JP2007281828A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus capable of improving the operability of inserting and ejecting a disk. <P>SOLUTION: In the imaging apparatus including a main body section with an imaging section and a recording section capable of recording an imaged image on a recording disk medium, the recording section is provided with a slit-like opening to/from which the recording medium can be inserted or ejected in a direction in parallel with a side face of the main body section, the opening of the recording section is formed by notching ends of the opening, and at least one of the one end and the other end of the opening is located with an offset in an inserting direction of the recording medium from a center of the opening. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a structure for inserting / removing a disc-shaped recording medium to / from an imaging apparatus.

  In recent years, an imaging apparatus using a disc-shaped recording medium (DVD-R / RW / RAM or the like) has been rapidly spread. In particular, a camcorder that uses a disc such as a DVD (hereinafter referred to as a disc camcorder) has advantages that it does not require cueing during playback, and that images can be easily deleted and edited, and is expected to become increasingly popular in the future.

  The current disc camcorder houses an imaging unit composed of a lens for taking an image, a CCD, and the like, a main body unit on which a finder for displaying the captured image, an LCD, and the like, and a recording medium such as a DVD, and stores captured images. It consists of a recording unit or the like for recording on a recording medium. These main unit and recording unit are arranged in parallel when viewed from the back of the disc camcorder (the side opposite to the lens). The main unit is on the left side and the recording unit is on the right side. Take a picture while holding the side.

  Further, the recording unit includes a disc loading unit for loading a disc, an optical pickup for writing and reading information on the disc, a drive unit for moving the optical pickup in the radial direction of the disc, a drive substrate for controlling the drive unit, and the like. It has a main part. Furthermore, the recording unit is provided with a disk cover part that can be opened and closed with respect to the main part and can be loaded with a disk when the disk is opened. When inserting or removing a disc, as in many portable disc recording / reproducing devices (portable CD players, etc.), the disc cover is rotated to open widely with respect to the main portion. Insert and remove the disc from the loading section.

Also, in a stationary type disk recording / reproducing device, etc., a type (slot-in method) in which a disk is inserted from the side by providing a long and narrow opening in the disk insertion part, instead of opening the disk cover and inserting / removing the disk. ) Can also be seen. This slot-in type disc loading device is proposed as a CD loading device in a portable CD player in which, for example, in Patent Document 1, an opening serving as a disc insertion opening is formed on the side surface of a disc-shaped main body.
JP-A-11-31351

  In the current disc camcorder, the type in which the disc cover is opened widely and the disc is inserted / removed as described above is the mainstream, but this type has the following problems.

  At the time of shooting, the user holds the recording unit and performs shooting. For this reason, it is not possible to insert or remove the disc in the shooting posture, and when exchanging the disc, it is necessary to hold the disc camcorder once and open and close the disc cover to insert and remove the disc. . As a result, there are cases where the disc cannot be exchanged quickly and smoothly, and important scenes may not be recorded, and the current disc camcorder has room for improvement in operability when inserting and removing discs. is there. Furthermore, since the rotation direction of the disc cover is determined when the disc cover is opened and closed, the disc insertion / removal direction is limited, which is not preferable in terms of ease of disc insertion.

  In order to improve the above problems, if the slot-in method as described in Patent Document 1 can be applied to a disc camcorder, the user can hold the disc camcorder with one hand and insert the disc from the side of the main unit with the other hand in the shooting state. It is possible and effective.

  However, in order to improve the above problem, when applying the slot-in method to a disc camcorder, an opening for inserting and removing the disc is arranged at a position where the user can easily operate, and the shape of the slot is also determined by the user. The shape must be easy to operate.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to realize an imaging apparatus that can quickly and smoothly change a recording medium in a shooting state and improve operability.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides an imaging apparatus including a main body having an imaging unit and a recording unit capable of recording a captured image on a disk-shaped recording medium. A slit-like opening that allows the recording medium to be inserted or removed in a direction parallel to the side surface of the main body, and is formed by cutting out an end of the opening in the recording unit. At least one of the one end and the other end is at a position offset in the insertion direction of the recording medium from the center of the opening.

  According to the present invention, the recording medium can be replaced quickly and smoothly in the shooting state, and the operability is improved.

  An example in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is applied to a disc camcorder capable of loading a disc-shaped recording medium will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The embodiment described below is an example as means for realizing the present invention, and should be appropriately modified or changed according to the configuration and various conditions of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied. It is not limited to the embodiment.

[First Embodiment]
1 to 3 are perspective views of a disc camcorder according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  1 to 3, reference numeral 10 denotes a disc camcorder main body (hereinafter referred to as a camcorder main body) including an imaging unit, a display unit, and the like. Reference numeral 11 denotes a recording unit for recording captured images. Reference numeral 101 denotes a lens for capturing a subject image. Reference numeral 102 denotes an LCD display unit for displaying imaging / reproduction information. A hinge 103 connects the LCD display unit 102 and the camcorder body 10. Reference numeral 104 denotes a mode dial incorporated so as to be rotatable with respect to the camcorder main body 10. Reference numeral 105 denotes a trigger switch that can be started and stopped when pressed.

  Reference numeral 106 denotes a cross key that can freely move a cursor for selecting an item during shooting or reproduction. Reference numeral 107 denotes a determination switch that can be pressed to determine an item selected by the cross key 106. Reference numeral 108 denotes a disc insertion / removal portion provided with an opening for inserting / removing the disc. Reference numeral 109 denotes an opening formed in a slit shape in the vertical direction so that the disk can be inserted / removed in parallel with the side surface of the camcorder body 10 and formed in a convex arc shape on the back side.

  Reference numeral 114 denotes an eject switch that can be ejected by sliding. Reference numeral 110 denotes a zoom switch that can be operated by zooming. A photo switch 111 can record a still image when pressed. A battery 112 supplies power to the camcorder body. Reference numeral 130 denotes a disk such as a DVD as a disk-shaped recording medium capable of recording captured moving images and still images. 401 indicates the center position of the opening 109 in the vertical direction, 403 indicates the upper end of the opening 109, and 404 indicates the lower end of the opening 109.

  The camcorder main body 10 has the camcorder main body 10 and the recording unit 11 arranged in parallel in the vertical direction when viewed from the back (the surface opposite to the lens 101 side), and the right side as shown by the broken line in FIG. The main unit is disposed on the left side and the recording unit is disposed on the left side. The front side when viewed from the front (lens 101 side) is the front side, the back side facing the front side is the back side, the right side is the right side, the left side facing the right side is the left side, and the upper side Is the upper surface, and the lower surface facing the upper surface is the lower surface.

  1 and 2 show a state in which shooting is performed with a disc camcorder.

  The user takes a picture by holding the camcorder main body 10 side (left side) with a right hand at the time of photographing through a strap or the like. The portion where the user holds the right hand finger holding the camcorder body 10 is a housing that covers the lens 101, and thus has a curved shape matching the outer periphery of the lens 101. As a result, the camcorder main body 10 matches the shape of the user's hand holding the camcorder main body 10, so that the camcorder main body 10 can be easily gripped during shooting.

  An optical image of a subject incident through the lens 101 is picked up by a light receiving element such as a CCD (not shown) installed on the optical axis behind the lens 101 and converted into an electric signal. The electric signal is converted into a digital signal, developed, and compressed by an image processing circuit board (not shown) inside the camcorder body 10 and recorded as image data on a disk. Further, the image data can be transmitted to an image display circuit board (not shown) installed on the back surface of the LCD display unit 102 by a signal transmission unit such as a flexible cable and displayed on the LCD display unit 102.

  In the LCD display unit 102, a housing that holds an LCD panel is connected to the camcorder body 10 by a hinge 103 so as to be rotatable in the direction of arrow A with the optical axis direction as a rotation axis. As a result, the user can rotate the LCD display unit 102 in the direction of arrow A during shooting to move the shooting content to a position where it can be easily seen. Furthermore, since the LCD display unit 102 can rotate in the direction of arrow B with respect to the hinge 103, it is also possible to perform shooting while rotating the LCD display unit 102 and displaying the shooting content on the subject side.

  A trigger switch 105 is used to start / stop shooting. Reference numeral 106 denotes a cross key that can freely move a cursor for selecting an item such as each menu during shooting or reproduction. Reference numeral 107 denotes a determination switch that can determine an item selected by the cross key 106. These switches 105 to 107 are provided in a recess formed on the back surface of the camcorder main body 10 and can be operated using the thumb of the hand holding the camcorder main body 10.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, when the photographing is finished, the display surface of the LCD display unit 102 is housed toward the back side of the camcorder main body 10 to protect the display surface, and each of the switches 105 to 107 provided in the concave portion is provided. It will be in a covering state. Therefore, it is useful also for preventing erroneous operation of each switch 105-107. In particular, in the slot-in method, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience that the disc is ejected due to an erroneous operation and the disc is damaged. A mode dial 104 for switching each mode such as a shooting mode and a playback mode is disposed on the upper back of the camcorder body 10.

  The mode dial 104 is attached to the camcorder main body 10 so as to be rotatable about the optical axis direction as a rotation axis. Thus, when the modes are switched by rotating the mode dial 104, it is possible to operate the mode dial 104 using the left hand even in the shooting state. Reference numeral 110 denotes a zoom switch for zooming, and reference numeral 111 denotes a photo switch for taking a still image. These switches 110 and 111 are formed on the curved surface of the portion related to the index finger or middle finger of the hand holding the camcorder body 10 by the user. Provided.

  When zooming, the user slides the zoom switch 110 using the index finger or middle finger of the hand holding the camcorder body 10. Further, when shooting a still image, the user presses the photo switch 111 with the index finger or middle finger of the hand holding the camcorder body 10. A battery 112 is disposed in a recess provided on the right side as viewed from the back of the camcorder body 10, and supplies power to the camcorder body 10. The battery 112 is detachable from the camcorder body 10 and is held on the camcorder body 10 by a lock mechanism (not shown).

  A recording unit 11 is disposed on the left side when viewed from the back of the camcorder body 10. A portion of the recording unit 11 near the back of the camcorder body 10 is cut out in a semicircular shape to form a disc insertion / removal unit 108, and an opening 109 is formed in a direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder body 10. Yes. The upper end 403 of the opening 109 is positioned above the opening center 401 in the vertical direction, and the lower end 404 is positioned below the opening center 401 in the vertical direction.

  An arrow C in FIG. 1 indicates the insertion direction of the disk 130, and the upper end 403 and the lower end 404 of the opening 109 are both located on the insertion direction C side of the disk 130 with respect to the opening center 401. Further, the upper end portion 403 and the lower end portion 404 of the opening 109 are symmetrically positioned in the vertical direction with respect to the horizontal line D of the camcorder body 10 from the opening center 401. That is, the disc insertion / removal portion 108 and the opening 109 formed in a semicircular shape are formed toward the back surface of the camcorder body 10 in parallel with the side surface of the camcorder body 10. Thereby, the user inserts / removes the disc in the direction parallel to the side surface from the back surface of the camcorder body 10.

  Next, the operation at the time of inserting / removing the disk 130 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  4 to 7 show the configuration of the disk drive unit in the disk camcorder of this embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, reference numeral 20 denotes a disk drive unit that can write data to the disk 130 or call data stored in the disk 130. Reference numeral 201 denotes a chassis to which members constituting the disk drive unit 20 are attached. Reference numeral 202 denotes an optical pickup unit that can apply laser light to the disk 130 to store information on the disk or read information on the disk. A spindle unit 203 rotates the disk 130 in the circumferential direction. Reference numeral 204 denotes a disk mounting portion that is formed integrally with the spindle unit 203 and mounts the disk 130 on the spindle unit 203. Reference numeral 205 denotes a disk holding claw that is configured integrally with the disk mounting unit 204 and holds the disk 130 on the disk mounting unit 203.

  A disk drive control board 206 controls the disk drive unit 20. Reference numeral 207 denotes a flexible cable that connects the optical pickup unit 202 and the disk drive control board 206 to exchange signals. A flexible cable 208 connects the spindle unit 203 and the disk drive control board 206 to exchange signals. A traverse motor 209 moves the optical pickup unit 202 along the radial direction of the disk 130. Reference numeral 210 denotes a DC motor that moves the spindle unit 203 up and down.

  Reference numerals 211 and 212 denote a pair of call-in arms that are disposed at the upper and lower portions of the disk drive unit 20 and draw the disk 130 into the disk drive unit 20 when the disk 130 is inserted. Reference numeral 213 denotes an eject arm for pushing the disk 130 out of the disk drive unit 20. Reference numeral 214 denotes an auxiliary arm that urges the disk 130 to a predetermined position when the disk 130 is inserted into the disk drive unit 20. Reference numeral 405 denotes an upper end side of the maximum outer shape portion of the disk 130 in a state where the disk 130 protrudes from the opening 109, and reference numeral 406 denotes a lower end side of the maximum outer shape portion of the disk 130 in a state where the disk 130 protrudes from the opening portion 109. .

  4 shows a state when the disk drive unit 20 is in the standby position, and FIG. 5 is a left side view of FIG. 6 shows a state in which the disk drive unit 20 and the disk 130 are half ejected, and FIG. 7 shows a state in which the disk 130 is chucked in the disk drive unit. 6 and 7 show the disk drive unit 20 together with the recording unit 11 for easy understanding.

<Insert disc>
When inserting the disc 130, the user holds the camcorder body 10 with the right hand, and inserts the disc 130 in the direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder body 10 using the left hand from the back side of the camcorder body 10.

In FIG. 4, when the disk 130 is inserted in the direction of arrow E, the disk 130 first comes into contact with the calling arms 211 and 212.
The attracting arms 211 and 212 are urged by a torsion spring or the like (not shown) in a direction rotating inside the disk drive unit 20 (direction in which the disk 130 is pulled inside the disk drive unit 20). As a result, immediately after the disk 130 comes into contact, the disk rotates in the direction opposite to the biased direction, and when the user pushes the disk 130 to a predetermined position, the disk 130 is pulled into the disk drive unit 20 by the spring force. .

  While the disk 130 is being pushed in, the disk 130 comes into contact with the eject arm 213 that is biased in the direction of rotating outward of the disk drive unit 20 (the direction of pushing the disk 130 outward of the disk drive unit 20). The eject arm 213 is pushed back in the direction opposite to the direction biased by the disk 130, and when it moves to a predetermined position, it is locked by a lock mechanism (not shown) (position in FIG. 7).

  Further, the disk 130 contacts the auxiliary arm 214 while the disk 130 is being pushed. The auxiliary arm 214 is biased in the direction of rotating outward of the disk drive unit 20 (direction of pushing the disk 130 outward of the disk drive unit 20). As a result, when the disc is inserted, the disc 130 is rotated in the direction of pushing back, and the disc 130 is guided to the center of the disc mounting portion 204 together with the calling arms 211 and 212.

  When the disk is guided to substantially the center of the disk mounting portion 204, it is sensed and controlled by a sensor (not shown) on the disk drive control board 206. Then, the spindle unit 203, the disc mounting portion 204, and the disc holding claw 205 are raised toward the disc 130 by the DC motor 210. At this time, the front side (label side) of the disk 130 comes into contact with a sheet metal member (not shown) installed on the inner wall of the recording unit 11 and is held from the upper side, and the disk 130 rises from the lower side. It is sandwiched between the spindle unit 203. Then, the disc holding claw 205 is fitted into the center fitting hole of the disc 130 and is locked to the disc mounting portion 204. When the mounting to the disk mounting unit 204 is completed, the calling arms 211 and 212 and the auxiliary arm 214 move to a position where they do not come into contact with the disk 130 and are locked by a lock mechanism (not shown) (position in FIG. 7).

  When recording and reproducing information, the disk 130 rotates together with the spindle unit 203 in the state shown in FIG. Then, while the optical pickup unit 202 is moved in the radial direction of the disk 130 by the traverse motor 209, the laser beam is applied to the disk 130 to record / reproduce information.

<Ejecting the disc>
When the disc 130 is removed, the user slides the eject switch 114 with the thumb of the right hand while holding the camcorder body 10 with the right hand. When the eject switch 114 is slid, a sensor (not shown) detects the movement of the slide switch 114, a signal is transmitted from the sensor to the disk drive control board 206, and the disk drive unit 20 starts an ejection operation.

  When ejecting the disk 130, first, the attracting arms 211 and 212 and the auxiliary arm 214 are unlocked and come into contact with the disk 130. Next, the spindle unit 203, the disc mounting portion 204, and the disc holding claw 205 are lowered, the disc holding claw 205 is detached from the disc 130, and the disc is unlocked. Then, the eject arm 213 is unlocked and rotated in a direction to push the disk 130 outward, thereby ejecting the disk 130 to a predetermined position.

  Further, the inner wall of the hole of the opening 109 is formed by an elastic member (not shown). The disc 130 ejected from the opening 109 is fixed in a state where the upper end 405 and the lower end 406 of the maximum outer shape of the disc 130 protrude from the opening 109 (half ejection) by friction with the elastic member ( FIG. 6). The user can completely take out the disk 130 by holding the camcorder body 10 with the right hand in the state of FIG. 6 and holding the upper end 405 and the lower end 406 of the maximum outer shape of the disk 130 and pulling it out with the left hand. .

<Description of effects>
In order to pinch and take out the outer peripheral portion of the disk 130 in the half eject state of FIG. 6, at least the maximum outer shape portions 405 and 406 of the disk 130 need to protrude from the opening 109. Here, the disc insertion / removal portion 108 is formed in a semicircular shape, and the opening portion 109 is provided in a direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder main body 10, whereby the disc 130 protrudes from the semicircular cutout portion. Will do. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the movement of the ejection mechanism by setting a small amount of displacement when ejecting the disk 130, and to simplify the disk ejection mechanism.

  Further, since the disc insertion / removal portion 108 is formed in a semicircular shape, there is no portion that prevents the user from hitting the disc 130 when removing the disc 130 from the half ejected state, and the disc 130 can be smoothly inserted. Can be pinched and removed. Note that these effects are not limited to the case where the disc insertion / removal portion 108 is formed in a semicircular shape, and one and / or the other end of the opening 109 with respect to the opening center 401 of the opening 109 is a disc. If it exists in the position offset toward the insertion direction of 130, it will be exhibited. That is, the upper end portion or the lower end portion with respect to the insertion direction of the disc insertion / removal portion 108 may be cut out in the insertion direction of the disc 130.

  Further, if the upper end 403 and the lower end 404 of the opening 109 are located symmetrically in the vertical direction with respect to the horizontal line D of the camcorder body 10 from the opening center 401, the user further holds the disc from the half-ejection state. Easier to take out. That is, if notches are provided on both the upper and lower sides, and the amount of notches is equal to the up and down direction with respect to the insertion direction, the disk can be more easily held and removed.

  As described above, according to the disc camcorder according to the present embodiment, the disc insertion / removal unit 108 and the opening 109 formed in a semicircular shape are arranged on the back surface of the camcorder body 10 in a direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder body 10. It was provided. Accordingly, the disc can be inserted / removed from the back side of the camcorder body 10 in a direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder body 10.

  In such a configuration, the disc 130 can be inserted / removed with the other hand while the camcorder body 10 is gripped in the photographing state. For this reason, for example, the storage capacity of the disk becomes full during shooting, and even if it is necessary to replace the disk suddenly, it is possible to replace the disk while maintaining the shooting posture, so that shooting can be resumed quickly and smoothly. be able to.

  Further, since the disc can be inserted from the back surface of the camcorder main body 10, the disc can be easily inserted and removed even when it is fixed to a tripod for long-time shooting or the like.

  Further, the disc insertion / removal unit 108 and the opening 109 are arranged at the position on the side surface side of the recording unit 11 that is farthest from the side surface of the camcorder body 10 (the side surface on the side where the user grips the camcorder body 10). . For this reason, the disc 130 can be inserted and removed with the other hand at the position farthest from the hand holding the camcorder body 10, and the user can easily insert and remove the disc. Excellent.

  In contrast, when the disc insertion / removal unit 108 and the opening 109 are arranged on the bottom surface of the camcorder body, that is, the upper end 403 and the lower end 404 of the opening 109 are both camcorders with respect to the center 401 of the opening. It is assumed that it is arranged vertically below the main body. In this case, it is difficult to replace the disk when the disk camcorder is fixed to a tripod. Furthermore, in the half-eject state, it becomes difficult to hold the disk due to its own weight, and the disk may drop when the disk is removed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, in the disc camcorder of the present embodiment, it is possible to ensure a wide range and direction in which the disc 130 can be inserted / removed with respect to the disc insertion / removal portion 108 and the opening 109. Reference numerals 130A, 130B, and 130C in FIG. 8 denote disks inserted from respective directions.

  Further, since the disc insertion / removal portion 108 is formed in a semicircular shape, and the opening 109 can be formed widely on the semicircular surface, the degree of freedom in the disc insertion direction is increased. Further, the disk 130 inserted within a predetermined angle is guided and chucked to the center of the disk mounting unit 204 by the calling arms 211 and 212 and the auxiliary arm 214 inside the disk drive unit 20, and recording / reproduction becomes possible.

  Further, since the disk 130 is disk-shaped, if it is desired to make the recording part 11 of the disk camcorder the smallest, the recording part is formed in a circular shape along the outer shape of the disk. Here, in the disc camcorder of the present embodiment, the disc insertion / removal portion 108 is formed in a semicircular shape, thereby realizing a design that looks the smallest in appearance.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a disc camcorder according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a side view of the disc camcorder according to the second embodiment. Note that, in the constituent elements and functions of the disc camcorder according to the present embodiment, elements that are substantially the same as those of the disc camcorder according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The difference from the disc camcorder according to the first embodiment is that the disc insertion / extraction part 108 and the opening 109 are arranged above the camcorder body 10 in the vertical direction. Inside the recording unit 11, the disk drive unit 20 described in the first embodiment is disposed upward along the vertical direction of the camcorder body 10.

  9 and 10 show a state in which the disc 130 is in a half-ejection state in the shooting state of the disc camcorder according to the present embodiment. In the disc camcorder of this embodiment, the camcorder body 10 and the recording unit 11 are arranged in parallel when viewed from the back, the camcorder body 10 is arranged on the right side, and the recording unit 11 is arranged on the left side. A portion of the recording unit 11 near the top surface of the camcorder body 10 is cut out in a semicircular shape to form a disc insertion / removal unit 108, and an opening 109 is formed in a direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder body 10. Yes. One front end portion 403 and the other rear end portion 404 of the opening 109 are positioned below the center 401 of the opening 109 in the vertical direction.

  An arrow F in FIG. 9 indicates the insertion direction of the disk 130, and the front end 403 and the rear end 404 of the opening 109 are both downward in the insertion direction F of the disk 130 with respect to the opening center 401. It is in a position offset to.

  Further, the front end portion 403 and the rear end portion 404 of the opening 109 are in symmetrical positions with respect to a center line G extending from the opening center 401 in the vertical direction of the camcorder body 10. That is, in the present embodiment, the disc insertion / removal portion 108 and the opening 109 are provided toward the upper surface of the camcorder body 10 in a direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder body 10. Accordingly, the user inserts / removes the disk 130 from the upper surface side of the camcorder body 10 in a direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder body 10.

  At the time of shooting, the user holds the main body with the right hand for shooting, and when exchanging the disk 130, the user inserts and removes the disk 130 with the left hand while holding the main body with the right hand.

  The disc insertion / removal portion 108 and the opening 109 are formed in a semicircular shape upward in the vertical direction of the camcorder main body 10, and the disc 130 is inserted in a direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder main body 10 from above the camcorder main body 10 in the vertical direction.・ It can be taken out. Thereby, the direction and range in which insertion / removal can be performed can be widened, smooth insertion / removal is possible, and operability is excellent. Also, when shooting with a disc camcorder fixed to a tripod, such as when shooting for a long period of time, the opening 109 faces upward, so that the disc camcorder can be fixed to the tripod quickly and easily. Can be exchanged. Further, since the disk 130 is ejected vertically upward from the camcorder body 10 during half ejection, problems such as the disk 130 dropping when the disk is taken out can be avoided, and the disk ejection mechanism can be simplified. Is also possible.

[Third Embodiment]
11 and 12 show perspective views of a disc camcorder according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Note that, in the constituent elements and functions of the disc camcorder according to the present embodiment, elements that are substantially the same as those of the disc camcorder according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The difference from the disc camcorder according to the first embodiment is that the disc insertion / extraction unit 108 and the opening 109 are arranged on the front side along the optical axis direction of the lens 101 of the camcorder body 10. Inside the recording unit 11, the disk drive unit 20 described in the first embodiment is disposed upward along the vertical direction of the camcorder body 10. On the back side of the recording unit 11, at least one multifunction switch 113 whose function changes according to each mode selected by the mode dial 104 is provided.

  FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 show a state in which the disc 130 is in a half-ejection state in the shooting state of the disc camcorder in the present embodiment. In the disc camcorder of this embodiment, the camcorder body 10 and the recording unit 11 are arranged in parallel when viewed from the back, and the main body unit is arranged on the right side and the recording unit is arranged on the left side as separated by the broken line in FIG. Yes.

  A portion of the recording unit 11 near the front surface of the camcorder main body 10 is cut out in a semicircular shape to form a disc insertion / removal unit 108, and an opening 109 is formed in a direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder main body 10. Yes. The upper end 403 of the opening 109 is positioned above the opening center 401 in the vertical direction, and the lower end 404 is positioned below the opening center 401 in the vertical direction.

  An arrow H in FIG. 12 indicates the insertion direction of the disk 130, and one upper end 403 and the other lower end 404 of the opening 109 are both in the insertion direction H of the disk 130 with respect to the opening center 401. It is in a position offset toward. Further, the upper end portion 403 and the lower end portion 404 of the opening 109 are in symmetrical positions with respect to a horizontal line I extending from the opening center 401 in the horizontal direction of the camcorder body 10. That is, in this embodiment, the disc insertion / removal unit 108 and the opening 109 are provided toward the front surface of the camcorder body 10 in a direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder body 10. As a result, the user inserts / removes the disc from the front side of the camcorder body 10 in a direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder body 10.

  At the time of shooting, the user holds the main body with the right hand for shooting, and when replacing the disc 130, the disc camcorder held by the right hand is inverted counterclockwise about the vertical direction of the camcorder main body 10 as an axis. Use the left hand to remove and insert the disc. The disc insertion / removal port 108 and the opening 109 are formed in a semicircular shape toward the front surface of the camcorder main body 10, and the disc 130 is inserted in the direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder main body 20 from the front side of the camcorder main body 10. It can be taken out. As a result, the direction and range in which insertion / removal can be performed can be widened, smooth insertion / removal is possible, and there are advantages such as excellent operability, and the space on the back side of the camcorder body 10 is effectively used. It can be used.

  When the mode is switched by the mode dial 104, the multifunction switch 113 shown in FIG. 11 can change the function of each switch by a control board (not shown). A mode control board for controlling each mode and a control board for the multifunction switch that turns on / off each switch by pressing the multifunction switch 113 are connected by a signal transmission cable and interlocked. By rotating the mode dial 104, for example, when the mode dial 104 is in the playback mode position, the multi-function switch 113 is changed to a switch having a function related to a playback operation such as a playback switch / stop switch. When the mode dial 104 is in the shooting mode position, the multi-function switch 113 changes to a switch having a function related to the shooting operation, such as a digital effect / aperture adjustment switch. As described above, by concentrating operation members such as the multi-function switch 113, the mode dial 104, the trigger switch 105, the cross key 106, and the determination switch 107 on the back surface of the camcorder body 10, a layout with good operability can be realized. it can.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a disc camcorder according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 14 is a side view of the disc camcorder according to the fourth embodiment. Note that, in the constituent elements and functions of the disc camcorder according to the present embodiment, elements that are substantially the same as those of the disc camcorder according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The difference from the disc camcorder according to the first embodiment is that the disc insertion / removal portion 108 is not formed in a semicircular shape. More specifically, a notch 301 is formed on the front side of the disc insertion / removal portion 108 in the vertical direction of the camcorder body 10 in the vertical direction, and a sloped notch 302 chamfered downward is formed. is doing. Furthermore, these notches 301 and 302 are provided vertically asymmetrically with respect to the insertion direction of the disk 130 indicated by the arrow J in FIG. Inside the recording unit 11, the disk drive unit 20 described in the first embodiment is disposed upward along the vertical direction of the camcorder body 10.

  The disc camcorder of this embodiment has a main body portion and a recording portion arranged in parallel when viewed from the back, and a main body portion on the right side and a recording portion on the left side as separated by a broken line in FIG. Yes.

  In FIG. 13, one upper end 403 of the opening 109 is positioned above the camcorder body 10 in the vertical direction with respect to the opening center 401 of the opening 109, and the other lower end 404 is below the camcorder body 10 in the vertical direction. Is located. Further, the upper end 403 and the lower end 404 of the opening 109 are both offset from the opening center 401 in the insertion direction of the disk 130. Further, the upper end 403 and the lower end 404 of the opening 109 are asymmetrical with respect to a horizontal line K extending in the horizontal direction of the camcorder body 10 from the opening center 401. That is, the disc camcorder according to the present embodiment has the disc insertion / removal unit 108 and the opening 109 provided toward the back surface of the camcorder body 10 in a direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder body 10. Thereby, the user inserts / removes the disc from the back side of the camcorder body 10 along the direction parallel to the side surface of the camcorder body 10.

  When inserting the disc 130, the camcorder body 10 is gripped with the right hand, and the disc 130 is inserted from the back side of the camcorder body 10 with the left hand. When ejecting the disk 130, if the eject switch 114 is slid, a signal is transmitted to the drive unit 20 from an unillustrated eject detection board. Then, the disk 130 is projected from the opening 109 in parallel to the side surface of the camcorder body 10 by the drive unit 20 and held at a position where the maximum outer shape of the disk 130 is exposed (half-ejection state).

  The user can hold the maximum outer shape of the disk 130 protruding from the opening 109 and completely remove the disk 130 from the opening 109. Here, notches 301 and 302 are respectively provided above and below the camcorder body 10 in the disc insertion / removal unit 108 in the vertical direction, and the disc 130 projects from the notches 301 or 302. Thus, the user can easily pinch and take out the disk 130 from the half eject state.

  Further, the upper end portion 403 on the notch 301 side and the lower end portion 404 on the notch 302 side of the opening 109 are symmetric with respect to a horizontal line K extending in the horizontal direction of the camcorder body 10 from the opening center 401. Thus, if the cutout amount is made substantially equal to the insertion direction, it becomes easier for the user to pinch and take out the disk 130 from the half-ejection state, and the operability can be improved.

  In addition, the disc insertion / removal portion 108 is not formed in a semicircular shape, but by providing a notch that is asymmetrical in the vertical direction, the degree of freedom in design is expanded, and an operation member or the like is further arranged in a portion that is not notched. You can also use the space effectively.

  In addition, the shape which made the notch asymmetrical like the said 4th Embodiment is applicable not only to the opening part of 1st Embodiment but the shape of the opening part of 2nd and 3rd Embodiment. is there.

1 is a perspective view of a disc camcorder according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a disc camcorder according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a disc camcorder according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the disc drive unit (during standby) of the disc camcorder according to the first embodiment. It is a right view of the disk drive unit (during standby) of the disk camcorder according to the first embodiment. It is a front view of the disc drive unit (at the time of half ejection) of the disc camcorder concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a front view of the disk drive unit (during chucking) of the disk camcorder according to the first embodiment. 1 is a side view of a disc camcorder according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the disc camcorder of the 2nd Embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a side view of the disc camcorder of the 2nd embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a perspective view of the disc camcorder of the 3rd Embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a perspective view of the disc camcorder of the 3rd Embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a perspective view of the disc camcorder of the 4th embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a side view of the disc camcorder of the 4th embodiment concerning the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Disc camcorder main body 11 Recording part 20 Disk drive unit 101 Lens 102 LCD display part 103 Hinge 104 Mode dial 105 Trigger switch 106 Cross key 107 Determination switch 108 Disc insertion / extraction part 109 Opening part 110 Zoom switch 111 Photo switch 112 Battery 113 Multi-function Switch 114 Eject switch 130, 130A, 130B, 130C Disk 201 Chassis 202 Optical pickup unit 203 Spindle unit 204 Disk mounting part 205 Disk holding claw 206 Disk drive control board 207, 208 Flexible cable 209 Traverse motor 210 DC motor 301, 302 Notch 401 Opening center 403 Upper end or front end 40 The lower end or the rear end portion 405 and 406 up to outer portion

Claims (12)

In an imaging apparatus having a main body having an imaging unit and a recording unit capable of recording a captured image on a disk-shaped recording medium,
The recording unit is provided with a slit-shaped opening through which the recording medium can be inserted or removed in a direction parallel to the side surface of the main body unit,
Formed by notching the end of the opening in the recording part,
An image pickup apparatus, wherein at least one of one end and the other end of the opening is offset from a center of the opening in an insertion direction of the recording medium.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end of the opening is disposed above and the other end is disposed below the center of the opening.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the opening is provided on a back side of the main body and is formed in an arc shape protruding to the back side.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the opening is provided on a front side of the main body provided with the lens of the imaging unit, and is formed in an arc shape protruding toward the front side.   5. The switch according to claim 4, wherein at least one switch whose function is changed according to an operation mode of the apparatus is provided on a back side opposite to a front side provided with the opening in the recording unit. The imaging device described in 1.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end of the opening is disposed forward and the other end of the opening is disposed rearward with respect to the center of the opening.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the opening is provided on an upper surface side of the main body and is formed in an arc shape protruding toward the upper surface.   6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end and the other end of the opening are in a symmetrical position with respect to a central portion in the vertical direction of the opening.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening is formed asymmetrically with respect to a central portion of the opening in the vertical direction.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening is formed asymmetrically with respect to a central portion in the front-rear direction of the opening.   In the recording unit, the recording medium inserted through the opening is stored in the recording unit, and the recording medium stored in the recording unit at the time of taking out the recording medium is stored in the opening. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for projecting from the recording medium to a position where at least a maximum outer shape portion of the recording medium is exposed.   The display unit is movably provided in a storage position that covers switches provided on the back side of the main body and an open position in which the switches are exposed to be operable. Item 12. The imaging device according to any one of Items 1 to 11.

Images