JP2007116218A - Memory card locking mechanism of digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a memory card locking mechanism of a digital camera that prevents a memory card from being damaged by careless handling, and improves ease of use when attaching or detaching the memory card. <P>SOLUTION: The locking mechanism 5 locks the memory card MC so that the memory card MC cannot be attached or detached when a main dial switch 42 provided in the digital camera is turned on. When the main dial switch 42 is turned on, the locking mechanism 5 allows a lock member 34 to be engaged with a hook member 33 provided in a slot door 32 opening when the memory card MC is attached or detached for locking the slot door 32 in a closed state. When the main dial switch 42 is on, the memory card MC cannot be attached and detached, thus preventing data recorded on the memory card MC and the memory card itself from being damaged. When the main dial switch 42 is turned off, the memory card MC can be attached and detached, thus improving the ease of use. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera in which a memory card for recording image data or the like is detachably stored. In particular, the memory card is prevented from being accidentally pulled out of the camera while data is being written to the memory card. The present invention relates to a memory card locking mechanism.

  Many digital cameras include a memory card for recording captured image data, and are usually configured to be detachable from the camera so that the memory card can be replaced. In general, a slot capable of storing a memory card is provided inside the camera body, the memory card can be inserted into the slot, and the card can be taken out by being pulled out of the slot. In such a digital camera, if the memory card is accidentally removed from the slot while image data is being written to the memory card, the image data being written may be destroyed or the memory card may be destroyed. . Alternatively, the same applies when a certain process, such as initialization, is being performed on the memory card. Therefore, measures have been taken so that the memory card cannot be pulled out from the slot when accessing the memory card.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a cover is provided on an ejector button of an IC memory card so that the IC memory card cannot be taken out when the cover is closed so as to cover the eject button. At the same time, the power switch is linked to the cover so that the power switch is turned on only when the cover is closed. In this patent document 1, since the ejector button cannot be operated when the cover is closed and the power switch is turned on, the IC memory card cannot be taken out, and carelessness is required during writing of image data to the IC memory card. Can be prevented.

In Patent Document 2, when a protective cover of a recording medium such as a memory card is closed, the recording medium is automatically locked so that the recording medium cannot be taken out, and the lock is released when an instruction to open the protective cover is received. Configure. In particular, during recording of data, even if an instruction to open the protective lid is issued, it is ignored and the lock is not released.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-19054 JP 2003-314101 A

  In the technique of Patent Document 1, since the cover also serves as a power switch, the power cannot be turned on with the cover open, and the usability deteriorates. Also, since there is no mechanism for locking the cover, the cover may be accidentally opened when accessing the IC memory card. In this case, the power is turned off and, for example, writing is in progress. There arises a problem that data is destroyed. In the technique of Patent Document 2, in order to release the lock by the protective lid opening instruction, the lock cannot be released unless the power is turned on. When the recording medium is attached / detached, the power is turned on each time the protective lid is opened. There is a problem that it is not easy to use.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a memory card lock mechanism for a digital camera that prevents destruction of the memory card due to careless handling and improves usability when the memory card is attached or detached.

  The present invention includes a lock mechanism that locks a Merimo card so that it cannot be attached or detached when a power switch provided on the digital camera is turned on. The lock mechanism is a door that opens when a memory card is attached or detached. And a locking member that engages with the portion and locks the door closed. Alternatively, the lock mechanism includes a lock member that engages with a part of the door that opens when the memory card is attached and detached and locks the door closed, and a lock by the lock member when the power switch is turned on. A lock locking member for locking the release is provided.

  According to the present invention, when the power switch of the digital camera is turned on, the lock mechanism is locked and the door that opens when the memory card is attached or detached is locked in the closed state. It becomes impossible to detach and prevent data recorded on the memory card and the memory card itself from being destroyed. In addition, if the power switch is turned off, the memory card can be attached and detached, so the usability is improved.

  The lock member or the lock locking member is mechanically connected to the power switch, and the operation force when the power switch is turned on / off is transmitted to the lock member or the lock locking member to lock or lock and release it. Configure as follows. For example, the lock member or the lock engaging member and the power switch are connected by a connecting wire, and the on / off operation force of the power switch is transmitted to the lock member or the lock engaging member via the connecting wire. Since the lock member or the lock engaging member can be operated without consuming electric power, it is effective in reducing the power consumption of the camera.

  Further, the lock member or the lock locking member is configured to be operated by an electromagnetic plunger, and the electromagnetic plunger is operated by turning on / off the power when the power switch is turned on / off. It is set as the structure which performs lock | rock or latching, and its cancellation | release. The camera of the present invention can be configured simply by attaching an electromagnetic plunger to an existing camera, and an increase in size of the camera is prevented.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a single-lens reflex digital camera. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a part of the digital camera as viewed from the back side. In these drawings, the digital camera is shown in a state of being disassembled into a camera internal structure 1 to which a front cover 2 is attached, a rear cover 3 and an upper cover 4. A lens mount 21 is disposed on the front surface of the front cover 2. A mirror box 11 having a main mirror 12 is provided inside the camera internal structure 1, and a pentaprism 13, an LCD display device 14, a finder optical system 15, and the like are disposed on the upper part. Furthermore, a memory card slot 16 is provided at a position on the rear side of the left side when viewed from the front of the camera internal structure 1 (hereinafter the same), and an opening 161 directed to the left side of the memory card slot 16 is shown in FIG. The memory card MC is configured to be detachable from the left side surface direction of the camera internal structure 1. The rear cover 3 is provided with an LCD monitor device 31 for displaying a photographed image, and a memory card insertion window 31 is provided at a position corresponding to the memory card slot 16 on a part of the inner surface of the rear cover 3. In addition, a slot cover 32 having a hinge structure for opening and closing the memory card insertion window 31 is provided. The upper cover 4 is provided with a release button 41 for photographing and a main switch dial 42 for turning on / off the camera power. Further, a display window 43 and a mode setting dial 45 of the LCD device 14 are provided. A connecting wire 6 extends between the main switch dial 21 and the slot door 32 to constitute a memory card lock mechanism 5 described later.

  FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of a part of the camera including the memory card slot 16. An opening 161 of a memory card slot 16 into which a memory card MC can be inserted and removed from the left side is provided in a part of the camera internal structure 1. This memory card MC is composed of an SD card, for example, and an SD card connector 162 that is electrically connected to the inserted SD card MC is disposed in the memory card slot 16. Further, the memory card insertion window 31 is opened at a part of the left side surface of the rear cover 3 facing the opening 161 of the memory card slot 16, and the memory card insertion window 31 is opened and closed by the slot door 32 described above. To do. The slot door 32 is connected to the rear cover 3 by a hinge 33 having a vertical axis at the front edge. When the slot door 32 is rotated to a state indicated by a solid line in FIG. The memory card insertion window 31 is closed, and the memory card insertion window 31 is opened when the memory card insertion window 31 is rotated to the state indicated by the chain line in FIG. Although not shown in the drawing, the slot door 32 is provided with a spring that urges the door in the closing direction. Normally, the slot door 32 closes the memory card insertion window 31 and resists the spring force. The memory card insertion window 31 can be opened by rotating the slot door 32 by manual operation or the like.

  Further, a lock mechanism 5 is provided on a part of the inner surface of the rear cover 3 facing the slot door 32. As shown in FIG. 4A, the lock mechanism 5 has a hook member 33 integrally fixed to the inner surface of the slot door 32 and an inner surface of the rear cover 3 adjacent to the slot door 32. Includes a lock member 34 that engages with the hook member 33. The hook member 33 has a hook piece 331 having a downward L-shape. Further, the lock member 34 has an upward L-shaped lock piece 341. The lock member 34 has a long hole 342 facing in the vertical direction, and is attached to the inner surface of the rear cover 3 by a screw 343 inserted through the long hole 342, and the long hole 342 is fixed to the screw 343 in the vertical direction. The lock member 34 itself can be moved up and down by sliding it. As shown in the figure, when the lock member is moved downward, the lock piece 341 can be disengaged from the hook piece 331 to open and close the slot door 32. However, the lock member 34 is moved upward. Sometimes, the lock piece 341 engages with the hook piece 331 to lock the slot door 32 in a closed state.

  One end of the connecting wire 6 is connected to the upper end of the lock member 34. The connecting wire 6 is configured such that a wire 62 is inserted into an elongated outer cylinder 61, and the wire 62 is slidable in the length direction within the outer cylinder 61. One end of the outer cylinder 61 is fixed downward on the inner surface of the rear cover 3 at a position directly above the lock member 34, and one end 63 of the wire 62 projects downward from the outer cylinder and is connected to the lock member 34. ing. As the connection structure, one end portion 63 of the wire 62 is formed in a T shape, and the one end portion 63 is fitted into an inverted T shape concave portion 344 provided in the lock member 34 using this T shape. Has been taken.

  On the other hand, the other end of the connecting wire 6 is connected to the main switch dial 42 as shown in a schematic plan structure in FIG. The main switch dial 42 is configured to turn on / off the power of the camera when it is rotated. However, since this switch structure is the same as that applied to conventional cameras, the details thereof will be described. Description of is omitted. The other end of the outer tube 61 of the connecting wire 6 is fixed to the camera internal structure 1 at a position near the main switch dial 42, and the other end 64 of the wire 62 is formed in a T shape. A part of the main switch dial 42 is connected. A part of the main switch dial 42 is provided with a T-shaped recess 421, and the other end 64 is locked. Since the other end portion 64 of the wire 62 is connected toward the rotation tangent direction of the main switch dial 42, the wire 62 is slid in the length direction in the outer cylinder 61 when the main switch dial 42 is rotated. . In the first embodiment, the main switch dial 42 is configured to turn on when the main switch dial 42 is rotated in the clockwise direction. When the main switch dial 42 is turned on, the other end 64 of the wire 62 is connected to the outer cylinder 61. Will work to be pulled from.

  According to the memory card lock mechanism 5, the other end portion 64 of the wire 62 of the connecting wire 6 is pushed into the outer cylinder 61 when the main switch dial 42 is in the power-off turning position. The one end 63 protrudes from one end of the outer cylinder 61 and pushes the lock member 34 downward as shown in FIG. Therefore, the lock piece 341 is in a state of being detached from the hook piece 331 of the hook member 33 of the slot door 32, and is in a state in which the lock is released. Therefore, the slot door 32 can be opened and closed. When the slot door 32 is opened, the opening 161 of the memory card slot 16 is exposed through the memory card insertion window 31, and the SD card MC can be inserted and removed.

  On the other hand, when the main switch dial 42 is rotated clockwise from the power-off position to the power-on rotation position, the other end portion 64 of the wire 62 of the connecting wire 6 is pulled out from the outer cylinder 61. The one end portion 63 of the wire 62 is pulled into the one end portion of the outer cylinder 61, and the lock member 34 is pulled upward as shown in FIG. Therefore, the lock piece 341 of the lock member 34 is engaged with the hook piece 331 of the hook member 33 of the slot door 32 to be locked, the slot door 32 cannot be opened and closed, and the slot door 32 is closed. As a result, the SD card MC cannot be inserted into and removed from the memory card slot 16 when the camera is turned on, particularly the SD card MC cannot be removed from the memory card slot 16, and the data recorded on the SD card MC can be destroyed. The SD card MC itself is prevented from being destroyed.

  Here, in the first embodiment, the rotating force when the main switch dial 42 is operated is transmitted to the lock member 34 by the linkage wire 6 so that the lock member 34 can be locked and released. However, the turning force of the main switch dial may be transmitted to the lock member by a lever mechanism or a link mechanism. Or it is good also as a structure which combined the connection wire, the lever mechanism, and the link mechanism. Further, the lock member is not limited to the configuration described in the first embodiment, and can be appropriately changed as long as the slot door is locked or unlocked by a change in the movement position.

  FIG. 6A is a front view showing the main part of the memory card lock mechanism 5 according to the second embodiment, corresponding to the lock mechanism provided on the slot door 32 of the first embodiment. In the figure, similarly to the first embodiment, the slot door 32 is provided with a hook member 33, and the rear cover 3 of the camera has a lock member 341 that can be engaged with the hook piece 331 of the hook member 33. Is supported so as to be movable up and down. Here, the engagement structure between the hook piece 331 and the lock piece 341 is opposite to that of the first embodiment in the vertical direction. In the second embodiment, the lock member 34 is urged downward in the figure by a tension spring 37, and the urging force moves the lock member 34 downward so that the lock piece 341 engages with the hook piece 331, and the slot door. The opening / closing operation of 32 is locked. Although not shown in the drawing, a part of the lock member 34 protrudes to the outside of the rear cover 3, and the lock member 34 is moved upward by manual operation from the outside of the rear cover 3 against the urging force of the tension spring 37. , The lock piece 341 and the hook piece 331 are disengaged, the lock is released, and the slot door 32 can be opened and closed.

  A lock locking member 35 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 351 at a position adjacent to the lock member 34 on the inner surface of the rear cover 3. The lock locking member 35 is configured as an L-shaped lever, and one end 352 is connected to an armature 361 of the electromagnetic plunger 36. The electromagnetic plunger 36 is connected to a power supply circuit of the camera which is not shown in the figure by a cord 362. When the main switch dial 42 is rotated to turn on / off the power, power is supplied in conjunction therewith. Or is not supplied. The electromagnetic plunger 36 pulls the armature 361 upward when the power is off, and pushes the armature 361 downward when the power is on to rotate the lock engaging member 35 in the clockwise direction. Further, a locking recess 354 is provided in the other end 353 of the lock locking member 35, and when the lock locking member 35 is rotated in the clockwise direction in the figure, the locking recess 354 is locked. It abuts against a corner portion 344 provided at a part of 34, and locks so that the lock member 34 cannot move upward.

  According to the memory card lock mechanism 5 of the second embodiment, when the main switch dial 42 is in the turning position where the power is turned off, the electromagnetic plunger 36 is not supplied with electric power as shown in FIG. Is pulled upward, and the lock engaging member 35 is in a counterclockwise position. Therefore, the locking recess 354 of the lock locking member 35 is at a position deviated from the position where it contacts the corner 344 of the lock member 34. Accordingly, the lock member 34 can be pulled up by manual operation to remove the lock piece 341 from the hook piece 331 of the hook member 33, and the lock can be released. Therefore, the slot door 32 can be opened and closed. When the slot door 32 is opened, the memory card slot 16 is exposed through the memory card insertion window 31, and the SD card MC can be inserted and removed.

  On the other hand, when the main switch dial 42 is turned to the turning position to turn the power on, the power is supplied to the electromagnetic plunger 36 and the armature 361 is pushed downward as shown in FIG. 6B. Thus, the lock engaging member 35 is rotated in the clockwise direction. Therefore, the locking recess 354 of the other end 353 of the lock locking member 35 abuts on the corner 344 of the lock member 34 and locks the lock member 34 in the lower position. Accordingly, the lock member 34 cannot be operated and moved upward from the outside of the camera, and the lock piece 341 of the lock member 34 is held in the locked state in which the lock piece 331 of the hook member 33 is engaged, and the slot door 32 is held. Cannot be opened and closed, and the slot door 32 remains closed. Therefore, when the camera is turned on, the SD card MC cannot be inserted into or removed from the memory card slot 16, particularly the SD card MC cannot be removed from the memory card slot 16. The card MC itself is prevented from being destroyed.

  Here, the configuration of the electromagnetic plunger 36 and the lock engaging member 35 of the second embodiment is the above-described configuration as long as the lock member 34 can be locked and released in conjunction with the power on / off. It is not limited and can be changed as appropriate. In the second embodiment, the lock member 35 is configured to be locked and released by the lock member 35, so that the electromagnetic member 36 is not energized and the lock member 34 is locked. Even if there is not, the slot door 32 cannot be opened unless the lock member 34 is manually operated, so that the slot door 32 is not opened carelessly.

  Further, the lock locking member 35 of the second embodiment may be configured to lock the lock member 34 of the lock mechanism of the first embodiment. In this case, the lock locking member 35 is connected via the connecting wire 6. It may be connected to the main switch dial 42, and the lock member 34 may be locked and released by the lock locking member 35 by turning the main switch dial 42. On the other hand, the lock engaging member 35 of the second embodiment may be omitted, and the lock member 34 may be directly operated by the electromagnetic plunger 36 to be locked and released. In this case, it is important that the slot door 32 is configured not to be opened carelessly by a spring or the like, as in the first embodiment.

1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a digital camera according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a horizontal sectional view of a portion including a memory card slot. It is the perspective view which looked at a part of back cover from the outside. It is a front view explaining the structure and operation | movement of the locking mechanism of Example 1. FIG. It is a plane block diagram of a main switch dial part. It is a front view explaining the structure and locking operation of the locking mechanism of Example 2. It is a front view explaining the structure of the lock mechanism of Example 2, and a latch release operation | movement.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera internal structure 2 Front cover 3 Rear cover 4 Upper cover 5 Memory card lock mechanism 6 Connecting wire 31 Memory card insertion window 32 Slot door 33 Hook member 34 Lock member 35 Lock locking member 36 Electromagnetic plunger 42 Main dial switch MC Memory card

Claims (5)

  A digital camera in which a memory card can be attached / detached, and a lock mechanism that performs a locking operation so that the Merimo card cannot be attached / detached following the on operation when a power switch provided on the digital camera is turned on. The lock mechanism includes a lock member that engages with a part of a door that opens when the memory card is attached or detached when a power switch is turned on to lock the door in a closed state. A memory card lock mechanism for a digital camera.   A digital camera in which a memory card can be attached / detached, and a lock mechanism that performs a lock operation so that the Merimo card cannot be attached / detached following the on operation when a power switch provided on the digital camera is turned on. The lock mechanism includes a lock member that engages with a part of the door that opens when the memory card is attached and detached, and locks the door in a closed state; and when the power switch is turned on, A memory card locking mechanism for a digital camera, comprising: lock locking means for locking unlocking of the lock member.   The lock member or lock locking member is mechanically connected to a power switch, and the operation force when the power switch is turned on / off is transmitted to the lock member or lock locking member to lock or lock and release the lock. The memory card locking mechanism for a digital camera according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the memory card locking mechanism is configured to perform the following.   4. The lock member or the lock engaging member and the power switch are connected by a connecting wire, and an on / off operation force of the power switch is transmitted to the lock member or the lock engaging member through the connecting wire. Memory card lock mechanism for digital cameras as described in 1. The lock member or the lock locking member is configured to be operated by an electromagnetic plunger, and the electromagnetic plunger is operated by turning on / off the power when a power switch is turned on / off. 3. The memory card locking mechanism for a digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the memory card is locked or locked and released.

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