JP2001215558A - Camera apparatus to which lens cap is fitted - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To downsize a cabinet for housing a lens unit. SOLUTION: A cap 3 for protecting the lens unit 7 is mounted freely attachably and detachably at a cabinet 1 of a camera apparatus and has a slide body 4, which is pushed inwardly by the cap 3 held mounted in the cabinet 1, a leaf spring 5 which energizes the slide body 4 toward the cap 3 and a switch SW, which is pressed to be operated by the slide body 4. The leaf spring 5 is composed of an elastic plate, is provided with an opening 50 to permit the passage of the light from the lens body at its approximate center, faces the cap 3, and energizes the slide body 4 at the peripheral edge of the opening 50.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera device in which a cap for protecting a lens is detachably fitted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of a conventional camera device (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-14223). cabinet
A lens unit (7) is provided in the front opening of (1), and the front opening is covered by a cap (3) that is detachably fitted to the cabinet (1). The cap (3) is attached at times other than when photographing, thereby protecting the lens unit (7). At the periphery of the front opening of the cabinet (1), beside the lens unit (7), a rod-shaped slide body
(4) is provided so as to be freely retractable, and the slide body (4) is pushed by the cap (3), and the switch inside the cabinet (1) is switched.
Press (SW). The switch (SW) is connected to a circuit board (not shown), and when the switch (SW) is pressed, the cap is closed.
It is detected that (3) is attached, and the photographing operation is regulated. A compression spring (59) is wound around the slide body (4), and the slide body (4) is urged toward the cap (3) by the compression spring (59).

[0003]

Since the compression spring (59) is wound around the slide (4), the slide (4) and the compression spring are provided between the cabinet (1) and the lens unit (7).
Space for fitting (59) is required. However, the market demands a smaller cabinet (1). Here, even if the lens unit (7) is reduced in size, it is difficult to reduce the size because the internal configuration of the lens unit (7) is complicated. Therefore, in the conventional configuration, the cabinet
There is a possibility that the size of (1) may be increased and the demands of the market may not be satisfied. An object of the present invention is to reduce the size of a cabinet that stores a lens unit.

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems] Cap the slide body (4)
The spring body for urging toward (3) is made of an elastic plate,
An opening (50) for allowing light from the lens body to pass therethrough is provided at a substantially central portion, and is opposed to the cap (3), and the slide body (4) is urged at a peripheral portion of the opening (50).

[0005]

[Operation and Effect] Since the spring body is arranged to face the cap (3) and urges the slide body at the periphery of the opening (50), the slide body is placed on the periphery of the opening (50). All you need is space to press. Therefore, as before, the compression spring
There is no need for space for the (59) to fit, and the cabinet (1)
Can be reduced in size.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (Overall Overview) An example of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In this example, a so-called digital still camera is exemplified as the camera device. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the cabinet (1) and the cap (3). The cabinet (1) includes a viewing window (12), a flash lamp (13), and a shutter button (14) on the front surface, and protrudes from the cylinder (2). A cap (3) is detachably attached to the tip of the cylindrical body (2). The cap (3) is formed in an annular shape, and has two arc-shaped projecting pieces (30) (30) opposed to each other with a radial center therebetween. Between the two protruding pieces (30) and (30), small pieces (31) and (31) having arc-shaped bulges facing outward are provided, and a male screw (32) is formed on the outer periphery of each small piece (31). . A female screw (20) (see FIG. 3) screwed to the male screw (32) is formed on the inner periphery of the distal end portion of the cylindrical body (2), and the cap (3) is attached to the cylindrical body (2) by the screwing. Can be Note that the male screw (32) is attached to the cylinder (2) and the female screw (2
0) may be provided on the cap (3).

[0007] An annular slide body (4) is provided in the cylindrical body (2).
Then, a leaf spring (5) formed of a metal plate and having an opening (50) in the center is fitted. A switch unit (6) provided with a switch (SW) operated by the slide body (4) is attached to the back of the leaf spring (5). The slide body (4) is provided with a spring pressing piece (41) from the periphery of the support ring (40) toward the leaf spring (5).
(41) The (41), the switch pressing piece (42), and the claw piece (43) protrude. The switch pressing piece (42) is provided outside the spring pressing piece (41). Although only one claw piece (43) is provided in FIG. 1, a plurality of claw pieces (43) may be provided. A wall plate (21) having an opening (22) in the center is provided at the back of the cylindrical body (2), and a transparent window (23) through which a switch pressing piece (42) passes through the lower end of the wall plate (21). )
Has been established. A mounting boss (24) for supporting the switch unit (6) protrudes from the wall plate (21) toward the back.

The leaf spring (5) has a notch connected to the opening (50).
(51) is formed, and an elastic piece (52) pressed by a spring pressing piece (41) is provided in the notch (51). The switch pressing piece (42) fits into the transparent window (23) through one of the notches (51). The switch unit (6) has a board (61) provided in the bracket (60), and a switch (SW) which is pushed on by the switch pressing piece (42) and turned on on the board (61). .

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the leaf spring (5) viewed from the back side of the cabinet (1). Openings (22) in the wallboard (21)
The notch (25) is provided continuously to the elastic piece of the leaf spring (5).
(52) overlaps the notch (25). The nail piece (43) has a notch (2
As a result, the slide body (4) is restricted from moving forward. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the cabinet (1) of FIG. The cabinet (1) has a support frame (1
A cover (11) made of metal, specifically, aluminum is attached to 0). Cylindrical body (2), slide body
(4) A lens unit (7) having a lens barrel (70) so as to be able to protrude and retract is provided on the inner periphery of the leaf spring (5). Lens tube (70)
When the cap (3) is not attached to the cylinder (2), the cap projects from the front opening of the cylinder (2) to capture an image of the subject. The lens unit (7) has a CCD (C
It has optical electronic parts such as a harge coupled device) and has a complicated circuit configuration. The leaf spring (5) and the cap (3) are arranged in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis L of the lens unit (7).

[0010] As shown in attachment and undock Figure 3 of the cap, in the state in which the cap (3) is not installed, the spring pressing piece of the slider (4) (41) is in contact with the leaf spring (5) I have. As a result, the slide body (4) is urged forward, and comes into contact with the base end of the female screw portion (20) of the cylindrical body (2), thereby preventing the slide body (4) from coming off from the cylindrical body (2). Switch pressing piece
(42) is separated from the switch (SW), and the switch (SW)
Is OFF. FIG. 4 is a sectional side view of the cabinet (1) equipped with the cap (3). When the cap (3) is screwed into the female thread (20) of the cylinder (2), the cap (3)
Projecting piece (30) pushes the slide body (4) in the depth direction against the elastic bias of the leaf spring (5). The switch pressing piece (42) is a switch
Press (SW) to turn on the switch (SW). When the switch (SW) is ON, the cap (3) is covered.
(70) may be damaged. Therefore, if the switch (SW) is ON, the lens barrel (70) does not move forward even if the power of the apparatus is ON. As shown in FIG. 3, when the cap (3) is removed, the switch (SW) is turned off, and the lens barrel (70) is allowed to move forward. The switch (SW) may be of a type that is depressed and turned off.

The leaf spring (5) is disposed opposite to the cap (3) in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis L, and urges the slide body at the periphery of the opening (50). Therefore, it is sufficient that there is a space at the periphery of the opening (50) for pushing the slide (4), and the thickness of the slide (4) can be reduced. Therefore, unlike the related art, a space for fitting the compression spring (59) is not required, and the size of the cabinet (1) can be reduced. Here, it is conceivable to reduce the size of the lens unit (7). However, as described above, the lens unit (7) has a complicated circuit configuration, and it is not easy to reduce the size. With the configuration of the present example, the cabinet (1) can be reduced in size with a simple configuration. Further, as in the prior art, a rod-shaped slide body
When the cap (3) is urged in (4), the slide
Since (4) and cap (3) touch locally, cap
When attaching to the cylindrical body (2) while rotating (3), there is a possibility that the slide body (4) rotates while prying the cap (3). On the other hand, in this example, when the cap (3) is attached, the entire front surface of the slide (4) is
(3) is pressed, and the possibility that the slide body (4) will pry the cap (3) is reduced.

The description of the above embodiments is for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the invention described in the appended claims or reducing the scope thereof. Further, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made within the technical scope described in the claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cabinet and a cap.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a leaf spring viewed from the back side of the cabinet.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the cabinet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of a cabinet equipped with a cap.

FIG. 5 is a sectional side view of a conventional camera device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (1) Cabinet (2) Tube (3) Cap (4) Slide (5) Leaf spring (7) Lens unit (50) Opening

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A lens unit (7) in a cabinet (1).
(3) is detachably attached to the cabinet (1), and the slide (4) is pushed inward by the cap (3) mounted in the cabinet (1), and the cap (3) is attached to the slide (4). Spring body and slide body biasing toward
In a camera device provided with a switch (SW) depressed by (4), the spring body is formed of an elastic plate, and an opening (50) is provided at a substantially central portion to allow light from the lens body to pass therethrough. A camera body characterized in that the slide body (4) is urged at the periphery of the opening (50), facing the cap (3).