JP2002171431A - Relay device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a relay device that can interconnect a charger and an external device in a stable state without the need for separate provision of the charger and a protection case. SOLUTION: The relay device is provided with a device body case 3 having a containing recess 13 on which a digital camera 2 is mounted and a cover member 4 turnably fitted to the body case 3 and acting like a stand. The containing recess 13 is provided with charging terminals and a camera connector, and a device connector is provided on the side face of the body case 3. When the digital camera is mounted onto the containing recess 13 of the body case 3, the digital camera 2 is electrically connected to the charging terminals and the camera connector, and when the body case 3 is stood upright onto the cover member 4 in this state, since the cover member 4 acts like the stand of the body case 3, the digital camera 2 is placed in a stable state. Furthermore, when the cover member 4 is overlaid on the body case 3, the cover member 4 is used for the protection case of the digital camera 2. Thus, provision of an exclusive use charger and an exclusive use protection case is not required.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a relay device for electrically connecting a digital camera to an external device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a digital camera performs photographing using a rechargeable rechargeable battery as a power source, and when a battery voltage decreases, it is charged using a dedicated charger. Further, in the digital camera, a connection cable is used to electrically connect to an external device such as a personal computer, and in this state, image data is transmitted and received, and the captured image is edited by the personal computer. I have.

[0003]

However, in such a digital camera, a dedicated charger is used for charging, and a dedicated protective case is used for carrying or storing the digital camera. And the protective case must be used properly according to the use thereof, which is troublesome and inconvenient, and requires a storage space for the charger and the protective case. In addition, since the digital camera is directly connected to a personal computer with a connection cable when editing a captured image, the installation state of the digital camera is unstable due to the connection cable. There is also a problem that is bad.

An object of the present invention is to provide a digital camera that can be installed in a stable state without separately requiring a dedicated charger and a dedicated protective case. In this state, the digital camera can be charged and connected to an external device. It is to provide a relay device.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a portable relay device for electrically connecting a digital camera to an external device, wherein the digital camera is detachably housed in a substantially central portion of one surface. A main body case having a flat portion, and a cover member rotatably attached to the main body case and covering the one surface of the main body case so as to be openable and closable. A charging terminal for charging and a camera connector electrically connected to the digital camera are provided.

According to the present invention, when the digital camera is stored in the storage section of the main body case, the digital camera can be electrically connected to the charging terminal and the camera connector in the storage section, and the cover member can be closed in the closing direction. By arranging it on one surface of the main body case by rotating it, it can be used as a protective case for a digital camera. Therefore, a dedicated charger and a dedicated protective case as in the conventional example are not separately required, and charging of the digital camera and electrical connection with external devices can be performed in a stable installation state.

In this case, if a display section and various operation keys are provided near the periphery of the storage section on the one surface of the main body case as described in claim 2,
Even if the digital camera is not necessarily connected to an external device, it is possible to edit images taken by the digital camera by operating various operation keys while looking at the display while the digital camera is mounted in the storage section of the main case. it can.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, if a card insertion slot into which a memory card is removably inserted is provided on a side surface of the main body case, by inserting the memory card from the card insertion slot, The data of the image captured by the digital camera and the data of the edited image can be stored in the memory card. By removing the stored memory card from the card insertion slot and inserting it into the external device, the external device can be electrically connected to the external device. The image data can be taken into an external device without a connection. further,
As described in claim 4, the cover member serves as a stand for erecting the main body case. By rotating the cover member in the opening direction and erecting the main body case on the cover member, it is even more digital. The camera can be installed in a stable state.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the relay device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The relay device 1 is a portable device to which a digital camera 2 is detachably mounted and electrically connects the digital camera 2 to an external device (not shown) such as a personal computer. 4, a flat main body case 3 to which the digital camera 1 is detachably mounted;
A cover member 4 rotatably attached to the main body case 3.

In this case, for example, the digital camera 2 is about 5 cm to 6 cm in length, about 3 cm to 4 cm in width, and about 1 cm to 2 cm in thickness. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the digital camera 2 has a substantially hemispherical surface 2a (the upper surface in FIG. 5) and two hemispherical surfaces 2b (the lower surface in FIG. 5). It is formed in a curved surface shape having a chevron portion and a valley portion provided therebetween, and has a structure in which various components necessary for a photographing function, a rechargeable battery (all not shown), and the like are provided.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a display unit 5 and function selection keys 6 are provided on one surface 2a of the digital camera 2. The display unit 5 is a flat display such as a liquid crystal display device or an EL (electroluminescence) display device. The function selection key 6 includes a ring-shaped operation button that can be pressed at a plurality of positions, and is configured to select a function according to the operation position of the operation button. As shown in FIG. 7, the other surface 2b of the digital camera 2 has a digital camera in which fingers are arranged in valleys provided between an upper chevron and a lower chevron. 2 is configured to be gripped with one hand. As shown in FIG. 8, an upper chevron portion on the other surface 2b is provided with a photographing lens portion 7 having an image pickup device such as a CCD and a shutter button 8 therein. The chevron includes a charging connection terminal 9 and a camera connector 10.
Is provided.

The relay device 1 on which the digital camera 2 is mounted is formed to have a size of, for example, about 7 cm to 13 cm, a width of about 8 cm to 11 cm, and a thickness of about 2 cm to 3 cm. . In addition, the main body case 3 and the cover member 4 of the relay device 1 are, as shown in FIGS.
When the cover member 4 is pivotally mounted in the opening direction (the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2) around the hinge portion 11 and is disposed below the main body case 3, the cover is The member 4 serves as a stand, and the main body case 3 stands upright on the cover member 4 in a state of being inclined at a predetermined angle, and the cover member 4 pivots about the hinge 11 in the closing direction (the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3). The cover member 4 is configured to overlap the main body case 3 when the cover member 4 is disposed on the main body case 3.

In this case, the main body case 3 is formed in a rectangular flat box shape as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and a substantially central portion of a front surface thereof is formed as shown in FIGS. , A disk-shaped projection 12 is formed. As shown in FIG. 4, a storage recess 13 in which the digital camera 2 is removably stored is provided at the center of the disk-shaped protrusion 12. The housing recess 13 includes a mounting recess 13 a into which the other surface 2 b of the digital camera 2 fits, and a camera removal recess 1 on both sides of the digital camera 2 into which a finger or the like is inserted.
3b. A lens recess 14 into which the lens portion 7 is fitted is provided on the upper side of the housing recess 13 in the mounting recess 13a.
a charging terminal 15 electrically connected to the connection terminal 9 of the digital camera 2;
A camera connector 16 electrically connected to the camera connector 10 is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a display section 17 and various operation keys 18 to 2 are provided near the circumference of the disk-shaped projection 12 on the front surface of the main body case 3.
5 are arranged in a ring. That is, a display unit 17 is provided at the upper left on the front surface of the main body case 3, and a cursor key 18 is provided at the lower right. A power key 19, a menu key 20, a mode key 21, A +/- key 22 is provided in order, and a shift key 23, a control key 24, a cancel key 2
5 are provided in order. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, first and second USB connectors 26a and 26b for electrically connecting to an external device such as a personal computer, and an AV connector 27 are provided on the left side surface of the main body case 3. , A DC connector 28 is provided,
A card insertion slot 29 into which a memory card (not shown) is removably inserted is provided.

On the other hand, the cover member 4 is a flat plate having a size corresponding to the front surface (the left side surface in FIG. 2) of the main body case 3 as shown in FIGS. Are provided corresponding to the disk-shaped protrusions 12 of the main body case 3, and legs 32 and 33 are provided at both ends so as to protrude downward. Also, a hinge portion 11 for rotatably mounting the main body case 3 and the cover member 4 is provided.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a protrusion 34 provided at an intermediate portion of one end (lower end in FIG. 4) of the main body case 3 and one end of the cover member 4 (the left end in FIG. 2). Of the main body case 3 provided at an intermediate portion of the legs 32 of the
4, a notch 35 in which the notch 35 is provided, a shaft 36 provided on a surface facing the notch 35, and a shaft hole 37 provided on both end surfaces of the protrusion 34 of the main body case 3 and into which the shaft 36 is inserted. The main body case 3 and the cover member 4 are configured to rotate around the shaft 36 inserted into the shaft hole 37 of the protrusion 34.

In this case, of the two side surfaces of the main body case 3 (upper and lower side surfaces in FIG. 2), the side surface on the hinge portion 11 side, that is, the lower side surface in FIG. A first inclined surface 38 for inclining at an angle and a second inclined surface 39 which is in close contact with the inner surface of the leg 32 when the cover member 4 is overlaid on the main body case 3 as shown in FIG.
And formed. 2 is formed on a third inclined surface 40 which is substantially horizontal when the main body case 3 is inclined on the cover member 4 at a predetermined angle. . On the other hand, of the legs 32, 33 on both sides of the cover member 4, the leg 3 on the hinge 11 side
2 has a substantially inverted triangular column shape in cross section, and FIG.
As shown in the figure, when it is superimposed on the main body case 3,
The inner side surface (the left side surface in the figure) is formed on an inclined surface closely contacting the second inclined surface 39 of the main body case 3. When the leg 33 on the opposite side to the hinge 11 is overlaid on the main body case 3 as shown in FIG.
It is bent so as to be in close contact with the inclined surface 40.

In such a relay device 1, the main body case 3
When the digital camera 2 is mounted in the storage recess 13, the lens portion 7 of the digital camera 2 fits into the lens recess 14 provided in the storage recess 13, and the storage recess 13.
The connection terminal 9 for charging the digital camera is connected to the charging terminal 15 inside the camera, and the camera connector 10 of the digital camera 2 is connected to the camera connector 16 inside the storage recess 13. In this state, the cover member 4
When the main body case 3 is erected on the cover member 4 by rotating the cover member 4 in the opening direction, the cover member 4 serves as a stand for the main body case 3 as shown in FIG. At this time, the first inclined surface 38 on the lower side surface of the main body case 3 comes into contact with the upper surface of the cover member 4, so that the main body case 3 stands upright on the cover member 4 at a predetermined angle. Therefore, the digital camera 2 can be stably installed by the cover member 4 serving as a stand and the main body case 3 standing upright at a predetermined angle.

In this state, the storage recess 1 of the main body case 3
Since the charging connection terminal 9 of the digital camera is connected to the charging terminal 15 in the digital camera 3, a DC adapter (not shown) is connected to the DC connector 28 provided on the side surface of the main body case 3.
, The rechargeable battery (not shown) of the digital camera 2 can be charged. Further, since the camera connector 10 of the digital camera 2 is connected to the camera connector 16 in the storage recess 13 of the main body case 3, the first and second USB connectors 2 provided on the side surface of the main body case 3.
External devices (not shown) such as a personal computer and a mobile phone by the 6a, 26b and the AV connector 27.
By electrically connecting the digital camera 2, the data of the image taken by the digital camera 2 can be easily taken into an external device, and the image taken by the external device can be edited or transmitted to a network. it can.

In the relay device 1, the main body case 3
The display unit 17 and keys 18 for various operations
25, the display unit 17 of the main body case 3 and the display unit 5 of the digital camera 2 are not necessarily connected to an external device, but are mounted in the storage recess 13 of the main body case 3. By operating various operation keys 18 to 25 while watching the image, the image captured by the digital camera 2 can be edited. Further, a card insertion slot 29 into which a memory card (not shown) is removably inserted is provided on a side surface of the main body case 3. Can be stored in a memory card, and the stored memory card can be taken out of the card insertion slot 29 and inserted into an external device to electrically connect the external device to the external device. The image data can be imported to an external device without connecting to the external device.

Further, in the relay device 1, with the digital camera 2 mounted in the storage recess 13 of the main body case 3, the cover member 4 is rotated in the closing direction about the hinge 11 as shown in FIG. When the cover member 4 is disposed on the front surface (the upper surface in FIG. 3) of the main body case 3,
, The dome portion 31 of the cover member 4 covers and protects the digital camera 2, and the leg portion 32 of the cover member 4 on the hinge portion 11 side has a side surface on the hinge portion 11 side of the body case 3. The leg portion 33 which is in close contact with the second inclined surface 39 and is located on the side opposite to the hinge portion 11 of the cover member 4.
Is in close contact with the third inclined surface 40 on the side opposite to the hinge portion 11 of the main body case 3, and thus can be used as a protective case for the digital camera 2. in this way,
According to the relay device 1, a dedicated charger and a dedicated protective case as in the conventional example are not separately required, and the digital camera 2 can be charged and electrically connected to external devices in a stable installation state. , And a user-friendly one can be obtained.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, a flat main body case provided with a housing for detachably housing a digital camera, and a main body rotatably mounted on the main body case. A cover member that covers one side of the case so as to be openable and closable, and a charging terminal and a camera connector provided in the storage section, so that when the digital camera is stored in the storage section of the main body case, the charging terminal and the camera A digital camera can be electrically connected to the connector, and the cover member can be used as a protection case for the digital camera by rotating the cover member in the closing direction and disposing the cover member on one surface of the main body case. It does not require a dedicated charger and a special protective case as in the conventional example, and charges and unloads the digital camera in a stable installation. It is the electrical connection between the devices.

In this case, if a display section and various operation keys are provided in the vicinity of the storage section provided in the main body case, the digital camera can be connected to the storage section of the main body case without necessarily being connected to an external device. By operating various operation keys while looking at the display unit while the camera is mounted on the camera, an image captured by the digital camera can be edited. If a card insertion slot is provided on the side of the main body case to allow a memory card to be removably inserted, inserting a memory card from the card insertion slot will allow the data of the image captured by the digital camera and the edited image to be inserted. Data can be stored in a memory card. By removing the stored memory card from the card slot and inserting it into an external device, the image data can be stored in the external device without being electrically connected to the external device. Can be captured. Further, the cover member serves as a stand for erecting the main body case. By rotating the cover member in the opening direction and erecting the main body case on the cover member, the digital camera can be further stably installed. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a digital camera is mounted and a main body case is erected on a cover member in one embodiment of a relay device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a right side view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which the cover member of FIG. 2 is overlapped on a main body case.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary front view showing a state where the digital camera is removed from the relay device in the state of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the digital camera shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the digital camera shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the digital camera shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a back view of the digital camera shown in FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 relay device 2 digital camera 3 main body case 4 cover member 11 hinge portion 13 storage recess 15 charging terminal 16 camera connector 17 display portion 18 to 25 operation key 26a first USB connector 26b second USB connector 27 AV connector 28 DC Connector 29 Card slot

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5C022 AA13 AC21 AC61 AC73 AC77 AC78

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A portable relay device for electrically connecting a digital camera to an external device, wherein the relay device has a flat plate-like shape provided with a storage section for removably storing the digital camera at a substantially central portion of one surface. A main body case, a cover member rotatably attached to the main body case and covering the one surface of the main body case so as to be openable and closable, wherein a charging terminal for charging the digital camera and A relay device comprising a camera connector electrically connected to a digital camera. 2. The relay device according to claim 1, wherein a display unit and various operation keys are provided near the periphery of the storage unit on the one surface of the main body case. 3. The relay device according to claim 1, wherein a card insertion slot into which a memory card is removably inserted is provided on a side surface of the main body case. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cover member serves as a stand for erecting said main body case.
3. The relay device according to 1.