JP4433871B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus including a lens cover that protects a photographing lens during non-photographing, and in particular, an imaging apparatus that can be operated safely without causing an overload to a cover moving mechanism that moves the lens cover. It is about.

  As a conventional imaging apparatus of this type, there is an apparatus described in Patent Document 1, for example. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 describes a camera having a lens barrier that protects a photographing lens. This camera with a lens barrier is located outside the movement locus of the photographic lens during photographing, and is located within the movement locus of the photographic lens when not photographing and covers the photographing lens, along with the movement of this barrier by manual operation, In a camera having a photographing lens that shifts from a photographing state extended out of the camera main body to a non-photographing state drawn into the camera main body, provided in the camera main body, and the photographing lens is in the movement locus of the barrier Is provided with a locking means for preventing the barrier from coming into contact with the photographing lens, and when the photographing lens is in a movement locus of the barrier, the barrier is separated from the photographing lens. And a movable locking means for engaging with the locking means for preventing contact and blocking movement of the barrier.

  According to the camera with a lens barrier having such a configuration, even if the barrier is blocked by the locking means in an attempt to close the barrier while the photographing lens is moving, a braking force that blocks the movement of the barrier acts on the lens driving unit. The power consumption is not excessive. In addition, an effect that a large force that prevents the movement of the barrier does not act on the internal mechanism is expected.

  Further, as another example of the conventional imaging apparatus, there is one described in Patent Document 2, for example. Patent Document 2 describes an optical apparatus having a power transmission mechanism suitable for moving an optical means in a photographing lens or the like used for television photographing or the like. This optical device is connected to optical means held in a housing, and manually operates means for driving the optical means manually, and driving force from the drive means is transmitted to the manual operation means via transmission force limiting means. A drive system for transmitting and driving the optical means, wherein the transmission force limiting means integrally couples the manual operation means and the drive system by frictional force, and from the manual operation means to the An optical device configured such that a driving force transmitted to a driving system is limited by the transmission force limiting unit, and includes a frictional force adjusting unit that adjusts the frictional force of the transmission force limiting unit. It is said.

According to the optical device having such a configuration, the driving power is manually driven to drive the optical means held in the casing, or the power generated by the rotational force generated by the electric motor is transmitted to the optical means. When driving using the transmission mechanism, the optical means can be driven manually and electrically without requiring any special operation for switching between electric and manual drive, and the backlash is reduced and the lens operates. The time delay can be reduced, and the structure of the torque limiter mechanism that limits the transmission torque at the time of overload rotation can be simplified, the entire device can be reduced in size and simplified, and the transmission torque can be arbitrarily changed. Moreover, the effect that the operation torque at the time of manual operation can be varied by this is anticipated.
JP 2000-47310 A JP-A-11-38307

  However, the conventional imaging device as described above is configured to include a lens cover for protecting the photographing lens of the lens device in the case of the invention described in any of Patent Documents 1 and 2. An electric motor that generates a driving force for moving the lens cover and a gear mechanism for transmitting the rotational force of the electric motor to the lens cover are provided. And the gear provided in the rotating shaft of the electric motor is connected to the gear of the lens cover via a plurality of gears so that power can be transmitted, and the electric motor and the lens cover are always in a state where power can be transmitted. It was.

  Therefore, both when the lens cover is moved to the open position and when it is moved to the closed position, the electric motor and the lens cover are overloaded at the moving end, and the electric motor, the lens cover, and the gear train are broken. Has occurred, or the electric motor, the lens cover, and the gear train are damaged.

  The problem to be solved is that, in the conventional imaging device, the electric motor and the lens cover are always in a state where power can be transmitted, so that the lens cover can move in either the open position or the closed position. The electric motor and the lens cover may be overloaded at the moving end. As a result, the electric motor and the lens cover may be damaged, or the electric motor and the lens cover may be damaged. It is.

An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a lens device that receives light from a subject, a lens cover that covers a photographing lens that faces the subject of the lens device, and a lens cover that opens and closes the closed position of the photographing lens. A cover moving mechanism that moves between the position and the cover moving mechanism, and a biasing means that biases the lens cover to the closed position of the photographing lens; and A power cut-off means for cutting off the power transmission path and a guide member for guiding the lens cover in the moving direction are provided . The power cut-off means is engaged with a rack provided on the lens cover and the rack within a predetermined range. A guide gear that slidably penetrates the lens cover and a side of the lens cover that is slidable. Comprising a holding guide rails.

  The image pickup apparatus of the present invention is provided with a closed position detecting means for detecting the closed position of the lens cover and an open position detecting means for detecting the open position.

  In the image pickup apparatus of the present invention, the closed position detecting means is turned on / off by turning of the operation portion provided on the missing gear.

  The imaging apparatus according to the present invention is a retractable lens apparatus in which the photographing lens can be moved in and out of the apparatus main body in which the lens apparatus is housed, and the lens cover is provided based on the detection signal of the open position detecting means. The retractable lens device can be protruded only when in the open position.

According to the imaging apparatus of the present invention, when the lens cover urged by the urging means is in the closed position of the taking lens, the power transmission path for moving the lens cover is blocked by the power cutoff means. It is possible to prevent overloading of the electric motor and the lens cover. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a failure from occurring in the electric motor, the lens cover, and the gear train, and to prevent the electric motor, the lens cover, and the gear train from being damaged. Further, by using the coil spring as the biasing means, and using the rack provided on the lens cover and the toothless gear meshing with the rack as the power cutoff means, the cover moving means is configured. It can be realized, preventing overload on the electric motor and lens cover, preventing the electric motor, lens cover and gear train from failing, and damaging the electric motor, lens cover and gear train Can be effectively prevented. In addition, by configuring the guide member that guides the lens cover in the moving direction with the guide bar and the guide rail, the lens cover can be guided and moved accurately and smoothly with a simple configuration.

  According to the imaging apparatus of the present invention, by providing the closed position detecting means and the open position detecting means, the movement of the lens cover can be accurately controlled to prevent the electric motor and the lens cover from being overloaded. It is possible to prevent the motor, the lens cover, and the gear train from being broken, and to effectively prevent the electric motor, the lens cover, and the gear train from being damaged.

  According to the imaging apparatus of the present invention, by providing an operating portion in the toothless gear and performing on / off control of the closing position detecting means with the operating portion, the switching control of the closing position detecting means can be performed easily and reliably. And the movement of the lens cover can be accurately controlled.

  According to the imaging apparatus of the present invention, the retractable lens apparatus is caused to project in a state where the lens cover is reliably opened by controlling the retracting operation of the retractable lens apparatus based on the detection signal of the open position detecting means. It is possible to improve the reliability of the retracting operation and prevent the lens cover and the retractable lens device from being broken or damaged.

  In both cases where the lens cover moves to the open position and the closed position, the electric motor and the lens cover are not overloaded at the moving end, and the overload causes a failure in the electric motor or the lens cover. And an imaging device that does not cause damage to the electric motor, the lens cover, or the like has been realized with a simple structure.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 15 illustrate an example of an embodiment of an imaging apparatus according to the present invention. That is, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the image pickup apparatus of the present invention as viewed from the front side, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same as viewed from the back side, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a state in which a part of the front portion of the apparatus main body is sectioned to expose the lens cover therein, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the state in which the lens cover of FIG. 4 is removed. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an enlarged main part by removing the gear support frame of FIG. 5, FIGS. 7 to 10 are explanatory views showing the positional relationship between the lens cover and the gear train, and FIG. 11 is an XX of FIG. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the lens cover as seen from the front side, FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the lens cover as seen from the back side, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the torque limiter gear according to the imaging device of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the same.

  1 to 3 is an electronic still camera 1 shown as a first embodiment of the present invention. The electronic still camera 1 includes a device main body 2 having a horizontally long case, a lens device 3 built in the device main body 2, a lens cover 5 for opening and closing a lens opening 4 provided in the device main body 2, and the like. It is prepared for.

  At one end in the lateral direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the apparatus main body 2, a battery storage portion and a memory storage portion are provided so as to open to the side. These storage portions are openable and closable by an open / close lid 7 attached to the apparatus main body 2 by a connecting means 6 so as to be rotatable and movable by a predetermined amount in the front-rear direction. A battery power source such as a lithium secondary battery is detachably stored in the battery storage unit. Further, an external storage device such as a semiconductor storage memory (for example, a memory stick) is detachably stored in the memory storage unit.

  The apparatus main body 2 includes a front case and a rear case that are overlapped in the front-rear direction, a side case that closes the other side in the longitudinal direction opposite to the opening / closing lid 7, and the lens apparatus 3 and the flash apparatus that are housed in these cases. It is composed of other built-in devices and frames to which equipment is fixed. The front surface of the front case that forms the front surface portion of the apparatus main body 2 is a curved surface that bulges forward in a circular arc in the width direction and whose cross-sectional shape is continuous in the longitudinal direction. The lens opening 4 having a circular shape is provided on the side opposite to the opening / closing lid 7 which is one side of the front surface of the apparatus main body 2 in the longitudinal direction. A decorative edge 9 is provided on the edge of the lens opening 4 for reasons such as improving the appearance of the design.

  A retractable lens device 3 is incorporated inside the lens opening 4 of the apparatus main body 2 so that the photographing lens 10 facing the subject can move back and forth and the length in the optical axis direction can be expanded and contracted. . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the retractable lens device 3 includes a fixed lens barrel 11 fixed to the frame 8, a movable lens barrel 12 movably held in the fixed lens barrel 11, and both mirrors. The photographing lens 10 is composed of a combination of a plurality of lenses held in a cylinder. The retractable lens device 3 is disposed concentrically with the lens opening 4, and as shown in FIG. 3, when extended, the movable lens barrel 12 penetrates the lens opening 4 to the front of the device body 2. Protruding.

  Further, a light emitting unit 29 of the flash device is disposed on the front surface of the apparatus main body 2. A power switch 13, a mode switch 14, a shutter button 15, and a zoom button 16 are disposed on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2. The power switch 13 is a pressing operation type switch, and is a switch for switching on / off power supplied by a battery power source or the like. The mode switch 14 is a slide type changeover switch, and selectively switches between a mode for taking a still image, a mode for taking a moving image, a mode for reproducing / editing the taken image, and the like. The shutter button 15 for photographing and the zoom button 16 for enlarging / reducing the image of the subject are each a push-operated switch.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a liquid crystal display (LCD) 17 that is a display means, a function button 18, and a plurality of operation buttons 19 are arranged on the back surface of the apparatus body 2. The liquid crystal display 17 displays a subject image corresponding to the subject based on the image signal supplied from the lens device 3, and is disposed at a substantially central portion on the back surface of the apparatus main body 2. The function button 18 is a button switch for selectively switching menus.

  4 to 10 are views showing a state in which a part of the front surface portion of the apparatus main body 2 having the above-described configuration is deleted and the inside is exposed. As shown in FIG. 4, a lens cover 5 that can cover the entire photographing lens 10 is disposed between the front end of the retractable lens device 3 on the photographing lens 10 side and the front case of the apparatus body 2. . The lens cover 5 is supported via a guide member so as to be movable in the lateral direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the apparatus main body 2. The guide member includes a guide bar 21 supported at both ends by the frame 8 and a rail member 22 attached to the frame 8.

  The guide bar 21 of the guide member extends in the lateral direction at the upper part of the front surface of the frame 8. On the other hand, the rail member 22 is fixed to the lower part of the front surface of the frame 8, and is provided with a guide groove 22a extending in parallel with the guide bar 21 and having a substantially J-shaped cross section.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the lens cover 5 includes a cover plate 20 that can cover the photographing lens 10 and a carriage 23 that is integrally fixed to the cover plate 20. The cover plate 20 is made of a thin plate material that is horizontally long, and is provided with a cover portion 5a that can shield the photographing lens 10 by forming one side in the longitudinal direction in an arc shape. A carriage 23 is fixed to the back surface of the cover plate 20 on the side opposite to the cover portion 5a by a caulking 5b showing a specific example of the fixing means. The carriage 23 includes a rack 23a, a fixed portion 23b, a bearing portion 23c, a guide edge portion 23d, and an operation convex portion 23e that are integrally provided.

  The fixing portion 23 b of the carriage 23 has a size that overlaps with substantially half of the cover plate 20 in the longitudinal direction. A bearing portion 23c is provided at one end in the width direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the fixed portion 23b, and a guide edge portion 23d is provided at the other end. A rack 23a is provided inside the bearing portion 23c. All of the rack 23 a, the bearing portion 23 c, and the guide edge portion 23 d extend in the longitudinal direction of the cover plate 20. Each tooth of the rack 23a is provided to face the guide edge 23d. The bearing portion 23c has a groove opened on the cover plate 20 side, and the guide bar 21 is slidably inserted into the groove. The guide bar 21 is prevented from coming off by closing the groove with the cover plate 20.

  Further, the guide edge portion 23 d of the carriage 23 protrudes outward from one side in the width direction of the cover plate 20. The guide edge portion 23 d is slidably engaged with the guide groove 22 a of the rail member 22. Guided by the guide groove 22 a and the guide bar 21, the lens cover 5 can linearly approach and separate from the lens device 3. At the end of the guide edge 23d opposite to the cover 5a, an operation projection 23e for turning on / off a second sensor 52 described later is provided inward so as to face the rack 23a. .

  Further, a coil spring 24 is mounted on the guide bar 21 as a specific example of a biasing unit that biases the lens cover 5 toward the lens device 3 via the carriage 23. One end of the coil spring 24 is seated on the carriage 23 in a compressed state, and the other end is seated on the outer edge of the frame 8. As a result, the lens cover 5 is constantly urged toward the side covering the photographing lens 10 by the spring force of the coil spring 24.

  The lens cover 5 can be moved by a cover moving mechanism 25. The cover moving mechanism 25 includes an electric motor 26 as a power source, and a gear train 27 that transmits the driving force of the electric motor 26 to the carriage 23 to move the lens cover 5 against the spring force of the coil spring 24. Has been. The electric motor 26 is attached to the lower part of the frame 8 with the rotating shaft extending in the front-rear direction. An output gear 28 is fixed to the rotating shaft. The drive control of the electric motor 26 is performed by a user operating a cover operation switch (not shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 10, the gear train 27 includes a torque limiter gear 30, a first gear 31, a second gear 32, a third gear 33, a fourth gear 34, and a toothless gear 35. . The first gear 31 is meshed with the output gear 28 of the electric motor 26, and the second gear 32 is provided integrally with the first gear 31. The first gear 31 and the second gear 32 are set coaxially, and the torque limiter gear 30 is engaged with the second gear 32.

  The torque limiter gear 30 has a configuration as shown in FIGS. That is, the torque limiter gear 30 includes a large-diameter gear 37 and a small-diameter gear 38, a shaft 39, a coil spring 40 that is an elastic body, two washers 41a and 41b, and a fixed ring 42. A boss portion 37a that bulges to one side is provided at the center of the large-diameter gear 37, and a head portion 39a provided at one end of the shaft 39 is fitted into a fitting hole 37b provided in the boss portion 37a. ing.

  The head portion 39a of the shaft 39 is provided with two surface portions that are parallel to each other by cutting out two portions of the outer peripheral surface in parallel. On the other hand, the fitting hole 37b of the boss part 37a has a shape corresponding to the head part 39a of the shaft 39, and is provided with a two-sided hole corresponding to the two-sided part. By fitting the two surface portions into the two surface holes, the large-diameter gear 37 is integrated with the shaft 39 in the rotation direction and is rotated together. The tip of the shaft 39 passes through the recess 43a of the boss portion 37a, and a small-diameter gear 38 is rotatably supported by the protruding portion. A fixing ring 42 is fixed to the tip of the shaft 39 by fixing means such as press-fitting so that the small diameter gear 38 is prevented from coming out.

  A concave portion 43b having a size corresponding to the concave portion 43a of the boss portion 37a is provided on the surface of the small diameter gear 38 on the large diameter gear 37 side. A coil spring 40 and two washers 41a and 41b loosely fitted to the shaft 39 are accommodated in the recesses 43a and 43b. One end of the coil spring 40 is seated on the large-diameter gear 37 via the first washer 41a, and the other end is seated on the small-diameter gear 38 via the second washer 41b. The frictional force generated between the gears 37 and 38 and the washers 41a and 41b by the spring force of the coil spring 40 causes the two gears 37 and 38 to rotate together until a certain torque is reached. A slip is generated between the two gears 37 and 38 beyond the range.

The third gear 33 is engaged with the small diameter gear 38 of the torque limiter gear 30. A fourth gear 34 is provided integrally with the third gear 33. The third gear 33 and the fourth gear 34 are set on the same axis, and the fourth gear 34 is configured to be able to mesh with a missing gear 35. The missing tooth gear 35 has a configuration in which a tooth portion 35a is provided at approximately 2/3 of the outer peripheral surface, and a remaining tooth portion 35b is provided by cutting off the remaining approximately 1/3 of the teeth. The fourth gear 34 and the rack 23a of the carriage 23 are engaged with the tooth portion 35a of the missing gear 35 so as to be engageable and disengageable.

  In the gear train 27, the torque limiter gear 30 and the toothless gear 35 are rotatably supported by the gear support plate 44 as shown in FIG. The gear support plate 44 is disposed inside the lens cover 5 and is fixed to the frame 8. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the first and second gears 31 and 32 and the third and fourth gears 33 and 34 are rotatably supported by shaft portions 45a and 45b protruding from the frame 8, respectively. ing.

  The frame 8 is provided with a first sensor 51 and a second sensor 52 that detect the position of the lens cover 5 that is reciprocated by the cover moving mechanism 25. The first sensor 51 indicates a closed position detecting means for detecting a closed position where the lens cover 5 completely closes the photographing lens 10. The second sensor 52 indicates an open position detecting means for detecting an open position where the lens cover 5 completely opens the photographing lens 10.

  The first sensor 51 is fixed to the frame 8 in the vicinity of the missing gear 35. Detection of the closed position of the lens cover 5 by the first sensor 51 is performed by an on / off operation by an operation unit 53 provided integrally with the toothless gear 35. 7 and 9 are views showing a state in which the lens cover 5 is in the closed position where the photographing lens 10 is completely closed. At this time, the operation unit 53 detects the closed position by pressing the first sensor 51, and outputs the detection signal.

  Further, the second sensor 52 is fixed to the frame 8 via the sensor holder 54. The detection of the open position of the lens cover 5 by the second sensor 52 is performed by the lens cover 5. For this reason, the operation convex part 23e for turning on / off the second sensor 52 is provided at the end of the lens cover 5 opposite to the cover part 5a. 8 and 10 are views showing a state when the lens cover 5 is in the open position where the photographing lens 10 is completely opened. At this time, the operation convex part 23e presses the 2nd sensor 52, detects an open position, and outputs the detection signal.

  The carriage 23 and the toothless gear 35 constitute a power cut-off means for cutting off a power transmission path for moving the lens cover 5 when the lens cover 5 is in the closed position.

  According to the electronic still camera 1 which is an imaging apparatus having such a configuration, for example, the lens cover 5 can be opened and closed as follows. 1, 4, 7 and 9 are state diagrams when the lens cover 5 is in the closed position and the photographing lens 10 is completely closed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the meshing between the tooth portion 35a of the toothless gear 35 and the rack 23a of the carriage 23 is released. Therefore, the lens cover 5 is held in the closed position only by the urging force of the coil spring 24.

  In this state, since the photographing lens 10 is completely closed by the cover portion 5a of the lens cover 5, it is possible to reliably prevent dust and the like from entering the apparatus main body 2 from the lens opening 4. Therefore, the photographing lens 10 can be reliably protected by the lens cover 5.

  When shooting with the electronic still camera 1, first, the cover operation switch is turned on to operate the cover moving mechanism 25. Thereby, the electric motor 26 starts rotating in a certain direction, and the rotational force is transmitted from the output gear 28 fixed to the rotating shaft to the gear train 27. In the gear train 27, the rotational force of the output gear 28 is first transmitted to the first gear 31, and from there, the missing gear through the second gear 32, the torque limiter gear 30, the third gear 33, and the fourth gear 34. 35. The rotation of the toothless gear 35 causes the rotational force of the electric motor 26 to be transmitted to the carriage 23 when the tooth portion 35 a meshes with the rack 23 a of the carriage 23.

  When the rotational force of the toothless gear 35 is transmitted to the carriage 23, the lens cover 5 is moved in the opening direction against the spring force of the coil spring 24. When the lens cover 5 has moved to the open position, the state is detected by the second sensor 51, and the detection signal is output. Thereby, the drive of the electric motor 26 is stopped, and further movement of the lens cover 5 is prevented. At this time, the tooth portion 35 a of the missing gear 35 is held in a state of being engaged with the rack 23 a of the carriage 23. Therefore, the lens cover 5 is fixed at the open position and does not move to the closed position side.

  In this state, the lens device 3 starts an extension operation, and the state shown in FIG. 3 is obtained. Therefore, a photographing operation by the electronic still camera 1 can be performed. Therefore, normal shooting and other shooting operations can be performed by pointing the shooting lens 10 toward the subject and pressing the shutter button 15.

  When the photographing operation is completed, the cover operation switch is turned on again to operate the cover moving mechanism 25. As a result, the electric motor 26 starts rotating in the reverse direction, and the rotational force is transmitted from the output gear 28 fixed to the rotating shaft to the gear train 27. Then, when the lens cover 5 moves to the closed position, the state is detected by the first sensor 51, and the detection signal is output. Thereby, the drive of the electric motor 26 is stopped, and further movement of the lens cover 5 is prevented.

  At this time, the tooth portion 35a of the partial gear 35 is separated from the rack 23a of the carriage 23, and the meshing with each other is released. In this case, when the lens cover 5 is in the closed position, the meshing between the tooth portion 35a and the rack 23a is released, and only the spring force of the coil spring 24 is held in the closed position. Therefore, even when an abnormal force is applied to the lens cover 5, the external force is not transmitted to the electric motor 26 or the gear train 27, so that the electric motor 26 or the gear train 27 is prevented from being damaged. be able to.

  Further, since the gear train 27 is provided with the torque limiter gear 30, it is possible to prevent the gear train 27 from being subjected to a load exceeding a certain level. For example, when the lens cover 5 is closed, even if the lens opening 4 is clogged, the force for closing the lens cover 5 does not increase beyond a certain value. 27 can be effectively prevented from being damaged.

  As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to an electronic still camera (digital camera) as an imaging device has been described. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to apparatuses such as video cameras, personal computers with cameras, and PDAs. As described above, the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

1 shows a first embodiment of an imaging apparatus according to the present invention, and is a perspective view seen from the front side. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment of an imaging apparatus according to the present invention as viewed from the back side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment of an imaging apparatus according to the present invention, in which a lens opening is opened and a part of a lens apparatus is protruded to the front side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment of an imaging apparatus according to the present invention in a state where a part of a front portion of an apparatus main body is sectioned to expose a lens cover therein. It is the perspective view which removed the lens cover from the state of FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view in which the gear support plate is further removed from the state of FIG. 5. It is explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship of a missing gear and a rack member when the lens cover which concerns on the imaging device of this invention exists in a closed position. It is explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship of a missing gear and a rack member when the lens cover which concerns on the imaging device of this invention exists in an open position. It is explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship of a 1st sensor and an operation part when the lens cover which concerns on the imaging device of this invention exists in a closed position. It is explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship of a 1st sensor and an operation part when the lens cover which concerns on the imaging device of this invention exists in an open position. It is explanatory drawing which expands and shows the XX line part of FIG. It is the perspective view which looked at the lens cover which concerns on the imaging device of this invention from the front side. It is the perspective view which looked at the lens cover which concerns on the imaging device of this invention from the back side. It is a perspective view of the torque limiter gear which concerns on the imaging device of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the torque limiter gear which concerns on the imaging device of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electronic still camera (imaging device), 2 ... Main body, 3 ... Lens apparatus, 4 ... Lens opening, 5 ... Lens cover, 5a ... Cover part, 8 ... Frame, 10 ... Shooting lens, 15 ... Shutter button , 20 Cover plate, 21 Guide bar, 22 Guide rail (rail member) , 22a Guide groove, 23 Carriage, 23a Rack, 23d Guide edge, 23e Operation convex, 24 Coil spring (with) 25 ... cover moving mechanism, 26 ... electric motor, 27 ... gear train, 30 ... torque limiter gear, 35 ... missing gear, 51 ... first sensor (closing position detecting means), 52 ... second sensor ( Open position detection means), 53.

Claims (4)

A lens device that receives light from the subject;
A lens cover that covers the photographic lens facing the subject of the lens device in an openable and closable manner;
A cover moving mechanism for moving the lens cover between a closed position and an open position of the photographing lens,
The cover moving mechanism includes an urging unit that urges the lens cover toward the closed position of the photographing lens, and a power cutoff that interrupts a power transmission path for the movement when the lens cover is in the closed position. Means and a guide member for guiding the lens cover in the moving direction ,
The power shut-off means includes a rack provided on the lens cover, and a toothless gear that meshes with the rack within a predetermined range and transmits power within a predetermined angle range,
The imaging apparatus includes a guide bar that slidably penetrates the lens cover and a guide rail that slidably holds one side of the lens cover . The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a closed position detecting unit that detects the closed position of the lens cover; and an open position detecting unit that detects the open position. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the closing position detection unit performs an on / off operation by rotating an operation unit provided in the toothless gear. The lens device is a retractable lens device in which the photographing lens can be projected and retracted with respect to a device main body in which the lens device is housed.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the retractable lens apparatus can be protruded only when the lens cover is in the open position based on a detection signal of the open position detection means.

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