JPH0635226Y2 - Small camera - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a small camera, and more particularly to a small camera in which photographing is performed by pressing a release button while holding a grip portion with one hand.

[Background of the invention]

Recently, compact cameras, especially simple compact cameras made to be ultra-compact, are often not carried in a case because of their convenience, and are often carried or carried in a naked state in a bag or the like.

Therefore, the shooting lens has a built-in lens cover, and the viewfinder has dust-proof glass, etc., and the exterior cover has been carefully treated such as overlapping its joints with each other to prevent raindrops and The exterior is finished to prevent dust from entering.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, a member that is actuated by an external operation, such as a shutter release button, requires a slight gap between the shutter cover and the exterior cover for smooth operation, and therefore raindrops or dust may enter from such a portion. It is said that it is difficult to prevent this.

As a result of solving this problem and improving the present invention, it is an object of the present invention to provide a small camera capable of operating members such as a release button from the outside without providing a gap where raindrops or dust may enter. It was done.

[Means for solving problems]

The above-mentioned object is one component formed by using a flexible molded resin member as the exterior material of the grip portion and also as a cover of the release switch, the cover being a shutter release shutter switch embedded in the upper part of the camera. The operation surface of the upper surface is covered with a pressing portion, and a ring-shaped protrusion is provided around the pressing portion, and even if the protrusion is pressed, the release switch is received by a fixed receiving member on the camera body side. This is achieved by a small camera characterized in that the shutter is operated by pressing the pressing portion while not operating.

〔Example〕

 One embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the miniature camera of this embodiment, FIG. 2 is a top view thereof (viewed by arrow A), FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line MM in FIG. 2, and FIGS. The figures are a side view (view B) and a bottom view (view C) of the small camera, respectively.

In the figure, 10 is a front body that incorporates the main mechanical part of the camera and forms the front surface of the camera body, and 11 is a lens cover that shields the opening of the photographing lens (shown with broken lines) mounted on the front body 10. , 12 are slide levers for opening and closing the lens cover 11, and when the lens cover 11 is slid to the right from the position shown in the drawing, the lens cover 11 is opened and the photographing lens appears. Further, 13 is a viewfinder objective lens having a dust-proof glass plate fixed to the front surface, 14 is a photometric window for exposure control, and 15 is a built-in strobe light emitter.

On the other hand, 20 is a back cover attached to the front body 10 by a hinged connection so that it can be freely opened and closed, 21 is a viewfinder eyepiece lens on the back cover 20, and the back cover 20 is closed after the front body 10 is closed. It is locked by a locking member built in the front body 10.

Reference numeral 16 denotes an exterior material that covers the front left side portion of the front body 10, that is, the so-called grip portion front surface, side surface, and upper and lower surfaces.
The adhesive is attached to and integrated with.

The exterior material 16 is made of a flexible silicone rubber or synthetic rubber, or a plastic material such as vinyl chloride. The surface of the exterior material 16 has a good touch and is easy to grasp, and at the same time the hand is not slippery. Finished to a rough matte surface.

The upper surface of the exterior material 16 covers the operation surface of the shutter release shutter S upper surface embedded in the upper part of the front body 10, and when the pressing portion 16A of the exterior material 16 covering the release switch S is pressed. The release switch S
When the switch is activated and turned on, it is restored by its elasticity and the release switch S is returned to the off state.

When the release switch S is turned on, the shutter is opened, exposure control is performed based on the photometric result, and the photographing ends.

Reference numeral 16B is a ring-shaped protrusion provided to indicate the position of the pressing portion 16A and to prevent inadvertent pressing.
Front body even when pressed by the scale outside 16B 1
The release switch S is not operated by being received by the receiving plate 10A such as a metal plate fixed to 0.

That is, the miniature camera of the present invention can be released without providing a hole for projecting a release button or the like for shutter operation in the exterior member, and as a result, each mechanism inside the camera including the release switch S. Water drops, moisture, dust, etc. are prevented from entering the parts.

There are many objects other than the release switch S that can be actuated by pressing the specified portion of the exterior material 16, and one of them is shown in FIG. 4 which is a locking member for locking the back cover 20 to the front body 10. It shows an example of unlocking.

17A and 17B are a pair of pressing portions and protrusions provided on the upper and lower sides of the side surface of the exterior material 16, and each pressing portion 17A is a pair of release buttons (shown by broken lines) for moving a locking member inside the front body 10. ) Is covered.

The pair of release buttons have a structure for releasing the lock of the back cover 20 by moving the locking member against the biasing force thereof only when pressed simultaneously.

Therefore, the back lid 20 is released from the front body 10 by consciously pressing the upper and lower pressing portions 17A simultaneously. Further, when the back cover 20 is closed in a state where each pressing portion 17A is not pressed, the locking state is automatically set by the biasing force of the locking member described above.

Reference numeral 18 is a metal fitting for attaching the strap, which projects from the exterior material 16, and 19 is a lid of the battery chamber on the bottom surface of the front body 10.

[Effect of device]

The present invention eliminates the need for an expensive external member such as a release button or an operation button for opening the back cover, which is expected to reduce the number of parts and reduce the number of assembly steps. As a result of preventing foreign matter such as raindrops, moisture or dust from entering from the mounting part of the member, a small camera that is low in price and can exhibit sufficient functions even when handled in a bad environment is provided. It became a thing.

Therefore, the present invention has a high utility value as a mechanical element of a waterproof device in an underwater camera as well as a general camera.

[Brief description of drawings]

1, 2, and 4 and 5 are front views, top and side views, and bottom view, respectively, showing the appearance of the compact camera of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG. Fig. 10 ... Front body, 11 ... Lens cover 13 ... Viewfinder objective lens 15 ... Strobe light emitter, 16 ... Exterior material 16A, 17A ... Pressing part, 16B, 17B ... Protrusion 18 ... (for strap), 20 ... Back cover S ... Release switch

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An exterior material (16) of a grip part is a flexible molded resin member, which is a component molded also as a cover of a release switch (S), the cover (16) being a camera. A release switch (S) for shutter operation embedded in the upper part covers the operation surface of the upper surface to form a pressing portion (16A), and a ring-shaped protrusion (16B) around the pressing portion (16A).
Is provided so that even if the protrusion (16B) is pressed, the release switch (S) is not actuated by being received by the fixed receiving member (10A) on the camera body side. A compact camera characterized in that the shutter is operated by pressing (16A).