JP2002354303A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera for protection record data and at the same time, preventing malfunction at a camera body side by electrically preventing a lid cover from being opened, while record data such as static images and moving images are being written to a memory card. SOLUTION: The camera apparatus comprises a lid section cover 11 for opening/closing an accommodation section for accommodating a memory card and a battery, a slide type lid open knob 12 for operating the lid cover 11 to a lid lock cancellation position, and an electric lid lock/lid lock cancellation mechanism made of an electromagnetic solenoid 14, having an abutting piece 13 provided at the lid open knob 12 and a movable section 14a, that opposes the abutting piece 13 and can be switched electrically. While record data are being written to the memory card, the striking piece 13 of the lid open knob 12 is restricted by the movable section 14a of the electromagnetic solenoid 14 to inhibit the opening of the lid cover 11, and a movable section 14a of the electromagnetic solenoid 14 is allowed to retreat for cancelling the restriction of the abutting piece 13 of the lid open knob 12 in operations other than the write operation of record data into the memory card to open the lid cover 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera device suitable for being applied to a digital camera device provided with a so-called memory card, which is a card-shaped recording medium for recording recording data such as still images and moving images. More specifically, the present invention relates to a camera device in which a memory card is stored by an openable / closable lid, and recording is performed by electrically prohibiting opening of the lid during a write operation of recording data to the memory card. This is intended to protect data and prevent malfunction of the camera device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a digital camera device or a video camera device, a memory card for writing recording data such as a still image and a battery for a power supply are stored together in one accommodating portion having an openable and closable lid. There is a method of doing so. The lid has a slide-type knob, and a mechanical mechanism for locking and unlocking the lid by sliding the knob.

[0003]

However, in the above-described camera device, the lid can be opened at any time when the user unlocks the lid, and the memory card and the battery can be exchanged. If the user accidentally unlocks the lid while writing the recorded data of the shot still image to the memory card and opens the lid, the power to the memory card will be cut off and the recorded data will be lost Or a malfunction on the camera device side occurs, causing an extremely serious trouble.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and it is intended to electrically prohibit the opening of a cover while recording data such as a still image or a moving image is being written to a memory card. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a camera device that protects the camera body and prevents malfunction of the camera body.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a camera device according to the present invention comprises a cover for opening and closing a storage section for storing a card-shaped recording medium and a battery, and a cover for opening a cover unlock position. An electrically operated lid lock / slider comprising: a slidably movable knob for operation; and an abutting piece provided on the knob and an electromagnetic switch having a movable portion opposed to the abutting piece and electrically operated for switching. And a lid lock release mechanism.

According to the above-described camera device, during the operation of writing the recording data such as a still image and a moving image onto the card-shaped recording medium, the electromagnetic switch is turned on by a signal from the microcomputer, and the abutting piece of the knob portion Is restrained by the movable portion, the opening of the lid portion is prohibited, and the recorded data can be protected.

In addition to the operation other than the operation of writing recording data such as a still image or a moving image on a card-shaped recording medium, the electromagnetic switch is turned off by a signal from the microcomputer to release the constraint of the abutting piece of the knob by the movable portion. By doing so, the lid can be opened.

[0008]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a camera apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the entire digital camera device as viewed from the liquid crystal panel side, and FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the digital camera device with a cover for storing a memory card and a battery opened.

First, the main functions of the digital camera device will be described. The digital camera body (hereinafter referred to as camera body 1) has a liquid crystal panel 2 and a viewfinder 3 on the back side facing the photographer, and together with the zoom button 4, each mode such as flash, macro, self-timer, review, etc. Is provided with a control button 5 that can be selected with one touch.

A mode dial 6 and a focus button 7 are provided on the upper surface side of the camera body 1 so as to select a still image mode, a moving image mode, a reproduction mode, a night view mode, and the like.

On one side of the camera body 1, there is provided a storage section for storing a memory card or a battery serving as a card-shaped recording medium. Reference numeral 8 is a storage section for the memory card. Reference numeral 9 denotes a housing for a battery. These two housing portions 8 and 9 can be opened and closed by a lid cover 11 supported by a hinge portion 10.

Here, the above-mentioned lid cover 11 is provided with a slide-type lid opening knob 12. Open lid knob 1
When the cover 2 is slid in the direction of the arrow from the closed and locked state of the cover 11 shown in FIG. The cover 11 is biased to the open position.

Further, by operating the closing operation of the lid cover 11 in the opened state, the locking mechanism of the lid cover 11 is mechanically locked and the lid cover 11 is held at the closed position.

FIG. 3 shows an electric lid lock / lid unlock mechanism for electrically locking and unlocking the lid cover 11. According to this, on the back side of the lid cover 11, the lid opening knob 12 is provided with a butting piece 13 that moves integrally with the lid opening knob 12.
Movable part 14a that moves in two directions of reciprocation so as to face 3
Is mounted on the back of the cabinet of the camera body 1, for example. Note that reference numeral 15
Is a flexible wiring board drawn from a control circuit on the camera body 1 side and connected to the electromagnetic noise 14;
Is turned on / off, and the movable part 14a moves forward and backward.

The digital camera device according to the present invention is configured as described above. In general, in a digital camera device, for example, still image data shot in a still image mode requires a standby time (for example, several seconds) to be written to a memory card. It is. That is, if, for example, the lid cover 11 is accidentally opened and the memory card is removed during the standby time written on the memory card, the still image data at this time is lost and the camera Troubles such as a malfunction on the main body side are caused.

Therefore, in the present invention, the microcomputer detects that the camera is in the still image mode, and turns on the electromagnetic noise 14 in response to a signal command from the microcomputer to cause the movable portion 14a to advance. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the abutment piece 13 of the lid opening knob 12 is interfered by the movable portion 14a, and the sliding movement of the lid opening knob 12 in the unlocking direction is prohibited. Opening can be prevented and the operation of writing still image data to the memory card can be protected. In addition, a malfunction on the camera body side can be prevented.

In addition, in some digital camera devices of this type, in addition to a still image, even a moving image can be written to a memory card. By turning on the electromagnetic noise 14 in response to the command and causing the movable portion 14a to advance, the sliding movement of the lid opening knob 12 in the unlocking direction is prohibited, the opening of the lid cover 11 is prevented, and the still image data The write operation can be protected.

Of course, when a still image or a moving image is being written to the memory card, the power is supplied from the battery. Therefore, the battery can be replaced by regulating the lid cover 11 to the closed position in the same manner as the memory card. Prohibition.

Incidentally, in the case of the embodiment of the present invention, the storage portion for storing the memory card and the battery is connected to one lid cover 11.
When the memory card and the battery are stored in separate storage sections and each storage section has a lid cover, each lid cover has an electric lid lock / lid lock. A release mechanism is provided to prevent unnecessary opening of the lid cover.

On the other hand, at times other than still image shooting and moving image shooting, the electromagnetic noise 14 is controlled by a signal command from the microcomputer.
Is turned off, and the movable portion 14a moves backward. As a result, as shown in FIG.
Is not interfered by the movable portion 14a, and the lid opening knob 12 can slide in the unlocking direction, so that the lid cover 11 is opened and the memory card and the battery can be replaced.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

In this embodiment, the case where the electromagnetic solenoid 14 is mounted on the back surface of the cabinet on the camera body 1 side has been described. In addition, the electromagnetic solenoid 14 is fixed to a board side such as a chassis built in the camera body 1. It may be to do.

The electromagnetic solenoid 14 is moved forward and backward by the on / off operation of the movable part 14a.
In addition, a configuration may be used in which the movable portion 14a is pivoted about the pivot point by the on / off operation of the electromagnetic solenoid 14, thereby restraining or releasing the abutting piece 13.

In addition to the electromagnetic solenoid 14, another electromagnetic switch may be used as long as it is electrically operated to restrain or open the abutting piece 13.

Furthermore, although the embodiment of this embodiment has been described with respect to a digital camera device, some recent video camera devices have a memory card for taking in a still image. An electric lid lock / lid unlock mechanism for inhibiting unnecessary opening may be provided.

[0027]

As described above, the camera device according to the present invention is provided with an electric lid lock / lid unlock mechanism on the cover for storing the card-shaped recording medium and the battery, so that the card-shaped recording medium can be used. During the writing operation of recording data such as still images and moving images, there is an effect that the opening of the lid can be prohibited to protect the recording data, and that a malfunction of the camera body side can be prevented, It becomes a highly reliable camera device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a digital camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the digital camera device in a state where a lid cover for storing a memory card and a battery is opened.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an operation state in which opening of a lid cover is prohibited.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a lid cover can be opened.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Camera main body part, 8 ... Memory card accommodation part, 9 ... Battery accommodation part, 10 ... Hinge part, 11 ... Lid cover,
12: lid open knob, 13: abutting piece, 14: electromagnetic solenoid, 14a: movable part

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A lid which is opened and closed with a hinge as a fulcrum about a storage part for storing a card-shaped recording medium and a battery, and a slidable knob for operating the lid to a lid unlock position. An electric lid lock / lid unlock mechanism including an abutting piece provided on the knob, and an electromagnetic switch having a movable part which is opposed to the abutting piece and is electrically switched. During the operation of writing the recording data to the card-shaped recording medium, the movable portion of the electromagnetic switch restrains the abutting piece of the knob to prohibit the opening of the lid, and the card-shaped In the operation other than the operation of writing the recording data to the recording medium, the movable portion of the electromagnetic switch is retracted to release the restriction of the abutting piece of the knob, thereby enabling the opening of the lid. Mela device. 2. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein said electromagnetic switch is an electromagnetic solenoid. 3. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the camera device is applied to a digital camera device or a video camera device.