Camera heat sink
View Patent ↗A camera includes a camera body having a camera lens structured on a front surface of the camera body and electronics internal to the camera body for capturing images via the camera lens. A thermally conductive material is thermally coupled to the electronics and exposed on an external face of the camera body. The thermally conductive material transfers heat produced by the electronics to the external face of the camera, and a removable heat sink removably couples to the thermally conductive material. The camera further includes a housing structured to at least partially enclose the camera body. The housing is structured to enable at least a portion of the removable heat sink to protrude through the housing.
1. A camera system, comprising:
a camera body having a camera lens structured on a front surface of the camera body;
electronics internal to the camera body, the electronics for capturing images via the camera lens;
a thermally conductive material thermally coupled to the electronics and exposed on an external face of the camera body, the thermally conductive material to transfer heat produced by the electronics to the external face of the camera body, wherein the thermally conductive material comprises a first plate and a second plate, the first plate structured to thermally couple to a first subset of the electronics and the second plate structured to thermally couple to a second subset of the electronics, the first plate and the second plate separated by a gap;
a removable heat sink for removably coupling to the thermally conductive material; and
a housing structured to at least partially enclose the camera body, the housing structured to enable at least a portion of the heat sink to protrude through the housing.
2. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first plate and the second plate comprises a planar component substantially flush with the external face of the camera body.
3. A camera system, comprising:
a camera body having a camera lens structured on a front surface of the camera body;
electronics internal to the camera body, the electronics for capturing images via the camera lens;
a thermally conductive material thermally coupled to the electronics and exposed on an external face of the camera body, the thermally conductive material to transfer heat produced by the electronics to the external face of the camera body, wherein the thermally conductive material comprises a first plate and a second plate, the first plate structured to thermally couple to a first subset of the electronics and the second plate structured to thermally couple to a second subset of the electronics, the first plate coupled to the second plate by a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the first plate and the second plate;
a removable heat sink for removably coupling to the thermally conductive material; and
a housing structured to at least partially enclose the camera body, the housing structured to enable at least a portion of the heat sink to protrude through the housing.
4. A camera system, comprising:
a camera body having a camera lens structured on a front surface of the camera body;
electronics internal to the camera body, the electronics for capturing images via the camera lens;
a thermally conductive material thermally coupled to the electronics and exposed on an external face of the camera body, the thermally conductive material to transfer heat produced by the electronics to the external face of the camera body, wherein the thermally conductive material comprises a first plate and a second plate, the first plate structured to thermally couple to a first subset of the electronics and the second plate structured to thermally couple to a second subset of the electronics;
a removable heat sink for removably coupling to the thermally conductive material, wherein the removable heat sink comprises a first portion structured to thermally couple to the first plate of the thermally conductive material and a second portion structured to thermally couple to the second plate of the thermally conductive material, the first portion and the second portion coupled by a connector having a smaller cross-sectional area than the first portion and the second portion; and
a housing structured to at least partially enclose the camera body, the housing structured to enable at least a portion of the heat sink to protrude through the housing.
5. The camera system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more flexible spacers between the thermally conductive material and the electronics, the flexible spacers providing a thermal conduction path from the electronics to the thermally conductive material.
6. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the removable heat sink comprises a plurality of fins structured to protrude from a surface of the removable heat sink.
7. A camera system, comprising:
a camera body having a camera lens structured on a front surface of the camera body;
a thermally conductive material exposed on an external face of the camera body, the thermally conductive material to transfer heat to the external face of the camera body;
a removable heat sink for removably coupling to the thermally conductive material; and
a housing structured to at least partially enclose the camera body, the housing structured to enable at least a portion of the heat sink to protrude through the housing;
electronics internal to the camera body, the electronics for capturing images via the camera lens, and the electronics thermally coupled to the thermally conductive material to transfer heat produced by the electronics to the thermally conductive material, wherein the electronics comprise a processor adapted to detect when the removable heat sink is attached to the camera, and wherein the processor is adapted to operate the camera in a first mode responsive to detecting the removable heat sink is not attached to the camera and to operate the camera in a second mode responsive to detecting the removable heat sink is attached to the camera.
8. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the housing is structured to form a watertight seal around the removable heat sink.
9. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the camera body comprises a grated face covering a portion of the thermally conductive material.
10. The camera system of claim 9 , wherein the removable heat sink comprises ridges complementary to the grated face and structured to extend through the grated face to contact the thermally conductive material.
11. The camera system of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first plate and the second plate comprises a planar component substantially flush with the external face of the camera body.
12. The camera system of claim 3 , further comprising:
one or more flexible spacers between the thermally conductive material and the electronics, the flexible spacers providing a thermal conduction path from the electronics to the thermally conductive material.
13. The camera system of claim 3 , wherein the removable heat sink comprises a plurality of fins structured to protrude from a surface of the removable heat sink.
14. The camera system of claim 3 , wherein the camera body comprises a grated face covering a portion of the thermally conductive material and wherein the removable heat sink comprises ridges complementary to the grated face and structured to extend through the grated face to contact the thermally conductive material.
15. The camera system of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first plate and the second plate comprises a planar component substantially flush with the external face of the camera body.
16. The camera system of claim 4 , further comprising:
one or more flexible spacers between the thermally conductive material and the electronics, the flexible spacers providing a thermal conduction path from the electronics to the thermally conductive material.
17. The camera system of claim 4 , wherein the removable heat sink comprises a plurality of fins structured to protrude from a surface of the removable heat sink.
18. The camera system of claim 4 , wherein the camera body comprises a grated face covering a portion of the thermally conductive material, and wherein the removable heat sink comprises ridges complementary to the grated face and structured to extend through the grated face to contact the thermally conductive material.
19. The camera system of claim 7 , further comprising:
one or more flexible spacers between the thermally conductive material and the electronics, the flexible spacers providing a thermal conduction path from the electronics to the thermally conductive material.
20. The camera system of claim 7 , wherein the removable heat sink comprises a plurality of fins structured to protrude from a surface of the removable heat sink.
21. The camera system of claim 7 , wherein the camera body comprises a grated face covering a portion of the thermally conductive material, and wherein the removable heat sink comprises ridges complementary to the grated face and structured to extend through the grated face to contact the thermally conductive material.