JP6742803B2 - Operating device, imaging device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for outputting two types of signals stepwise by operating an operating member.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an electronic device in which two types of signals are output stepwise in a process in which an operating member is operated and displaced, and various controls are performed according to the output signals. For example, some image pickup apparatuses such as digital still cameras and video cameras have a function of optically or electronically changing the zoom magnification of a captured image by operating a zoom lever as an operation member. In particular, there is also known an image pickup apparatus in which the zoom speed, which is the change speed of the zoom magnification, is variable depending on the rotation angle of the zoom lever that can be rotated. This is because quickness is required when roughly varying the magnification between the wide-angle end side and the telephoto end side, so it is better to increase the zoom speed, but on the other hand, the zoom speed when finely adjusting the magnification is This is because it is better to be late. Therefore, there is a device that outputs a first signal to change the magnification at a low speed while the zoom lever is displaced from the neutral position to a predetermined angle, and outputs a second signal to exceed the predetermined angle to change the magnification at a high speed. To do. In addition, there is also proposed an imaging device that changes the operating force of the zoom lever by the elastic member being crushed during a gear shift so that the user senses that the angle is within the gear shift range (Patent Document 1).

A conventional mechanism for changing the zoom speed according to the rotation angle of the zoom lever will be described with reference to FIG. The shift detection of the zoom lever is generally performed by short-circuiting a plurality of electrode patterns provided on the flexible printed wiring board with a conductive brush component. FIG. 13A is a plan view of a flexible printed board according to the related art. FIG. 13B is a perspective view of the brush. FIG. 13C is a perspective view of the flexible printed board. The brush 202 is made of a conductive thin metal plate. Two arms are formed on the brush 202. Each arm consists of two pieces and a set of extension pieces. The brush 202 is interlocked with a zoom lever (not shown) to rotate on the flexible printed board 201 in P and Q directions indicated by arrows. As shown in FIG. 13A, the flexible printed board 201 is provided with a plurality of gold-plated electrode patterns 201a, 201b, 201c, 201d, and 201e exposed. The electrode pattern 201b and the electrode pattern 201c, and further the electrode pattern 201d and the electrode pattern 201e are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other on a plane in the displacement direction of the brush 202.

At the initial position of the brush 202, which corresponds to the neutral position of the zoom lever, both of the two arm portions of the brush 202 are in elastic contact with the electrode pattern 201a, and the zoom operation of the imaging device is not performed. When the brush 202 rotates in the range of 10 to 20 degrees in the P direction from the initial position, one arm of the brush 202 comes into contact with the electrode pattern 201a and the other arm comes into contact with the electrode pattern 201b, so that between the electrode patterns 201a and 201b. Short circuit. The image pickup device detects this, and low-speed zooming to the telephoto side is performed. When the brush 202 further rotates in the P direction and reaches the range of 20 to 30 degrees from the initial position, one arm of the brush 202 contacts the electrode pattern 201a and the other arm contacts the electrode pattern 201c. The electrode patterns 201a and 201c are short-circuited. As a result, the image pickup apparatus performs high-speed zooming toward the telephoto side.

On the contrary, when the brush 202 rotates in the Q direction from the initial position, the state transits to a short circuit state between the electrode patterns 201a and 201d, and further to a short circuit state between the electrode patterns 201a and 201e. As a result, the low-speed zoom to the wide-angle side and the high-speed zoom are sequentially performed. Considering the position accuracy of the brush 202 due to dimensional variation of parts, each position (zoom immobility, telephoto low-speed zoom, telephoto high-speed zoom, wide-angle low-speed zoom, wide-angle high-speed zoom) is given a width of about 10 degrees. It is common to have

JP, 2006-304002, A

However, in the above-described conventional technique, the electrode patterns for switching the output signals are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other on the plane in the displacement direction of the brush, so that the required rotation angle of the zoom lever becomes large and the device It becomes difficult to downsize. Especially when a zoom lever is arranged on the upper surface like a thin and compact camera, there is a problem that it is difficult to operate when the rotation angle of the zoom lever is large. On the other hand, if the electrode patterns adjacent to each other in the displacement direction of the brush are designed to have a short length in the displacement direction, it is possible to switch signals within a small rotation range. However, in such a case, there is a problem that the range of the operation angle for outputting each signal becomes narrow and the operation becomes difficult.

An object of the present invention is to enable two types of signals to be output stepwise with a small displacement amount, which contributes to downsizing.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an operating member that is operated and displaced, a conductive contact piece member that is displaced according to the displacement of the operating member, and a circuit board on which an electrode pattern is arranged. , the circuit position with respect to the substrate is fixed and, a control apparatuses that have a, an elastic member with a shaft-like conductive from said circuit board extends towards the operating member, said contact piece member In the process of displacing from the reference position, the contact piece member comes into contact with the electrode pattern to output a first signal, and after the first signal is output, the contact piece member has the elastic member. The second signal is output by contacting the.

According to the present invention, it is possible to output two types of signals stepwise with a small displacement amount, which contributes to downsizing.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a front side and a back side of the imaging device. FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the imaging device in a wide-angle state and a telephoto state. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the configuration around the zoom lever as seen from above the rear surface. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the configuration around the zoom lever as seen from the lower rear side. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the upper unit in the assembled state. It is a cross-sectional view of the upper unit in the assembled state. It is a top view of FPC. It is a perspective view showing the inside of an imaging device near the zoom lever. It is a figure which shows the transition of a holder and a contact piece member at the time of operating a zoom lever to a telephoto direction. It is a figure which shows the transition of a holder and a contact piece member at the time of operating a zoom lever to a telephoto direction. It is a figure which shows the transition of the reaction force (operation reaction force) with respect to the rotation operation of a zoom lever. It is a schematic plan view of a holder, a contact piece member, and an electrode pattern in the 1st and 2nd modification. It is the top view of the flexible printed circuit board in the prior art, the perspective view of a brush, and the perspective view of a board|substrate.

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

1A and 1B are perspective views of a front side and a back side of an image pickup apparatus to which an operating device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, respectively. A digital camera is exemplified as the imaging device 101. A lens barrel unit 102 including a taking lens (not shown) is disposed on the front surface of the image pickup apparatus 101. A power button 103 for switching the power on/off, a release button 104 for instructing focus start and shooting start, and a mode switching lever 106 for switching modes are arranged on the upper part of the imaging device 101. The release button 104 has a two-step switch structure in which the operation is detected in two steps according to the pressing amount in the pressing direction. By sliding the mode switching lever 106, the still image shooting mode, the moving image shooting mode, and the playback mode are switched.

A zoom lever 105 is arranged on the upper surface of the image pickup apparatus 101. The zoom lever 105 is an operation member for a photographer to perform an operation of adjusting an angle of view of a captured image, that is, a zoom operation of continuously changing an optical magnification (zoom magnification) of telephoto (TELE)-wide angle (WIDE). is there. The zoom lever 105 can be rotated about a rotation axis Z that is substantially orthogonal to the optical axis of the taking lens (not shown). A main CPU 124b (FIG. 8) described later detects a rotation operation amount (rotation angle) of the zoom lever 105, and advances or retracts the photographing lens included in the lens barrel unit 102 in the optical axis direction according to the detected operation amount. Performs zoom control. In FIG. 1A, the image pickup apparatus 101 is in a power-off state and the lens barrel unit 102 is in a sinusoidal state. The state in which the lens barrel unit is extended will be described later.

It should be noted that the release button 104 and the zoom lever 105 are preferably arranged on the upper portion so that the photographer (operator) can easily operate them with the forefinger when gripping the imaging device 101. A strobe window 107 that emits light when the illuminance is low is provided on the front surface of the imaging device 101. On the back surface of the image pickup apparatus 101, a display unit 108 including an LCD or the like for monitoring a subject or viewing a reproduced image at the time of shooting, and an operation button group 109 for performing various operations such as changing shooting settings are provided. ..

2A and 2B are perspective views of the front side of the image pickup apparatus 101 in the wide-angle state and the telephoto state, respectively. When the power button 103 is pressed from the power off state to enter the photographing mode, the lens barrel unit 102 is extended from the collapsed state to the widest angle state (WIDE). When the zoom lever 105 is rotationally operated in the P direction, the lens barrel unit 102 performs a zoom operation, and the lens barrel unit 102 is extended in the protruding direction from the apparatus body as shown in FIG. 2B. When the photographer releases his hand from the zoom lever 105 while changing the optical magnification from the wide-angle state to the telephoto state, the coil lever 114 (FIGS. 3 and 4) urges the zoom lever 105 to the neutral position. Returning to this, the zoom operation of the lens barrel unit 102 is stopped.

By the way, the zoom operation speed of the lens barrel unit 102 is configured to be switched between two stages of low speed and high speed according to the rotational operation amount (angle) of the zoom lever 105. Further, when the zoom lever 105 is rotated in the Q direction, the magnification is changed from the telephoto state to the wide-angle state. The photographer rotates the zoom lever 105 while checking the live view image of the subject displayed on the display unit 108 to quickly and roughly change the angle of view by the high-speed zoom operation and finely adjust the angle of view by the low-speed zoom operation. Therefore, the intended angle of view can be determined without stress.

Next, the mechanism involved in the operation of the zoom lever 105 will be described with reference to FIGS. Hereinafter, with respect to the vertical direction of the image pickup apparatus 101, the side on which the zoom lever 105 and the power button 103 are arranged is referred to as the upper side. In the front-back direction, the side on which the lens barrel unit 102 is arranged (subject side) is the front side. Therefore, with respect to the turning direction of the zoom lever 105, the P direction and the Q direction are the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction in plan view.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the configuration around the zoom lever 105 as seen from the upper rear side. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the configuration around the zoom lever 105 as seen from the lower rear side. The mechanism relating to the operation of the zoom lever 105 is mainly configured as the upper unit 111. An FPC 123, which is an electric circuit board, is arranged below the upper unit 111. The FPC 123 is a flexible wiring board for detecting an operation input. 5 and 6 are a longitudinal sectional view and a lateral sectional view, respectively, of the upper unit 111 in the assembled state. 3 to 6, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a hole 113a is provided in the support member 113 included in the upper unit 111, and the shaft 105a, which is the rotation shaft of the zoom lever 105, is rotatably supported in the hole 113a. It A through hole 105b is formed in the shaft portion 105a of the zoom lever 105, and the shaft portion 104a of the release button 104 is inserted into the through hole 105b. When the release button 104 is assembled to the zoom lever 105, the coil spring 114 is inserted between the release button 104 and the zoom lever 105, and the claw portion 104b extending downward from the release button 104 is locked to the zoom lever 105. To be done. With such a configuration, the release button 104 is constantly pushed upward by the repulsive force of the coil spring 114, while the pawl portion 104b of the release button 104 is locked by the zoom lever 105, and is prevented from coming off. ing. When the photographer presses the release button 104, the release button 104 is pushed downward, while when the force pressing the release button 104 is removed, the release button 104 is pushed upward and held at a predetermined position.

The holder 115 is an insulating (non-conductive) holding member that holds the contact piece member 116. The contact piece member 116 is integrally formed of a thin sheet metal having conductivity. When the zoom lever 105 rotates, the holder 115 and the contact piece member 116 rotate integrally with it. That is, the two protrusions 115a of the holder 115 are inserted into the corresponding holes 116a of the contact piece member 116 and fixed by thermal caulking or the like. The contact piece member 116 has four contact portions 116b, 116c, 116d, and 116e. The contact piece member 116 is fixed to the holder 115 so that each contact portion can be elastically deformed. The contact portions 116b and 116c are generally called brushes because of their shapes.

As shown in FIG. 6, the holder 115 has a convex portion 115d (convex portions 115d-P, 115d-Q). The convex portions 115d-P and 115d-Q face each other in the rotating direction (P direction, Q direction) of the contact piece member 116. In the state where the contact piece member 116 is fixed to the holder 115, the convex portion 115d-P slightly protrudes from the contact portion 116e in the rotation direction of the contact piece member 116, and the convex portion 115d is larger than the contact portion 116d. -Q is slightly protruding.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the support member 113 is provided with three arc-shaped hole portions (hereinafter referred to as “arc-shaped hole portions”) 113b for inserting the three bosses 105c of the zoom lever 105. Has been. The boss 105c of the zoom lever 105 inserted into each of the arcuate hole portions 113b is fixed to the holder 115. Therefore, as described above, the holder 115 and the contact piece member 116 rotate together with the zoom lever 105 about the rotation axis Z of the zoom lever 105 by the same angle as the zoom lever 105.

Next, a mechanism for restricting rotation of the zoom lever will be described. The support member 113 is provided with a rotation restricting shaft portion 113d (FIGS. 4 and 6). A conductive rubber tube 117 (contacted member) having conductivity is fitted to the shaft portion 113d. When the upper unit 111 is assembled to the FPC 123, the conductive rubber tube 117 is pressed against the electrode pattern 123d (FIGS. 3 and 6) of the FPC 123. The convex portions 115d-P and 115d-Q of the holder 115 indirectly contact the shaft portion 113d through the conductive rubber tube 117, thereby restricting the rotation of the zoom lever 105. The conductive rubber tube 117 has a cushioning function due to its elasticity, and softens the collision sound at the rotation restricting end of the zoom lever 105.

Next, a structure for returning the zoom lever 105 to the neutral position will be described. The holder 115 is formed with a hole 115b and a spring hook 115c (FIG. 4). The shaft portion 105a of the zoom lever 105 is inserted into the hole portion 115b. The torsion spring 119 has a coil portion 119a and two arm portions 119b extending from the coil portion 119a. The boss 113c of the support member 113 is inserted into the coil portion 119a of the torsion spring 119, and the screw 120 is screwed into the boss 113c, whereby the torsion spring 119 is fixed to the support member 113. The rubber tube 118 is fitted on the spring-engaging shaft portion 113e provided on the support member 113 (FIG. 6). The torsion spring 119 is attached so that the two arm portions 119b of the torsion spring 119 sandwich the rubber tube 118 and the spring hooking portion 115c of the holder 115. The tip of the spring hooking portion 115c of the holder 115 is T-shaped so that the torsion spring 119 cannot be accidentally removed.

When the holder 115 is rotated by the rotation operation of the zoom lever 105, the arm portion 119b of the torsion spring 119 that is in contact with the spring hooking portion 115c of the holder 115 is elastically deformed. Due to the elastic deformation of the arm portion 119b, a restoring force acts on the rotating operation of the zoom lever 105. That is, the torsion spring 119 functions as a biasing member for the zoom lever 105. Therefore, when the photographer removes the rotational force that is the operation force applied to the zoom lever 105, the zoom lever 105 is returned to the neutral position (initial position) by the restoring force generated by the torsion spring 119. If there is no rubber tube 118 that covers the outer circumference of the shaft 113e of the support member 113, when the zoom lever 105 vigorously returns to the neutral position, the arm 119b directly collides with the shaft 113e and a collision sound is generated. To do. The rubber tube 118 softens the impact and reduces the collision noise.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the FPC 123. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the inside of the image pickup apparatus 101 near the zoom lever 105. In FIG. 8, a part of the support member 113 is cut away. The main circuit board 124 and the FPC 123 are electrically connected.

As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of electrode patterns 123 (123a, 123b, 123c, 123d) which are gold-plated and exposed on the surface are arranged on the FPC 123. A coverlay layer (insulating layer) is formed on the outermost surface of the pattern portion shown by the broken line. The pattern portion shown by the broken line is electrically connected to the main CPU 124b via the connector 124a mounted on the main circuit board 124. The exposed electrode patterns 123a, 123b, and 123c are portions that come into contact with the contact portions 116b and 116c (FIG. 4) of the contact piece member 116, and thus are generally called brush patterns. The exposed electrode pattern 123 is named and described as follows. The electrode patterns 123a, 123b, 123c are a COM pattern 123a, a TELE pattern 123b, a WIDE pattern 123c, and a HIGH pattern 123d, respectively. The position of the contact piece member 116 corresponding to the neutral position of the zoom lever 105 is the initial position (reference position). Regarding the rotational direction, the P direction is TELE (telephoto) direction and the Q direction is WIDE (wide angle) from the initial position. It corresponds to the direction.

The contact portion 116b comes into contact with the COM pattern 123a, which is the reference pattern, during the entire process of displacement of the contact piece member 116 from the initial position. The contact portions 116b and 116c of the contact piece member 116 are both in contact with the COM pattern 123a at the initial position. First, the operation in the telephoto direction will be described. When the contact piece member 116 is rotated 10 degrees or more and less than 20 degrees in the P direction from the initial position by operating the zoom lever 105, the contact portion 116c comes into contact with the TELE pattern 123b. As a result, the COM pattern 123a and the TELE pattern 123b are electrically connected, that is, electrically short-circuited. Further, when the rotation angle of the contact piece member 116 in the P direction from the initial position becomes 20 degrees or more and less than 23 degrees by operating the zoom lever 105 in the P direction, the protrusion 115d-P of the holder 115 (FIGS. 6 and 8). ) Is in contact with the conductive rubber tube 117 (FIGS. 6 and 8). Even in this state, since the contact portion 116b and the COM pattern 123a are in contact with each other and the contact portion 116c and the TELE pattern 123b are in contact with each other, the short-circuit state of the patterns 123a and 123b continues. At this time, the contact portion 116e of the contact piece member 116 is not in contact with the conductive rubber tube 117.

When the contact piece member 116 further rotates in the P direction, the convex portion 115d-P elastically deforms the conductive rubber tube 117. When the rotation angle of the contact piece member 116 in the P direction from the initial position becomes 23 degrees or more, the convex portion 115d-P elastically deforms the conductive rubber tube 117, so that the contact portion 116e contacts the conductive rubber tube 117. Contact. Since the conductive rubber tube 117 is in pressure contact (contact) with the HIGH pattern 123d, the HIGH pattern 123d and the contact piece member 116 are electrically connected. On the other hand, since the contact portion 116b and the COM pattern 123a are in contact with each other, the COM pattern 123a and the HIGH pattern 123d are electrically short-circuited.

Here, when the patterns 123a and 123b are short-circuited, the first signal on the telephoto side is output. When the patterns 123a and 123d are short-circuited, the second signal is output. The first signal on the telephoto side is a signal for zoom driving in the telephoto direction, and the second signal is a signal for increasing the driving speed. When the main CPU 124b detects that the patterns 123a and 123b are in the short-circuited state, it issues a low-speed zoom drive command to the telephoto side to the lens barrel unit 102 in response to the first signal on the telephoto side. When the main CPU 124b further detects that the patterns 123a and 123d are in the short-circuited state, the high-speed zoom drive to the telephoto side of the lens barrel unit 102 is performed according to the first and second signals on the telephoto side. Issue a command.

The operation in the wide-angle direction has a rotation direction opposite to that of the operation in the telephoto direction, but the basic operation is the same. When the contact piece member 116 rotates 10 degrees or more and less than 20 degrees in the Q direction from the initial position, the contact portion 116c contacts the WIDE pattern 123c, and the COM pattern 123a and the WIDE pattern 123c are electrically connected, that is, electrically short-circuited. Further, when the rotation angle of the contact piece member 116 in the Q direction from the initial position becomes 20 degrees or more and less than 23 degrees, the convex portions 115d-Q (FIGS. 6 and 8) of the holder 115 come into contact with the conductive rubber tube 117. It becomes a state. Even in this state, since the contact portion 116b and the COM pattern 123a are in contact with each other and the contact portion 116c and the WIDE pattern 123c are in contact with each other, the short-circuit state of the patterns 123a and 123c continues. At this time, the contact portion 116e of the contact piece member 116 is not in contact with the conductive rubber tube 117.

When the contact piece member 116 further rotates in the Q direction, the convex portions 115d-Q elastically deform the conductive rubber tube 117, and when the rotation angle of the contact piece member 116 becomes 23 degrees or more, the contact portion 116d becomes conductive. Abut the rubber tube 117. Since the conductive rubber tube 117 is in pressure contact with the HIGH pattern 123d, the HIGH pattern 123d and the contact piece member 116 are electrically connected. On the other hand, since the contact portion 116b and the COM pattern 123a are in contact with each other, the COM pattern 123a and the HIGH pattern 123d are electrically short-circuited.

Here, when the patterns 123a and 123c are short-circuited, the first signal on the wide-angle side is output. When the patterns 123a and 123d are short-circuited, the second signal is output as in the operation on the telephoto side. The first signal on the wide-angle side is a signal for zoom driving in the wide-angle direction. When the main CPU 124b detects that the patterns 123a and 123c are in the short-circuited state, it issues a low-speed zoom drive command to the wide-angle side to the lens barrel unit 102 according to the first signal on the wide-angle side. When the main CPU 124b further detects that the patterns 123a and 123d are in the short-circuited state, the main CPU 124b performs high-speed zoom drive to the wide-angle side with respect to the lens barrel unit 102 according to the first signal and the second signal on the wide-angle side. Issue a command.

By the way, when the zoom lever 105 is rotated 23 degrees or more from the neutral position, the zoom lever 105 is rotated to a range in which the conductive rubber tube 117 can be compressed by contact with the contact portion 116e or the contact portion 116d, and further rotation is prevented. Regulated. If the strength of the shaft portion 113d (see FIG. 4) into which the conductive rubber tube 117 is fitted may be insufficient, a portion that comes into contact with the zoom lever 105 or the holder 115 and restricts their rotation may be separately provided. ..

Next, transitions of the holder 115 and the contact piece member 116 when the zoom lever 105 is operated in the telephoto direction will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9A is a bottom view of the upper unit 111 (see FIG. 3) when the contact piece member 116 is in the initial position. 9(d), 10(a), and 10(d), respectively, when the rotation angle of the zoom lever 105 from the initial position is 10 degrees or more and less than 20 degrees, 20 degrees or more and less than 23 degrees, and 23 degrees or more. 3 is a bottom view of the upper unit 111 of FIG. In these bottom views, the holder 115 and the like are viewed from the inside to the outside, and the FPC 123 is not shown. The patterns 123a, 123b, and 123c are shown by a two-dot chain line. 9B and 9E are cross-sectional views taken along the line AA of FIG. 9A and the line BB of FIG. 9D. 10B and 10E are cross-sectional views taken along the line CC of FIG. 10A and the line DD of FIG. 10B. 9C, 9F, 10C, and 10F show patterns 123 corresponding to the states of FIGS. 9A, 9D, 10A, and 10D, respectively. It is a figure which shows a formation state.

When the zoom lever 105 is in the neutral position (FIG. 9A), the contact portions 116b and 116c of the contact piece member 116 are both in contact with the COM pattern 123a. Regarding the connection state, TELE (driving in the telephoto direction), WIDE (driving in the wide-angle direction), and HIGH (high-speed driving) are all open (non-short-circuited) state (FIG. 9C).

Next, as shown in FIG. 9D, when the zoom lever 105 rotates 10 degrees or more and less than 20 degrees from the neutral position, the contact portion 116b remains in contact with the COM pattern 123a, and the contact portion 116c contacts the TELE pattern 123b. To do. Regarding the connection state, TELE is in a short circuit state, and WIDE and HIGH are both in an open state (FIG. 9(f)).

Next, as shown in FIG. 10A, when the zoom lever 105 rotates 20 degrees or more and less than 23 degrees from the neutral position, the contact portion 116b still contacts the COM pattern 123a and the contact portion 116c contacts the TELE pattern 123b. doing. On the other hand, the protrusion 115d-P of the holder 115 contacts the conductive rubber tube 117, but the contact portion 116e does not contact the conductive rubber tube 117 (FIG. 10B). The connection state is the same as in FIG. 9(f) (FIG. 10(c)). As the zoom lever 105 is rotated, the conductive rubber tube 117 is pushed by the convex portion 115d-P and elastically deforms. The operation reaction force of the zoom lever 105 at this stage is the repulsive force from the torsion spring 119 plus the elastic force from the conductive rubber tube 117.

When the zoom lever 105 is further rotated and the rotation angle from the neutral position reaches 23 degrees, the convex portion 115d-P further elastically deforms the conductive rubber tube 117 and the contact portion as shown in FIG. 116e contacts the conductive rubber tube 117 (FIG.10(e)). The contact part 116b remains in contact with the COM pattern 123a, and the contact part 116c remains in contact with the TELE pattern 123b. Regarding the connection state, TELE and HIGH are short-circuited, and WIDE is open (FIG. 10(f)). If the photographer releases the finger from the zoom lever 105 at any position other than the neutral position, the zoom lever 105 returns to the neutral position by the biasing force from the torsion spring 119.

9 and 10, only the operation of the zoom lever 105 in the telephoto (TELE) direction has been described, but the operation in the wide-angle (WIDE) direction can be considered in the same manner by changing the direction. That is, the engagement relationship and contact timing of the protrusion 115d-Q and the contact portion 116d with respect to the conductive rubber tube 117 are the same as the engagement relationship and contact timing of the protrusion 115d-P and the contact portion 116e with respect to the conductive rubber tube 117. Is. Regarding the connection state (FIGS. 9C, 9F, 10C, and 10F), TELE and WIDE are reversed.

Therefore, in the process of the rotation operation from the neutral position of the zoom lever 105, the zoom drive is not performed when the rotation angle of the zoom lever 105 is less than 10 degrees, and the low speed zoom drive is performed when the rotation angle is 10 degrees or more, and the rotation angle is 23 degrees. When it becomes more than a degree, high-speed zoom drive is performed.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the transition of the reaction force (operation reaction force) with respect to the rotational operation of the zoom lever 105. The horizontal axis of FIG. 11 represents the rotation angle from the neutral position, and the vertical axis represents the operation reaction force. The operation reaction force has a discontinuous load curve. That is, when the rotation angle is from 0 degree to 20 degrees, the biasing force from the torsion spring 119 to the neutral position acts, so that the change degree of the operation reaction force with respect to the operation angle becomes substantially constant. When the rotation angle is from 20 degrees to 23 degrees, the combined force of the repulsive force from the torsion spring 119 and the repulsive force generated by the conductive rubber tube 117 being elastically deformed by the convex portion 115d becomes the operation reaction force. .. Further, after the rotation angle becomes 23 degrees or more, a repulsive force generated by elastically deforming the conductive rubber tube 117 by the contact portion 116d or the contact portion 116e of the contact piece member 116 is added to the resultant force.

Therefore, in the course of the rotation operation from the neutral position of the zoom lever 105, the degree of change in the operation reaction force increases at the rotation angle of 20 degrees and further increases at 23 degrees. Since the operation reaction force increases in the latter half of the low-side zoom area, the operation reaction force changes abruptly immediately before the transition from low-speed zoom to high-speed zoom. As a result, the photographer can intuitively understand the timing of switching from the low-speed zoom to the high-speed zoom immediately before the switching, and the desired zoom operation becomes easy. For example, if the photographer wants to maintain the low-speed zoom state, he or she needs to maintain the rotational position of the zoom lever 105 at the angle (20 to 23 degrees) when the operating force suddenly increases. In this case, the zoom lever 105 may be further rotated. It is also easy to return to the low-speed zoom state and maintain that state by slightly relaxing the force from the high-speed zoom state. The operator can easily use the low-speed zoom and the high-speed zoom based on the operation feeling, and the usability is improved.

According to the present embodiment, when the contact piece member 116 contacts the electrode pattern (123b or 123d) in the process of displacement of the contact piece member 116 from the reference position (initial position), (wide-angle side, telephoto side ) The first signal is output. Further, the contact piece member 116 contacts the conductive rubber tube 117 after the first signal is output, and thus the second signal is output. As a result, as compared with the conventional configuration (FIG. 13) in which the electrode patterns 201b and 201c are arranged adjacent to each other on a plane for low speed and high speed, the required rotation angle of the zoom lever 105 is increased. Is small, and it is easy to downsize the device. Therefore, it is possible to output two kinds of signals stepwise with a small displacement amount, which contributes to compactness. Further, since it is not necessary to reduce the area of the electrode pattern (123b or 123d) corresponding to the period from the first signal output to the second signal output, the range of operation angles that can maintain the first signal output state is narrow. And the ease of operation is maintained.

Further, in the process of displacing the contact piece member 116 from the reference position, the holder 115 contacts the conductive rubber tube 117 before the contact piece member 116 contacts the conductive rubber tube 117, thereby increasing the operation reaction force. As a result, the operation reaction force increases before the output of the second signal, which makes it easier to maintain the output state of the first signal in operation. Moreover, since the conductive rubber tube 117 is an elastic member, it is possible to secure a small stroke when the second signal is output, and also it is possible to secure quietness. From these viewpoints, after the first signal is output and before the second signal is output, a reaction force adding mechanism for increasing the degree of reaction force change with respect to the displacement of the contact piece member 116. Is not limited to the contact between the holder 115 and the conductive rubber tube 117. Before the contact piece member 116 contacts the conductive rubber tube 117, a non-conductive member that rotates integrally with the zoom lever 105 may contact the conductive rubber tube 117.

Further, since the contact piece member 116 contacts the conductive rubber tube 117 during the process of displacing the contact piece member 116 from the reference position, the degree of reaction force change with respect to the displacement of the contact piece member 116 increases. This makes it easier to understand the switching of the second signal from the non-output state to the output state.

Although 10 degrees, 20 degrees, and 23 degrees have been illustrated as the state transition angles at which the degree of the operation reaction force of the zoom lever 105 changes and the timing of signal switching, the values are not limited to these values. In addition, the first signal and the second signal that are output stepwise by operating the zoom lever 105 do not matter what drive and control signals are used.

The contacted member with which the contact piece member 116 and the protrusion 115d of the holder 115 contact is not limited to an annular conductive member such as the conductive rubber tube 117, and the mounting mode is not limited to the example. .. For example, a conductive member whose position is fixed with respect to the FPC 123 may be provided as the contacted member while ensuring electrical connection with the electrode pattern 123d.

The contacted member corresponding to the conductive rubber tube 117 does not necessarily have elasticity, and for example, a conductive elastic member is provided at each tip of the protrusion 115d and the contact portions 116d and 116e of the contact piece member 116. May be. Note that it is not essential to provide conductivity in the relationship in which the abutted member corresponding to the conductive rubber tube 117 and the convex portion 115d abut, and elasticity in the relationship in which the abutted member and the contact portions 116d and 116e abut. Is not required.

Next, a modified example will be described. 12A and 12B are schematic plan views of the holder 115, the contact piece member 116, and the electrode pattern 123 in the first and second modifications.

In the above embodiment, the second signal is output when the contact piece member 116 contacts the conductive rubber tube 117 due to the short circuit between the patterns 123a and 123d. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as in the first modified example (FIG. 12A), two conductive rubber tubes 117A and 117B are provided adjacent to each other, and the second signal is generated by short-circuiting the conductive rubber tubes 117A and 117B. May be output. First, the output of the first signal is the same as in the above embodiment. In the process in which the contact piece member 116 is displaced from the reference position, the convex portions 115d-P elastically deform the conductive rubber tubes 117A and 117B, and then the contact portions 116e of the contact piece member 116 are applied to both of the conductive rubber tubes 117A and 117B. Abut. As a result, the conductive rubber tube 117A and the conductive rubber tube 117B are electrically connected, and the second signal is output. Although FIG. 12A illustrates only the operation in the P direction, the same can be considered in the Q direction.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the zoom lever 105 is illustrated as an operating member that is operated and displaced, but the present invention is also applied to an operating device having an operating member that is linearly operated like a slide operator rather than rotationally operated. It is possible. Further, the present invention is applicable not only to an operation member that is operated in both directions but also to an operation member that is operated in one direction. For example, as shown in the second modified example (FIG. 12B), the electrode pattern 123c may be eliminated and an operation member 115A that is operated linearly in one direction may be provided.

The image pickup apparatus 101 to which the present invention is applied is not limited to a digital camera and may be another image pickup apparatus such as a video camera.

The present invention has been described in detail above based on its preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various embodiments within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention. included.

105 Zoom lever 115 Holder 115d-P, 115d-Q Convex part 116 Contact piece member 116b, 116c, 116d, 116e Contact part 117 Conductive rubber tube 123 FPC
123a, 123b, 123c, 123d electrode pattern

Claims (10)

An operation member that is operated and displaced,
With the displacement of the operating member, a contact piece member having conductivity,
A circuit board provided with an electrode pattern,
Said circuit position with respect to the substrate is fixed and, a control apparatuses that have a, an elastic member with a shaft-like conductive extending toward said operating member from said circuit board,
While the contact piece member is displaced from the reference position, the contact piece member contacts the electrode pattern to output a first signal, and the contact piece member is output after the first signal is output. The operating device is configured so that the second signal is output when the elastic member comes into contact with the elastic member. The contact piece member is held by a non-conductive holding member and displaced integrally with the holding member,
In step for the displacement control device according to claim 1, wherein the contact piece member is the holding member before contacting the elastic member, characterized in that contact with the elastic member. The circuit board is provided with a reference pattern in addition to the electrode pattern,
The contact piece member is in contact with the reference pattern in the entire process in which the contact piece member is displaced from the reference position,
When the contact piece member comes into contact with the electrode pattern during the displacing process, the electrode pattern and the reference pattern are electrically connected to each other, whereby the first signal is output. The operating device according to claim 1 or 2 . When the contact piece member is brought into contact with said elastic member, said elastic member and said reference pattern by electrically conductive, according to claim 3, wherein the second signal is output Operating device. In the displacing process, after the first signal is output and before the second signal is output, a reaction force adding mechanism for increasing the degree of change of the reaction force with respect to the operation of the operation member is provided. The operating device according to claim 1, further comprising: The operating device according to claim 5 , wherein a degree of change of the reaction force is increased by the contact piece member coming into contact with the elastic member in the displacement process. Imaging apparatus characterized by comprising an operating device according to any one of claims 1-6. An operation member that is operated and displaced,
With the displacement of the operating member, a contact piece member having conductivity,
A circuit board provided with an electrode pattern,
Said circuit position with respect to the substrate is fixed and, an imaging apparatus that have a, an elastic member with a shaft-like conductive extending toward said operating member from said circuit board,
While the contact piece member is displaced from the reference position, the contact piece member contacts the electrode pattern to output a first signal, and the contact piece member is output after the first signal is output. The image pickup apparatus is configured to output a second signal when the elastic member comes into contact with the elastic member. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the operating member is a zoom lever for changing a zoom magnification. The first signal is a signal for changing the zoom magnification at the first speed,
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the second signal is a signal for changing a zoom magnification at a second speed higher than the first speed.

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