JPH09230422A - Release switch mechanism for camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the number of components and to eliminate need for increasing the depressing amount of a pressing button for actuating a release switch after a half-depressing switch is actuated by actuating the half-depressing switch when a first contact piece is brought into contact with a second contact piece and actuating the release switch when the second contact piece and a third contact piece are separated. SOLUTION: Normally, the contact piece 16 and the contact piece 17 are separated and the piece 17 and the contact piece 18 are in contact with each other. When the piece 16 is brought into contact with the piece 17, a half- depressing signal S1 becomes 'L' and half-depressing operation is executed. When the piece 17 is separated from the piece 18, a release signal S2 becomes 'H' and release operation is executed. After the release operation is executed, the piece 16 is separated from the piece 17. When the piece 17 is brought into contact with the piece 18, the signal S1 is returned to 'H' and the signal S2 is returned to 'L'. Thus, the half-depressing switch and the release switch which do not require the increase of the depressing amount of the pressing button are obtained.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera release switch mechanism. In particular, the present invention relates to a release switch mechanism for a camera including a half-press switch and a release switch.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a shutter switch for exposing a camera uses a release switch mechanism including a half-press switch and a release switch. The conventional technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-112120 is as shown in FIG. The half-push switch 1 is the contact piece 2 and the contact piece 3, and the release switch 4 is the contact piece 5.
And the contact piece 6. The half-push switch 1 is normally open and the release switch 4 is normally closed. To activate both, first push the push button 7. Then, the push button 7 contacts the contact piece 2.
Is pressed and elastically deformed, the contact piece 2 contacts the contact piece 3, and the half-push switch 1 operates. The release switch mechanism is in a half-depressed state, and automatic focusing operation and the like are performed. The photographer waits in this state and points the camera at the subject to look for an optimal photo opportunity. When the photographer captures the optimal shutter opportunity, he further pushes the push button 7. Then, the push button 7 presses the contact piece 5 through the contact piece 2, the contact piece 3 and the insulating member 8 to elastically deform the contact piece 5. The contact piece 5 is separated from the contact piece 6, the release switch 4 is operated, the shutter is opened, and the film is exposed. The relationship between the pushing amount (p) of the push button 7 and the drag force (P) received by the push button 7 in this technique is as shown in FIG. When the push button 7 contacts the contact piece 2, the drag force is P up to the push amount p _0.
Increase from a to Pb. The drag force increases from Pb to Pc until the contact amount 2 is deformed and the contact amount 3 comes into contact with the contact amount p ₁ . Pushing amount p at which the contact piece 3 deforms and contacts the contact piece 4
Up to ₂ , the drag increases from Pc to Pd. Since the contact piece 4 has a large elasticity, a large force is required to deform the contact piece 4, and when the resistance increases to Pe, the contact piece 4 is deformed and separated from the contact piece 5.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional release switch mechanism, the two switches of the half-press switch and the release switch are composed of four contact pieces, and the number of parts is large. Further, the amount of depression when the half-push switch operates and the amount of depression when the release switch operates are different. After the half-push switch is activated, it is difficult to push the push-button further up to a position close to the position where the release switch is activated, because it is virtually impossible to rely on the feeling of a finger. The switch remains in the operating position. Therefore, in order to operate the release switch after the half-push switch is operated, it is necessary to increase the pressing amount of the push button from p ₁ to p ₂ shown in FIG. There is a problem that the time for pressing the push button during this stroke is a size that cannot be ignored when a subject moving at high speed is photographed with an optimal shutter chance.

In view of the above problems, the present invention has a small number of parts constituting the half-push switch and the release switch, and does not require an increase in the push-in amount of the push button for operating the release switch after the half-push switch is activated. An object is to provide a release switch mechanism.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a release switch mechanism for a camera comprising a half-press switch and a release switch which is activated after the half-press switch is actuated. A third contact piece is provided, and the half-push switch comprises the first contact piece and the second contact piece, and the first contact piece and the second contact piece are normally separated from each other. In the first
The half-push switch is actuated by contact between the second contact piece and the second contact piece, and the release switch includes the second contact piece and the third contact piece. The piece and the third contact piece are usually in contact with each other, and the release switch is operated by separating the second contact piece and the third contact piece from each other. The switch mechanism was constructed. A release switch mechanism for a camera comprising a push button, a half-push switch, and a release switch that operates after the half-push switch is actuated, comprising a first contact piece, a second contact piece, and a third contact piece. The half-push switch is composed of the first contact piece and the second contact piece, and the first contact piece and the second contact piece are normally separated from each other, and the push button is pressed. The first contact piece and the second contact piece come into contact with each other, whereby the half-push switch operates, and the release switch includes the second contact piece and the third contact piece. The second contact piece and the third contact piece are usually in contact with each other, and when the push button presses the second contact piece and the third contact piece away from each other, the release switch is released. The release switch mechanism of the camera is constructed, which is characterized by the operation of the switch. The contact portion of the second contact piece that contacts the third contact piece preferably moves in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the contact portion of the third contact piece. Further, it is preferable that the first contact piece and the second contact piece are members having a beam shape whose both ends or one end is supported by a support member.
The first contact piece and the second contact piece are elastic members, and the elastic force of the second contact piece is preferably stronger than the elastic force of the first contact piece.
The portion of the first contact piece that contacts the push button and the portion of the first contact piece that contacts the second contact piece preferably have high rigidity and are difficult to deform. The portion of the second contact piece that contacts the third contact piece preferably has high rigidity and is difficult to deform.

[0006]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention.
This will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, a lens 10 is attached to the camera 9, and a subject image is visible through a finder 11. Various shooting information such as exposure conditions can be set by operating the switch group 12 provided on the top surface of the camera 9, and the set shooting information can be set on the liquid crystal display 13.
Can be confirmed by Exposure of the film, not shown, is initiated by pressing push button 7. As shown in FIG. 2, a push button 7 is provided on the housing 14 so that the top portion 7a is exposed to the outside and protrudes inward so that the push button 7 can be pushed in for a predetermined distance. The push button 7 is provided with a stopper 7b so that the push button 7 does not fall off from the housing 14. A support member 15 is embedded inside the housing 14, and the support member 15
The contact piece 16 and the contact piece 1 in this order from the side closer to the housing 14.
7 are insulated from each other and supported, and both are in parallel with each other.
4 is extended substantially parallel to 4 to a position facing the push button 7. Both constitute a half-press switch. The contact piece 16 has elasticity and contacts the lower portion of the tip end 7c of the push button 7 at the contact portion 16a to constantly apply an upward bias to the push button 7. The tip 16b of the contact piece 16 is bent and opposed to the contact piece 17 side and normally maintains a predetermined interval with respect to the contact piece 17, and when the push button 7 is pushed in, it is pressed by the pressing force. It is elastically deformed to come into contact with the contact piece 17. The contact portion 16a and the tip 16b
Is thicker than other parts and has high rigidity and does not deform.

A contact piece 18 is fixed inside the housing 14 with its surface facing downward. Contact piece 17 and contact piece 1
The numeral 8 constitutes a release switch. The contact piece 17 has elasticity. The contact piece 17 is bent substantially at right angles to the housing 14 side, and the tip 17a of the contact piece 17 faces the surface of the contact piece 18 from a direction substantially perpendicular to the contact piece 18, and normally contacts the contact piece 18. Then, when the push button 7 is further pushed, the contact piece 17 receives the pressing force of the push button 7 and is pressed via the contact piece 16, and is elastically deformed to make contact piece 1.
It is designed to be separated from 8. Body 1 of contact piece 17
Since 7b has a U-shaped cross section, it has a large second moment of area and is less likely to be elastically deformed than the contact piece 16. Further, the tip 17a is formed thicker than the other portions, has a high rigidity and does not deform. Lead wires 19, 20, and 21 are connected to the contact pieces 16, 17, and 18, respectively.

Next, the operation will be described. First, the photographer presses the push button 7 after determining the subject. When the applied pressing force continues beyond the resistance of the contact piece 16, the tip 7c
The contact piece 16 is pressed by and elastically deformed. When the contact piece 16 is deformed and its tip 16b comes into contact with the contact piece 17, the lead wire 19 and the lead wire 20 are contacted with each other by the contact piece 16 and the contact piece 17.
Conducts through and the half-push switch operates. Since the contact portion 16a and the tip 16b are not stiffer than other portions and are not deformed, a pressing force is required for the contact piece 16 to elastically deform and the tip 16b to contact the contact piece 17 when the push button 7 is pushed. Is transmitted to the tip 16b with a minimum stroke. Therefore, the delay of the transmission of the pressing force due to the unnecessary stroke does not occur. Since the push button 7 additionally receives the resistance of the contact piece 17, if the pressing force exceeds the resistance of the contact piece 16 and is less than or equal to the resistance of the contact piece 17, the release switch mechanism is held in the half-pressed state. To be done. The photographer senses the magnitude of this drag force with his fingertips, and while waiting, points the camera at the subject and looks for the optimal photo opportunity.

When the photographer captures the optimal shutter opportunity, he adds a pressing force and pushes the push button 7 more strongly.
When the pressing force exceeds the resistance of the contact piece 17, the contact piece 17 is elastically deformed, and the tip 17a thereof is separated from the contact piece 18. The tip 17a faces and contacts the surface of the contact piece 18 in a substantially vertical direction. The contact piece 17 bends in the direction away from the housing 14 by the pressing force of the push button 7, and the moving direction of the tip 17 a is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the contact piece 18.
Therefore, theoretically no time is required to separate the two, and the separation is performed instantaneously and there is no time lag. Contact piece 17 and contact piece 1
Simultaneously with the separation from 8, the electrical connection between the lead wire 20 and the lead wire 21 is cut off, the release switch is actuated, the shutter is opened, the film is exposed, and the photographing is completed. Since the tip 17a and the contact piece 18 have high rigidity and do not deform, the push button 7
When is pushed, the pressing force is transmitted to the tip 17a through the contact piece 16 with a minimum stroke required to separate the tip 17a from the contact piece 18. Therefore, the delay of the transmission of the pressing force due to the unnecessary stroke does not occur. When the photographing is completed, the photographer stops pressing the push button 7. When the pressing force is removed from the push button 7, each contact piece returns to the shape before the pressing force is loaded, and the push button 7 is pressed and pushed back by the contact piece 16 and stopped by the stopper 7b to return to the original position. Return. Contact piece 16 is contact piece 1
7, the contact piece 17 contacts the contact piece 18. In this way, the half-push switch and the release switch return to the normal state.

The relationship between the pushing amount (p) of the push button 7 and the drag force (P) received by the push button 7 in this technique is as shown in FIG. Since the push button 7 is in contact with the contact piece 16 from the beginning, the drag force Pk is immediately generated when the push-in is started. Drag to push amount p ₁₀ of the contact piece 16 comes into contact with the contact piece 17 is sequentially increased push-in amount p ₁₀
Reaches the resistance Pm. In order to deform the contact piece 17, a pressing force greater than or equal to the received resistance Pn is required, so the range of the pressing force Pm or more and less than Pn is in the half-pressed state, and the pressing amount p is
₁₀ does not change. When the pressing force is more than Pn, push-in amount is greater than p _10, the release switch is actuated. After that, the pushing amount increases as the pressing force increases.

FIG. 4 shows changes in the potential of each contact piece. The potentials of the contact piece 16, the contact piece 17, and the contact piece 18 at the normal time t ₁ are H, L, and L, respectively. At time t ₂ when the contact piece 16 contacts the contact piece 17, the potential of the contact piece 16 changes from H to L. At time t ₃ when the contact piece 17 is separated from the contact piece 18,
The potential of the contact piece 17 changes from L to H.

FIG. 5 shows a control circuit. A battery 22 is provided inside the camera 9, and power is supplied from the battery 22 to each circuit when the main switch 23 is closed. The contact piece 16 is connected to the pull-up resistor 24 and the half-press timer circuit 25, and comes into contact with and separates from the other contact piece 17. And pull-up resistor 24 and half-press timer circuit 25
Is connected to the positive electrode of the battery 22. The contact piece 17 is connected to the pull-up resistor 26 and the release detection circuit 27, and comes into contact with and separates from the other contact piece 18. The pull-up resistor 26 and the release detection circuit 27 are connected to the positive electrode of the battery 22 via the half-press timer circuit 25. The contact piece 18 is connected to the negative electrode of the battery 22 and comes into contact with and separates from the other contact piece 17. The operation / display circuit 28 is connected to the negative electrode of the battery 22, and is connected to the positive electrode of the battery 22 via the other half-press timer circuit 25 and the main switch 23.
It is also connected to a release detection circuit 27 via a pull-up resistor 26.

Normally, the contact pieces 16 and 17 are separated from each other,
The contact piece 17 and the contact piece 18 are in contact with each other, and the contact piece 16
The half-push signal S1 from the to half-push timer circuit 25 is "H", and the release signal S2 from the contact piece 17 to the release detection circuit 27 is "L". When the contact piece 16 contacts the contact piece 17, the half-press signal S1 becomes'L ',
A half-press operation signal S4 is output from the half-press timer circuit 25 to the operation / display circuit 28, the half-press operation is performed, and the half-press display is displayed on the liquid crystal display 13. When the contact piece 17 is separated from the contact piece 18, the release signal S2 becomes “H”, the release detection circuit 27 outputs the release operation signal S5 to the operation / display circuit 28, and according to various photographing information set by the switch group 12. Release is performed and exposure to a film (not shown) is started. During this exposure, the release detection circuit 27 outputs a signal S3 indicating that the photographing operation is in progress to the half-press timer circuit 25.

The release detection circuit 27 outputs a photographing operation signal S3 indicating that the photographing operation is in progress to the half-press timer circuit 25.
The half-press signal S1 and the photographing operation signal S3 are input to the half-press timer circuit 25, and the contact piece 16 is in contact with the contact piece 17. When the half-press signal S1 is'L ',
Is released from the contact piece 17 and the half-press signal S1 changes from "L" to "H" for several seconds, and when the photographing operation signal S3 is input, the release detection circuit 27 and the operation / display circuit 28 are operated. Supply power. In this way, power is supplied to other circuits only while the half-push timer circuit 25 is operating as described above, so that current is not unnecessarily consumed.

When the contact piece 16 is separated from the contact piece 17 after the release operation is performed and the contact piece 17 contacts the contact piece 18, the half-press signal S1 becomes "H" and the release signal S2 becomes "L". Return each.

As described above, since the release detection circuit 27 is connected to the battery 22 via the half-press timer circuit 25,
Even if the contact piece 17 and the contact piece 18 are opened by vibration while carrying the main switch 23 in a closed state, the half-press timer circuit 25 does not operate and the release detection circuit 27 is operated. Is not energized, there is no risk of a release operation being performed.

In the present embodiment, the release signal is normally "L" and "H" during release, but it may be "H" normally and "L" during release.

In the present embodiment, the half-press timer circuit 25 supplies power to the subsequent stage. However, the half-press timer circuit 25 is eliminated and the microcomputer or the like is always activated.
The half-push input is monitored, and after the half-push input is received, switching of the power supply of other circuits, for example, pull-up resistor 26
Power may be supplied to the device.

[0019]

According to the release switch mechanism of the present invention,
It is possible to provide a half-push switch and a release switch that have a small number of constituent parts and do not require an increase in the push-in amount of the push button for operating the release switch after the half-push switch is activated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a rear rear perspective view of a camera equipped with a release switch mechanism according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a relationship between a drag force received by a push button and a pushing amount according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing changes in the potential of the contact piece according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a control circuit diagram of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a conventional example.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a relationship between a drag force received by a push button and a pushing amount in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 7 ... Push button 14 ... Housing 16 ... Contact piece 16a ... Contact part 16b ... Tip 17 ... Contact piece 17a ... Tip 18 ... Contact Half 25 ・ ・ ・ ・ Half-press timer circuit 27 ・ ・ ・ ・ Release detection circuit

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A release switch mechanism for a camera, comprising a half-push switch and a release switch which is activated after the half-push switch is actuated, comprising a first contact piece, a second contact piece and a third contact piece. The half-push switch includes the first contact piece and the second contact piece, and the first contact piece and the second contact piece.
Is usually in a state of being separated from each other, and the half-push switch is operated by the contact between the first contact piece and the second contact piece, and the release switch causes the second contact piece and the second contact piece. Comprising the third contact piece, the second contact piece and the third contact piece are usually in contact with each other, and the second contact piece and the third contact piece are separated from each other. The release switch mechanism of the camera, wherein the release switch is operated by the above. 2. A release switch mechanism for a camera comprising a push button, a half-push switch, and a release switch that is activated after the half-push switch is actuated, wherein a first contact piece, a second contact piece, and a third contact piece. The half-push switch includes the first contact piece and the second contact piece, and the first contact piece and the second contact piece.
Is usually in a state of being separated from each other, and when the push button presses the first contact piece and the second contact piece, the half-push switch operates and the release switch It is composed of a second contact piece and the third contact piece, and the second contact piece and the third contact piece are usually in contact with each other, and the second contact piece is pressed by pressing the push button. A release switch mechanism for a camera, wherein the release switch is operated by separating the second contact piece from the third contact piece. 3. A contact portion of the second contact piece that comes into contact with the third contact piece moves in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the contact portion of the third contact piece. Claim 1
Alternatively, the release switch mechanism of the camera described in 2. 4. The first contact piece and the second contact piece are members having a beam shape whose both ends or one end are supported by a supporting member, respectively. Camera release switch mechanism. 5. The first contact piece and the second contact piece are elastic members, and the elastic force of the second contact piece is
The release switch mechanism for a camera according to claim 1, wherein the release switch mechanism is stronger than the elastic force of the first contact piece. 6. A portion of the first contact piece that comes into contact with the push button and a portion of the first contact piece that comes into contact with the second contact piece have high rigidity and are hard to be deformed. Four
Alternatively, the release switch mechanism of the camera described in 5. 7. A portion of the second contact piece, which is in contact with the third contact piece, has a high rigidity and is hard to be deformed. Release switch mechanism for the camera described.