JP2015068872A - Dial having lock mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dial having a lock mechanism that simplifies a lock release operation in the lock mechanism by semi-fixedly putting the lock mechanism into a lock release state.SOLUTION: The dial includes: a rotationally operational dial body 1; a lock member (dial lock plate) 7 for locking the rotation of the dial body 1 at a normal lock position; first lock releasing means (lock button) 2 that, when it is operated, moves the dial lock plate 7 from the lock position to a lock release position for releasing the rotation lock of the dial body 1; and second lock releasing means (lock lever) 3 for keeping the dial lock plate 7 at the lock release position.

Description

  The present invention relates to a dial provided with a lock mechanism for locking (locking) the rotational position of the dial, and more particularly to a dial provided with a lock release mechanism capable of releasing the lock.

  Some cameras and video cameras are provided with a mode dial for setting a shooting mode. For example, in a digital single-lens reflex camera, a mode dial that can be rotated is arranged on the upper cover (warship part) of the camera body, and the photographer can arbitrarily set the rotational position of the mode dial, Shooting modes such as aperture priority shooting and shutter speed priority shooting can be set. Conventionally, this mode dial has not been provided with a lock mechanism, so when external force is applied by touching the dial with another object while holding the camera, the mode dial is against the photographer's will. There has been a problem in that the dial is rotated and the rotational position changes to prevent desired photographing. In order to solve such a problem, a dial provided with a lock mechanism for locking the rotational position of the dial has been proposed. The technique of Patent Document 1 is an exposure correction dial that rotates to set an exposure correction value. A lock button of a lock mechanism is disposed at the center of the surface of the dial, and the lock is locked when the lock button is pressed. It is configured to be able to release and rotate the dial. As a dial having a lock mechanism similar to this, there is a technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, and the dial can be rotated by releasing the lock while pressing a button provided on a part of the surface of the mode dial. On the other hand, Patent Document 3 proposes a technique in which a lock lever capable of reciprocating in the circumferential direction is provided in a part of the dial, and the dial is locked and unlocked by the circumferential position of the lock lever.

JP 58-63886 A JP 2005-50637 A JP 2000-66264 A

The dials of the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2 are configured such that the lock cannot be released and the dial cannot be rotated unless a lock button disposed on a part of the dial surface is pressed. For this reason, it is necessary to always press the lock button when rotating the dial, which makes the operation troublesome. Since the mode dial of a DSLR camera is often placed at the upper left of the camera body when viewed from the back of the camera, the photographer must operate the dial with the left hand while holding the camera with the right hand. It is pointed out that it is difficult to rotate the dial while pressing the lock button. In particular, for some photographers who frequently take pictures while rotating the dial while checking the rotation position of the dial, the need for a dial lock mechanism is low, and rather a lock that is simple and easy to rotate. A dial with no mechanism is preferred.
In this regard, the technique of Patent Document 3 makes it easy to rotate the dial if the lock lever is set to the unlock position, and can satisfy the demands of some of the photographers described above. However, in the technology of Patent Document 3, it is necessary to operate the lock lever to the unlock position every time the dial is rotated, and when the lock lever is forgotten to be returned from the unlock position to the lock position, the dial as described above. May be moved unintentionally, and there is no point in having a lock mechanism.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a dial that has a lock mechanism that is semi-fixed in a lock-released state, thereby simplifying the lock release operation of the lock mechanism.

  The dial with a lock mechanism of the present invention includes a dial body that can be rotated, a lock member that locks the rotation of the dial body at a normal lock position, and a lock member that rotates the dial body from the lock position when operated. First unlocking means for moving to a lock release position for releasing the stop, and second lock release means for holding the lock member in the lock release position are provided. Here, the lock member is fixed in the rotation direction of the dial body and can move in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction, and the lock claw provided on one of the dial body and the lock member is fitted in the lock groove provided on the other side. Thus, the rotation of the dial body is locked.

  The first unlocking means according to the present invention is provided with a habit of returning to the initial position, and is configured as a lock button that moves the lock member in a direction perpendicular to the rotational direction when moved from the initial position. . The lock button is operated to move in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the dial body, the head protrudes from the surface of the dial body, and the lock member is moved to the unlocking position when pressed on the head. To do. In the present invention, a dial body that can be rotated, a lock member that can move between a lock position that locks the rotation of the dial body and a lock release position that allows the rotation, and the lock member that is locked from the lock position A first unlocking means for moving the unlocking position to the unlocking position; and a second unlocking means for holding the locking member at the unlocking position, wherein the first unlocking means and the second unlocking means rotate the dial body. It is preferable that the configuration be arranged near the center or near the dial body.

  The second unlocking means according to the present invention is configured as a lock lever capable of moving to at least the unlocking holding position that holds the unlocked state as the first form, and is moved to the unlocking holding position. The lock member is moved to the unlock position and held at the unlock position. The lock lever is provided with a cam mechanism that can be rotated in the same direction as the dial body and engageable with the lock member. When the lock lever is rotated to the unlocking holding position, the lock member is moved by the cam mechanism. It is configured to move and hold at the unlocked position.

  The 2nd lock release means in this invention is a structure which switches a lock member to a lock position and a lock release position alternately by the movement operation of a 1st lock release means as a 2nd form, and moves it. The rotor is moved together with the lock member by the movement of the first unlocking means and rotates in the rotation direction of the dial body, and the rotor moves the lock member to the lock position and the lock release position by changing the rotation position. It is the structure provided with a cam mechanism.

  The 2nd lock release means in this invention is a structure which latches a 1st lock release means in the position when a lock member is moved to the lock release position as a 3rd form. The first unlocking means can be pivoted around the moving direction, and includes a locking structure that holds the pivoted first unlocking means at the unlocked position.

  According to the present invention, the dial body can be unlocked by operating the first unlocking means to rotate the dial body. Therefore, by rotating the dial body while operating the first unlocking means and not operating the first unlocking means, the dial body is locked and the dial body is prevented from being rotated unexpectedly. This increases the reliability and safety of the dial operation. Further, by operating the second unlocking means, the dial body is unlocked and the unlocked state can be maintained. Thus, if the second unlock state is operated, the dial body can be rotated without performing the unlock operation thereafter, and the dial operability is improved.

  According to the present invention, since the first unlocking means is constituted by the lock button, the lock can be released by pressing the lock button, so that the dial body can be rotated while pressing the lock button, and the operability is improved. Is improved. Further, if the pressing of the lock button is canceled, the locked state can be restored.

  According to the first form of the second unlocking means of the present invention, if the lock lever as the second unlocking means is set to the unlocked position, the unlocked state can be semi-fixed. The dial body can be rotated without operating the first lock means, for example, the lock button.

  According to the second mode of the second unlocking means of the present invention, the first unlocking means, for example, the lock button can be set semi-fixed to the unlocked state and the locked state by repeatedly pressing the lock button. In addition, the setting operation to the unlocked state is easy, and the operability is improved.

  According to the 3rd form of the 2nd unlocking means of this invention, after setting a 1st unlocking means, for example, a lock button, to a lock release position, if this is pivoted, a lock release state will be semi-fixed. Therefore, the setting operation to the locked state and the unlocked state is easy, which improves the operability and is advantageous in reducing the number of parts.

The external view of the camera equipped with the dial of this invention. The top view of the dial of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the dial according to the first embodiment. Sectional drawing of the aa line of FIG. 2, and the bb line. FIG. 3 is a partial exploded perspective view of the dial locking mechanism according to the first embodiment. Sectional drawing explaining the lock | rock of the dial of Embodiment 1, and the operation | movement of lock release. FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of a dial according to a second embodiment. Sectional drawing explaining the lock | rock of the dial of Embodiment 2, and the operation | movement of lock release. The perspective view which fractured | ruptured a part of dial of Embodiment 3. FIG. FIG. 9 is a partial exploded perspective view of a main part of a dial according to a third embodiment. The perspective view which fractured | ruptured a part explaining the lock | rock of the dial of Embodiment 3, and the operation | movement of lock release.

(Embodiment 1)
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an embodiment in which the dial of the present invention is applied to a mode dial of a digital single lens reflex camera, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of a part of the camera of FIG. 1 including the mode dial. A mode dial MDL is arranged on the left side of the upper cover (warship part) CVR when viewed from the back side of the digital single-lens reflex camera CAM. This mode dial MDL has a dial body 1 formed in a substantially short cylindrical shape, and a mode indicator plate 11 on which indicators corresponding to a plurality of photographing modes are described is disposed on the upper surface of the dial body 1. ing. Examples of the index include “P” in the program shooting mode, “Av” in the aperture priority shooting mode, “Tv” in the shutter speed priority shooting mode, and the like. The peripheral surface of the dial body 1 is knurled, and the photographer can set the desired photographing mode by picking the peripheral surface with a finger and rotating the dial body 1. Further, the mode dial MDL is locked by a lock mechanism, which will be described in detail later, so that the dial body 1 is not rotated unexpectedly. By pressing the lock button 2 provided, it is possible to release the lock state and rotate the dial body 1 while the button is pressed. Further, a lock lever 3 that can be reciprocated in the circumferential direction is provided along the lower edge of the peripheral surface of the mode dial MDL. An operation piece 32 provided on a part of the circumference of the lock lever 3 is shown in FIG. By moving the lock mechanism from the lock position “LOCK” to the unlock position in the clockwise direction, it is possible to release the lock state of the lock mechanism and hold the lock state and the unlock state in a semi-fixed state. Has been. As will be understood from the following description, the lock button 2 is the first unlocking means of the present invention, and the lock lever 3 is the second unlocking means of the present invention.

  That is, in this mode dial MDL, when the operation piece 31 of the lock lever 3 is set to the lock position “LOCK”, the rotation of the dial body 1 is locked by the lock mechanism, and the dial body 1 receives an external force or other object. Even when it is touched, it is not rotated against the photographer's will, and erroneous mode setting is prevented. However, even in this state, when the lock button 2 is pressed, the lock is released and the dial 1 can be rotated to set the mode. Further, when the lock lever 3 is set from the locked position to the unlocked position, the mode can be set by rotating the dial body 1 without pressing the lock button 2. Therefore, a photographer who wishes to prevent an erroneous mode setting caused by the dial body 1 rotating unintentionally should set the lock lever 3 to the locked position. The dial body 1 is rotated while the lock button 2 is pressed. On the other hand, a photographer who thinks that it is troublesome to press the lock button 2 when rotating the dial body 1 sets the lock lever 3 to the unlocked position, so that the dial body 1 is not pressed without pressing the lock button 2. Rotation operation becomes possible.

  Details of the mode dial MDL will be described. FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the mode dial, and FIGS. 4A and 4B are sectional views taken along lines aa and bb in FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 4, the basic configuration of the mode dial MDL will be described. The above-mentioned upper cover CVR of the camera is provided with a circular opening H for disposing the mode dial MDL, and the parent plate 4 is supported by the camera body main body that does not appear in the figure inside the opening H. ing. A dial set screw 41 is inserted through the parent plate 4 from the lower side to the upper side at the center of the upper surface thereof, and the flexible circuit board 42 is fixedly supported. On the upper surface of the flexible circuit board 42, a code pattern 43 made of a plurality of arc-shaped conductive films is formed in a circular region centering on the dial set screw 41. The specific shape of the code pattern 43 is not shown.

  On the upper side of the parent plate 4, a dial bearing plate 5 is integrally supported by screws (not shown) with a predetermined vertical gap between the upper surface thereof. The dial bearing plate 5 is provided with a cylindrical bearing portion 51 at substantially the center in the plane direction, and the dial body 1 is rotatable in the horizontal direction with respect to the dial bearing plate 5 in the bearing portion 51. . That is, the dial body 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a predetermined diameter dimension whose peripheral surface is knurled, and the central region of the upper surface is recessed downward as a central concave portion, and from the lower surface of the central concave portion. A cylindrical boss portion 12 is integrally formed downward, and this cylindrical boss portion 12 is inserted in a state in which it can be rotated by the bearing portion 51. A lower end portion of the cylindrical boss portion 12 extends to the lower side of the dial bearing plate 5, and a click plate 44 formed in a petal plate shape and a brush plate 45 formed in a disk shape are formed on the lower end portion. They are integrally connected by the dial set screw 41. As a result, the click plate 44 and the brush plate 45 are rotated integrally with the dial body 1. Further, an annular indicator plate 11 on which a plurality of photographing mode indicators are written along the circumferential direction is integrally attached to the upper surface of the dial body 1.

  The click plate 44 is formed with radial cutouts 441 corresponding to a plurality of circumferential positions, that is, circumferential arrangement positions corresponding to a plurality of photographing modes set by the dial body 1. A click recess 451 corresponding to the notch 441 of the click plate 44 is formed on the upper surface of the brush plate 45. The notch 441 and the click recess 445 constitute a click mechanism together with the click ball 52 and the click spring 53 disposed on a part of the circumference of the lower surface of the dial bearing plate 5, and with the rotation of the dial body 1. When the click plate 44 and the brush plate 45 are rotated, the click ball 52 urged downward by the click spring 53 gets over the notch 441 and fits into the click recess 451, thereby the dial body. When the 1 is rotated, a click feeling corresponding to the setting positions of the plurality of shooting modes is generated. A dial brush 46 that supports a plurality of brush pieces 461 made of a conductive piece such as metal is supported on the lower surface of the brush plate 45. The dial brush 46 is slid in the circumferential direction on the surface of the flexible circuit board 42 as the brush plate 45 is rotated, and is electrically contacted with the code pattern 43 to thereby provide an electrical code signal corresponding to the photographing mode. Is output.

  According to such a basic configuration of the mode dial MDL, the dial body 1 is rotated by operating the dial body 1, that is, the click body 44, the brush plate 45, the click ball 52, and the click spring 53 cooperate with each other. It becomes possible to set 1 to a plurality of circumferential positions with a click feeling. Further, the brush plate 45 is rotated by the rotation of the dial body 1, and the dial brush 46 is slid on the code pattern 43 of the flexible circuit board 42 by this rotation, so that a code signal corresponding to the rotational position change is output. Therefore, by setting the click position generated by the rotation operation of the dial body 1 to a rotation position corresponding to a plurality of shooting modes and having a correspondence relationship between the rotation position and the code pattern 43, the code corresponding to the shooting mode is set. A signal can be output. Therefore, by inputting this code signal to a control circuit (not shown) built in the camera CAM, the control circuit can set the camera to a photographing mode corresponding to the rotational position of the dial body 1. That is, it can function as a mode dial.

  Next, the lock mechanism of the mode dial MDL described above will be described. FIG. 5 is a partially exploded view of the main part of the lock mechanism as viewed from below. Referring to FIGS. 5, 3, and 4, a lock spring 6 and a dial lock plate 7 are fitted to the bearing portion 51 of the dial bearing plate 5 in the lower region of the dial body 1. The lock spring 6 is composed of a compression coil spring, and the dial lock plate 7 is urged upward by the spring force of the lock spring 6. The dial lock plate 7 corresponds to the lock member of the present invention, and a plurality of lock grooves 71 made of triangular notches are arranged in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral edge. Further, a plurality of boss pieces 72 are formed on the inner peripheral edge of the dial lock plate 7 so as to protrude downward, and in this case, three boss pieces 72 divided into three in the circumferential direction are projected, and the outer surface of each boss piece 72 is unlocked. A pin 73 is formed to protrude in the outer diameter direction, and a contact piece 74 is formed to protrude in the inner diameter direction on the inner surface of each boss piece 72. Further, these three boss pieces 72 are respectively inserted from above into arc-shaped locking grooves 54 formed at three locations on the circumference of the dial bearing plate 5. The dial lock plate 7 is movable in the vertical direction with respect to the dial bearing plate 5 by the insertion structure, but is integrated in the circumferential direction. That is, the dial lock plate 7 is in a state in which the rotation is restricted.

  On the other hand, a lock claw 13 having a triangular shape toward the inner diameter direction is integrally formed on a part of the dial body 1 on the inner upper surface of the cylinder in the circumferential direction. The lock claw 13 has the same shape as the lock groove 71 formed in the dial lock plate 7 and is formed by increasing the thickness of the dial body 1 below a part of the upper surface inside the cylinder of the dial body 1. . When the dial lock plate 7 is moved upward, the lock claw 13 can be fitted into the lock groove 71 that is opposed to the vertical lock direction among the plurality of lock grooves 71 of the dial lock plate 7. Thus, when the lock claw 13 and the lock groove 71 are fitted in this way, the dial body 1 is integrated with the dial lock plate 7 in the circumferential direction. That is, since the dial lock plate 7 is locked in rotation, the dial body 1 is also locked in rotation.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a lock button 2 as a first unlocking means of the present invention is housed inside the central recess of the dial body 1. The lock button 2 has a central head inserted through the central hole of the indicator plate 11 and protrudes upward from the surface of the indicator plate 11 and is pressed by the photographer when unlocking. The lock button 2 is integrally formed with a pair of locking claws 21 projecting in the diameter direction and a blade piece 22 projecting in the diameter direction at a circumferential position different from the locking claws. A button spring 23 and a button presser 24 are disposed on 22. The button spring 23 is composed of a compression coil spring. The button retainer 24 has arcuate peripheral pieces 241 at two opposite positions in the circumferential direction, and a locking claw 21 provided on both sides of the lock button 2 and a hole 242 provided in the peripheral piece 241. By fitting, the lock button 2 is secured with respect to the button press 24 in the vertical direction. The lock button 2 is always urged downward by the button spring 23 with respect to the button press 24. The button spring 23 is set to a spring force smaller than the spring force of the lock spring 6, but the urging force of the button spring 23 causes the lock button 2 to have the lower surface of the wing piece 22 of the boss piece 72 of the dial lock plate 7. The abutting piece 74 formed on the inner surface is abutted from above. In this state, the head of the lock button 2 is projected from the top of the indicator plate 11. Further, the wing piece 22 of the lock button 2 is provided in a central recess of the dial body 1 and is inserted into a radial cutout groove 14 penetrating in the vertical direction. Thus, it is possible to move in the vertical direction with respect to the dial body 1 while maintaining the integrated state in the circumferential direction.

  On the other hand, between the upper and lower sides of the outer periphery of the dial bearing plate 5 and the dial body 1, the generally annular lock lever 3 constituting the second unlocking means of the present invention is interposed. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the operation piece 31 that protrudes to the outer diameter side of the dial body 1 is integrally formed on a part of the circumference of the lock lever 3. Can be operated to. The operation piece 31 is not shown in the figure because it is behind the dial lock plate 7 in FIG. Click recesses 32 are formed at two locations on the lower surface of the lock lever 3, and the click recesses 32 are formed by a click ball 55 and a click spring 56 disposed on a part of the periphery of the upper surface of the dial bearing plate 5. The click mechanism is configured in cooperation with As a result, when the lock lever 3 is rotated to the lock position and the unlock position, the click ball 55 urged upward by the click spring 56 is fitted into the click recess 32 to lock the lock lever 3. A click feeling is generated at each rotation position of the position and the unlocking position.

  Unlocking cams 33 corresponding to the unlocking pins 73 respectively provided on the three boss pieces 72 of the dial lock plate 7 are formed at three circumferential positions on the upper surface along the inner edge of the lock lever 3. The unlocking cam 33 has a base end portion connected to each part of the inner peripheral edge of the lock lever 3, and a distal end portion thereof is directed in the horizontal direction along the clockwise direction (when the lock lever 3 is viewed from above). Further, it is formed of a cantilever piece inclined obliquely upward. The lock release cam 33 is located at a position away from the lock release pin 73 in the circumferential direction when the lock lever 3 is turned to the lock position, but the lock lever 3 is turned to the lock release position. When this occurs, the lower surface of the unlocking cam 33 engages with the unlocking pin 73, forcibly moving the unlocking pin 73 downward along its own diagonal shape and horizontal shape, and the dial lock plate 7 integrated therewith is moved downward. Function to move to.

  The locking action and unlocking action of the lock mechanism having this configuration will be described with reference to the longitudinal sectional view of FIG. When the lock lever 3 is rotated to the lock position, the lock release cam 33 of the lock lever 3 is in a position not engaged with the lock release pin 73 as shown in FIG. At this time, the dial lock plate 7 is urged and moved upward by the spring force of the lock spring 6 and is brought into contact with the inner upper surface of the dial body 1. Therefore, the triangular lock claw 13 provided in a part of the inner surface of the dial body 1 in the circumferential direction has a lock groove 71 which is opposed to the lock groove 71 having the same shape as the dial lock plate 7. Fitted. Thereby, the dial body 1 is integrated with the dial lock plate 7 in the circumferential direction, and the dial lock plate 7 is locked to rotate by the dial bearing plate 5 as described above. It is locked and cannot be rotated, and the dial body 1 is not rotated unexpectedly.

  In this state, when the lock button 2 is pressed as shown in FIG. 6B, the dial lock plate 7 resists the spring force of the lock spring 6 through the contact piece 74 that is in contact with the wing piece 22 of the lock button 2. And pushed down. As a result, the lock groove 71 of the dial lock plate 7 is disengaged from the lock claw 13 on the inner upper surface of the dial body 1, and the circumferential integration of the dial body 1 and the dial lock plate 7 is eliminated. . Accordingly, the dial body 1 is unlocked and can be rotated by the photographer. As described above, a plurality of shooting modes can be set by rotating the dial body 1. Further, at this time, as described above, a click feeling can be obtained when the rotation is set to each photographing mode by the click mechanism using the click ball 52 or the like. Since the lock button 2 is urged upward by the lock spring 6 together with the dial lock plate 7, when the lock button 2 is released, the lock button 2 and the dial lock plate 7 are moved back upward and again locked with the lock claw 13 and lock. Needless to say, the dial body 1 is locked by fitting with the groove 71.

  On the other hand, when the lock lever 3 is rotated by a small angle clockwise in FIGS. 2 and 3 to the unlocked position in the locked state of FIG. The release cam 33 is also rotated in the same direction, and the lock release cam 33 located on the right side in FIG. 6A is moved in the left direction in FIG. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6C, the lock release cam 33 engages with the lock release pin 73 of the dial lock plate 7, and the lock release pin along the oblique shape and the horizontal shape of the lower surface of the lock release cam 33. 73 is forcibly moved downward, and the dial lock plate 7 integrated therewith is moved downward. Due to the downward movement of the dial lock plate 7, the lock groove 71 of the dial lock plate 7 is disengaged from the lock claw 13 on the inner upper surface of the dial body 1 in the same manner as when the lock button 2 is pressed. The integrated state in the circumferential direction of the body 1 and the dial lock plate 7 is eliminated. As a result, the dial body 1 is unlocked and can be rotated by the photographer. When the lock lever 3 is rotated to the lock position and the lock release position, a click feeling is obtained by a click mechanism using the click ball 55 or the like. Further, since the lock lever 3 is set in a semi-fixed state at each of the lock position and the lock release position, the lock release state of the dial body 1 is maintained as long as the lock lever 3 is set at the lock release position. Become.

  As described above, the mode dial MDL of the first embodiment maintains the unlocked state while the lock button 2 is pressed, and the dial body 1 can be rotated. Further, if the lock lever 3 is set to the unlocked position even when the lock button 2 is not pressed, the unlocked state is held semi-fixed as long as the unlocked position is set, and the dial body 1 rotation operation becomes possible. Therefore, as described above, a photographer who desires to prevent an erroneous mode setting caused by the mode dial MDL turning unintentionally may set the lock lever 3 at the lock position. The dial body 1 is rotated while the lock button 2 is pressed. On the other hand, a photographer who thinks that it is troublesome to press the lock button 2 when rotating the mode dial MDL can set the lock lever 3 to the unlocking position without pressing the lock button 2 thereafter. The mode dial MDL can be rotated.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view of the mode dial according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 8A and 8B are longitudinal sectional views of the locked state and the unlocked state. In the second embodiment, the lock button 2 as the first unlocking means of the present invention is the same as in the first embodiment, but the lock lever 3 of the first embodiment is used as the second unlocking means of the present invention. Is not prepared. Here, as the second unlocking means, there is provided a mechanism configured to switch between the locked state and the unlocked state each time the operation of pressing the lock button 2 as the first unlocking means is repeated, and to maintain these states. ing. Components equivalent to those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 7, the dial bearing plate 5 is fixed to a camera body that does not appear in the drawing as in the first embodiment, and a click plate 44 and a brush plate 45 are similarly provided on the dial bearing plate 5 with a dial set screw. 41 is fixed to the dial body 1 and is rotated integrally with the dial body 1. As described in the first embodiment, the brush plate 44 is provided with a brush that slides on a code pattern provided on the flexible circuit board and a click mechanism that generates a click feeling as the dial body 1 rotates. However, illustration is omitted here.

  In the second unlocking means of the second embodiment, a cylindrical bearing portion 51 is erected at the center position of the upper surface of the dial bearing body 5, and a cam 57 is formed on the peripheral surface of the bearing portion 51. ing. This cam is formed as a saw-tooth cam 57 whose edge is serrated along the circumferential direction. Here, the arrangement pitch of the saw-tooth cams 57 is made equal to the arrangement pitch of the photographing mode set by the dial body 1, but this arrangement pitch can be arbitrarily set. The saw-tooth cam 57 is configured as a missing portion 57a in which the cam is missing every other circumferential direction. A lock spring 6 is fitted on the outer periphery of the bearing portion 51, and a rotor 8 and a dial lock plate 7 are sequentially placed on the lock spring 6. The rotor 8 and the dial lock plate 7 are placed by the lock spring 6. It is biased upward. The rotor 8 is formed in a short cylindrical shape having an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the bearing portion 51, and triangular teeth 81 are formed on the upper edge thereof at an arrangement pitch equal to the saw-tooth cam 57 along the circumferential direction. In addition, a cam projection 82 that is engaged with the saw-tooth cam 57 is integrally formed on a part of the circumference of the inner peripheral surface thereof.

  On the upper surface of the dial bearing plate 5, arc walls 58 are erected at three locations in the circumferential direction surrounding the bearing portion 51, and the dial lock plate 7 is placed in the circumferential gap of these arc walls 58. A boss piece 72 that protrudes downward from the lower surface is inserted. As a result, the dial lock plate 7 is movable in the vertical direction with respect to the dial bearing plate 5, but is integrated in the circumferential direction, and the dial lock plate 7 is locked in rotation. A vertical groove 75 provided in the boss piece 72 is engaged with a protrusion (not shown) provided in the dial bearing plate 5 so that the dial lock plate 7 can be moved in the vertical direction. . A plurality of lock grooves 71 are formed on the circumference of the dial lock plate 7 at equal pitches to the triangular teeth 81 and the saw-tooth cams 571, respectively, and are formed on the inner upper surface of the dial body 1 as in the first embodiment. The dial body 1 is brought into the locked state by being fitted to the lock claw (the lock claw 13 of the first embodiment, not shown here). Further, a pressing piece 74 is formed on the inner surface of the boss piece 72 of the dial lock plate 7 so as to contact the triangular tooth 81 of the rotor 8 from above and press the rotor 8 downward. The lower surface of the lock button 2 is in contact with the upper surface of the dial lock plate 7 as in the first embodiment, and the dial lock plate 7 is integrally pushed down when the lock button 2 is pressed. ing.

  In the lock mechanism of the second embodiment, when the lock button 2 is not pressed, the dial lock plate 7 is moved upward by the urging force of the lock spring 6 as shown in FIG. The lock claw 13 of the body 1 is fitted. Thereby, the dial body 1 is locked by the dial lock plate 7 and is locked. When the lock button 2 is pressed, a force that moves downward is applied to the dial lock plate 7 as shown in FIG. At this time, since the cam projection 82 of the rotor 8 is at a rotational position corresponding to the missing portion 57a of the saw-tooth cam 57, the rotor 8 is in a state in which it can move downward. Accordingly, when the lock button 2 is pressed, the dial lock plate 7 and the rotor 8 are moved downward against the urging force of the lock spring 6, and the lock groove 71 of the dial lock plate 7 is engaged with the lock claw 13 of the dial body 1. Deviate from. Therefore, the dial body 1 is unlocked by the dial lock plate 7 and is unlocked.

  On the other hand, when the lock button 2 is pressed, the pressing piece 74 of the dial lock plate 7 comes into contact with the triangular tooth 81 of the rotor 8, and the rotor is caused by the taper action (wedge action) at the triangular tooth 81 in this contact. 8 is rotated by a half pitch dimension in the circumferential direction of the triangular tooth 81. Thereafter, when the pressing of the lock button 2 is released, the lock button 2 is returned to the upper side by the spring force of the lock spring 6, and by this return, the rotor 8 is further rotated by one pitch dimension of the triangular tooth 81. The cam protrusion 82 is moved from the missing portion 57 a of the sawtooth cam 57 of the dial bearing plate 5 to a position where it abuts on the sawtooth cam 57. Therefore, the engagement between the cam projection 82 and the saw-tooth cam 57 brings the rotor 8 into a state where the upward complete return movement is locked. At the same time, the dial lock plate 7 is also held in the downward movement position. As a result, the engagement between the lock groove 71 of the dial lock plate 7 and the lock claw 13 of the dial body 1 is released, and the unlocked state is maintained.

  When the lock button 2 is pressed again from this state, the dial lock plate 7 is slightly moved downward, the pressing piece 74 comes into contact with the triangular tooth 81 of the rotor 8, and the rotor 8 is moved by the taper action at the triangular tooth 81. Furthermore, the triangular tooth 81 is rotated by one pitch. Therefore, the cam projection 82 on the inner surface of the rotor 8 is now moved from the saw-tooth cam 57 to the defective portion 57a, and the rotor 8 is released from the upward locking state. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8A, the rotor 8 and the dial lock plate 7 are moved upward by the spring force of the lock spring 6, and the lock groove 71 of the dial lock plate 7 is again applied to the lock claw 13 of the dial body 1. As a result, the dial body 1 is locked. At this time, the lock button 2 is returned to the initial height position.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the dial lock plate 7 is held at the downward movement position by one pressing operation of the lock button 2 and the unlocked state of the dial body 1 is held. By the next pressing operation of the lock button, the dial lock plate 7 is returned to the upward movement position, and the rotation of the dial body 1 is brought into the locked state. Therefore, as described above, a photographer who desires to prevent an erroneous mode setting due to the mode dial MDL rotating unintentionally, presses the lock button 2 once to release the locked state and dials. When the body 1 is rotated and this rotation operation is completed, the lock button 2 is pressed again to return the lock button 2 to the initial position and set to the locked state. On the other hand, if the photographer thinks that it is troublesome to press the lock button 2 when rotating the mode dial MDL, if the user presses the lock button 2 once to set the lock release state, the lock button 2 is set thereafter. The dial body 1 can be rotated without operating.

  In the second embodiment, since the lock lever 3 of the first embodiment is not necessary, the space for disposing the mode dial MDL in the camera can be reduced. In addition, the locked state and the unlocked state can be set only by pressing the lock button 2, and the unlocked state can be maintained, so that the operability is excellent.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 9 is a perspective view in which a part of the mode dial according to the third embodiment of the present invention is broken, and FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the main part thereof. The third embodiment includes the lock button 2 as the first unlocking means for switching between the locked state and the unlocked state as in the first and second embodiments. However, as the second unlocking means, the lock button 2 is provided. The lock is released by rotating the shaft around the axis. Components equivalent to those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the third embodiment, the configurations of the dial body 1 and the dial lock plate 7 are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment. Further, the configuration of other parts is almost the same as that of the first embodiment. The configuration of the second unlocking means characterized in the third embodiment is that the lock button 2 is held at the center position of the dial body 1 by the button press 24, but here, the lock button 2 is provided with a blade piece. Therefore, the axis rotation operation is possible within the button press 24 by a small angle in the direction around the axis, for example, about 20 to 30 °. In order to enable this rotation operation, for example, the top surface of the lock button 2 is knurled. A locking projection 25 is integrally formed to project in the radial direction at one location on the peripheral surface near the lower end of the lock button 2. Further, the button presser 24 is formed with a notch in a locking groove 243 into which the locking protrusion 25 can enter in the circumferential direction in a part of one of the two peripheral pieces 241. The engaging groove 243 is engaged with the engaging protrusion 25 in the axial direction when the engaging protrusion 25 is introduced in the circumferential direction, and the engaging protrusion 25 and the lock button 2 are moved upward. It is provided to stop.

  In the lock mechanism of the third embodiment, when the lock button 2 is not pressed, as shown in FIG. 9, the dial lock plate 7 is moved upward by the urging force of the lock spring not shown in the drawing, and the lock groove 71 is fitted to the lock claw 13 of the dial body 1. Thereby, the dial body 1 is locked by the dial lock plate 7 and is locked. When the lock button 2 is pressed, the dial lock plate 7 is moved downward by the lock button 2 and the lock groove 71 of the dial lock plate 7 is engaged with the lock claw 13 of the dial body 1 as shown in FIG. Deviate from. Therefore, the dial body 1 is unlocked by the dial lock plate 7 and is unlocked.

  In this state, when the lock button is pivoted clockwise by a small angle as shown in FIG. 11B, the locking projection 25 of the lock button 2 is moved in the clockwise direction, and the locking groove 243 of the button press 24 is moved. The locking groove 243 and the locking projection 25 are engaged in the axial direction. As a result, the lock button 2 is held in the pressed down position, and the dial lock plate 7 is held in the down position integrally with this, and the unlocked state of the dial body 1 by the lock groove 71 and the lock claw 13 is held. Is done.

  From this state, when the lock button 2 is pivoted counterclockwise by a small angle, the locking protrusion 25 of the lock button 2 is moved counterclockwise as shown in FIG. It is detached from the locking groove 243. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the lock button 2 is moved up to the initial state by the spring force of the lock spring, and the dial lock plate 7 is also moved up integrally therewith. Accordingly, the lock groove 71 of the dial lock plate 7 is again fitted into the lock claw 13 of the dial body 1, and the dial body 1 is locked.

  As described above, in the third embodiment, when the lock button 2 is pressed, the dial lock plate 7 is moved downward to be in the unlocked state, and the unlocked state is maintained by rotating the lock button 2 in this state. The The lock button 2 is returned by rotating the lock button 2 in the opposite direction, and the dial lock plate 7 is moved up to be in the locked state. Therefore, as described above, a photographer who desires to prevent an erroneous mode setting due to the mode dial MDL rotating unintentionally, presses the lock button 2 and releases the locked state. It is only necessary to release the lock button 2 after the rotation operation is completed and the rotation operation is completed. As a result, the dial body 1 is locked. On the other hand, a photographer who thinks that it is troublesome to press the lock button 2 when rotating the mode dial MDL, presses the lock button 2 once to enter the unlocked state, and then operates the lock button 2 to rotate the shaft. Then, the unlocked state can be maintained, and thereafter, the dial body 1 can be rotated without operating the lock button 2.

  In the third embodiment, the lock lever 3 of the first embodiment is not required, and the rotor 8 of the second embodiment is not required. Therefore, the structure can be simplified and the size can be reduced, and the mode dial MDL in the camera can be arranged. Installation space can be reduced. In addition, the locked state and the unlocked state can be set by pressing the lock button 2, and the unlocked state can be maintained by the pivoting operation of the lock button 2, so that the operability is excellent.

  The dial of the present invention is not limited to the mode setting dial of the camera as described in the embodiment, and can be applied to any dial that requires the dial rotation position to be locked. Further, the present invention can be applied to any dial as long as the dial can be set at at least two rotational positions, and is not limited to the dial set at a large number of rotational positions described in the embodiment. .

  In the first to third embodiments, the first unlocking means in the present invention is configured by a lock button, and the second unlocking means is configured by a lock lever or a lock button. It is not limited to the form, and appropriate modifications are possible. Moreover, in each embodiment, although the locking member in this invention is comprised with the plate-shaped dial lock board, what is necessary is just a member of the structure by which a rotation position is latched, and as necessarily described in embodiment. It may not be a plate-shaped member.

  The present invention is effective when employed in a dial having a lock mechanism for locking the rotational position of the dial.

CAM Camera CVR Top cover MDL Mode dial 1 Dial body 2 Lock button (first unlocking means)
3 Lock lever (second unlocking means)
4 Dial master plate 5 Dial bearing plate 6 Lock spring 7 Dial lock plate 8 Rotor 11 Indicator plate 13 Lock claw 23 Button spring 25 Locking protrusion 31 Operation piece 33 Lock release cam 44 Click plate 45 Brush plate 71 Lock groove 73 Lock release pin 243 Locking groove

Claims (14)

  A dial body that can be rotated, a lock member that locks the rotation of the dial body at a normal lock position, and a lock that releases the rotation lock of the dial body from the lock position when operated. A dial with a lock mechanism, comprising: a first lock release means for moving the lock member to a release position; and a second lock release means for holding the lock member at the lock release position.   The lock member is fixed in the rotation direction of the dial body and can move in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction, and a lock claw provided on one of the dial body and the lock member is fitted in a lock groove provided on the other side. The dial with a lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the dial body is configured to lock the rotation of the dial body.   The first lock release means is given a return habit to the initial position, and is configured as a lock button that moves the lock member in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction when operated to move from the initial position. The dial with a lock mechanism according to claim 2.   The lock button is operated to move in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the dial body, the head projects from the surface of the dial body, and the lock member is moved to the unlocking position when pressed on the head. The dial with a lock mechanism according to claim 3.   The second unlocking means is configured as a lock lever capable of moving to at least the unlocking holding position that holds the unlocked state, and when the second unlocking means is moved to the unlocking holding position, the lock member is moved to the unlocking holding position. The dial with a lock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the dial is moved to a lock release position and held at the lock release position.   The lock lever includes a cam mechanism that can be rotated in the same direction as the dial body and engageable with the lock member. When the lock lever is rotated to the unlocking holding position, The dial with a lock mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the lock member is moved and held at the unlock position.   5. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the second lock release means is configured to move the lock member alternately between a lock position and a lock release position by a movement operation of the first lock release means. Dial with lock mechanism as described in Crab.   The first unlocking means is a lock button, and includes a rotor that is moved together with the lock member by the movement of the lock button and that rotates in a rotation direction of the dial body, and the rotor is changed by a change in a rotation position. The dial with a lock mechanism according to claim 7, further comprising a cam mechanism that moves the lock member to a lock position and a lock release position.   5. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the second unlocking unit is configured to lock the first unlocking unit at a position when the locking member is moved to the unlocking position. Dial with locking mechanism as described.   The first unlocking means can be pivoted around a moving direction, and the second unlocking means has a locking structure for holding the pivoted first unlocking means at the unlocked position. The dial with a lock mechanism according to claim 9.   A dial body that can be rotated, a lock member that can move between a lock position that locks the rotation of the dial body and an unlock position that allows rotation, and the lock member that moves from the lock position to the lock release position A first unlocking means; and a second unlocking means for holding the locking member in the unlocked position, wherein the first unlocking means and the second unlocking means are near the center of rotation of the dial body or the dial. A dial with a lock mechanism, which is disposed near the body.   12. The dial with a lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the dial body is a mode setting dial of an optical device including a camera.   The dial with a lock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising: a code pattern for detecting a rotational position of the dial body as an electric signal and a conductive brush. The dial with a lock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a click mechanism corresponding to a rotational position of the dial body.

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