JP2007234978A - Mobile electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mobile electronic device capable of housing a spare external memory into a body with an excellent space efficiency while a body size is kept compact. <P>SOLUTION: The body 11 has a grip part. The grip part has a swollen part projected from a front side of the body 11. The inside of the grip part is provided with a battery housing chamber 23. The spare external memory 27 is contained in a memory housing chamber 22. The memory housing chamber 22 is provided spatially consecutively from the battery housing chamber 23 to the swollen part. A lid 30 integrally opens/closes the battery housing chamber 23 and the memory housing chamber 22. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable electronic device in which an external memory is mounted for reading or writing data, and more specifically, a spare external memory can be stored in a device body while keeping the size of the device body compact. The present invention relates to such a portable electronic device.

  Portable electronic devices such as digital cameras and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistance) are becoming more compact and thinner in order to improve portability. Batteries are indispensable for the use of these electronic devices, and generally, rechargeable secondary batteries are frequently used. Since the time that can be used for one battery replacement or charging depends on the capacity of the battery, the size of the battery is likely to increase in order to be able to be used for a long time. For example, a digital camera often has a battery loading chamber inside a grip part in which a part of the body is inflated so that it can be easily held during shooting so that a large-sized battery can be loaded in the device body efficiently. .

  On the other hand, at the time of shooting with a digital camera, a so-called card-type external memory such as a compact flash (registered trademark), an SD memory card, or an xD picture card is used in combination for storing image data obtained by shooting. If these external memories are exhausted, the image data taken after that cannot be stored, and must be replaced with a new external memory. The spare external memory required in such a case should be prepared in advance, but in reality it is often forgotten, and even if it is prepared in advance, it should be stored in a pocket or bag. Otherwise, there is a high risk of damage or loss.

In this regard, the digital camera described in Patent Document 1 is configured such that a spare external memory can be simultaneously stored in a card storage chamber that stores a card-type external memory on which image data is to be recorded. When the used external memory becomes full, the spare external memory may be used by replacing it with a predetermined access position, and there is an advantage that storage of the external memory is safe and can be dealt with immediately when necessary. Note that not only digital cameras but also PDAs may require a spare external memory for saving work results, and the device body (body) has a storage unit that can easily store a spare external memory as well as a single sheet. It is preferable to provide in.
JP 2001-143452 A

  However, providing a storage space for a spare external memory in the body of the mobile device inevitably increases the body size, and the size of the card storage chamber also increases in the digital camera described in Patent Document 1. As a result, the installation space is also increased, which is disadvantageous for making the body compact and thin.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and provides a portable electronic device capable of storing a spare external memory in a body efficiently in a space while keeping the body size as compact as possible. With the goal.

  In order to achieve the above object, the compact portable electronic device is provided with a grip portion including a bulging portion protruding from the front side of the body so that it can be easily handled when used or carried. Paying attention to the fact that the inside is frequently used as a battery loading chamber, a space provided so as to be spatially continuous from the battery loading chamber toward the bulging portion is used as a storage portion for a spare external memory. Is characterized in that it can be integrally opened and closed with a lid for opening and closing the battery loading chamber. In addition, although parts are required to hold the external memory stored in the storage unit, when a leaf spring is used to hold the battery in a predetermined loading position in the battery loading chamber, The external memory can be held in the storage portion using the other end side.

  In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, a circuit board is provided along the inner wall of the battery loading chamber parallel to the back surface of the body. The circuit board has contacts for contacting the battery electrodes and data for use. The external memory mounting part accessed during recording / reading is assembled, and the external memory mounted in the mounting part through the opening formed in the bottom surface of the body, and the electrodes are loaded so that the electrodes are in contact with the contact points. The battery and the spare external memory stored in the storage unit are stored in this order so as to overlap from the back side of the body toward the bulging unit side, and these are covered with a single lid covering the opening.

  The battery loading chamber has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and two types of batteries with different thicknesses can be selectively loaded, and the battery loading chamber is elastically pressed in the thickness direction and held in the loading position. When one end of the member protrudes and a thin battery is loaded into the battery loading chamber and an empty space is formed in the battery loading chamber, the spare external memory is stored in the storage portion or the empty space. If it is accommodated by the holding part formed integrally with the elastic member, the body can be made thinner.

  In order to make it easier to handle compact and thin portable electronic devices when using or carrying, the bulging part protruding from the front side of the body is used as the grip part, and the inside of this grip part is used for the battery loading chamber By doing so, if the storage part of the spare external memory is provided so as to be spatially connected to the battery loading chamber, it is possible to prevent the body from becoming large, and the space is less than the case where the storage part is spatially independent. As a result, an increase in the overall body size can be avoided.

  Furthermore, an external memory that is accessed during recording / reading through the same opening on the bottom surface of the body, a battery and a spare external memory are loaded and stored in the body, and are stored so that they overlap in this order. The overall storage space can be further reduced, and these can be covered with a single lid. In addition, when two types of batteries having different thicknesses can be selectively loaded, an empty space generated when a thin battery is loaded can be used as a part of a storage portion of a spare external memory. The storage unit may store a used external memory in which data is recorded, and an external memory in which auxiliary data necessary for using an application program or an electronic device is stored.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a digital camera 10 to which the present invention is applied. The digital camera 10 includes a body 11, and a protruding barrel 12 is disposed on the front surface thereof. A photographing lens 13 is exposed on the front surface of the lens barrel 12. A strobe light emitting unit 14 is disposed on the front surface of the body 11.

  On the upper surface of the body 11, a release button 17 that is pressed between half-press and full-press is provided. On the back of the body 11, an operation unit (not shown) for performing various settings of the digital camera 10, a display monitor (not shown) for displaying captured images, and the like are provided.

  A grip portion 18 is provided on one side of the body 11 from the front surface to the back surface, and the grip portion 18 includes a bulging portion 20 protruding from the front surface of the body 11. By photographing the grip portion 18 firmly supported by the photographer's hand, it is possible to obtain a blur-free image.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, which are perspective views seen from the bottom side of the digital camera 10, a memory storage chamber 22, a battery loading chamber 23, and a memory mounting portion 24 are provided inside the grip portion 18 of the body 11. ing. An opening 11 a is formed in the bottom surface of the body 11, and the spare external memory 27, the battery 28, and the external memory 29 are stored in the memory storage chamber 22, the battery loading chamber 23, and the memory mounting portion 24 through the opening 11 a. , Loaded and mounted. The opening 11a is opened or covered by the lid 30. One end of the lid 30 and the bottom surface of the body 11 are pivotally supported via a hinge (not shown), and can be opened and closed between a position where the opening 11 a is opened and a position where the opening 11 is covered. With this lid 30, the memory storage chamber 22, the battery loading chamber 23, and the memory mounting portion 24 are integrally opened and closed. The lid 30 is provided with a support portion 30a that supports the battery 28 when loaded from the opening 11a side. The battery used in the digital camera of the present invention is a secondary battery, for example, a lithium battery. Moreover, you may attach the spring etc. which urge the battery 28 toward the battery loading chamber 23 to the support part 30a.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the memory storage chamber 22 is provided on the bulging portion 20 side of the battery loading chamber 23 and is spatially connected to the battery loading chamber 23. Thus, by expanding a part of the battery loading chamber 23 and making the expanded portion the memory storage chamber 22, it is not necessary to provide a space for storing the spare external memory 27 independently. It becomes possible to maintain the body size at almost the same size as before. Further, the memory storage chamber 22 includes an inclined portion 22 a that is inclined from the bottom surface side of the body 11 toward the central portion side of the bulging portion 20. By providing the inclined portion 22a, the spare external memory 27 can be easily slid, and the spare external memory 27 can be easily inserted and removed.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 showing a cross-sectional view of the grip portion, a leaf spring 33 is attached by screws 34 to the inner wall of the battery loading chamber 23 that forms the boundary between the memory storage chamber 22 and the battery loading chamber 23. Yes. The leaf spring 33 includes a first pressing part 36 and a second pressing part 37. The first pressing portion 36 includes two pressing pieces 36a and 36b. The two pressing pieces 36a and 36b press the spare external memory 27 in the direction of the inclined portion 22a and hold it in the storage position of the memory storage chamber 22. To do. The second pressing part 37 presses the battery 28 and holds it in the loading position of the battery loading chamber 23.

  The memory mounting portion 24 is disposed on the circuit board 40, and the circuit board 40 is provided along the inner wall of the battery loading chamber 23 parallel to the back surface of the body 11. The memory mounting portion 24 includes a connector 24a, and image data and the like stored in the external memory 29 are sent to a CPU (not shown) provided on the circuit board 40 via the connector 24a. In addition, a battery substrate 42 is attached to the circuit board 40, and the battery substrate 42 is provided with a contact 43 that contacts the electrode of the battery 28. The electric power of the battery 28 is sent to a CPU or the like disposed on the circuit board 40 via the contact 43.

  Since the leaf spring 33 in the above embodiment is attached only at one place in the substantially central portion, the position where the leaf spring 33 presses the spare external memory 27 or the battery 28 due to looseness of the screw 34 or the like. In some cases, the spare external memory 27 and the battery 28 cannot be stably held. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the spare external memory 27 and the battery 28 are stably held by firmly fixing them using a leaf spring 50 as shown in FIG.

  The leaf spring 50 includes a main body portion 51, an attachment portion 52, a first pressing portion 53, and a second pressing portion 54. The attachment portion 52 of the leaf spring 50 includes two attachment pieces 52a and 52b, and is fixed to the spring attachment portion 57b of the memory storage chamber 57 by welding or the like as shown in FIG. The first pressing portion 53 is bent so as to face the surface of the main body 51 on the memory storage chamber 57 side, and presses the spare external memory 27 in the direction of the inclined portion 57a of the memory storage chamber 57 to the storage position. Hold. The second pressing portion 54 presses the battery 28 and holds it in the loading position. In FIG. 6, the same members and the like as those in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  In the third embodiment of the present invention, a battery loading chamber in which two types of batteries having different thicknesses can be loaded is used in the battery loading chamber of the digital camera. In the third embodiment, a spare external memory is accommodated using an empty space in the battery loading chamber formed when a thin battery is loaded in the battery loading chamber. At this time, the spare external memory 27 is stored using a leaf spring 60 as shown in FIG.

  The leaf spring 60 includes a holding part 61, a pressing part 62, and an attaching part 63. The holding unit 61 includes a first holding unit 65 and a second holding unit 66. The first holding portion 65 has a substantially box shape, and holds the front end side of the spare external memory 27 so as to wrap a part of the front end of the spare external memory 27. The second holding portion 66 has two support pieces 66 a and 66 b, and these two support pieces 66 a and 66 b support the rear end side of the spare external memory 27. Thus, the spare external memory 27 is stably held by the holding unit 61. The pressing part 62 protrudes into the battery loading chamber 23 and presses the batteries 72 and 73 (see FIG. 8) to hold them in the loading position. In addition, the contact point 69 of the battery substrate in the third embodiment has a shape that allows contact with any of the two types of batteries.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the memory storage chamber 70 is provided on the bulging portion 20 side of the battery loading chamber so as to accommodate the holding portion 61 of the leaf spring 60 and is spatially connected to the battery loading chamber 23. is doing. The attachment portion 63 of the leaf spring 60 has two attachment pieces 63a and 63b, and is fixed to a part of the memory storage chamber 70 by welding or the like. FIG. 8A shows a cross-sectional view of the grip portion when a thick battery 72 is loaded. As in the first and second embodiments, a spare external memory held by the holding portion 61. 27 is substantially stored in the memory storage chamber 70. FIG. 8B shows a cross-sectional view of the grip portion when a battery 73 having a small thickness is loaded. The spare external memory 27 held by the holding portion 61 includes a memory storage chamber 70 and a battery loading chamber. 23 is stored in a vacant space formed in a part of 23. Although the number of spare external memories 27 held by the holding unit 61 is one, the number of the spare external memories 27 held by expanding the holding unit 61 according to the thickness of the battery to be loaded. May be increased. Moreover, in FIG. 8, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member etc. which are the same as the member etc. in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the memory storage chamber 80 is provided on the bulging portion 20 side of the battery loading chamber 23 so as to accommodate the entire leaf spring 60, and is spatially connected to the battery loading chamber 23. ing. The attachment portion 63 of the leaf spring 60 is fixed to a part of the memory storage chamber 80 by welding or the like. FIG. 9A shows a cross-sectional view of the grip portion when a thick battery 72 is loaded. When the volume of the loaded battery 73 is substantially the same as the volume of the battery loading chamber 23, the battery The entire leaf spring 60 including the pressing portion 62 that presses 72 is stored in the memory storage chamber 80. FIG. 8B shows a cross-sectional view of the grip portion when a thin battery 73 is loaded. The spare external memory 27 held by the holding portion 61 includes a memory storage chamber 80 and a battery loading chamber. In the empty space 23a formed in a part of 23, it is stored. In FIG. 9A, the spare external memory 27 is not held in the holding portion 61, but the memory storage chamber 80 is slightly expanded and a thick battery 72 is loaded. Alternatively, the spare external memory 27 may be held in the holding unit 61. In FIG. 9, the same members as those in FIG. 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

It is a perspective view which shows the digital camera to which this invention is applied. It is a perspective view which shows the bottom face side of the digital camera to which this invention is applied. It is a perspective view which shows the periphery of a memory storage chamber and a battery loading chamber. It is sectional drawing which shows the inside of a grip part. It is a perspective view which shows the leaf | plate spring in 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the inside of the grip part in 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the leaf | plate spring in 3rd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the inside of the grip part in 3rd Embodiment, (A) has shown when the battery with thick thickness was loaded, (B) has shown when the battery with thin thickness is loaded. It is sectional drawing which shows the inside of the grip part in 3rd Embodiment, (A) has shown when the battery with thick thickness was loaded, (B) has shown when the battery with thin thickness is loaded.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Digital camera 11 Body 11a Opening 18 Grip part 20 Expansion part 22 Memory storage room 23 Battery loading room 23a Empty space 24 Memory mounting part 27 Spare external memory 28 Battery 29 External memory 30 Cover 33 Leaf spring 36 1st press part 37 Second pressing portion 40 Circuit board 43 Contact point 50 Leaf spring 53 First pressing portion 54 Second pressing portion 60 Leaf spring 61 Holding portion

Claims (4)

A grip portion including a bulging portion protruding from the front side of the body is provided, and a battery loading chamber is provided inside the grip portion, and an external memory attached to the memory attachment portion is accessed to record and read data. Portable electronic devices,
A storage part for a spare external memory used by being attached to the memory attachment part is provided so as to spatially continue from the battery loading chamber toward the bulging part, and the storage part for the spare external memory is provided as the storage part. A portable electronic device that is integrally opened and closed with a lid that opens and closes a battery loading chamber.   A leaf spring is incorporated at the boundary between the storage portion and the battery loading chamber, one end of the leaf spring presses the loaded battery and holds it in the loading position, and the other end of the leaf spring is the storage portion. 2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the external external memory stored in the storage device is pressed and held in the storage position.   A circuit board provided along one inner wall of the battery loading chamber parallel to the back surface of the body is provided with the memory mounting portion and a contact point that contacts an electrode of the loaded battery, and a bottom surface of the body An opening that is opened and closed by the lid is formed, and through this opening, the external memory, the battery, and the spare external memory are mounted and loaded so that they overlap in this order from the back side of the body toward the bulging portion side. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is stored.   The battery loading chamber can be selectively loaded with two types of batteries having a rectangular parallelepiped shape and different thicknesses, and the battery loading chamber is elastically pressed in the thickness direction to hold the loaded battery in the loading position. When one end of the member protrudes and a battery having a small thickness is loaded in the battery loading chamber and an empty space is formed in the battery loading chamber, the spare external memory is elasticated in the storage portion or the empty space. 2. The portable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is housed by a holding portion formed integrally with the member.

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