JP4243782B2 - Operating member lock mechanism - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a camera focus area locking method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a mechanism that locks a focus area selection state by preventing mechanical movement of a focus area selection button.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Some autofocus cameras have a plurality of focus areas, and a user can select a focus area to be used by a selection button. When such an autofocus camera is used, if a focus area selection button is inadvertently pressed, the selected focus area may change without the user's knowledge. In order to prevent this, a focus area lock method has been considered.
[0003]
As a method of locking the focus area, if the user inputs to the control software to lock the focus area by a predetermined method, the lock is not released until there is an input to release the lock command thereafter. A method of operating software (hereinafter referred to as soft lock) has been proposed by the present applicant.
[0004]
FIG. 18 shows the appearance of the back of an autofocus camera that selects a plurality of conventional autofocus areas using an area selector button provided on the back cover. The area selector button 1p has four switch portions in the up / down / left / right directions shown by the arrows in FIG. FIG. 19 shows a cross-sectional view of the area selector button mechanism portion.
[0005]
In the conventional autofocus area selector mechanism, there is no member that mechanically locks the operation of the area selector button 1p, and when locking the function of the area selector button 1p, the area selector button 1p is held down while the soft lock button 11 is pressed. It is locked by software by pushing 1p in one direction of up, down, left and right.
[0006]
As shown in FIG. 19, the turning spherical surface 1pa of the area selector button 1p covers a spherical rubbing surface 51a provided on the selector substrate 50 of the back cover body, and serves as a turning guide for the area selector button 1p. On the lower side of the area selector button 1p (FIG. 19), four area select protrusions 1pt protrude vertically and horizontally, and the rubber at a position corresponding to the case where the area selector button 1p is pressed in either the up, down, left, or right direction. The switch protrusion 4t of the switch 4 is pushed. As a result, the conducting portion 4a of the rubber switch 4 comes into contact with the switch surface of the substrate 5 provided below the rubber switch 4, and a focus area select signal is input.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the soft lock described above, the soft lock state display is displayed on a liquid crystal screen or the like, but the focus area selection button does not change in appearance regardless of the locked state or the unlocked state. In addition, since the focus area selection button can be pressed in the locked state just as in the non-locked state, it is difficult to notice that it is locked, and the selected focus area can be changed even if the user presses the focus area selection button in the locked state. Was not carried out, so it was sometimes mistaken for a failure.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to enable a user to reliably recognize by tactile sense that a selector button is in a locked state.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve this object, the operation member lock mechanism of the first invention includes an operation member that can be pressed at a plurality of locations ,
A plurality of engaging portions provided at different positions on the back surface of the operating member;
Each a plurality of engagement portions provided so as to face, with a plurality of engaged portions engageable with the engaging portions, engaging a plurality of engaging portions and a plurality of engaged portions are respectively It is possible to move between the lock position where the lock is released and the lock release position where the engagement is released by a rotation operation . When the lock position is set, the engaging portion and the engaged portion A locking member that disables the pushing operation of the operating member by engagement at a plurality of locations ;
A spring member that elastically fixes the lock member to the lock position when the lock member is moved to the lock position, and to the lock release position when the lock member is moved to the lock release position;
A display unit that displays in a visible manner whether the state of the operation member is a locked state in which the push operation is impossible or a lock release state in which the push operation is possible;
Each of the lock member and the spring member is disposed opposite to the back surface of the operation member,
Display unit, when the locking member is rotated movement operation in the locked position, maintaining the display of the locked state even after releasing the move operation, when it is rotated and moved the operation to the unlocking position, the movement The display of the unlocked state is maintained even after the operation is released .
Each of the engaging portion and the engaged portion is a convex member having a convex portion, and is provided so that the convex portion overlaps with the operation member in the direction in which the operation member is pressed. It is characterized by.
[0010]
The operation member lock mechanism according to a second aspect of the present invention is the operation member lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the spring member is disposed between the operation member and the lock member, and acts on a click portion on the lock member, so that the user can It includes a click spring member that gives a sense of setting to the locked position or unlocked position.
[0011]
The operation member lock mechanism according to a third aspect of the present invention is the operation member lock mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the operation member lock mechanism is fixed on the camera body,
The click spring member has a pressing portion that presses and fixes the lock member to the camera body.
[0012]
Operating member locking mechanism of the fourth invention, Oite to claim 1, the engagement portion provided three or more on the back surface of the operation member, the engaged portion is a plurality of engagement It is characterized in that three or more can be engaged with each joint.
The operation member lock mechanism according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the operation member lock mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the operation member has a skirt portion formed to protrude toward the lock member side on an outer peripheral portion thereof. .
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention. A part (lower right) of the peripheral wall 51b of the selector button is cut out to be an operation region of the lock ring lever 2e of the lock ring 2, and the cut end surface of the peripheral wall 51b is used for stop positioning of the lock ring lever 2e.
[0015]
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an autofocus area selector button lock mechanism according to the present invention. Four protrusions 1b are provided on the back surface of the autofocus selector button 1, and the protrusions 2b provided on the lock ring 2 face each other at the lock position. At this time, the autofocus selector button 1 is locked and cannot be moved. The protrusion 1t of the area selector button 1 is for pressing the rubber switch 4 during the area selection operation.
[0016]
The lock ring 2 is provided with two humps 2c and acts with the click portion 6c of the pressing click spring 6 to generate a click feeling. The two pressing portions 6d of the pressing click spring 6 serve to press the lock ring 2 against the back cover 51 as shown in FIG. Even if the pressing portion 6d of the pressing click spring 6 does not exist, the lock ring 2 is pressed by the click portion 6c, so that the locking ring 2 does not rattle or come off. Therefore, although the pressing portion 6d can be omitted (see the second embodiment), it is effective as a countermeasure when the click portion 6c becomes ineffective.
[0017]
The rotating spherical surface 1 a (FIG. 2) of the area selector button 1 covers the spherical rubbing surface 51 a provided on the back cover 51 and serves as a rotating guide for the area selector button 1.
[0018]
FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of the appearance when the selector button lock mechanism of the present invention is in a locked state. The lock ring lever 2e on the lock ring 2 is in the lower position and is locked. The letter L indicating the locked state is at a position where the user can see it.
[0019]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the selector button locking mechanism of the present invention in FIG. The protrusion 2b on the lock ring side and the protrusion 1b on the selector dial side shown in FIG. 2 are in positions where they overlap each other, and the selector button 1 is prohibited from moving.
[0020]
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship between the lock ring-side protrusion 2b and the selector button-side protrusion 1b in the locked state shown in FIG. Since the lock ring side protrusion 2b and the selector button side protrusion 1b are substantially the same height, it can be seen that the selector button 1 is in an inoperable state.
[0021]
FIG. 6 is a partial plan view of the appearance in a state where the lock ring 2 is set at the area selector button unlocking position. The lock ring lever 2e of the lock ring 2 is at an oblique position, and is unlocked. A circle indicating the unlocked state is in a position visible to the user.
[0022]
7 is a perspective view of the selector button locking mechanism of the present invention in FIG. The projection 2b on the lock ring side and the projection 1b on the selector dial side are in positions that do not overlap at four locations, and the selector button 1 moves freely.
[0023]
FIG. 8 shows that in the unlocked state shown in FIG. 7, the lock ring-side protrusion 2b is out of the position where it engages with the selector button 1-side protrusion 1b, and the movement operation is possible.
[0024]
FIG. 9 shows the relationship between the hump 2 c of the lock ring 2 and the click portion 6 c of the pressing click spring 6. Further, the relationship between a part of the lock ring 2 and the pressing portion 6d of the pressing click spring 6 and the operation of the blind skirt portion 1d of the selector button 1 are shown. The blind skirt 1d prevents the internal elements of the selector button lock mechanism from being exposed to the outside due to the gap between the lock ring 2 and the selector button 1, and prevents accidents such as foreign matter being caught. Since the hump 2c, the click portion 6c, and the pressing portion 6d are in the non-interference range of the skirt portion 1d when the lock is released, it can be seen that the selector button 1 is in a movable state.
[0025]
FIG. 10 shows the relationship between the blind skirt 1d and the protrusion 2b of the lock ring 2. Since the protrusion 2b is in the non-interference range of the skirt portion 1d when the lock is released, the selector button 1 is in a movable state.
[0026]
In the first embodiment described above, the distance from the selector button 1 to the back cover 51 can be made shorter (thinner) than in the fourth embodiment described later. The reason will be briefly described below.
[0027]
The lock ring side projection 2b and the selector dial side projection 1b are in a locked or unlocked state depending on whether or not they overlap. Therefore, the length (height) of the protrusion 2b and the protrusion 1b exists in an amount overlapping the selector button 1 in the thickness direction. Compared to the fourth embodiment described later, the distance from the selector button 1 to the back cover 51 can be shortened (thinned) by this overlapping amount. This point will be described again after the fourth embodiment is described.
[0028]
11 to 14 are perspective views showing a second embodiment of the operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention. In the figure, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
[0029]
As described in the first embodiment (FIG. 2), even if the pressing portion 6d of the pressing click spring 6 does not exist, the lock ring 2 is pressed by the click portion 6c, so that the lock ring 2 rattles or comes off. Don't do it. Accordingly, the pressing portion 6d can be omitted. The second embodiment is an example in which the pressing portion 6d is omitted as shown by a pressing click spring 60 in FIG. FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 correspond to FIGS. 4, 7 and 9 of the first embodiment, respectively. There is no pressing portion 6 d in the pressing click spring 60.
[0030]
15 to 16 are perspective views showing a third embodiment of the operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention. In the figure, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. The elastic force of the presser lock spring 600 of the third embodiment acts in the radial direction (radiation direction) as shown by the arrow in FIG. A lock hole 202a is formed on the inner periphery of the lock ring 202, and a click feeling is obtained by engaging the lock spring 600 and the lock hole 202a. FIG. 16 shows the locked state, and FIG. 15 shows the unlocked state.
[0031]
FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of the operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention. In the figure, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
[0032]
The fourth embodiment is an example in which a lock ring 200 is used instead of the lock ring 2 of the first embodiment. The lock ring 200 is formed with a hole 200a through which the protrusion 1t of the area selector button 1 is inserted. When unlocking, the projection 1t is inserted into the hole 200a, and the area selector button 1 can be operated. At the time of locking, the projection 1t engages with the disk surface 200c of the lock ring 200, and the area selector button 1 cannot be operated. As a result, the locked state and the unlocked state are switched. In the fourth embodiment, the click spring 6 is not shown, but the area selector button 1 may be urged away from the back cover 51 by a coil spring from the back cover 51 side, for example.
[0033]
The fourth embodiment described above has a drawback in that the distance from the selector button 1 to the back cover 51 is longer (thicker) than the first embodiment described above. The reason will be briefly described below.
[0034]
The projection 1t is inserted into the hole 200a when unlocked, and the projection 1t engages with the disk surface 200c of the lock ring 200 when locked. Therefore, there is no amount that overlaps the depth (length) of the hole 200a and the height (length) of the protrusion 1t in the thickness direction of the selector button 1. Compared to the first embodiment described above, the distance from the selector button 1 to the back cover 51 is increased (thickened) by the amount that does not overlap.
[0035]
Although the first to fourth embodiments described above have been described by taking the camera as an example, the button lock mechanism of the present invention can be used in devices other than the camera.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the operation member locking mechanism of the present invention, since the user can recognize the selector button in the locked state by touch and visual sense, the selector is locked during use. Regardless of this, it is possible to prevent the user from being confused by being in a movable state or misidentifying it as a malfunction. In addition, since the configuration is simple, an increase in the number of members necessary to realize a mechanical selector button lock mechanism can be minimized.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing a first embodiment of an operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of an operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a front view showing a first embodiment of an operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of an operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a first embodiment of an operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of an operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of the operating member locking mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional operation member locking mechanism.
FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional operation member locking mechanism.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Area selector button 1a Rotating spherical surface 1b Selector button side protrusion 1c Area selector button central axis 1d Skirt 1p Area selector button 1t protrusion 2 Lock ring 2b Lock ring side protrusion 2c Hump 2e Lock ring lever 3 Area selector button pressing metal 4 Rubber Switch 4a Conducting part 4t Switch protrusion 6 Lock ring holding plate and click spring 6c Lock ring click part 6c
6d Lock ring holding part 10 Camera 11 Soft lock button 1pa Rotating spherical surface 1pt Area select protrusion
50 substrate 51 back cover 51a spherical rubbing surface 51b selector button surrounding wall 60 click spring 200 lock ring 200a hole 200c disk surface 202 lock ring 202a lock hole 600 lock spring

Claims (5)

Operation members that can be pressed at a plurality of locations ,
A plurality of engaging portions provided at different positions on the back surface of the operating member;
Wherein the plurality of provided so as to respectively face the engaging portion, wherein with a plurality of engaged portions engageable with the engaging portions, the plurality of the engaged portions and the plurality of engaging portions Doo and a locking position engaging respectively, between an unlocked position where the engagement is released, is movable by being rotating operation, when it is set to the lock position, the engagement portion And a lock member that disables the push operation of the operation member by engagement at a plurality of locations with the engaged portion ;
A spring member for elastically fixing the lock member to the lock position when the lock member is moved to the lock position; and to the lock release position when the lock member is moved to the lock release position; ,
A display unit that displays in a visible manner whether the operation member is in a locked state where the push operation is impossible or a unlocked state where the push operation is possible; ,
Each of the lock member and the spring member is disposed opposite to the back surface of the operation member,
When the lock member is rotationally operated to the lock position, the display unit maintains the display of the locked state even after the movement operation is released, and the display member is rotationally operated to the lock release position. In order to maintain the display of the unlocked state even after the movement operation is released ,
Each of the engaging part and the engaged part is a convex member having a convex part, and the convex part overlaps with the operation member in a direction in which the operation member is pressed. operating member locking mechanism, characterized in that provided as. The spring member is disposed between the operation member and the lock member, and acts on a click portion on the lock member to allow the user to set the lock member to the locked position or the unlocked position. The operation member locking mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a click spring member that gives a sense. The operation member locking mechanism is fixed on the camera body,
The operation member lock mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the click spring member includes a pressing portion that presses and fixes the lock member to the camera body. Three or more engaging parts are provided on the back surface of the operation member, and three or more engaged parts are provided that can be engaged with the plurality of engaging parts, respectively. The operation member locking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The operating member locking mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the operating member has a skirt portion formed to protrude toward the lock member side on an outer peripheral portion thereof.

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