JP2004180137A - Image pickup apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To protect both an objective lens and a mirror for self-photographing by one cover, open the objective lens at a first step of opening the cover, and open an object display device at a second, a third or upper step of opening the cover. <P>SOLUTION: This image pickup apparatus is provided with a case 11 in which the objective lens 17 of an image pickup lens opposing the object is arranged in the front, the cover 12 attached on the case 11 so as to be movable between a position for covering the lens 17 and a position for opening the lens 17, and the object display device 58 for displaying an object. The lens 17 is opened at the first step of opening the cover 12, and the device 58 is opened at the second, or third step of opening the cover 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus such as a digital camera and an electronic still camera in which a subject display section for projecting a subject is arranged near an imaging lens, and the subject display section can be used as a finder.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in normal photographing using an imaging device such as a digital camera, a photographer selects a desired subject by looking through a viewfinder of the camera, and presses a shutter button at a desired shutter chance. In general, an imaging device such as a digital camera has a configuration suitable for such shooting. Therefore, in normal photographing, the photographer does not become the subject, and another person or object other than the photographer can be the subject.
[0003]
However, there are unexpectedly many cases where the photographer himself wants to be the subject, such as traveling alone. In response to such demands, recent photographing apparatuses have been provided with a function of photographing the photographer himself as a subject (self-portrait).
[0004]
As an imaging device capable of performing such “self-portrait”, for example, an imaging device described in Patent Literature 1 is known. This patent document 1 discloses a film unit with a lens that enables a user to take a photograph with a good face size and a good area balance with the background when taking a self-portrait. This film unit with a lens is characterized in that a mirror for photographing one's own face is provided on the front surface, and the mirror magnification is set to 0.018 to 0.400 at the observation point 0.6 m.
[0005]
Another example of a conventional imaging apparatus capable of “self-portrait” is described in Patent Document 2, for example. Patent Literature 2 discloses a camera having a mirror on the front of the camera so that a photographer who holds the camera can take an image of himself as a subject. This camera is a camera having a mirror on the front surface, and is characterized in that a specific photographing mode is set by pressing the mirror.
[0006]
Further, as a third example of this type of conventional imaging apparatus, there is one described in Patent Document 3, for example. Patent Literature 3 discloses a camera related to a camera in which a convex mirror that projects an object is arranged near an imaging lens, and the convex mirror can be used as a finder. In this camera, a camera for photographing a subject via a photographing lens in a lens barrel protruding to the front side of a camera body is provided, and a mirror for projecting the subject is arranged near the lens barrel of the camera body. By operating a “photographing button for self-portrait” provided separately from a photographing button for normal photographing, photographing is started after the zoom mechanism becomes wide.
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-159805 A (page 2, FIG. 1)
[Patent Document 2]
JP 2001-154241 A (page 2, FIG. 1)
[Patent Document 3]
JP-A-7-77728 (page 2, FIG. 1)
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in some of the conventional image pickup apparatuses described above, a mirror for self-photographing is provided, but the camera measures the distance to the subject and sets the mode of the zoom lens based on the measurement result. (Zoom mode and wide mode). For this reason, after taking a picture of a distant place with a camera, it was not possible to immediately turn the zoom lens toward himself to perform "selfie".
Furthermore, when the "Shooting button for selfie" provided separately from the shooting button for shooting is operated, the zoom mechanism is configured to be in the wide mode and then the shooting is started. I couldn't shoot in any other mode.
[0009]
Also, the self-portrait mirror was protected by a dedicated cover movably attached to the housing. Therefore, the number of required components is increased, and the components that move on the appearance surface, which is the front of the housing, include a lens cover for protecting the objective lens and a mirror cover for protecting the self-portrait mirror. Therefore, there is a problem that not only gives the photographer a complicated feeling but also operability may be impaired.
[0010]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and enables a single lid to protect both an objective lens and a self-portrait mirror, and to provide a first lid when the lid is opened. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image pickup apparatus that can solve the above-mentioned problem by adopting a configuration in which the objective lens is opened in one stage, and the subject display is opened in the second stage or the third stage or more at the time of opening. And
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems and the like and to achieve the object, an imaging apparatus according to claim 1 of the present application includes a housing in which an objective lens of an imaging lens facing a subject is disposed in front. A cover mounted on the housing so as to be movable in a plurality of stages between a position covering the objective lens and a position opening the object lens, and a subject display for projecting a subject, and a first display when the cover is opened. The objective lens is opened at the stage, and the subject display is opened at the second stage or at the third stage or more when the lid is opened.
[0012]
An image pickup apparatus according to a second aspect of the present application includes a lock unit that locks a lid that moves from a stage before the subject display is opened to an open stage to prevent the movement, and a lock unit that unlocks the lock unit and releases the lock. And an unlocking means for enabling the movement to the opening stage.
[0013]
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 3 of the present application is provided with position detecting means for detecting the position of the lid, and position display means for displaying the position of the lid based on the position detection result by the position detecting means. It is characterized by.
[0014]
The imaging device according to claim 4 of the present application has a zoom mechanism that can change the zoom magnification of the subject, and sets the zoom magnification of the zoom mechanism to the wide mode when the subject display is opened. I have.
[0015]
With the above-described configuration, in the imaging apparatus according to claim 1 of the present application, by moving the lid to the first stage when the lid is opened, the objective lens is opened and normal photographing can be performed. Is moved to the second stage or the third stage or more, the subject display is opened, and self-photographing becomes possible. Therefore, both the objective lens and the subject display can be protected by one lid, and the appearance of the camera capable of self-photographing can be made simple and the operability can be prevented from being impaired. it can.
[0016]
In the imaging apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the first stage positioning of the lid can be performed by the lock unit, and the lid can be reliably set to the normal imaging position, and the lock of the lock unit is unlocked by the unlock unit. By doing so, the lid can be moved to the position of the second stage or the third stage or more at the time of opening, and the opening of the lid to the second stage or later can be reliably recognized.
[0017]
In the imaging device according to claim 3 of the present application, the position of the cover is detected by the position detecting means, and the position of the cover is displayed by the position display means based on the detection result, so that the photographer can detect the position of the cover. The open / closed state can be reliably recognized, and erroneous operation due to erroneous recognition of the position of the lid can be prevented.
[0018]
In the image pickup apparatus according to claim 4 of the present application, when the subject is opened by moving the lid, the zoom magnification of the zoom mechanism is automatically switched to the wide mode. Can be prevented from being mistakenly photographed. Also, once in the wide mode, the zoom mechanism can be operated with the subject display open, so that it is possible to take a picture after operating at another zoom magnification.
[0019]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 14 show an embodiment of the present invention. That is, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention in a state in which a lid is moved to a third stage open position, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the same when the lid is moved to a second stage position. 3 is a perspective view showing a state where the lid is similarly moved to a first stage position, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state where the lid is closed, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing components. 6, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the battery cover opened and viewed from the rear side, FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 1, FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line YY of FIG. 1, and FIGS. FIGS. 10 to 12 are explanatory views showing a projection and a foreign matter removing member in cross section, FIGS. 10 to 12 are explanatory views showing another embodiment of an engaging convex and a foreign matter removing member, respectively, and FIG. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of control by an electronic circuit.
[0020]
The imaging device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 is applied as a digital camera. In the present invention, the “face” refers to a surface that shows the shape and appearance of an object that can be seen from the outside, and particularly refers to a surface that appears on the surface in a general use state of the object. . For example, in the case of the digital camera 10 of the present embodiment, the appearance surface mainly indicates the front surface, but may be the upper surface, the left and right side surfaces, or the back surface.
[0021]
The digital camera 10 has a hollow housing 11 having a horizontally long rectangular shape in front, and a lid (lens cover) attached to the front 11a of the housing 11 and slidable in the longitudinal direction. ) 12 and an imaging lens. The imaging lens is an optical component for forming an optical image of a subject on a photosensitive surface of an imaging device. In general, a zoom lens that can change the size of an optical image arbitrarily is used as the imaging lens. This imaging lens is housed inside the housing 11, and the objective lens 17 facing the subject is exposed on the front surface 11 a of the housing 11.
[0022]
Although not shown, various devices and mechanisms required as a digital camera, such as an optical system, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) imaging device, and an electronic circuit are built in the housing 11, and imaging is performed with these devices. A digital camera is constituted by the lens. The optical system performs optical processing so that an optical image taken by an imaging lens is easily converted into an electric signal by a CCD imaging device. The CCD imaging device is for converting an optical image formed by an imaging lens into an electric signal. The electronic circuit drives and controls the imaging lens, the optical system, and the CCD imaging device, and includes a CCD driving circuit, a signal processing circuit, an output circuit, and the like.
[0023]
An opening / closing lid 13 in the form of a hinged door is attached to one longitudinal side surface 11 c of the housing 11, and the battery or other storage unit 14 can be opened and closed by the opening / closing lid 13. As shown in FIG. 6, the battery storage section 14 includes a section in which a dry battery 50 as a power supply is stored, and a semiconductor recording medium {for example, “Memory Stick (trademark of Sony Corporation)” which is a specific example of a storage medium. ) "And the like are provided. A shutter button 15 is provided on the upper surface 11b of the housing 11 on the side of the opening / closing lid 13 so as to be able to press.
[0024]
On the back surface 11e of the housing 11, a sight window 16 of a finder, a liquid crystal panel 54 capable of displaying the same image as the image projected on the finder, or displaying various control modes, input information, and the like, and a zoom A zoom operation button 55 for zooming the lens is provided. The viewing window 16 is disposed at an upper portion on one side of the back surface 11e, and a zoom operation button 55 is disposed at an upper portion on the other side so as to face the viewing window 16. Further, a liquid crystal panel 54 is disposed below a substantially central portion of the back surface 11e, and a plurality of panel operation buttons 56 are disposed above the liquid crystal panel 54.
[0025]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, on the side opposite to the opening / closing lid 13 on the front surface 11a of the housing 11, an objective lens 17 of an imaging lens, a light emitting section 18 of a strobe device, and a half mirror-shaped convex mirror are provided. An object display device 58, a USB connector socket 61 to which a USB connector 60 is detachably attached, and an AV terminal socket 63 to which an AV terminal 62 is detachably attached are provided. The light emitting unit 18 is disposed on the upper side of the objective lens 17. The region where the objective lens 17 and the light emitting section 18 exist is the first stage (1) when the lid 12 is opened when the lid 12 slides in the longitudinal direction of the housing 11.
[0026]
The subject displays 58 are arranged side by side with the objective lens 17. The area where the subject display 58 exists is a second stage (2) when the lid 12 is opened when the lid 12 slides in the longitudinal direction of the housing 11. The USB connector sockets 61 are arranged side by side with the object display 58, and an AV terminal socket 63 is arranged above the USB connector sockets 61. The region where these sockets 61 and 63 exist is a third stage (3) which is the final stage when the lid 12 is opened when the lid 12 slides in the longitudinal direction of the housing 11.
[0027]
That is, the objective lens 17, the light emitting section 18, the subject display 58, and the sockets 61 and 63 are configured to be openable and closable by the lid 12 that can move in three stages in the lateral direction which is the longitudinal direction. All of these objective lenses 17 and the like are covered and protected by the lid 12 at a position where the lid 12 is completely closed. When the lid 12 moves to the position (1) of the first stage, the lid 12 is opened so that the objective lens 17 and the light emitting section 18 are exposed. Further, when the lid 12 moves to the second position (2), the subject display 58 is opened so as to be exposed. Then, when the lid 12 moves to the third position (3), the USB connector socket 61 and the AV terminal socket 63 are opened so as to be exposed.
[0028]
Although the lid 12 is slidable only in the lateral direction of the housing 11 in FIG. 1 and the like, the lid 12 is locked by locking the lid 12 at the third stage position (2). Locking means for preventing movement to (3) and unlocking means for unlocking the locking means and allowing the lid 12 to move to the third position (3) are provided. .
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 5, the lid 12 protects the objective lens 17 and the like exposed on the front surface 11 a of the housing 11, and has a substantially square shape having a shape corresponding to the front shape of the housing 11. It is formed of a flat plate-shaped member. The lid 12 is configured to be slidable linearly in the horizontal direction by the slide mechanism 20.
[0030]
The slide mechanism 20 includes a pair of upper and lower guide shafts 21 and 21 provided on the back surface of the lid 12, a pair of upper and lower elongated holes 22 and 22 provided at substantially the center of the front surface 11 a of the housing 11, It is arranged inside the body 11 and includes a holding member 23 for holding the housing 11 between the lid 12 and the like. The pair of elongated holes 22, 22 are parallel to each other and extend in the lateral direction, and the guide shaft portions 21, 21 are slidably engaged with the elongated holes 22, 22, respectively. The holding member 23 is provided with a pair of holes 24, 24 corresponding to the pair of guide shaft portions 21, 21.
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 7, a holding member 23 is arranged inside the housing 11. In this state, the fixing screw 25 is inserted into each hole 24 of the holding member 23, and its screw shaft is screwed into the guide shaft 21 inserted into the elongated hole 22 and tightened. As a result, the lid 12 is supported on the front surface 11a of the housing 11 so as to be slidable in the lateral direction. The holding member 23 is provided with an arm portion 23a that protrudes in the lateral direction. By engaging the arm 23a with a guide groove (not shown) provided on the inner surface of the housing 11, a linear sliding operation of the lid 12 in the lateral direction is ensured. In connection with the sliding operation of the lid 12, it is necessary to provide a mechanism that generates a click feeling at the first stage position (1) and the second stage position (2) and clearly senses each position. preferable.
[0032]
Although not shown, the housing 11 is provided with position detection means for detecting the position of the lid 12 that slides, and position display means for displaying the position of the lid 12. As the position detecting means, for example, a switch means which is turned on / off by the lid 12 can be used. In addition, as the position display means, for example, a movement stage display 26 provided on the upper surface 11b of the housing 11 can be used. The movement stage display 26 displays the stage of the sliding operation of the lid 12. As such a moving stage display 26, for example, a liquid crystal display element can be used. In the moving stage display 26, for example, “fully closed (stage 0)”, “1 stage (first stage)”, “2 stage (second stage)”, and “fully opened (third stage)” Are displayed as four patterns.
[0033]
In the first pattern “fully closed (stage 0)”, as shown in FIG. 4, the lid 12 is at the position of the 0th stage, and all of the objective lens 17 and the like are covered by the lid 12. State. In the second pattern “1 step (first step)”, as shown in FIG. 3, the lid 12 is at the position (1) of the first step, and the objective lens 17 and the light emitting section 18 are exposed. State. In the third pattern “two steps (second step)”, as shown in FIG. 2, the lid 12 is located at the position (2) of the second step, and the object 12 in addition to the objective lens 17 and the light emitting unit 18 The display 58 is in an exposed state. Further, in the fourth pattern “full open (third stage)”, as shown in FIG. 1, the lid 12 is located at the third stage (3), the objective lens 17, the light emitting unit 18 and the object display In this state, two types of sockets 61 and 63 are exposed in addition to the container 58.
[0034]
In addition, at the second stage position (2) of the sliding operation of the lid 12, a locking means for preventing the lid 12 from moving to the third stage position (3), and the lock of this locking means is released. Lock release means is provided. Then, the cover 12 can be moved to the third position (3) only when the lock of the lock means is released by the lock release means. The lock release means is provided with a release operation button so that a release operation can be performed from outside the housing 11. For example, the release operation button may be arranged so as to be exposed on the bottom surface of the housing 11.
[0035]
On one side in the longitudinal direction of the front surface of the lid 12, a knob 12a for sliding the lid 12 is provided. The knob portion 12a of the lid 12 extends continuously in the width direction crossing the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 5, on one side in the longitudinal direction of the back surface of the lid body 12, two sliding sheets 26, 26 for improving slippage with the front surface 11a of the housing 11 are provided in the width direction. Both sides are fixed by fixing means such as an adhesive.
[0036]
Further, on the other side of the back surface of the lid 12 in the longitudinal direction, three hemispherical projections 30 each having a hemispherical projection showing a first specific example of the engagement projection are provided. The three hemispherical convex portions 30 are arranged at three positions, that is, both corners in the width direction and an intermediate portion thereof. A ring-shaped foreign matter removing member 31 showing a first specific example of the foreign matter removing member is fixed to each of the hemispherical convex portions 30. As shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C, the height T of the hemispherical convex portion 30 is determined in a state where the lid 12 is assembled to the housing 11 and the ring-shaped foreign matter removing member 31 is pressed against the front surface 11 a of the housing 11. The setting is made such that a slight gap is formed between the front surface 11a and the front surface 11a.
[0037]
As shown in FIG. 9A, the ring-shaped foreign matter removing member 31 is formed in a ring shape from a nonwoven fabric having an appropriate thickness H using ultra-fine fibers used for wiping a spectacle lens or the like. The outer diameter D of the ring-shaped foreign matter removing member 31 is preferably formed to be larger than the maximum diameter S of the hemispherical convex portion 30, but the outer diameter D may be formed to be smaller than the maximum diameter S. The inner diameter d of the central hole 31a of the ring-shaped foreign matter removing member 31 is such that in the state of being pressed against the front surface 11a after being mounted on the hemispherical protrusion 30, the central top of the hemispherical protrusion 30 projects and contacts the front surface 11a. Set to a size that will not cause any problems. The foreign matter removing member may not have a hole at the center.
[0038]
On one surface of the ring-shaped foreign matter removing member 31, an adhesive layer 32 to which an adhesive is applied to be attached to the hemispherical convex portion 30 is provided. By attaching the ring-shaped foreign matter removing member 31 to the hemispherical convex part 30 using the adhesive layer 32, the hemispherical convex part 30 is formed to have a substantially uniform thickness by the ring-shaped foreign matter removing member 31, as shown in FIG. 9B. Covered with. Thereafter, by assembling the lid 12 with the housing 11, the central portion of the ring-shaped foreign matter removing member 31 is greatly compressed as shown in FIG. 9C. Thus, as shown in FIG. 8, the three foreign matter removing members are interposed between the housing 11 and the lid 12 in a compressed state.
[0039]
As the material of the housing 11 and the lid 12 described above, for example, aluminum alloy, stainless steel and other metal materials are suitable, but engineering plastics and other materials having appropriate strength and rigidity can be used. . Further, as a material of the sandwiching member 23 and the sliding sheet 25, for example, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and other engineering plastics are preferable, but a metal material such as an aluminum alloy can also be used.
[0040]
The digital camera 10 having the above-described configuration can be used, for example, as follows. FIG. 4 shows a state when the digital camera 10 is not used. In this state, the objective lens 17 of the imaging lens, the light emitting unit 18 of the strobe device, the subject display 58, and the two sockets 61 and 63 are Everything is covered by a lid (lens cover) 12 located at a position to cover them, and the camera cannot be photographed.
[0041]
From this state, the photographer slides the lid 12 by one step in the horizontal direction, and moves the lid 12 to the position (1) of the first stage at the time of opening. Thereby, the electronic circuit of the digital camera 10 is driven, and as shown in FIG. 3, the objective lens 17 at the tip of the imaging lens and the light emitting section 18 of the strobe device are opened, and the imaging lens extends to 17 is projected. As a result, it is possible to take a picture with the strobe device usable.
[0042]
Further, when the photographer slides the lid 12 in the lateral direction to move to the second stage position (2) when the lid is opened, the subject display 58 is opened as shown in FIG. In this case, the imaging lens, which is a zoom lens, is automatically returned from the zoom state to the wide state by the control of the electronic circuit. That is, when the lid 12 is moved from the first-stage position (1) to the second-stage position (2), the microcomputer of the electronic circuit executes, for example, the processing of a program as shown in FIG.
[0043]
First, in step 1, it is determined whether or not the lid body 12 has been opened to the second step. If the cover 12 is still at the position (1) of the first step of the first step, the process returns to step 1, and the second step has already been performed. If it has moved to the position (2) of the second stage, the process proceeds to step 2. Next, in step 2, a control signal for contracting the imaging lens is output from the electronic circuit, and control is performed to switch from a zoom state in which the imaging lens is extended to a wide state in which the imaging lens is contracted. Thereby, the control processing ends.
[0044]
While the control of the imaging lens is performed in this manner, the subject display 58 is a convex mirror, and in this display window 58, the figure of oneself is displayed as a subject. Therefore, the subject display 58 can be used as a finder, and the photographer himself can check the photographing state on his own screen. Therefore, the photographer himself can press the shutter button 15 with the thumb of his left hand to photograph himself. In addition, the convex mirror is configured to display a photographing range of the subject in the wide mode.
[0045]
In this way, when the subject display 58 is opened, the imaging lens is automatically returned from the zoom state to the wide state once, so that the photographing can be performed without noticing that the zoom lens is in the telephoto state. This prevents the problem that a part of the face was not captured, and anyone can definitely take a selfie easily.
[0046]
The photographer determines the position of the subject on the screen and the range (image frame) to be photographed while looking through the view window 16 and the liquid crystal panel 54 of the viewfinder, and photographs the subject. In face-to-face photography, where you pose yourself while watching your figure, the zoom magnification is basically performed in the wide mode, so when you open the subject display 58, the photographing lens is automatically temporarily changed from the zoom state. It is very convenient to return to the wide state. Furthermore, in such face-to-face shooting, the zoom can be further changed after the wide state has been set here, so that the photographer may further adjust the image frame and slightly zoom up to shoot. It can be more convenient.
[0047]
Further, when the photographer slides the lid 12 in the lateral direction and moves to the third stage position (3) at the time of opening, as shown in FIG. 1, the USB connector socket 61 and the AV terminal The socket 63 is opened. By attaching the USB connector 60 to the socket 61, the digital camera 10 is connected to a personal computer, a printer, and other electronic devices via the USB connector 60. Therefore, image information of a subject photographed by the digital camera 10 can be taken into a personal computer, or image information can be printed and output by a printer.
[0048]
Further, by attaching the AV terminal 62 to the socket 63 that appears on the appearance surface of the housing 11, the digital camera 10 is connected to the television or other electronic devices via the AV terminal 62. Thereby, the image information of the subject photographed by the digital camera 10 can be projected on the CRT and viewed.
[0049]
At this time, the photographer can know the current position of the lid 12 by looking at the moving stage display 26 provided on the housing 11. Therefore, an appropriate operation corresponding to the open state of the lid 12 can be performed, and an erroneous operation that does not correspond to the position of the lid 12 can be prevented. Further, in order to move the lid 12 from the second stage to the third stage, it is necessary to operate the unlocking means to release the lock by the locking means. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of an erroneous operation of moving to the third stage from the eyes. On the other hand, when the lid 12 moves from the second stage to the third stage, the state is switched to a state in which photographing is not possible. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a problem that photographing is performed with the two sockets 61 and 63 exposed. Can be. When the cover 12 is moved to the third position (3), the power may be turned off to save power.
[0050]
Further, between the housing 11 and the lid 12, three foreign matter removing members 31 and two sliding sheets 25 fixed to the lid 12 are interposed, and the lid 12 is interposed therebetween. Is slid relative to the housing 11. At this time, there is little gap between the sliding sheet 25 and the front surface 11a of the housing 11 with which the sliding sheet 25 comes into sliding contact, so that there is no possibility that foreign matter enters between them.
[0051]
The three foreign matter removing members 31 are interposed in the gap between the housing 11 and the lid 12 in a state as shown in FIG. 9C. That is, the central portion of the foreign matter removing member 31 is constantly pressed against the front surface 11a of the housing 11, and the pressing force gradually decreases toward the outside in the radial direction. Therefore, when the lid 12 is opened and closed in a state where foreign matter is attached to the front surface 11a, even when foreign matter is present on the trajectory of the movement of the foreign matter removing member 31, the foreign matter is removed by the foreign matter removing member 31. It is wiped by the outer peripheral portion, or is taken into the foreign matter removing member 31 from the outer peripheral portion having a low density, and is held by the inner peripheral portion having a high density.
[0052]
Accordingly, the foreign matter is not pressed against the front surface 11a by the foreign matter removing member 31, and there is no possibility that the appearance surface, which is the surface thereof, is damaged by the foreign matter. Moreover, since the foreign matter removing member 31 is in a compressed state, and the cover 12 is constantly urged away from the front face 11a by the elastic force of the foreign matter removing member 31, the mounting play of the cover 12 is absorbed. , And can be maintained without play.
[0053]
In the present embodiment, an example in which a nonwoven fabric is used as the material of the foreign matter removing member 31 has been described. A rubber-like elastic body or the like can also be used.
[0054]
10 to 12 show another embodiment of the engaging projection and the foreign matter removing member according to the imaging apparatus of the present invention. In these embodiments, the same parts as those in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. The embodiment shown in FIG. 10 shows a second embodiment of the foreign matter removing member. The foreign matter removing member 40 has a hemispherical shape corresponding to the hemispherical convex portion 30 on one surface of the ring-like foreign matter removing member 31 described above. Are provided. The recess 41 may have a conical shape.
[0055]
The embodiment shown in FIG. 11 shows a second embodiment of the engaging projection, and the engaging projection 44 is configured as a truncated conical projection. In the case of the truncated conical convex portion 44, the foreign matter removing member 31 having a planar shape as shown in FIG. 9A can be used. However, as shown in FIG. It is good to form in the shape. The embodiment shown in FIG. 12 shows a third embodiment of the engaging projection, and the engaging projection 46 is configured as a cylindrical projection. In the case of the cylindrical convex portion 46, as shown in FIG. 12, the foreign matter removing member 47 may be formed in a conical cylindrical cup shape.
[0056]
As described above, according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, similarly to the above-described embodiment, it is possible to eliminate a problem that the appearance surface is damaged due to the sliding operation of the lid 12. In these embodiments, the central holes 40a, 45a, 47a of the foreign matter removing members 40, 45, 47 may not be provided.
[0057]
According to this embodiment, when the foreign matter adhered to the appearance surface 11a of the housing 11 is larger than the gap between the fibers of the foreign matter removing member 31, the wiper of the automobile wipes the glass as the foreign matter removing member 31 slides. Since the foreign matter is wiped off by the effect as described above, the appearance surface is not damaged by the foreign matter. If the foreign matter attached to the appearance surface 11a is smaller than the gap between the fibers, the foreign matter removing member 31 slides and is trapped in the gap between the fibers. The foreign matter trapped in the vicinity of the sliding surface of the foreign matter removing member 31 moves to the inside, which is more flexible and has less frictional resistance, so that the foreign matter does not damage the appearance surface.
[0058]
In addition, in the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, since the frusto-conical convex portion 44 and the cylindrical convex portion 46 have a corner at the tip, a chamfering process is performed on the corner. Preferably, the surface is smooth.
[0059]
The imaging apparatus according to this embodiment has a housing in which an objective lens of a lens system is arranged on a presentation surface, and at least a part of the housing is disposed on the front surface of the appearance surface of the housing and opens a position covering the objective lens. A lid that is movable to and from the position and is attached to the housing.In the imaging device, the lid has an engagement projection that projects toward the housing, and the engagement projection has A foreign matter removing member that removes foreign matter from the appearance surface by wiping or adsorbing foreign matter attached to the appearance surface by contacting the appearance surface is fixed, and the foreign matter removal member is brought into contact with the appearance surface. In this case, the foreign matter adhering to the appearance surface can be wiped off or adsorbed by the foreign matter removing member to remove the foreign matter from the appearance surface, and the appearance surface can be prevented from being damaged by the foreign matter being pinched.
[0060]
Further, the engaging projection is formed of a hemispherically projected protrusion, and the foreign matter removing member is formed of a ring-shaped nonwoven fabric or a rubber-like elastic body mounted on the engaging projection. In this case, by attaching and fixing the ring-shaped foreign matter removing member to the hemispherical engaging convex portion, the central part of the foreign matter removing member can be firmly pressed against the appearance surface, and the foreign matter removing member can be used. Foreign matter adhering to the appearance surface can be reliably removed. Then, the hole diameter of the foreign matter removing member is preferably smaller than the maximum diameter of the engaging projection. In this case, the appearance surface can be rubbed by utilizing the edge of the hole of the foreign matter removing member, and thereby the foreign matter can be reliably removed by firmly wiping the appearance surface at the center of the foreign matter removing member. .
[0061]
Further, it is preferable to provide an adhesive layer on one surface of the foreign matter removing member for sticking to the engaging projection. In this case, by fixing the foreign matter removing member to the engaging projection using the adhesive layer provided on one surface, the foreign matter removing member can be reliably assembled by an extremely simple operation. Further, the foreign matter removing member is formed of a cup-shaped nonwoven fabric or a rubber-like elastic body having a concave portion corresponding to the engaging convex portion for mounting on the engaging convex portion. In this case, by attaching and fixing the cup-shaped foreign matter removing member to the engaging projection, the central part of the foreign matter removing member is firmly pressed against the appearance surface, and the foreign matter adhering to the appearance surface is reliably removed. can do.
[0062]
In contrast to this embodiment, in a conventional image pickup apparatus such as a digital camera, a lens cover is slidably provided in a horizontal direction, and a photographing can be performed by sliding the lens cover and exposing an objective lens during photographing. And it was. Therefore, the housing in which the lens system and other mechanisms are built and the lid slidably attached to the housing come into direct sliding contact with each other. When the cover is moved, a part of the lid rubs against the housing, and when the sliding surface thereof is the appearance of the housing and the lid slidingly contacting the housing is formed of a hard material, The appearance of the housing is damaged by the sliding contact portion of the body, which significantly impairs the appearance of the imaging device.
[0063]
Therefore, in this type of conventional imaging apparatus, various measures as shown in FIGS. 15A to 15D have been taken in order to prevent the sliding surface of the casing from being damaged by the sliding surface. .
[0064]
The first countermeasure shown in FIG. 15A is to provide a hemispherical convex portion on the back surface of the lid 3 and bring the convex portion into contact with the appearance surface 2 of the housing 1 so as to slide the housing 1 and the lid 3. The moving part is configured as a point contact (first conventional example). In this case, by providing the convex portion, the probability of foreign matter being caught in the sliding portion is reduced, and it is possible to make it difficult for foreign matter to be caught between the housing 1 and the lid 3. However, in the case of the first conventional example, the gap Ta between the housing 1 and the lid 3 can be reduced, so that the probability of foreign matter entering can be reduced. However, the probability of foreign matter being caught can only be reduced. As shown in FIG. 16, when the foreign material 6 is pinched, the appearance surface 2 is damaged, which is insufficient as a countermeasure.
[0065]
The second countermeasure shown in FIG. 15B is to provide a large gap T between the housing 1 and the lid 3 so as to prevent foreign matter from being caught in the gap T and to prevent damage due to foreign matter being caught. This is the second conventional example. However, in the case of the second conventional example, the gap Tb between the housing 1 and the lid 3 is large and conspicuous, not only impairing the appearance, but also increasing the thickness of the entire imaging device. . In addition, the nails and the like of the photographer are liable to be caught during use, and operability may be impaired. In addition, there is an insufficient point that play during slide operation increases.
[0066]
A third measure shown in FIG. 15C is to provide a sliding surface member (for example, a sliding rail or the like) 5 on the appearance surface 2 of the housing 1, and the convex portion of the lid 3 is placed on the sliding surface member 5. Sliding contact is made so that the appearance surface 2 is not damaged (third conventional example). However, in the case of the third conventional example, the clearance Tc between the housing 1 and the lid 3 can be reduced, and the appearance surface 2 is not scratched. Since such a sliding surface member 5 is provided, there is an insufficient point that the sliding surface member 5 itself becomes conspicuous and impairs the appearance.
[0067]
A fourth countermeasure shown in FIG. 15D is to process the appearance surface 2 of the housing 1 into a surface with less noticeable scratches (fourth conventional example). However, in the case of the fourth conventional example, the gap Td between the housing 1 and the lid 3 can be similarly reduced, but the degree of freedom of design on the appearance surface 2 of the housing 1 is limited. In addition to this, there is an insufficient point that the cost is increased by the amount of the surface treatment.
[0068]
FIG. 13 shows a second embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention. In the digital camera 70 according to this embodiment, the housing 71 and the lid 72 are nested, and the lid 72 can be slid with respect to the housing 71 in two stages. The lid 72 is formed of a hollow rectangular parallelepiped having one surface opened in the longitudinal direction, and one side of the housing 71 is slidably inserted through the opening. In FIG. 13, the same parts as those in the embodiment of FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.
[0069]
On the front surface 71a of the housing 71, on the side opposite to the side on which the opening / closing lid 72 is mounted, the objective lens 17 of the imaging lens, the light emitting unit 18 of the strobe device, and the USB connector 60 are detachably mounted. A USB connector socket 61 is provided. The light emitting section 18 is arranged on the upper side of the objective lens 17 so that the area where the objective lens 17 and the light emitting section 18 exist is in the first stage when the lid 72 is opened when the lid 72 slides. 1 ▼.
[0070]
The USB connector socket 61 is arranged side by side with the objective lens 17 and the light emitting unit 18. The region where the socket 61 exists is a second stage (2) when the lid 72 is opened when the lid 72 slides in the longitudinal direction of the housing 71. That is, the objective lens 17, the light emitting unit 18, and the socket 61 are configured to be openable and closable by the lid 72 that can move in two stages in the lateral direction which is the longitudinal direction. All of these objective lenses 17 and the like are covered and protected by the lid 72 when the lid 72 is completely closed. When the lid 72 moves to the position (1) of the first stage, it is opened so that the objective lens 17 and the light emitting section 18 are exposed. Further, by moving the lid 72 to the second stage position (2), the USB connector socket 61 is opened so as to be exposed.
[0071]
Further, at the position (1) of the first stage of the sliding operation of the lid 72, a locking means for preventing the lid 72 from moving to the position (2) of the second stage, and the locking of the locking means is released. And a lock release means. The lid 72 can be moved to the second position (2) only when the lock of the lock means is released by the lock release means. A release operation button 73 of the lock release means is provided so as to be exposed on a bottom surface 71f of the housing 71. Reference numeral 74 denotes a screw hole for fixing the digital camera 70 to a tripod.
[0072]
The other configuration is the same as that of the above-described embodiment. With this configuration, the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.
[0073]
As described above, the zoom mechanism has been described using a zoom lens capable of arbitrarily changing the size of an optical image as an imaging lens. However, the zoom mechanism is not limited to this. It is needless to say that a so-called electronic zoom that processes captured images in an image processing manner or a combination of a zoom lens and an electronic zoom may be used.
[0074]
In the above description, the socket is opened when the lid is opened. However, a small memory card slot may be provided so that the memory card can be inserted and removed. . With such a configuration, there is an effect that it can be shared with the cover for the memory card. Further, a mounting portion for a battery of a power supply may be provided so that the battery can be attached and detached. With such a configuration, there is an effect that it can be shared with the battery lid.
[0075]
As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a digital camera has been described. The present invention can be applied to a camera, a camera-integrated VTR (video tape recorder), a camera, and other imaging devices. Thus, the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the spirit thereof.
[0076]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the imaging apparatus described in claim 1 of the present application, a housing in which an objective lens is disposed in front, a lid that can be moved in a plurality of stages, and a subject display for projecting a subject. The objective lens is opened at the first stage when the lid is opened, and the subject display is opened at the second stage or at least the third stage when the lid is opened. Can be photographed, and self-photographing can be performed in the second stage or the third stage or more at the time of opening. Therefore, both the objective lens and the subject display can be protected by one lid, and the appearance of the camera capable of self-photographing can be made simple and the operability can be prevented from being impaired. The effect that can be obtained is obtained.
[0077]
According to the imaging device of the second aspect of the present application, a locking means for locking the lid moving from the stage before the subject display is opened to the opening stage to prevent the movement, and releasing the locking of the locking unit And a lock releasing means for enabling movement to the next opening step, so that the first step of the positioning of the lid is performed by the locking means, and the lid can be reliably set to the normal imaging position. By releasing the lock of the lock means by the lock release means, the lid can be moved to the position of the second stage or the third stage or more at the time of opening, and the lid can be reliably opened to the second stage or later. The effect of being able to recognize is obtained.
[0078]
According to the imaging device of the third aspect of the present application, there is provided a position detecting means for detecting the position of the lid, and a position displaying means for displaying the position of the lid based on a result of the position detection by the position detecting means. With this configuration, the position of the lid is detected by the position detection means, and the position of the lid is displayed by the position display means based on the detection result, so that the photographer can reliably recognize the open / closed state of the lid. Thus, an effect of preventing erroneous operation due to erroneous recognition of the position of the lid can be obtained.
[0079]
According to the image pickup apparatus according to claim 4 of the present application, by using the zoom lens as the image pickup lens, when the cover is moved and the subject display is opened, the zoom mechanism in the zoom mode automatically switches to the wide mode. Since the switching can be performed, for example, there is an effect that it is possible to prevent a failure such as erroneous photographing of the photographer's face or the like.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an imaging apparatus of the present invention, in which a lid is slid to a third stage position and a socket is opened.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the first embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention, in which a lid body is slid to a second stage position and opened to a subject display.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the first embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention, in which a lid body is slid to a first-stage position and an objective lens and a light emitting unit are opened.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the first embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention, in which the lid is held at a fully closed position and all of the objective lens and the like are covered.
FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing a first embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention, and is a view from the back side with an opening / closing lid opened.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory view taken along a line XX of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is an explanatory view taken along a line YY of FIG. 1;
9A and 9B show an engagement protrusion and a foreign matter removing member according to an embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 9A shows a state before mounting, FIG. 9B shows a state after mounting, and FIG. It is an explanatory view of the state where a body was assembled in a case, respectively.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a second embodiment of the engaging projection and the foreign matter removing member according to the embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing a third embodiment of the engaging projection and the foreign matter removing member according to the embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a fourth embodiment of the engaging projection and the foreign matter removing member according to the embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the imaging device of the present invention, in which a lid is slid to a second stage position and a socket is opened.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control by an electronic circuit according to an embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention.
15A and 15B illustrate a sliding operation of a conventional digital camera. FIG. 15A illustrates an example in which the appearance of the housing and a sliding portion of the lid are in point contact, and FIG. FIG. C is an explanatory view showing an example in which a clearance is sufficiently large, FIG. C is an example in which a sliding portion is provided on the appearance surface of the housing, and FIG. .
FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a problem in FIG. 15A.
[Explanation of symbols]
10, 70 imaging device housing, 11, 71 housing, 12, 72 lid, 15 shutter button, 17 objective lens, 18 light emitting portion, 26 moving stage display, 30 hemispherical convex portion, 31, 40, 45, 47 foreign matter removing member, 44 frustoconical projection, 46 cylindrical projection, 73 release operation button

Claims (4)

A housing in which an objective lens of an imaging lens facing the subject is disposed in front,
A lid attached to the housing so as to be movable in a plurality of stages between a position covering the objective lens and a position to open the objective lens,
A subject display that projects the subject,
The imaging device is characterized in that the objective lens is opened in a first stage when the lid is opened, and the subject display is opened in a second stage or a third stage or more when the lid is opened. apparatus. A lock unit that locks the lid that moves from a stage before the subject indicator is opened to an open stage to prevent the movement, and unlocks the lock unit to enable movement to the next open stage. 2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a lock release unit that performs lock operation. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: position detecting means for detecting a position of the lid, and position displaying means for displaying a position of the lid based on a position detection result by the position detecting means. Imaging device. 2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a zoom mechanism capable of changing a zoom magnification of the subject, wherein the zoom mechanism is set to a wide mode when the subject display is opened. .

Images