JP4436551B2 - camera - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a camera including a lens barrier that protects a photographing lens by covering the front surface of the photographing lens when the camera is not used.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As this type of conventional camera with a barrier, for example, there are configurations as disclosed in JP-A-1-255558, JP-A-2-50143, JP-A-6-102570, and the like. In all of the above-mentioned publications, the lens barrier is formed of a single barrier member.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As shown in the conventional example, the lens barrier of this type of camera is generally formed of a single member. For this reason, there are the following problems.
[0004]
The only way to increase the color of the surface of a lens barrier made of a single member is to rely on painting. Conversion was difficult. In addition, the design of the lens barrier surface cannot be easily changed unless a thorough examination is made so as to obtain consistency with the appearance of the camera body.
[0005]
As described above, it is relatively difficult to increase the number of colors on the lens barrier surface and to develop variations of the design. For this reason, there is a problem that users with various preferences cannot easily obtain a camera with a lens barrier that suits their preferences. Further, since the lens barrier is attached as a part of the assembly process of the camera body, once the lens barrier is assembled to the camera body, the replacement is impossible unless the camera is disassembled and assembled again.
[0006]
The present invention has been made based on such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a camera having the following advantages.
[0007]
(A) Multi-coloring of the lens barrier surface can be realized at low cost.
[0008]
(B) It is possible to easily change the color and design of the lens barrier surface to a mode according to the user's preference.
[0009]
(C) The lens barrier can be assembled independently from the assembly process of the camera body, and can be assembled by the user in a timely manner.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the problems and achieve the object, the camera of the present invention is configured as follows.
[0011]
(1) A camera according to the present invention is mounted on a front surface of a camera body having a photographing lens and the like so as to be movable between a first position and a second position, and is in the first position. A lens barrier that at least covers the front surface of the photographic lens to protect the lens, and when in the second position, opens the front surface of the photographic lens to enable photographing, the lens barrier comprising: An inner barrier member movably attached to the camera body, an outer barrier member attached to the inner barrier member so as to overlap from the outside, and the outer barrier member with respect to the inner barrier member. Coupling means for detachably coupling from the outside of the camera body .
[0012]
(2) The camera according to the present invention is the camera according to (1), wherein the coupling unit includes an engagement mechanism by fitting an uneven portion and a magnetic attraction mechanism by a magnet between the inner barrier member and the outer barrier member. It is characterized in that it is detachably mounted using at least one of the mechanisms .
[0013]
(3) The camera of the present invention is the camera according to (1) or (2), wherein the inner barrier member is provided with an information recording area for recording information. Yes.
[0014]
(4) The camera of the present invention is the camera according to (1) or (2), wherein a pocket portion for storing camera accessories is provided between the inner barrier member and the outer barrier member. It is characterized by being provided .
[0015]
(5) The camera of the present invention is the camera according to (1) or (2) , wherein the outer barrier member has a remote control function related to the operation of the camera . .
[0016]
(6) The camera of the present invention is the camera according to (2), wherein a portion of the surface of the inner barrier member that is in contact with a peripheral portion of the outer barrier member is disposed at a peripheral portion of the outer barrier member. It is characterized in that a groove-like boundary portion that can be engaged with the formed protruding edge portion is formed.
[0017]
(7) The camera of the present invention is the camera according to (2), wherein the outer barrier member (decorative plate) has a portion protruding forward from the inner barrier member (barrier base). It is characterized by being.
[0018]
(8) The camera of the present invention is the camera according to (2), wherein the outer barrier member (decorative plate) has a warped portion formed along a moving direction.
[0019]
(9) The camera according to the present invention is the camera according to (2), wherein the material of the outer barrier member (decorative plate) is different from the material of the inner barrier member (barrier substrate). It is characterized by.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a lens barrier in an opened state. As shown in FIG. 1, the camera body 10 has a collapsible photographing lens 11, a viewfinder front window 12, a self-timer window 13, a flash light emission window 14 and the like on the front surface thereof. The camera body 10 has a release button 15 on its upper surface, a viewfinder eyepiece window 16 on its rear surface, and a connector portion 17 on its one end surface. Guide rails 18 a and 18 b for sliding a lens barrier 20 described below are formed on both upper and lower edges of the front surface of the camera body 10.
[0021]
The lens barrier 20 is for protecting the photographing lens 11, the front viewfinder window 12, the self-timer window 13, the flash light emission window 14 and the like of the camera body 10 when the camera is not used. It is formed as follows.
[0022]
The lens barrier 20 covers a predetermined area including a mounting portion 21 for mounting the lens barrier 20 on the camera body 10 so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction in the figure, and a front area of the photographing lens 11. It consists of a shielding part 22.
[0023]
The mounting portion 21 has engaging elements 21a and 21b formed by bending upper and lower ends in the figure into a J shape. The engaging elements 21a and 21b are slidably engaged with the guide rails 18a and 18b formed along the front edges of the upper and lower surfaces of the camera body 10.
[0024]
As will be described later, the shielding portion 22 has a multiple structure (double structure in this embodiment) by overlapping a plurality of (two in this embodiment) barrier members.
[0025]
Thus, the lens barrier 20 is mounted on the front surface of the camera body 10 so as to be movable along the horizontal axis AX between the first position P1 and the second position P2, and at least when the lens barrier 20 is in the first position P1. The front surface of the photographic lens 11 is covered to protect the lens 11 and the like, and when in the second position P2, the front surface of the photographic lens 11 and the like is opened to enable photographing.
[0026]
2A and 2B are diagrams showing the configuration of the camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a top view, FIG. 2B is a front view of the barrier closed state, and FIG. 2C is the barrier open state. It is a front view, (d) is a right end view showing the right end face when viewed from the front of the camera.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 2A, the shielding portion 22 of the lens barrier 20 in the present embodiment includes an inner barrier member (barrier base) 23 formed integrally with the mounting portion 21, and the inner barrier member 23. And an outer barrier member (decorative plate) 24 which are overlapped and integrally joined so as to cover the surface from the outside. That is, the shielding part 22 of this embodiment is a double-structured shielding part in which two barrier members 23 and 24 are overlapped. This point will be described in more detail later with reference to FIG.
[0028]
Thus, by making the color of the outer barrier member 24 different from that of the inner barrier member 24 in advance, it is possible to easily realize multicoloring (dichroism) of the lens barrier surface. Multicoloring (dichroism) is difficult in terms of cost. In addition, variations in the design of the lens barrier surface can be easily developed, which can be user-preferred.
[0029]
As shown in FIG. 2A, the outer barrier member 24 has a warped portion 24a formed along the moving direction. Therefore, even if no protrusion is provided, the lens barrier 20 can be opened and closed smoothly by using the warped portion 24a. If the material of the outer barrier member 24 is rubber or the like having a relatively large friction coefficient, it is preferable that the finger does not slip even if a special catch or the like is not provided on the surface.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 2B, the outer barrier member 24 is formed so as to cover a main region including a particularly conspicuous portion M of the inner barrier member 23.
[0031]
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2D, the outer barrier member 24 has an arcuate bulging portion 24 b that protrudes slightly larger in front of the camera than the inner barrier member 23. That is, the protruding dimension Tb of the outer barrier member 24 from the back surface of the camera body 10 is larger than the protruding dimension Ta of the inner barrier member 23 from the back surface of the camera body 10. Therefore, even when the camera is placed on the floor with the front side facing down, the bulging portion 24b of the outer barrier member 24 first comes into contact with the floor surface, so that damage to the camera body 10 side including the inner barrier member 23 can be prevented. . As will be described later, if the outer barrier member 24 is configured to be removable from the inner barrier member 23, the outer barrier member 24 can be easily replaced if it is damaged.
[0032]
3A and 3B are diagrams showing the configuration of the lens barrier of the camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a front view of the lens barrier showing a coupling state of the inner barrier member 23 and the outer barrier member 24. ) Is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb in (a), and (c) is a perspective view showing the outer barrier member 24 separated from the inner barrier member 23.
[0033]
As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the shielding part 22 overlaps the inner barrier member 23 integrated with the mounting part 21 with the outer barrier member 24 superimposed from the outside of the camera body 10. It is configured so that it can be assembled by the coupling means 30.
[0034]
In the present embodiment, as the coupling means 30, as shown in (c), protrusions 31 (31 a to 31 d) provided on the surface of the inner barrier member 23 and concave grooves (32 a to 32 d) provided on the inner surface of the outer barrier member 24. ) Is used. The coupling means 30 may use a magnetic attraction mechanism using a magnet, or may be a combination of these.
[0035]
Therefore, the outer barrier member 24 can be attached independently of the assembly process of the camera body 10. For this reason, it can be assembled, for example, at the end of the assembly process of the camera body without hindering the assembly process of the camera body. Further, the user can replace the outer barrier member 24 by himself / herself. For this reason, the freedom degree of the variation regarding the design etc. of the lens barrier 20 becomes still larger.
[0036]
A groove-like boundary portion GX is formed at a portion where one peripheral portion of the outer barrier member 24 abuts on the surface of the inner barrier member 23. The boundary portion GX in the present embodiment includes a groove 23a having a V-shaped cross section that can engage with an arcuate protruding edge portion 24a formed on one peripheral portion of the outer barrier member 24.
[0037]
On the other peripheral portion of the outer barrier member 24, an arcuate protruding edge 24b is formed in such a form as to face the protruding edge 24a. The arcuate protruding edge 24 b is covered so as to cover the peripheral portion 23 b of the protruding end of the inner barrier member 23.
[0038]
As described above, when the outer barrier member 24 is integrally joined to the inner barrier member 23, the boundary portion GX becomes prominent and looks good. Moreover, since the boundary portion GX is formed of the groove 23a having a V-shaped cross section, the shape of the peripheral edge portion of the outer barrier member 24 relative to the inner barrier member 23 does not need to be formed with high accuracy, and parts can be manufactured easily. Become.
[0039]
The material of the outer barrier member 24 may be the same as or different from the material of the inner barrier member 23. For example, when a different material other than plastic such as metal or leather is used as the outer barrier member 24, the texture of the lens barrier surface can be changed. Furthermore, by changing the type of plating and the pattern such as embroidery, the variation can be further increased, and the optimum mode can be achieved according to the user's preference.
[0040]
As an example, when the outer barrier member 24 is formed of metal, the logo portion (not shown) is an alumite treatment or plating treatment with a convex portion, and then the surface of the convex portion is scraped to make the logo portion metallic gloss. It is possible to make it stand out. As another example, the inner barrier member 23 can be formed of a mold material that is easy to assemble, and the outer barrier member 24 can be formed of rubber, which is a non-slip material, or a metal having high glossiness, thereby enhancing the texture. is there.
[0041]
Thus, by designing the outer barrier member 24 corresponding to each region of the shipping destination, it becomes possible to characterize and sort the cameras in design.
[0042]
(Second Embodiment)
4A and 4B are diagrams showing a configuration of the lens barrier 40 in the camera according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 4A is a partially exploded perspective view, and FIG. 4B is a schematic view showing a shielding region, (C) is sectional drawing of the principal part. The lens barrier 40 of the present embodiment is different from the lens barrier 20 of the first embodiment in that the portion of the inner barrier member 43 that faces the photographing lens 11 is cut off.
[0043]
That is, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the lens barrier 40 in the second embodiment also has a mounting portion 41 for mounting on the camera body 10 so as to be movable. Other than that, there is no change in that the shielding portion 42 is provided so as to cover the predetermined area E including the front area E1 of the photographing lens 11. However, of the inner barrier member 43 and the outer barrier member 44 constituting the shielding part 42, the inner barrier member 43 is a remaining part of the predetermined area E that is obtained by cutting away the front area E1 of the photographing lens 11 (cut section 43a). The shape and size are set so that the area can be covered. The outer barrier member 44 is shaped and sized so as to be able to cover the predetermined region E over the entire region, and is partially bonded to the surface of the inner barrier member 43.
[0044]
In the shielding part 22 of the first embodiment described above, the surface of the inner barrier member 23 whose shape and size are set so as to be able to cover the predetermined region E over the entire region is spread over the entire region. In contrast, the shielding portion 42 of the present embodiment is an image of the inner barrier member 43, whereas the shielding portion 42 of the present embodiment is an “overall dual structure” shielding portion in which the outer barrier member 24 is joined to the inner barrier member 23. Since the portion facing the lens 11 is cut off, the outer barrier member 44 is joined to the surface of the inner barrier member 43 with a part thereof being overlapped, and serves as a “partial double structure” shielding portion.
[0045]
Therefore, in the shielding part 22 of 1st Embodiment mentioned above, since it has a double structure over the whole region, mechanical strength is sufficiently large and it becomes a preferable thing as an exterior component. On the other hand, the shielding portion 42 in the second embodiment has a partial double structure in which the portion of the inner barrier member 43 that faces the photographic lens 11 is cut out, so that it is the first embodiment in terms of mechanical strength. Although it is inferior to the shielding part 22 of a form, as shown in FIG.4 (c), the front-end | tip part position of the same lens 11 when the retractable photography lens 11 is stored in the camera main body 10 is set to the inner side barrier member 43. Can be advanced forward by the amount corresponding to the thickness t of the cut portion 43a. For this reason, there is an advantage that it is easy to secure a storage space for the photographing lens 11.
[0046]
(Third embodiment)
FIGS. 5A and 5B are perspective views showing the configuration of the lens barrier 50 (50A, 50B) of the camera according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The main difference between the lens barrier 50 of the present embodiment and the lens barrier 20 of the first embodiment is that the outer barrier member 54 (54A, 54B) is provided so that it can be replaced with another outer barrier member by the user at an appropriate time. This is the point.
[0047]
FIG. 5A is a diagram showing an example. The lens barrier 50A includes an inner barrier member 53A provided so as to cover at least the front surface of the photographing lens 11, and an outer barrier member 54A which is joined on the surface of the inner barrier member 53A. This is the same as the first embodiment.
[0048]
The outer barrier member 54A is one of a plurality of types of outer barrier members (decorative plates) having a specific design. In this example, at least a part 56 of the outer surface of the member 54A can be painted (material). , Surface shape). The outer barrier member 54A is detachably attached to the inner barrier member 53A by an attaching / detaching mechanism so that the user can replace the outer barrier member with other outer barrier members in a timely manner.
[0049]
In this example, the coupling means 30 described above is used as the attachment / detachment mechanism. That is, the engagement by the fitting of the plurality of protrusions 31 (31a to 31d) provided on the surface of the inner barrier member 53A and the concave grooves (32a to 32d) provided on the inner surface of the outer barrier member 54A is used.
[0050]
It should be noted that information recording areas 55a, 55b, and 55c capable of recording the owner name and other necessary information are provided on the surface of the inner barrier member 53A that is exposed by removing the outer barrier member 54A. .
[0051]
FIG. 5B is a diagram showing another example. The lens barrier 50B includes an inner barrier member 53B provided so as to cover at least the front surface of the photographing lens 11, and an outer barrier member 54B that is overlapped and joined on the surface of the inner barrier member 53B. This is the same as the first embodiment.
[0052]
The outer barrier member 54B is one of a plurality of types of outer barrier members (decorative plates) having a specific design. In this example, on the inner surface of the member 54B, for example, a memory card 57 and other accessory parts, amulets, etc. Is provided with a pocket portion 58. The outer barrier member 54B is detachably attached to the inner barrier member 53B by an attaching / detaching mechanism so that the user can replace the outer barrier member 54B with another outer barrier member in a timely manner.
[0053]
As this attachment / detachment mechanism, in this example, the pocket 58 formed on the inner surface of the outer barrier member 54B and the clearance hole 59 provided in the inner barrier member 53B so as to face the pocket 58 are fitted. Utilizing the structure. That is, the engaging action by the fitting of the pocket portion 58 which is a convex portion and the escape hole 59 which is a concave portion is utilized. Further, as shown in the drawing, engagement by fitting a part (31a, 31d) of the plurality of protrusions 31 and a part of the concave grooves (32a, 32d) is also used.
[0054]
It should be noted that by removing the outer barrier member 54B, an information recording area 55d capable of recording the owner name and other necessary information is provided on the surface of the exposed inner barrier member 53B, as described above. It has been.
[0055]
In the third embodiment, the outer barrier member 54 (54A, 54B) is detachably provided with respect to the inner barrier member 53 (54A, 54B), and the user can make another outer barrier as required. It is possible to replace it with a member in a timely manner. Therefore, it is possible to easily obtain a custom camera that suits the user's own preferences.
[0056]
(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the lens barrier 60 of the camera according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The main difference between the lens barrier 60 of the present embodiment and the lens barrier 20 of the first embodiment is that the lens barrier 60 has a remote control function capable of remotely operating the camera body 10. .
[0057]
That is, the lens barrier 60 is detachably superimposed on an inner barrier member (barrier base) 63 provided so as to cover at least the front surface of the photographing lens 11 and on the surface of the inner barrier member 63. And an outer barrier member (decorative plate) 64 to be joined. The outer barrier member 64 is provided with a small remote controller 65 on the inner surface thereof for remotely operating the camera body 10. An escape hole 66 for storage is provided at a position opposite to the small remote controller 65 of the inner barrier member 63. 32a and 32b are made of a ferromagnetic material such as an iron plate, and the corresponding 31a and 31b are made of a magnet material. For this reason, both can be combined by magnetic adsorption.
[0058]
A small remote controller for a camera is convenient for portable use, but has a drawback that it is easily lost. For this reason, for example, it is conceivable to integrate the camera body with a strap or the like, but it is not compact. In the present embodiment, since the small remote controller 65 is integrated with the outer barrier member 64 of the lens barrier 20, the storing operation after use is easy and the possibility of forgetting to store is extremely low. For this reason, it is possible to prevent loss while carrying the camera, and there is no risk of impairing compactness.
[0059]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since the users themselves it is possible to assemble a timely outer barrier, can provide a camera with effects as described below.
[0060]
(A) Since the lens barrier of the present invention has a multiple-structure shielding portion formed by superposing a plurality of barrier members, at least the color of the outermost barrier member is different from that of other members in advance. By doing so, it is possible to easily and inexpensively realize the multi-coloring of the lens barrier surface without performing a coating process.
[0061]
(B) By specifying only the outermost barrier member, the entire barrier is substantially changed to a predetermined form, so the multi-color and design of the lens barrier surface can be easily changed to the form according to the user's preference. It is possible to change.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention, showing an appearance of a barrier in an open state.
2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 2A is a top view, FIG. 2B is a front view in a barrier closed state, and FIG. 2C is a front view in a barrier open state; (D) is an end view on the right side when viewed from the front of the camera.
3A and 3B are diagrams showing a configuration of a lens barrier in the camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3A is a front view of the lens barrier showing a coupling state between the inner barrier member and the outer barrier member. FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb in FIG. 4A, and FIG. 4C is a perspective view showing the outer barrier member separated from the inner barrier member.
4A and 4B are diagrams showing a configuration of a lens barrier in a camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 4A is a partially exploded perspective view, and FIG. 4B is a schematic view showing a shielding area; c) is a sectional view of the main part.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing a configuration of a lens barrier in a camera according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view of an example, and FIG. 5B is an exploded view of another example. Perspective view.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration of a lens barrier in a camera according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Camera body 11 ... Retractable taking lens 12 ... Finder front window 13 ... Self-timer window 14 ... Strobe light emission window 20, 40, 50, 60 ... Lens barrier 21, 41, 51, 61 ... Mounting part 22, 42, 52 , 62 ... shielding portions 23, 43, 53, 63 ... inner barrier members 24, 44, 54, 64 ... outer barrier members 31 (31a to 31d) ... protrusions 32 (32a to 32d) ... concave grooves 55a to 53c ... information Recording area 57 ... Memory card 58 ... Pocket 59, 66 ... Escape hole 65 ... Remote controller

Claims (9)

A camera body equipped with a taking lens and the like;
Mounted on the front surface of the camera body so as to be movable between a first position and a second position, and when in the first position, at least covers the front surface of the photographing lens to protect the lens, A lens barrier that enables photographing by opening the front surface of the photographing lens when in the second position;
With
The lens barrier is
An inner barrier member movably attached to the camera body;
An outer barrier member attached to the inner barrier member so as to overlap from the outside;
Coupling means for detachably coupling the outer barrier member to the inner barrier member from the outside of the camera body;
Camera according to claim <br/> to have. The coupling means detachably mounts the inner barrier member and the outer barrier member using at least one of an engagement mechanism by fitting an uneven portion and a magnetic attraction mechanism by a magnet. Item 14. The camera according to Item 1. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the inner barrier member is provided with an information recording area for recording information . The camera according to claim 1, wherein a pocket portion for storing camera accessories is provided between the inner barrier member and the outer barrier member . Wherein the outer barrier member, camera according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it has a remote control function according to the operation of the camera.   A groove-like boundary portion is formed at a portion of the surface of the inner barrier member where the peripheral portion of the outer barrier member abuts, and a protruding edge formed on the peripheral portion of the outer barrier member can be engaged therewith. The camera according to claim 2, wherein:   The camera according to claim 2, wherein the outer barrier member has a portion protruding forward of the camera from the inner barrier member.   The camera according to claim 2, wherein the outer barrier member has a curved portion formed along a moving direction.   The camera according to claim 2, wherein a material of the outer barrier member is different from a material of the inner barrier member.

Images