JPH0943699A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera having a high-grade appearance given by metal at a comparatively low cost. SOLUTION: The camera is equipped with front cover members (1 and 2) as appearance components for covering the front part, of a camera body, at least including the circumference of the mount of the camera body, a top cover member 3 for forming the appearance of the top part of the camera body and a mount holding member for holding the mount. The front cover members 1 and 2 are made of a metallic material and the rear sides of the front cover members 1 and 2 are roughly abutted on the mount holding member in the lower part of the camera body and on the top cover member 3 in the upper part of the camera body.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera appearance structure,
In particular, it relates to an improvement in the external structure of a single-lens reflex camera that uses metal as an external member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there have been many cameras using a metal material for their appearance, but most of them have a relatively simple shape. It is a simple shape that connects right and left, and even if the drawing depth is small, most of them are drawn from thick metal because of the ease of processing, and because it was made of thick metal, it is strong. It was strong, and it was possible to form a metal front cover with a single metal structure that was squeezed.

[0003]

However, most recent cameras, especially single-lens reflex cameras, have a built-in strobe, and the strobe position is located above the pentaprism or pentadach mirror above the center of the camera. However, due to the existence of the strobe, the shape of the camera is such that the head of the camera projects far in front of the conventional camera. The exterior of the part that protrudes forward in the camera head is mostly formed by the front cover.In such a single-lens reflex camera, the shape of the front cover becomes very complicated, and metal drawing processing is considered. In such a case, the so-called drawing depth was so deep that it became impossible to perform drawing with a thick metal as in the past.

Therefore, it is conceivable that the material can be processed by reducing the material thickness with a material having good workability or a material having poor workability. In either case, the strength of the finished component is the same as that of conventional metal. There was a drawback that it would drop significantly compared to the front cover.

When the strength decreases, the pressure applied from the outside,
There was an accident that could be easily deformed by impact, and it was impossible to use it as an exterior member for a single-lens reflex camera as it was.

An object of the invention according to the present application is to provide a camera that can obtain a high-quality appearance made of metal at a relatively low cost.

[0007]

In view of the above, according to the present invention, in a recent single-lens reflex camera with a built-in strobe, in which the strobe device can move the light emitting position and the storage position, the front head part of the camera is mounted from around the mount of the front cover. The front cover is formed of metal so as to cover the rear cover, and is configured to substantially contact the mirror box member in the lower direction on the back surface of the front cover, and to the upper cover member of the camera in the upper direction where the mirror box member cannot contact. A structure in which the back surface of the front cover has a receiving surface by a mirror box member and an upper cover member, and the back surface of the front cover absorbs a force inside the metal exterior component against external pressure or impact. And, in the front cover of the camera with complicated shape as described above, good comparison of drawability By securing a sufficient strength of a soft material, a high-quality appearance due to the metal, the camera can be realized to provide a relatively low cost.

Therefore, even if the front cover is made of a relatively soft material such as aluminum, it is possible to realize a single-lens reflex camera having a metal appearance with sufficient strength against external pressure and the like.

Further, since the metal member structure is easy to form, it is relatively inexpensive because it is made of a material such as titanium or stainless steel, which is relatively difficult to process and requires many man-hours for processing.
It is possible to provide a single-lens reflex camera with a high-grade metal front cover.

[0010]

1 to 7 show a camera embodying the present invention.

In the figure, reference numerals 1 and 2 denote an upper metal cover member, which is an exterior member of a camera body formed of a metal such as aluminum, titanium, and stainless, and 3 is formed of a plastic material or the like. The left and right cover parts 3a, 3b
And the metal upper cover members 1 and 2 are almost entirely contacted with the back surfaces of the metal upper cover members 1 and 2 to absorb the shock when the metal upper cover member 1 and the metal upper cover member 2 are shocked. An upper cover base member that integrally forms an upper cover of the camera with the upper cover member.

In FIG. 3, reference numerals 4, 5, 6, and 7 are screw members for integrally fixing the metal upper cover members 1 and 2 and the upper cover base member 3.

Reference numerals 11 and 21 denote setting dial members for setting the control state of the camera, and reference numerals 12 and 22 denote the setting dial 1 described above.
Setting state transmitting members 13 and 23, which rotate integrally with 1 and 21, respectively, are fixed integrally with the setting state transmitting members 12 and 21, respectively.
Brush members 14, 24 that rotate integrally with 2 are in contact with the brush members 13, 23, respectively, have an electric signal pattern for detecting the setting state of the setting dial member, and control the detected electric signal of a camera (not shown). Signal board for transmitting to the device, 15 and 25 are the setting dials 11 and 21
And the setting state transmitting members 12 and 22 are integrally fixed, and thereby the setting dial members 11 and 12 are rotatably fixed to the upper cover member.

Reference numeral 31 is a display window which protects a display device made of liquid crystal or the like in the camera (not shown) and transmits the display of the display device to notify the photographer of the camera to the upper cover base member 3. Alternatively, it is fixed with double-sided tape or the like.

Reference numeral 51 denotes a strobe metal cover member formed of a metal such as aluminum, titanium or stainless steel, and 52 substantially entirely abuts the back surface of the strobe metal cover member 51, so that the strobe metal cover member 51 is attached to the strobe metal cover member 51. When a shock is applied, the base member of the strobe cover absorbs the shock and is fixed integrally with the metal cover 51 of the strobe to form a strobe cover. Reference numeral 53 denotes the base member 52 of the strobe cover and the metal of the strobe cover. The cover member 51 is fixed by a screw member or the like (not shown), and an arc tube for strobe light emission (not shown) or a member accompanying it is fixedly held in a space formed between them and a strobe device formed by these members is provided. A strobe base portion rotatably fixed to the upper cover base member 3 with stepped screws 54 and 55. It is.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 61 is a metal front cover of a camera formed of a metal member such as aluminum, titanium or stainless steel, which is arranged around the mount of the camera and 62 is provided with the metal front cover 61 and the upper cover base member 3 Also, a screw member 63 is fixed to the mirror box member 71 which is a base of the camera, and 63 is a screw member which fixes the metal front cover 61 to the mirror box member 71.

The mirror box 71 rotatably holds a mount member for fixing a lens (not shown) and a mirror member (not shown) for guiding the light flux of the lens to a viewfinder (not shown), and serves as a camera base.

A detailed description will be given of the embodiment with the above configuration.

As described above, FIG. 1 is a view showing members constituting the upper cover member of the camera. As shown in the drawing, the left and right metal upper cover members 1 and 2 composed of at least two parts.
And the upper cover base member 3.

At this time, the metal upper cover members 1 and 2 consisting of the at least two parts are shaped so as to avoid the highest height of the camera upper cover member, and are compared as a drawing process. The shape is easily processed. Therefore,
Even in cameras with complicated shapes such as in recent years, it has become possible to realize a metal appearance with low processing man-hours and low cost. FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining a method of processing the metal upper cover members 1 and 2.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper metal cover members 1 and 2 consisting of the at least two parts are initially integrally molded, and surface treatment and the like are also integrally carried out. In the final step, the dotted line A- By cutting off at A and the dotted line B-B, it becomes possible to process two parts in one process, and by simplifying the shape as described above, the man-hour and cost can be further reduced together with the man-hour and cost that are reduced. It has become possible to halve it.

Next, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the upper cover members 1, 2 and 3 of the camera as seen from the back side of the camera as described above.

As shown here, in the present embodiment, the setting dial members 11 and 2 have the appearance of metal, although they have a metallic appearance.
1 has a mechanism for fixing it to the upper cover base member 3 and can be fixed.

Further, since the display window 31 is also fixed to the upper cover base member 3 and the periphery thereof is made of metal, the window can be fixed even though the appearance is metal.

Further, the strobe base member 53 can also be rotatably fixed to the upper cover base member 3, and the upper surface portion of the camera is constituted by the metallic upper cover members 1 and 2 and the strobe metallic cover member 51. Since it is almost covered with metal, a high-quality appearance comparable to the top cover of a camera using a conventional metal cover is possible.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the metal upper cover members 1 and 2 have a structure in which substantially the entire back surface thereof abuts the upper cover base member 3, so that the metal upper cover members 1 and 2 are Since such an impact is absorbed by the upper cover base member 3, the upper metal cover members 1 and 2 are relatively soft and weak against impact, but it is possible to use aluminum having good formability. It was Also,
Thin materials such as titanium and stainless steel, which have poor workability, can be used, resulting in significantly better workability, and the metallic appearance of the upper cover made of titanium or stainless steel can be achieved relatively easily and at low cost. became.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the metal cover member 51 of the strobe has a structure in which substantially the entire back surface thereof abuts the base member 52 of the strobe cover, so that the metal cover member 51 of the strobe is covered. Since the impact is absorbed by the base member 52 of the strobe cover, the strobe metal cover member 51 is absorbed.
Although it is relatively soft and weak against impact, it is now possible to use aluminum with good formability as a material. In addition, it is possible to use thin materials such as titanium and stainless steel, which have poor workability, and the workability is significantly improved, and the metallic appearance of the strobe made of titanium or stainless steel can be realized relatively easily and at low cost. became.

Next, FIG. 4 is a drawing showing a partial cross section of the camera according to the present embodiment as seen from the lateral direction of the camera.

As shown in FIG. 4, the metal front cover 61 of the camera is almost in contact with the mirror box member 71 in the lower direction of the camera on the back surface thereof, and the upper cover base member is in the upper direction of the camera. 3, the impact applied to the metal front cover 61 of the camera is absorbed by the mirror box member 71 and the upper cover base member 3, so that the metal front cover 61 is relatively soft and impacted. It is now possible to use aluminum as a material, which is weak against such problems, but has good formability.
Further, it is possible to use a thin material such as titanium or stainless steel, which has poor workability, so that the workability is significantly improved, and the metal front cover 61 of the camera made of titanium or stainless steel can be realized relatively easily and inexpensively. It has become possible.

Next, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the upper cover portion of the camera and the strobe portion, which is an enlarged view of portion C in FIG.

Here, the strobe metal cover member 5 is used.
The end surface portion 51a of No. 1 is located on the right side in the drawing from the R portion end of the bend R of the bent portion 2c of the metal upper cover 2, and the appearance line 51b of the strobe metal cover member 51 and the appearance line of the metal upper cover 2 It does not match 2d.

If the appearance line 51b and the appearance line 2d
The end surface portion 51a of the metal cover member 51 of the strobe is R of the bent portion 2c of the upper metal cover 2.
Due to the influence of the shape, the gap between the two becomes very large and the quality is remarkably degraded.

In the present embodiment, however, the above-mentioned configuration makes it possible to almost eliminate the gap, and even in a recent single-lens reflex camera having a built-in strobe device, the metallic appearance is very high. Will be made feasible.

Next, FIGS. 6 and 7 show the overall appearance of the single-lens reflex camera of this embodiment as seen from above and from the front, respectively.

Here, as apparent from FIG. 6, even in a camera having a built-in strobe, when viewed from above, the metal upper covers 1 and 2, the metal cover member 51 of the strobe, and the metal cover member 51 of the strobe. By configuring with the metal front cover 61 of the camera, the camera whose main part of the outer appearance is almost entirely covered with metal has a shorter processing process than the conventional metal cover and can be realized at a very low cost. .

Further, as seen from FIG. 7, the high-quality metal appearance in which the main part is covered with metal when viewed from the front has been improved even in recent cameras with built-in strobes, especially in single-lens reflex cameras. It is possible to realize it with shorter cost and lower cost.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, for example, in a single-lens reflex camera or the like which has a built-in strobe in recent years and in which the strobe device can move the light emitting position and the storage position, the front cover member is mounted around the mount. The front cover is formed of metal so as to cover the front head, and the rear surface of the front cover is configured to substantially contact the mirror box member in the downward direction, and the upper surface of the camera in the upward direction where the mirror box cannot be contacted. The front cover is configured to substantially contact with the cover member, and the rear surface of the front cover has a receiving surface by the mirror box member and the upper cover member. The front cover of the camera with the complicated shape described above has a structure that absorbs By securing a sufficient strength even in the form having good relatively soft material, a high-quality appearance due to the metal, the camera can be realized to provide a relatively low cost.

Therefore, even if the front cover is made of a relatively soft material such as aluminum, it enables a camera such as a single-lens reflex camera having a metal appearance with sufficient strength against external pressure.

Further, since the metal member structure is easy to form, it is relatively inexpensive because it is made of a material such as titanium or stainless steel, which is relatively difficult to process and has a large number of processing steps and is expensive.
It has become possible to provide cameras such as single-lens reflex cameras with high-grade metal front covers.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded front view of an upper cover member that configures the appearance of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a method for forming the upper metal cover member of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the upper portion of the camera showing the first embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the camera shown in FIG.

5 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a C portion of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a top view showing the overall appearance of the camera of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing the overall external appearance of the camera of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 ... Metal upper cover 3 ... Upper cover base member 11, 21 ... Setting dial member 12, 22 ... Setting state transmitting member 13, 23 ... Brush member 14, 24 ... Signal board 31 ... Display window 51 ... Strobe metal cover Member 52 ... Strobe cover base member 53 ... Strobe base member 61 ... Camera metal front cover 71 ... Mirror box member

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A front cover member as an external component that covers at least the mount of the camera body and covers the front surface of the camera body, an upper cover member that forms the outer appearance of the upper part of the camera body, and a mount that holds the mount. A holding member, the front cover member is formed of a metal material, and the back side of the front cover member is brought into abutting contact with the mount holding member at a lower portion of the camera body, and the upper cover member is provided at an upper portion of the camera body. A camera characterized by abutting. 2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the mount holding member is a mirror box member. 3. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the metal material of the front cover member is aluminum. 4. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the metal material of the front cover member is titanium. 5. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the metal material of the front cover member is stainless steel.