JPH0739038U - Setting dial - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Structure] The setting dial 3 includes a dial body 31 rotatably installed with respect to the camera body 2 and a click plate 34.
The code plate 34, the lock mechanism, the adjustment permission switch 32, the operation member 33, and the like. The lock mechanism includes a lock plate 38, a connecting rod 381, and a protrusion 38.
2, the biasing means 373, and the locking portions 29 to 29e. When the operating member 33 is in the first position,
The lock mechanism prohibits rotation of the dial body 31,
The adjustment permission switch 32 is turned off, and adjustment of setting items is prohibited. When the operation member 33 is in the second position, the prohibition of rotation of the dial body 31 by the lock mechanism is released,
When it is in the third position, the adjustment permission switch 32 is turned on, and the adjustment of the setting items is permitted. [Effect] It is possible to prevent unintentional changes of setting items and setting values. Moreover, the number of operating members can be reduced.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a setting dial having a lock mechanism.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 Select from multiple setting items as the setting method such as camera shooting mode (aperture priority, shutter speed priority, manual, etc.), drive (single image shooting, continuous shooting, self-timer shooting, etc.), film sensitivity (ISO), etc. A setting method using a setting dial for selecting a desired setting item and a dial type or button type up / down switch for increasing or decreasing the setting step by step is known.

In the above setting method, when changing the setting, the setting dial is rotated to select a desired setting item, and the up / down switch is operated to adjust the setting item. When setting items are selected, the setting dial is equipped with a lock mechanism to prevent the dials from rotating unintentionally so that the setting items do not change. Dial while pressing the unlock button.

However, in the case of the above setting dial, although the rotation of the setting dial itself is prevented by the lock mechanism, there is a case in which the up / down switch is accidentally actuated, which changes the setting. There is a problem that it will end up.

Further, in the case of the setting dial described above, since it is necessary to provide another operation member such as an up / down switch, the structure becomes complicated and a space for installing the other operation member is required. . In addition, when changing settings, it is necessary to rotate the setting dial while pressing the unlock button and operate the up / down switch, which makes setting changes complicated and troublesome. There is.

[0006]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 An object of the present invention is to provide a setting dial capable of preventing unintentional changes of setting items and setting values. Another object of the present invention is to provide a setting dial that can reduce the number of operating members to be operated when adjusting setting items.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 Such an object is achieved by the present invention of the following (1) to (6).

(1) Regarding a dial main body that is rotatably installed with respect to the main body and that selects setting items, a lock mechanism that prohibits rotation of the dial main body in at least one direction, and a setting item that is selected by the dial main body A switch means that activates the adjustment of the setting items; an operation for releasing the prohibition of the rotation of the dial body by the lock mechanism; and an operation of the switch means to enable the adjustment of the setting items. A setting dial having a common operating member for performing operations.

(2) With respect to the dial main body that is rotatably installed with respect to the main body and that selects setting items, the lock mechanism that prohibits rotation of the dial main body in at least one direction, and the setting items that are selected by the dial main body. , A switch means for adjusting the setting items, an operation for releasing the prohibition of the rotation of the dial body by the lock mechanism, and an operation for adjusting the setting items by operating the switch means. A setting dial having an operating member.

(3) The operation member has, in the central portion of the dial main body, a first position for prohibiting rotation of the dial main body by the locking mechanism, and a second position for releasing prohibition of rotation. The setting dial according to the above (1) or (2), which is movably installed in the rotation axis direction of the dial body so as to be located at a third position where the switch means operates.

(4) The lock mechanism has a locking portion fixedly installed on the main body, and a lock plate that rotates together with the dial main body, and the locking portion is formed on the lock plate. The setting dial according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein the rotation of the dial main body is prohibited by locking the formed protrusion.

(5) The setting dial according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the setting item is selected by electrical contact based on a rotation position of the dial body.

(6) The setting dial according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the upper end surface of the dial body and the upper end surface of the operation member are flush with each other.

[0014]

【Example】

 The setting dial of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, a case where the setting dial of the present invention is applied to a camera will be described as a representative.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are a perspective view and a plan view, respectively, showing a configuration example of a camera having a setting dial of the present invention. Note that, in FIG. 2, the taking lens and the like are omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 8, the camera 1 includes a camera body 2, a setting dial 3 of the present invention, an adjustment dial 4, a release switch 5, a display unit 6, and a control unit. It has a means 7, a shutter drive means 8, an aperture drive means 9, a photometry means 11, a film feeding means 12, and a distance measurement means (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 2, the setting dial 3 is a device for selecting a desired setting item from a plurality of setting items, and is installed at the left upper end of the camera 1 in FIG. . In this case, three setting items “MODE (shooting mode)”, “DRIVE (drive)” and “ISO” are attached to the upper surface of the dial main body 31 of the setting dial 3, and any one of them is attached. , The setting item is selected by positioning it at the position of the index 13.

Here, in the case of the present embodiment, the setting dial 3 is used to set the shooting mode of the camera 1 (for example, aperture priority, shutter speed priority, manual, etc.), drive (for example, single image shooting, continuous shooting, self-timer shooting). Etc.) and film speed (ISO, for example, ISO200, ISO400, ISO800, etc.), but the setting items that can be selected by the setting dial 3 and the selected items have been selected. The setting of the setting items is not particularly limited to the above. The setting dial 3 will be described in detail later.

The adjustment dial 4 has an up / down switch for raising or lowering the setting of the setting item selected by the setting dial 3 step by step, and a dial body 41. When operated, the up / down switch is activated. The up / down switch has a dial input section 40 composed of a cord plate and a brush.

The display unit 6 is usually composed of a liquid crystal (LCD) or the like. The control means 7 is usually composed of a microcomputer and controls various functions of the camera 1 such as sequence control, execution of autofocus, and exposure calculation.

The release switch 5 is a two-step switch. When the first step of the release switch 5 is turned on, the photometry means 11 and the distance measuring means (not shown) are activated respectively, and the second step is turned on. Then, the shutter drive means 8 operates at an appropriate aperture by the aperture drive means 9 to take an image. When the photographing is completed, the film feeding means 12 is operated to wind the film one frame.

The photometric means 11 measures the brightness of the subject and inputs the information (photometric information) to the control means 11. The distance measuring means measures the distance information from the camera 1 to the object or the defocus amount with respect to the reference focus position (focus position) in the camera 1 by the active method or the passive method, and the information (distance measurement information). ) Is input to the control means 11.

Next, the setting dial 3 will be described. 3, 4, and 5 are respectively a plan view showing a configuration example of the setting dial 3, a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, and the setting dial 3 shown in FIG. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the setting dial 3 has a dial body 31 rotatably installed with respect to the camera body 2, a lock mechanism, a switch mechanism, and an operation member 33. As shown in FIG. 3, the outer shape of the dial body 31 is circular, and as shown in FIG. 5, the central portion of the dial body 31 projects to the back surface side (inside the camera).

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a through hole 312 having a circular cross section is formed in the central portion of the dial body 31 so as to extend in the rotation axis direction of the dial body 31. The through hole 312 is a hole portion 313 formed on the front surface side (outside the camera) of the dial main body 31 and a hole portion 313 formed concentrically with the hole portion 313 on the back surface side and having a smaller diameter than the hole portion 313. And part 314.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. As shown in the figure, a pair of grooves 317 and 318 extending in the rotation axis direction of the dial main body 31 and facing each other are formed on the peripheral surface of the hole 314 of the dial main body 31.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, on the outer peripheral portion of the dial body 31, a groove 311 having a substantially rectangular cross section and extending concentrically is formed on the back surface side. Further, the dial main body 31 is formed with a hole portion 315 which connects the hole portion 313 and the groove 311.

The camera body 2 is formed with a projecting portion 21 projecting toward the front surface side. The projecting portion 21 has a through hole 23 extending in the rotation axis direction of the dial body 31 and having a circular cross section. Has been done. The central portion of the dial body 31 is inserted into the through hole 23 so that the protrusion 21 of the camera body 2 and the groove 311 of the dial body 31 are engaged with each other.

In this case, the peripheral surface 25 of the through hole 23 and the outer peripheral surface 316 of the central portion of the dial body 31 come into contact with each other, and the dial body 31 rotates along the peripheral surface 25 of the through hole 23 during rotation. The center of rotation and the central axis of the hole 314 are configured to coincide with each other.

On the inner peripheral side of the projecting portion 21 of the camera body 2 and on the back surface side, a passage (space) through which the tip of the projecting portion 382 of the lock plate 38 of the locking mechanism described later can pass. 22 is formed.

As shown in FIG. 4, a click plate 34 and a code plate 35 each having a circular outer shape are provided on the back surface side of the central portion of the dial body 31. In this case, the click plate 34 and the click plate 34 are arranged in this order from the back side in the order of the code plate 35 and the click plate 34, and are fixed to the dial main body 31 by fasteners (not shown).

On the back surface of the code plate 35, a conductor pattern corresponding to the setting items selected by the dial body 31 is formed. The dial plate 30 and the brush 36, which will be described later, constitute the dial input section 30.

Further, on the surface side of the outer peripheral portion of the click plate 34, a plurality of spherical concave portions that can be fitted with the end portions of a click ball 371 described later are formed. This recess is on the circumference around the center of rotation of the click plate 34, and when the position of the character of each setting item on the dial main body 31 matches the position of the index 13, the click ball is formed. It is arranged at a position where the 371 and the recess are fitted together.

A cylindrical hole 27 is formed on the rear surface side of the protrusion 21 of the camera body 2. The hole 27 is arranged so as to face the concave portion of the click plate 34. In addition, a click ball 371 and a biasing means 375 that biases the click ball 371 toward the click plate 34 with respect to the camera body 2 are installed in the hole 27.

A printed circuit board 15 is installed on the camera body 2, and a conductive brush 36 is installed on the printed circuit board 15. In this case, one end of the brush 36 is connected to the circuit formed on the printed board 15, and the other end is arranged so as to contact the back surface (the surface on which the conductor pattern is formed) of the code plate 35.

Further, a switch mechanism is installed below the hole 314 of the dial body 31 in FIG. 4 (on the back side). This switch mechanism is composed of a switch circuit formed on the printed circuit board 15 and an adjustment permission switch 32 which is a switch means that operates to make adjustment of setting items effective.

The adjustment permission switch 32 is provided on the back surface of the thick portion 321 and a hollow member having a thick portion 321 having elasticity in the central portion and a thin deformation portion 322 having elasticity in the outer peripheral portion. And a conductive member 323. A pair of (+) terminals and (−) terminals are exposed from the switch circuit formed on the printed board 15. The switch circuit is configured to turn on when the (+) terminal and the (−) terminal are conducted.

In this case, the adjustment permission switch 32 is arranged on the central axis of the hole 314 of the dial body 31. Further, the pair of (+) terminal and (−) terminal of the switch circuit are arranged inside the adjustment permission switch 32 and within the range where they can be conducted by the conductive member 323.

The operation member 33 is a common operation member for performing an operation for releasing the prohibition of rotation of the dial main body 31 by a lock mechanism described later and an operation for operating the adjustment permission switch 32 to enable adjustment of setting items. Is.

The operation member 33 includes a disk-shaped operation button (lock release operation button) 331 and a cylindrical pressing member 332 joined to the central portion of the operation button 331. The operation member 33 is installed in the center of the dial body 31 so as to be movable in the rotation axis direction of the dial body 31 with the pressing member 332 inserted in the hole 314 of the dial body 31.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, a pair of protrusions 333 and 334 extending in the longitudinal direction (rotational axis direction) are formed on the pressing member 332, and the pair of protrusions 333 and 334 and the dial are provided. The pair of grooves 317 and 318 of the main body 31 are engaged with each other so that the dial main body 31 and the operating member 33 can be integrally rotated. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a flange 335 is formed at the tip of the pressing member 332 so as to abut against the rear end surface of the central portion of the dial body 31.

The diameter of the operation button 331 is substantially the same as the diameter of the hole 313, and the diameter of the pressing member 332 is substantially the same as the diameter of the hole 314. Further, the pressing member 332 has a length such that when the pressing member 332 presses the adjustment permission switch 32, the conductive member 323 of the adjustment permission switch 32 can be brought into contact with the terminal of the switch circuit. .

The lock mechanism in the setting dial 3 includes a lock plate 38, a connecting rod 381, a protrusion 382, a biasing means 373, and locking portions 29, 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d and 29e. ing.

A disc-shaped lock plate 38 is joined to the back surface of the operation button 331 of the operation member 33. A connecting rod 381 extending in the rotation axis direction is formed at the outer peripheral end of the lock plate 38, and a protrusion 382 is formed at the tip of the connecting rod 381 so as to project radially outward of the lock plate 38.

Further, the hole 314 of the dial body 31 is provided with a biasing means 373 for biasing the lock plate 38 toward the front side of the dial body 31. The biasing means 373 and 375 are each composed of a coil-shaped spring.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the protrusion 21 of the camera body 2 is the protrusion of the lock plate 38 on the front side (upper side in FIG. 4) of the passage 22. Six locking portions 29, 29a, 29b, 29c, 29d and 29e for locking the front end portion of 382 in the rotational direction are fixedly installed on the camera body 2, respectively.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the six locking portions 29 to 29e have the protrusions 382 located between the locking portions 29 and 29a, 29b and 29c, and 29d and 29e. At this time, the characters of each setting item on the dial main body 31 are respectively located at the positions of the indexes 13, and the setting items can be selected. Since the pairs of the locking portions 29 and 29a, 29b and 29c, and 29d and 29e have the same configuration, the locking portions 29 and 29a will be representatively described below.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. As shown in the figure, each of the locking portions 29 and 29a has a vertical surface perpendicular to the rotation direction of the dial body 31 and an inclined surface 291 inclined to the rotation direction. The locking portions 29 and 29a are arranged at substantially the same width as the width of the protruding portion 382 of the lock plate 38 so that the vertical surfaces face each other.

That is, the protrusion 382 is arranged between the locking portions 29 and 29a, and the protrusions 382 are locked on the vertical surfaces of the locking portions 29 and 29a, respectively, whereby the dial main body 31 is secured. It is configured so that rotation in both directions can be prohibited.

Next, the operation of the above-mentioned setting dial 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, since the lock plate 38 of the dial 3 is urged to the front side by the urging means 373, when the operation button 331 of the operation member 33 is not pressed, the flange 335 of the operation member 33 is pushed. The operation member 33 is locked to the end face of the central portion of the dial body 31, and the operation member 33 is held at the first position where the rotation of the dial body 31 by the lock mechanism is prohibited.

When the operating member 33 is held in the first position, the protrusion 382 of the lock plate 38 is locked by the locking portions 29 and 29a as shown by the solid line in FIG. The dial body 31 is prohibited from rotating in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, in this first position, the adjustment permission switch 32 is not pressed by the pressing member 332, so that the pair of (+) terminals of the switch circuit on the printed circuit board 15 is formed. The (-) terminal does not conduct. That is, the switch circuit is turned off, whereby the setting items selected by the dial main body 31 are prohibited from being adjusted by the dial 4. Note that, hereinafter, "switch circuit off" is referred to as "adjustment permission switch 32 off".

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the operation button 331 of the operation member 33 is pressed to move the operation member 33 to the back side in the rotation axis direction, and the prohibition of the rotation of the dial body 31 by the lock mechanism is released. When the dial main body 31 is moved to the second position, the locking by the locking portions 29 and 29a of the protrusion 382 is released and the dial main body 31 is rotated clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. It is possible to rotate in the direction of. This makes it possible to rotate the dial body 31 and select other setting items.

In this case, when the operation member 33 is moved in the rotation axis direction, the operation member 33, the lock plate 38, the connecting rod 381, the protrusion 382 and the biasing means 373 move together in the rotation axis direction.

In addition, in the second position, the adjustment permission switch 32 is pressed by the pressing member 332, the thin-walled deformable portion 322 is deformed, and the conductive member 323 causes the pair of (+) terminals and (-) of the switch circuit. ), The conductive member 323 does not contact the terminals of the switch circuit, and the (+) terminal and the (−) terminal of the switch circuit do not conduct. That is, the adjustment permission switch 32 is turned off, whereby the adjustment of the setting items by the adjustment dial 4 is prohibited.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the operation button 331 of the operation member 33 is further pressed against the second position to move the operation member 33 to the rear side in the rotation axis direction to the end, and the adjustment is performed. When the permit switch 32 is moved to the third position where it is activated (turned on), the dial main body is moved to the second position as shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. The rotatable state of 31 is retained.

In addition, in the third position, the adjustment permitting switch 32 is further pressed by the pressing member 332 with respect to the second position, the thin-walled deforming portion 322 is deformed, and the conductive member 323 is switched circuit. The pair of (+) terminals and (-) terminals are contacted, and the (+) terminal and (-) terminal of the switch circuit are conducted. That is, the switch circuit is turned on, whereby the setting items selected by the dial main body 31 are permitted (validated) by the adjustment dial 4. Note that, hereinafter, "the switch circuit is turned on" is referred to as "the adjustment permission switch 32 is turned on".

When the operation button 331 of the operation member 33 is released, the operation member 33 moves to the front side by the urging force of the urging means 373 as shown in FIG. The flange 335 is locked to the end face of the central portion of the dial body 31 and returns to the first position. At this time, the thin deformed portion 322 of the adjustment permission switch 32 returns to its original shape due to the restoring force of the rubber (elastic body), so that the conductive member 323 separates from the terminal of the switch circuit and the adjustment permission switch 32 is turned off.

Here, as shown in FIG. 7, when rotating the dial main body 31 from the state where the operation member 33 is held at the first position, the operation button 331 is pressed to move the operation member 33 to the first position. The lock is released by moving it to the position 2 and then the dial body 31 is rotated. In this case, the dial body 31, the operating member 33, the click plate 34, the code plate 35, the lock plate 38, the connecting rod 381, the protrusion 382 and the biasing means 373 rotate integrally. The tip of the protrusion 382 passes through the passage 22.

When the dial main body 31 is rotated, the protrusion 382 moves from the left side to the right side in FIG. 7 along the inclined surface 291 of the locking portion 29, and is located between the locking portions 29 and 29a. At this time, the urging force of the urging means 373 returns (locks) to the first position. Even when the dial main body 31 is rotated in the opposite direction to the above, similarly to the above, the protrusion 382 moves along the inclined surface of the locking portion 29a and returns to the first position.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the click ball 371 is urged toward the click plate 34 by the urging means 375, and the click plate 371 is urged toward the back surface side by the click ball 371. Therefore, when the dial body 31 is rotated, the click ball 371 and the recess formed in the click plate 34 are fitted to each other, so that the dial body 31 is positioned, that is, the code plate 35 is positioned with respect to the brush 36. Is done.

Next, a desired setting item is selected from the three setting items “shooting mode”, “drive” and “ISO” by the setting dial 3 described above, and the setting item is adjusted by the adjusting dial 4. The operation when performing will be described.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the camera 1. As shown in the figure, when the photographer operates the setting dial 3 and selects the setting items, the control means 7 of the camera 1 controls the "shooting mode" and "drive" from the dial input section 30 of the setting dial 3. , Or “ISO” (setting dial information) is input.

Further, when the photographer presses the operation button 331 of the setting dial 3 to turn on the adjustment permission switch 32, the control unit 7 receives a switch-on signal from the adjustment permission switch 32. It

When the photographer uses the adjustment dial 4 to perform an operation to increase or decrease the setting of the setting item selected by the setting dial 3, the control means 7 has a dial input section 40 of the adjustment dial 4. A signal (adjustment dial information) for increasing or decreasing the setting is input from.

The control means 7 determines the setting based on the above signals. The operation of the control means 7 at this time will be described later in detail. The shutter driving means 8, the diaphragm driving means 9, the photometric means 11, and the film feeding means 12 are respectively supplied with operation signals based on the above settings from the control means 7, whereby the shutter driving means 8 and the diaphragm driving means are driven. The means 9, the photometric means 11, and the film feeding means 12 are driven as described above.

9 and 10 are flowcharts showing the operation of the control means 7 at the time of setting. The flowchart will be described below. When the setting dial information, that is, a signal corresponding to "imaging mode", "drive" or "ISO" is input from the dial input unit 30 of the setting dial 3 (step 101), it is determined whether or not the mode is the photographing mode. (Step 102).

When it is determined in step 102 that the shooting mode is set, it is determined whether the adjustment permission switch 32 is turned on (step 103). If it is determined in step 103 that the adjustment permission switch 32 is turned on, adjustment dial information, that is, a signal for increasing or decreasing the setting of the shooting mode is input from the dial input unit 40 of the adjustment dial 4. Then, the photographing mode is set based on this (step 104) (step 105). The set shooting mode is displayed on the display unit 6 (step 106).

If it is determined in step 103 that the adjustment permission switch 32 is off, the setting change of the photographing mode is prohibited (step 107). If it is determined in step 102 that the mode is not the photographing mode, it is determined whether or not it is a drive (step 108).

If it is determined in step 108 that the drive is a drive, it is determined whether or not the adjustment permission switch 32 is turned on (step 109). If it is determined in step 109 that the adjustment permission switch 32 is turned on, adjustment dial information, that is, a signal for increasing or decreasing the setting of the drive is input from the dial input section 40 of the adjustment dial 4. (Step 110) Based on this, the drive is set (Step 111). The set drive is displayed on the display unit 6 (step 112).

If it is determined in step 109 that the adjustment permission switch 32 is off, the drive setting change is prohibited (step 113). When it is determined in step 108 that the drive is not a drive, that is, when it is ISO, it is determined whether the adjustment permission switch 32 is on (step 114).

When it is determined in step 114 that the adjustment permission switch 32 is turned on, the adjustment dial information, that is, a signal for increasing or decreasing the setting of ISO, is input from the dial input section 40 of the adjustment dial 4. Is input (step 115), and the ISO is set based on this (step 116). The set ISO is displayed on the display unit 6 (step 117).

If it is determined in step 114 that the adjustment permission switch 32 is off, the ISO setting change is prohibited (step 118). This ends the program.

As described above, in the setting dial 3 of the present embodiment, the change of the setting items can be prevented by the lock mechanism, and the setting items can be adjusted only when the adjustment permission switch 32 is turned on. Therefore, even if the up / down switch of the adjustment dial 4 is inadvertently operated, it is possible to prevent the setting value of the setting item from being changed unless the adjustment permission switch 32 is turned on.

Since the operation member for releasing the prohibition of the rotation of the dial main body 31 by the lock mechanism and the operation for enabling the adjustment of the setting items are common, the adjustment of the setting items is enabled. It has an advantage that it is not necessary to separately provide an operation member for performing the operation.

Next, another configuration example of the setting dial of the present invention will be described. The description of common points with the setting dial 3 will be omitted, and the main differences will be described.

11 and 12 are a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of the setting dial 3a of this embodiment and a block diagram showing a configuration example of the camera 1 having the setting dial 3a.

As shown in FIG. 12, in the case of the setting dial 3a of the present embodiment, the setting items selected by the setting dial 3a can be directly adjusted (changed) by the setting adjustment switch 32a of the setting dial 3a. Therefore, unlike the setting dial 3, the adjustment dial 4 is not separately provided.

As shown in FIG. 11, the switch mechanism in the setting dial 3a includes a switch circuit formed on the printed board 15 and the setting adjustment switch 32a which is a switch means for adjusting setting items. It is configured. In this case, the configuration of the setting adjustment switch 32a is the same as that of the adjustment permission switch 32 of the setting dial 3, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

The switch circuit formed on the printed circuit board 15 is turned on when a pair of (+) terminal and (−) terminal are conducted, and each time the switch circuit is turned on, the selected setting item is set in one step. It is configured to output a signal to make it up. Hereinafter, “switch circuit ON” and “switch circuit OFF” are referred to as “setting adjustment switch 32 ON” and “setting adjustment switch 32 OFF”, respectively.

Next, regarding the operation when the desired setting item is selected from the three setting items “shooting mode”, “drive” and “ISO” by the above-mentioned setting dial 3a and the setting item is adjusted. explain.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the photographer presses the operation button 331 of the setting dial 3a to repeatedly turn on / off the setting adjustment switch 32a, the control means is turned on each time the setting adjustment switch 32a is turned on. A switch-on signal is input to the switch 7 from the setting adjustment switch 32a. Other than this, the operation is the same as that of the setting dial 3 except for the operation of the control means 7, and therefore the description thereof is omitted, and only the operation of the control means 7 will be described.

13 and 14 are flowcharts showing the operation of the control means 7 at the time of setting. The flowchart will be described below. When setting dial information, that is, a signal corresponding to "shooting mode", "drive" or "ISO" is input from the dial input unit 30 of the setting dial 3a (step 201), it is determined whether or not the shooting mode is set (step 201). Step 202).

When it is determined in step 202 that the shooting mode is set, it is determined whether the setting adjustment switch 32a is turned on (step 203). If it is determined in step 203 that the setting adjustment switch 32a is turned on, the shooting mode setting is advanced (up) by one step (step 204), and the set shooting mode is displayed on the display unit 6 (step 205).

Hereinafter, steps 203 to 205 are repeatedly executed until it is determined in step 203 that the setting adjustment switch 32a is not turned on. When it is determined in step 202 that the mode is not the photographing mode, it is determined whether or not it is a drive (step 206). When it is determined that the drive is driven in step 206, it is determined whether the setting adjustment switch 32a is turned on (step 207).

When it is determined in step 207 that the setting adjustment switch 32a is turned on, the drive setting is advanced by one step (step 208), and the set drive is displayed on the display unit 6 (step 209). .

Hereinafter, in step 207, steps 207 to 209 are repeatedly executed until it is determined that the setting adjustment switch 32a is not turned on. If it is determined in step 207 that it is not a drive, that is, if it is ISO, it is determined whether or not the setting adjustment switch 32a is turned on (step 210).

When it is determined in step 210 that the setting adjustment switch 32a is turned on, the ISO setting is advanced by one step (step 211), and the set ISO is displayed on the display unit 6 (step 212).

Hereinafter, in Step 210, Steps 210 to 212 are repeatedly executed until it is determined that the setting adjustment switch 32a is not turned on. This ends the program.

The setting of the shooting mode, drive, and ISO is increased step by step by repeating steps 203 to 205, steps 207 to 209, and steps 210 to 212, respectively. In this case, the settings (set values) are circulated for each of the shooting mode, the drive, and the ISO, so that desired settings can be made.

As described above, in the setting dial 3a according to the present embodiment, the lock mechanism can prevent the setting items from being changed, and the operation for releasing the prohibition of the rotation of the dial body 31 by the lock mechanism and the setting items can be prevented. Since the operation member for performing the adjustment operation is common, the number of operation members can be further reduced as compared with the conventional setting dial 3 as well as the setting dial 3 of the present embodiment described above.

As a result, it is possible to reduce the installation space for the operation member, use this vacant space as the installation space for other members, and to simplify the setting change operation.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, since the upper end surface of the dial body 31 and the upper end surface of the operation button 331 of the operation member 33 are on the same plane, the operation button 331 is accidentally pressed and set. The possibility that the adjustment switch 32 is turned on is extremely low, which can prevent unintentional changes in the set value.

The switch means of the present invention is not particularly limited to the configuration of the setting dials 3 and 3a in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, and each switch is configured to operate so as to enable adjustment of setting items. Any switch means can be used so long as it can adjust means and setting items.

In this case, for example, in the setting dial 3, the wiring from the adjustment dial 4 to the control means 7 is broken, the terminal is exposed from this broken portion, and the conductivity of the adjustment permission switch 32 is exposed to the terminal. The disconnection portion may be brought into conduction by the contact of the member 32, so that a signal can be input from the adjustment dial 4 to the control means 7.

Further, for example, the setting dial 3a may be configured so that the setting (setting value) can be down by one step. Further, the setting adjustment switch 32a may be a two-stage switch so that it is possible to select whether the setting (setting value) is up or down.

Further, in each embodiment, the lock mechanism is configured to prohibit the dial body 31 from rotating in both directions. However, in the present invention, the lock mechanism prevents the dial body 31 from rotating in one direction. It may be configured to be able to do so. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, it is sufficient to install only one of the locking parts 29 and 29a without installing the locking parts 29 and 29a in pairs.

Further, according to the present invention, regarding the locking portions of the lock mechanism, various conditions such as the number of locking portions, intervals, sizes and shapes are not particularly limited to those shown in the drawings.

Further, in each of the embodiments, one setting item is made to correspond to each of the locking portions 29 and 29a, 29b and 29c, 29d and 29e, but the present invention corresponds to this. There is no limitation, and a plurality of setting items may be associated with each other, for example.

When a plurality of setting items are made to correspond, for example, the distance between the locking portions 29 and 29a is made wider than that of the protrusion 382, and the dial main body 31 is configured to be rotatable, or Alternatively, only one of the locking portions 29 and 29a may be installed, or a plurality of setting items may correspond between the locking portions 29 and 29e.

In each of the embodiments, with respect to the position of the operation member 33, in order from the front side, the first position for prohibiting the rotation of the dial body 31 by the lock mechanism, the second position for releasing the prohibition of the rotation, Although it is configured to be in the third position at which the switch means operates, the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

For example, in the case of the setting dial 3, in addition to this, for example, it may be the first position, the third position, the second position in order from the front side, or the second position. The third position may match.

In each embodiment, the setting dials 3 and 3a are used to set the shooting mode of the camera 1 (for example, aperture priority, shutter speed priority, manual, etc.), drive (for example, single image shooting, continuous shooting, self-timer shooting). Etc.) and film sensitivity (ISO, for example, ISO200, ISO400, ISO800, etc.), but the setting items and selections that can be made with the setting dials 3 and 3a. The setting of the set items is not limited to the above.

Other setting items include, for example, shooting conditions such as exposure correction value, shutter speed, aperture value, function, and photometric method, and shooting conditions such as shooting date and time.

The use of the setting dial of the present invention is not particularly limited, and it is applied to various cameras such as a single-lens reflex camera, a compact camera, a polaroid camera, a video camera, a still video camera and the like. Although the setting dial of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated configuration example, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0106]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, according to the setting dial of the present invention having the lock mechanism and the switch means that operates to make the adjustment of the setting item effective, it is possible to prevent the unintentional change of the setting item or the set value.

Further, since the operation member for releasing the prohibition of the rotation of the dial body by the lock mechanism and the operation for enabling the adjustment of the setting item are common, the operation for enabling the adjustment of the setting item is performed. It is not necessary to separately provide an operation member for performing.

Further, according to the setting dial of the present invention having the switch means for adjusting the setting items, the operation of performing the operation of releasing the prohibition of the rotation of the dial body by the lock mechanism and the operation of adjusting the setting items Since the members are common, the number of operating members can be further reduced as compared with the conventional setting dial, as well as the setting dial of the present invention having the switch means that operates so as to enable the adjustment of the setting items. . As a result, the installation space for the operation member can be reduced, the space can be effectively used, which contributes to the downsizing of the device and simplifies the operation for changing the setting.

[Submission date] February 6, 1995

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] 0022

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

The photometric means 11 measures the brightness of the subject and inputs the information (photometric information) to the control means 7 . The distance measuring means measures the distance information from the camera 1 to the object or the defocus amount with respect to the reference focus position (focus position) in the camera 1 by the active method or the passive method, and the information (distance measurement information). ) Is input to the control means 7 .

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0041

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, a pair of protrusions 333 and 334 extending in the longitudinal direction (rotational axis direction) are formed on the pressing member 332, and the pair of protrusions 333 and 334 and the dial are provided. The pair of grooves 317 and 318 of the main body 31 are engaged with each other so that the dial main body 31 and the operating member 33 can be integrally rotated. The pressing member 332 and the dial body 31 may not be engaged as shown in FIG. 6, and only the dial body 31 may rotate. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a flange 335 is formed at the tip of the pressing member 332 so as to abut against the rear end surface of the central portion of the dial body 31.

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0079

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0079] I is shown in Fig 11 urchin, the switch mechanism in the setting dial 3a is a switch circuit formed on the printed circuit board 15, and the setting adjustment switch 32a is a switch means for adjusting the set items It is configured. In this case, the configuration of the setting adjustment switch 32a is the same as that of the adjustment permission switch 32 of the setting dial 3, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a camera having a setting dial of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a camera having a setting dial of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a setting dial of the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a dial body of the setting dial of the present invention.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line CC in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a camera having a setting dial of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control means in the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the operation of the control means in the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a configuration example of a setting dial of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a camera having a setting dial of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control means in the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the operation of the control means in the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Camera 2 Camera Main Body 21 Projection Part 22 Passage 23 Through Hole 25 Circumferential Surface 27 Hole Part 29, 29a, 29b Locking Part 29c, 29d, 29e Locking Part 291 Inclined Surface 3, 3a Setting Dial 30 Dial Input Part 31 Dial Main Body 311 groove 312 through hole 313, 314, 315 hole 316 outer peripheral surface 317, 318 groove 32 adjustment permission switch 321 thick part 322 thin deformed part 323 conductive member 32a setting adjustment switch 33 operation member 331 operation button 332 pressing member 333, 334 Convex strips 335 Flange 34 Click plate 35 Code plate 36 Brush 371 Click ball 373, 375 Energizing means 38 Lock plate 381 Connecting rod 382 Projection part 4 Adjustment dial 40 Dial input part 41 Dial body 5 Release switch 6 Display part 7 Control Stage 8 shutter driving means 9 the diaphragm drive means 11 metering means 12 film feed unit 13 indicator 15 printed circuit board 101 to 118 steps 201 to 212 steps

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ───

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] February 6, 1995

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Name of item to be corrected] Fig. 4

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 4]

[Procedure Amendment 5]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Name of item to be corrected] Fig. 11

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

FIG. 11

Claims (6)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A dial main body which is rotatably installed with respect to a main body and which selects setting items, a lock mechanism which prohibits rotation of the dial main body in at least one direction, and setting items selected by the dial main body. A switch unit that operates so as to enable adjustment of the setting items, an operation that releases the prohibition of rotation of the dial body by the lock mechanism, and an operation that enables the adjustment of the setting items by operating the switch unit. A setting dial having a common operation member for performing. 2. A dial main body which is rotatably installed with respect to the main body and which selects setting items, a lock mechanism which prohibits rotation of the dial main body in at least one direction, and setting items selected by the dial main body, A common operating member for performing a switch means for adjusting the setting items, an operation for releasing the prohibition of the rotation of the dial main body by the lock mechanism, and an operation for operating the switch means to adjust the setting items. A setting dial characterized by having and. 3. The operation member, in the central portion of the dial main body, a first position for prohibiting rotation of the dial main body by the lock mechanism, a second position for releasing the prohibition of rotation, and the switch. The setting dial according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the setting dial is movably installed in a rotation axis direction of the dial body so as to be located at a third position where the means operates. 4. The lock mechanism has a locking portion fixedly installed on the main body, and a lock plate that rotates together with the dial main body, and the locking portion is formed on the locking plate. The setting dial according to claim 1, wherein rotation of the dial main body is prohibited by locking the protrusion. 5. The setting dial according to claim 1, wherein the setting item is selected by electrical contact based on a rotational position of the dial main body. 6. The setting dial according to claim 1, wherein an upper end surface of the dial body and an upper end surface of the operation member are flush with each other.