JP2005300632A - Automatic imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic imaging apparatus capable of picking up an image by easily performing height control. <P>SOLUTION: The automatic imaging apparatus is equipped with an imaging part 1, an illumination part 2 illuminating a subject and a display input part 3. A front door 11 is provided to be opened/closed in the imaging direction of the imaging part 1 in a main body housing 10. Furthermore, a step part 30 which can be drawn out by sliding in the imaging direction is provided at the lower part of the front door 11 of the main body housing 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic imaging apparatus that captures a user's face photograph or the like.

  Conventionally, an automatic imaging apparatus represented by Print Club (registered trademark) or the like has a fixed camera, and the user side adjusts the standing position and the face position according to the imaging range of the fixed camera. It is common to take an image.

  Since such an automatic imaging apparatus can be used from children to adults, the height of the user varies. When the imaging range of the camera is matched to a person with a standard height, a user who is not a standard height, such as a short user, needs to adjust the height direction using some means.

  As a means for height adjustment by a short user, an apparatus that can be adjusted by standing on a platform or the like separated from the automatic imaging apparatus is conceivable. However, there is a situation in which a user or an installer of an automatic imaging apparatus is bothered by preparing a step for each imaging and having to clean up after each imaging.

Note that Patent Document 1 discloses kitchen furniture provided with a stowable step.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-290409

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an automatic imaging apparatus that can easily perform height adjustment and perform imaging.

The automatic imaging apparatus of the present invention is
An imaging unit that images a subject fixed at a certain height;
A step part that can take a first state housed in the housing part by a sliding operation and a second state pulled out from the housing part;
Is provided.

  With this configuration, since the step unit that can be stored in the automatic image pickup apparatus is provided, for example, even a short user can easily adjust the height and take an image.

  In addition, the automatic imaging apparatus of the present invention further includes a component that can be pulled out inside the housing, and when the component is pulled out, the step part is pulled out in conjunction.

  With this configuration, even when the parts are relatively heavy in mass, the platform portion is automatically pulled out in conjunction with each other, so that the weight balance of the apparatus can be stabilized.

Moreover, the automatic imaging apparatus of the present invention is
A locking mechanism that engages the platform and the housing in the first state;
A release mechanism for releasing the lock mechanism when the component is pulled out;
Is further provided.

  With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the stepped portion from being inadvertently pulled out when housed in the housing, and to be pulled out in conjunction with pulling out the parts.

Moreover, the automatic imaging apparatus of the present invention is
A slide guide part provided with an inclined part inside the housing is further provided,
The sliding operation is performed along the slide guide member, and the stepped portion is lowered in the height direction in the second state than in the first state by the inclined portion.

  With this configuration, since the guide portion for guiding the sliding operation is provided, the sliding operation can be performed smoothly.

  In the automatic imaging apparatus of the present invention, in the second state, the bottom surface of the platform unit is in contact with the installation surface of the apparatus.

  With this configuration, in the state where the step portion is pulled out, it is in contact with the apparatus installation surface, so that a stable step function can be provided.

  In the automatic imaging apparatus of the present invention, the bottom surface of the platform is separated from the installation surface of the apparatus except in the second state.

  With this configuration, for example, friction with respect to the installation surface does not occur when the step portion is pulled out, so that the pulling operation can be performed smoothly.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the automatic imaging device which can adjust a height easily and can image can be provided.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an automatic imaging apparatus for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment captures a subject, for example, an imaging unit 1 such as a digital camera, an illumination unit 2 that illuminates the subject at the time of imaging, shooting guidance, and shooting. And a display input unit 3 configured to display a subject confirmation image and the like and to include a touch panel for receiving an operation of a user or the like. The automatic imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment composites and prints a photographic image captured by capturing a facial photograph of a user as a subject to a printing position designated for each printing medium for a plurality of printing medium sizes in monochrome or color. However, it is possible to provide postage stamps with face photos and government postcards with face photos.

  The main housing 10 is provided with a front door 11 that can be opened and closed in the imaging direction of the imaging unit 1. Furthermore, a step 30 that can be slid and pulled out in the imaging direction (hereinafter referred to as the front direction) is provided below the front door 11 of the main body housing 10.

  2A and 2B are external perspective views in which the vicinity of the step portion of the automatic imaging apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is enlarged. FIG. 2A shows a state in which the step portion is stored, and FIG. 2B shows that the step portion is pulled out. Each state is shown. As shown in FIG. 2A, when the step unit 30 is housed, a step lock release pressing unit 41 and a step handle unit 31 are provided on the front side in the front direction.

  The step 30 is locked to the main body housing 10 when stored in order to prevent it from being pulled out carelessly. When the step lock release pressing unit 41 is pressed downward, the step unit 30 is unlocked from the main body housing 10. Then, with the step lock release pressing portion 41 pressed downward to release the lock, by holding the step handle portion 31 and pulling the step portion 30 forward, as shown in FIG. The step platform 30 is pulled out.

  FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing a state in which the built-in device of the automatic imaging apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is pulled out. As shown in FIG. 3, the automatic imaging device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a printing device 4 installed on a shelf 50 that is slidably attached to the main body housing 10 as a built-in device. Yes. The printing apparatus 4 is exposed to the outside by opening the front door 11 and pulling the shelf 50 in the front direction, and can supply or repair consumables. When pulling out the shelf unit 50, the shelf plate lock lever 51 is tilted inward to release the lock and then pulled out.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, when the shelf board part 50 is pulled out in the state in which the platform part 30 is stored, the platform part 30 is automatically pulled out in conjunction with the shelf board part 50. Accordingly, when the shelf unit 50 is pulled out, the step unit 30 is also pulled out, and the weight of the built-in device applied to the shelf unit 50 can be released to the step unit 30, so that the automatic imaging apparatus in a state where the built-in device is pulled out The weight balance can be stabilized.

  FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the automatic imaging apparatus of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the step portion 30 is provided with step roller portions 32 a and 32 b in addition to the step handle portion 31. The step roller portions 32a and 32b are rotatably held by a support stand portion 21 provided in the horizontal direction inside the main body casing 10 and a step guide member 22 provided on the inner walls on both sides of the main body case 10, The step portion 30 is slidably attached to the support portion 21 and the step guide member 22. The support base 21 is provided with inclined portions 21a and 21b that descend in the forward direction.

  Further, the step unit 30 includes the above-described lock release pressing unit 41, and includes a step lock lever 40 that locks the main body housing 10 during storage and releases the lock. Here, the step part 30 is formed on a U-shape having a notch-shaped region 34 when viewed from above.

  The slidable rail members 23 provided on the inner walls on both sides of the main body housing 10 are attached to both side surfaces of the shelf board portion 50, so that the shelf board portion 50 can be pulled out in a substantially horizontal direction. A shelf support member 60 is provided on the back side of the bottom plate of the shelf 50. The shelf support member 60 is located in the region 34 of the platform 30 when the shelf 50 and the platform 30 are stored. And in the state by which the shelf board part 50 and the platform part 30 were pulled out, it contacts the upper surface of the platform part 30. FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a view showing a locking mechanism for a platform portion according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an external perspective view showing a lock lever and a shelf board support member of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, a cam lever 42 and a bias spring 43 are attached to the step lock lever 40, and the lock release pressing portion 41 and the cam lever 42, which are both ends of the step lock lever, are attached around the fulcrum shaft 44 as an axis. When a vertical force is applied to one of the two, the other moves in the opposite direction. The fulcrum shaft 44 is attached to the fulcrum shaft fixing part 33 of the platform part 30.

  The end of the step lock lever 40 on the cam lever 42 side engages with the stopper portion 24 erected on the support base 21 of the main body housing 10 when the step 30 is in the retracted state, so as to prevent the drawer from being pulled out as it is. The lock is on. The step lock lever 40 and the stopper portion 24 have a lock mechanism function. When the lock release pressing portion 41 is pressed downward, the end portion on the cam lever 42 side rises upward, the lock is released, and the step 30 can be pulled out as it is.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the shelf support member 60 includes a cam shaft 61 and a shelf roller portion 62. When the shelf board part 50 is pulled out in the front direction, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the shelf board support member 60 moves in the arrow direction (front side). When the cam shaft 61 contacts the cam lever 42 of the platform lock lever 40 with respect to the shelf support member 60, the cam lever is pushed in the direction of the arrow, that is, the end of the platform lock lever 40 on the cam lever 42 side is the upper side. Move in the direction. At this time, the unlocking pressing portion 41 moves downward. In this way, when the shelf board support member 60 moves in the forward direction by pulling out the shelf board portion 50 in the forward direction, the platform lock lever 40 and the main body are moved in the same manner as when the lock release pressing portion 41 is pushed downward. The lock mechanism with respect to the housing 10 is released, and the step 30 can be pulled out. The shelf board support member 60 and the platform lock lever 40 have a function of a lock release mechanism.

  Next, the operation of the platform part and the shelf part in this embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a side view showing a state in which the step part and the shelf part are housed in the main body housing part. As shown in FIG. 7, in the state where the step unit 30 and the shelf unit 50 are housed, the step unit 30 is positioned on the support table 21, and the step lock lever 40 is erected on the support table 21. The stopper portion 24 is engaged. Further, the shelf support member 60 attached to the shelf 50 is located in the region 34 shown in FIG. 4, and the cam lever 42 of the platform lock lever 40 is in front of the cam shaft 61 in the front direction.

  In addition, the step part 30 is supported by the support base part 21 inside the main body housing 10, and the step leg part 35 is positioned higher than the installation surface such as the ground by a height h and does not contact the installation surface. , Separated.

  FIG. 8 is a side view showing a state in the middle of pulling out the shelf board part of the present embodiment from the main body housing part. As shown in FIG. 8, when the shelf board 50 is moved in the forward direction (the arrow direction in the figure), the shelf support member 60 attached to the shelf board is also moved in the same manner. 5 and 6, when the cam shaft 61 of the shelf support member 60 contacts the cam lever 42 of the platform lock lever 40, the cam lever 42 is moved upward as indicated by an arrow. Power is added. As a result, with the fulcrum shaft 44 as an axis, the step lock release pressing portion 41 moves downward as indicated by an arrow, and the end portion on the cam lever 42 side moves upward. Then, when the end portion on the cam lever 42 side moves upward, the engagement with the stopper portion 24 is released, and the step portion 30 can be pulled out.

  Thereafter, when the shelf 50 is pulled out as it is, the cam shaft 61 of the shelf support member 60 moves while pushing the cam lever 42 of the platform lock lever 40 in the direction in which the shelf 50 is pulled out. Pulled out. When the step roller portion 32a of the step portion 30 reaches the inclined portion 21a and the step roller portion 32b reaches the inclined portion 21b, the position of the step portion 30 in the height direction decreases according to the inclination.

  On the other hand, since the shelf board part 50 and the shelf board support member 60 move along the rail member 23 for shelf boards (refer FIG. 4), the position of a height direction does not change. Therefore, when the height change caused by the inclined portions 21a and 21b of the support base 21 becomes a certain level or more, the contact between the cam shaft 61 of the shelf support member 60 and the cam lever 41 of the step lock lever 40 is released, and the step The state of the lock lever 40 (the positions of both ends with the fulcrum shaft 44 as an axis) returns to the original state shown in FIG.

  FIG. 9 is a side view showing a state in which the platform part and the shelf board part of the present embodiment are completely drawn out. As described above, in the state where the step unit 30 is completely pulled out, the state of the step lock lever 40 returns to the original state. And as for the step part 30, compared with the time of accommodation, the position of a height direction becomes low by the height of the inclination parts 21a and 21b. As a result, the leg portion 35 comes into contact with the installation surface of the automatic imaging device. That is, if the back surface of the step leg portion 35 at the time of storage is above the installation surface by h, the height of the inclined portions 21a and 21b is substantially h.

  Then, when the back surface of the platform leg comes into contact with the automatic imaging apparatus installation surface, the shelf support roller portion 62 of the shelf support member 60 moves on the platform 30 and is pulled out. Therefore, when a built-in device such as a printing unit placed on the shelf unit 50 is pulled out, the step unit 30 is pulled out in conjunction with the shelf unit 50, and the step unit 3 is the weight of the built-in device. It is possible to support.

  In addition, when returning from the state which pulled out the step part 30 and the shelf part 50 to the accommodation state, the shelf part 50 is accommodated first, and the step part 30 is accommodated after that. When retracting the stepped portion 30, the stepped portion is pushed in the retracted direction while pressing the stepped lock release pressing portion 41 downward as in the case of pulling out.

  Moreover, when pulling out only the step part 30, it can pull out by pulling in the pull-out direction while pressing the step lock release pressing part 41 downward.

  According to such an automatic imaging apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention, since the step part that can be accommodated in the automatic imaging apparatus is provided, for example, even a short user can easily adjust the height and take an image.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the built-in equipment such as a color printer has a relatively large mass, and it is necessary to carry out the work if the equipment is pulled out during supply of consumables or maintenance. It is necessary to support the automatic image pickup apparatus so that it does not tilt and fall due to the movement of. According to the embodiment of the present invention, when the shelf board is pulled out, the platform is automatically pulled out. Further, since at least a part of the shelf board is located on the platform in the pulled out state, the unit having a large mass is supported. Therefore, a safer device can be provided.

  In addition, when pulling out the platform part, the platform does not touch the device installation surface such as the ground, and when pulled out, it contacts the device installation surface. . Moreover, in the pulled-out state, the function as a platform can be stably achieved by contacting the installation surface.

  Note that the platform and / or shelf mechanism provided in the above-described automatic imaging apparatus is not limited to the platform and shelf of the automatic imaging apparatus. For example, the height of the display input unit such as a restaurant POS order apparatus is high. The present invention is also applicable to other devices such as a system device in which the order is fixed (fixed) and an order sheet is issued by a display input operation.

  The present invention has an effect of easily adjusting the height and can take an image, and is useful for an automatic image pickup apparatus or the like.

1 is an external perspective view of an automatic imaging apparatus for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view in which the vicinity of a step portion of the automatic imaging apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is enlarged. 1 is an external perspective view showing a state in which a built-in device of an automatic imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is pulled out. Exploded perspective view showing the main part of the automatic imaging apparatus of the present embodiment The figure which shows the locking mechanism of the step part of embodiment of this invention FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing a lock lever and a shelf board support member of the present invention. The side view which shows the state in which a step part and a shelf part are accommodated in the main body housing part The side view which shows the state in the middle of the shelf part of this embodiment being pulled out from a main body housing | casing part. The side view which shows the state by which the step part and shelf part of this embodiment are pulled out completely

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image pick-up part 2 Illumination part 3 Display input part 4 Printing part 10 Main body housing | casing 11 Front door 21 Support base part 21a, 21b Inclination part 22 Step guide member 23 Shelf member rail member 24 Stopper part 30 Step part 31 Step handle part 32a , 32b Step roller portion 33 Support shaft fixing portion 35 Step leg portion 40 Step lock lever 41 Step lock release pressing portion 42 Cam lever 43 Bias spring 44 Support shaft 50 Shelf plate portion 51 Shelf plate lock lever 60 Shelf plate support member 61 Cam shaft 62 Shelf plate support roller

Claims (6)

An imaging unit that captures a subject fixed at a certain height;
A step part that can take a first state housed in the housing part by a sliding operation and a second state pulled out from the housing part;
An automatic imaging apparatus comprising:   The automatic image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a component that can be pulled out inside the housing, wherein when the component is pulled out, the step unit is pulled out in conjunction. A lock mechanism that engages the platform and the housing in the first state;
A release mechanism for releasing the lock mechanism when the component is pulled out;
The automatic imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: A slide guide part provided with an inclined part inside the housing is further provided,
The slide operation is performed along the slide guide member, and the step portion of the step portion is lowered in the height direction in the second state than in the first state by the inclined portion. The automatic imaging apparatus according to any one of the above.   The automatic imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, in the second state, a bottom surface of the platform portion is in contact with an installation surface of the apparatus.   The automatic imaging apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a bottom surface of the platform part is separated from an installation surface of the apparatus except in the second state.

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