GB1568750A - Television apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO TELEVISION APPARATUS (71) I, RICHARD ALFRED PER RENS, of The Police Station, Wombourne Road, Swindon, Dudley, West Midlands, a British Subject, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to television apparatus and, in particular, to television cameras of the kind which are mounted for rotary movement with respect to a support for the camera, as required in for example, surveillance systems.

At present, such cameras use brush contact type systems for supplying electrical power and control signals to and from the camera and associated drive means but such systems have been found to reduce picture quality especially when large angle movements of the camera are required.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved electrical contact system between the camera and its mounting.

According to the present invention I provide television apparatus comprising a camera which is mounted on a support for rotary movement relative thereto, viewing apparatus for receiving video signals from the camera, means for supplying electrical power to said camera together with signals for controlling adjustment of the camera about its rotary axis, said means including electrical contact means for conducting said electrical power, said control signals and said video signals to and from the camera independently of angular movement thereof, said contact means comprising first and second members associated with the camera and the support respectively, of which one member is provided with a series of circular channels concentric with the rotary axis of the camera and containing an electrically conductive liquid, gel or like medium, the other member having electrically conductive contacts which extend into said channels wherein electrical continuity between the support and the camera is obtained.

The electrically conductive medium may be for example mercury or a commercially available electrolytic jelly or paste. As used herein, the expression "like medium" is to be understood to mean a medium in the nature of liquid or gel which unlike a solid medium offers no substantial frictional resistance to movement.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a television surveillance camera unit in accordance with the invention; and Figure 2 is an exploded, diametrical sectional view of a pair of discs which serve to mount the camera and associated control equipment and provide electrical continuity between the camera and equipment and a remote position.

As shown, the camera is of the kind that is suspended from a ceiling or the like by a column 10 which is attached to the ceiling via an attachment plate 12. The camera 14 and associated control equipment is connected to the column 10 through the intermediary of a pair of discs 16, 18 of which the disc 16 is fixed to the column and the disc 18 is journalled by the column for rotation, the camera and associated equipment being mounted on the disc 18. Thus, by rotating the disc 18 about the axis of the column 10, the camera may scan the surroundings in a horizontal plane. Such rotation of the disc 18 relative to the disc 16 may be effected by a suitable drive motor and gearing, for instance the disc 16 may be provided with an annular gear with which a pinion, driven by the motor, engages to drive the disc 18 rotatably.

To enable the camera to scan in a vertical plane as well as horizontally, the camera is pivotally mounted, e.g. in trunnions 20, for angular movement about a horizontal axis, pivoting of the camera about this axis being effected, for instance, by a second motor and gearing.

It will be understood that various electrical connections have to be made to transmit electrical power and signals (e.g. video signals) to and from the camera and the associated drive motors and that such connections must be such that rotation of the camera through more than 360C is possible. In accordance with the invention, one of the discs, in this case preferably the disc 18, is provided with a series of circular channels 22 (of which several are shown in Figure 2) which each contain an electricallyconductive fluent medium such as mercury or an electrolytic jelly so that the medium extends in a continuous pool or layer 24 around each such channel 22. Electrical connections with the pools or layers 24 are made by pin-type terminals 26 whose inner ends 27 may project into the channels 22 and whose outer ends terminate in suitably-shaped connector members 28 which are housed in a terminal box 29 (see Figure 1) which may have suitable sockets for connection of electrical leads to the camera and drive motors.

The inner ends of the terminals 26 may be of limited circumferential contour or, if desired, they may extend around the entire, or at least a major part of the, respective channels.

The confronting face of the disc 16 is provided with a generally complementary configuration to that of the disc 18 such that circular projections 30 enter the channels 22 and seal the liquid or gel therein. The disc 16 is likewise provided with pin-type terminals 32 whose inner ends 31 dip into the pools or layers 24 and whose outer ends 33 are formed as connector members which are housed within a terminal box 34 (see Figure 1). The inner ends 31 may be of limited circumferential extent or they may be coextensive with the projections. Thus, as the disc 18 rotates relative to the disc 16, the inner ends of the terminals 32 sweep through the pools or layers 24 and maintain electrical continuity between the connector members 33 and 28. It will be understood that the discs will be composed of an electrically-insulating material and conveniently they will be moulded from a suitable plastics material.

As shown in Figure 1, a multi-conductor cable 36 is connected to the terminal box 34, e.g. via a plug and socket connection, and leads through the ceiling to a remote position from which electrical power is supplied to the camera and drive motors and electrical signals are sent to control the camera movements. The video signals from the camera may be routed via the cable to the control position for viewing on suitable monitoring apparatus. It will be appreciated that the number of channels in the disc 18 will depend on the electrical power/signal handling requirements of the svstem.

WHAT I CLAIM tS:- 1. Television apparatus comprising a camera which is mounted on a support for rotary movement relative thereto, viewing apparatus for receiving video signals from the camera, means for supplying electrical power to said camera together with signals for controlling adjustment of the camera about its rotary axis, said means including electrical contact means for conducting said electrical power, said control signals and said video signals to and from the camera independently of angular movement thereof, said contact means comprising first and second members associated with the camera and the support respectively, of which one member is provided with a series of circular channels concentric. with the rotary axis of the camera and containing an electrically conductive liquid, gel or like medium, the other member having electrically conductive contacts which extend into said channels wherein electrical continuity between the support and the camera is obtained.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which said channels are provided in one face of said one member and in which terminal members extend through said one member such that one end of each terminal member projects into a respective channel and the other end projects from the opposite face of said one member.

3. 3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the other member is provided with generally complementary projections which are received in said channels, said contact members being provided on the projections so as to be immersed in said electricallyconducting medium.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1-3 in which said medium comprises mercury.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1-3 in which said medium is an electrolytic jelly.

6. Television apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. pivoting of the camera about this axis being effected, for instance, by a second motor and gearing. It will be understood that various electrical connections have to be made to transmit electrical power and signals (e.g. video signals) to and from the camera and the associated drive motors and that such connections must be such that rotation of the camera through more than 360C is possible. In accordance with the invention, one of the discs, in this case preferably the disc 18, is provided with a series of circular channels 22 (of which several are shown in Figure 2) which each contain an electricallyconductive fluent medium such as mercury or an electrolytic jelly so that the medium extends in a continuous pool or layer 24 around each such channel 22. Electrical connections with the pools or layers 24 are made by pin-type terminals 26 whose inner ends 27 may project into the channels 22 and whose outer ends terminate in suitably-shaped connector members 28 which are housed in a terminal box 29 (see Figure 1) which may have suitable sockets for connection of electrical leads to the camera and drive motors. The inner ends of the terminals 26 may be of limited circumferential contour or, if desired, they may extend around the entire, or at least a major part of the, respective channels. The confronting face of the disc 16 is provided with a generally complementary configuration to that of the disc 18 such that circular projections 30 enter the channels 22 and seal the liquid or gel therein. The disc 16 is likewise provided with pin-type terminals 32 whose inner ends 31 dip into the pools or layers 24 and whose outer ends 33 are formed as connector members which are housed within a terminal box 34 (see Figure 1). The inner ends 31 may be of limited circumferential extent or they may be coextensive with the projections. Thus, as the disc 18 rotates relative to the disc 16, the inner ends of the terminals 32 sweep through the pools or layers 24 and maintain electrical continuity between the connector members 33 and 28. It will be understood that the discs will be composed of an electrically-insulating material and conveniently they will be moulded from a suitable plastics material. As shown in Figure 1, a multi-conductor cable 36 is connected to the terminal box 34, e.g. via a plug and socket connection, and leads through the ceiling to a remote position from which electrical power is supplied to the camera and drive motors and electrical signals are sent to control the camera movements. The video signals from the camera may be routed via the cable to the control position for viewing on suitable monitoring apparatus. It will be appreciated that the number of channels in the disc 18 will depend on the electrical power/signal handling requirements of the svstem. WHAT I CLAIM tS:-

1. Television apparatus comprising a camera which is mounted on a support for rotary movement relative thereto, viewing apparatus for receiving video signals from the camera, means for supplying electrical power to said camera together with signals for controlling adjustment of the camera about its rotary axis, said means including electrical contact means for conducting said electrical power, said control signals and said video signals to and from the camera independently of angular movement thereof, said contact means comprising first and second members associated with the camera and the support respectively, of which one member is provided with a series of circular channels concentric. with the rotary axis of the camera and containing an electrically conductive liquid, gel or like medium, the other member having electrically conductive contacts which extend into said channels wherein electrical continuity between the support and the camera is obtained.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which said channels are provided in one face of said one member and in which terminal members extend through said one member such that one end of each terminal member projects into a respective channel and the other end projects from the opposite face of said one member.

3. 3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the other member is provided with generally complementary projections which are received in said channels, said contact members being provided on the projections so as to be immersed in said electricallyconducting medium.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1-3 in which said medium comprises mercury.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1-3 in which said medium is an electrolytic jelly.

6. Television apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawing.