Constrained space camera assembly

Patent · 01 January 1999

OSTI ID:872285

Heckendorn, Frank M ^[1]; Anderson, Erin K ^[2]; Robinson, Casandra W ^[3]; Haynes, Harriet B ^[1]

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1. Aiken, SC
2. Augusta, GA
3. Trenton, SC

A constrained space camera assembly which is intended to be lowered through a hole into a tank, a borehole or another cavity. The assembly includes a generally cylindrical chamber comprising a head and a body and a wiring-carrying conduit extending from the chamber. Means are included in the chamber for rotating the body about the head without breaking an airtight seal formed therebetween. The assembly may be pressurized and accompanied with a pressure sensing means for sensing if a breach has occurred in the assembly. In one embodiment, two cameras, separated from their respective lenses, are installed on a mounting apparatus disposed in the chamber. The mounting apparatus includes means allowing both longitudinal and lateral movement of the cameras. Moving the cameras longitudinally focuses the cameras, and moving the cameras laterally away from one another effectively converges the cameras so that close objects can be viewed. The assembly further includes means for moving lenses of different magnification forward of the cameras.

• Research Organization: WESTINGHOUSE SAVANNAH RIVER CO
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• Assignee: Westinghouse Savannah River Company (Aiken, SC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5903306
• OSTI ID: 872285
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/348/
accompanied
airtight
allowing
apparatus
assembly
borehole
breach
breaking
camera
camera assembly
cameras
cavity
chamber
close
comprising
conduit
conduit extending
constrained
constrained space
converges
cylindrical
cylindrical chamber
disposed
effectively
embodiment
extending
focuses
formed
formed therebetween
forward
head
included
installed
intended
lateral
lateral movement
laterally
lenses
longitudinal
longitudinally
lowered
magnification
means
mounting
mounting apparatus
movement
moving
occurred
pressure
pressure sensing
pressurized
respective
rotating
seal
seal form
seal formed
sensing
sensing means
separated
space
space camera
tank
therebetween
tight seal
viewed
wiring-carrying