JP2009159613A - Electronic camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic camera excellent in portability and operability, and capable of fully exerting a required capability as a camera while incorporating a printer. <P>SOLUTION: The electronic camera includes: an imaging unit 130 including an imaging lens 131 and an imaging element 133; an image display mounted on the back of a camera body 110 for displaying an imaging information; a cartridge storing chamber 141 with a flat space, which is disposed to the front side of the camera body 110, with a principal plane faced in the direction normal to the optic axis of the imaging lens 131; a paper transferring means for taking out a printing paper from a paper cartridge CA housed in the cartridge storing chamber 141 during printing, and transferring the paper outside the camera body 110; and a printer 160 to print the image onto the printing paper taken out from the paper cartridge CA by the paper transferring means. The printer 160 is disposed inside the camera body 110 in such a manner as being sandwiched between the cartridge storing chamber 141 and the image display in the thickness direction of the camera body 110. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic camera with a built-in printer that can print out a captured subject image on the spot using, for example, a self-developing photosensitive printing paper.

  The electronic camera has an excellent advantage that the captured image can be immediately reproduced and displayed on the spot as compared with the silver salt camera widely used conventionally. If such an electronic camera is further equipped with a printer that can make a hard copy of the captured image on the spot, the use or range of use of the electronic camera will be greatly expanded.

  Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, and Patent Document 4 show examples of conventionally known electronic cameras with built-in printers.

JP-A-9-26561 JP-A-9-37121 JP-A-10-257427 JP-A-10-93849

  Conventional electronic cameras with built-in printers have the following problems. That is, the volume of the printer, the drive mechanism for driving the printer, and the paper cartridge for storing the print paper to be supplied to the printer are considerably large. For this reason, when these are integrally accommodated in the camera body, the entire camera becomes considerably large, which may impair portability and operability.

  In addition, what is described in Patent Document 4 displays image information stored in internal storage means on a liquid crystal display device as display means, and displays the displayed subject image as optical information on an instant photosensitive paper as it is. This is an electronic camera that prints by printing. This type of electronic camera has a problem that the size of a printable print image is limited to the same size as the subject image displayed on the liquid crystal display device. Moreover, in order to print the subject image, it is necessary to turn on the backlight for illumination of the liquid crystal display device for image printing even when the image display by the liquid crystal display device is originally unnecessary. For this reason, there was a problem that the consumption of the internal battery was accelerated.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic camera that is excellent in portability and operability while being a printer built-in type camera and that can sufficiently exhibit a required camera function.

In order to achieve the above object, an electronic camera according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises:
The camera body,
An imaging unit including an imaging lens that captures an optical image of a subject located in front of the camera body; and an imaging element that photoelectrically converts the optical image captured by the imaging lens to obtain image information;
An image display unit provided on a back surface of the camera body and displaying the image information;
A cartridge housing chamber comprising a flat space provided on the front surface of the camera body and having a main plane facing a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the imaging lens;
A paper carry-out means for pulling out the print paper from the paper cartridge housed in the cartridge housing chamber and carrying it out of the camera body during printing;
A printer that prints an image corresponding to the optical image captured by the imaging unit on the print paper drawn from the paper cartridge by the paper carry-out means;
Have
The printer is disposed inside the camera body so as to be sandwiched between the cartridge storage chamber and the image display unit in a thickness direction of the camera body.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic camera that is excellent in portability and operability while being a camera with a built-in printer and that can sufficiently exhibit a required camera function.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are external perspective views of an electronic camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an outer surface of the electronic camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a top view of the camera body, and FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating a first side surface located on the left side when the camera body is viewed from the front side. (C) is a front view of a camera main body, (d) is a figure which shows the 2nd side surface located in the left side when seeing a camera main body from the back side, (e) is a rear view of a camera main body. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway view illustrating an internal configuration of an electronic camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a view of the camera body viewed from the top side, and (b) is a view of the camera body viewed from the front side. (C) is the figure which looked at the image pick-up part only from the 2nd side, (d) is the figure which looked at the camera main body from the 2nd side. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an optical head of an electronic camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram mainly showing a configuration of an electric system of an electronic camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing a modification according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example in which built-in batteries are vertically stacked and stored, and FIG. The figure which shows the example attached so that it might open and close, (d) is a figure which shows the example which provided the imaging part in the 1st side surface of the camera main body, and provided the card insertion slot in the 2nd side surface of the camera body. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating an outer surface of an electronic camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 5A is a front view of the camera body, and FIG. . It is a figure which shows the outer surface of the electronic camera which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (a) is a rear view of a camera main body, (b) is a figure which shows the 2nd side surface located in the left side when seeing a camera main body from the back side. . It is a figure which shows a partially broken internal structure of the electronic camera which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (a) is the figure which looked at the camera main body from the front side, (b) was the camera main body seen from the 1st side surface side. Figure. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the electronic camera which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention partially fractured | ruptured, (a) is the figure which looked at the camera main body from the back side, (b) was the camera main body seen from the 2nd side surface side. Figure. The block diagram which mainly shows the structure of the electric system of the electronic camera which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

(First embodiment)
"Constitution"
FIGS. 1A and 1B are views showing an external appearance of an electronic camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 1A and 1B are external perspective views mainly showing the front surface of the camera body from two different angles. 2A and 2B are views showing the outer surface of the electronic camera, wherein FIG. 2A is a top view of the camera body, and FIG. 2B is a view showing a first side surface located on the left side when the camera body is viewed from the front side. (C) is a front view of the camera body, (d) is a view showing a second side surface located on the left side when the camera body is viewed from the back side, and (e) is a rear view of the camera body.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B and FIGS. 2A to 2E, the electronic camera 100 is housed in a vertically long case 111 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape. ing. The upper surface 111a of the case 111 is provided with a paper discharge port 112 for discharging a print paper P described later as indicated by an arrow. When viewed from the front side of the camera body 110, a card insertion slot 113 for inserting a memory card MC as an image recording medium, which will be described later, into the card slot 142 is provided on the side surface located on the left side of the case 111, that is, the first side surface 111b. And a battery accommodating port 114 for accommodating a camera battery B, which will be described later, in the battery accommodating chamber 146.

  On the front surface 111c of the camera main body 110, an opening / closing operation is performed so as to open and close the opening of the cartridge storage chamber 141 so that a later-described paper cartridge CA can be inserted into and removed from the front surface of the camera main body 110. A lid 115 is provided. A release button 117, which is one of camera operation units, is attached to the opening / closing lid 115. Above the opening / closing lid 115, a strobe light emitter 116 is provided for performing strobe light emission according to the surrounding conditions at the time of photographing.

  An external input / output terminal 118 as an input / output jack and an external power input terminal 119 are provided on a side surface located on the right side of the case 111 when viewed from the front side of the camera body 110, that is, a lower portion of the second side surface 111d. Yes. An imaging unit 130 is provided above the second side surface 111d. The imaging unit 130 is provided with an imaging system 130A and a viewfinder optical system 130B on top and bottom as shown in FIG. 2D so that the optical axis faces the front-rear direction of the camera body 10 on the protruding part that forms an ear shape. It has become.

  The imaging system 130 </ b> A includes a photographic lens 131 that captures an optical image of a subject located in front of the camera body 110, an imaging substrate 132 that is installed behind the photographic lens 131, and an electronic device that is provided on the imaging substrate 132. CCD 133 as a general imaging means. The CCD 133 is a charge-coupled imaging device that obtains image information by photoelectrically converting an optical image captured by the photographing lens 131.

  The finder optical system 130 </ b> B has a finder objective window 135 on the front side of the camera body 110 and a finder eyepiece window 134 on the back side of the camera body 110.

  On the back surface 111e of the case 111, as shown in FIG. 2E, an LCD (liquid crystal display panel) 120 as an image display means is provided. The LCD 120 is disposed at a position that does not overlap the card slot 142 along the optical axis direction of the photographing lens 131 as will be described later.

  FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway view showing the internal configuration of the electronic camera according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3A is a view of the camera body 110 viewed from the top surface side, and FIG. (C) is a view of only the imaging unit 130 as viewed from the second side face, and (d) is a view of the camera body 110 as viewed from the second side face.

  In FIGS. 3A to 3D, reference numeral 140 denotes a main board. The main substrate 140 is disposed at the center of the case 111 so that its main plane is orthogonal to the optical axis of the image pickup unit 130. On the back side of the main board 140, various electric circuit elements of the electronic camera main body 110 are mounted, and a card slot 142 for loading a memory card is provided. The memory card MC is inserted into and removed from the card slot 142 in the horizontal direction as indicated by an arrow in FIG. The card slot 142 is disposed in substantially the same plane as the LCD 120.

  In FIGS. 3A to 3D, reference numeral 143 denotes a cartridge holder. The cartridge holder 143 is formed in a pocket shape on the inner surface of the opening / closing lid 115 so that the paper cartridge CA can be received from the upper end opening.

  By the way, the opening / closing lid 115 is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the case 111 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 3D, with a hinge 115a provided at the lower end thereof as a center. Thus, when the open / close lid 115 is tilted to the front side of the camera body 110 so as to be in a state indicated by a broken line in FIG. 3D, the cartridge holder 143 is also tilted forward together. For this reason, the opening formed in the upper end of the cartridge holder faces obliquely upward. Therefore, the sheet cartridge CA can be inserted into and removed from the cartridge holder 143 from the diagonally upper part on the front side of the case 111 as indicated by the wavy arrow. The cartridge holder 143, the main board 140, and the LCD 120 are arranged so as to overlap with each other in the thickness direction of the case 111. In other words, with the main substrate 140 as the center, the cartridge holder 143 is disposed on the front side (subject side), and the LCD 120 is disposed on the back side (imager side).

  A plurality of unexposed print sheets P are accommodated in the sheet cartridge CA. The print paper P used in this embodiment is a self-developing photosensitive print paper.

  Here, the self-developing type photosensitive printing paper means that after exposure corresponding to the photographed subject image is performed on the photosensitive surface of the printing paper P, a development start operation by pressurizing operation or the like is performed on the photosensitive surface. Is performed, the developing solution is automatically applied to the photosensitive surface of the print paper P, and after several seconds to several tens of seconds, the subject image is developed and the photographed subject image becomes visible to the user. Say things.

  A battery storage chamber 146 for storing the built-in battery B, which is a camera power source of the camera main body 110, is provided in a region below the cartridge storage chamber 141 inside the case 111.

  A printer 160, which will be described in detail later, is provided in a region above the cartridge storage chamber 141 inside the case 111. The printer 160 includes an optical head 147 that performs exposure corresponding to the optical image captured by the imaging unit 130 on the print paper P sent out from the paper cartridge CA by a feed mechanism (not shown). A pressure-sensitive cap that starts the development by applying a pressure on the surface of the print paper P by breaking the chemical protective film provided on the surface of the print paper P and applying a developer onto the photosensitive surface A development start unit including a stun 148a and a pressure roller 148b is included.

  Further above the printer 160, the printed paper P on which a predetermined image is printed by the printer 160 is directed toward the discharge port 112 in order to discharge the printed paper P from the paper discharge port 112 to the outside of the camera body 110. A feed capstan 149a and a feed roller 149b are provided. The feed capstan 149a and the crimp capstan 148a are driven by a drive motor (not shown).

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the optical head 147. As shown in FIG. 4, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 150 made of RGB-LED or the like at a predetermined spread angle is reflected by a first mirror 151 having an arc shape and a reflecting surface on the inner surface, and then the arc shape. The light is reflected again by the second mirror 152 having a reflecting surface on the inner surface, and is applied to the print paper P through the liquid crystal shutters 153 arranged in a line in a line shape as a substantially flat light beam having a line shape. Has become.

  The optical head 147 is composed of RGB light emitting diodes arranged in a straight line corresponding to the width of the print paper P in the width direction, and microlenses arranged in parallel therewith. Also good.

  The aforementioned feed mechanism (not shown), the feed capstan 149a and the feed roller 149b, and their drive sources (not shown) constitute the paper carry-out means of the present invention.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram mainly showing the configuration of the electrical system of the electronic camera according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the electronic camera includes a CCD 133 that photoelectrically converts an optical image captured by the photographing lens 131, an imaging circuit 150 that decomposes an electrical signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion into an RGB signal, and the like. An A / D converter 151 that converts an analog signal output from the circuit 150 into a digital signal, and an I / F (interface) 153 for connecting to an image recording medium that is detachably loaded, that is, a memory card MC The internal memory 154 that stores the digitized image information, the compression / decompression circuit 155 that compresses / decompresses the image information in the internal memory 154, and an external circuit connected to the external input / output terminal 118 are intended. An external I / F (interface) 156, a display circuit 157 for controlling the display of the LCD 120, and an electronic camera And a system controller 158 to the respective units associated operation.

  The system controller 158 has a function of controlling the strobe light emitter 116 and irradiating appropriate illumination light toward the subject. The system controller 158 is connected to a camera operation unit such as the release button 117 and receives an external instruction from the operation unit. A power supply unit 159 is connected to the system controller 158.

  An external power input terminal 119 and a built-in battery B are connected to the power supply unit 159 so that charging of the built-in battery B by an external power supply can be performed in a timely manner.

  A portion surrounded by an alternate long and two short dashes line in the lower part of FIG. 5 shows the internal configuration of the printer 160 described above. As shown in FIG. 5, the printer 160 receives a command from the system controller 158 and generates a print image information circuit 161 that generates print image information, and a head drive circuit that drives the optical head 147 based on the generated print image information. 162. Further, a print paper position detection sensor 163 for detecting the position of the print paper P is provided, and the detection information is given to the system controller 158. Further, a cartridge detection sensor 164 for detecting whether or not the paper cartridge CA exists in the cartridge holder 143 is provided, and the detection information is given to the system controller 158. Furthermore, a drive unit 165 including a drive motor and a drive control circuit 166 for controlling the drive unit 165 based on a control signal from the system controller 158 are provided.

  The electronic camera according to the first embodiment configured as described above operates as follows. That is, when the photographer presses the release button 117, an optical image of the subject is captured by the photographing lens 131. This optical image is converted into an electrical signal by the CCD 133. At this time, the release button 117 is provided on the opening / closing lid 115 and is close to the finger of the photographer holding the camera body 110. The operability is very good. The electrical signal output from the CCD 133 is guided to the imaging circuit 150, where it is decomposed into R, G, and B signals, converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 151, and stored in the built-in memory 154 as image information. Is remembered.

  The image information stored in the built-in memory 154 is read out as appropriate, compressed by the compression / decompression circuit 155, and then recorded on the memory card MC via the I / F 153. Further, when the image information is input to the display circuit 157, the photographed subject image is displayed on the LCD 20.

  Next, when the photographer turns on a print switch (not shown), the system controller 158 is activated, and a print command is issued from the system controller 158 to each part of the camera body 110. Then, on the one hand, the unexposed print paper P stored in the paper cartridge CA is sent out one by one to a predetermined position where the optical head 147 of the printer 160 exists. On the other hand, one line of image information stored in the built-in memory 154 is read out under the control of the system controller 158, and a signal corresponding to the read image information for one line is read out from the print image generation circuit. 161. For this reason, RGB image signals are generated by the print image generation circuit 161, and the head drive circuit 162 for driving and controlling the light emitting unit 150 and the liquid crystal shutter 153 is operated. As a result, exposure by the optical head 147 is performed. That is, the light emitting unit 150 including an RGB light emitting diode emits light, and the light passes through the first and second mirrors 151 and 152 and further through the liquid crystal shutter 153 on the photosensitive surface of the print paper P. Exposure is performed by irradiating as a light image of a line.

  Next, according to a control command from the system controller 158, the drive control circuit 166 is activated, and the drive unit 65 including the drive motor is activated. For this reason, the print paper P is sent to the paper discharge port side by one line. Here, in the same manner as described above, the next line of image information is read out, and exposure for this line is performed.

  Thereafter, by repeating the same operation, the photosensitive surface of the print paper P is sequentially exposed one line at a time.

  The portion exposed and exposed by the optical head 147 is sent out by one line, and is sandwiched between the pressure capstan 48a and the pressure roller 48b. For this reason, pressure is applied to the photosensitive portion of the print paper P, the chemical protective film of the print paper P is broken, and the developer is applied to the photosensitive portion. The print paper P to which the developer is applied is sandwiched between the feed capstan 49a and the feed roller 49b and is drawn out from the print paper discharge port 12. Thus, finally the flint of one image is completed.

  As described above, in the electronic camera according to the first embodiment, the image information stored in the built-in memory 154 is not printed on the print paper P all at once, but is converted into image information for each line. Based on this, the print paper P is exposed line by line, and reading from the built-in memory 54 and sending of the print paper P are synchronized to complete the entire image. For this reason, a photosensitive means such as an optical head having an area equivalent to the print range is not required, and the electronic camera can be miniaturized. In addition, since the imaging unit 130 including the photographing lens 131 is provided in a state of protruding from the case 111 of the camera body 110, it is more effective in reducing the size of the electronic camera.

  Further, the card slot 142 is provided on the back side of the cartridge storage chamber 141 at a position overlapping with a part of the main plane of the cartridge storage chamber 141, and the LCD 120 has a light of the photographing lens 131 with respect to the card slot 142. Since it arrange | positions in the position which does not overlap along an axial direction, the member which requires a comparatively big area will be arrange | positioned efficiently, and it is possible to avoid that case 111 enlarges.

  In the electronic camera of the first embodiment, the following three operation modes can be considered.

  (1) Shooting / immediate print / mode In this mode, a shot image is stored in the built-in memory 154, and at the same time, printing is performed using the image information. In this mode, recording on the memory card MC and image display on the LCD 20 are not performed, so unnecessary power can be saved.

  (2) Print mode during imaging / recording In this mode, after the captured image is stored in the built-in memory 154, the image information is first compressed and recorded on the memory card MC with priority, and then printed. In this mode, image display on the LCD 20 is not performed.

  (3) Print mode of information from memory card In this mode, image information recorded on the memory card MC is printed. In this mode, the image information in the memory card MC is first expanded and displayed on the LCD 20 for screen selection, and after the contents of the image are confirmed, printing is performed.

  More convenient usage can be achieved by appropriately using the above three operation modes.

  (Modification of First Embodiment) FIG. 6 is a view showing a modification according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b) store the built-in battery B vertically. FIG. 4C is a diagram showing an example in which the opening / closing lid 115 is attached to open and close in the horizontal direction, and FIG. 4D is a diagram illustrating that the image pickup unit 130 is provided on the first side surface 111b of the camera body 110 and the card is inserted. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a mouth 113 is provided on a second side surface 111d of the camera body 110. FIG.

  In the case shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the internal battery B is stacked vertically. As a result, the width of the case 111 is slightly increased, but the length in the vertical direction can be shortened. It becomes. When configured as shown in FIG. 6C, or configured as shown in FIG. 6D, usability may be improved depending on user preference.

  6 (a) to 6 (d) are the same as those in the first embodiment except for the points described above, and therefore, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

(Features in the first embodiment)
[1] The electronic camera shown in the embodiment is integrated with a camera body (110) formed in a substantially rectangular shape and vertically long so as to protrude from the front of the camera body (110) to the upper part of the right side surface. An imaging unit (130) provided in the imaging unit, a photographing lens (131) provided in the imaging unit (130), and an electronic imaging unit that photoelectrically converts a subject image formed by the photographing lens (131) (133), a printing means (160) provided in the camera body (110) and printed on a printing paper (P) by an image obtained by the electronic imaging means (133), and the camera body (110) A paper cartridge having a substantially flat space provided therein, the main plane of which is arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the photographing lens (131), and storing the print paper (P) therein. (CA) on the cartridge storage chamber (141) for mounting and use, and on the upper surface of the camera body (110) The vignetting printed printing paper by the printing means (160) (P) is characterized by comprising a paper discharge port (112), for discharging to the camera body (110) outside.

  [2] The electronic camera shown in the first embodiment is the electronic camera described in [1], and photosensitive paper is used as the print paper (P), and the printing means (160) is A light emitting means (147) for exposing the photosensitive paper (P) based on image information of an image obtained by the electronic imaging means (133); and a transport for transporting the photosensitive paper (P). Means.

  [3] The electronic camera shown in the first embodiment is the electronic camera described in [1] or [2], and the cartridge housing chamber (110) is provided on the front side of the camera body (110). 141), a protective lid (115) configured to be openable and closable for attaching and detaching the cartridge (CA) is provided.

  [4] The electronic camera shown in the first embodiment is the electronic camera described in [3], and is characterized in that an operation unit (117) is provided on the protective lid (115). .

  [5] The electronic camera shown in the first embodiment is the electronic camera described in [3] above, on the back side of the cartridge storage chamber (141) and in the main part of the cartridge storage chamber (141). A slot (142) for mounting a removable recording medium (MC) is provided at a position overlapping with a part of the plane.

  [6] The electronic camera shown in the first embodiment is the electronic camera described in [1] or [2] above, on the back surface of the camera body (110) and in the slot (142). On the other hand, an image display means (120) having a substantially flat shape for displaying an image is arranged at a position where it does not overlap along the optical axis direction of the photographing lens (131).

  [7] The electronic camera shown in the first embodiment includes contents appropriately combined with the items described in [1] to [6].

  (Second Embodiment) Next, an electronic camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Among electronic cameras with printers, electronic cameras that can print on the spot using self-developable photosensitive printing paper have a place to accommodate the printer mechanism and paper cartridge in addition to the original shooting mechanism in the camera body. It must be ensured, and the overall external dimensions of the camera are larger than those of a normal electronic camera. Therefore, portability and operability may be impaired.

  Therefore, if an attempt is made to efficiently arrange the printer mechanism and the paper cartridge, there is a possibility that the optical system such as the photographing lens, the finder, and the flash cannot maintain an appropriate arrangement relationship. As a result, the weight balance is lost, the ease of holding and holding the camera is impaired, and the operability may be deteriorated. In addition, it is necessary to consider the detachability operability of the paper cartridge, the detachability operability of the image recording medium (memory card), the ease of loading and unloading the photographed photosensitive print paper, and the captured image monitor ( The LCD screen should be easy to see.

  Therefore, in the second embodiment of the present invention, an electronic camera having the following advantages is to be provided.

  (a) Although having a printer mechanism, the camera body can be reduced in thickness and size, and there is no risk of impairing portability and operability.

  (b) The distance and arrangement between the taking lens and the strobe light emitting unit are optimized, and the occurrence of red-eye phenomenon is small.

  (c) Since the optical viewfinder and the photographing lens are arranged close to each other and the lower part thereof can be used as a grip portion, it is difficult to be affected by camera shake, and the occurrence of parallax can be reduced.

  (d) Since the board on which the electronic circuit is mounted is divided and the space in the camera body can be used effectively, the camera can be reduced in size.

"Constitution"
FIGS. 7A, 7B to 10 are views showing the structure of an electronic camera with a printer according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 7A and 7B are views showing the outer surface of the electronic camera according to the embodiment, where FIG. 7A is a front view of the camera body, and FIG. 7B is located on the left side when the camera body is viewed from the front side. It is a figure which shows a 1st side surface. 8A and 8B are views showing the outer surface of the electronic camera according to the embodiment, wherein FIG. 8A is a rear view of the camera body, and FIG. 8B is a view showing a second side surface located on the left side when the camera body is viewed from the rear side. is there. FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway view showing the internal configuration of the electronic camera according to the embodiment. FIG. 9A is a view of the camera body viewed from the front side, and FIG. 9B is a view of the camera body viewed from the first side. It is. FIG. 10 is a partially broken view showing the internal configuration of the electronic camera according to the embodiment. FIG. 10A is a view of the camera body viewed from the back side, and FIG. 10B is a view of the camera body viewed from the second side surface. It is.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the camera body 310 of the electronic camera is housed in a vertically long case 311 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A photographing lens 201 for forming a subject image on a CCD 236 described later is provided above the first side surface 311b of the case 311. An objective window 202a of the optical viewfinder 202 is provided on the upper side of the photographing lens 201, and a release button 203 for instructing the start of photographing is provided on the lower side of the photographing lens 201. A strobe light emitting unit 204 is provided at the upper center of the front surface 311 c of the case 311. A cartridge storage chamber 205 is provided in the central portion of the front surface 311 c of the case 311.

  The cartridge storage chamber 205 is a flat space provided in a front region of the camera body 200 so that a main plane faces a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the photographing lens 201. The cartridge storage chamber 205 is provided so that an opening provided on the front surface of the case 311 can be opened and closed so that a paper cartridge CA storing print paper can be inserted and removed from the front surface of the case of the camera body 310. An open / close lid 205a is provided. A pocket-like cartridge holder 205b for accommodating and holding the paper cartridge CA is provided on the inner surface of the opening / closing lid 205a.

  Thus, by tilting the opening / closing lid 205a forward with respect to the camera body 310 as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1B, the upper end opening of the cartridge holder 205b faces obliquely upward. For this reason, the sheet cartridge CA can be inserted / removed obliquely from above. In addition to the plurality of photosensitive print sheets P, a print battery PB (described later) is built in the sheet cartridge CA in the second embodiment.

  An insertion slot for a card slot 206 for detachably loading a memory card MC is provided at the lower corner of the first side surface 311b of the case 311.

  A battery storage chamber 207 for storing the camera battery B is provided in a lower region of the photographing lens 201 adjacent to the cartridge storage chamber 205. The outer periphery of the case 311 corresponding to the outer periphery of the battery storage chamber 207 is the grip position of the camera body 310.

  As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, an image display LCD 208, a mode display LCD 209 that visually notifies the photographer of the use state of the electronic camera, and an optical viewfinder 202 on the back surface 311 e of the case 311. An eyepiece window 202b and an operation unit 210 for instructing various commands such as printing start are provided.

  The second side surface 311d of the case 311 is provided with a video output terminal 211, a digital data output terminal 212, and an external power input terminal 213 serving as a main power supply receiving port from the outside.

  The upper surface 311a of the case 311 is provided with a paper discharge port (not shown) for discharging the printed print paper P.

  As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, a paper discharge mechanism 220 is provided above the camera body 310. The paper discharge mechanism 220 pulls out the print paper P stored in the paper cartridge CA and sends it out from the paper discharge port of the case upper surface 311a. In the middle of this, a printer (not shown) exposes the photosensitive surface of the print paper P according to the photographed image, and then starts development.

  The sheet discharge mechanism 220 includes a spread roller 221, a feed roller 222, a drive motor 223, and a transmission unit 224 (spread roller gear 225 and feed roller gear 226 for transmitting the rotation of the drive motor 223 to the rollers 221 and 222. Including).

  An encoder disk 227 is attached to the rotation shaft of the feed roller 222, and the encoder 228 is disposed so as to sandwich both surfaces of the disk 227. The encoder 228 has a function of detecting the carry-out state of the print paper P from the rotation angle of the disk 227 and sending the information to a system computer 250 described later.

  A strobe control capacitor 229 is disposed on the back side of the battery storage chamber 207. The electric charge stored in the strobe control capacitor 229 is supplied to the strobe light emitting unit 204 as power for strobe light emission.

  In the rear region inside the camera body 310, three substrates, an imaging substrate 230, a digital substrate 231 and a printer substrate 232, are divided and incorporated so that various electronic circuits are arranged most efficiently. Yes. The imaging board 230 and the digital board 231 are connected via a connector 233, and the digital board 231 and the printer board 232 are connected via a connector 234.

  As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, an electro-optical conversion unit 235 of the printer is provided in an area sandwiched between the cartridge storage chamber 205, the digital substrate 231 and the image display LCD 208. . The electro-optic conversion unit 235 has a function of exposing an optical image corresponding to a captured image line by line on the photosensitive surface of the print paper P drawn from the paper cartridge CA.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram mainly showing the configuration of the electrical system of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the imaging substrate 230 has a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) 236 that converts an optical image of a subject captured by the photographing lens 201 into an electrical signal, and the electrical signal converted by the CCD 236 is converted into an RGB signal. An image pickup circuit 237 to be decomposed and an A / D converter 238 for converting an image signal decomposed by the image pickup circuit 237 into a digital signal are provided.

  The digital board 231 is provided with a system controller 250 that controls the entire electronic camera and various circuits connected to the system controller 250. The various circuits connected to the system controller 250 include an internal memory 251 that stores image data digitized by the A / D converter 238, an image processing circuit 252 that processes images, and a compression that compresses and expands images. An expansion circuit 253, an I / F (interface) 254 for sending image information compressed by the compression / expansion circuit 253 to the memory card MC, and an external I for exchanging image signals with the outside of the camera via the digital data output terminal 212 / F (interface) 255, a video output circuit 256 that converts an image signal into a video signal and outputs the video signal via the video output terminal 211 or supplies it to the image display LCD 208, a print image generation circuit 257 that generates a print image, Strobe control circuit (including a capacitor) 219, and the like.

  The system controller 250 is not directly mounted on the digital board 231, but is connected to the strobe light emitting unit 204 via the strobe control circuit 219, the mode display LCD 209, the release button 203, and the operation unit. 210 etc. are directly connected.

  The power supply unit 258 has a function of distributing and supplying power to the imaging board 230 and the digital board 231 (via the system controller 250). A camera battery B and an external power input terminal 213 built in the camera body 310 are connected to the power supply unit 258. The power supply unit 258 also has a function of charging the camera battery B.

  The printer board 232 is provided with a line memory 260 that stores image signals for each line, and a head control circuit 261 that controls light emission and the like of an optical head 270 described later based on the image signals from the line memory 260. ing. Further, the printer board 232 is provided with a drive control circuit 262 for carrying out the print paper P and a printer power supply unit 263. The printer power supply unit 263 receives power from a printer battery CB built in the paper cartridge CA, performs appropriate voltage conversion, and supplies power to each electronic circuit on the printer board 232.

  The electro-optic conversion unit 235 includes an optical head 270. The optical head 270 has a function of irradiating the print paper P with light based on the image signal to make it sensitized. The optical head 270 basically has the same configuration as the optical head 147 in the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  The electronic camera in the second embodiment configured as described above operates as follows. The operation of the electronic camera 10 in this embodiment can be divided into a shooting mode in which a subject is shot and recorded therein, and a print mode in which a recorded subject image is printed out.

  “Shooting Mode” When the photographer points the photographing lens 201 toward the subject and confirms the subject image with the optical viewfinder 202, when the release button 203 is pressed, the system controller 250 is activated to start the photographing operation. By setting the flash control circuit (capacitor) 219 to an operation standby state according to the ambient brightness state, the flash light emitting unit 204 operates in conjunction with the pressing operation of the release button 203, and appropriate illumination is directed toward the subject. Light is irradiated.

  The optical image of the subject captured by the photographing lens 201 is converted into an electric signal by the CCD 236. This electric signal is processed through the imaging circuit 237 and the A / D converter 238 to become a digital image signal, and is stored in the built-in memory 251. The image signal stored in the built-in memory 251 is compressed by the compression / decompression circuit 253 and then sent to the memory card MC via the I / F (interface) 254 for recording. Further, the signal is output from the digital output terminal 212 to the external circuit via the external I / F 255. Further, it is output from the video output terminal 211 to the external circuit via the video output circuit 256 or sent to the image display LCD 208.

  The operating state inside the electronic camera is notified to the photographer through the mode display LCD 209 via vision.

  When a print instruction is issued by the “print mode” operation unit 210, image information stored in the internal memory 251 is read in response to a control command from the system controller 250, and an RGB image signal is read by the print image generation circuit 257. 1 line is written into the line memory 260. The head control circuit 261 operates according to the image signal for one line written in the line memory 260, and drives the optical head 270. Thus, one line of exposure is performed on the print paper P.

  When the exposure for one line is completed, the next one line of image information is read out and exposure is performed in the same manner as described above. During the exposure of one screen, the print paper P is continuously fed by the spread roller 221 and the feed roller 222. Thereafter, the same operation is repeated to expose one screen, and the same development and the like as in the first embodiment are performed to complete image printing.

  In the above operation, the drive control circuit 262 receives a command from the system controller 250 and gives a control command to the paper discharge mechanism 220 at an appropriate timing. Therefore, the feed control of the print paper P is performed in synchronization with the exposure by the optical head 270. Also, a series of paper carry-out operations from the feeding operation to the developing and fixing process for the photosensitive print paper P and the discharge operation of the print paper P after the completion of the whole process to the outside of the camera body are driven by the print motor 223. This is performed by the spread roller 221 and the feed roller 222.

  Note that the above-described operation in the photographing mode and the operation in the print mode may be performed continuously or independently.

  By the way, in the electronic camera of the second embodiment, the cartridge storage chamber 205 is disposed in the center of the front side of the camera body 310, the paper discharge mechanism 220 is disposed in the upper portion of the cartridge storage chamber 205, and the electro-optic conversion unit 235 is provided. It is disposed on the back side of the cartridge storage chamber 205. The optical viewfinder 202 is disposed at the upper corner of the camera body 310 and at a position that does not overlap the cartridge housing chamber 205 in the thickness direction. The photographing lens 201 is below the optical viewfinder 202 and accommodates the cartridge. It arrange | positions in the position which does not overlap with the chamber 205 in thickness direction. Further, the battery storage chamber 207 is disposed below the photographing lens 201 and on the side of the cartridge storage chamber 205.

  For this reason, since the members with thickness do not overlap in the front-rear direction of the camera body 310, the camera body 310 can be thinned. In addition, since the periphery of the battery storage chamber 207 that accommodates the relatively heavy battery B is a grip, camera shake during shooting can be minimized.

  Further, a strobe light emitting unit 204 is provided in the center of the front surface of the camera body 310 at substantially the same position in the height direction of the camera body 310 with respect to the optical viewfinder 202. For this reason, the distance between the strobe light emitter 204 and the photographing lens 201 can be increased, and there is little risk of red-eye generation. Also, since the strobe light emitter 204 is positioned obliquely above the photographing lens 201, the photographing conditions are good.

  Furthermore, since the position of the strobe light emitter 204 is placed on the front surface of the paper discharge mechanism 220, the space utilization efficiency inside the case 311 is improved.

  The electro-optic conversion unit 235 has a substantially flat shape, and is arranged in parallel with the cartridge storage chamber 105b so that the upper side is above the upper part of the paper cartridge CA and the lower side is above the lower part of the paper cartridge CA. The exposure line emitted from the upper end of the optical head 270 can be irradiated to the print paper P in the paper discharge mechanism 220 without any trouble in the upper area of the cartridge storage chamber 205.

  Furthermore, since the card slot 206 is disposed below the electro-optic conversion unit 235 and in the space on the back side of the cartridge storage chamber 205, a more efficient layout can be achieved, and the camera body 310 can be downsized. it can.

  In addition, since the imaging board 230, the digital board 231 and the printer board 232 on which the electronic circuit is mounted are divided and arranged below the electro-optic conversion unit 235 and in the space on the back side of the cartridge storage chamber 205, it is efficient. Wiring and space are used, contributing to the miniaturization of the camera.

  As described above, according to the electronic camera of the present embodiment, the camera body 310 can be reduced in thickness and size while having a printer function. Accordingly, portability and operability are not impaired. In addition, camera shake of the photographer and red-eye phenomenon during flash photography can be reduced.

  Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications.

(Features in the second embodiment)
[1] The electronic camera shown in the second embodiment is a paper cartridge (CA) that is disposed at the center of the front surface (311c) of the camera body (310) and accommodates self-developing photosensitive print paper (P). The photosensitive print paper (P) is disposed in parallel to the front surface (311c) of the camera body (310), and is provided in the upper part of the cartridge storage chamber (205). Paper discharge means (220, 262) for discharging the photosensitive print paper (P) from the paper cartridge (CA) to the outside of the camera body (310), and a back surface (311e) of the cartridge storage chamber (205). An optical system (235.270) for sequentially performing exposure based on image signals on the photosensitive print paper (P) disposed on the side and conveyed by the paper carry-out means (220,262), and above the paper carry-out means (220,262) And provided on the upper surface (311a) of the camera body (310). A sheet discharge mechanism (220) for discharging the photosensitive print sheet (P) unloaded by the sheet unloading means (220, 262), and an upper corner portion of the camera body (310) and the cartridge storage chamber ( 205) and an optical viewfinder (202) arranged at a position not overlapping with the thickness direction, and below the optical viewfinder (202) and at a position not overlapping the cartridge storage chamber (205) in the thickness direction. A photographic lens unit (201) that forms a subject image on the image sensor (236), and is disposed adjacent to the cartridge storage chamber (205) and below the photographic lens unit (201), and a battery (B And a battery storage chamber (207) for storing the battery.

  [2] The electronic camera shown in the second embodiment is the electronic camera described in [1], in the center of the front surface (311c) of the camera body (310), and the optical viewfinder (202 ), A strobe light emitting section (204) is provided at substantially the same position in the height direction of the camera body (310).

  [3] The electronic camera shown in the second embodiment is the electronic camera described in [1], wherein the optical system (235.270) is formed in a substantially flat shape, and the cartridge storage chamber (205). The upper surface of the camera body (310) is positioned above the cartridge storage chamber (205) in the height direction of the camera body (310). The lower end is located below the cartridge storage chamber (205).

  [4] The electronic camera shown in the second embodiment is the electronic camera described in [3] above, below the optical system (235.270) and on the back surface of the cartridge storage chamber (205) ( A medium slot (206) in which a recording medium (MC) for recording the image signal is mounted is disposed on the 311e) side.

  [5] The electronic camera shown in the second embodiment is the electronic camera described in [3], and is located below the optical system (235.270) on the back surface (311e) side of the cartridge storage chamber (205). In addition, an electric board (230, 231 and 232) on which at least an electric part is mounted is arranged.

  [6] The electronic camera shown in the embodiment is characterized in that it includes contents appropriately combined with the matters described in [1] to [6].

  Although the present invention has been described based on the first to second embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Of course, it is possible.

  Further, the above-described embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent elements. For example, even if some constituent requirements are deleted from all the constituent requirements shown in the embodiment, the problem described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved, and the effect described in the column of the effect of the invention can be achieved. In the case of being obtained, a configuration from which this configuration requirement is deleted can also be extracted as an invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 110,310 ... Camera body, 111,311 ... Case, 112 ... Print paper discharge port, 115 ... Opening / closing lid, 116 ... Strobe light emitter, 117 ... Release button, 120 ... LCD, 130 ... Imaging part, 130A ... Imaging system, 131, 201 ... photographic lens 130B ... finder optical system, 140 ... main substrate, 141 ... cartridge housing chamber, 142, 206 ... card slot, 143, 205b ... cartridge holder, 147, 270 ... optical head, 160 ... printer, 202 ... Optical finder, 203 ... Release button, 204 ... Strobe light emitting unit, 205 ... Cartridge storage room, 205a ... Protective cover, 208 ... LCD for image display, 230 ... Imaging board, 231 ... Digital board 232 ... Printer board, 235 ... Electro-optical conversion Part, 236 ... CCD (Imaging device), CA: paper cartridge, P: photosensitive printing paper, MC: memory card, B: built-in battery for camera, CB: battery for printer.

Claims (3)

The camera body,
An imaging unit including an imaging lens that captures an optical image of a subject located in front of the camera body; and an imaging element that photoelectrically converts the optical image captured by the imaging lens to obtain image information;
An image display unit provided on a back surface of the camera body and displaying the image information;
A cartridge housing chamber comprising a flat space provided on the front surface of the camera body and having a main plane facing a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the imaging lens;
A paper carry-out means for pulling out the print paper from the paper cartridge housed in the cartridge housing chamber and carrying it out of the camera body during printing;
A printer that prints an image corresponding to the optical image captured by the imaging unit on the print paper drawn from the paper cartridge by the paper carry-out means;
Have
The electronic camera is disposed inside a camera body so as to be sandwiched between the cartridge storage chamber and the image display unit in a thickness direction of the camera body. The camera body is
The camera body provided with the cartridge storage chamber is configured in a vertically long shape having a rectangular parallelepiped shape so that the front surface thereof is the main surface thereof,
A paper discharge port provided on the peripheral surface of the camera body, for discharging printed paper on which a predetermined image is printed by the printer, to the outside of the camera body;
A paper carry-out means provided immediately below the paper discharge port;
The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising:   The electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein a strobe light emitting device that emits strobe light to a subject is provided on a front surface of the paper carry-out means.

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