JP3918187B2 - Digital camera - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a digital camera, and more particularly to a card type digital camera in which a photographing lens pops up.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a card-type digital camera having a PC card size has been proposed (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-248029).
[0003]
In this card type digital camera, a lens unit for holding a photographic lens can be freely moved in and out of the camera main body, and is popped up from the camera main body at the time of photographing to ensure the optical path length between the photographic lens and the image sensor. Further, when not in use, the lens unit is housed in the camera body so that the entire camera has a card shape so that it can be housed without being bulky in a pocket or the like.
[0004]
Further, the lens unit holds only the photographing lens and is configured to pop up by the biasing force of a plurality of coil springs.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in order to pop up the lens part satisfactorily, it is necessary to provide a plurality of coil springs so that the urging force works equally in the direction of popping up the lens part.
[0006]
In particular, when the objective lens of the optical finder is arranged in parallel with the lens unit, it is necessary to pop up the lens unit while maintaining the parallel state of the lens unit holding the photographing lens and the objective lens. Placement needs to be considered.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and the lens portion holding the photographing lens and the objective lens of the optical viewfinder is popped up well from the camera body by a minimum number of coil springs while maintaining a parallel state. It is an object of the present invention to provide a digital camera that can be made to have a minimum coil coil installation space.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 includes a camera body provided with an eyepiece of an image sensor and an optical finder, a lens unit for holding an objective lens of the photographing lens and the optical finder, and the lens unit. In a digital camera having a pop-up mechanism for projecting and retracting from the camera body, first, second, and third coil springs for pushing up the lens unit are provided between the camera body and the lens unit, and the first The coil springs are arranged so as to surround the periphery of the optical path from the photographing lens to the image sensor, and the second and third coil springs are arranged at corners of the lens unit on the opposite side to the photographing lens, respectively. It is characterized by being.
[0009]
That is, the lens unit that holds the photographing lens and the objective lens of the optical viewfinder is popped up by three coil springs (the first, second, and third coil springs). Since the photographing lens is circular, one coil spring (first coil spring) is arranged so as to surround the periphery of the optical path from the photographing lens to the image sensor. On the other hand, since the objective lens and eyepiece lens of the optical viewfinder are rectangular, two coil springs (second and third coil springs) are arranged at the corners of the lens part on the opposite side to the photographing lens. Yes. The three coil springs balance the urging force in the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the lens unit.
[0010]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power switch that is turned on / off in conjunction with the movement of the lens unit.
[0011]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the power switch is a leaf switch that is turned on / off by a lower end surface of the lens unit, and the urging forces of the second and third coil springs are different from each other, and are on the same side as the leaf switch. The urging force of the coil spring in the coil is weaker than the urging force of the coil spring on the opposite side.
[0012]
That is, the biasing force of the second and third coil springs is differentiated in consideration of the biasing force of the leaf switch, and the biasing force against the lens unit is balanced when the lens unit pops up.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a digital camera according to the present invention will be described in detail according to the accompanying drawings.
[0014]
1 to 4 are a front view, a rear view, a right side view, and a left side view, respectively, showing the appearance of the digital camera according to the present invention.
[0015]
The digital camera 10 shown in these drawings is a card type digital camera having a thickness of 6 mm, and is composed of a camera body 12 and a lens unit 20.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 1, a lens unit 20 that holds a photographing lens 22 and an objective lens 24 of an optical finder (inverse galerio finder) is provided on the front surface of the camera body 12 so as to be able to appear and retract.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 2, an eyepiece 26 of an optical finder, a liquid crystal display unit 30, an image quality switching / image erasing button 32, and a beep sound ON / OFF button 34 are provided on the back of the camera body 12. The liquid crystal display unit 30 displays the number of shots, the image quality (640 × 480 pixels / 320 × 240 pixels), the remaining battery level, the presence or absence of a beep, and the like.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 3, a lens pop-up switch 40 for popping up the lens unit 20 is provided on the right side surface (side surface opposite to the grip) of the camera main body 12, and as shown in FIG. A digital (USB) terminal 42 and a strap attaching portion 44 are provided on the left side surface (side surface on the grip side). Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a shutter button 50 is provided on the upper surface of the camera body 12.
[0019]
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the digital camera 10 as viewed from the front, and shows a state in which the lens unit 20 is popped up.
[0020]
The exterior body of the digital camera 10 is formed of a metal (aluminum) front cover 60 and a rear cover 62.
[0021]
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the inside of the front cover 60. As shown in the figure, the front cover 60 is formed with an opening 60A for the lens portion 20 to appear and disappear, and a light shielding rubber 64 is stuck around the opening 60A. The opening 64A of the light shielding rubber 64 is formed to be slightly smaller than the opening 60A formed in the front cover 60, and is always in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lens portion 20 with elasticity as will be described later. . 1 and 6, reference numeral 60 </ b> B is an unevenness that becomes a finger hook when gripping.
[0022]
Next, the internal structure of the digital camera 10 will be described.
[0023]
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the camera body with the front cover 60 and the lens unit 20 removed from the digital camera 10, and FIG. 8 shows the lens unit 20 and the camera body side on which the lens unit 20 can be mounted and retracted. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the lens unit 20 as viewed from the inside.
[0024]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an image sensor (CMOS image sensor) 72 and an eyepiece 26 of an optical finder are attached to a plastic main frame portion 70. The main frame portion 70 is formed with a light shielding wall 70A surrounding the front periphery of the CMOS image sensor 72, and an inner rubber 74 made of a light shielding member is loaded in the light shielding wall 70A as shown in FIG. Is done.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 8, the inner rubber 74 has a flange portion 74 </ b> A formed on the top surface and an opening 74 </ b> B facing the CMOS image sensor 72 at the center portion. The flange portion 74A is formed slightly larger than the outer periphery of the light shielding wall 70A, and is always in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the lens portion 20 with elasticity.
[0026]
Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a light shielding wall 70 </ b> B that separates the CMOS image sensor 72 side and the eyepiece lens 26 side is integrally formed in the main frame portion 70.
[0027]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, light shielding walls 20A and 20B for separating the photographing lens 22 and the objective lens 24 of the optical viewfinder are integrally formed of plastic inside the lens unit 20. These light shielding walls 20A and 20B are located between the light shielding walls 70A and 70B of the main frame portion 70 on the camera body side, and the light incident from the optical viewfinder by both the light shielding walls does not enter the CMOS image sensor 72. I am doing so.
[0028]
Next, a pop-up mechanism that pops up the lens unit 20 will be described.
[0029]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, three coil springs 81, 82, and 83 are disposed between the lens unit 20 and the main frame unit 70 on the camera body side. The coil spring 81 is arranged inside the opening 74B of the inner rubber 74 so as to surround the optical path from the photographing lens 22 to the CMOS image sensor 72, and the coil springs 82 and 83 are respectively provided on the lens portion 20 on the opposite side of the coil spring 81. Located in the corner.
[0030]
The reason why the number of coil springs for pop-ups is three is the minimum for applying a uniform urging force to the lens unit 20 (so that the urging force on the lens unit 20 can be balanced vertically and horizontally). This is because the number is limited. The reason why the one coil spring 81 is disposed on the photographing lens 22 side and the two coil springs 81 and 82 are disposed on the optical viewfinder side is that the photographing lens 22 is circular, and the objective lens 24 and the eyepiece lens of the optical viewfinder. This is because the three coil springs are efficiently arranged in consideration of the rectangular shape 26.
[0031]
By the way, a leaf switch 84 as a power switch that is turned on / off by the lower end surface of the lens unit 20 is arranged in the main frame 70 on the camera body side. The leaf switch 84 acts to urge the lens unit 20 in the upward direction. Therefore, of the two coil springs 82 and 83, the coil spring 82 on the leaf switch 84 side is weaker than the coil spring 83 by the amount of the urging force of the leaf switch 84.
[0032]
The lens unit 20 includes three guide portions 21A, 21B, and 21C. The main frame portion 70 includes three guide portions 71A that also serve as stoppers corresponding to the guide portions 21A, 21B, and 21C. 71B and 71C are formed, and the lens unit 20 is guided by these guide units so as to be movable in the direction of appearing and retracting with respect to the camera body.
[0033]
Next, a description will be given of a lock mechanism that locks the lens unit 20 that is biased in the direction of protruding by the three coil springs 81, 82, and 83 in a state where it is housed in the camera body.
[0034]
In FIG. 7, when the lens pop-up switch 40 is slid in the direction of arrow A, the locking rod 41 whose tip is formed in a tapered shape can move in the direction of arrow B.
[0035]
That is, as shown in FIG. 10, a slide member 43 to which the lens pop-up switch 40 is fitted is disposed on the side of the camera body so as to be movable in the vertical direction in FIG. The slide member 43 is urged upward by a spring 45 provided at the lower end. The slide member 43 has a tapered portion, and this tapered portion is adapted to engage with a tapered portion formed at the proximal end portion of the locking rod 41. The locking rod 41 is disposed on the side of the camera body so as to be movable in the left-right direction in FIG. 10 and is urged leftward by a spring 47.
[0036]
Accordingly, when the lens pop-up switch 40 is slid in the direction of arrow A on FIG. 10, the slide member 43 is also moved in the direction of arrow A accordingly. When the slide member 43 moves in the direction of arrow A, the locking rod 41 moves in the direction of arrow B against the urging force of the spring 47 by the tapered portion formed in the slide member 43. The lens pop-up switch 40 (slide member 43) can be returned to the position shown in FIG.
[0037]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, a hook portion 21 </ b> D that engages with the distal end portion of the locking rod 41 is formed inside the lens portion 20. The hook portion 21 </ b> D has an abutting surface that abuts against the distal end portion of the locking rod 41 when the lens portion 20 is pressed down, and has an overhang (not shown).
[0038]
When the lens unit 20 is pushed down against the urging force of the coil springs 81, 82, 83 by the lock mechanism having the above configuration, the locking rod 41 is moved in the direction of arrow B by the tapered surface of the hook portion 21D of the lens unit 20 ( After that, when it is moved back beyond the taper surface of the hook portion 21D, it enters into the overhanging hook portion 21D and engages with the hook portion 21D. Thereby, the lens part 20 is locked in the state accommodated in the camera main body.
[0039]
When the lens unit 20 pops up, the lens pop-up switch 40 is slid. As a result, the locking rod 41 is retracted, the engagement of the lens portion 20 with the hook portion 21D is released (the lock is released), and the lens portion 20 is shown in FIG. 5 by the urging force of the coil springs 81, 82, 83. Pops up like
[0040]
As shown in FIG. 7, a leaf switch 84 as a power switch that is turned ON / OFF by the lower end surface of the lens unit 20 is provided in the vicinity of the position where the lens unit 20 is locked, so that it is stored in the camera body. Even if the lower end or upper end of the lens unit 20 is pressed, the lower end surface of the lens unit 20 pressing the leaf switch 84 is not lifted, thereby preventing the power supply from being inadvertently entered. Yes.
[0041]
A circuit board 86 is attached to the main frame portion 70 of the camera body shown in FIG. 8 with six screws 85 as shown in FIG.
[0042]
In order to reinforce the strength of the circuit board 86, acrylic reinforcing plates 87 and 88 are attached to the front surface of the circuit board 86. A cutout 87A is formed in the reinforcing plate 87, and a buzzer 89 for generating a beep sound for notifying the start of the camera or the like is provided here.
[0043]
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the main frame 70 and the circuit board 86 in the camera body as viewed from the back side.
[0044]
As shown in the figure, the circuit board 86 includes a USB terminal 42, a sheet-like rechargeable battery 90, a flash memory 91 for storing image data, an image signal processing IC (not shown), a CPU for overall control of the camera, and the like. Is installed. Further, the liquid crystal display unit 30 is connected to the circuit board 86 by a flexible wiring pattern 92.
[0045]
Image data stored in the flash memory 91 by photographing with the digital camera 10 is transferred to an external device such as a personal computer connected via the USB terminal 42. Further, the internal rechargeable battery 90 is automatically charged during image transfer by connection of the USB terminal 42.
[0046]
Next, the shutter button 50 will be described.
[0047]
As shown in FIG. 5, the key top of the shutter button 50 is disposed on the upper surface of the camera body 12. As shown in FIG. 11, the circuit board 86 has a pressing protrusion provided on the back side of the key top. A shutter switch 94 that is turned ON / OFF by 50A (see FIG. 12) is provided.
[0048]
That is, as shown in FIG. 11, a shutter support member 96 is attached to the circuit board 86. The shutter support member 96 is attached to the circuit board 86 with two screws 97 and an adhesive as shown in FIG.
[0049]
As shown in FIG. 11, the shutter support member 96 is formed in a substantially L-shaped bracket shape, and has a shutter support surface 96 </ b> A for supporting the shutter switch 94. The shutter switch 94 is held on the shutter support surface 96A, and is electrically connected to the circuit board 86 by solder 95 as shown in FIG.
[0050]
12A and 12B are cross-sectional views showing the state of the shutter switch 94 before and while the shutter button 50 is pressed.
[0051]
The shutter switch 94 includes a dome-shaped metal disc spring 94A and a fixed contact 94B as shown in FIG. When the shutter button 50 is pressed from the state before the shutter button 50 is pressed (switch OFF) shown in FIG. 12 (A), the pressing protrusion 50A on the key top of the shutter button 50 as shown in FIG. 12 (B). The metal disc spring 94A is deformed to contact the fixed contact 94B, and the switch is turned on.
[0052]
The shutter support member 96 can satisfactorily receive the pressing force applied to the shutter switch 94 when the shutter button 50 is pressed, and the shutter switch 94 can withstand repeated operations of the shutter button 50.
[0053]
In addition, since the shutter support member 96 of this embodiment has a substantially L-shaped bracket shape, it also acts as a reinforcing member that reinforces the strength in the horizontal and vertical directions of the circuit board 86.
[0054]
The structure of the shutter switch 94 and the shape of the shutter support member 96 are not limited to those in this embodiment.
[0055]
Next, the light shielding structure of the digital camera 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
[0056]
13 is a perspective view including a partial cross section of the lens unit 20 and the camera body 12 in a state where the lens unit 20 is housed in the camera body 12, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the lens unit 20 and the camera in a state where the lens unit 20 is popped up. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main body 12. FIG.
[0057]
As shown in FIG. 14, the main frame portion 70 on the camera body side includes a light shielding wall 70 </ b> A surrounding the front periphery of the CMOS image sensor 72, and a light shielding wall that separates the CMOS image sensor 72 side and the eyepiece 26 side. 70B is formed, and in the lens unit 20, light shielding walls 20A and 20B are formed between the photographing lens 22 and the objective lens 24 of the optical viewfinder.
[0058]
As shown in FIG. 14, the light shielding wall 20A and the light shielding wall 70A, and the light shielding wall 20B and the light shielding wall 70B are slightly overlapped with each other when the lens portion 20 is popped up. Thereby, the light incident from the objective lens 24 and the eyepiece lens 26 of the optical viewfinder is shielded so as not to enter the CMOS image sensor 72 by the light shielding walls 20A and 70A and the light shielding walls 20B and 70B.
[0059]
The reason why the light shielding walls 20A and 20B on the lens unit 20 side and the light shielding walls 70A and 70B on the camera body side are slightly overlapped is that the projection amount of the lens part 20 is maximized with respect to the thickness of the camera body. This is to prevent the light shielding walls from interfering with the storage when the lens unit 20 is stored. Note that the end surfaces of the light shielding walls 20A and 20B on the lens unit 20 side and the light shielding walls 70A and 70B on the camera body side may be flush with each other.
[0060]
Next, the operation of the light shielding rubber 64 (see FIG. 6) affixed to the inside of the front cover 60 and the inner rubber 74 loaded in the light shielding wall 70A of the CMOS image sensor 72 will be described.
[0061]
As shown in FIG. 6, the opening 64A of the light shielding rubber 64 is formed slightly smaller than the opening 60A of the front cover 60 formed so that the lens portion 20 of the front cover 60 protrudes and retracts. As shown in FIG. 14, the outer peripheral surface of the lens unit 20 is always in contact with elasticity. The light shielding rubber 64 can block the gap between the lens unit 20 and the opening 60A of the front cover 60, so that light does not enter the camera body. The light shielding rubber 64 also has a dustproof function to prevent dust from entering the camera body.
[0062]
On the other hand, the inner rubber 74 loaded in the light shielding wall 70A surrounding the CMOS image sensor 72 has a flange portion 74A formed on the upper surface and an opening 74B facing the CMOS image sensor 72 in the center portion.
[0063]
The flange portion 74A is formed to be slightly larger than the outer periphery of the light shielding wall 70A, and as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, is constantly in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the lens portion 20 with elasticity. The inner rubber 74 prevents light incident on the camera body from entering the CMOS image sensor 72.
[0064]
In this embodiment, the light shielding walls 20A, 20B, 70A, 70B, the light shielding rubber 64, and the inner rubber 74 are combined so that unnecessary light does not enter the CMOS image sensor 72. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, each may be used alone to take measures against light shielding. Further, instead of the light shielding rubber 64 and the inner rubber 74, a material other than rubber may be used as long as it is a light shielding member that does not hinder the pop-up operation of the lens unit 20. Further, the plastic member of the lens unit 20 and the main frame unit 70 is preferably black plastic in order to minimize the light transmittance, but may be metal-plated.
[0065]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the biasing force for popping up the lens unit holding the objective lens of the photographing lens and the optical viewfinder from the camera body is popped up with respect to the lens unit by the three coil springs. In particular, one coil spring having a large diameter among the three coil springs is disposed so as to surround the periphery of the optical path from the photographing lens to the image sensor, and the other two coil springs are By disposing each at the corner of the lens part opposite to the photographic lens, it is possible to balance the urging force of the lens part with the minimum number of coil springs, and to minimize the installation space. be able to.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing the external appearance of a digital camera according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the external appearance of the digital camera according to the present invention. 4 is a left side view showing the appearance of the digital camera according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the digital camera with the lens part popped up as viewed from the front. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the inside of the front cover of the digital camera. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the camera body with the front cover and the lens unit removed from the digital camera. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the lens unit and the camera body. FIG. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view used for explaining the lens unit locking mechanism. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the main frame and the circuit board in the camera body as viewed from the rear side. 12] Shutter switch FIG. 13 is a perspective view including a lens unit in a state in which the lens unit is housed in the camera body and a partial cross section of the camera body. FIG. 14 is a lens unit in a state in which the lens unit is popped up and the camera. Longitudinal sectional view of the main unit 【Explanation of symbols】
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Digital camera, 12 ... Camera body, 20 ... Lens part, 20A, 20B, 70A, 70B ... Shading wall, 22 ... Shooting lens, 24 ... Objective lens, 26 ... Eyepiece lens, 40 ... Lens pop-up switch, 50 ... Shutter Button, 60 ... Front cover, 62 ... Rear cover, 64 ... Light shielding rubber, 64A ... Opening, 70 ... Main frame, 74 ... Inner rubber, 81, 82, 83 ... Coil spring, 84 ... Power switch (leaf switch), 86 ... Circuit board, 94 ... Shutter switch, 96 ... Shutter support member

Claims (3)

A digital camera having a camera body provided with an image pickup element and an eyepiece of an optical finder, a lens unit for holding an objective lens of the photographing lens and the optical finder, and a pop-up mechanism for projecting and retracting the lens unit from the camera body In
First, second and third coil springs for pushing up the lens unit are provided between the camera body and the lens unit,
The first coil spring is disposed so as to surround a periphery of an optical path from the photographing lens to the imaging device, and the second and third coil springs are respectively provided at corners of the lens portion on the opposite side to the photographing lens. A digital camera characterized by being arranged. 2. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising a power switch that is turned ON / OFF in conjunction with the movement of the lens unit. The power switch is a leaf switch that is turned ON / OFF by the lower end surface of the lens unit, and the urging forces of the second and third coil springs are different from each other, and the urging force of the coil spring on the same side as the leaf switch is different. 3. The digital camera according to claim 2, wherein the biasing force of the coil spring on the opposite side is made weaker.

Images