JPH08334818A - Dial lighting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To light up all mode marks with compact structure, to rotate a dial as well and to confirm a mode even in a dark place by supplying power to an EL with armatures and making the EL across the dial emit light. CONSTITUTION: A dial name plate 1 for showing the mode marks is made of a material transmitting the light and stuck/fixed on an upper mode dial 2. This upper mode dial 2 is constituted in such a manner that the dial name plate 1 is attached to an uppermost part and the EL7 for lighting the dial name plate 1 is fixed/held in the lower part. For the light emission of the EL7, the armatures of an outer EL armature 4 and an inner EL armature 5 are slid on the pattern surface of a pattern board 8, to supply the power from a power source to the EL7. A lower mode dial 6 is fixed on the upper mode dial 2 from below by a machine screw of a member for fixing the EL armatures 4 and 5 and integrally rotated with the upper mode dial 2. Therefore, the mode marks can be lighted up by the EL7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mode switching mechanism for switching a mode of a camera by rotating a dial, and more particularly to a dial illumination mechanism for lighting up a mode mark by transmitting EL light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The mode mark of a conventional dial cannot be seen in a dark place and can be confirmed by using external light or LE.
There was a case in which only the index was illuminated by D.

There is also a method of illuminating the vicinity of the mode mark by supplying light from a separately provided light source section using a light guide (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 55-128020).

[0004]

However, in the conventional dial illumination system for a camera, since the rotating member such as a dial is illuminated, the mechanism is complicated due to the power supply and the relation with the non-rotating member, and the original confirmation is desired. There was a problem that the mode mark itself did not glow.

[0005]

In order to solve these problems, the present invention improves the shapes of the EL, the rotating member, the non-rotating member notched in the rotation angle range, and the contact piece for supplying power. In order to eliminate the drawbacks of the conventional mechanism and to provide a dial mechanism capable of illuminating the mode mark, the mode switching dial of the camera is integrated with the upper dial and the upper dial. And a nameplate arranged on the outermost side to indicate a mode mark, an EL attached to the lower side of the nameplate, and the EL
And a lower dial that fixes the contact and rotates integrally with the upper dial, and illuminates the mode mark of the nameplate by transmitting the EL light. Provide a dial illumination mechanism.

That is, the nameplate showing the mode mark made of a light-transmitting material and the dial supporting it are under the EL.
Is arranged, the mode mark portion range of the nameplate is cut out for EL light transmission, and light is directly applied to the nameplate, that is, the mode mark. Further, the dial serves as a receiving portion for supplying power to the EL, and the contact piece for supplying power to the EL is fixed by a member and contacts the EL from the pattern surface on the lower side of the member over the upper cover. Since the cover is a contact piece bridging from the member to the EL power source, the cover is cut out by the angle of rotation of the dial.

[0007] Here, since all the above-mentioned parts rotate together except the cover, it is possible to light up the mode mark by EL.

[0008]

According to the structure of the present invention, power is supplied to the EL through the contact piece, and the EL sandwiching the dial emits light.
The mode mark portion of the nameplate transmits the EL light and shines.

[0009]

Embodiments of the dial illumination mechanism of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a configuration diagram of a dial provided with an EL, FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view showing an EL contact piece portion of FIG. 1, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the shape of the EL contact piece, FIG. 4 is a layout view of patterns for supplying power to the EL through the EL contact piece, FIG. 5 is a layout view showing the state of the notch of the dial and the fixing portion of the EL, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state in which the EL contact piece is fixed to the notch and the member, and FIG. 7 is a top view of the dial showing a state where the nameplate is incorporated in the dial, and the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings.

In the figure, a dial name plate 1 showing a mode mark is made of a material that transmits light and has a desired color and shape, and is fixed to an upper mode dial 2 by adhesion.
FIG. 7 shows an example of the mode mark 9 formed on the dial name plate 1, and this portion is illuminated and emits light.

The mode dial 2 on the upper side has the dial name plate 1 attached to the uppermost portion, and the EL 7 for illuminating the dial name plate 1 is fixedly held by caulking on the lower side. Further, in order to directly apply the light to the dial name plate 1, that is, the mode mark 9, the upper mode dial 2 is cut out by the rotation angle amount.

In order to emit light from the EL 7, the outer EL contact piece 4 and the inner EL contact piece 5 slide on the pattern surface of the mode switching pattern substrate 8 of the FPC from a power source (not shown). As a result, power is supplied to EL7.

The lower mode dial 6 includes an EL contact piece 4,
A member for fixing 5 by caulking is screwed to the upper mode dial 2 from the lower side, and rotates together with the upper mode dial 2. Lower mode dial 6 to E
Since the contact piece supplies power to L7, the upper cover 3 is cut out by the rotation amount of the dial.

Here, except for the upper cover 3, all the components rotate together, so that the mode mark 9 can be lighted up by the EL 7.

[0015]

As described above, according to the dial illumination mechanism of the present invention, all the mode marks can be lighted up with a compact structure, the dial can be rotated, and the mode can be confirmed even in a dark place.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a dial using an EL that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of an EL contact piece portion of the dial of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a shape diagram of an EL contact piece.

FIG. 4 is a layout pattern diagram of supplying power to an EL through an EL contact piece.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the notch of the dial and the caulking part of the EL.

FIG. 6 is a top view layout view showing a state where a cover notch and an EL contact piece are caulked to a member.

[Fig. 7] Top view of dials showing an example of nameplate display

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 dial name plate 2 mode dial (upper) 3 upper cover 4 EL contact piece (outer) 5 EL contact piece (inner) 6 mode dial (lower) 7 EL 8 pattern board 9 mode mark (light emitting part)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A mode switching dial of a camera,
An upper dial, a nameplate which is integrated with the upper dial and is arranged on the outermost side and indicates a mode mark, an EL attached to the lower side of the nameplate, a contact piece for supplying power to the EL, and the contact piece. A dial illumination mechanism comprising: a lower dial that is fixed and rotates integrally with the upper dial, and illuminates a mode mark of the nameplate by transmitting the EL light.