JP5696241B2 - Memory card holding device and imaging device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a memory card holding device that holds a plurality of memory cards of the same type and is mounted on a device using a memory card such as a digital camera, a video camera, or a PC, or an imaging device.

  In recent years, devices using memory cards such as digital cameras, video cameras, and PCs, and image pickup devices are of the same type in order to cope with the increase in capacity accompanying recording of high-quality images and moving images and to enhance the convenience of data management. Some have a memory card holding device capable of holding a plurality of memory cards.

  Such a memory card holding device generally includes a housing of a device using a memory card, a memory card operation chamber provided in the housing, an opening / closing lid that is hinged to the housing to open and close the memory card operation chamber, A plurality of memory cards having a plurality of insertion slots parallel to the hinge shaft that opens in the card operation chamber, and holding a plurality of the same type of memory cards inserted into the plurality of insertion slots at a loading position and a discharging position in a stable state. And a connector.

  Conventionally, the loading position and the discharging position of a plurality of memory cards by the plurality of memory card connectors as viewed from the direction orthogonal to the memory card plane are usually the same (the same surface).

JP 2004-153430 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-167889

  However, according to the present inventor, when the loading position and the discharging position of the plurality of memory cards by the plurality of memory card connectors viewed from the direction orthogonal to the memory card plane are all the same, In addition, it is difficult to identify a plurality of memory cards and memory card connectors to be operated by just touching a fingertip without visually observing them, and there is a risk of causing an erroneous operation.

  For example, if you try to load a memory card into a specific memory card connector among multiple memory card connectors, but you accidentally load a memory card into another memory card connector, A memory card loaded in another memory card connector by mistake may be ejected.

  The present invention has been made on the basis of the above problem awareness, and is a memory card with high operability that can be identified only by the touch of a fingertip without visually observing a plurality of memory cards and memory card connectors to be operated. An object is to provide a holding device and an imaging device.

  The present invention reviews conventional technical common sense that all loading positions and ejection positions are the same when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the memory card plane of a plurality of memory cards by a plurality of memory card connectors, and a plurality of memory cards by a plurality of memory card connectors. The loading positions of the memory card viewed from the direction orthogonal to the memory card plane are the same (the same plane), and the ejection positions viewed from the direction orthogonal to the memory card plane of the plurality of memory cards by the plurality of memory card connectors are If different from each other, it is based on the viewpoint that the plurality of memory cards and the memory card connectors to be operated can be identified only by the touch of the fingertip without visually observing and the operability can be improved.

  That is, the memory card holding device of the present invention has a housing of a device using a memory card; a memory card operation chamber provided in the housing; and a plurality of parallel insertion openings opened in the memory card operation chamber. And a plurality of memory card connectors for stably holding a plurality of memory cards of the same type to be inserted into the plurality of insertion openings at a loading position and a discharging position. The loading positions of the plurality of memory cards viewed from the direction orthogonal to the memory card plane are the same as each other; and the ejection positions of the plurality of memory cards viewed from the direction orthogonal to the memory card plane by the plurality of memory card connectors It is characterized by making them different from each other.

  The plurality of memory card connectors can have different discharge resistances of the memory card (different memory card push-in forces, easy push / hard push-in, light push / push push-in force). Specifically, the plurality of memory card connectors can have different widths of the insertion slot for ejecting the memory card.

  The plurality of memory card connectors may have memory card ejection mechanisms having different ejection amounts. Specifically, the memory card ejection mechanism of the plurality of memory card connectors can eject the memory card using different spring forces.

  In another aspect, the memory card holding device of the present invention has a housing of a memory card using device; and a plurality of insertion openings parallel to each other opening in the housing, and the same type inserted into the plurality of insertion openings. A memory card holding device including a plurality of memory card connectors for holding the plurality of memory cards at a loading position and a discharging position, as viewed from a direction orthogonal to a memory card plane of the plurality of memory cards by the plurality of memory card connectors. The plurality of memory card connectors are characterized in that the discharge positions of the memory cards are different from each other.

  An imaging device of the present invention includes a housing of the imaging device; and a plurality of parallel insertion openings that open in the housing, and a plurality of memory cards of the same type that are inserted into the plurality of insertion openings are loaded and A plurality of memory card connectors held at a discharge position; wherein the loading positions of the plurality of memory card connectors viewed from a direction orthogonal to the memory card plane are the same; The ejection positions of the plurality of memory cards viewed from the direction orthogonal to the memory card plane are different from each other by the plurality of memory card connectors.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the memory card holding | maintenance apparatus and imaging device with high operativity which can identify only by the touch of a fingertip, without visually observing the several memory card and memory card connector which are operation objects can be provided. .

1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a digital camera equipped with a memory card holding device of the present invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the memory card loading state of the memory card holding | maintenance apparatus of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the memory card discharge state of the memory card holding | maintenance apparatus of this invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3 in which the amount of memory card discharged by two memory card connectors is varied. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 in which the bottom surface of the memory card operation chamber is planar.

  An embodiment in which the memory card holding device 20 of the present invention is applied to a digital camera (a device using a memory card, an imaging device) 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The memory card holding device 20 is a dual slot type capable of holding two memory cards of the same type.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a shutter button 3, a power lever 4, a display panel 5, a mode dial 6, and a hot shoe 7 are disposed on the upper surface of the housing 2 of the digital camera 1. A finder 8, an image monitor 9, a remote control light receiving unit 10, and a card access lamp 11 are arranged on the rear surface of the housing 2. A sync terminal 12, a tripod screw hole 13, and an external IF connector 14 are arranged on the left side surface of the housing 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a memory card operation chamber 21 is formed on the left side surface of the housing 2, and the memory card operation chamber 21 is an opening / closing lid coupled to the housing 2 by a hinge shaft H. (Card cover) 22 can be opened and closed. An engagement claw portion (not shown) is formed on the back side of the opening / closing lid 22 facing the memory card operation chamber 21, and this engagement claw portion is formed with an engagement hole portion (not shown) of the housing 2. By engaging, the opening / closing lid 22 is held in a closed state, and by releasing the engagement, the opening / closing lid 22 is opened.

  Two memory card connectors 30 and 40 are accommodated in the memory card operation chamber 21. The memory card connectors 30 and 40 that open to the memory card operation chamber 21 have insertion ports 31 and 41 that are parallel to the hinge axis H. The memory card connectors 30 and 40 have two memory cards 32 and 42 of the same type inserted into the insertion ports 31 and 41 (for example, SD card, SDHC card, CF card, PC card, etc.) at the loading position and the discharging position. It can be held in a stable state. The memory card connectors 30 and 40 are a lock mechanism (not shown) that holds the memory cards 32 and 42 in the loading position, and a discharge that discharges the memory cards 32 and 42 in the loading position toward the outside of the housing 2. A mechanism (not shown) is provided. As the lock mechanism and the ejection mechanism, for example, a push-push type that repeats loading and ejection every time the memory card is pushed can be adopted.

  The memory card connectors 30 and 40 are connected to both surfaces of a single circuit board 23 via electrical contacts 33 and 43, and a circuit is connected to one of the memory cards 32 and 42 loaded in the memory card connectors 30 and 40. Image data can be recorded by accessing from the substrate 23. During recording of image data, the card access lamp 11 disposed on the rear surface of the housing 2 is turned on.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the memory card connector 30 on the side closer to the hinge axis H (upper side in the figure) is farther than the memory card connector 40 on the side farther from the hinge axis H (lower side in the figure). It protrudes outward of the housing 2 by d (the positions of connection to both surfaces of the circuit board 23 are shifted).

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the loading position of the memory card connectors 30 and 40 viewed from the direction perpendicular to the memory card plane of the memory cards 32 and 42 (vertical direction in the figure) is closer to the hinge axis H. The memory card 32 protrudes outward of the housing 2 by a distance d from the far side memory card 42. That is, the memory card 32 closer to the hinge axis H is closer to the opening / closing lid 22 by the distance d when the position of the opening / closing lid 22 in the closed state is used as a reference than the memory card 42 on the far side. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, when the memory card connectors 30 and 40 have the same memory card ejection mechanism, the memory card 32 ejected from the memory card connector 30 is removed from the memory card connector 40. It protrudes outward of the housing 2 by a distance d from 42.

  FIGS. 2 and 3 are steps in which the bottom surface of the memory card operation chamber 21 is adjusted to the difference (distance d) in the protrusion amount of the memory cards 32 and 42, and the protrusion amount from the housing 2 is larger as it is closer to the hinge axis H. This is an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the aspect of the shape bottom surface 21a. In this embodiment, the amount of protrusion from the stepped bottom surface 21a at the loading position and the discharging position of the memory cards 32 and 42 is the same.

  The case 2, the memory card operation chamber 21, the opening / closing lid 22, and the memory card connectors 30 and 40 described above constitute the memory card holding device 20 of the present invention.

  When the memory card is loaded into the memory card holding device 20, it is confirmed that the power of the digital camera 1 is turned off, and then the opening / closing lid 22 is opened to open a memory card connector that opens into the memory card operation chamber 21. A memory card is inserted into the insertion ports 31 and 32 of the 30 and 40 and loaded. Further, when the memory card loaded in the memory card holding device 20 is ejected, the memory card at the loading position is pushed again to be positioned at the ejection position (projected).

  In the present embodiment, the loading and unloading positions of the memory cards 32 and 42 viewed from the direction perpendicular to the memory card plane by the memory card connectors 30 and 40 are different from each other. As a result of being able to identify the memory card and the memory card connector, which are the operation targets, only by the touch of the fingertip without visually observing the memory card and the memory card connector, the operability can be improved. That is, when the memory card is loaded, an attempt to load the memory card into the memory card connector 30 (40) can be prevented, but an erroneous operation of loading the memory card into the memory card connector 40 (30) can be prevented. Although an attempt is made to eject the memory card loaded in the memory card connector 30 (40), an erroneous operation of ejecting the memory card loaded in the memory card connector 40 (30) by mistake can be prevented.

  In addition, when the memory card is loaded and ejected, the closer to the hinge axis H, the smaller the space between the housing 2 and the opening / closing lid 22 and the more difficult it is to insert a finger, resulting in lower operability of the memory card and memory card connector. . On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the memory card connector 30 on the side close to the hinge axis H is protruded outward of the housing 2 relative to the memory card connector 40 on the far side. 32 is pushed into the memory card connector 30 for easy loading and unloading, and operability is not lowered.

  As shown in FIG. 4, if the discharge amount of the discharge mechanism of the memory card connector 30 on the side close to the hinge axis H is larger than the discharge amount of the discharge mechanism of the memory card connector 40 on the side far from the hinge axis H (for example, If the spring force used for the ejecting mechanism of the memory card connector 30 is greater than the spring force used for the ejecting mechanism of the memory card connector 40), the memory card 32 ejected from the memory card connector 30 is removed from the memory card connector 40. It protrudes outward of the housing 2 by a distance D (> d) from the discharged memory card 42. Accordingly, when the memory card 32 ejected from the memory card connector 30 is taken out, the memory card 32 can be easily pinched with a fingertip.

  In addition (or alternatively), the width of the insertion slot 41 of the memory card connector 40 on the side far from the hinge axis H is made narrower than the width of the insertion slot 31 of the memory card connector 30 on the side near the hinge axis H. It is also possible to set a large load / discharge resistance. As a result, the memory card connector 40 has a greater (heavier) pushing force when loading the memory card than the memory card connector 30, so that the fingertip can be used without visually observing the memory card and the memory card connector to be operated. It can be identified only by the touch. On the other hand, since the memory card connector 40 has a larger ejection resistance and is less likely to be ejected, even if the memory card connectors 30 and 40 have the same memory card ejection mechanism, the memory card 32 ejected from the memory card connector 30 The memory card 42 that is ejected from the memory card connector 40 protrudes outward from the housing 2. Accordingly, when the memory card 32 ejected from the memory card connector 30 is taken out, the memory card 32 can be easily pinched with a fingertip.

  FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a mode in which the bottom surface of the memory card operation chamber 21 is a planar bottom surface 21b orthogonal to the memory card plane. In this embodiment, the amount of protrusion from the planar bottom surface 21b at the loading position and the ejection position of the memory card 32 on the side close to the hinge axis H is the plane at the loading position and the ejection position of the memory card 42 far from the hinge axis H. It is set larger than the protruding amount from the bottom surface 21b. Accordingly, when the memory card is loaded and ejected, it becomes easy to identify the memory card and the memory card connector to be operated with the touch of the fingertip. Further, it becomes easier to push the memory card 32 closer to the hinge axis H into the memory card connector 30. Further, when the memory card 32 ejected from the memory card connector 30 is taken out, the memory card 32 can be easily pinched with a fingertip.

  In the above embodiments, the loading positions of the plurality of memory cards viewed from the plane orthogonal to the memory card plane by the plurality of memory card connectors are different from each other, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is also possible to make the loading positions of the plurality of memory cards viewed from the direction orthogonal to the memory card plane by the plurality of memory card connectors the same (the same), and to make only the same ejection positions different from each other. Specifically, the discharge amounts of the memory card discharge mechanisms of the plurality of memory card connectors may be different from each other, or the discharge resistance may be formed by narrowing the width of the insertion port of the plurality of memory card connectors.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the memory card holding device of the present invention is a dual slot type capable of holding two memory cards has been described as an example. However, the memory card holding device of the present invention includes three or more memory card holding devices. The memory card can be held. In this case, the memory card connector may be configured so that the loading positions of three or more memory cards are different from each other.

  The memory card holding device of the present invention can be similarly applied to various devices using a memory card such as a video camera and a PC, and an imaging device in addition to a digital camera.

  The memory card holding device of the present invention is not limited to a mode in which a plurality of memory card connectors are formed in a housing of a memory card using device (stored in a memory card operation room). The present invention can be similarly applied to a device that is established separately (for example, a card reader that is connected to a memory card using device and used integrally).

1 Digital camera (device using memory card, imaging device)
2 Housing 11 Card access lamp 20 Memory card holding device 21 Memory card operation chamber 21a Step-like bottom surface 21b Planar bottom surface 22 Opening / closing lid (card cover)
23 circuit board 30 40 memory card connector 31 41 insertion slot 32 42 memory card 33 43 electrical contact H hinge shaft

Claims (7)

A housing of a memory card using device; and a plurality of parallel insertion openings opening in the housing, and holding a plurality of memory cards of the same type inserted into the plurality of insertion openings in a loading position and a discharging position Multiple memory card connectors;
In a memory card holding device comprising:
The loading positions of the plurality of memory cards viewed from the direction orthogonal to the memory card plane by the plurality of memory card connectors are the same; and the memory card planes of the plurality of memory cards by the plurality of memory card connectors are orthogonal to each other. Different discharge positions from different directions;
A memory card holding device. The memory card holding device according to claim 1,
The memory card holding device, wherein the memory card connectors have different discharge resistances of the memory card. The memory card holding device according to claim 2,
The memory card holding device, wherein the plurality of memory card connectors have different insertion slot widths for ejecting a memory card. The memory card holding device according to claim 1,
The memory card holding device, wherein the plurality of memory card connectors have memory card ejection mechanisms with different ejection amounts. The memory card holding device according to claim 4, wherein
The memory card ejecting mechanism of the plurality of memory card connectors is a memory card holding device that ejects a memory card using different spring forces. A housing of a memory card using device; and a plurality of parallel insertion openings opening in the housing, and holding a plurality of memory cards of the same type inserted into the plurality of insertion openings in a loading position and a discharging position Multiple memory card connectors;
In a memory card holding device comprising:
The loading positions of the plurality of memory cards viewed from the direction orthogonal to the memory card plane are the same; and the plurality of memory card connectors have different discharge resistances of the memory card. about;
A memory card holding device. A housing of the imaging device; and a plurality of parallel insertion openings that open in the housing, and a plurality of memory cards of the same type that are inserted into the insertion openings are held in a loading position and a discharging position. Memory card connector;
In an imaging apparatus comprising:
The loading positions of the plurality of memory cards viewed from the direction orthogonal to the memory card plane by the plurality of memory card connectors are the same; and the memory card planes of the plurality of memory cards by the plurality of memory card connectors are orthogonal to each other. Different discharge positions from different directions;
An imaging apparatus characterized by the above.

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