JP2001142136A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve various problems of a conventional long sideways camera. SOLUTION: A unit body 3 is formed to a vertically long shape. Then, in the case of viewing through a finder 13, the photographer's nose never comes into contact with the unit body 3. An outer case 4 which is made vertically slidable between a photographing position and a non-photographing position is attached to the outer surface of the unit body 3. In the case of sliding the outer caser 4 to the photographing position, a photographic lens 11 and a release button 8 are exposed, then, the photographer photographs while holding the outer case 4. Thus, the photographer's fingers never touch the photographic lens 11, a strobe light emitting part 12 and the finder 13, then, erroneous photographing such as finger imprinting photographing is prevented. Besides, the release button 8 is arranged at a position with leaving equal intervals from both of right and left sides of the unit body 3, then, the release button 8 is operated under the same condition, irrespective of a right-handed or left-handed person.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vertical camera having an outer case.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A film unit with a lens, in which a photographic film and a film cartridge are previously incorporated into a unit main body at the time of manufacture, is widely and widely used as a simple camera capable of easily taking a photograph. The unit body constituting such a film unit with a lens has a shutter mechanism assembled to a plastic body base provided with a cartridge chamber and a film chamber, and a front cover and a rear cover made of a plastic molded product before and after the shutter mechanism. And a paper box or a label sheet for exterior is put on the surface as required.

[0003] Such a film unit with a lens is designed on the basis of a horizontal type, and various models are prepared according to functional differences, such as a built-in strobe type, for panoramic photographing, and for telephoto photographing. In order to improve the performance, there is a compact type in which the unit body is downsized. In particular, “Ad
The film cartridge used in the "vanced Photo System" is smaller than the conventional 135 film cartridge, and the frame size of one frame of the photo film is also smaller, so that the unit body can be made more compact.

[0004]

However, such a film unit with a lens as described above usually grips one side of the film unit with a lens with the right hand during photographing. This makes it easy for the finger to approach the photographing lens, and the photographing is performed without being noticed that the finger is within the angle of view of the photographing lens.

Also, when looking through the viewfinder, the photographer's nose comes into contact with the unit body because the width of the unit body is large, so that it is necessary to look away from the viewfinder or tilt the unit body. However, there is a disadvantage that framing is difficult to be performed, which is inconvenient.

Further, since the release button is provided on the photographer's right hand side in the above-described film-equipped unit with a lens, the photographer with a dominant hand is inconvenienced in operating the release button with the right hand that is not the dominant hand. And it caused a shooting error such as camera shake.

The present invention can solve the above-mentioned problems, such as a failure in taking a picture such as a finger shot or a camera shake, and a difficulty in performing framing. It is an object to provide a camera as described above.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a camera body provided with an operation part such as a release button and a photographing function part such as a photographing lens which is exposed to the outside. In a camera comprising an outer case attached to an outer surface of the camera body, the camera body is formed in a vertically long shape, and the outer case is provided with a non-shooting position covering at least a range including a shooting lens from a lower end of the camera body. The camera is characterized in that it can be moved between a photographing position where the photographing lens is exposed by projecting toward the lower end of the camera body, and the outer case is used as a grip at the photographing position. Preferably, a locking member for locking the outer case between the photographing position and the non-photographing position is provided on the camera body. Further, it is preferable that the release button is disposed at an equal distance from both right and left sides of the camera body.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a film unit with a lens according to the present invention at the time of photographing.
FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing the non-photographing state of the film unit with lens shown in FIG. The lens-fitted film unit 2 includes a unit main body 3 and an outer case 4. The unit main body 3 has a vertically long shape with a small width, and the outer case 4 covers the unit main body 3 so as to be exposed from below.

On the front surface of the unit body 3, a release button 8, a film winding knob 9, a photographic lens 11, a strobe light emitting unit 12, a finder 13, and the like are provided. Since the release button 8 is provided at a position equidistant from the left and right sides of the unit body 3, the release button 8 can be operated under the same conditions regardless of the dominant hand.

The outer case 4 is formed in a box shape which is put on the unit main body 3 from below, and is vertically arranged between the non-photographing position shown in FIG. 2 and the photographing position shown in FIG. It has a slidable structure. When the outer case 4 is slid to the non-shooting position, the release button 8 and the photographing lens 11 are covered by the outer case 4. As a result, the release button 8 cannot be pressed, so that the photographing becomes impossible.

A switch operating member 5 for operating a strobe charging switch (not shown), a film counter window 6, and a strap attaching member 7 are formed on the upper surface of the unit body 3. A strap (not shown) is attached to the strap attaching member 7, and attaching the strap makes the lens-equipped film unit 2 easy to carry.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the unit body 3 and the outer case 4 are separated. Locking members 15 are provided on both left and right sides of the unit body 3. The locking member 15 includes a locking member main body 15a and a locking claw 15b. One end of the locking member main body 15a is formed integrally with the unit main body 3, and the locking member main body 15a is elastically deformable. A locking claw 15b having an arc-shaped cross section is formed integrally with the other end. The upper and lower inner wall surfaces of the outer case 4 have locking grooves 4a and 4b.
(See FIG. 4). The outer case 4 is held between the photographing position and the non-photographing position by locking the locking claws 15b into the locking grooves 4a and 4b.

As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the outer case 4 is held by the locking claw 15b and the locking groove 4b in the non-photographing position. Then, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the outer case 4 is slid from the non-photographing position to the photographing position,
The locking of the locking claw 15b with the locking groove 4b is released. Then, the locking member main body 15a is elastically deformed, and the locking claw 15b is formed.
Abuts against the inner wall surface 4c of the outer case 4. In this state, the outer case 4 moves downward. Then, as shown in FIG. 4C, the locking claw 15b is locked in the locking groove 4a. As a result, the outer case 4 is held at the shooting position. The same effect can be obtained when the user slides from the shooting position to the non-shooting position. Note that a click feeling is obtained in the sliding operation of the outer case 4 by locking the locking claw 13b with the locking groove 4a and the locking groove 4b, so that the completion of the sliding operation can be easily confirmed.

Next, the operation of the lens-fitted film unit having the above configuration will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the lens-fitted film unit 2 of the present invention, when the unit body 3 is covered with the outer case 4 in the non-photographing position,
Very compact size with excellent portability.

Then, the release button 8 and the taking lens 1
By being covered with the outer case 4, the surface 1 is not scratched or stained with dust or dust. Further, since the release button 8 cannot be pressed at the non-photographing position, the shutter device does not accidentally operate.

At the time of photographing, the photographer holds the unit body 3 and slides the outer case 4 downward to the photographing position shown in FIG. The release button 8, the photographing lens 11, the strobe light emitting unit 12, the finder 13 and the like are exposed in the film unit 2 with the lens at the photographing position.

The photographer holds the lens-fitted film unit 2 using the outer case 4 as a grip. Since the outer case 4 is slid downward from the non-imaging position, the distance between the outer case 4 and the imaging lens 11 is increased. Therefore, the finger of the photographer does not enter the photographing range during photographing, and photographing failure due to finger image can be effectively prevented. Also, when the finger is in the strobe light emitting section 12
, The part of the strobe light is not blocked and the exposure does not become insufficient. Further, there is no possibility that the finger gets on the finder 13 and hinders the framing.

The photographer holds the outer case 4, observes the subject from the viewfinder 13, and performs framing. At this time, since the unit body 3 has a vertically long shape with a small horizontal width, the unit body 3 does not come into contact with the photographer's nose, so that it is easy to look into the finder 13 and framing is facilitated.

When the release button 8 is depressed after framing, a shutter mechanism (not shown) is operated to take one frame of the image. The release button 8 is positioned equidistant from the left and right sides of the unit body 3. When the release button 8 is pressed, the dominant hand does not cause inconvenience, and photographing errors such as camera shake can be prevented.

When the photographing is completed, the outer case 4 is slid upward and the unit body 3 is stored in the outer case 4.
Then, when the click feeling is obtained, the photographer can know that the storage of the unit main body 3 in the non-photographing position shown in FIG. 2 is completed.

In the above embodiment, a part of the unit main body 3 is covered with the outer case 4, but in addition to the above embodiment, as shown in FIG.
May be stored. The outer case 22 is provided so as to be movable. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, by sliding the outer case 22 downward, the strobe light emitting section 23, the finder 24, the photographing lens 25, and the release button 26 are exposed. As a result, a photographing state in which photographing is possible is established. Note that a cutout 22a is provided in the outer case to prevent the winding knob 27 from contacting the outer case 22.

In the above embodiment, two locking members are provided on the side surface of the unit body. However, two or more locking members may be provided. Further, the place where the locking member is provided is not limited to the side surface of the unit main body, but may be provided on the front surface or the rear surface.

In the above embodiment, a film unit with a lens is taken as an example of a camera. However, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to an ordinary camera in which a photographic film can be freely replaced.

[0025]

As described above, according to the camera of the present invention, there are provided a camera body provided with operation components such as a release button and a photographing function component such as a photographing lens, which are provided outside.
In a camera comprising an outer case attached to the outer surface of the camera body, the camera body is formed in a vertically long shape, and the outer case covers a non-photographing position covering at least a range including a photographing lens from a lower end of the camera body. The camera can be moved freely between a shooting position that exposes the shooting lens by projecting to the lower end of the camera body, and the outer case can be used as a grip at the shooting position. It is possible to prevent photographing mistakes such as photographing of a finger without catching a finger. In addition, the nose does not come into contact when performing framing. Further, it is possible to prevent a shooting error such as a camera shake caused by a dominant hand.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a film unit with a lens according to the present invention in a photographing position.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a non-photographing state of the film unit with a lens shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the film unit with lens of the present invention in a state where a unit main body and an outer case are separated.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part when the outer case is slid.

FIG. 5 is an external perspective view showing a non-photographing state of another embodiment of the film unit with a lens according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an external perspective view showing a photographing state of another embodiment of the film unit with a lens according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Film unit with lens 3 Unit body 4 Outer case 8 Release button 11 Photo lens 15 Locking member

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Jeffrey Dale English United States 95376 California, Tracy Birchwood Lane 1885 (72) Inventor Brace Bartran United States 94301 Polo Alto Addison Avenue, California 542 F-term (reference) 2H101 AA01 BB03 DD41 2H105 AA36 AA37 AA42 DD06

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A camera comprising an operation part such as a release button, a photographing function part such as a photographing lens, and a camera body provided externally, and an outer case attached to an outer surface of the camera body. The camera body is formed in a vertically long shape, and the outer case is
It is movable between a non-photographing position covering at least the area including the photographing lens from the lower end of the camera body and a photographing position protruding toward the lower end of the camera body and exposing the photographing lens. A camera characterized in that it is used. 2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein a locking member for locking the outer case between a photographing position and a non-photographing position is provided on the camera body. 3. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the release button is arranged at an equal distance from both left and right sides of the camera body.