JP2007142936A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus to improve a convenience for use. <P>SOLUTION: The imaging apparatus is provided with a camera body portion 22 having a photography lens 24 for taking an image of a photographic object in and a display portion 23 having a display screen 41 for displaying the image. The display portion is slidably supported by the camera body portion in such a state that an opposite side face to the face where the photography lens in the camera body portion is arranged and the opposite side face to the face where the display screen in the display portion is arranged oppose each other. Photographic buttons 39 used during photographing are arranged on the opposite side face to the face where the photography lens in the camera body portion is arranged. The photographic buttons are exposed and a photography mode for photographing the photographic object is set when the display portion is slid to a first direction to the camera body portion. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to the technical field of imaging devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technical field in which a shooting mode for shooting a subject when a shooting button is exposed is set to improve usability.

  There are imaging devices that can perform moving image shooting and still image shooting such as a video camera and a still camera.

  The imaging device is provided with a photographing lens for capturing an image of a subject, a photographing button for performing various operations necessary for photographing, a display screen for displaying an image when photographing or reproducing a photographed image, and the like. Yes.

  In such an imaging apparatus, there is a device in which a cover part can be opened and closed with respect to a camera body part, and an operation part such as a photographing button and a display screen are arranged on the cover part (for example, Patent Documents). 1).

  In the imaging apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the operation unit and the display screen are exposed when the cover unit is opened, and the operation unit and the display screen are covered by the camera body unit when the cover unit is closed. Stored.

JP 2003-29326 A

  However, in the above-described conventional imaging device, since the operation unit and the display screen are exposed when the cover is opened, the cover must always be opened when the imaging device is used.

  Therefore, in addition to the case of taking a picture, when the reproduced picture is reproduced and displayed on the display screen, it is necessary to open the cover part each time, and there is a problem that the usability is poor.

  The user may want to start shooting immediately without missing a photo opportunity, and it is desirable that the user can start shooting immediately when the shooting button can be operated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to overcome the above-described problems and improve usability.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a camera body having a photographing lens for capturing an image of a subject and a display having a display screen for displaying an image. The display unit is slidably supported on the camera body unit with the surface opposite to the surface on which the lens is disposed and the surface opposite to the surface on which the display screen is disposed on the display unit, A shooting button used for shooting is arranged on the surface opposite to the surface on which the shooting lens is arranged, and the shooting button is exposed when the display unit is slid in the first direction with respect to the camera body. And a shooting mode for shooting the subject is set.

  Therefore, in the imaging apparatus of the present invention, the shooting mode is set simultaneously with the exposure of the shooting button.

  An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a camera main body having a photographing lens for capturing an image of a subject and a display having a display screen for displaying an image, and is opposite to the surface of the camera main body on which the photographing lens is disposed. The display unit is slidably supported by the camera body with the surface of the display unit opposite to the surface of the display unit on which the display screen is disposed, and is opposite to the surface of the camera body unit on which the photographing lens is disposed. A shooting button used for shooting is arranged on the side surface, and when the display unit is slid in the first direction with respect to the camera body, the shooting button is exposed and shooting for shooting the subject The mode is set.

  Therefore, by setting the shooting mode at the same time when the shooting button is exposed, it is possible to start shooting immediately and to improve usability. In the invention described in claim 2, when the display unit is slid in the second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the camera main body unit, a reproduction mode for displaying the captured image on the display screen. Thus, by setting the playback mode at the same time as the shooting button is closed, it is possible to immediately start playback of the image, and the usability can be improved.

  In the invention described in claim 3, since the power is turned on when the display unit is slid in the first direction with respect to the camera body, the state or shape of the mode of the imaging apparatus Thus, it can be easily determined that the power is turned on, and the usability of the imaging apparatus can be improved.

  The best mode for carrying out the imaging apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the best mode described below, the imaging apparatus of the present invention is applied to a camera capable of taking still images and moving images.

  Note that the present invention can be applied to various imaging apparatuses having a function of moving image shooting or still image shooting such as a mobile phone, a video camera, and a still camera.

  First, the overall configuration of the imaging devices 1 and 1A will be described (see FIG. 1). The imaging device 1 is an imaging device according to a first best mode shown below, and the imaging device 1A is an imaging device according to a second best mode shown below.

  The imaging devices 1 and 1A include a camera block 2, a camera DSP (Digital Signal Processor) 3, a hard disk 4, a medium interface 5, a control block 6, an operation block 7, a display unit controller 8, a display unit 9, and an external interface 10. The recording medium 100 is detachable. For example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is used as the display unit 9.

  As the recording medium 100, various types such as a so-called memory card using a semiconductor memory, an optical recording medium such as a recordable DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) and a recordable CD (Compact Disc), and a magnetic disk can be used. .

  The camera block 2 includes an optical unit 11, an imaging device 12 such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), a preprocessing circuit 13, an optical unit driver 14, an imaging device driver 15, and a timing generation circuit 16.

  The optical unit 11 includes a lens, a zoom mechanism, a focus mechanism, a shutter mechanism, a diaphragm (iris) mechanism, and the like.

  The control block 6 is a microcomputer configured by connecting a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 17, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 18, a flash ROM (Read Only Memory) 19, and a clock circuit 20 through a system bus 21. Controls each part of the device 1, 1A.

  The RAM 18 is mainly used as a work area, such as temporarily storing intermediate results of processing. The flash ROM 19 stores various programs executed by the CPU 17, data necessary for processing, and the like. The clock circuit 20 provides the current date, current day, current time, shooting date and time, and the like.

  At the time of photographing an image, the optical unit driver 14 generates a drive signal for operating the optical unit 11 according to control by the control block 6, and sends the generated drive signal to the optical unit 11. The optical unit 11 is operated. In the optical unit 11, the zoom mechanism, the focus mechanism, the shutter mechanism, and the aperture mechanism are controlled according to the drive signal output from the optical unit driver 14, and an image of the subject is captured and output to the image sensor 12. To do.

  The image sensor 12 photoelectrically converts the image information input from the optical unit 11 and outputs it. The image sensor 12 operates according to the drive signal sent from the image sensor driver 15, and the subject output from the optical unit 11 is output. While capturing an image, based on a timing signal transmitted from the timing generation circuit 16 controlled by the control block 6, the captured image of the subject (image information) is transmitted to the preprocessing circuit 13 as an electrical signal.

  The timing generation circuit 16 generates a timing signal that provides a predetermined timing in response to control from the control block 6. The image sensor driver 15 generates a drive signal to be sent to the image sensor 12 based on the timing signal output from the timing generation circuit 16.

  The preprocessing circuit 13 performs CDS (Correlated Double Sampling) processing on the image information of the electric signal supplied thereto to maintain a good S / N ratio, and performs AGC (Automatic Gain Control) processing. The gain is controlled, and A / D (Analog / Digital) conversion is performed to generate digital image data.

  The image data sent from the preprocessing circuit 13 and converted into a digital signal is supplied to the camera DSP 3. The camera DSP 3 performs camera signal processing such as AF (Auto Focus), AE (Auto Exposure), and AWB (Auto White Balance) on the image data supplied thereto. The image data subjected to various adjustments in this way is compressed by a predetermined compression method, supplied to the recording medium 100 through the system bus 21 and the medium interface 5, and recorded on the recording medium 100 as a file.

  The image data recorded on the recording medium 100 is converted into a medium interface in accordance with an operation input signal from a user input via an operation block 7 constituted by various operation buttons described later. 5 is read from the recording medium 100 via the image data 5 and the read image data is supplied to the camera DSP 3.

  The camera DSP 3 performs data decompression processing (decompression processing) on the data-compressed image data read from the recording medium 100 and supplied via the medium interface 5, and the decompressed image data is stored in the system bus 21. Is supplied to the display controller 8.

  The display controller 8 generates an image signal from the supplied image data and sends it to the display unit 9. When the image signal is sent to the display unit 9, an image corresponding to the image data recorded on the recording medium 100 is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 9.

  The external interface 10 is connected to an external device such as an external personal computer, for example. By connecting a personal computer to the external interface 10, it is possible to record image data acquired from the personal computer on the recording medium 100 and output the image data recorded on the recording medium 100 to the personal computer. Become.

  On the other hand, by connecting a communication module to the external interface 10, for example, it is connected to a network such as the Internet, and various image data and other information are acquired through the network and recorded on the recording medium 100. It is also possible to transmit the data recorded in the network to the intended destination via the network.

  The external interface 10 can be provided as a wired interface such as IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394, USB (Universal Serial Bus), or the like, and can also be provided as a wireless interface using light or radio waves.

  As described above, in the imaging apparatuses 1 and 1A, an image of a subject can be taken and recorded on the recording medium 100, and the image data recorded on the recording medium 100 can be read out and reproduced and used. You can also. Also, the image data can be provided to the recording medium 100 via an external personal computer or a network, and recorded on the recording medium 100 or read and reproduced.

  Hereinafter, the structure of the imaging device will be described.

  In the following description, the front, back, up, down, left and right directions are shown as viewed from the photographer side, the subject side is the front, and the photographer side is the rear.

  First, the imaging device 1 according to the first best mode will be described (see FIGS. 2 to 12).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the imaging device 1 is formed in a flat, horizontally long, substantially rectangular shape, and is slidable in the left-right direction with respect to the camera body 22 and the camera body 22, for example. 23 (same as the display unit 9).

  The camera body 22 and the display unit 23 are formed to have substantially the same size and shape. In a state before the display unit 23 is slid with respect to the camera main body 22, the entire rear surface 22a of the camera main body 22 and the entire front surface 23a of the display unit 23 are as shown in FIGS. The imaging device 1 is in a closed state.

  A photographic lens 24 for capturing an image of a subject is disposed on the front surface 22b of the camera body 22, for example, at the upper end at the left end.

  A shutter button 25, a power button 26, and a slide knob 27 are disposed on the upper surface 22 c of the camera body 22.

  The shutter button 25 is a button that is pressed during photographing, and the power button 26 is a button for turning on or stopping the power by pressing. The slide knob 27 is a knob for sliding the display unit 23 with respect to the camera body 22.

  A cross key 28, a back button 29, an auxiliary menu button 30, and a menu button 31 are arranged in this order from the upper side on the right side surface 22d of the camera body 22.

  The cross key 28 is operated in four directions, such as up and down, for example, by selecting a thumbnail displayed on a display screen to be described later of the display unit 23 or by pressing a button at the center, for example, enlarging the selected thumbnail. It has a function of performing display and the like. The back button 29 has a function of deleting the selected item and returning to the previous item, the menu button 31 has a function of selecting a predetermined menu, and the auxiliary menu button 30 is a sub-layer below the selected menu. It has a function to select a menu.

  The cross key 28, the back button 29, the auxiliary menu button 30, and the menu button 31 are buttons that are frequently used in a reproduction mode for reproducing a photographed image.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a zoom key 32, a playback button 33, a mode switch button 34, a timer button 35, a flash button 36, a macro mode button 37, and a delete button 38 are arranged on the right end of the rear surface 22a of the camera body 22. Has been.

  The zoom key 32 has a function of changing the angle of view of the image, the playback button 33 has a function of playing back the captured image, and the mode switching button 34 has, for example, a playback mode, a still image shooting mode, a moving image shooting mode, and the like. The timer button 35 has a function of executing a self-timer, the flash button 36 has a function of emitting light during shooting, and the macro mode button 37 performs macro shooting (close-up shooting). The delete button 38 has a function of deleting a photographed image.

  These zoom key 32, timer button 35, flash button 36, and macro mode button 37 mainly have functions as shooting buttons 39, 39,... Used in a shooting mode for shooting a subject.

  The buttons provided as the shooting buttons 39, 39,... Are not limited to the above-described buttons. In addition, a backlight correction button for correcting backlight, a blur correction button for correcting image blur, and a subject It is possible to provide various buttons used at the time of photographing, such as a red-eye prevention button for preventing so-called red-eye photography, and a white balance button for correcting a difference in color tone.

  Inside the camera body 22, for example, an open / close detection switch 40 is disposed at the upper end thereof (see FIG. 5).

  A display screen 41 is provided on the rear surface 23b of the display unit 23 (see FIGS. 3 and 5). The display screen 41 is provided in a portion excluding the peripheral edge of the rear surface 23b.

  As shown in FIG. 5, an operation notch 42 is formed at the upper end of the display unit 23, and one end edge of the operation notch 42 is provided as an operation edge 42a. The operation notch 42 is positioned corresponding to the open / close detection switch 40 disposed inside the camera body 22.

  When the display unit 23 is slid with respect to the camera body 22 in the closed state in which the entire rear surface 22a of the camera body 22 and the entire front surface 23a of the display unit 23 face each other, an open / close detection switch is operated by the operation edge 42a. 40 is operated. When the open / close detection switch 40 is operated, a shooting mode for shooting the subject is set. When the operation for the open / close detection switch 40 is released, a playback mode for playing back the captured image and displaying it on the display screen 41 is set. The

  A chassis 43 is disposed inside the camera body 22 and a slide mechanism 44 is provided on the chassis 43 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). When the imaging device 1 is viewed from the front, the display unit 23 is shielded on the back side of the camera main body 22 and the outer shape of the camera main body 22 and the outer shape of the display unit 23 overlap, but FIG. In order to facilitate understanding of the positional relationship between the display unit 22 and the display unit 23, the outer shape of the display unit 23 is indicated by a broken line (the same as in FIGS. 9 and 12).

  The slide mechanism 44 includes slide plates 45 and 46, a spring support shaft 47, and a spring member 48.

  The chassis 43 is formed with support holes 43a and 43a that are spaced apart in the vertical direction and extend to the left and right.

  The slide plate 45 is movably supported by the upper support hole 43a and has connection holes 45a and 45a.

  The slide plate 46 is movably supported in the lower support hole 43a, has connection holes 46a and 46a, and has a connection pin 46b protruding forward at the left end.

  At the position near the lower end of the chassis 43, support protrusions 43b and 43b that are spaced apart from each other and protrude forward are provided, and a spring support shaft 47 is provided between the support protrusions 43b and 43b. A spring member 48 that is a compression coil spring is supported on the spring support shaft 47.

  A connecting member 49 is slidably supported on the spring support shaft 47 at a position lateral to the spring member 48. The connecting member 49 is formed by integrally forming a cylindrical supported portion 49a and an annular connecting portion 49b. The connecting member 49 has a supported portion 49 a supported by the spring support shaft 47, and a connecting pin 46 b of the slide plate 46 is inserted into the central portion of the connecting portion 49 b to be connected to the slide plate 46.

  In a state where the connecting member 49 is supported by the spring support shaft 47, one end surface of the spring member 48 is brought into contact with one end surface in the axial direction of the supported portion 49a, and the connecting member 49 is moved to the left by the spring member 48 (FIG. 7). (A direction: first direction) shown in FIG.

  A pin guide hole 43 c extending in the left-right direction is formed at a position near the upper end of the chassis 43. A lock lever 50 is supported on the chassis 43 on the right end side of the pin guide hole 43c. The lock lever 50 includes a base 51 and a lock 52 that protrudes laterally from the base 51. For example, a rotation fulcrum 51a is provided at the lower end of the base 51, and the chassis 43 has the rotation fulcrum 51a as a fulcrum. It can be rotated with respect to.

  A supported hole 51b formed in a gentle arc shape is formed at the upper end of the base 51, and a support pin 43d provided in the chassis 43 is inserted into the supported hole 51b.

  The lock portion 52 is laid down in a substantially L shape, and an inclined edge 52a that approaches the base portion 51 as it goes upward is formed at the tip portion.

  The base 51 of the lock lever 50 is positioned to the right of the pin guide hole 43c, and the lock 52 is positioned to overlap the right end of the pin guide hole 43c.

  The base 51 of the lock lever 50 and the chassis 43 are connected by an urging spring 53 that is a tension coil spring, and the urging spring 53 urges the lock lever 50 in the R1 direction shown in FIG. 7 with the rotation fulcrum 51a as a fulcrum. Has been.

  The lock lever 50 is connected to a slide knob 27 disposed on the upper surface 22c of the camera body 22 via a link mechanism (not shown). When the slide knob 27 is slid, the lock lever 50 is rotated in the R2 direction shown in FIG. 7 with the rotation fulcrum 51a as a fulcrum, and when the operation on the slide knob 27 is released, the slide knob 27 is released. Returns to the original position, and the lock lever 50 is also rotated in the R1 direction by the urging force of the urging spring 53 to return to the original position.

  An insertion hole 43e is formed between the support holes 43a and 43a in the chassis 43 (see FIG. 6). A flexible printed wiring board (not shown) that connects a control circuit board (not shown) arranged inside the camera body 22 and a circuit board (not shown) arranged inside the display unit 23 is inserted into the insertion hole 43e.

  A base plate 54 is disposed inside the display unit 23, and the base plate 54 is provided with connecting projections 55, 55 that are spaced apart vertically and project forward. Two connecting holes 55a, 55a,... Are formed in the connecting protrusions 55, 55, respectively.

  The base plate 54 is provided with a locked pin 56 protruding forward at a position near its upper end.

  In the mounting holes 55a, 55a,... Of the connecting projections 55, 55 of the display unit 23, mounting screws 37 inserted into the connecting holes 45a, 45a, 46a, 46a of the slide plates 45, 46 of the camera body 22 are inserted. , 37,... Are screwed together to connect the camera body 22 and the display 23 (see FIG. 7). In a state where the camera body 22 and the display unit 23 are connected, the pin 56 to be locked of the display unit 23 is inserted into the pin guide hole 43 c of the camera body 22.

  By connecting the camera body 22 and the display 23, the display 23 is urged in the direction A shown in FIG. 7 by the spring member 48 through the slide plate 46 and the connecting member 49. The

  In the closed state in which the entire rear surface 22a of the camera body 22 and the entire front surface 22b of the display unit 23 face each other, the locked pin 56 of the display unit 23 is engaged with the lock unit 52 of the lock member 50 of the camera body 22. The display unit 23 is locked to the camera body unit 22 (see FIG. 7). At this time, the connecting member 49 is positioned at the intermediate portion of the spring support shaft 47.

  In the imaging device 1, when viewed from the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG. 8, the photographing lens 24 is located at a position separated from the center point P of the display screen 41 in the closed state.

  When the slide knob 27 is operated in the closed state, the lock member 50 is rotated in the R2 direction as described above. Accordingly, the engaged state with respect to the locked pin 56 is released, and the connecting member 49 is moved in the direction A shown in FIG. 7 by the urging force of the spring member 48, and the display unit 23 is moved to the camera body along with the movement of the connecting member 49. It slides with respect to the part 22 (refer FIG. 8).

  The connecting member 49 stops moving in the A direction when the supported portion 49a contacts one of the support protrusions 43b, and the slide of the display unit 23 in the A direction stops when the connecting member 49 stops moving. Then, a part of the display unit 23 is opened to the camera body unit 22 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). In the open state, as described above, the photographing buttons 39, 39,... Arranged on the rear surface 22a of the camera body 22 are exposed.

  In the open state, the supported portion 49a of the connecting member 49 is pressed against the one support protrusion 43b by the urging force of the spring member 48, so this open state is maintained.

  When the display unit 23 is slid in the A direction with respect to the camera body unit 22, as described above, the open / close detection switch 40 is operated by the operation edge 42a of the operation notch 42, and the photographing mode is set. At this time, if the image pickup apparatus 1 is not turned on, the image pickup apparatus 1 is turned on simultaneously.

  Thus, by setting the power supply to be always turned on when the image pickup apparatus 1 is in the open state, the user is turned on according to the mode state or shape of the image pickup apparatus 1. Therefore, the usability of the imaging apparatus 1 can be improved.

  In the opened state of the imaging device 1, the user holds the left end portion of the display unit 23 protruding sideways from the camera body unit 22 and the right end portion of the camera body unit 22 protruding rightward from the display unit 23. In this state, the photographing buttons 39, 39,... And the shutter button 25 can be operated to photograph the subject. In the open state, all the buttons provided on the image pickup apparatus 1 including the shooting buttons 39, 39,... Are exposed, so that these buttons can be operated.

  In the open state, the mode switching button 34 or the menu button 31 or the like can be used to switch the playback mode, the still image shooting mode, the moving image shooting mode, and the like. The operation can be performed.

  In the imaging device 1, as described above, in the state viewed from the front-rear direction, as shown in FIG. 8, in the closed state, the photographing lens 24 is located at a position separated from the center point P of the display screen 41. However, as shown in FIG. 10, in the open state, the display unit 23 is slid with respect to the camera body unit 22 and the photographing lens 24 is moved to a position close to the center point P of the display screen 41.

  Therefore, when photographing the subject, the positional deviation between the center point P of the display screen 41 and the photographing lens 24 is small, and photographing with little parallax can be performed.

  In the imaging apparatus 1, the center of the photographing lens 24 and the center of the display screen 41 are opened in the open state by changing the position of the photographing lens 24 with respect to the camera body 22 and the slide amount of the display 23 with respect to the camera body 22. It is also possible to match the point P.

  Thus, by making the center of the photographing lens 24 coincide with the center point P of the display screen 41, it is possible to perform photographing without parallax.

  In the imaging apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 11, the optical axis direction (front-rear direction) of the photographing lens 24 is the Z-axis direction, and the left-right direction and the up-down direction are the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, respectively. In some cases, the display unit 23 is configured to slide in a direction inclined with respect to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction in the XY plane, and is displayed when the display unit 23 slides from the closed state to the open state. It is also possible to move the center point P of the screen 41 in a direction approaching the photographing lens 24.

  As described above, the display unit 23 is slid in the direction inclined with respect to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The degree of freedom in design is increased, and a shooting state with less parallax can be easily set.

  In addition, even when the display unit 23 is configured to slide in a direction inclined with respect to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, the position of the photographing lens 24 with respect to the camera body 22 and the display unit 23 with respect to the camera body 22. It is possible to make the center of the photographic lens 24 coincide with the center point P of the display screen 41 in the open state by changing the slide amount.

  By matching the center of the photographing lens 24 with the center point P of the display screen 41, it becomes possible to perform photographing without parallax.

  As described above, when the display unit 23 is configured to slide in a direction inclined with respect to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, one of the left and right end portions on the rear surface 22a of the camera body unit 22 is selected. And one of the upper and lower end portions of the rear surface 22a are exposed, and various buttons such as shooting buttons 39, 39,... Are arranged at the exposed ends. be able to. In FIG. 11, an example of a space for arranging buttons is shown by surrounding the lower end portion of the rear surface 22a of the camera body 22 with a one-dot chain line.

  In the open state, when the display unit 23 is manually pressed and slid in the B direction (second direction) shown in FIG. 8 with respect to the camera body unit 22, the locked pin 56 of the lock unit 52 of the lock member 50 is moved. It contacts the inclined edge 52a (see FIG. 12). At this time, the connecting member 49 is moved in the B direction together with the slide plates 45 and 46 while compressing the spring member 48.

  When the display unit 23 is further slid in the B direction, the inclined edge 52a is pressed in the B direction by the locked pin 56, and the lock member 50 resists the urging force of the urging spring 53 with the rotation fulcrum 51a as a fulcrum. It is rotated in the direction.

  When the lock member 50 is rotated in the R2 direction and the locked pin 56 is moved in the B direction, the contact state between the locked pin 56 and the lock portion 52 is released, and the lock member 50 supports the rotation fulcrum 51a. As a result, the urging force of the urging spring 53 is rotated in the R1 direction to return to the original position.

  At this time, the entire rear surface 22a of the camera body 22 and the entire front surface 23a of the display unit 23 are closed (see FIGS. 2 and 3), and the pressing of the camera body 3 in the B direction is stopped. As a result, the pin to be locked 56 is engaged with the lock portion 52 of the lock member 50 and the display portion 23 is locked in the closed state.

  When the display unit 23 is slid in the B direction with respect to the camera body unit 22, as described above, the operation by the operation edge 42a of the operation notch 42 with respect to the open / close detection switch 40 is released, and the reproduction mode is set. .

  In the closed state of the imaging apparatus 1, the user can perform a desired operation by operating each button arranged on the right side surface 22d of the camera body 22 in the playback mode. In the closed state, the playback mode, the still image shooting mode, or the moving image shooting mode can be switched using the menu button 31 or the like, and a desired operation is performed by manually setting an arbitrary mode. be able to.

  For example, the subject can be photographed by pressing the shutter button 25 by switching the mode to a still image photographing mode or a moving image photographing mode.

  Next, an image pickup apparatus 1A according to the second best mode will be described (see FIGS. 13 to 16).

  In the following description of the image pickup apparatus 1A, the same components as those in the image pickup apparatus 1 according to the first best mode described above are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the image pickup apparatus 1 and detailed. The description will be omitted, and only different parts from the imaging device 1 will be described in detail.

  The imaging device 1 </ b> A is formed in a flat, horizontally long, substantially rectangular shape, and includes a camera main body 57 and a slide operation unit 58 that can slide in the left-right direction with respect to the camera main body 57.

  For example, at the upper end of the front end 57b of the camera body 57 at the left end, a photographing lens 24 for capturing an image of the subject is disposed (see FIG. 15).

  The camera body 57 has a flat and substantially rectangular shape, and the left end portion is formed as a recess 59 that is recessed backward and downward, and the photographing lens 24 is positioned in the recess 59.

  A shutter button 25, a power button 26, and a slide knob 27 are disposed on the upper surface 57 c of the camera body 57.

  On the right side surface 57d of the camera body 57, a cross key 28, a back button 29, an auxiliary menu button 30, and a menu button 31 are arranged in this order from the top.

  A zoom key 32, a playback button 33, a mode switching button 34, a timer button 35, a flash button 36, a macro mode button 37, and a delete button 38 are disposed on the right end of the rear surface 57a of the camera body 57.

  The zoom key 32, the timer button 35, the flash button 36, and the macro mode button 37 mainly have functions as shooting buttons 39, 39,... Used in a shooting mode for shooting a subject. The buttons provided as 39, 39,... Are not limited to these buttons.

  Inside the camera main body 57, for example, an open / close detection switch 40 is disposed at the upper end thereof.

  The slide operation unit 58 includes a display unit 60 (same as the display unit 9), a lens cover unit 61, and a connecting plate unit 62 that are integrally formed.

  Both the camera main body 57 and the display unit 60 have a flat and substantially rectangular shape, and the outer shapes are formed in substantially the same size and shape. In a state before the display unit 60 is slid with respect to the camera main body 57, the entire rear surface 57a of the camera main body 57 and the entire front surface 60a of the display unit 60 face each other. The device 1A is closed.

  A display screen 41 is provided on the rear surface 60 b of the display unit 60. The display screen 41 is provided in a portion excluding the peripheral edge of the rear surface 60b.

  Inside the display unit 60, an operation notch 42 is formed at the upper end thereof, and one end edge of the operation notch 42 is provided as an operation edge 42a.

  The lens cover portion 61 is formed in a rectangular plate shape, and is disposed in a state where the entire surface is in contact with the front surface 57b of the camera body portion 57 in the closed state. Accordingly, in the closed state, the photographing lens 24 is closed by the lens cover portion 61 (see FIG. 13).

  The connecting plate portion 62 is disposed in a state where the entire surface is in contact with the upper surface 57 c of the camera body portion 57 in the closed state.

  When the slide operation unit 58 is slid with respect to the camera main body 57 in the closed state in which the entire rear surface 57a of the camera main body 57 and the entire front surface 60a of the display unit 60 face each other, the operation edge 42a detects the opening / closing. When the switch 40 is operated to set the shooting mode and the slide operation unit 58 is slid in the opposite direction with respect to the camera body 57, the operation on the open / close detection switch 40 is released and the playback mode is set.

  A slide mechanism 44 is disposed inside the camera body 57.

  Inside the display unit 60, connecting projections 55 and 55 and a pin to be locked 56 are provided.

  The connecting projections 55 and 55 of the display unit 60 are respectively attached to the slide plates 45 and 46 of the camera body 57, and the camera body 57 and the slide operation unit 58 are connected. The locked pin 56 of the display unit 60 is inserted into the pin guide hole 43 c of the camera body 57.

  When the slide knob 27 is operated in the closed state, the slide operation unit 58 is slid with respect to the camera body 57 and a part of the slide operation unit 58 is opened with respect to the camera body 57. (See FIGS. 15 and 16). In the open state, the photographing buttons 39, 39,... Arranged on the rear surface 57a of the camera body 57 are exposed. At the same time, the closed state of the photographing lens 24 by the lens cover portion 61 of the slide operation unit 58 is released, and the photographing lens 24 is exposed.

  When the display unit 60 is slid toward the open state with respect to the camera body 57, the open / close detection switch 40 is operated by the operation edge 42a of the operation notch 42, and the photographing mode is set. At this time, if the image pickup apparatus 1A is not turned on, the image pickup apparatus 1A is turned on simultaneously.

  In the opened state of the image pickup apparatus 1A, the user holds the left end portion of the display unit 60 protruding sideways from the camera body unit 57 and the right end portion of the camera body unit 57 protruding sideways from the display unit 60. In this state, the photographing buttons 39, 39,... And the shutter button 25 can be operated to photograph the subject. In the open state, all the buttons provided on the imaging apparatus 1A including the shooting buttons 39, 39,... Are exposed, so that these buttons can be operated.

  In the open state, the mode switching button 34 or the menu button 31 or the like can be used to switch the playback mode, the still image shooting mode, the moving image shooting mode, and the like. The operation can be performed.

  In the open state, when the slide operation unit 58 is manually pressed and slid to the right with respect to the camera main body unit 57, the camera body unit 57 is closed.

  When the slide operation unit 58 is slid to the right with respect to the camera body unit 57, the operation of the operation notch 42 on the open / close detection switch 40 by the operation edge 42a is released, and the reproduction mode is set.

  In the closed state of the image pickup apparatus 1A, the user can perform a desired operation by operating each button arranged on the right side surface 57d of the camera body 57 in the reproduction mode. In the closed state, the playback mode, the still image shooting mode, or the moving image shooting mode can be switched using the menu button 31 or the like, and a desired operation is performed by manually setting an arbitrary mode. be able to.

  For example, the subject can be photographed by pressing the shutter button 25 by switching the mode to a still image photographing mode or a moving image photographing mode.

  As described above, in the imaging apparatus 1A, the photographing lens 24 is exposed by sliding the slide operation unit 58 toward the open state, and the photographing lens 24 can be protected in the closed state.

  Further, by forming the lens cover portion 61 integrally with the display portion 60 and sliding it to open and close the photographing lens 24, a separate dedicated lens cover for protecting the photographing lens 24 is not required, and the number of parts is reduced. Can be achieved.

  Furthermore, since the photographing lens 24 and the photographing buttons 39, 39,... Are exposed by a single operation, the usability of the imaging apparatus 1A can be improved.

  In the imaging apparatus 1A, as in the imaging apparatus 1 described above, when the slide operation unit 58 is slid from the closed state to the opened state, the center point P of the display screen 41 is brought close to the photographing lens 24. The

  Therefore, when photographing the subject, the positional deviation between the center point P of the display screen 41 and the photographing lens 24 is small, and photographing with little parallax can be performed.

  Further, in the imaging apparatus 1A, as in the imaging apparatus 1, the slide operation unit 58 may be configured to slide in a direction inclined with respect to the X axis direction and the Y axis direction in the XY plane. In the open state, the center of the photographing lens 24 and the center point P of the display screen 41 may be matched.

  As described above, in the imaging devices 1 and 1A, the display units 23 and 60 are slid to expose the photographing buttons 39, 39,... In the open state, and in the closed state, the photographing buttons 39, 39,... Are closed by the display units 23, 60.

  Therefore, when the playback mode is set in the closed state, unnecessary shooting buttons 39, 39,... Are not exposed, and the shooting buttons 39, 39,. Incorrect operation can be prevented.

  Further, the imaging devices 1 and 1A can be used in a small state in the closed state, and can be held in a small state even when the imaging devices 1 and 1A are not used.

  Further, in the imaging devices 1 and 1A, a shooting mode for capturing an image of a subject when the display units 23 and 60 are slid and the shooting buttons 39, 39,... Are exposed is set. Therefore, by setting the shooting mode at the same time as the shooting buttons 39, 39,... Are exposed, it is possible to start shooting immediately and to improve usability.

  On the other hand, in the imaging devices 1 and 1A, there is a playback mode in which an image captured when the display units 23 and 60 are slid and the photographing buttons 39, 39,. Therefore, by setting the playback mode at the same time as the photographing buttons 39, 39,... Are closed, it is possible to immediately start the playback of the image, and the usability can be improved. .

  In the imaging devices 1 and 1A, an image can be displayed on the display screen 41 regardless of the opening / closing operation of the display units 23 and 60. Therefore, the usability of the display screen 41 can be improved. be able to.

  In the imaging devices 1 and 1A described above, the display member 23 and the slide operation unit 58 are urged in the direction from the closed state to the open state using the spring member 48 that is a compression coil spring as the urging means. However, the direction of urging may be reversed as necessary, and the display unit 23 and the slide operation unit 58 may be urged in the direction from the open state to the closed state.

  The biasing means is not limited to the compression coil spring, and various elastic members such as a tension coil spring, a leaf spring, and rubber can be used. Further, as the biasing means, a toggle spring whose biasing direction changes during the slide of the display unit 23 and the slide operation unit 58 is used, and according to the slide position of the display unit 23 and the slide operation unit 58 with respect to the camera body units 22 and 57, It is also possible to urge the display unit 23 and the slide operation unit 58 in the direction from the closed state to the open state or in the direction from the open state to the closed state.

  It should be noted that the front, rear, up, down, left, and right directions shown above are for convenience of explanation, and the application of the present invention is not limited to these directions.

  The specific shapes and structures of the respective parts shown in the above-described best mode are merely examples of the implementation of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is limited by these. It should not be interpreted in a general way.

FIG. 2 to FIG. 16 show the best mode of the present invention, and this figure is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the imaging apparatus. FIG. 3 to FIG. 12 show the first best mode, and this figure is a perspective view of the imaging apparatus showing a closed state. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an imaging apparatus showing a closed state as viewed from a direction different from that in FIG. 2. It is a perspective view of the imaging device which shows an open state. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an imaging apparatus showing an open state as viewed from a direction different from that in FIG. 4. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows an internal structure. FIG. 8 to FIG. 11 show the state of the display unit during the sliding operation, and this figure is an enlarged front view showing the closed state. It is a rear view which shows the positional relationship of the imaging lens and display screen in a blockage state. It is an enlarged front view which shows an open state. It is a rear view which shows the positional relationship of the imaging lens and display screen in an open state. It is a rear view which shows the positional relationship of an imaging lens and a display screen in the example which a display part moves to the diagonal direction. It is an enlarged front view which shows the state in the middle of changing to the open state from the obstruction | occlusion state. FIG. 14 to FIG. 16 show the second best mode, and this figure is a perspective view of the imaging apparatus showing a closed state. It is a perspective view of the imaging device which shows a closed state in the state seen from the direction different from FIG. It is a perspective view of the imaging device which shows an open state. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the imaging apparatus showing the opened state as viewed from a direction different from that in FIG. 15.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Imaging device, 9 ... Display part, 22 ... Camera body part, 23 ... Display part, 24 ... Shooting lens, 39 ... Shooting button, 41 ... Display screen, 1A ... Imaging device, 57 ... Camera body part, 60 ... Display section

Claims (3)

A camera body having a photographic lens for capturing an image of a subject;
A display unit having a display screen for displaying an image,
The display unit is slidably supported by the camera body in a state where the surface opposite to the surface where the photographing lens is arranged in the camera body and the surface opposite to the surface where the display screen is arranged in the display unit face each other. ,
On the surface opposite to the surface on which the photographing lens is disposed in the camera main body, a photographing button used for photographing is disposed,
An imaging apparatus, wherein a shooting button is exposed and a shooting mode for shooting a subject is set when the display unit is slid in the first direction with respect to the camera body. When the display unit is slid in the second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the camera body, a playback mode for displaying the captured image on the display screen is set. The imaging device according to claim 1. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power is turned on when the display unit is slid in the first direction with respect to the camera body.

Images