JP2007324832A - Imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that, as the size and thickness of a digital camera is reduced while the size of a liquid crystal panel is increased, the area on the rear face of the digital camera dominated by the liquid crystal panel widens and an edge becomes very narrow which makes the user uncomfortable when holding the digital camera when taking photos. <P>SOLUTION: The digital camera is equipped with a gripper which can be stored in a side face of the digital camera. The gripper turns on an axis parallel to the optical axis. When taking photos, the gripper is drawn out which makes the user to hold the digital camera stably. In a stored state of the gripper, part of it overlaps the liquid crystal panel with respect to the axis direction. By arranging part of a circuit board on the inside of the gripper, components can be arranged in an overlapped manner in the optical axis direction inside the digital camera which improves the space use efficiency inside the digital camera. Due to this structure, even a large-size gripper can be stored inside the digital camera. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging device including an imaging unit and a display unit.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, imaging devices such as digital cameras that take a subject with an imaging unit such as a CCD and record and reproduce it have become widespread. The digital camera has been reduced in size and thickness, and portability has been improved.

  Digital cameras are equipped with a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel that plays back and displays captured images and functions as a viewfinder.

  However, on the other hand, the area of the liquid crystal panel occupying the back of the digital camera is expanded due to the downsizing, thinning and enlargement of the liquid crystal panel. Therefore, when the right hand part of the digital camera is gripped with the right hand at the time of shooting, a part of the right hand is applied to the display part of the liquid crystal panel, and visibility is deteriorated. In addition, the liquid crystal panel display unit may become dirty when touched by hands, or damage may be applied to the liquid crystal panel by applying external force to the surface.

Therefore, there is a conventional technique in which a rotatable grip is provided on the side surface of a digital camera (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-15072

  However, since the rotation range of the grip is limited to the side or back of the digital camera in the above-mentioned conventional example, the width or thickness direction of the digital camera is increased by the gripping portion even during non-shooting, and portability is impaired. It is.

  Accordingly, an object of the first and second inventions related to the present application is to provide a digital camera that is compact and excellent in portability during non-shooting while realizing stable holding by a large holding portion during shooting. .

  An object of the third invention is to provide a digital camera that can easily check the subject position when photographing a self-portrait.

  An object of the fourth invention is to provide a digital camera in which an unnecessary remote control light-receiving part is accommodated during non-photographing and the appearance quality is improved.

  An object of the fifth aspect of the invention is to provide a digital camera in which an unnecessary index portion is accommodated during non-photographing and appearance quality is improved.

  The present invention relates to an imaging device including a display unit and an imaging unit, the imaging device including a gripping portion that can be stored on a side surface, the gripping portion rotating around an axis parallel to the optical axis, and the gripping The part is characterized in that a part or the whole of the grip part overlaps with the display part in the optical axis direction in a state of being housed in the imaging apparatus.

  Another feature of the present invention is that a part or the whole of a circuit board or a battery is disposed inside the gripping portion in a state where the gripping portion is housed in the imaging apparatus. .

  Another feature of the present invention is that a mirror is provided on the object side of the grip portion.

  Another feature of the present invention is that a remote control light receiving unit is provided on the object side of the gripping unit.

  Another feature of the present invention is that the grip portion is provided with an index portion.

  As described above, according to the first invention relating to the present application, the gripping portion disposed on the side surface of the imaging device rotates around an axis parallel to the optical axis, so that the gripping portion is imaged during non-shooting. Since it can be stored in the apparatus and does not affect the outer shape of the imaging apparatus, the imaging apparatus can be downsized. At the time of shooting, the holding part of the imaging device is improved by taking out the grip portion from the imaging device. In addition, since a part or the whole of the gripping part is disposed so as to overlap the display part in the optical axis direction in the storage state, the gripping part can be enlarged without affecting the outer shape of the imaging apparatus during storage. This further improves the retention.

  In addition, according to the second invention, by arranging a part or the whole of the circuit board and the battery inside the gripping portion in the housed state, it is possible to configure the components in the imaging apparatus so as to overlap in the optical axis direction. Therefore, the space utilization efficiency inside the imaging device is improved, which contributes to the downsizing of the imaging device.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, when self-portrait shooting is performed by providing a mirror on the subject side of the grip portion, the subject position can be confirmed with the mirror on the subject side of the grip portion taken out. The position of the subject relative to the area can be confirmed. In addition, when not photographing, an unnecessary mirror can be housed in the image pickup apparatus together with the grip portion, so that the mirror that deteriorates the appearance quality can be hidden.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the remote control light receiving unit is provided on the subject side of the gripping part, and when performing remote control shooting, the remote control light receiving unit on the subject side of the gripping part that is taken out receives a signal from the remote control. be able to. Further, when a non-photographing operation is performed, an unnecessary remote control light receiving unit is housed in the image pickup apparatus together with the gripping unit, so that the remote control light receiving unit that deteriorates the appearance quality can be hidden.

  According to the fifth invention, the grip portion is provided with an index portion such as a light emitting diode, so that the grip portion is used at the take-out position during an operation requiring the index portion. Further, when the index part is unnecessary, the index part that deteriorates the appearance quality can be hidden by storing the grip part.

  Next, details of the present invention will be described in accordance with the description of the embodiments.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the digital camera 1 from obliquely rearward, and FIG. 2 is a plan view from the front of the digital camera.

  The digital camera 1 includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel 2 and a touch panel 3 on the back surface. In the present embodiment, due to the miniaturization and thinning of the digital camera 1 and the enlargement of the liquid crystal panel 2, the area of the liquid crystal panel 2 occupying the back of the digital camera 1 is wide and the frame portion is very narrow. The liquid crystal panel 2 displays a captured image in the playback mode, and displays a subject as a viewfinder in the shooting mode. The touch panel 3 detects a switch operation from the user and outputs a control signal to the control unit.

  The front surface of the digital camera 1 is provided with a taking lens, a lens barrel unit 4 and a strobe 5 for taking a subject into the digital camera 1. The subject image that has passed through the imaging lens is formed on the light receiving surface of the CCD, and electric charges are accumulated according to the light amount of the imaged subject. The imaging signal processing unit decomposes the analog signal output from the CCD into R, G, B components, performs white balance adjustment and gamma correction, and sequentially A / D converts R, G, B at the required timing. The obtained digital image data is output to the control unit. The strobe 5 emits light as auxiliary light when the amount of light of the subject is insufficient.

  A release button 6 and a power button 7 are provided on the top surface of the digital camera 1, and the release button 6 has a two-stage push-in structure of half-press and full-press. The AF and AE are locked when pressed halfway, and the captured image is captured when pressed fully. The power button 7 determines whether the digital camera 1 is turned on or off.

  The right side surface of the digital camera 1 is provided with a gripping portion 8 that can be stored, and the gripping portion 8 rotates around a shaft 8a that is parallel to the optical axis. The user can hold the digital camera 1 more stably by gripping the grip 8 taken out at the time of photographing with the right hand as compared with a camera without the grip. Visibility is good because a part of the right hand does not cover the display part of the liquid crystal panel 2. In addition, since the hand is not touched, the surface of the touch panel 3 is not soiled, or damage is not applied to the touch panel 3 or the liquid crystal panel 2 by applying an external force to the surface.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view from the back of the digital camera 1, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cross section 9 from the upper surface direction.

  A circuit board 10 on which the imaging signal processing unit, the control unit, and the like are mounted is built in the digital camera. In the housed state, a part of the grip portion 8 is arranged so as to overlap the liquid crystal panel 2 in the optical axis direction. In addition, by arranging a part of the circuit board 10 inside the grip 8, it is possible to configure the digital camera 1 so that components can be stacked in the optical axis direction. Improvements will make digital cameras more compact. As described above, the large gripping portion can be accommodated inside the digital camera, and the digital camera 1 can be stably held during photographing.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a mirror 11 is provided on the subject side of the grip portion 8, and when performing self-portrait photographing, the subject position can be confirmed with the mirror 11 on the subject side of the grip portion 8 taken out. Therefore, the position of the subject with respect to the imaging area can be confirmed. Further, when the non-photographing is not performed, the unnecessary mirror 11 is housed in the digital camera 1 together with the gripping portion 8 so that the mirror 11 that deteriorates the appearance quality can be hidden.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a remote control light receiving unit 12 is provided on the subject side of the gripping unit 8, and when remote control shooting is performed, a signal from the remote control is received by the remote control light receiving unit 12 on the subject side of the gripping unit 8 taken out. Can be received. Further, when the non-photographing operation is not performed, the unnecessary remote controller light receiving unit 12 is housed in the digital camera 1 together with the gripping unit 8 so that the remote controller light receiving unit 12 that deteriorates the appearance quality can be hidden.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a light-emitting diode 13 serving as an index portion is provided on the photographer side of the grip portion, and the grip portion 8 is used at the take-out position when an operation that requires the light-emitting diode is performed. Further, when the display of the light emitting diode 13 is not necessary, the light emitting diode 13 that deteriorates the appearance quality can be hidden by storing the grip portion 8.

Perspective view from behind the digital camera Top view from the front of the digital camera Top view from the back of the digital camera Sectional view from the top of the digital camera Schematic diagram of the mirror in the grip Schematic diagram of remote control light receiving part provided in gripping part Schematic diagram of the light-emitting diode provided in the grip

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Digital camera body 2 Liquid crystal panel 3 Touch panel 4 Lens barrel unit 5 Strobe 6 Release button 7 Power button 8 Gripping part 8a Gripping part shaft 9 Section 10 Circuit board 11 Mirror 12 Remote control light receiving part 13 Light emitting diode

Claims (5)

  In an imaging apparatus including a display unit and an imaging unit, the imaging device includes a grip part that can be stored on a side surface, the grip part rotates about an axis parallel to the optical axis, and the grip part is an imaging apparatus. An image pickup apparatus, wherein a part or the whole of the grip part overlaps with the display part in the optical axis direction in the storage state.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a part or the whole of a circuit board or a battery is disposed inside the gripping part in a state where the gripping part is housed in the imaging apparatus.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a mirror on a subject side of the grip portion.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a remote control light receiving unit on a subject side of the grip unit.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the grip unit includes an index unit.

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