JPH11194396A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multi-function camera capable of reducing the number of operation buttons for setting a photographing mode. SOLUTION: The camera is provided with a barrier member 1 which is made slidable and rotatable with respect to the camera main body 2 between a closed position where the front side of a photographic lens is covered with the member 1 and an open position where the front side of the photographic lens is uncovered. In this case, the camera is provided with a mode setting means 3 for switching a camera state from a photographing forbidden state to a photographing allowable state in accordance with the movement of the barrier member 1 from the closed position to the open position and then setting the photographing mode.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera having a barrier member for opening and closing the front of a camera body provided with a photographic lens, a finder window, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a photographing mode of a camera is selected by operating an operation button, a rotary dial or the like provided on an external part of the camera.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 2-201336, a barrier member (operating member) that covers the front surface of a photographic lens and the like is moved with respect to a camera body to change a photographic magnification and strobe light from a photographic optical axis. Cameras that can separate the optical axes have been proposed.

[0004]

However, if the photographing magnification is changed only by moving the barrier member (the strobe light emission position is also changed with the movement of the barrier member), as in the camera proposed in the above-mentioned publication, the present day is difficult. It is difficult to make full use of the performance of a camera having multiple functions.

On the other hand, if a large number of buttons and the like for setting a photographing mode are provided on the external part of the camera, there are disadvantages that a large space is required and the appearance of the camera is impaired.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a camera capable of reducing the number of operation buttons for setting a photographing mode and capable of coping with multiple functions.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a slide or rotation with respect to a camera body is performed between a closed position for covering the front surface of a taking lens and an open position for opening the front surface of the taking lens. In a camera having a barrier member capable of performing, for example, a mode setting means for switching from a photographing impossible state to a photographable state and setting a photographing mode according to movement of the barrier member from a closed position to an open position is provided. I have.

Accordingly, at least one photographing mode is set by the opening movement of the barrier member, so that the number of operation buttons and the like can be reduced accordingly. It should be noted that the barrier member can be positioned at a plurality of open positions, and different shooting modes are set for each of these open positions,
The number of operation buttons and the like may be significantly reduced.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 7 show a front cover unit of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows the front cover unit when the camera is not in use, and FIG. 2 shows the front cover unit when the camera is in use. 3 to 5 show a state in which the upper cover has been removed from the front cover unit, and FIGS. 6 and 7 show a front and a cross section of the front cover unit, respectively. In these figures, reference numeral 2 denotes a front cover body attached to a camera body (not shown). The front cover body 2 has a lens window 2j, a finder window 2i, and a strobe window for exposing the front surface of the taking lens. 2h. Reference numeral 1 denotes a barrier, as shown in FIG. 1, a closed position covering the finder window 2i together with the lens window 2j and the window 2
It is slidable with respect to the front cover main body 2 between an open position where j and 2i are opened. In addition, the barrier 1 is the above-mentioned window 2
j, 2i and a portion extending rearward from the upper and lower ends of the flat portion (see FIG. 3).

An upper cover 4 is adhered and fixed to the front cover body 2 so as to cover the front upper surface of the front cover body 2. The upper cover 4 and the front cover main body 2 form an upper guide slit 2g. Reference numeral 5 denotes a lower cover, which is adhered and fixed to the lower surface of the front cover body 2. This lower cover 5
And the front cover body 2 form a lower guide slit 2f.

The guide slits 2g, 2f
The upper and lower portions of the barrier 1 that extend rearward are inserted into the barrier. As shown in FIG. 7, guide rails 4 g and 5 a extending in the left-right direction of the front cover main body 2 are formed on the back surfaces of the upper cover 4 and the lower cover 5. The barrier 1 is slidably fitted in the guide grooves 1b and 1c formed in the portions extending rearward in the vertical direction.

1 d is a reference index provided on the barrier 1. In addition, the upper cover 4 has indices 4a, 4b, 4c,
4d, 4e, and 4f are provided. Here, although not shown, a shooting mode name or the like corresponding to each index is clearly indicated near each index. Specifically, the indicator 4a corresponds to a power-off, and the indicators 4b to 4f correspond to a normal shooting mode, a strobe light emission inhibition mode, a self-shooting mode, a continuous shooting mode, and a strobe forced light emission mode. Note that an exposure correction mode may be added.

For this reason, the photographer moves the barrier 1 from the closed position to a position (a plurality of open positions referred to in the claims) in which the reference index 1d matches the index 4b to 4f corresponding to the imaging mode to be set. Thus, the photographer can clearly know which photographing mode has been set.

FIG. 3 shows the front cover body 2 to the upper cover 4.
Is shown (when not in use). In this figure, reference numeral 1a denotes a click spring formed so that the barrier 1 has elasticity, and 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e,
2k is a click groove formed in the front cover main body 2.
By engaging the click spring 1a with these click grooves 2a to 2k, the barrier 1 can be positioned at a position where the reference index 1d matches each of the indexes 4a to 4f.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a printed circuit board embedded and fixed in a portion of the front cover body 2 covered by the upper cover 4. Reference numerals 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, and 3f denote conductive boards formed on the printed circuit board 3. It is a metal film pattern.
Pattern 3f is common. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, when the barrier contact piece 6 attached to the barrier 1 comes into contact with the common pattern 3f and any one of the other patterns, the contacted patterns 3a, 3b, 3c,
Signals corresponding to 3d and 3e are transmitted to a SW interface (not shown) via lead wires, and finally transmitted to an electric control circuit to selectively set the plurality of photographing modes.

In the front cover unit of the camera thus constructed, as shown in FIG. 3, when the camera is not used, the click spring 1a and the click groove 2k are engaged, and the barrier 1 is composed of the finder window 2i and the photographing lens. The window 2j is positioned at a closed position to protect the window 2j from dust and external force. At this time, the barrier contact piece 6 is detached from the printed circuit board 3 and no signal is input to the electric control circuit via the SW interface circuit, so that the camera is in a power-off state (imaging impossible state).

Next, when the barrier 1 is moved from the closed position and the click spring 1a engages with the click groove 2a, the barrier contact piece 6 comes into contact with the common pattern 3f and the pattern 3a. As a result, the electric control circuit (not shown) is made operable via the SW interface circuit, and the shutter release standby state is set. In this state, the normal shooting mode is set. If a shutter release is performed in this state, a series of known photographing operations are performed.

Next, when the barrier 1 is further moved to engage the click spring 1a with the click groove 2b, the barrier contact piece 6 comes into contact with the pattern 3b of the common patterns 3f and 2b. Thus, the strobe forced light emission mode is selected. In this way, each time the click grooves 2a to 2e and the click spring 1 engage, a pattern in which the barrier contact piece 6 comes into contact is selected, and the state is input to the electric control circuit via the SW interface circuit. , Different shooting modes are selected and set.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
1 illustrates a camera according to an embodiment. In this figure,
Reference numeral 10 denotes a rotation barrier, which is rotatably held on the front cover body 11 by screws 13. This figure shows the position of the rotary barrier 10 when the camera is not used.

Reference numeral 10b denotes a knob projecting from above the rotation barrier 10, and reference numeral 10a denotes a click spring formed on the back surface of the rotation barrier 10. 10 'shows the position of the rotary barrier 10 when the camera is used (click spring 10).
a is shown transparently).

Also, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d,
Reference numerals 12e, 12f, and 12g denote click grooves (shown in perspective) formed on the front cover main body 11. Reference numeral 10 ″ denotes the position of the rotary barrier 10 when an arbitrary photographing mode is selected (the click spring 10a is shown in perspective).

In the camera configured as described above,
By rotating the rotary barrier 10 from the closed position, the barrier contact piece (not shown) fixed to the barrier 10 at the position of each click groove is formed on the pattern substrate (not shown) fixed to the front cover body 11. Contact each pattern. By rotating the barrier 10 in this manner, a shooting mode corresponding to each click position is selectively set.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the function of selecting the shooting mode is also provided as the barrier function, the number of operation buttons for selecting the shooting mode is reduced,
The number of components can be reduced. In addition, since the number of buttons for selecting a shooting mode is reduced, the appearance of the camera is simplified.

Further, since the photographing mode can be selected in a series of operations including the barrier operation, the photographer can always be alerted to the photographing mode.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front cover unit when a camera is not used according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the front cover unit when a camera is used.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view when the upper cover 5 is removed from the front cover unit when the camera is not used.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view when the upper cover 5 is removed from the front cover unit when the camera is used.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view when the upper cover 5 is removed from the front cover unit when the camera is used.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a conventional front cover unit when the camera is not used.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a front cover unit when a camera is not used according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,10 Barrier 1d Reference index 2 Front cover body 3 Printed circuit board 4 Index 6 Barrier piece

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A camera having a barrier member movable with respect to a camera body between a closed position for covering a front surface of a photographing lens and an open position for opening the front surface of the photographing lens, wherein the barrier member is opened from a closed position. Depending on the move to
A camera comprising mode setting means for switching from a photographing impossible state to a photographable state and setting a photographing mode. 2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the barrier member can be positioned at a plurality of open positions, and the mode setting means sets a different photographing mode for each of the open positions. 3. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the photographing mode set by the mode setting means is a strobe light emitting mode. 4. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the barrier member slides with respect to the camera body. 5. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the barrier member rotates and moves with respect to the camera body.