JP6459216B2 - Support structure and electrical equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a foldable support structure that movably supports an object to be supported, and particularly to a support structure including a lock mechanism (fixing means) that stably maintains a folded state.

  On the back of the digital camera, a display such as an LCD (liquid crystal display) for displaying captured images and setting screens is provided. It is known that this display can be used as a viewfinder and can be photographed while watching a live view (real-time video) displayed on the display.

  Patent Document 1 describes a display attached to a digital camera body via a support mechanism constituting a link mechanism so that the display can be tilted vertically or horizontally. The support mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a friction hinge that is configured so as not to rotate unless a torque greater than a predetermined value is applied by applying a frictional resistance to the rotation. This makes it possible to hold the display in a stationary state at an arbitrary position / posture within the movable range.

  The magnitude of the rotational resistance of the friction hinge is adjusted to be close to the lower limit of the range necessary for stably holding the position of the display during use so that it can be smoothly operated with as little force as possible. Therefore, for example, if a slightly large external force such as vibration is applied during conveyance with the rotational resistance of the friction hinge alone, the display moves and causes damage. For this reason, the support mechanism of Patent Document 1 is provided with a lock mechanism including a lock claw and a hook so that the folded state can be maintained during conveyance.

JP-A-8-23465

  A lock mechanism composed of a lock claw and a hook as described in Patent Document 1 needs to provide a relatively complicated engagement structure for a plurality of members. For this reason, due to variations in the finished dimensions and assembly accuracy of each member, there is a large individual difference in locking details and the degree of disengagement, and there is a problem that the quality of the locking function is not stable.

  This invention is made | formed in view of said situation, The place made into the objective is providing the support structure where the quality of the lock function was stabilized.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a support structure that supports a supported body so as to be movable, a base, a first movable part that is rotatably connected to the base, a base, and a first movable part. A first hinge part rotatably connected, a second movable part rotatably connected to the first movable part, to which the supported body is attached, the first hinge part and the rotational axis are parallel, When the first movable part and the second movable part are pivotably connected to each other and the three parts of the base, the first movable part, and the second movable part are folded so as to be stacked, the three parts are integrated. And a fixing means for releasing the fixing when a force of a predetermined value or more is applied in the direction of separating the three parts.

  Further, in the above support structure, the fixing means may be configured to fix the three portions at a substantially intermediate position between the rotation shaft of the first hinge portion and the rotation shaft of the second hinge portion.

  In the above support structure, the fixing means may include a magnet attached to at least one of the base, the first movable portion, and the second movable portion.

  In the above support structure, the magnet is attached to at least one of the base portion and the second movable portion so as to protrude to the other side, and the first movable portion has a hole in which the protruding portion of the magnet is accommodated. Or it is good also as a structure by which the notch is formed.

  Further, in the above support structure, the second movable portion is provided with a first operation claw for performing an operation of opening the second hinge portion, which is disposed closer to the first hinge portion than the fixing portion by the fixing means. It is good.

  In the above support structure, the first movable portion or the second movable portion is disposed closer to the second hinge portion than the fixing portion by the fixing means, and the second operation for performing the operation of opening the first hinge portion. It is good also as a structure provided with the nail | claw.

  Further, in the above support structure, in a state where the base portion is folded in three portions, both ends of the first movable portion and the second movable portion in the rotational axis direction are connected to the rotational shaft of the first hinge portion and the second hinge. It is good also as a structure provided with the guard part which covers in a substantially intermediate | middle position with the rotating shaft of a part, and prevents that a user's finger touches this position.

  In the above support structure, the first hinge portion is fixed to the first movable portion, the bearing is fixed to the base, and rotatably supports the first shaft member, and is fixed to the base. A friction member that provides frictional resistance against rotation of the first shaft member, and the friction member includes a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion that are fixed to the base, and a first fixing portion and a second fixing portion. And a substantially V-shaped friction part sandwiching the first shaft member with the base part, and the first shaft member has two surfaces that form a substantially V-shape of the friction part, and It is good also as a structure which contacts with a base and is pressed and frictional resistance is given to rotation with respect to a base.

  The support structure further includes an underlay member disposed between the base and the first shaft member and fixed to the base so that the base and the first shaft member do not contact each other, and the base and the first shaft The portion may be formed of different types of metal, and the first shaft member and the underlay member may be formed of the same type of metal.

  In the above support structure, the first hinge portion or the second hinge portion includes a plurality of bearings having a cylindrical body formed by using a molding die, and a shaft member rotatably supported by the plurality of bearings. It is good also as a structure provided with.

  In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a main body, a display connected to the main body, and the support structure that supports the display movably with respect to the main body, the base of the support structure is provided on the main body. An electric device is provided that is attached and has a display attached to the second movable part of the support structure, and the second movable part of the support structure includes an indicator disposed around a display screen of the display. The electrical device is, for example, a digital camera.

  The support structure further includes a removable storage medium drive device, and the indicator is an access lamp that displays an access status of the storage device to the storage medium, and is positioned near the drive device in the second movable portion. It is good also as a structure arrange | positioned.

  According to the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention, a support structure having a stable lock function quality is provided.

FIG. 1 is an external view of a digital still camera provided with a hinge structure (second hinge portion) according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external view of an exterior cover on which a display is mounted via a tilt mechanism. FIG. 3 is an external view of an exterior cover on which a display is mounted via a tilt mechanism. FIG. 4 is a view showing a state where the second movable part, the display, and the protective cover are removed from the exterior cover of FIG. FIG. 5 is an external view of the first movable frame (including an exploded view of the main part of the second hinge portion). 6 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the first hinge portion of FIG. FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the friction member and the pressing member are removed from the first hinge portion of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the second hinge portion of FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the second hinge portion. FIG. 10 is an external view of the second movable part. FIG. 11 is an external view of the tilt mechanism. FIG. 12 is a view showing the back side of the exterior cover.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an external view of a digital still camera 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as “camera 1”) including a hinge structure (second hinge portion 500) and a support structure (tilt mechanism 10) according to an embodiment of the present invention. is there.

  2 and 3 show a rear side exterior cover 20 of the camera 1 (hereinafter referred to as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display) attached via the tilt mechanism 10 (for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display). It is simply an external view of “exterior cover 20”. FIG. 2 shows a storage state in which the tilt mechanism 10 is closed and the display 30 and the tilt mechanism 10 are housed in the display housing recess 21 provided in the exterior cover 20 (base). FIG. 3 shows a tilted state in which the tilt mechanism 10 is deployed and the display 30 is tilted.

  In the following description, the left-right direction (horizontal direction of the screen of the display 30) in FIG. 2 is referred to as the left-right direction or horizontal direction of the camera 1, and the vertical direction (vertical direction of the screen of the display 30) is the vertical direction or vertical direction of the camera 1. Called the direction. Further, the subject side (the back side of the paper in FIG. 2) of the camera 1 is referred to as the front, and the display 30 side (the front side of the paper in FIG. 2) is referred to as the back.

  The tilt mechanism 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a support structure that supports a display 30 as a supported body so as to be movable with respect to the camera body 1a. The tilt mechanism 10 includes a first movable frame 100, a second movable frame 200, and a cover 300 shown in FIG. 3, and a first hinge part 400 and a second hinge part 500 described later shown in FIG. 4 is a view showing a state in which the second movable frame 200, the cover 300, the display 30, and the pair of protective covers 24 are removed from those shown in FIG.

  The frame of the exterior cover 20 is made of a paramagnetic magnesium alloy. A lower end portion of the first movable frame 100 is rotatably connected to a lower end portion on the back surface of the camera body 1a (exterior cover 20) by a pair of first hinge portions 400 having a rotation shaft extending in the left-right direction of the camera 1. ing. Further, the upper end portion of the second movable frame 200 is rotatably connected to the upper end portion of the first movable frame 100 by a pair of second hinge portions 500 having a rotation shaft extending in the left-right direction of the camera 1. . That is, the first hinge part 400, the first movable frame 100, the second hinge part 500, and the second movable frame 200 constitute a kind of link mechanism. The display 30 is fixed to the second movable frame 200. With this configuration, the vertical angle of the display 30 (the elevation angle of the screen normal of the display 30) and the distance from the camera body 1a can be adjusted within a certain range. Therefore, the photographer can perform a low-angle or high-angle shooting with a reasonable posture while watching a live view (real-time video) displayed on the display 30.

  FIG. 5 is an external view of the first movable frame 100 (including an exploded view of the main part of the second hinge unit 500). The back side of the paper surface in FIG. 5 is the camera body 1a side, and the front side of the paper surface is the display 30 side. The first movable frame 100 is a member formed by sheet metal processing of a metal plate such as a stainless steel plate. As the first movable frame 100, a magnesium alloy formed by die casting may be used as in the case of the exterior cover 20 and the second movable frame 200. The first movable frame 100 has a substantially rectangular flat plate 110. The plate 110 is bent at a right angle toward the display 30 at both ends in the left-right direction to form a pair of flanges 120.

  The upper end portion of the flange 120 protrudes upward from the upper end of the plate 110 and expands in a substantially disc shape to form a boss 122. A non-circular (for example, substantially rectangular) boss hole 122 h is formed at the center of the boss 122. Further, the lower end portion of the flange 120 protrudes below the lower end of the plate 110 to form an arm 124. A non-circular (for example, substantially rectangular) boss hole 124 h is formed at the lower end of the arm 124.

  A substantially U-shaped notch 114 is formed at the left and right center of the upper end of the plate 110. A pair of flanges 130 protruding from the upper end of the plate 110 toward the display 30 are formed at the peripheral edge of the notch 114. From one end of the flange 130 in the left-right direction (one end near the boss 122), a boss 132 that protrudes upward and expands in a substantially disk shape is formed. A boss hole 132 h is formed at the center of the boss 132. The boss 132 is disposed so as to face the boss 122, and the boss holes 132h and 122h are formed on the same axis (so that their centers are located on the same straight line extending in the left-right direction). As shown in FIG. 5, two second hinge portions 500 are coaxially attached to the first movable frame 100 by two pairs of boss holes 122h and 132h.

  A cable guard 140 extends downward from the center in the left-right direction at the lower end of the plate 110. The cable guard 140 is a structural part that protects the flexible flat cable 12 (FIG. 11) that connects the camera body 1 a and the display 30. A lower end portion of the cable guard 140 is bent into a substantially cylindrical shape to form a bearing portion 142. The boss hole 124h of the pair of arms 124 and the hollow portion of the bearing portion 142 are formed coaxially. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, two first hinge portions 400 are coaxially attached to the first movable frame 100 by a bearing portion 142 and a pair of boss holes 124 h.

  FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the first hinge 400 in FIG. The first hinge unit 400 includes metal shaft members 410 and 420, a friction member 430, and a pressing member 440. The metal shaft member 420 is a member shared by the two first hinge portions 400. The exterior cover 20 is provided with a pair of bearing portions 23a and 23b that rotatably support the metal shaft member 410, and a bearing portion 23c that rotatably supports the metal shaft member 420. U-shaped grooves (or U-shaped grooves having a planar bottom surface) into which the metal shaft members 410 and 420 are fitted are formed in the bearing portions 23a to 23c. The U-shaped groove has a curved surface portion at the bottom having the same diameter as the metal shaft members 410 and 420, but a pair of opposed flat portions are spaced slightly narrower than the diameter of the metal shaft members 410 and 420. It is formed with. Therefore, the metal shaft members 410 and 420 are rotatably held at the bottoms of the U-shaped grooves of the bearing portions 23a to 23c.

  In the vicinity of one end (the right end in FIG. 6) of the metal shaft member 410, a concave portion 410a having a slightly thin outer diameter is formed. In the recess 410a, the metal shaft member 410 is supported by the bearing portion 23b. The recess 410a is formed to have the same axial length as the bearing portion 23b. Therefore, the metal shaft member 410 is supported by the bearing portion 23b without rattling in the axial direction. In addition, the recessed part 410a is not formed in the location supported by the bearing part 23a of the metal shaft member 410. FIG. The concave portion 410a is formed only at a location supported by either one of the bearing portions 23a and 23b.

  A non-circular locking projection 410 b corresponding to the shape of the boss hole 124 h formed in the arm 124 of the first movable frame 100 is formed at the other end of the metal shaft member 410. The metal shaft member 410 is fixed to the first movable frame 100 by fitting the locking projection 410b into the boss hole 124h. Therefore, the first movable frame 100 rotates around the central axis of the metal shaft member 410 together with the metal shaft member 410.

  The friction member 430 is a leaf spring member that provides a predetermined range of frictional resistance to the rotation of the metal shaft member 410. The friction member 430 includes a pair of substantially flat fixing portions 432 and 434 and a friction portion 436 bent into a substantially V shape that connects the pair of fixing portions 432 and 434. Each of the fixing portions 432 and 434 has a through hole (not shown) at the center, and is fixed to the exterior cover 20 by a screw that passes through the through hole. The metal shaft member 410 is sandwiched between the substantially V-shaped friction part 436 and the exterior cover 20 (more precisely, an underlay member 450 described later fixed to the exterior cover 20). The outer diameter of the metal shaft member 410 is a substantially triangular prism-shaped hollow formed between the friction portion 436 and the outer cover 20 when the friction member 430 is attached to the outer cover 20 without the metal shaft member 410 interposed therebetween. It is larger than the inner diameter of the part (diameter of the inscribed circle). Therefore, the metal shaft member 410 comes into contact with each of the two flat plate portions and the exterior cover 20 that constitute the substantially V-shaped friction portion 436. Since three friction surfaces in contact with the metal shaft member 410 are secured, a stable friction resistance can be obtained. Further, since the metal shaft member 410 is pressed with an appropriate force by the friction portion 436 due to the elastic restoring force of the friction member 430, an appropriate amount of friction resistance is given to the rotation of the metal shaft member 410.

  The metal shaft member 420 is passed through the bearing portion 142 of the first movable frame 100, and both end portions thereof are rotatably supported by the two bearing portions 23 c of the exterior cover 20. At both ends of the metal shaft member 420, recesses 420a each having a slightly narrow outer diameter are formed. In the recess 420a, the metal shaft member 420 is supported by the bearing portion 23c. The two concave portions 420a of the metal shaft member 420 are formed at the same interval as the two bearing portions 23c of the exterior cover 20. Therefore, the metal shaft member 420 is supported by the two bearing portions 23c so as to be rotatable without rattling in the axial direction. In addition, a pair of retaining rings 420 b are provided on the circumferential surface of the metal shaft member 420 adjacent to both axial sides of the bearing portion 142. For this reason, the first movable frame 100 is supported by the metal shaft member 420 so as to be rotatable without rattling in the axial direction.

  The holding member 440 is a member that prevents the metal shaft members 410 and 420 from being detached from the bearing portions 23b and 23c, respectively. The holding member 440 includes a pair of substantially flat fixing portions 442 and a holding portion 444 that is curved in a semi-cylindrical shape that connects the pair of fixing portions 442. Each of the pair of fixing portions 442 has a through hole (not shown) at the center, and is fixed to the exterior cover 20 via a washer 25a by a screw threaded through the through hole. Since the metal shaft members 410 and 420 are not strongly pressed between the pressing member 440 and the exterior cover 20, the rotation of the metal shaft members 410 and 420 does not receive a large frictional resistance by the pressing member 440. The frictional force between the pressing member 440 and the metal shaft members 410 and 420 can be adjusted by changing the thickness of the washer 25a.

  Further, the magnitude of the frictional resistance with respect to the rotation of the metal shaft member 410 by the friction member 430 is the magnitude of the frictional resistance with respect to the rotation of the metal shaft member 410 by the bearing portions 23a and 23b and the pressing member 440, and the metal shaft member by the bearing portion 142. It is sufficiently larger than the magnitude of the frictional resistance with respect to the rotation of 420. Therefore, since the magnitude of the frictional resistance with respect to the rotation of the first hinge part 400 can be adjusted by changing only the magnitude of the frictional resistance by the friction member 430, the adjustment is easy.

  FIG. 7 is a view showing a state where the friction member 430 and the pressing member 440 are removed from the first hinge part 400 shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7, the exterior cover 20 is made of the same material as that of the metal shaft members 410 and 420 (in the present embodiment, at a position where the metal shaft members 410 and 420 are sandwiched between the friction member 430 and the pressing member 440. (Stainless steel) flat plate-like underlaying members 450 and 460 are attached. By providing the underlay members 450 and 460, it is possible to prevent variation in frictional resistance caused by electric corrosion caused by contact between the outer cover 20 (magnesium alloy), which is a dissimilar metal, and the metal shaft members 410 and 420 (stainless steel). .

  The cable guard 140 is slightly retracted from the plate 110 to the display 30 side. As a result, a space in which the flexible flat cable 12 can freely move is formed between the outer cover 20 and the cable guard 140, and thus damage and deterioration of the flexible flat cable 12 due to excessive bending strain are prevented. .

  Next, the second hinge unit 500 will be described. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the second hinge portion 500 of FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the second hinge unit 500. FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the main part of the second hinge unit 500.

  The second hinge part 500 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes three bearings 510, a metal shaft member 520, and a bearing holding part 220. Note that the second hinge unit 500 may include two or four or more bearings 510. By providing a plurality of homogeneous bearings 510, a stable frictional force can be obtained between the bearing 510 and the metal shaft member 520.

  In the present embodiment, the axial length of the bearing 510 is set to 3 to 4 mm. If this length is set in the range of 2 to 5 mm (more desirably 3 to 4 mm), the variation of the inner diameter in the axial direction of the hollow portion 512a of the cylindrical body 512 can be suppressed sufficiently small. A stable frictional force can be obtained between 520 and 520. The bearing 510 includes a cylindrical body 512 and a friction member 514.

  The cylindrical body 512 has an outer peripheral surface with a non-circular cross section (in this embodiment, a rectangular shape with rounded corners) and a substantially positive shape with a non-circular cross section (in this embodiment, with rounded corners). This is a deformed cylindrical member having a triangular inner peripheral surface (hollow part 512a). The cylindrical body 512 is obtained by injection molding of a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate or polyamide.

  The friction member 514 is a leaf spring member in which an underlay member such as a thin stainless steel plate is bent into a hollow substantially triangular prism shape, and is accommodated in the hollow portion 512a of the cylindrical body 512 without rattling. Each side surface portion 514a of the substantially triangular triangular friction member 514 is gently curved so as to protrude toward the metal shaft member 520. Further, both end portions 514b in the bending direction of the friction member 514 (both end portions in the extending direction in FIG. 9) are accommodated in groove portions 512b formed at one corner of the hollow portion 512a of the cylindrical body 512.

  FIG. 10 is an external view of the second movable frame 200 (viewed from the camera body 1a side). The second movable frame 200 and the cover 300 are made of a magnesium alloy in the same manner as the exterior cover 20 in order to realize excellent lightness, strength, impact resistance, and aesthetics. As shown in FIG. 10, a pair of substantially cylindrical bearing holding portions 220 are provided at both left and right end portions of the upper end portion of the second movable frame 200. As shown in FIG. 9, the inner peripheral surface of the bearing holding portion 220 is formed in a non-circular shape corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 512 of the bearing 510. The three bearings 510 are fitted into the hollow part of the bearing holding part 220 and are held without rattling.

  The metal shaft member 520 is an elongated, substantially columnar member, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped locking protrusion 522 formed at one end thereof and extending perpendicularly to the central axis, and has an outer diameter slightly narrowed at the other end. A tip 524 is formed. The locking projection 522 has a shape corresponding to the boss hole 122h of the first movable frame 100, and is fitted into the boss hole 122h. Moreover, the front-end | tip part 524 has a shape corresponding to the boss hole 132h, and is inserted in the boss hole 132h.

  The metal shaft member 520 is inserted through the friction member 514 of the bearing 510 and supports the bearing 510 rotatably. Since the outer diameter of the metal shaft member 520 is slightly larger than the inner diameter (diameter of the inscribed circle) of the friction member 514, when the metal shaft member 520 is inserted into the friction member 514, the friction member 514 is outside by the metal shaft member 520. To be spread. As a result, due to the elastic restoring force of the friction member 514, the metal shaft member 520 is pressed radially inward by the friction member 514 with an appropriate force, and an appropriate frictional resistance is given to the rotation of the metal shaft member 410. In the present embodiment, since the metal shaft member 520 and the friction member 514 are formed of the same type of metal material, no electric corrosion occurs between the metal shaft member 520 and the friction member 514, and the friction resistance due to the electric corrosion. Changes are prevented. The friction member 514 may be made of a non-metallic material such as fiber reinforced plastic or liquid crystal polymer.

  Further, the cylindrical body 512 is formed with a screw hole 512c extending from the vicinity of the entrance of the groove portion 512b to the outer peripheral surface. A set screw 513 is screwed into the screw hole 512c. The distal end of the set screw 513 protrudes into the groove portion 512b and pushes one end portion 514b of the friction member 514 toward the other end portion 514b to narrow the interval between the three side surface portions 514a of the friction member 514. Thereby, the pressing force applied to the metal shaft member 520 by the friction member 514 is strengthened, and as a result, the frictional resistance against the rotation of the metal shaft member 410 is strengthened. By adjusting the amount of protrusion of the set screw 513 into the groove 512b, the amount of frictional resistance that the friction member 514 gives to the rotation of the metal shaft member 410 can be adjusted. In the present embodiment, the set screw 513 is used only when the frictional resistance needs to be adjusted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the metal shaft member 520 is inserted into the boss hole 122 h of the first movable frame 100 from the front end portion 524 side, and after passing the three bearings 510 through the metal shaft member 520, the metal shaft member 520 When the locking protrusion 522 is fitted into the boss hole 122 h of the first movable frame 100, the tip end portion 524 is also fitted into the boss hole 132 h, and the metal shaft member 520 is fixed to the first movable frame 100. At this time, the metal shaft member 520 is held unrotatable by the engagement between the non-circular locking projection 522 and the boss hole 122h. Further, the boss hole 122h is provided with a relief for allowing a cylindrical portion wider than the locking projection 522 of the metal shaft member 520 to pass therethrough.

  Further, the tip 524 of the metal shaft member 520 has an annular groove having a diameter smaller than that of the boss hole 132h, and a retaining ring having a diameter slightly larger than that of the boss hole 132h provided adjacent to the tip of the annular groove. 524s. When the metal shaft member 520 is inserted all the way into the boss holes 122h and 132h, the retaining ring portion 524s passes through the boss hole 132h, and the boss 122 fits into the annular groove portion of the tip portion 524, so that the metal shaft member 520 is the first. The movable frame 100 will not fall out.

  The boss hole 122h is formed in a non-circular shape so as to support the metal shaft member 520 in a non-rotatable manner. By forming at least one of the boss hole 122h and the boss hole 132h supporting the metal shaft member 520 in a non-circular shape, the rotation of the metal shaft member 520 can be prevented.

  As described above, by separating the bearing holding part 220 and the bearing 510 formed using the molding die, it is possible to arrange a plurality of bearings 510 with uniform dimensions of the hollow part close to each other. become. As a result, the frictional resistance can be made more uniform without increasing the size of the second hinge unit 500. Further, this configuration prevents the deformation generated in the bearing 510 from being transmitted to the bearing holding portion 220 (second movable frame 200), and conversely, the deformation generated in the second movable frame 200 is prevented from being transmitted to the bearing 510. Therefore, the stability of the operation of the second hinge unit 500 is improved. Moreover, by using the resin-made cylindrical body 512, the performance degradation of the 2nd hinge part 500 by the electric corrosion which arises between the cylindrical body 512 and the friction member 514 is prevented.

  The magnitude of the rotational resistance of the first hinge part 400 and the second hinge part 500 described above is a lower limit of a range necessary for stably maintaining the position of the display 30 so that it can be operated with as little force as possible. It has been adjusted in the vicinity. Therefore, for example, if a slightly large external force such as vibration is applied during conveyance with only the rotation resistance of the first hinge part 400 and the second hinge part 500, the display 30 is detached from the display storage recess 21, causing damage. It becomes. The tilt mechanism 10 of the present embodiment includes a lock mechanism that uses a magnet so that the display 30 is reliably accommodated in the display storage recess 21 during transportation or the like.

  Hereinafter, a lock mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, a pair of magnets 230 are provided on the rear surface of the plate 210 of the second movable frame 200 (the surface on which the display 30 is not attached) on both the left and right ends of the center in the vertical direction. It is attached to protrude. As shown in FIG. 5, the plate 110 of the first movable frame 100 is formed with a pair of holes 112 at both the left and right ends at the approximate center in the vertical direction.

  FIG. 11 is an external view of the tilt mechanism 10 as seen from the back side (camera body side). As shown in FIG. 11, when the second movable frame 200 and the first movable frame 100 are folded, a portion of the magnet 230 that protrudes from the back surface of the plate 210 is accommodated in the hole 112 of the first movable frame 100. At this time, the tip surface 230a of the magnet 230 and the back surface of the plate 110 of the first movable frame 100 (the surface facing the camera body 1a) are flush with each other.

  FIG. 12 is a view showing the back side of the exterior cover 20. A pair of magnets 26 are attached to the back surface of the exterior cover 20 at positions facing the pair of magnets 230 attached to the second movable frame 200 when the tilt mechanism 10 is folded. Therefore, when the tilt mechanism 10 is folded into the retracted state, the magnet 230 of the second movable frame 200 is strongly attracted close to the magnet 26 of the exterior cover 20, and the second movable frame 200 is fixed to the exterior cover 20 by a magnetic force. Locked. In the locked state, the three parts of the exterior cover 20, the first movable frame 100, and the second movable frame 200 are fixed integrally in a folded state so as to be stacked.

  The lock mechanism of the present embodiment integrates the three parts of the camera body 1a (the exterior cover 20), the first movable frame 100, and the second movable frame 200 at a time with a simple configuration including only two pairs of magnets 26 and 230. Therefore, a compact locking mechanism with good operability is realized. Further, by using magnetic force, a lock mechanism having high durability and stable performance over a long period of time is realized.

  In the locked state, the magnet 230 and the magnet 26 are not in direct contact with each other, and approach each other up to a certain distance via the exterior cover 20. For this reason, the locked state is not released by an external force that is large enough to be received by normal conveyance, but can be easily released by the force of fingers. Further, by providing the hole 112 in the first movable frame 100, the magnet 230 can be brought close to the magnet 26, and a sufficiently large magnetic force can be obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the cover 300 is provided with two pairs of left and right operation claws 312 and 314 on the upper and lower sides of the both sides in the left and right direction. As shown in FIG. 3, an operation claw 316 is provided at the center of the lower end surface of the cover 300. When the user puts his / her finger on the operation nail 312 provided near the upper end of the cover 300 and pulls it to the front (back side of the paper in FIG. 11), the first hinge 400 is opened and the display 30 is tilted downward. When the user puts his / her finger on the operation nail 314 or 316 provided near the lower end of the cover 300 and pulls it forward, the second hinge unit 500 is opened and the display 30 is tilted upward.

  By arranging the magnet 230 and the magnet 26 at the upper and lower centers of the second movable frame 200 and the exterior cover 20 (more specifically, at an intermediate position between the first hinge part 400 and the second hinge part 500), respectively, Necessary torques are substantially the same when the claw 312 is operated to open the first hinge part 400 and when the operation claw 314 is operated to open the second hinge part 500, and the operation claw 312, 314 Regardless of which is operated, the locked state can be released with an appropriate force. Further, since the operation claw 316 and the operation claw 312 are close to each other in the vertical direction, the locked state can be released with the same level of force by operating any of the operation claws 312, 314 and 316. There is no sense of incongruity during operation.

  As shown in FIG. 4, four notches 21 b for accommodating the operation claws 312 and 314 are formed in the upper and lower portions of the left and right side walls 21 a of the display accommodating recess 21 in the exterior cover 20. Further, in the retracted state (locked state), the upper limit central portions of both side surfaces of the tilt mechanism 10 and the display 30 in the left-right direction are side walls 21a (hereinafter referred to as “guards 21a”) left between the upper and lower cutout portions 21b. So that it cannot be touched by the user's fingers. Since the portion covered with the guard 21a in the retracted state has a short distance from the first hinge part 400 and the second hinge part 500, a large torque is required for releasing the locked state. In addition, since this portion is substantially equidistant from the first hinge portion 400 and the second hinge portion 500, pulling this portion forward causes both the first hinge portion 400 and the second hinge portion 500 (or the user's intention) 1) may open, and the tilt mechanism 10 may move unintentionally by the user. By providing the pair of guards 21a, the operability felt by the user is remarkably improved by preventing the finger from accessing a location where the operability is not good.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a memory slot cover 22, which is a door that can be opened and closed, is provided on the upper portion of the left side surface of the exterior cover 20. When the memory slot cover 22 is opened, the memory card slot (insertion port of the memory card driving device) mounted on the circuit board is exposed, and the memory card can be inserted and removed. A transparent access lamp window 310 is provided in the lower left part of the front surface of the cover 300 shown in FIG. A light emitting element such as a light emitting diode is disposed on the back side of the access lamp window 310. The access lamp window 310 guides visible light emitted from the light emitting element and diffuses and radiates it to the outside. The access lamp window 310 is lit or blinked during access to the memory card to notify the user when the memory card should not be inserted or removed. As a result, accidents such as memory card damage and data loss can be prevented.

  By providing the access lamp window 310 on the cover 300 fixed to the second hinge unit 500 together with the display 30 as in the present embodiment, the access lamp window 310 is always disposed with the display 30 at a position that is easily visible to the user. Therefore, the user can surely see the lighting of the access lamp window 310 or the like. In addition, since the access lamp window 310 is disposed at a position near the memory card slot (memory slot cover 22) in the cover 300, the lighting of the access lamp window 310 indicates the access to the memory card. Can be recognized intuitively.

  A remote control light receiving window 320 is provided on the surface of the cover 300 adjacent to the access lamp window 310. On the back side of the remote control light receiving window 320, a light receiving element such as a photodiode is arranged. The remote control light receiving window 320 guides an infrared signal transmitted from an infrared remote controller (not shown) and focuses it on the light receiving element. Thus, by providing the remote control light receiving window on the cover 300 fixed to the second hinge unit 500 together with the display 30, the remote control light receiving window is always arranged facing the user with the display 30. Infrared signals emitted from the infrared remote controller can always be received in good condition.

  The above is the description of the embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

  In the above embodiment, the cylindrical body 512 obtained by injection molding of synthetic resin is used, but the material and the molding method of the cylindrical body 512 are not limited to this. The cylindrical body 512 may be formed by using a mold, for example, a metal formed by die casting, or a ceramic formed by casting or injection molding may be used.

  In the above embodiment, the magnets 26 and 230 are provided on the exterior cover 20 and the second movable frame 200, respectively, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, it is good also as a structure which provided the magnet only in any one of the exterior cover 20 and the 2nd movable frame 200. FIG. In this case, at least a part of the other of the exterior cover 20 and the second movable frame 200 is formed of a ferromagnetic material such as iron attracted by a magnet. For example, one of the magnets 26 and 230 may be replaced with an iron plate that is a ferromagnetic material. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which replaced with the hole 112 in the 1st movable frame 100, and provided the magnet. In this case, the exterior cover 20 and the second movable frame 200 are each provided with a portion formed of a magnet or a ferromagnetic material attracted by the magnet of the first movable frame 100. Further, in place of the hole 112, a notch for avoiding interference between the magnet 230 and the first movable frame 100 may be provided.

  In the above embodiment, the operating claws 312 and 314 are provided on the cover 300, but these may be provided on the second movable frame 200. Further, the operation claw 312 for performing the operation of opening the first hinge unit 400 may be provided in the first movable frame 100.

  In the above-described embodiment, the access lamp window 310 that displays the access status to the memory card is provided. However, in addition to or in addition to the access lamp window 310, other information about the camera 1 (for example, In addition, an indicator for displaying a low battery level, a low memory level, a failure, etc. may be provided on the cover 300 or the second movable frame 200.

  In addition, the above embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to a display support structure in a digital camera, but other types of cameras (for example, digital video cameras) and other types of electric devices including a display ( For example, the present invention can also be applied to a movable support of a display in a television, a video playback device, a game machine, a personal computer, a seat for a transport device such as an aircraft or a train, a control console, a cockpit), or a monitor stand. Movable to support changeable orientation and position of structures other than displays (eg lids, mirrors, dividers, wind direction plates, fans, speakers, lighting equipment, projection / projection equipment, radiation equipment, etc.) The present invention can also be applied to a support structure.

  The above embodiment is an example in which the present invention is applied to an electric device (digital camera) having a drive device for reading / writing a memory card. However, a removable storage medium other than a memory card ( For example, the present invention can also be applied to an electric device including a driving device for an optical disk, a removable hard disk, a USB memory, a wireless memory card, and the like.

1 Digital still camera 10 Tilt mechanism (support structure)
20 exterior cover 30 display 100 first movable frame 200 second movable frame 300 cover 400 first hinge part (hinge structure)
500 Second hinge part (hinge structure)

Claims (11)

A support structure for movably supporting a supported body,
The base,
A first movable part rotatably connected to the base part;
A first hinge part rotatably connecting the base part and the first movable part;
A second movable part to which the supported body is attached, which is rotatably connected to the first movable part;
A second hinge part that has a rotation axis parallel to the first hinge part, and rotatably connects the first movable part and the second movable part;
When the three parts of the base, the first movable part and the second movable part are folded so as to be stacked, the three parts are fixed together, and a force of a predetermined value or more is applied in the direction of separating the three parts. Fixing means for releasing the fixing when
Equipped with a,
The fixing means includes a magnet attached to at least one of the base, the first movable part, and the second movable part;
The magnet is attached to at least one of the base and the second movable part so as to protrude to the other side;
The first movable part is formed with a hole or notch for accommodating the protruding part of the magnet.
Support structure. The fixing means integrally fixes the three parts at a substantially intermediate position between the rotation axis of the first hinge part and the rotation axis of the second hinge part;
The support structure according to claim 1. The second movable part is provided with a first operation claw for performing an operation of opening the second hinge part, which is disposed closer to the first hinge part than the fixing part by the fixing means.
The support structure according to claim 1 or 2 . The first movable part or the second movable part includes a second operation claw arranged to be closer to the second hinge part than the place fixed by the fixing means for performing an operation of opening the first hinge part. The
The support structure according to claim 3 . In the state in which the three parts are folded, the base part has both ends of the first movable part and the second movable part in the rotational axis direction between the rotational axis of the first hinge part and the second hinge part. Covered at a position approximately in the middle of the rotation axis, and provided with a guard portion for preventing the user's fingers from touching the position.
The support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . A first shaft member in which the first hinge part is fixed to the first movable part;
A bearing fixed to the base and rotatably supporting the first shaft member;
A friction member fixed to the base and providing a frictional resistance against the rotation of the first shaft member,
The friction member is
A first fixing part and a second fixing part fixed to the base part;
A leaf spring member comprising: a substantially V-shaped friction portion that connects the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion and sandwiches the first shaft member with the base portion;
The first shaft member is pressed in contact with the two surfaces of the friction portion, which are substantially V-shaped, and the base portion, and a frictional resistance is given to the rotation with respect to the base portion.
The support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5 . An underlay member disposed between the base and the first shaft member and fixed to the base so as not to contact the base and the first shaft member,
It said base and said first shaft member is formed of different metals from each other,
The first shaft member and the underlay member are formed of the same type of metal,
The support structure according to claim 6 . The first hinge part or the second hinge part is
A plurality of bearings having a cylindrical body molded using a molding die, and a shaft member rotatably supported by the plurality of bearings,
The support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . The body,
A display connected to the body;
The support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the display is movably supported with respect to the main body.
With
The base of the support structure is attached to the main body, and the display is attached to the second movable part of the support structure,
The second movable part of the support structure includes an indicator disposed around a display screen of the display;
Electrical equipment. A drive unit for the removable storage medium;
The indicator is an access lamp that displays an access status of the drive device to the storage medium, and is disposed at a position near the drive device in the second movable part.
The electric device according to claim 9 . The electrical device is a digital camera;
The electric device according to claim 9 or 10.

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