; a first bracket including a main body and a flange, the bracket coupled to the outer rim with the flange positioned in the notch; a second bracket coupled to the first bracket; and a camera coupled to the second bracket. The camera may be sealed to the housing with a nitrile sleeve.
A spin window may be summarized as comprising: an outer stationary rim; a stationary support arm extending radially inward from the outer stationary rim; a first protrusion coupled to and extending transverse to the stationary support arm; a second protrusion coupled to and extending radially inward from the outer stationary rim; and a camera constrained against lateral movement by the outer stationary rim, the stationary support arm, the first protrusion, and the second protrusion.
In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed embodiments. However, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures associated with the technology have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims that follow, the word “comprising” is synonymous with “including,” and is inclusive or open-ended (i.e., does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method acts).
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or” is generally employed in its broadest sense, that is, as meaning “and/or” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
The transparent sheet of material 106 can be referred to herein as a rotatable window 106, and is further described below with regard to
When the spin window 100 is in use, it can be mounted inside a machine tool safety enclosure, where debris from machining operations may be cast onto the rotatable window 106. The spin window 100 can be used to rotate the rotatable window 106 at high speeds about its central longitudinal axis, so that any solid or liquid debris that contacts the rotatable window 106 is quickly thrown radially outward and off of the rotatable window 106. In doing so, the rotatable window 100 can provide and maintain a clear field of view inside the machine tool safety enclosure, and of the machinery operating therein, for the camera 108.
At its rear end portion 112, the spin window 100 includes a housing 116 configured to house and protect various other components of the spin window 100, as described further below. The housing 116 includes a rear portion or rear cover 118 that includes a cylindrical outer rim 120 and a rear plate 122. As seen in
The housing 116 also includes a front portion or front cover 124 that includes a cylindrical outer rim 126 and a front plate 128. The rear plate 122 is coupled to a rear end of the outer rim 120 and the front plate 128 is coupled to a front end of the outer rim 126. Thus, a front end of the rim 120 of the rear cover 118 can be coupled to a rear end of the rim 126 of the front cover 124 to assemble the housing 116 with a cylindrical internal empty space or void defined by the inner surfaces of the rims 120 and 126, for holding various other components of the spin window 100 between the rear plate 122 and the front plate 128.
Viewed along the axis 110, the rear plate 122 spans the majority of, or substantially the entirety of, the area encompassed within the rim 120 of the rear cover 118. Similarly, viewed along the axis 110, the front plate 126 spans the majority of, or substantially the entirety of, the area encompassed within the rim 126 of the front cover 124. The rear plate 122 and the front plate 128 include, however, respective openings 130 and 132 that are aligned with one another in the direction of a dimension parallel to the axis 110. These openings can be sized to accommodate the camera 108, such that the camera 108 can be inserted into and removed from the housing 116 through the opening 130 in the rear cover 118 and such that the camera 108 can be oriented with its field of view extending outward through the opening 132 in the front cover 124.
To assemble the spin window 100, the rim 136 can be coupled to the rotatable window 106. The rotatable window 106 can be positioned with the cylindrical portion 144 of the backing plate 140 extending through its circular aperture 146. The face plate 142 can be coupled to the rotatable window 106 and to the backing plate 140 so that the rotatable window 106 is snugly sandwiched, or clamped, between the backing plate 140 and the face plate 142. The backing plate 140 can be coupled to the rotor 138 and thereby to the rest of the spin window 100. To use the spin window 100, the motor including the rotor 138 can be used to spin the rotatable window 106, the rim 136, the backing plate 140, and the face plate 142, at high speeds with respect to the housing 116.
The spin window 100 also includes a rear camera cover 152 coupled to a rear surface of the housing 116 to cover the opening 130 in the rear plate 122. The camera cover 152 is removably coupled to the housing 116 so an operator can remove the cover 152 to insert, remove, replace, or perform maintenance on the camera 108, and so that the operator can install the cover 152 to seal the housing 116 to protect the components held therein. The spin window 100 also includes one or more ports 154, which can include data ports, power ports, or any other suitable ports.
The second bracket 164 is a C-shaped bracket having a generally rectangular first arm portion 166, a generally rectangular body portion 168 extending transverse or perpendicular to the first arm portion 166, and a generally rectangular second arm portion 170 extending transverse or perpendicular to the body portion 168 and aligned with or parallel to the first arm portion 166. The first arm portion 166 is mounted flush to the main body 160 of the first bracket 156 so that the body portion 168 extends from the first arm portion 166 toward the central axis 110, and so that the second arm portion 170 is located closer to the axis 110 and the center of the spin window 100 than the first arm portion 166. The camera 108 is mounted to the second bracket 164 between the first and second arm portions 166, 170.
A transparent sheet of material 210, referred to herein as a rotatable window 210, and that is similar to the rotatable window 106, is rigidly mounted to the central hub 208. An outer, annular, rotatable rim 212, which is similar to the rim 136, is rigidly coupled and sealed to the outer surface of the rotatable window 106. When the spin window 200 operates, the rotatable rim 212 can be sealed to and rotate with respect to the front of the stationary rim 204.
When the camera 214 is mounted to the spin window 200, it has a rear surface in contact with the backing plate 222, a front surface behind the rotatable window 210, a first side surface 224 in contact with and constrained against lateral movement by the radial arm 206, a second side surface 226 in contact with and constrained against lateral movement by the first protrusion 218, a third side surface 228 in contact with and constrained against lateral movement by the stationary rim 204, and a fourth side surface 230 in contact with and constrained against lateral movement by the second protrusion 220.
As illustrated in
The spin window 200 differs from the spin window 100 in that many of its mechanical and electrical components are housed within the support post 202, the stationary rim 204, and/or the radial arm 206. Thus, a person can stand behind and look through the spin window 200, such as through a majority of the area enclosed by the stationary rim 204 or the rotatable rim 212. Alternatively, or in addition, a second camera can be positioned behind the spin window 200 such that its field of view extends through a majority of the area enclosed by the stationary rim 204 or the rotatable rim 212.
The spin windows 100 and 200 each incorporate a rotatable window and a camera into a single modular or integrated unit. Such an integrated unit can be sold as a package and installed very quickly, efficiently, and reliably by an end user, without the need for detailed explanations or training. The spin windows 100 and 200, including their respective cameras 108 and 214, can also be mounted in various locations, positions, and orientations, which can be reliably adjusted as needed without the need to re-calibrate the relative positions or orientations of the cameras 108 and 214 and the respective rotatable windows 106 and 210. Further, the integrated units described herein provide spin windows with integrated cameras in a minimal form factor or overall volume, depth, or thickness, which can be particularly advantageous when used inside machine tool safety enclosures, where efficient use of space can be particularly important.
For example, the spin windows described herein can have an overall depth or thickness of less than 6.00 inches. As another example, the spin window 100 can have an overall depth or thickness when installed, as measured from the surface to which the spin window 100 is installed along an axis perpendicular to that surface, which may or may not be aligned with the axis 110, of between about 3.00 and 3.50 inches, or about 3.25 inches. As a further example, the spin window 200 can have an overall depth or thickness when installed, as measured from the surface to which the spin window 200 is installed along an axis perpendicular to that surface, of between about 2.00 and 2.50 inches, or about 2.35 inches.
In some embodiments, an existing spin window without an integrated camera, which may have already been used as described herein for spin windows generally, can be retrofitted to incorporate an integrated camera as described above for spin windows 100 or 200. In some embodiments, the spin windows 100, 200, or 300 can include antennas, so that they can be installed inside a machine tool safety enclosure and controlled by an operator standing outside the machine tool safety enclosure.
In some embodiments, the spin windows 100, 200, or 300 can incorporate control software that allows a human operator or a computer to control the operation of the spin window 100, 200, or 300. For example, the control software can provide control over a zoom, a tilt, a pan, a timestamp, and the motor of the spin window 100, 200, or 300. In some cases, any “industry 4.0” or “internet of things” protocol can be used to facilitate interaction with and control over the spin window 100, 200, or 300. In some cases, an MTConnect communications protocol can be used to facilitate interaction with and control over the spin window 100, 200, or 300, such as from an aggregating agent that also controls or monitors the operation of various machine tools, under an XML schema.
The cameras 108, 214 described herein can be any suitable type of camera. It has been found that internally-lensed, piezo-electrically actuated cameras, and cameras with a fixed depth or length that is independent of its focal length, can be particularly advantageous. Cameras referred to as “lipstick” cameras, or cameras having a “lipstick” form factor, or USB-type cameras can be particularly advantageous. One suitable example is a camera sold under the brand name GoPro Session.
The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/385,807, filed Sep. 9, 2016, is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2017/050646 | 9/8/2017 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62385807 | Sep 2016 | US |
