JP2008205973A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problems that not only power consumption of a power source is early but it is difficult to hold a housing part at a stable state and it is likely to cause camera shake since a finder part of a general imaging apparatus is not provided from a reason why an attitude change of a display part is hindered, etc. and a subject image is displayed only on the display part in the conventional manner. <P>SOLUTION: This imaging apparatus 1 is provided with: an image pickup device 2 on which an image beam from a subject is made incident via a lens device 7; the housing part 3 to which the image pickup device 2 is attached; the finder part 4 by which the subject image whose light is received by the image pickup device 2 is visually recognized and provided so as to project backward of the housing part 3 at an upper part of the housing part 3; the display part 5 capable of displaying the subject image whose light is received by the image pickup device 2, arranged backward of the housing part 3 and downward of the finder part 4 and a hinge part 6 which supports the display part 5 so that an attitude is changed. Then, the hinge part 6 is arranged between the finder part 4 and the display part 5 and attached to the rear surface of the housing part 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus having a display unit capable of displaying image light incident on an image pickup device, and in particular, the display unit can be enlarged and the posture of the large display unit can be changed according to the posture at the time of shooting. The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus.

  As this type of conventional imaging apparatus, there is an apparatus described in Patent Document 1, for example. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 describes a viewfinder for an electronic camera that records a moving image or a still image signal obtained by an image sensor on a recording medium. The viewfinder of the electronic camera described in this patent document 1 “attached a rectangular plate-like display device to the back of the electronic camera body so as to be rotatable by a rotation shaft that is close to one side of the rectangle and parallel to the one side. ".

  According to the finder of the electronic camera having such a configuration, “the rotation angle can be changed with the vicinity of one side of the rectangular plate-shaped display device as a rotation axis. The effect such as “can be changed” is expected.

  Further, as another example of the conventional imaging apparatus of this type, there is one described in Patent Document 2, for example. Patent Document 2 describes a video camera device including a video display device for a monitor having a liquid crystal display panel (LCD) and a cathode ray tube (CRT). The video camera device described in Patent Document 2 is “a main body having an imaging lens arranged with the imaging direction as the front side and an imaging means for imaging an image formed by the imaging lens, and a display screen as a main body. Video display device disposed toward the rear side of the unit, and one end portion is rotatably supported by the upper edge on the back side of the main body, and the other end portion is rotatably supported by the video display device. And a display support mechanism that swingably supports the video display device with respect to the back side of the main body. The video display device has a display screen for displaying video on the display support mechanism. It is supported on the upper side and the lower side so as to be tiltable, and is supported so that a display screen for displaying an image is directed to the front side of the main body.

According to the video camera device having such a configuration, “the display screen of the video display device can be easily tilted upward and downward, and the display screen of the video display device can be It is expected to have an effect such as “it can be easily directed to”.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-100382 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-163191

  In general, in an electronic camera, a video camera device, or the like, a finder unit for visually recognizing a subject image is provided in a camera body. Usually, the finder part is arranged at a position deviated to the upper center of the camera body or one of the upper parts so that the user can visually recognize the image of the subject incident through the lens device by bringing his eyes close to each other. It has become. Therefore, the size of the image that can be visually recognized by the viewfinder is small.

  On the other hand, in recent years, electronic devices have also been digitized, and an image of a subject is stored in a storage device or displayed on a display panel using a digital signal. According to this display panel, the size of the image on the display surface can be made sufficiently larger than the image on the viewfinder, so that there is an advantage that a large and easy-to-view subject image can be obtained.

  However, when an image is displayed using the display panel, the battery (battery) is consumed quickly, so that it is not suitable for long-time shooting. In addition, since the image on the display panel is large, when shooting while looking at the display panel, the user grasps the camera body with his arms slightly extended, and pulls the screen slightly away from the eyes. For this reason, in photographing while visually recognizing the display panel, there is a problem that the side of the base of the arm opens, it is difficult to firmly hold the camera body, and camera shake tends to occur.

  On the other hand, according to the finder unit provided in the camera body, since the power consumption is less than that of the display panel, it is possible to save battery (battery) consumption and to be suitable for long-time shooting. . Further, in the photographing posture using the finder unit, the side of the camera body is naturally tightened when the camera body is held toward the subject in order to bring the eyes close to the finder unit, and the camera body can be gripped in a stable state. As a result, shooting through the viewfinder has advantages in that the occurrence of camera shake can be suppressed and a clear image without blurring can be obtained compared to shooting while viewing the image on the display panel.

  On the other hand, in the electronic camera described in Patent Document 1 and the video camera apparatus described in Patent Document 2, a general camera finder unit is used because it hinders the movement of the display device and the video display device. Are not provided, and the image of the subject is displayed only on the display device. As a result, since the subject is photographed only with the display device, not only the battery (battery) is consumed quickly, but also it is difficult to hold the imaging device body in a stable state, and camera shake is likely to occur. It was.

  The problem to be solved is that the image pickup apparatus as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 is provided with a finder section of a general image pickup apparatus for the reason of hindering a change in the posture of the display section. In addition, since the image of the subject was displayed only on the display unit, not only is the power consumption of the power source fast, but it is difficult to grip the housing unit in a stable state and camera shake is likely to occur. .

  The image pickup apparatus of the present invention can visually recognize an image pickup element on which image light from a subject is incident via a lens device, a casing unit to which the image pickup element is attached, and an image of the subject received by the image pickup element. A finder unit provided at the upper part of the housing unit so as to protrude to the rear of the housing unit, and an image of the subject received by the image sensor, the rear of the housing unit, and A display unit disposed below the finder unit, and a hinge unit that supports the display unit so that the posture of the display unit can be changed. And this hinge part is arrange | positioned between a finder part and a display part, and it is the main feature to be attached to the back surface of the said housing | casing part.

  According to the imaging apparatus of the present invention, by providing the display unit so that the posture can be changed while avoiding interference with the finder unit, the finder unit and the display unit can be used properly according to the user's preference. Therefore, when using the finder unit, the camera body can be stably held to suppress the occurrence of camera shake, and when using the display unit, shooting corresponding to posture changes such as low angle shooting and high angle shooting is performed. be able to.

  A hinge part that supports the display unit so that the posture can be changed is placed under the finder part that becomes a dead space formed on the back of the camera body and attached to the housing part, so that the finder part and the display part are used properly It is possible to perform shooting according to.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 27 show an example of an embodiment of an imaging apparatus of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the imaging apparatus according to the present invention as seen from the front, FIG. 2 is a perspective view as seen from the back, FIG. 3 is a rear view, FIG. 4 is a side view, and FIG. Is a perspective view showing a state in which the display unit is rotated approximately 90 degrees and directed upward, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the display unit is projected rearward, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a hinge portion, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a side view in which the display surface of the flat panel constituting the display unit faces upward, and FIG. 9 is a side view in which the display surface of the flat panel faces downward.

  10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a lens hood is attached to the imaging apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 11 is a plan view, FIG. 12 is a side view, FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the lens hood, and FIG. 15A is a side view of the lens hood, FIG. 15B is a sectional view taken along the line TT of FIG. 15A, FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the lens hood, and FIG. 17 is an explanation of the petal hood ring sectioned in the axial direction. FIG. 18A is an explanatory view in which the attachment ring is sectioned in the axial direction, FIG. 18B is an explanatory view showing an enlarged main part of the attachment ring, FIG. 19A is a front view showing the fixing ring, and FIG. 19B is a side view of the fixing ring. 20 is a sectional view taken along the line SS of FIG. 19B, FIG. 21A is an explanatory view showing the inner peripheral surface of the petal hood ring, FIG. 21B is an explanatory view showing the outer peripheral surface of the fixing ring inverted 180 degrees, and FIG. Fixed 21D is an explanatory view showing the outer peripheral surface of the attachment ring, FIG. 22A is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the Q portion of FIG. 15B except for the petal hood ring, and FIG. 22B is FIG. 15B. FIG. 23 is a sectional view taken along the line U-U of FIG. 15B, FIG. 24A is a perspective view showing a state before the petal hood ring is mounted, and FIG. 24B is a top view of the petal hood ring. It is a perspective view which shows the state before doing.

  FIGS. 25 to 28 illustrate a state in which the lens hood is attached to the imaging apparatus. FIG. 25 is a perspective view illustrating a state before the lens hood is attached. FIG. 26 illustrates the alignment of the fixing ring and the lens apparatus. FIG. 27 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the petal hood ring is attached, and FIG. 28 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the petal hood ring is turned over.

  First, a first embodiment of the imaging apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-4 is the digital still camera 1 applied as a 1st Example of an imaging device. The digital still camera 1 uses a semiconductor recording medium as an information recording medium. The digital still camera 1 can convert an optical image from a subject into an electrical signal by an imaging device (CCD, CMOS, etc.) 2. According to this digital still camera 1, image light from a subject can be received by an imaging device, and the image can be recorded on a semiconductor recording medium or displayed on a display device such as a liquid crystal display.

  The digital still camera 1 includes an image sensor 2 into which image light of a subject is incident via a lens device 7, an outer case 3 showing an embodiment of the casing of the present invention to which the image sensor 2 is attached, A finder part 4 provided on the upper part of the outer case 3, a display part 5 capable of displaying an image of a subject incident on the image sensor 2, a hinge part 6 that supports the display part 5 so that the posture can be changed, and the like. It is prepared for.

  The exterior case 3 is configured as a hollow housing. Although not shown, an internal space of the outer case 3 stores a wiring board on which various electronic components are mounted, a battery power source, a storage device, and various other electronic components, mechanical components, devices, and the like. On the left side of the first main surface, which is the front surface of the outer case 3, a lens device 7 is provided with the imaging lens 7a of the lens system exposed on the front surface. The lens device 7 is configured by a combination of a plurality of lens components. An imaging element 2 is attached to the rear of the lens device 7 in the exterior case 3. The image sensor 2 can convert the incident image light of an object into an electrical signal and output it as a digital signal. Information relating to the subject is displayed as an image of the subject by the display unit 5 by the video signal output by the digital signal, or stored in a built-in storage device or an external external storage device.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a grip portion 3 a for gripping the exterior case 3 is provided on the right side of the front surface of the exterior case 3. The grip part 3a is projected to the front side, and has a shape that can be easily gripped with one hand. A shutter button 8 for photographing a subject is arranged on the upper surface of the grip portion 3a. A mode selection dial 9 is disposed on the upper surface of the outer case 3 behind the shutter button 8. The mode selection dial 9 is formed in a ring shape and is rotatably attached. The mode selection dial 9 is a rotary switch that selects a desired mode from among a number of camera functions assigned to the digital still camera 1. Examples of the function selected by the mode selection dial 9 include a mode for taking a still image, a mode for taking a moving image, and the like.

  On the left side of the mode selection dial 9 and on the upper surface of the outer case 3, a power button 11 and a microphone hole 12 for turning the power on and off are provided. Inside the microphone hole 12, a microphone that does not appear in the figure is built in, so that sound can be recorded.

  An external output terminal portion 13 to which a USB connector or the like is connected is provided on the upper portion of the right side surface portion of the outer case 3. On the left side surface portion of the outer case 3, a night shot changeover switch 14 that enables photographing in a dark place is disposed. Strap attachment portions 16 for attaching shoulder straps (not shown) are provided on both side portions of the exterior case. The shoulder strap allows the digital still camera 1 to be carried down from the user's shoulder.

  A flash storage portion 17 and a finder portion 4 are provided on the upper portion of the outer case 3. The flash storage portion 17 is provided on the opposite side to the grip portion 3a. A flash device (not shown) is stored in the flash storage unit 17 so as to be movable up and down. A finder unit 4 is provided behind the flash storage unit 17 so as to protrude rearward of the outer case 3.

  The finder unit 4 is a so-called electronic view finder. The finder unit 4 includes an eyepiece 4a that allows the user to approach the eyes, an opening window 4b provided inside the eyepiece 4a, a display body (not shown) disposed behind the opening window 4b, and the like. Configured. The eyepiece 4 a protrudes rearward from the second main surface that is the back surface of the exterior case 3. An opening window 4b is opened in the eyepiece 4a, and a display body faces the opening window 4b. An image of the subject is displayed on the display body based on the video signal output from the image sensor 2. As a result, the user can visually recognize the image of the subject displayed on the display body.

  In the present embodiment, the finder unit 4 has been described as an electronic viewfinder. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the user can visually recognize an image of a subject incident on the image sensor 2 with his eyes close to each other. If it is. For example, the finder unit may be an optical viewfinder that refracts image light from a subject incident on the image sensor 2 by a pentaprism or the like, or reflects the image light by a half mirror and projects it. In addition, the image pickup device is a type of image pickup device that separates image light from a subject incident on the image pickup device 2 and projects the image light on a finder image pickup device separately from the image pickup device 2 disposed behind the lens device 7. May be.

  As shown in FIG. 3, various operation switches are provided on the back surface of the outer case 3. A zoom button 21 for performing a zoom operation and a screen display button 22 for performing screen display are arranged at the upper part of the back surface of the outer case 3. Below the zoom button 21, a menu button 23 for selecting various menus, a direction key 24 for moving a cursor for selecting a menu, a screen button 25 for switching a screen size and deleting a screen, and the like are at appropriate positions. Is arranged.

  As shown in FIG. 4, below the finder portion 4 on the back surface of the exterior case 3, an arm piece storage portion 26 that stores an arm member 36 that constitutes a part of the hinge portion 6 described later is provided. The arm piece storage portion 26 is formed as a concave portion recessed in a substantially rectangular shape with a predetermined depth so that the second arm piece 36b of the arm member 36 can be stored.

  Further, the display unit 5 is disposed on the back surface of the exterior case 3 so as to cover most of the back surface including the arm piece storage unit 26. The display unit 5 is formed of a thin and substantially rectangular parallelepiped plate-like body, and includes a flat panel 5a formed of a flat liquid crystal display and the like, and a thin and substantially rectangular parallelepiped panel case 5b in which the flat panel 5a is accommodated. Configured.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a part of the lower part on the back side of the panel case 5b is notched, and an engagement claw that does not appear in the drawings is provided in the notch 5d. This engaging claw is engaged with an engaging convex portion 42 provided at the lower end of the back surface of the outer case 3 in a state where the hinge portion 6 is stored in the arm piece storage portion 26. The panel case 5b is provided with a rectangular opening 5c for exposing the flat panel 5a. A flat panel 5a and its backlight are housed inside the opening 5c. The flat panel 5a has a size corresponding to the opening 5c. The flat panel 5a displays an image by receiving light from the backlight based on the video signal output from the image sensor 2.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the display unit 5, when the arm member 36 is stored in the arm piece storage unit 26, the flat panel 5 a of the display unit 5 and the eyepiece 4 a of the finder unit 4 are substantially in the same plane. It is configured as follows. Therefore, even when the user visually recognizes the image of the subject in the vicinity of the eyepiece 4a of the finder unit 4b, the user can approach the eyepiece 4a without being obstructed. As a result, the entire digital still camera 1 can be reduced in size without increasing the size of the display unit 5.

  The display unit 5 is supported by the hinge unit 6 so that the posture can be changed. The hinge portion 6 is disposed between the finder portion 4 and the display portion 5 in the upper part of the back surface of the exterior case 3. As shown in FIG. 7 and the like, the hinge portion 6 includes a first hinge body 31 attached to the exterior case 3, a second hinge body 32 attached to the display portion 5, a first hinge body 31 and a first hinge body 31. The arm member 36 etc. which connect the 2 hinge bodies 32 so that rotation is possible are comprised.

  The first hinge body 31 includes a pair of first bearing pieces 31a and 31a provided so as to face each other at a predetermined interval and substantially parallel to each other, and the two first bearing pieces 31a and 31a. It has a connecting piece 31b for connecting the upper ends, and fixed pieces 31d and 31d which are bent substantially vertically and continuously at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the pair of first bearing pieces 31a and 31a.

  The other end of the pair of first bearing pieces 31a, 31a opposite to the fixing piece 31d in the longitudinal direction has a substantially semicircular shape, and is provided with stopper pieces 31c, 31c, respectively. Each stopper piece 31c is formed by being continuously bent substantially vertically from a predetermined position on the outer periphery of the first bearing piece 31a. A bearing hole through which a main body side hinge shaft 33 showing a specific example of the hinge shaft of the present invention is rotatably inserted is provided at the longitudinal end side of the two first bearing pieces 31a, 31a. . Further, each fixing piece 31 d of the first hinge body 31 is provided with a fastening hole 31 e for fixing the first hinge body 31 to the exterior case 3.

  The second hinge body 32 is configured as a substantially rectangular plate and has the same size as the flat panel 5a. The second hinge body 32 is fixed to the panel case 5b on the back surface of the flat panel 5a. The second hinge body 32 has a substantially rectangular plane portion 32a and four side wall portions 32b, 32b, and 32b that are continuous with the four sides around the plane portion 32a so as to be substantially perpendicular to the plane portion 32a. , 32b. The flat portion 32a of the second hinge body 32 is provided with a pair of second bearing pieces 35, 35 and a plurality of fixing portions 32c for fixing to the panel case 5b.

  The second hinge body 32 constitutes one hinge portion of the hinge mechanism and also serves as a support frame for the display portion 5. Thus, by integrating the second hinge body 32 and the support frame, and fulfilling the function of the support frame with the second hinge body 32, the rigidity of the display unit 5 can be increased. To reduce costs.

  Further, the pair of second bearing pieces 35, 35 are arranged at positions shifted from approximately the center of the plane portion 32 a to one side corresponding to the amount of deviation of the finder portion 4 with respect to the back surface of the exterior case 3. . The pair of second bearing pieces 35, 35 are erected so as to be substantially perpendicular to the flat surface portion 32 a with a predetermined interval therebetween. Each second bearing piece 35 is provided with a bearing hole 35a through which the display portion side hinge shafts 39, 39 are rotatably inserted. Further, in this embodiment, the fixing portions 32c are provided at three predetermined positions by cutting and raising a part of the flat portion 32a.

  An arm member 36 is attached between the first hinge body 31 and the second hinge body 32 so that the posture can be changed. The arm member 36 is substantially L-shaped by a first arm piece 36a that protrudes in the first direction and a second arm piece 36b that protrudes in a direction that makes approximately 90 degrees with the first direction. . In this embodiment, each of the first arm piece 36a and the second arm piece 36b has two facing pieces provided to face each other with an appropriate interval in the width direction. Further, the second arm piece 36b is integrally formed by being connected by a connecting piece 36c on the side opposite to the side from which the first arm piece 36a protrudes.

  The distal ends of the pair of first arm pieces 36a, 36a have a substantially semicircular shape, and a first insertion hole is provided at the approximate center of the semicircular shape. The distal ends of the pair of second arm pieces 36b, 36b are also substantially semicircular, and a second insertion hole is provided at the approximate center of the semicircular shape. When the arm member 36 is assembled, the pair of first arm pieces 36a, 36a are interposed between the pair of first bearing pieces 31a, 31a of the first hinge body 31, and the pair of second arm pieces 36b, 36b. Is interposed between a pair of second bearing pieces 35, 35 of the second hinge body 32. At this time, the pair of first insertion holes provided in the pair of first arm pieces 36a, 36a are opposed to the bearing holes provided in the pair of first bearing pieces 31a, 31a, respectively. The pair of second insertion holes provided in the pair of second arm pieces 36b and 36b are opposed to the bearing holes provided in the pair of second bearing pieces 35 and 35, respectively.

  A pair of body-side hinge shafts 33, 33 showing a first specific example of the hinge shaft of the present invention are rotatably inserted into the first insertion hole and the first bearing hole, which are opposed to each other as described above. Is done. Similarly, a pair of display-side hinge shafts 39, 39 showing a second specific example of the hinge shaft according to the present invention are rotatable in a second fitting hole and a second bearing hole, which are installed opposite to each other. Inserted. The first arm piece 36a of the arm member 36 is set to have substantially the same length as the first bearing piece 31a of the first hinge body 31, and these lengths, that is, the second arm piece. The amount of protrusion of the first arm piece 36 a that protrudes laterally from 36 b is the thickness of the display unit 5. Therefore, the display unit 5 can be accommodated within a height similar to the height of the first arm piece 36a.

  In this embodiment, the height of the first hinge body 31 fixed to the exterior case 3, the back surface of the eyepiece 4 a in the finder portion 4 provided integrally with the exterior case 3, and the first hinge 6 The back surface of the display unit 5 in a state where the second arm piece 36b is stored in the arm piece storage unit 26 is set to have substantially the same height. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 12, in the state where the second arm piece 36 b is housed in the arm piece housing section 26, the back surface of the eyepiece 4 a of the finder section 4 and the display section 5. The back surface of each of the two is substantially flush.

  The pair of body-side hinge shafts 33, 33 are the same having the same shape and size, and have a shaft portion with a circular cross section and a flange portion provided at one end in the axial direction of the shaft portion. . At the tip of the shaft portion of the main body side hinge shaft 33, a two-surface width portion is provided by cutting out two surfaces in parallel. The shaft portion of the main body side hinge shaft 33 is inserted into the first insertion hole of the first bearing piece 31a and the first bearing hole of the first arm piece 36a in common. One end of the first hinge body 31 (the pair of first bearing pieces 31a, 31a) and the arm member 36 (the pair of first arm pieces 36a, 36a) is connected via the pair of body-side hinge shafts 33, 33. It is connected so that it can rotate.

  Furthermore, a stopper member 38 is fitted and fixed by caulking to the two-surface width portion provided at the tip of the shaft portion of the main body side hinge shaft 33. Thereby, the stopper member 38 is integrated with the main body side hinge shaft 33. The main body side hinge shaft 33 is fixed to the first arm piece 36a by fixing means such as welding. Thereby, a pair of 1st arm pieces 36a and 36a can be relatively rotated with respect to a pair of 1st bearing pieces 31a and 31a via a pair of main body side hinge shafts 33 and 33. As shown in FIG.

  And the disc spring 37 which shows an example of the elastic body of this invention is each mounted | worn with the axial part of each main body side hinge axis | shaft 33. As shown in FIG. Each disc spring 37 is interposed between the first bearing piece 31a and the first arm piece 36a, respectively. A frictional force of an appropriate magnitude is generated between the first bearing piece 31 a and the first arm piece 36 a by the spring force of the disc spring 37, and the arm member 36 is arbitrarily attached to the first hinge body 31. The posture (angle) is held and fixed. The arm member 36 is relatively rotated by applying a force large enough to overcome the frictional force to change the posture of the arm member 36 relative to the first hinge body 31 to an arbitrary angle. can do.

  Further, the pair of display portion side hinge shafts 39, 39 have the same shape and size as the main body side hinge shaft 33, and have a shaft portion having a circular cross section and one end of the shaft portion in the axial direction. It has a provided flange. The shaft portion of the display portion side hinge shaft 39 is inserted in common into the second fitting hole 35a of the second bearing piece 35 and the second bearing hole of the second arm piece 36b. In addition to the second hinge body 32 (a pair of second bearing pieces 35, 35) and the arm member 36 (a pair of second arm pieces 36b, 36b) through the pair of display unit side hinge shafts 39, 39. Ends are pivotally connected. As a result, the second hinge body 32 can be rotated and displaced 180 degrees (turning motion) with respect to the arm member 36.

  And the disc spring 37 is similarly mounted | worn by the axial part of each display part side hinge axis | shaft 39, respectively. Each disc spring 37 is interposed between the second bearing piece 35 and the second arm piece 36b, respectively. A friction force having an appropriate magnitude is generated between the second bearing piece 35 and the second arm piece 36 b by the spring force of the disc spring 37, and the arm member 36 is arbitrarily attached to the second hinge body 32. The posture (angle) is held and fixed. The arm member 36 is relatively rotated by applying a force large enough to overcome the friction force to change the posture of the arm member 36 relative to the second hinge body 32 to an arbitrary angle. can do.

  Each stopper member 38 is provided with a rotation angle restricting groove 38b for restricting the amount of rotational displacement (the amount of turning motion) of the arm member 36 with respect to the first hinge body 31. The rotation angle restricting groove 38b is formed by an arc-shaped cutout portion that is cut out in an arc shape around the first bearing hole. Stopper pieces 31c provided on the first bearing pieces 31a are engaged with the rotation angle regulating grooves 38b, respectively. The amount of rotation of the stopper piece 31c by the rotation angle regulating groove 38b is set to approximately 90 degrees in this embodiment.

  That is, the arm member 36 is configured to be able to be rotated and displaced by about 90 degrees with respect to the first hinge body 31. The second hinge body 32 is configured to be able to rotate and displace approximately 180 degrees with respect to the arm member 36. Thereby, the display unit 5 provided integrally with the second hinge body 32 is in the display unit storage state close to the back surface of the exterior case 3 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, and only the arm member 36 from this state. Can be arbitrarily set between the protruding state of the arm part rotated 90 degrees and the display part rotating state in which the display part 5 can be rotated 180 degrees from that state. The stopper piece 31c and the rotation angle restricting groove 38b constitute a specific example of the attitude control unit according to the present invention.

  In this embodiment, both the pair of stopper members 38, 38 are provided with rotation angle restricting grooves 38b, 38b, and the pair of first bearing pieces 31a, 31a are provided with stopper pieces 31c, 31c. Although the example which comprised 2 sets of mechanisms was demonstrated, it is not limited to this. For example, the stopper piece 31c may be provided in one of the pair of first bearing pieces 31a and 31a, and may not be provided in the other first bearing piece 31a. In this case, the rotation angle restricting groove 38b is provided only in the stopper member 38 corresponding to the first bearing piece 31a provided with the stopper piece 31c among the pair of stopper members 38, 38.

  As shown in FIG. 4 etc., the hinge part 6 is attached to the exterior case 3 by fixing the 1st hinge body 31 using fixing means, such as screwing. The attachment of the hinge 6 is performed by fixing the first hinge body 31 at a position immediately below the finder 4 in contact with each other using the dead space below the finder 4. Thus, by arranging the first hinge body 31 of the hinge portion 6 in the dead space below the finder portion 4, the space on the back surface of the outer case 3 can be used without waste. Moreover, a large display unit 5 can be provided, and a larger and easier-to-see display device can be configured.

  The hinge part 6 having such a configuration can be assembled as follows, for example. First, the first hinge body 31 and the arm member 36 are rotatably connected using a pair of main body side hinge shafts 33, 33, and then the second hinge portion 39, 39 is used to form a second portion. The hinge body 32 and the arm member 36 are rotatably connected. This assembly order may be reversed. First, the pair of first arm pieces 36a, 36a of the arm member 36 are interposed between the pair of first bearing pieces 31a, 31a of the first hinge body 31, and the first bearing hole and the first fitting are inserted. Match each hole. At this time, the disc spring 37 is interposed between the first bearing piece 31a and the first arm piece 36a.

  Next, from the inside of the pair of first arm pieces 36a, 36a, the shaft portion of the main body side hinge shaft 33 is passed through the first bearing hole and the first fitting hole. And after fitting the stopper member 38 to the protrusion part of each axial part, the front-end | tip of an axial part is crimped. As a result, the first hinge body 31 and one end of the arm member 36 are rotatably connected via the main body side hinge shaft 33 and the disc spring 37.

  Next, the pair of second arm pieces 36b, 36b of the arm member 36 are interposed between the pair of second bearing pieces 35, 35 of the second hinge body 32, and the second bearing hole and the second Match each fitting hole. At this time, the disc spring 37 is interposed between the second bearing piece 35 and the second arm piece 36b. Next, the shaft portion of the display portion side hinge shaft 39 is passed through the second bearing hole and the second fitting hole from the inside of the pair of second arm pieces 36b, 36b. And the front-end | tip of each axial part is crimped. Thus, the second hinge body 32 and the other end of the arm member 36 are rotatably connected via the display unit side hinge shaft 39 and the disc spring 37. Thereby, the assembly of the hinge part 6 is completed.

  The hinge part 6 assembled in this way is attached immediately below the finder part 4 on the back surface of the exterior case 3. In this case, the hinge portion 6 is fixed to the back surface of the outer case 3 by screwing or the like using the fastening holes 31e and 31e provided in the pair of fixing pieces 31d and 31d of the first hinge body 31. At this time, the second arm piece 36 b of the hinge portion 6 is stored in the arm piece storage portion 26. In this state, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the back surface of the display unit 5 comes into contact with the back surface of the exterior case 3, and the display surface of the display unit 5 faces rearward. The display surface of the display unit 5 is arranged on substantially the same plane as the surface of the eyepiece 4 a of the finder unit 4.

  In the digital still camera 1 provided with the display unit 5 supported by the hinge unit 6, a general finder shooting for viewing the finder unit 4 and viewing an image of the subject on the display surface, and the display unit 5. Both of the panel photographings for photographing by looking at the image of the subject on the flat panel 5a can be freely selected and photographed.

  At this time, in the case of finder shooting, the user brings his / her eyes close to the finder unit 4 while holding the outer case 3 with both hands. The arm is pressed to the side, so that the so-called side is tightened. Therefore, the digital still camera 1 can be securely held, and so-called camera shake can be prevented or effectively suppressed. Further, in the case of panel photography, it is possible to shoot by looking at an image of a large subject on the flat panel 5a, so that the subject can be seen on a large screen, and the subject can be easily recognized and detailed. It is also possible to perform confirmation and so on.

  Next, the attitude change of the display unit 5 in the digital still camera 1 will be described. In this posture change, first, the arm member 36 is rotated 90 degrees upward, and the posture can be changed so that the display surface of the flat panel 5a of the display unit 5 faces upward. This posture change state is shown in FIGS. In this posture, the display unit 5 is directed upward with the first rotation unit connecting the first hinge body 31 of the hinge unit 6 and one end of the arm member 36 with the main body side hinge shaft 33 as the rotation center. This is done by raising it 90 degrees. At this time, when the arm member 36 is rotated by approximately 90 degrees, the stopper member 38 integrated with the main body side hinge shaft 33 is similarly rotated, and one end of the rotation angle regulating groove 38b provided in the stopper member 38 is the first end. It abuts on a stopper piece 31 c provided on the first bearing piece 31 a of the hinge body 31. Accordingly, the upward rotation of the arm member 36 is restricted, and the display unit 5 is held in a substantially horizontal state by the spring force of the disc spring 37.

  In this case, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the flat panel 5 a that is the display surface of the display unit 5 faces upward. At this time, the arm member 36 is formed in an L-shape, and the flat panel 5 a of the display unit 5 placed on the second arm piece 36 b of the arm member 36 is the eyepiece of the finder unit 4. It will be located before 4a. Therefore, the display surface of the flat panel 5a is not blocked by the finder unit 4, and the entire surface can be observed from above. Such a posture is suitable for low-angle shooting, and for example, shooting in line with the eyes of a child is possible.

  Next, by rotating the display unit 5 from the state shown in FIG. 8 by approximately 90 degrees so as to return in the reverse direction, the posture shown in FIG. 6 can be taken. This posture is such that the display unit 5 is centered on the second rotation unit that connects the second hinge body 32 of the hinge unit 6 and the other end of the arm member 36 with the display unit side hinge shaft 39. This is performed by turning 90 degrees backward. At this time, when the display unit 5 is rotated by approximately 90 degrees, the flat panel 5 a is held in a substantially vertical state by the spring force of the disc spring 37. In this case, in a state where the digital still camera 1 is separated from the body to some extent, it is possible to perform photographing while looking at the flat panel 5a so as to look into the viewfinder.

  Next, by further rotating the display unit 5 approximately 90 degrees in the same direction, the posture shown in FIG. 9 can be taken. This posture is executed by rotating the display unit 5 further 90 degrees downward with the second rotation unit as the rotation center. At this time, when the display unit 5 is rotated by approximately 90 degrees, the flat panel 5 a is held downward and in a substantially horizontal state by the spring force of the disc spring 37. In this case, the digital still camera 1 can be lifted upward and the flat panel 5a can be observed from below. Such a posture is suitable for high-angle shooting, and is convenient when, for example, photographing a child over the head of a surrounding audience in an athletic meet in an elementary school.

  In this way, the posture of the display unit 5 is changed. Since the hinge unit 6 serving as a rotation center for changing the posture is arranged immediately below the finder unit 4 of the exterior case 3, the following configuration is adopted. Can produce various effects. That is, by disposing the hinge portion 6 in the dead space immediately below the finder portion 4 of the exterior case 3, the posture of the display portion 5 can be changed while making the display surface of the flat panel as large as possible. be able to. In addition, the hinge portion 6 can be fixed to the main frame of the outer case 3, thereby improving the rigidity of the support structure of the display portion 5 and reducing the cost by reducing the number of parts.

  Moreover, the display part 5 can be accommodated inside the projection part such as the finder part 4 protruding outward from the surface of the outer case 3. Therefore, it can suppress that the outermost line of the exterior case 3 becomes large. Furthermore, when the user's eyes are photographed close to the eyepiece 4a of the finder unit 4, the display unit 5 and the hinge unit 6 do not interfere with the photographing. In addition, it is possible to arbitrarily select and use the finder photographing using the finder unit and the panel photographing using the flat panel, and the degree of freedom of the photographing form can be increased.

  Next, referring to FIG. 10 to FIG. 28, an embodiment in which a lens hood for blocking harmful light is attached to the imaging apparatus of the present invention in order to block harmful light incident from other than the angle of view of the lens will be described. explain. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the lens hood 100 is detachably attached to the distal end portion of the lens device 7 in the digital still camera 1 shown as the first embodiment of the imaging device of the present invention. .

  As shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 and the like, the lens hood 100 has a cylindrical shape having a petal shape on the distal end side close to the subject, and has a truncated cone shape on the proximal end side close to the lens device 7. That is, the lens hood 100 includes a petal hood ring 101 having a petal shape at one end on the subject side, an attachment ring 103 fixed to the lens device 7, and a petal hood ring 101 detachably attached to the attachment ring 103. And a fixing ring 102 that is fastened and fixed to the attachment ring 103.

  As shown in FIGS. 15 to 17 and 21A, the petal hood ring 101 has a cylindrical shape having a petal part piece 111 at the tip. The petal piece 111 is formed by providing arc-shaped notches at four locations in the circumferential direction on one end surface of the cylindrical body. The four arc-shaped cutouts are formed at positions slightly displaced in the circumferential direction corresponding to the shape of the light receiving surface of the image sensor being a horizontally long rectangle. Thereby, two pieces facing one side in the diametrical direction constitute a pair of first petal part pieces 111a, 111a, and two pieces facing in a direction orthogonal to the pair are a pair of second petal part pieces 111b. , 111b. That is, the pair of first petal part pieces 111a and 111a are formed as arc-shaped protrusions larger than the pair of second petal part pieces 111b and 111b. In use, the lens hood 100 is usually attached to the lens device 7 with the pair of first petal pieces 111a and 111a having large petals facing in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIG. 21A, a first bayonet portion 112, a second bayonet portion 117, and a first ridge are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the proximal end portion located on the opposite side of the distal end portion of the petal hood ring 101. The part 115 and the 2nd protruding item | line part 116 are provided. The 1st bayonet part 112 and the 2nd bayonet part 117 are formed so that it may make point object centering on the center point O between the 1st protruding item | line part 115 and the 2nd protruding item | line part 116 which are mentioned later. Yes.

  The 1st bayonet part 112 is provided in the end surface of a base end part. In this embodiment, the first bayonet portion 112 includes three first bayonet claws 112a and second bayonet claws 112b provided at equiangular intervals along the circumferential direction on the inner circumferential surface of the petal hood ring 101. And a third bayonet claw 112c. The circumferential length of the first bayonet claw 112a is set longer than the second bayonet claw 112b and the third bayonet claw 112c. And the length of the circumferential direction of the 2nd bayonet nail | claw 112b is set longer than the 3rd bayonet nail | claw 112c.

  The three bayonet claws 112a, 112b, and 112c each have a substantially hemispherical hook portion 113 at one end in the circumferential direction. Each of the first bayonet claws 112a and the second bayonet claws 112b has a stopper piece 114 at the other end in the circumferential direction. The stopper pieces 114, 114 extend from the other ends of the first and second bayonet claws 112a, 112b toward the distal end side in the axial direction, and are continuous with the first ridge 115, respectively.

  A first opening 122a is provided between the first bayonet claw 112a and the third bayonet claw 112c. Similarly, a second opening 122b is provided between the first bayonet claw 112a and the second bayonet claw 112b, and a third opening is provided between the second bayonet claw 112b and the third bayonet claw 112c. 122c is provided. The circumferential length of the third opening 112c is set to be longer than that of the first and second openings 122a and 122b. The circumferential length of the first opening 122a is set longer than that of the second opening 122b.

  Further, a second bayonet portion 117 is provided at a predetermined interval from the first bayonet portion 112 toward the distal end portion side. Similar to the first bayonet portion 112, the second bayonet portion 117 has three first bayonet claws 117a, second bayonet claws 117b, and third bayonet claws 117c provided at equal angular intervals along the direction. ing. The circumferential length of the first bayonet claw 117a is set longer than the second bayonet claw 117b and the third bayonet claw 117c. The circumferential length of the second bayonet claw 117b is set longer than that of the third bayonet claw 117c.

  The three bayonet claws 117a, 117b, and 117c each have a substantially hemispherical hook portion 113 at one end opposite to the hook portion 113 provided in the first bayonet portion 112. The first bayonet claw 117a and the second bayonet claw 117b each have a stopper piece 118 at the other end in the circumferential direction. The stopper pieces 118, 118 extend from the other ends of the first and second bayonet claws 117 a, 117 b toward the axial base end side and are continuous with the first ridges 116, respectively.

  A first opening 123a is provided between the first bayonet claw 117a and the third bayonet claw 117c. Similarly, a second opening 123b is provided between the first bayonet claw 117a and the second bayonet claw 117b, and a third opening is provided between the second bayonet claw 117b and the third bayonet claw 117c. 123c is provided. The circumferential length of the third opening 117c is set to be longer than that of the first and second openings 123a and 123b. The length in the circumferential direction of the first opening 123a is set longer than that of the second opening 123b.

  Moreover, between the 1st bayonet part 112 and the 2nd bayonet part 117, the 1st protruding item | line part 115 and the 2nd protruding item | line part 116 are arrange | positioned at equal intervals. The 1st protruding item | line part 115 is arrange | positioned at the 1st bayonet part 112 side, and the 2nd protruding item | line part 116 is arrange | positioned at the 2nd bayonet part 117 side.

  The first ridge 115 is a ring-shaped protrusion provided continuously in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the petal hood ring 101. This 1st protruding item | line part 115 has the three protrusion pieces 119,119,119 at equiangular intervals. The three protruding pieces 119, 119, and 119 are formed so as to continuously protrude from the first projecting strip portion 115 in the direction of the second projecting strip portion 116. Similar to the first ridge 115, the second ridge 116 is a ring-shaped ridge provided continuously in the circumferential direction on the inner peripheral surface of the petal hood ring 101. This 2nd protruding item | line part 116 has the three protrusion pieces 120,120,120 at equiangular intervals. The three projecting pieces 120, 120, 120 are formed so as to continuously protrude from the first ridge 116 in the direction of the first ridge 115. The protrusions 119, 119, 119 of the first ridge 115 and the protrusions 120, 120, 120 of the second ridge 116 are alternately arranged in a staggered manner, and an angular displacement of 60 degrees is set in the circumferential direction. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 15A and 16, etc., a hood side mark 121 made of, for example, a convex portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the base end portion of the petal hood ring 101. The hood side mark 121 is a mark for adjusting the mounting angle position of the petal hood ring 101. The hood side mark 121 is aligned with a ring side mark 132 and a lens side mark 41, which will be described later, and the petal hood ring 101 is bayonet-coupled to the fixing ring 103, so that the petal piece 111 has a predetermined (regular) angular position. (The first petal part pieces 111a and 111a are provided in the vertical direction and the second petal part pieces 111b and 111b are provided in the horizontal direction). Therefore, the place where the hood side mark 121 is arranged includes the number of claws of the bayonet portions 112 and 117, the number of bayonet receiving portions 128 described later, the rotation angle of the petal hood ring 101 when the bayonet is engaged, and the lens side mark. It is determined according to 41 locations.

  As shown in FIG. 15, FIG. 16, FIG. 18, FIG. 21D, etc., in this embodiment, the attachment ring 103 has a cylindrical tip at the tip and a truncated cone at the base end. The attachment ring 103 includes a screw part 103a provided on the small diameter side of the truncated cone part, an annular rib part 103b provided on the inner side of the screw part 103a, and a flange part 103c provided on the opposite side to the screw part 103a of the cylindrical part. Etc. The screw portion 103a is for attaching the attachment ring 103 to the lens device 7 of the digital still camera 1, and is detachably connected to a screw portion provided at the tip of the lens device.

  A lens cap (not shown) is detachably attached to the two annular rib portions 103 b and 103 b provided on the inner peripheral surface of the base end portion of the attachment ring 103. With the annular rib portion 103b, the lens cap can be attached even when the attachment ring 103 is mounted on the lens device. Further, as shown in FIG. 18B and the like, the flange portion 103c provided on the distal end side of the attachment ring 103 is formed so as to project in a hook shape toward the outside in the radial direction.

  Furthermore, a tooth profile ring portion 126, a first groove 125, and a second groove 127 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the attachment ring 103. The tooth-shaped ring part 126 is arranged at a predetermined interval from the flange part 103c toward the base end part side. The tooth-shaped ring portion 126 is continuously provided on the outer peripheral surface of the attachment ring 103 at a constant interval in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the tooth ring portion 126 is formed as a flat knurled.

  A first groove 125 is provided between the tooth profile ring portion 126 and the flange portion 103 c of the attachment ring 103. The first groove 125 is a recess that is continuously recessed in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the attachment ring 103. Both corners of the first groove 125 are continuously chamfered in the circumferential direction. Further, a second groove 127 is provided at a predetermined interval from the tooth profile ring portion 126 toward the end portion side. The second groove 127 is a recess that is continuously recessed in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the attachment ring 103. The width of the bottom of the second groove 127 is set longer than the width of the bottom of the first groove 125.

  As shown in FIGS. 15B, 16, 19, 20, 21 B and 21 c, the fixing ring 102 is formed in a ring shape. The fixing ring 102 includes an alignment portion 102a, a fastening portion 102b, a step surface portion 102c, and the like. The alignment portion 102 a is located on the distal end side of the fixing ring 102. The alignment portion 102a has a substantially truncated cone shape at the distal end portion and a cylindrical shape at the proximal end portion. A fastening portion 102b is continuous with the proximal end of the alignment portion 102a, and a ring-shaped stepped surface portion 102c is formed between the fastening portion 102b and the alignment portion 102a. Is formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 and 19 and the like, a knurled portion 131 for preventing slip is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the alignment portion 102a. The anti-slip knurled portion 131 is continuously provided with a certain interval in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the anti-slip knurled portion 131 is formed as a flat knurled portion. The knurled portion 131 can prevent or suppress hand slip when the user rotates the fixing ring 102 and can easily rotate the fixing ring 102.

  Further, a ring side mark 132 is provided on the tip portion of the alignment portion 102a and the anti-slip knurl portion 131. In this embodiment, the ring side marks 132 are provided at two positions at the same angular position in the circumferential direction, one is formed as a circular protrusion, and the other is formed as a linear protrusion. The ring side mark 132 is a mark for adjusting the angle of the attachment position of the petal hood ring 101 with respect to the fixing ring 102 and the lens device 7.

  As shown in FIGS. 19A, 19B, and 21B, the fastening portion 102b includes a bayonet receiving portion 128, a first engaging claw 136, a leaf spring portion 102d, and the like. The bayonet receiving portion 128 includes three first bayonet pieces 128a, second bayonet pieces 128b, and third bayonet pieces 128c provided at equal angular intervals along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the fastening portion 102b. . The circumferential length of the second bayonet piece 128b is set shorter than the first bayonet piece 128a and the third bayonet piece 128c, and has a length corresponding to the second openings 122b and 123b of the petal hood ring 101. Is set. The circumferential length of the first bayonet piece 128a is set shorter than that of the third bayonet piece 128c, and is set to a length corresponding to the first openings 122a and 123a of the petal hood ring 101. The circumferential length of the third bayonet piece 128 c is set to a length corresponding to the third openings 122 c and 123 c of the petal hood ring 101.

  Each bayonet piece 128a, 128b, 128c has a protrusion 129, respectively. The protrusion 129 extends from each bayonet piece 128a, 128b, 128c toward the tip end side, and is continuous with the step surface portion 102c. The protrusions 129a of the first bayonet pieces 128a are disposed at locations corresponding to the hook portions 113 of the first bayonet claws 112a and 117a. The protrusion 129b of the second bayonet piece 128b is disposed at a location corresponding to the hook portion 113 of the second bayonet claws 112b, 117b. The protrusions 129c of the third bayonet pieces 128c are arranged at locations corresponding to the hook portions 113 of the third bayonet claws 112c and 117c.

  Three first engaging claws 136 are equiangularly spaced along the circumferential direction of the fastening portion 102b so as to correspond to the protruding piece 119 of the first protruding portion 115 and the protruding piece 120 of the second protruding portion 116. Is provided. The first engaging claw 136 is given elasticity by having both ends in the circumferential direction cut away from the end face of the fastening portion 102b to the bayonet receiving portion 128. Moreover, the 1st engagement nail | claw 136 has the hook piece protruded toward the radial inside on the inner peripheral surface.

  Further, the first engagement claw 136 is engaged with the first groove 125 of the attachment ring 103 when the fixing ring 102 is attached to the attachment ring 103. As shown in FIG. 22, the first engagement claw 126 is pressed against the projecting piece 119 of the first ridge 115 of the petal hood ring 101 when the petal hood ring 101 is mounted. Further, when the petal hood ring 101 is turned over and attached, it is pressed against the protruding piece 120 of the second ridge 116. As a result, the hook piece of the first engagement claw 136 is further inserted into the first groove 125 of the attachment ring 103. Thereby, it is possible to prevent backlash in the axial direction between the fixing ring 102 and the attachment ring 103.

  Three leaf spring portions 102d are provided at the same angular interval along the circumferential direction of the fastening portion 102b as the same member as the fastening portion 102b. The leaf spring portion 102d is notched on the side of the stepped surface 102c, is thinner than other portions, and has elasticity. In the present embodiment, the leaf spring portion 102d is described as the same member as the fastening portion 102b. However, another elastic member such as a spring may be provided as a separate member from the fastening portion 102b. In the present embodiment, an example in which three leaf spring portions 102d are provided has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and two or less or four or more locations may be provided.

  As shown in FIG. 20, FIG. 21B, FIG. 21C, and the like, a protrusion 133 is provided on the inner peripheral surface and a convex piece 134 is provided on the outer peripheral surface at the approximate center of each leaf spring portion 102d. In this embodiment, the protrusion 133 is formed as a protrusion having a triangular cross-sectional shape. When the fixing ring 102 is attached to the attachment ring 103, the three protrusions 133, 133, and 133 engage with the tooth ring portion 126 of the attachment ring 103 as shown in FIG. 22A. The three protrusions 133, 133, 133 and the tooth ring portion 126 constitute a ratchet type rotation stop mechanism. Thereby, the fixing ring 102 is supported at an arbitrary angular position with respect to the attachment ring 103. Then, the user can adjust the angular position of the fixing ring 102 to an arbitrary position with an appropriate click feeling and fixing force.

  In the present embodiment, the protrusion 133 is described as a protrusion having a triangular cross-sectional shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be a hemispherical protrusion. In the case where the projection 133 is a hemispherical projection, the tooth-shaped ring portion 126 that is an engagement receiving portion is formed by forming a plurality of cylindrical or semispherical concave portions along the circumferential direction of the attachment ring 103. Is preferred. Moreover, you may form the projection part 133 as a hollow.

  The convex piece 134 of the fixing ring 102 is provided so as to protrude outward from each leaf spring portion 102d. As shown in FIG. 21B, when the petal hood ring 101 is attached, the convex piece 134 is pressed against the first ridge 115 of the petal hood ring 101. The leaf spring portion 102d bends when the convex piece 134 is pressed against the first convex strip 115. As a result, the protrusion 133 provided on the leaf spring portion 102 d is pushed into the groove of the tooth ring portion 126 of the attachment ring 103. As a result, the fixing ring 102 can no longer rotate. Thereby, the angular position of the fixing ring 102 is fixed.

  Further, a second engagement claw 137 is provided between each leaf spring portion 102d and the stepped surface portion 102c. The second engagement claw 137 is given elasticity by cutting out both ends in the circumferential direction. Each of the second engaging claws 137 has a hook piece projecting radially inward at one end on the leaf spring 102d side. The protrusion amount of the hook piece of the second engagement claw 137 is set to be larger than the protrusion amount of the hook piece of the first engagement claw 136. When the fixing ring 102 is attached to the attachment ring 103, the hook piece of the second engagement claw 137 is engaged with the second groove 127 of the attachment ring 103. Thereby, the movement of the fixing ring 102 in the axial direction with respect to the attachment ring 103 is limited.

  The material of the petal hood ring 101, the fixing ring 102 and the attachment ring 103 is preferably a mixture of PC (polycarbonate) and ABS (acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene resin), but other engineering plastics can be used. Of course.

  The lens hood 100 having such a configuration can be attached to the lens device 7 of the digital still camera 1 as follows, for example. This is performed by first attaching the fixing ring 102 to the attachment ring 103, then attaching the attachment ring 103 to the lens device, and then attaching the petal hood ring 101 to the attachment ring 103. Here, a screw portion (not shown) is formed in advance on the inner peripheral surface of the distal end portion of the lens device 7, and a lens side mark 41 is provided on the upper portion of the distal end of the lens device 7. The lens side mark 41 can be formed, for example, by printing or stamping with a silk screen or the like.

  First, the fastening portion 102b of the fixing ring 102 is opposed to the base end side of the attachment ring 103, and the fixing ring 102 is inserted from the base end side. Then, the second engagement claw 137 of the fixing ring 102 is brought into contact with the outer surface of the cylindrical portion of the attachment ring 103, and the second engagement claw 137 is elastically deformed by the reaction force. Further, when the fixing ring 102 is inserted into the attachment ring 103, the hook pieces of the three first engaging claws 136, 136, 136 provided on the fastening portion 102 b move to the position of the first groove 125 of the attachment ring 103. The hook pieces of the three second engaging claws 137, 137, 137 move to the second groove 127 and are engaged with the second groove 127. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 24A and 24B, an attachment hood assembly in which the attachment ring 103 and the fixing ring 102 are integrated is configured.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 25, the attachment hood assembly is fixed to the tip of the lens device 7 of the digital still camera 1. Specifically, the screw portion 103a provided at the proximal end portion of the attachment ring 103 is aligned with the screw portion at the distal end of the lens device 7, and the attachment hood assembly is rotated. Thereby, both screw parts are screwed together, and the attachment hood assembly is fixed to the lens device 7 and attached.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 26, the fixing ring 102 is rotated in the circumferential direction of the attachment ring 103 to adjust the fixing ring 102 to a predetermined angular position in the circumferential direction. Specifically, the ring-side mark 132 of the fixing ring 102 is aligned with the lens-side mark 41 provided at the top of the tip of the lens device 7. At this time, as shown in FIG. 22A, the three protrusions 133 of the fixing ring 102 are engaged with the tooth ring portion 126 at three positions of the attachment ring 103. Accordingly, the user can rotate the fixing ring 102 while receiving an appropriate click feeling, and can position the fixing ring 102 at a predetermined position. At this time, the anti-slip knurled portion 131 provided on the fixing ring 102 allows the user to easily rotate the fixing ring 102 without slipping hands.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 27, the petal hood ring 101 is attached to the attachment hood assembly fixed to the lens device 7. Specifically, first, the hood side mark 121 of the petal hood ring is aligned with the ring side mark 132 of the fixing ring 102, and the base end side of the petal hood ring 101 is pushed into the attachment hood assembly.

  Then, the first bayonet piece 128 a of the fixing ring 102 enters the first opening 122 a of the petal hood ring 101. Similarly, the second bayonet piece 128 b of the fixing ring 102 enters the second opening 122 b of the petal hood ring 101. Further, the third bayonet piece 128 c of the fixing ring 102 enters the third opening 122 c of the petal hood ring 101. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B, the circumferential lengths of the bayonet pieces 128a, 128b, and 128c and the respective 122c, 122b, and 122a correspond to each other. Therefore, the insertion operation can be performed only by this combination.

  From this state, when the petal hood ring 101 is further pushed into the attachment hood assembly, the base end portion of the petal hood ring 101 abuts on the stepped surface portion 102 c of the fixing ring 102. This prevents the petal hood ring 101 from being pushed further into the attachment hood assembly. At this time, as shown in FIG. 22B, the three convex pieces 134 of the fixing ring 102 are pressed against the first convex strip 115 of the petal hood ring 101. Then, the three leaf spring portions 102d of the fixing ring 102 are elastically deformed.

  Therefore, the three protrusions 133 of the fixing ring 102 are further pushed into the groove of the tooth ring portion 126 of the attachment ring 103. As a result, the fixing ring 102 is further prevented from rotating in the circumferential direction with respect to the attachment ring 103. Further, the fixing ring 102 is adjusted in advance to an angle in which the ring side mark 132 is aligned with the lens side mark 41. Thereby, the fixing ring 102 is fixed at an angular position where the lens side mark 41 and the ring side mark 132 are aligned.

  At the same time, as shown in FIG. 23, the three first engaging claws 136 of the fixing ring 102 are pressed against the three projecting pieces 119 of the first ridge 115 of the petal hood ring. As a result, the hook pieces of the three first engaging claws 136 are further inserted into the first groove 125 of the attachment ring 103. As a result, backlash in the axial direction between the fixing ring 102 and the attachment ring 103 is prevented or suppressed.

  Next, in a state where the fixing ring 102 is fixed, the petal hood ring 101 is rotated in a predetermined rotation direction. At this time, stopper pieces 114 and 114 are provided at one end in the circumferential direction of the first bayonet claw 112 a and the second bayonet claw 112 b of the first bayonet portion 112. Therefore, when the petal hood ring 101 is rotated in the reverse direction, the circumferential end portion of the first bayonet piece 128a of the bayonet receiving portion 128 abuts against the stopper piece 114 of the second bayonet claw 112b, and the bayonet receiving portion. The end portions of the 128 third bayonet pieces 128c in the circumferential direction are in contact with the stopper pieces 114 of the first bayonet claws 112a. As a result, since the petal hood ring 101 is prevented from rotating in the reverse direction, the petal hood ring 101 can be rotated only in a predetermined direction.

  Then, when the petal hood ring 101 is rotated in a predetermined rotation direction, the first bayonet claw 112a enters between the first bayonet piece 128a and the stepped surface portion 102c. Similarly, the second bayonet claw 12b enters between the second bayonet piece 128b and the stepped surface portion 102c. And the 3rd bayonet nail | claw 12c enters between the 3rd bayonet piece 128c and 102c of a level | step difference surface part. When the petal hood ring 101 is further rotated from this state, the hook portion 113 of the first bayonet claw 112a gets over the protrusion 129a of the first bayonet piece 128a. Similarly, the hook portion 113 of the second bayonet claw 112b gets over the protrusion 129b of the second bayonet piece 128b. Further, the hook portion 113 of the third bayonet claw 112c gets over the protrusion 129c of the third bayonet piece 128c.

  As a result, the first bayonet portion 112 of the petal hood ring 101 and the bayonet receiving portion 128 of the fixing ring 102 are bayonet-coupled. At this time, the user can recognize that the petal hood ring 101 is in the engaged state by a clicking sound when the hook portions 113 of the three bayonet claws 112a to 112c get over the three protrusions 129a to 129c. Accordingly, the first petal pieces 111 a and 111 a are arranged in the vertical direction of the lens device 7, and the second petal pieces 111 b and 111 b are arranged in the horizontal direction of the lens device 7. Therefore, the petal hood ring 101 can be easily attached to the lens device 7 with good balance.

  Next, when removing the petal hood ring 101, first, the petal hood ring 101 is rotated in the opposite direction to that when the petal hood ring 101 is attached, and the hood side mark 121 is rotated until it matches the position of the ring side mark 132. Then, the first opening 122a is moved to the position of the first bayonet piece 128a of the bayonet receiving portion 128, the second opening 122b is moved to the position of the second bayonet piece 128b, and the second bayonet piece 128c is moved to the position of the third bayonet piece 128c. 3 opening part 122c moves. From this state, the petal hood ring 101 is pulled out in the direction away from the attachment hood assembly, that is, in the optical axis direction of the lens. Thereby, the petal hood ring 101 can be easily removed.

  Next, the case where the petal hood ring 101 is turned over and attached to the attachment hood assembly will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 27, the petal hood ring 101 is turned over and pushed into the attachment hood assembly at a predetermined angular position. Then, the first bayonet piece 128 a of the fixing ring 102 enters the first opening 123 a of the petal hood ring 101. Then, the second bayonet piece 128 b of the fixing ring 102 enters the second opening 123 b of the petal hood ring 101. Further, the third bayonet piece 128 c of the fixing ring 102 enters the third opening 123 c of the petal hood ring 101. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 21A and 21B, the circumferential lengths of the bayonet pieces 128a, 128b, and 128c and the openings 123a, 123b, and 123c correspond to each other so that they cannot be mounted in other combinations. Is set to

  When the petal hood ring 101 is further pushed into the attachment hood assembly from this state, the end surface on the front end side in the width direction of the second bayonet portion 117 comes into contact with the stepped surface portion 102c of the fixing ring 102. This prevents the petal hood ring 101 from being pushed further into the attachment hood assembly.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 22B, the three convex pieces 134 of the fixing ring 102 are pressed against the second convex strip 116 of the petal hood ring 101. Then, the leaf spring portion 102d of the fixing ring 102 is elastically deformed. Therefore, the protrusion 133 of the fixing ring 102 is further pushed into the groove of the tooth ring portion 126 of the attachment ring 103. As a result, the fixing ring 102 is further prevented from rotating in the circumferential direction with respect to the attachment ring 103. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 23, the three first engaging claws 136 of the fixing ring 102 are pressed against the three projecting pieces 120 of the second ridge portion 116 of the petal hood ring. As a result, the hook pieces of the three first engaging claws 136 are further inserted into the first groove 125 of the attachment ring 103. As a result, backlash in the axial direction between the fixing ring 102 and the attachment ring 103 is prevented or suppressed.

  Next, the petal hood ring 101 is rotated in a predetermined rotation direction. At this time, stopper pieces 118 and 118 are provided at one end in the circumferential direction of the first bayonet claw 117a and the second bayonet claw 117b of the second bayonet portion 117. Therefore, when the petal hood ring 101 is rotated in the reverse direction, the circumferential end of the first bayonet piece 128a of the bayonet receiving portion 128 abuts against the stopper piece 118 of the second bayonet claw 117b. Further, the circumferential end portion of the third bayonet piece 128c of the bayonet receiving portion 128 abuts against the stopper piece 118 of the first bayonet claw 117a. As a result, the petal hood ring 101 is prevented from rotating in the reverse direction. As a result, the first hood ring 101 can be rotated only in a predetermined direction.

  When the petal hood ring 101 is rotated in a predetermined rotation direction, the first bayonet claw 117a enters between the first bayonet piece 128a and the step surface portion 102c. Similarly, the second bayonet claw 117b enters between the second bayonet piece 128b and the step surface portion 102c. The third bayonet claw 117c enters between the third bayonet piece 128c and the stepped surface portion 102c.

  When the petal hood ring 101 is further rotated from the above state, the hook portion 113 of the first bayonet claw 117a gets over the protrusion 129a of the first bayonet piece 128a. Similarly, the hook portion 113 of the second bayonet claw 117b gets over the protrusion 129b of the second bayonet piece 128b. Further, the hook portion 113 of the third bayonet claw 117c gets over the protrusion 129c of the third bayonet piece 128c. As a result, the second bayonet portion 117 of the petal hood ring 101 and the bayonet receiving portion 128 of the fixing ring 102 can be bayonet-coupled. At this time, the user can recognize that the petal hood ring 101 is in the engaged state by a click sound when the hook portions 113 of the three bayonet claws 117a to 117c get over the three protrusions 129a to 129c. Thereby, the petal hood ring 101 can be turned over and attached to the digital still camera 1. Even in such a state, it is possible to take a picture.

  In this way, the lens hood 100 can be attached to the lens device 7. Once the angular position of the fixing ring is set, as shown in FIG. 22A, the protrusion 133 of the fixing ring 102 meshes with the tooth-shaped ring portion 126 of the attachment ring 103. It is fixed to the attachment ring 103 with a fixing force. Therefore, it is not necessary to adjust the angle of the fixing ring 102 every time the petal hood ring 101 is mounted. As a result, the petal hood ring 101 can always be mounted at the same angle. Thereby, it is possible to save the trouble of adjusting the arrangement of the petal portion 111 of the petal hood ring 101 each time the petal hood ring 101 is mounted. Furthermore, since the petal hood ring 101 can be attached to the attachment hood assembly with one touch by bayonet coupling, it can be quickly attached.

  Also, the attachment ring 103 is fixedly attached to the lens device 7 by screwing a screw portion. Therefore, conventionally, the angular position when the petal hood ring 101 is fixed depends on the threading positions of the attachment ring 103 and the lens device 7. As a result, it is difficult to accurately form the threading positions of the attachment ring 103 and the lens device 7, and it is difficult to adjust the attachment angle of the petal hood ring 101. However, according to the lens hood 100, the attachment angle of the petal hood ring 101 can be arbitrarily adjusted to a suitable angular position simply by adjusting the angle of the fixing ring 102. Accordingly, it is not necessary to accurately form the threading positions of the attachment ring 103 and the lens device 7, and the angular position of the petal hood 101 can be easily adjusted.

  Further, in the case where the lens device 7 is a retractable lens in which the lens system moves back and forth from the tip of the lens device 7 as shown in FIG. 12, for example, when the lens system moves back and forth, dust etc. May adhere, and dust or the like may enter the inside, causing problems. Therefore, when the lens hood 100 is attached, dust and the like can be prevented from entering from the outside because the side surface of the lens device 7 is covered with the lens hood 100.

  As described above, according to the imaging apparatus of the present invention, the hinge unit that supports the display unit so that the posture can be changed is disposed below the finder unit and attached to the housing unit. Thereby, the display unit can change the posture of the display unit without interfering with the finder unit, and the display unit can be changed to a posture suitable for low angle shooting or high angle shooting.

  Further, according to the imaging apparatus of the present invention, both the finder unit and the display unit whose posture can be changed are provided. Thereby, when displaying the image of the subject on the display unit, a large and easy-to-view subject image can be obtained. In addition, when shooting for a long time, it is possible to suppress battery consumption by using the finder unit. Furthermore, by bringing the eyes close to the viewfinder, the sides can be tightened and the housing (imaging device main body) can be gripped in a stable state, and the occurrence of camera shake can be suppressed.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the example of the imaging device in which the lens device is fixed to the housing portion has been described. However, the lens device is used in the housing portion so that the lens device can be variously changed according to the shooting situation. On the other hand, it may be an imaging device that can be detachably attached. In the above-described embodiment, an example in which a digital still camera is applied as the imaging device has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to a digital video camera and other imaging devices.

It is the perspective view which looked at the digital still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention from the front side. It is the perspective view which looked at the digital still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention from the back side. 1 is a rear view of a digital still camera according to a first embodiment of an imaging apparatus of the present invention. It is the side view which carried out the cross section of a part of digital still camera concerning the 1st example of the imaging device of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state which rotated the display part of the digital still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention about 90 degree | times, and turned the display surface upwards. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the display unit is turned substantially 90 degrees downward from the state of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the hinge part of the digital still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. It is a side view showing the state where the display surface of the display part of the digital still camera concerning the 1st example of the imaging device of the present invention turned up partly. It is a side view which shows the state which orient | assigned the display surface of the display part of the digital still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention downward. It is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the lens hood to the lens apparatus of the digital still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. It is a top view which shows the state which attached the lens hood to the lens apparatus of the digital still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. It is a side view which shows the state which attached the lens hood to the lens apparatus of the digital still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a normal use state of an example of a lens hood according to an imaging apparatus of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a lens hood according to an embodiment of the present invention and a usage state in which a lens hood is attached upside down. FIG. 15A is a side view, and FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view taken along line TT in FIG. 15A, illustrating an embodiment of a lens hood according to the imaging apparatus of the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the lens hood which concerns on the imaging device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which cross-sections the petal hood ring which comprises the lens hood which concerns on the imaging device of this invention in an axial direction. The attachment ring which comprises the lens hood which concerns on the imaging device of this invention is shown, FIG. 18A is explanatory drawing which carried out the cross section in the axial direction, FIG. 18B is explanatory drawing which expands and shows the principal part of outer periphery. FIG. 19A is a plan view and FIG. 19B is a side view showing a fixing ring constituting a lens hood according to the imaging apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 19B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line S-S in FIG. 19B, showing a fixing ring constituting the lens hood according to the imaging apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 21A is a developed view of the peripheral surface shapes of the petal hood ring, the fixing ring, and the attachment ring constituting the lens hood according to the imaging device of the present invention. FIG. 21A is an explanatory view showing the inner peripheral surface of the petal hood ring, FIG. FIG. 21C is an explanatory diagram showing the inner peripheral surface of the fixing ring, and FIG. 21D is an explanatory diagram showing the outer peripheral surface of the attachment ring. FIG. 22A explains the engagement state of the petal hood ring, the fixing ring, and the attachment ring constituting the lens hood according to the imaging device of the present invention. FIG. 22A is an enlarged view of the Q portion of FIG. 15B. FIG. 22B is a cross-sectional view of the petal hood ring, the fixing ring, and the attachment ring, showing an enlarged R portion of FIG. 15B. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line U-U in FIG. 15B, illustrating an engagement state of a petal hood ring, a fixing ring, and an attachment ring that constitute a lens hood according to the imaging device of the present invention. FIG. 24A shows a state in which the petal hood ring of the lens hood according to the imaging apparatus of the present invention is attached to the attachment hood assembly, and FIG. 24A is a perspective view showing a state before the petal hood ring is attached in a normal use state, FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state before the petal hood ring is turned over and attached. It is a perspective view which shows the state before mounting | wearing with the lens hood to the digital still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which attaches a lens hood to the digital still camera which concerns on 1st Example of the imaging device of this invention, and shows alignment with a fixing ring and a lens apparatus. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a lens hood is attached to a digital still camera according to a first embodiment of an imaging apparatus of the present invention, and is an explanatory diagram before a petal hood ring is attached to the lens device in a normal use state. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a state in which a lens hood is mounted on a digital still camera according to a first embodiment of an imaging apparatus of the present invention, and is an explanatory diagram before the petal hood ring is mounted upside down.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Digital still camera (imaging device), 2 ... Image sensor, 3 ... Exterior case (casing part), 4 ... Finder part, 5 ... Display part, 5a ... Flat panel, 6 ... Hinge part, 7 ... Lens apparatus, 26 ... Arm piece housing part, 31 ... First hinge body, 31a ... First bearing piece, 31c ... Stopper piece (posture control part), 32 ... Second hinge body, 33, 33 ... Main body side hinge shaft ( Hinge shaft), 35 ... second bearing piece, 36 ... arm member, 36a ... first arm piece, 36b ... second arm piece, 37 ... disc spring (elastic body), 38b ... rotation angle regulating groove (posture) Control unit), 39, 39... Display unit side hinge shaft (hinge shaft)

Claims (6)

An image sensor on which image light from a subject is incident via a lens device;
A housing part to which the image sensor is attached;
A finder portion that can visually recognize an image of a subject received by the image sensor and protrudes to the rear of the housing portion at an upper portion of the housing portion;
An image of a subject received by the image sensor, and a display unit disposed behind the housing unit and below the finder unit;
A hinge portion that supports the display portion so that the posture can be changed, and
The said hinge part is arrange | positioned between the said finder part and the said display part, and is attached to the back surface of the said housing | casing part. The imaging device characterized by the above-mentioned. The hinge part is
A first hinge body attached to the housing part and having a first bearing piece;
A second hinge body attached to the display unit and having a second bearing piece;
A hinge shaft that rotatably connects the first hinge body and the second hinge body via the first bearing piece and the second bearing piece;
An elastic body interposed between the first bearing piece and the second bearing piece,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second hinge body can be held at an arbitrary angular position with respect to the first hinge body by an urging force of the elastic body. The hinge portion includes an arm member having one end rotatably connected to the first bearing piece and the other end rotatably connected to the second bearing piece,
The elastic part is provided in the connection part between the first bearing piece and the arm member and the connection part between the second bearing piece and the arm member, respectively. Imaging device. The arm member comprises a substantially L-shaped member having a first arm piece and a second arm piece extending in a substantially orthogonal direction,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the display unit is supported at a distal end portion of the second arm piece so that the posture of the display unit can be changed within an angle range of approximately 180 degrees. The housing portion is provided with an arm piece storage portion including a recess for storing the second arm piece, and the second arm piece is stored in the state where the second arm piece is stored in the arm piece storage portion. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a surface of the piece is substantially flush with a back surface of the housing portion. The posture restriction part which restricts rotation of the second hinge body with respect to the first hinge body and restricts the posture change of the display unit is provided in the hinge part. Imaging device.

Images