JP5031604B2 - How to assemble a digital still camera - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for assembling a digital still camera having a lens barrel having a protruding portion protruding in the optical axis direction even when the power is turned off. method of assembling a digital still camera so as to prevent the malfunction or breakdown of the electronic circuit.

  Cameras represented by digital still cameras are mostly operated directly with bare hands, and inevitably, static electricity charged to the user flows into the interior from the camera's outer case or lens when the camera is operated. The possibility to do increases. In compact digital still cameras, a so-called collapsible camera in which a lens barrel can be housed in the camera body when not photographing is the mainstream. In such a camera, the user's behavior is rarely limited due to its portability, and therefore the frequency with which the user is charged with static electricity increases.

  When static electricity flows from the outside, it adversely affects the operation of the electronic circuit arranged in the camera and the lens and the electronic components constituting the circuit, and may cause malfunction or destruction. In order to prevent such an influence, conventionally, a technique has been proposed in which a lens and a camera are electrically connected, and static electricity flowing into the lens is safely dropped to the ground potential.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a metal relay member attached to a fixed holding frame is connected to a ground piece of a flexible circuit board that is wired to a shutter unit and an elastic piece that is brought into contact with the front cover of the camera and grounded. Connected to the grounding line of the flexible circuit board by discharging the static electricity of the cover with a conductive member that is connected to the metallic outer peripheral surface cover of the first moving frame. The electrical connecting member is brought into contact with the metal front cover, and static electricity is discharged from the outer peripheral surface cover and the front cover of the second moving frame made of a metal material. This reliably eliminates static electricity generated in the metal outer peripheral cover and front cover provided on the lens barrel of the camera, and prevents damage to the electronic circuit due to static electricity.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which static electricity generated in a moving part made of an externally conductive material is discharged through a metal pin and a cam groove coated with a conductive paint. In addition, a conductive material is used for the gear train which is the zoom driving means, and the discharge is performed through them. Thereby, without providing a new wiring component, static electricity generated with a simple configuration is discharged to protect the electronic component.

In Patent Document 3, the lens barrel is provided at a position close to the conductive portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel (for example, about 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm) and stationary with respect to the moving lens barrel. In addition, a conductive earth member electrically connected to the ground provided in the electric part inside the camera is provided. As a result, since there is no configuration in contact with the conductive portion, there is no movement resistance of the lens barrel, and the static electricity transmitted to the lens barrel is reliably determined without increasing the number of parts constituting the lens barrel. It has dropped to the ground.
JP 2002-357757 A JP 2006-39374 A JP 2006-153993 A

  However, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, since it is applied to a lens barrel that moves in the optical axis direction by interposing a flexible substrate, the metal exterior of the lens barrel and the flexible substrate are connected. The number of parts constituting the lens barrel is large, and the assembly structure is complicated. Further, since the electrical connection is made in such a manner that the lens barrel is physically in contact with the elastic conductive member, the friction load is increased by the contact in the lens barrel moving in the optical axis direction. A movement resistance of the lens barrel is generated and power consumption increases.

  Further, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, when there are many members that need to be prevented from being charged, for example, in a multistage collapsible lens barrel, a conductive paint must be applied to the necessary portions of these members. This will lead to an increase in man-hours and cost.

  Further, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 3, since the distance between the ground member and the conductive portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel is close to, for example, about 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm, high assembly accuracy is achieved. Is required. In addition, when an external force is applied to the lens barrel due to a camera drop or the like, even if the external force is small, the lens barrel and the ground member come into contact with each other, preventing the movement of the lens barrel in the optical axis direction. In this case, the lens barrel may not be driven.

  Furthermore, in recent years, moving barrels that move back and forth in the direction of the optical axis with respect to the camera body during zooming or retraction are often formed of plastic materials, and the need for countermeasures against static electricity on the moving barrel itself has decreased. Yes. At the same time, in order to meet the conflicting customer needs of higher shooting performance and compact body, the front of the camera case is not flat even when not shooting, and part of the lens barrel protrudes toward the subject. There are not a few cameras that have a protruding portion.

  In the prior art for the purpose of countermeasures against static electricity, there has been no target for a digital still camera having a protruding portion as described above and having a movable cylinder formed of a plastic material. Similarly, there has been no disclosure of a method for assembling a digital still camera with such a countermeasure against static electricity.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and in a compact digital still camera having a protruding portion protruding in the optical axis direction even when the power is turned off, the camera body due to static electricity flowing into the protruding portion An object of the present invention is to provide a method for assembling a digital still camera capable of electrically connecting a protruding portion and a camera case with a very simple structure in order to prevent malfunction and destruction of an electronic circuit in the lens. And

  In order to achieve the above object, a method for assembling a digital still camera according to the present invention includes a metal exterior case, a lens unit having an optical system for imaging, and an optical axis direction on the front surface of the exterior case. A metal exterior cover that forms a lens exterior portion in a protruding state, an elastic conducting member that electrically connects the exterior case and the exterior cover, and a fixed frame portion that supports the elastic conducting member. In the method of assembling a digital still camera, the step of inserting the lens unit into the exterior case, the step of loosely attaching the elastic conducting member to a predetermined position of the fixed frame portion so as to be movable forward and backward, and the fixing A step of inserting a frame portion into the lens unit; a step of inserting the outer cover into the fixed frame portion; and pressing the elastic conductive member by a pressing contact portion provided on the outer cover. And one in which the distal end portion of the elastic conductive member is configured to have, a step of contact with the outer case.

  According to the method for assembling a digital still camera according to the present invention, it is possible to assemble a digital still camera with countermeasures against static electricity with a small number of steps and a small number of parts without greatly changing the general assembly process of the digital still camera. It becomes possible.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a digital still camera according to an embodiment of the present invention when the power is turned off, and FIG. 2 similarly shows an appearance of the camera shown in FIG. 1 when the power is turned on. It is a perspective view. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the main components in the lens periphery of the camera shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a leaf spring which is one of the main components shown in FIG. FIGS. 5 to 8 are cross-sectional views of the lens periphery showing the assembly procedure of the camera shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a process of inserting the lens unit into the front exterior case, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a simplified vertical cross-sectional view showing the step of loosely inserting into the slit of the frame portion, FIG. 7 is the step of inserting the fixed frame portion into the lens unit, and FIG. 8 is the step of inserting the exterior cover into the fixed frame portion.

  The digital still camera 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a two-stage retractable zoom lens 20 and a front exterior case 31 on the front surface. As shown in FIG. 1, the two-stage retractable zoom lens 20 is not completely stored in the front exterior case 31 even when the power is turned off, and is protruded. On the top, there is a power button 41, a release button 42, a mode dial 43 for setting a shooting mode, a hot shoe 50, a pop-up strobe 60, and a slide knob 70 for manually popping up the pop-up strobe 60. It has. A strap holder 80 for holding a strap (not shown) used when carrying the digital still camera 10 is provided on the side surface.

  By pressing the release button 42 halfway, the AF of the digital still camera 10 functions to focus on the desired subject. Subsequently, when the release button 42 is fully pressed, shooting in the shooting mode set by the mode dial 43 is performed, and the shot image data is recorded on a recording medium (not shown) such as an SD card (registered trademark). . Further, by operating a zoom operation key (not shown) arranged on the back surface of the back exterior case 32, it is possible to change the magnification of the two-stage retractable zoom lens 20 to the wide side and the tele side.

  Further, the rear exterior case 32 includes an operation member (not shown) and an LCD display device. As operation members, a cross key, a reproduction button, and a zoom operation key are provided. The cross key is composed of five buttons: an UP button, a DOWN button, a RIGHT button, a LEFT button, and an OK button located at the center of the cross key. By using these buttons, it is possible to move the cursor and determine the operation on the LCD display device. Further, when the playback button is operated, the camera switches to a playback mode, and confirmation of image data recorded on a recording medium (not shown) such as an SD card (registered trademark) can be performed on the LCD display device.

  Camera accessories such as an external strobe and an external viewfinder can be attached to the hot shoe 50. The pop-up strobe 60 is popped up by sliding the slide knob 70 when it is necessary to emit strobe light at the time of shooting, and the electric charge stored in a main capacitor (not shown) arranged in the camera body is not shown. And function by causing it to emit light.

  The mode dial 43 is configured by a rotatable dial switch. A plurality of icons that can recognize the shooting mode are printed on the mode dial 43, and the photographer rotates the mode dial 43 so that the icon of the intended shooting mode is at the position of an alignment mark (not shown). Thus, the digital still camera 10 can be set to the shooting mode.

  The types of shooting modes include, for example, a still image mode for shooting a still image and a moving image shooting mode for shooting a moving image. Further, the still image shooting mode includes shutter speed, aperture value, ISO sensitivity, and the like. There are an auto mode for automatically determining shooting conditions, and a manual mode for manually setting the shooting conditions according to the photographer's preference. In addition, an aperture priority auto mode in which the photographer sets an arbitrary aperture value and automatically determines the optimum shutter speed accordingly, and the photographer sets an arbitrary shutter speed and the optimum aperture value accordingly There is an aperture shutter speed priority auto mode that automatically determines the shutter speed.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the projecting portion of the two-stage retractable zoom lens 20 in the digital still camera 10 embodying the present invention includes an exterior cover 21, a fixed frame portion 22, and a lens unit 23. The lens unit 23 is inserted through an opening 311 provided in the front exterior case 31. A slit 221 is provided at a predetermined location of the fixed frame portion 22, and a metal leaf spring 24 formed by pressing and having elasticity is inserted in the slit in the optical axis direction. The leaf spring 24 functions as an elastic conducting member.

  In order to hold an imager unit (not shown) composed of an image pickup device that shoots light from a subject that has passed through the imaging optical system in the lens unit 23 and outputs the image data, on the back side of the body of the lens unit 23. The imager unit holding frame 25 and a drive motor (not shown) for driving the movable cylinder in the lens unit 23 in the optical axis direction are provided.

  The leaf spring 24 has a shape that is longer in the optical axis direction than the distance between the pressing portion 211 of the exterior cover 21 and the front exterior case 31 in a state where the projecting portion of the two-stage retractable zoom lens 20 is assembled. ing. As shown in FIG. 4, both the case-side and subject-side tips of the leaf spring 24 are inclined portions, and the case-side inclined portion 241 further has an engagement hole 242. The engagement hole 242 engages with an engagement claw 222 provided in the fixed frame portion 22, thereby preventing the leaf spring 24 from dropping from the slit 221 during assembly. Further, the long side of the leaf spring 24 has a latching portion 243 whose width in the short side direction changes, and the subject side of the latching portion 243 has a width wider than the width of the slit 221. The leaf spring 24 is prevented from falling off the slit 221 by the hooking portion 243 being hooked on the slit 221. That is, the leaf spring 24 is loosely inserted between the case-side locking portion and the subject-side hooking portion so as to be able to advance and retract.

  The subject-side inclined portion 244 of the leaf spring 24 that is loosely inserted into the slit 221 is pressed against the camera side by the pressing action portion 211 of the exterior cover 21, and the case-side inclined portion 241 is elastically attached to the front exterior case 31. Pressed with force. Thereby, the exterior cover 21 and the front exterior case 31 are electrically connected via the leaf spring 24.

  Since the exterior cover 21 and the front exterior case 31 are electrically connected, when static electricity from a photographer or the like flows into the exterior cover 21, the current can be reliably transmitted to the front exterior case 31. . Note that a method for electrically connecting the front exterior case 31 and the back exterior case 32 and a method for electrically connecting these cases and the ground contact of the electric circuit in the digital still camera 10 are performed by using a known technique. Well, detailed description is omitted.

  Next, a method for assembling a digital still camera according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5, the lens unit 23 is inserted into the front exterior case 31 of the metallic camera body having the opening 311 having a predetermined opening diameter from the back side and screwed.

  Independent of the above steps, as shown in FIG. 6, a leaf spring 24 that functions as an elastic conducting member is formed in a slit 221 provided in a fixed frame portion 22 having an outer diameter larger than the opening 311 of the front exterior case 31. Is inserted from the subject side, and the engagement hole 242 of the case-side inclined portion 241 and the engagement claw 222 of the fixed frame portion 22 are engaged using the elasticity of the leaf spring 24. Since the long side of the leaf spring 24 has a latching portion 243 whose width in the short side direction changes, the leaf spring 24 can freely advance and retract between the case-side engaging claw 222 and the subject-side latching portion 243. It is in a state of being loosely inserted into

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the fixed frame portion 22 is inserted into the lens unit 23 inserted through the front exterior case 31 from the subject side. The fixed frame portion 22 and the lens unit 23 are screwed from the back side of the front exterior case 31 with the front exterior case 31 in between.

  Finally, as shown in FIG. 8, a metal outer cover 21 having an outer diameter larger than that of the fixed frame portion 22 is inserted into the fixed frame portion 22 from the subject side. The outer cover 21 is provided with a pressing action portion 211 on the inner surface thereof, and when the outer cover 21 is inserted into the fixed frame portion 22, the pressing action portion 211 is a subject-side inclined portion of the leaf spring 24. 244 is brought into contact. The outer cover 21 is pushed into the case side in contact with the leaf spring 24, and the inserted outer cover 21 and the fixed frame portion 22 are screwed.

  The latching portion 243 of the leaf spring 24 comes into contact with the slit 221 and the subject side inclined portion 244 is elastically deformed, and at the same time, the case side inclined portion 241 hits the front exterior case 31 and elastically deforms. Thereby, the exterior cover 21 and the front exterior case 31 are electrically connected via the leaf spring 24.

  After the above steps, a step of assembling the imager unit, main circuit board, operation member, LCD display device and the like is performed, and the assembly of the digital still camera 10 embodying the present invention is completed.

As described above, according to the method of assembling a digital still camera of the present invention, a digital still camera that is provided with countermeasures against static electricity with a small number of steps and a small number of parts without greatly changing the general assembly process of the digital still camera. The camera can be assembled.

  The digital still camera 10 of the above-described embodiment has only one leaf spring 24 that functions as an elastic conducting member. However, if a plurality of these are used, the exterior cover 21 that forms the lens exterior portion and the digital still are used. The electrical connection with the front exterior case 31 of the camera 10 can be further ensured.

  Further, in the digital still camera 10 of the above-described embodiment, when the exterior cover 21 or the front exterior case 31 is subjected to a surface treatment such as anodizing to improve the design and strength of the appearance, If the processing of the contact portion is removed in advance, the electrical connection between the exterior cover 21 and the front exterior case 31 can be further ensured. The surface treatment method may be of any type as long as it achieves the purpose such as improvement in design properties and strength.

It is the perspective view which showed the external appearance at the time of power-off of the digital still camera which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed the external appearance at the time of power-on of the camera shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective development view showing main components in a lens peripheral portion of the camera shown in FIG. 1. It is an enlarged view of the leaf | plate spring shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a simplified vertical cross-sectional view of the lens periphery showing a first step of the assembly procedure of the camera shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a simplified vertical cross-sectional view of the lens periphery showing a second step of the assembly procedure of the camera shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a simplified vertical cross-sectional view of the lens periphery showing a third step of the assembly procedure of the camera shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a simplified vertical cross-sectional view of the lens periphery showing a fourth step in the assembly procedure of the camera shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Digital still camera 21 Exterior cover 211 Pushing action part 22 Fixed frame part 221 Slit 222 Engagement claw 23 Lens unit 24 Leaf spring 241 Case side inclination part 242 Engagement hole 243 Latching part 244 Subject side inclination part 31 Front exterior case

Claims (1)

  A metal exterior case, a lens unit containing an optical system for imaging, a metal exterior cover that forms a lens exterior portion in a state of projecting in the optical axis direction on the front surface of the exterior case, and the exterior case In an assembly method of a digital still camera, comprising: an elastic conducting member that electrically connects the exterior cover; and a fixed frame portion that supports the elastic conducting member.
  Inserting the lens unit into the exterior case;
  Loosely attaching the elastic conducting member to a predetermined position of the fixed frame portion so as to be able to advance and retreat in the optical axis direction;
  Inserting the fixed frame portion into the lens unit;
  Inserting the outer cover into the fixed frame portion, pressing the elastic conducting member by a pressing contact portion provided on the outer cover, and causing the distal end portion of the elastic conducting member to contact the outer case; ,
A method of assembling a digital still camera, comprising:

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