JP3221400B2 - Electronic camera device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic camera device for recording a subject image as a still image or a moving image in a relatively short time, and provides a specific structure which is easy to use and which can be downsized. It is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, using a semiconductor memory or a disk-shaped recording medium as a storage memory, a video signal of a subject image picked up by an image pickup means is recorded as a still image or a moving image of a relatively short time. Camera devices have been put to practical use.

[0003]

This electronic camera device is a product which is strongly desired to be reduced in size and weight in order to be carried for the purpose of use. As a result, there has been a tendency for the convenience of use to be sacrificed in the past. was there. An object of the present invention is to provide a specific configuration that can be reduced in size while being carried while reducing the deterioration of usability.

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic camera apparatus comprising: a first housing in which imaging means including a lens is housed;
A second housing slidably attached to the back surface of the first housing so that one end thereof can take a protruding position protruding from an edge of the first housing; A second housing is provided with display means for displaying a video signal imaged by the imaging means, and the first housing of the second housing is located when the second housing is located at the projecting position. The strobe is arranged on a protruding portion protruding from the housing, and the imaging means is provided on the back surface of the first housing which is opened with the sliding movement of the second housing to the protruding position. Operation buttons for operating the above operation are arranged.

According to the above arrangement, the display means requiring a relatively large area is arranged in the second housing slidably mounted on the back surface of the first housing, and the use of the electronic camera device is improved. Occasionally, the second housing slides to a protruding position where one end of the second housing protrudes from an edge of the first housing, thereby substantially increasing the surface area of the electronic camera device and improving the usability. When not in use, the surface area is substantially reduced when not in use, making it portable.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (Embodiments) Embodiments of the present invention described in claims 1 and 2 of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1, 2, and 3
4 and FIG. 4 are a front view, a side view, a rear view, and a side view of a non-use state of the electronic camera device according to the embodiment of the present invention in a use state, respectively.

In these drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a first housing, which has a shape in which a substantially half of the back surface of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped is cut off to form a stepped portion 1a. An imaging means for imaging a subject and converting it into a video signal is housed inside the first housing 1, and a lens 2 of the imaging means is arranged on a surface of the first housing 1. .

Reference numeral 3 denotes a rectangular parallelepiped second housing, which is formed on the back surface of the first housing 1 so that one end thereof can take a projecting position protruding from an edge of the first housing 1. Is slidably mounted on the stepped portion 1a. Display means 4 for selectively displaying a video signal captured by the image capturing means and a reproduced video signal reproduced from the storage memory is provided on a rear surface of the second housing 3. When the second housing 3 is slid and moved to a protruding position where one end of the second housing 3 protrudes from an edge of the first housing 1, the first housing 1 of the second housing 3 is moved. As shown in FIG. 1, a strobe 5 and a microphone 6 for recording sound are provided on the surface of the portion protruding from the edge.

The strobe 5 and the microphone 6 are formed on the back surface of the first housing 1 as shown in FIG. 4 when the second housing 3 is moved from the projecting position to the original storage position. It is configured to be covered by the stepped portion 1a.

When the second housing 3 is slid to the projecting position, the second housing 3 is opened with the sliding movement of the second housing 3 to the projecting position. As shown in FIG. 3, operation knobs necessary for a recording operation such as a shutter button 7a for operating the operation of the image pickup means and a still / moving image switching button 7b are arranged on the back surface of one housing 1. The shutter button 7a and the still / moving image switching button 7b are covered by the second housing 3 as shown in FIG. 4 when the second housing 3 is moved from the protruding position to the original storage position. Is configured.

Further, when the second housing 3 is slid from the storage position to the protruding position, the power is automatically turned on and the recording mode is set to a recordable mode. Conversely, the power supply is automatically cut off when the sliding movement is performed from the projecting position to the storage position. Further, in order to protect the lens 2, an openable / closable protection cover for covering the front surface of the lens 2 is provided, and the protection cover is automatically opened in conjunction with the sliding movement from the storage position to the protruding position. It is configured to be opened and closed by sliding movement from the protruding position to the storage position.

With this configuration, the recording mode is set to a recordable mode promptly by the movement of the second casing 3, and the forgetting to turn off the power, opening the protective cover, and forgetting to close the protective cover are eliminated. is there.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a lock release button for unlocking the second housing 3 locked at the protruding position and the storage position to enable sliding movement, and 9 denotes a zoom operation of the imaging means. Buttons 10 are operation buttons such as a reproduction operation button.

According to the above arrangement, the display means requiring a relatively large area is arranged in the second housing slidably mounted on the back side of the first housing, and the electronic camera device has During use, the surface of the electronic camera device is substantially increased by sliding the second housing to a protruding position at which one end thereof protrudes from an edge of the first housing. When not in use, the surface area is substantially reduced to make it easier to carry.

When not in use, the strobe 5, the microphone 6, the shutter button 7a, the still / moving image switching button 7b, and the like are covered by the first housing and the second housing, respectively. It does not hit or catch on other objects, and is convenient for carrying.

[0016]

As described above, in the electronic camera device of the present invention, when used, the surface area of the electronic camera device is substantially increased to improve the usability, and when not in use, the surface area is substantially reduced. Since it is configured to be small and to accommodate the strobe and operation knob inside, it is convenient to carry.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exemplary front view of a use state of an electronic camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the use state of the electronic camera device.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the use state of the electronic camera device.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the electronic camera device in an unused state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 first housing 2 lens 3 second housing 4 display means 5 strobe 6 microphone 7a shutter button 7a 7b still / moving image switching button 7b

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-10-93849 (JP, A) JP-A-10-56586 (JP, A) JP-A-10-91114 (JP, A) JP-A-4- 166822 (JP, A) JP-A-63-115147 (JP, A) JP-A-62-283781 (JP, A) JP-A-10-23321 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 5/222-5/247

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A first housing in which imaging means including a lens is housed; and a first housing having an end protruding from an edge of the first housing. A second housing slidably attached to the back surface side, and a display means for projecting a video signal imaged by the imaging means is provided on the second housing; When the housing is located at the protruding position, a strobe is arranged on a protruding portion of the second housing that protrudes from the first housing, and
An electronic device, comprising: an operation button for operating an operation of the image pickup means on a rear surface portion of the first housing that is opened with sliding movement of the second housing to the protruding position. Camera device. 2. A power supply is automatically turned on when the second housing is moved to the projecting position, a recording mode is set to a recordable mode, and a movement in a reverse direction from the projecting position is performed. 2. The electronic camera device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply is turned off.