JP2003309752A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera in which a recording medium is prevented from being wrongly loaded. <P>SOLUTION: An eject switch 20 is pressed to bring a tray 30 into an extracted state, a hard disk drive unit 100 is inserted along rails 31, 32 up to a position at which a projection 33 is projected while the bottom of the hard disk drive unit 100 is pushed onto the projection 33, then the eject switch 20 is again pressed to contain the tray 30 in the digital camera 1 so as to load the hard disk drive unit 100 to the digital camera 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital camera which receives a subject image and records the image data on a recording medium which is detachably mounted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been a digital camera which receives a subject image on an image pickup device such as a CCD sensor with a photographing lens to obtain image data and compresses the image data or records the image data on a recording medium as it is. Are known. Various recording media are commercially available from various companies. For example, a solid state flexible disk card (SSFDC: S) which is an ultrathin memory card is available.
Solid State Flexible Disk
Card; so-called smart media, or compact flash (trademark) (CF: Compac), which is a small card memory recognized as a hard disk drive.
t Flash) and a micro drive which is an ultra-small hard disk drive device. After recording image data representing a subject image with a digital camera, such a recording medium is removed from the digital camera, inserted into, for example, a personal computer (abbreviated as a personal computer), and the image data is captured by the personal computer. The image is displayed, stored, processed, printed, and the like.

[0003]

Generally, in the above-described digital camera, the shape of the recording medium, the direction of the contact side, the inserting direction, etc. are displayed in the peripheral portion of the digital camera into which the recording medium is inserted. It However, there are cases where the front surface and the back surface of the recording medium are mistakenly inserted, or the recording medium is inserted in the opposite direction. Generally, since a recording medium used in a digital camera is small and thin, if the recording medium is inserted into the digital camera by mistake, the recording medium may be physically damaged.

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a digital camera in which erroneous insertion of a recording medium is prevented.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A digital camera of the present invention which achieves the above object is a digital camera which receives an image of a subject and records image data on a recording medium which is detachably mounted. And a tray for receiving the recording medium in the extended state and storing the recording medium in the state where the recording medium is received, the tray being mounted on the digital camera. Receiving means for receiving the recording medium only at a predetermined position on the tray and in a predetermined orientation is provided.

Since the digital camera of the present invention is provided with the tray for receiving the recording medium only at the predetermined position and in the predetermined direction, the shape of the recording medium and the shape of the conventional recording medium are provided in the peripheral portion where the recording medium is inserted. Compared with a digital camera in which the orientation of the contact side or the insertion direction is displayed, it is possible to prevent the recording medium from being inserted by mistake on the front surface and the back surface, or from being inserted in the direction opposite to the insertion direction. Therefore, the recording medium is not erroneously inserted into the digital camera, and the recording medium is prevented from being physically damaged.

In this digital camera, a plurality of types of recording media can be mounted in a contradictory manner, and image data is recorded on the mounted recording medium. It is preferable to have a plurality of types of receiving means corresponding to each recording medium.

By doing so, in a digital camera in which a plurality of types of recording media can be mounted in a contradictory manner, it is possible to prevent the plurality of types of recording media from being erroneously inserted into the digital camera.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention as seen from diagonally above the front surface.

The digital camera 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a digital camera that receives an image of a subject and records image data on a recording medium that is detachably mounted. More specifically, the digital camera 1 includes a plurality of digital cameras. This is a digital camera that allows a variety of recording media to be mounted in a contradictory manner and records image data on the mounted recording media.

At the center of the front surface of the digital camera 1,
A lens barrel 11 having a taking lens 11a therein is provided. Further, on the upper front surface of the digital camera 1, the optical viewfinder objective window 12 and the auxiliary light emitting section 1 are provided.
3 is provided. Further, a shutter button 14 and a slide type power switch 15 are provided on the upper surface of the digital camera 1. A tray lid 16 is provided on the side surface of the digital camera 1.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the digital camera shown in FIG.

On the back of the digital camera 1, an optical viewfinder eyepiece window 17, a menu switch 18 for displaying a menu such as a photographing mode, an item displayed by the menu switch 18 and a reproduced image. An execution / screen changeover switch 19 for changing over, an eject switch 20 described later, and a monitor 21 are provided.

Further, the digital camera 1 can be freely extended and stored, receives the recording medium in the extended state, and stores the recording medium in the state of receiving the recording medium. The tray 30 is attached to the. Tray 30
When the eject switch 20 is operated once, the tray cover 16 is opened and the tray is extended as shown in FIG. 2, and when the eject switch 20 is operated again, it is stored inside the digital camera 1. It

The tray 30 has rails 31 and 32 on both sides of the tray 30 for receiving the microminiature hard disk drive device 100 (so-called micro drive) as a recording medium only in a predetermined direction and the tray 3.
0 is provided with a projecting portion 33 that can freely project. Further, the tray 30 is provided with a concave portion 34 in the central portion on the tray 30 for receiving a solid state flexible disk card (so-called smart media) which is an ultrathin memory card as a recording medium only in a predetermined direction. There is. The rails 31, 32, the protrusion 33 and the recess 34 correspond to a plurality of types of receiving means according to the present invention.

Here, in order to mount the hard disk drive device 100 on the digital camera 1, first, the eject switch 20 is pushed to bring the tray 30 into the extended state as shown in FIG. Next, while pressing the bottom of the hard disk drive device 100 against the protrusion 33, the hard disk drive device 100 is inserted along the rails 31 and 32 in the direction of the arrow to the position where the protrusion 33 protrudes. Then, the eject switch 20 is pressed again. Then, the end portion of the hard disk drive device 100 is in contact with the protrusion 33 of the tray 30, and the side portion of the hard disk drive device 100 is on the rail 3 of the tray 30.
The tray 30 is housed in the digital camera 1 along the lines 1 and 32, and the connector of the hard disk drive device 100 and the connector provided in the digital camera 1 are fitted together. In this way, the hard disk drive device 100 is attached to the digital camera 1. A case where a solid state flexible disk card is mounted on the digital camera 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a state in which the solid state flexible disk card is received in the concave portion of the tray shown in FIG.

In order to mount the solid state flexible disk card on the digital camera 1, first, the eject switch 20 is pushed to bring the tray 30 out as shown in FIG. Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the solid state flexible disk card 200 is recessed so that the notch of the solid state flexible disk card 200 and the notch of the recess 34 coincide with each other.
Place on. Then, by pushing the eject switch 20 again, the tray 30 is stored in the digital camera 1, and the solid state flexible disk card 20
The zero contact point and the contact point provided in the digital camera 1 electrically contact each other. In this way, the solid state flexible disk card 20 is added to the digital camera 1.
0 is installed.

In mounting the hard disk drive device 100 as a recording medium, the digital camera 1 of the present embodiment is such that the end portion of the hard disk drive device 100 abuts the protrusion 33 of the tray 30 and the hard disk drive device 100 Tray 30 on the side of 100
The tray 30 is housed in the digital camera 1 along the rails 31 and 32 of. When mounting the solid state flexible disk card 200, the solid state flexible disk card 2
The tray 30 is housed in the digital camera 1 with the solid-state flexible disk card 200 placed in the recess 34 such that the notch 00 and the recess 34 are aligned. Therefore, as compared with the conventional digital camera in which the shape of the recording medium, the direction of the contact side, the inserting direction, and the like are displayed in the peripheral portion where the recording medium is inserted, the hard disk drive device 100 and the solid state flexible disk card 200 are compared. It is possible to prevent the front surface and the back surface from being mistakenly inserted or to be inserted in the direction opposite to the insertion direction. Therefore, the hard disk drive device 100 and the solid state flexible disk card 200 are not erroneously inserted into the digital camera 1, and the hard disk drive device 100 and the solid state flexible disk card 200 are prevented from being physically damaged.

In the present embodiment, the example of the tray that receives the hard disk drive device or the solid state flexible disk card as the recording medium has been described, but a compact flash (trademark) or a PC card may be received. The tray referred to in the present invention is
A tray that can be freely fed and stored, receives a recording medium in a fed state, and is stored in the state where the recording medium is received so that the recording medium is mounted on the digital camera. Any means may be used as long as it has a receiving means for receiving the recording medium only at a predetermined position above and in a predetermined direction.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide a digital camera in which erroneous insertion of a recording medium is prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from diagonally above the front surface.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the digital camera shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a state where a solid state flexible disk card is received in a concave portion of the tray shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 digital camera 11 lens barrel 11a shooting lens 12 Optical viewfinder objective window 13 Auxiliary light emitting section 14 Shutter button 15 power switch 16 tray lid 17 Optical viewfinder eyepiece window 18 Menu switch 19 Execution / screen switch 20 eject switch 21 monitor 30 trays 31,32 rails 33 Projection 34 recess 100 hard disk drive 200 Solid State Flexible Disk Card

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A digital camera for receiving a subject image and recording image data on a recording medium that is detachably mounted, wherein the recording medium is freely extendable and retractable, and receives the recording medium in the extended state. The recording medium is provided with a tray that is mounted in this digital camera by being accommodated in the state where the recording medium is received, and the tray is the recording device only at a predetermined position on the tray and in a predetermined orientation. A digital camera having a receiving means for receiving a medium. 2. This digital camera is capable of mounting a plurality of types of recording media in a contradictory manner, and records image data on the mounted recording medium, wherein the tray is of a plurality of types. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of types of receiving means corresponding to each recording medium.