JPH05216092A - Barrier device for camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a barrier device whose number of parts is small, which is compact, which accomplishes the prevention of stop in the middle of opening or closing the barrier and stable hold at an opening or a closing position, and which is seemingly highranking. CONSTITUTION:This barrier device is provided with bisected barriers 2 and 3 which are provided to be movable right and left in the front cover 1 of a camera main body so as to open or close the front part of a lens barrel, a connecting lever 4 which connects the barriers 2 and 3, a holding part 5 which holds the bisected barriers at the opening position or the closing position at the time of opening or closing the bisected barriers by an operation part provided in at least either of the bisected barriers, and a receiving plate 6 which supports the barriers 2 and 3, and the lever 4 to the cover 1 and forms moving space for the bisected barriers; and the respective shapes of the cover 1, the barriers 2 and 3, and the receiving plate 6 all form a part of a spherical shell having nearly identical spherical center.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera barrier device for opening and closing a front portion of a lens barrel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are many simple barrier devices used in compact cameras. The purpose of using the barrier device is mainly to protect the lens and turn on the main power,
This is the part that the user always operates by directly touching it.

Further, since it is the outermost mechanism of the camera, it is necessary to devise various measures in order to satisfy the high-class feeling of operation, durability and functionality. In particular, there are few barrier devices having both sides in a compact camera which has a large cost and space constraint. For example, there is Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 61-119139 in which the barrier plate cannot be covered with one plate in order to reduce the lens barrel diameter, and the barrier plate is divided into two.

Many cameras without a zoom lens or the like use the moving force of the operating portion by a human hand as a drive source for opening and closing the barrier plate. However, in that case, in order to inform the user of the opening and closing operations and the state, unless the operating section is provided with a sharp click section, it is necessary to check whether the camera is in use or not with the barrier plate fully open. You have to check on the front side.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, there is a problem that the camera becomes large in size due to an increase in the number of parts and an increase in cost and low space efficiency. Further, since the structure is configured to prevent the intermediate stop between the open position and the closed position due to the size of the R shape of the click portion, there is a problem that the operation sound is large and the camera feels high-quality such as being heavy.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has a simple structure, a small number of parts, and a compact structure, and is capable of preventing the barrier from stopping halfway and stably holding it in the open position. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a barrier device that is capable and has a high-class operability.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a two-division barrier provided in the front cover of the camera body so as to open and close the front portion of the lens barrel, and a connecting lever for connecting the two-division barrier. A holding portion for holding the two-divided barrier in an open position or a closed position when the two-divided barrier is opened and closed by an operation portion provided on at least one of the two-divided barrier, and the two-divided barrier and the connecting lever are supported by the front cover. And a receiving plate that forms a moving space for the two-divided barrier, and only the rail surface of the front cover or only the inner side of the two-divided barrier and the receiving plate are spherical shells having substantially the same spherical center. By making it a part, the barrier can be opened and closed smoothly by manual operation, and a compact, low-cost, high-class barrier device can be obtained. Further, since it is a manual operation, it is possible to directly notify the user of the opening and closing of the barrier, and there is no need to confirm whether or not the camera is in use on the front side of the camera, which is convenient.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view best showing the features of the present invention, and is a view of the front cover 1 removed from the camera body and viewed from the rear. Barrier-related parts are attached to the front cover 1 as a unit, and FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 are enlarged rear views of the unit.

On the back side of the opening 1c of the front cover 1, a barrier 2 and a barrier 3 which are part of the same spherical shell are divided.
Is provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction, and is securely closed on the optical axis of the lens. This barrier 2,
In order to prevent a slight displacement of the contact surface of the closing member 3 at the time of closing and an unnecessary opening when an external pressure is applied from the front, the barrier 2 has a V-shaped convex rib 2a, and the barrier 3 has a V-shaped groove 3a. Are provided so that they can be combined with each other when closed.

A receiving plate 6 which is a part of a spherical shell is fixed to the front cover 1 from the inside, and a concave spherical rail surface 1a of the front cover 1 is fixed.
The barrier 2 and the barrier 3 are disposed in the space formed by the convex spherical rail surface of the receiving plate 6. Barrier 2 is 3 at the rear
Having the pins 2b, 2c, 2g of the book, the pins 2b, 2c are slidably fitted in the long holes 6e, 6d of the receiving plate 6 as guides for the left and right movement at the time of opening and closing, and the pin 2g has a slight margin. Hold it and project it from the long hole 6e of the receiving plate 6 and connect the electric contact piece in the camera body (not shown) to the opening and closing of the barrier 2 and the barrier 3,
Turn on and off.

Further, the pin 2g has a barrier 2 at the tip,
One end of a spring 5 as a holding portion that urges the barrier 3 in the closing direction and holds the barrier 3 in the closed position is hooked. Pin 2
b has a retaining portion at its tip, and is rotatably fitted in an elongated hole 4a of a lever 4 having a spherical shell shape. The operation portion 2d projects from the opening 1d of the front cover 1 to the front side and can be operated from the outer surface with a finger.

The barrier 3 has a pin 3b at the inner central end,
It is slidably fitted in the elongated hole 6c of the receiving plate 6 and moves left and right as a guide. Further, the pin 3b has a retaining portion at its tip and is rotatably fitted in the elongated hole 4b of the lever 4. The upper and lower ends of the barrier 3 have smooth surfaces provided with protrusions, and the receiving plate 6
Using the upper and lower guide rails 6f as a guide, the surface of the spherical shell of the receiving plate is smoothly moved left and right along the spherical surface.

Below the barrier 2, there is an elastic portion 2f extending in the lateral direction, and at the tip, a circular click portion 2e having a smooth surface is formed as a holding portion for holding the barrier 2 and the barrier 3 in the open position. Has been done.

The front cover 1 has a mountain-shaped locking portion 1b over which the click portion 2e is locked, and the operating portion 2 of the barrier 2.
An opening 1d for moving d and an opening 1c for photographing are provided.

The receiving plate 6 fixed to the front cover 1 is provided with a photographing opening 6h, a rotating shaft 6a of the lever 4, and a spring hooking portion 6g of a spring. The sliding surface of the lever 4 around the rotating shaft 6a is a plane orthogonal to the shaft.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross section taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. 3 after the front cover 1 and the barrier unit are assembled. As is apparent from FIG. 6, the barrier 2 and the barrier 3 are on the optical axis of the lens. The same spherical surface (R ₂ , R ₃ ) is formed from one point, and the spherical surface (R ₁ ) of the rail 1a, the spherical surface (R ₄ ) of the lever 4 and the spherical surface (R ₆ ) of the receiving plate 6 on the back surface of the front cover 1 are formed. All have the same point 0
It has a spherical shell shape with a spherical center.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a camera incorporating the unitized barrier-related component having the above structure.

Next, the opening / closing operation of the barrier having the above structure will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, when the barrier is closed, the spring hooking portion 2g of the barrier 2 is pulled to the right by the spring 5, so the barrier 2 tries to move to the right. At that time, pin 2
b drives the lever 4 counterclockwise about the rotation shaft 6a.

As the lever 4 is driven, the oblong hole 4b of the lever 4 pushes the pin 3b of the barrier 3 leftward, so that the barrier 2 and the barrier 3 approach from the left and right, and the V-shaped rib 2a and V-shaped groove 3 are formed.
When a is fitted, the barriers 2 and 3 are completely closed. The spring 5 has sufficient tensile force to close the barrier over the entire stroke of opening the barrier.

Next, when the operating portion 2d is manually moved to the left against the force of the spring 5 from the above-mentioned closed state of the barrier, the barrier 2 which is integral with the operating portion 2d moves to the left and the pin 2b. Rotates lever 4 clockwise. Therefore, the barrier 3 is pulled to the right as the lever 4 rotates, so that the barrier 2 and the barrier 3 gradually start to open as shown in FIG. When the click portion 2e eventually reaches the locking portion 1b and tries to ride on the mountain portion, the load on the operating portion 2d suddenly increases. At that time, when the finger is released from the operation portion 2d, the pulling force of the spring 5 automatically closes the closed position shown in FIG.

In order to open the barriers 2 and 3 completely, the elastic portion 2f is elastically deformed upward and the click portion 2e.
Instantaneously overcomes the locking portion 1b and applies a force to the operating portion 2d so that the operating portion 2d hits the stopper 1e and stops. Since the click part 2e can never stop at the mountain part of the locking part 1b, the barrier 2 and the barrier 3 do not stop during opening and closing.

Although the barrier 2 is slightly returned to the right by the pulling force of the spring 5, the click portion 2e is brought into contact with the substantially spherical surface of the engaging portion 1b to be engaged and retained in the open state. Also,
As soon as the click part 2e gets over the locking part 1b, the pin 2h closes the electric contact piece and sends a signal to the control circuit of the camera body to inform that the barrier is open.

In order to close the barrier again, the click portion 2e applies an external force over the locking portion 1b to the operation portion 2d, and thereafter, the pilling 5 automatically drives the barriers 2 and 3 until they are closed. It The force for overcoming the locking portion 2e has a sufficient weight so as not to be accidentally closed in a use condition such as vibration or dropping.

Example 2. In the first embodiment, the barrier 2,
The return spring 5 of the barrier 3 was hooked on the barrier 2. However, in the second embodiment, toggle levers as holding portions for holding the barrier 2 and the barrier 3 at the closed position and the open position are hooked on the lever 4, 2. The barrier 3 is spring-biased in both the opening and closing directions.

That is, the lever 4 is biased by the toggle spring 7 hooked on the lever 4 in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. In FIG. 7, the lever 4 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction by being biased by a spring, and the barrier 2 and the barrier 3 are driven in the closing direction to be closed at the center.

In the above state, when the barrier 2 is slid laterally by the operation portion 2d, the pin 2 of the barrier 2
b rotates the lever 4 clockwise against the force of the toggle spring 7. Therefore, the elongated hole 4b of the lever 4 pushes the pin 3b of the barrier 3 rightward to open the barrier 2 and the barrier 3.

When the barriers 2 and 3 are opened after passing through the substantially intermediate position of the previous time, the biasing direction of the toggle spring 7 is changed, and the lever 4 itself starts to rotate clockwise and the operating portion 2
The barriers 2 and 3 are automatically driven to the full opening without depending on the force of the finger of d, hit the stopper 1e, and are held while being biased by the spring. During this time, the toggle spring 7 is the spring shaft 6
Half turn around i.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The operating portion provided on one of the two-division barriers connected by the lever opens and closes the two-division barrier, and holds the two-division barrier in its open position or closed position by the holding means. Since it is a part of the spherical shell having the same spherical center, the following effects can be obtained.

(B) The two-divided barrier that is surely closed can be designed compactly.

(B) Since the operation part and the holding part are provided integrally with the barrier part, the number of parts can be reduced by half and the state of the barrier can be directly transmitted to the user.

(C) Even if the external appearance of the lens barrel of the camera is a complicated shape such as a three-dimensional curved surface, all the barrier parts are designed to have a spherical shape, so that the productivity is excellent and the movement during driving is simple and reliable. Guaranteed operation, high quality and high quality.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a rear view of a barrier unit attached to a front cover according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged rear view of the barrier unit in FIG. 1 at the beginning of opening the barrier.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged rear view of the barrier unit shown in FIG. 1 showing a closed state of the barrier.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged rear view of the barrier unit shown in FIG. 1 showing an opened state of the barrier.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a front cover to which a barrier unit is attached.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line A-A ′ in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a camera in which the barrier device of the present invention is assembled.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged rear view of the barrier unit showing a closed state of the barrier according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

9 is an enlarged rear view of the barrier unit shown in FIG. 8 showing an opened state of the barrier.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Front Cover 2 Barrier 3 Barrier 4 Connection Lever 5 Return Spring 6 Support Plate 7 Toggle Spring

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Masao Mizumaki 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A two-division barrier provided in a front cover of a camera body so as to open and close a front portion of a lens barrel, a connecting lever for connecting the two-division barrier, and at least one of the two-division barrier. And a holding portion for holding the two-division barrier at the open position or the closed position when the two-division barrier is opened and closed by the operating portion, and supporting the two-division barrier and the connecting lever on the front cover and forming a moving space of the two-division barrier. And a receiving plate for the front cover, wherein only the rail surface or the inside of the front cover is a part of a spherical shell in which the shapes of the two-divided barrier and the receiving plate are all substantially the same. Barrier device.