JPH11194414A - Film unit with lens - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waterproof film unit with a lens capable of being made small in the number of parts, improved in assembly efficiency and low in cost. SOLUTION: A front cover 20 surrounding the front surface of the film unit with a lens is constituted by using a resin plate molded by a two-color molding with an elastomer and a transparent rigid plastic. Then, the lens is integrally molded with the respective windows of the cover 20 being the photographing lens window 48, the finder window 50, the stroboscope window 52 and the film counter window 54 by the transparent hard plastic constituting the inside layer of the cover 20. Specially, a convex lens constituted so as to correct a distance by the refraction of water by considering underwater photographing is formed at the windows 48 and 50 of the cover 20. Besides, the lens having positive power in order to correct the narrowing of the radiating angle of a stroboscope in the water is integrally molded with the window 52 of the cover 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a film unit with a lens incorporating a photographic film and incorporating a photographic mechanism including a photographic lens and a shutter mechanism, and more particularly to a film unit with a lens provided with a waterproof or dustproof function. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An unexposed photographic film is pre-loaded,
A film unit with a lens provided with an exposure unit such as a photographic lens and a shutter mechanism is generally widely known as an inexpensive and simple imaging unit. Such a film unit with a lens is required to be manufactured efficiently with a reduced number of components. From this viewpoint, a photographic lens and a finder objective lens are integrally formed on a front cover that covers the front surface of the main body. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 6)
JP-A-3-193145, JP-A-1-57745).

[0003]

On the other hand, in recent years, there has been an increasing demand for a waterproof structure so that a film unit with a lens can be used underwater, and a conventionally exposed portion such as a film counter or a strobe light emitting portion is made watertight. Need to cover. In order to respond to such a demand, it is conceivable that a transparent plastic plate or the like is fixed to the film counter window or the strobe window by bonding or heat caulking. However, such a configuration has a problem that the number of components increases and the assembling efficiency deteriorates. .

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a film unit with a lens which can reduce the number of parts, improve assembly efficiency and reduce cost. .

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photographing mechanism including shutter means and a photographic film, wherein the photographic film is not substantially replaceable. In the film unit with the lens, the outer layer is provided with a front cover formed of a two-color molded resin plate made of an elastomer and an inner layer made of a transparent hard plastic, and the transparent hard plastic constituting the inner layer of the front cover is used for the film. Shooting lens on front cover,
At least one of a finder lens, a lens of a strobe light emitting unit, and a lens of a film counter window is integrally formed.

That is, according to the present invention, the front cover surrounding the front surface of the film unit with the lens is constituted by using a resin plate formed by two-color molding of an elastomer and a transparent hard plastic, and furthermore, the transparent cover forming the inner layer of the front cover is formed. At least one of a photographing lens, a finder lens, a lens of a strobe light emitting section, and a lens of a film counter window section is formed integrally with the front cover by hard plastic. With such a configuration, a complicated process of separately manufacturing each lens member and individually assembling them can be avoided, and the number of parts can be reduced and the assembling efficiency can be improved.

In particular, the front cover of the present invention is a photographic lens window,
Conventionally, an opening is simply formed, such as a finder window, a strobe window, and a film counter window, and the exposed portion can be watertightly covered with an inner transparent hard plastic. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to dustproof and waterproof film units with lenses. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the film unit with the lens according to the first aspect, the front cover and the main body unit including the photographing mechanism are tightly joined to the front cover by a fitting structure. After installing the cover,
The main unit is housed directly and watertight inside the front cover and the rear cover.

According to the present invention, the front cover serving as a functional part for constituting the lens-fitted film unit is formed in a watertight structure by using the two-color molded resin plate as described above, and the front cover and the rear cover are formed. The main unit is sealed and housed directly by the fitting structure of the cover, so that foreign substances such as water and dust can be prevented from entering inside, and the conventional outer case (merely a waterproof case) is not required. In addition, downsizing and cost reduction can be achieved.

The elastomer disposed on the outer layer of the front cover is excellent in shock absorption and can prevent breakage or malfunction due to dropping, etc., and the grip portion when the photographer grips the film unit with the lens slides. It has the advantage of being difficult and having an excellent hold feeling. The invention according to claim 3 relates to the structure of the joint between the front cover and the rear cover in the film unit with the lens according to claim 2, wherein the edge of the front cover is not formed of hard plastic and is connected by an elastomer over the entire circumference. A part is formed. When the front cover and the rear cover are joined, the joint is sealed by fitting the connecting portion into close contact with the rear cover.

In the present invention, the sealing means of the joint is integrally formed on the entire periphery of the edge of the front cover by the elastomer forming the outer layer of the front cover. Thereby, waterproofing and dustproofing of the joint can be achieved without providing a dedicated sealing means such as an O-ring. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in place of the front cover formed by the two-color molding, a transparent front cover surrounding the front side of a main body unit including a main body unit in which a photo film is stored and a photographing mechanism is provided. At least one of the lens of the strobe light emitting portion and the lens of the film counter window portion is integrally formed.

That is, the entire front cover is formed of a transparent material,
In this front cover, the lens of the film counter and the lens of the flash unit are integrally molded,
The display on the counter becomes easier to see, and the parts of the transparent plate conventionally provided on the front surface of the strobe light emitting unit can be omitted, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the assembling efficiency can be improved. In this case, the transparent front cover may have a role as a functional part of the film unit with the lens, or may have a function of surrounding the front part of the film unit with the lens without giving a role of the functional part. It may also serve only as a casing (outer cover) surrounding the outside of the front lid (front cover) having the above.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a structure of a rear cover joined to a front cover of the film unit with a lens according to the first or fourth aspect, wherein the rear of the photographic film accommodated in the main body is covered light-tight. A back cover member is separately provided as a functional component for the display, and a transparent rear cover is arranged to surround the outside of the back cover member. The main unit and the back cover member are directly watertightly housed by the front cover and the rear cover to constitute a lens-fitted film unit. In this case, the rear cover is transparent, and the photographer can observe the viewfinder through the rear cover.

When the transparent rear cover is used, the finder eyepiece is integrally formed with the rear cover, thereby further reducing the number of parts and further improving the assembling efficiency. Can be achieved. 8. The waterproof lens according to claim 7, wherein a main body for housing the photographic film and a photographing mechanism including shutter means are water-tightly housed inside the front cover and the rear cover. In the attached film unit, a convex lens designed to correct a change in an apparent focal length of a photographing lens caused by a refraction effect of water during underwater photographing is integrally formed with a front cover.

In water, the size of an object appears larger than the actual size due to the refractive index (1.33) of the water, and the distance to the object also appears shorter than the actual distance. On land (in air)
In water, this corresponds to a taking lens having a focal length 1.33 times that of the taking lens in water due to the refraction of water. The present invention has been made in consideration of the fact that a film unit with a waterproof lens is used underwater, and a lens having a positive power so as to correct a change in an apparent focal length of a photographing lens during underwater photographing. (Convex lens) is integrally formed with the photographing lens portion of the front cover.

In this case, the convex lens itself may constitute the main lens of the photographing lens, or the convex lens may be disposed at the forefront of the photographing lens optical system as a correcting lens, and the main lens of the photographing lens may be the correction lens (convex lens). ) May be separately arranged at the subsequent stage, and the photographing lens optical system may be configured by a plurality of lenses. This makes it possible to correct a change in the focal length of the photographing lens underwater, and to photograph at an angle of view similar to that on land. The present invention particularly provides an outer cover (waterproof cover) in which the outside of a film unit with a lens that can be used on land is watertightly covered by a front cover and a rear cover.
By applying the present invention to a film unit with a lens of the type, there is an advantage that a difference in angle of view between underwater and land can be eliminated.

Similarly to the above-described correction of the focal length of the taking lens in water, the invention according to claim 8 is a film unit with a waterproof lens, in which the apparent focus of the finder lens caused by the refraction of water is produced. It is characterized in that a convex lens designed to correct a change in distance is integrally formed with the front cover. As a result, the same viewfinder observation as on land can be performed underwater.

The ninth aspect of the present invention is the above-described seventh aspect.
Or the front cover in the lens-fitted film unit according to item 8, wherein the outer layer is made of a two-color molded resin plate made of an elastomer and the inner layer is made of a transparent hard plastic, and the transparent hard plastic forming the inner layer of the front cover Thus, a convex lens (photographing lens or viewfinder lens) having an underwater correction function is formed. In this case, the outer layer of the elastomer is not formed at the portion of the front cover where the convex lens is formed, and the convex lens is exposed to secure light transmittance and to achieve waterproof and dustproof.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the film unit with a waterproof lens, a change in the light distribution characteristic of the strobe (a narrowing of the irradiation angle) caused by the refraction of water during underwater photographing is corrected. The strobe window is characterized in that a lens having a positive power, which is designed to enable wide-area light distribution of the strobe underwater, is integrally formed with the front cover. The lens having a positive power includes a convex lens and a Fresnel lens.
As shown in FIG. 1, a mode in which a plurality of small convex lens elements are arranged is possible.

As described above, since the underwater correcting lens is integrally formed in the strobe window of the front cover, the strobe can be irradiated to a wide range in water. Further, a member such as a transparent plate which is conventionally provided in the strobe light emitting portion becomes unnecessary, and the number of components can be reduced and the assembling efficiency can be improved. According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the front cover of the lens-fitted film unit according to the tenth aspect is formed of a two-color molded resin plate in which the outer layer is made of an elastomer and the inner layer is made of a transparent hard plastic, The transparent hard plastic forming the inner layer of the front cover forms a positive power lens having a function of correcting underwater stroboscopic light distribution. In this case, the outer layer elastomer is not formed at the portion of the front cover where the lens having the positive power is formed, and the lens is exposed to secure light transmission and to achieve waterproof and dustproof.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a film unit with a lens according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a film unit with a lens according to an embodiment of the present invention. The film unit with lens 10 includes a main body unit 14 in which the photographic film 12 is stored, a photographing mechanism 16, a strobe device 18,
Further, it is composed of a front cover 20 and a rear cover 22 which cover these from front and rear.

An aperture 24 serving as an exposure opening is formed at the center of the main body 14, and the cartridge chamber 2 is provided at both ends thereof.
6 and a film roll chamber 28 are formed. The cartridge chamber 26 contains the cartridge 30 of the photographic film 12.
The film roll chamber 28 accommodates a film roll 32 obtained by rolling the photographic film 12 drawn from the cartridge 30 onto a roll.

Photo film 12 and cartridge 30
For example, a device corresponding to “Advanced Photo System” is used. The form of the photographic film is not limited to this, and various forms such as 135 film are possible. After the cartridge 30 and the film roll 32 are inserted into the cartridge chamber 26 and the film roll chamber 28, respectively, the rear cover 22 is placed behind the
6 and the bottom of the film roll chamber 28 are respectively connected to the bottom cover member 3.
The photo film 12 is light-tightly stored in the main body portion 14 by being surrounded by the photo films 4 and 36.

A spool gear 3 for rotating a spool 30A of the cartridge 30 is provided above the cartridge chamber 26.
The spool gear 3 is provided for each frame.
By rotating 8, the photographed photo film 12 can be wound up in the cartridge 30. Note that reference numerals 14A and 14B in FIG. 1 denote positioning pins for assembling the main body 14 and the front cover 20. As will be described in detail later, a recess (not shown in FIG. 1) into which the pins 14A and 14B are fitted is formed inside the front cover 20, and the pins 14A and 14B are fitted into the corresponding recesses, respectively. By combining, the main body 14 and the front cover 20 are positioned.

The photographing mechanism 16 includes a photographing lens 40, a finder lens 42, a shutter device 44, a photographing number display plate 46, and the like, and is assembled to the main body 14. The front cover 20, which is an exterior body of the lens-fitted film unit 10, is formed of a resin plate formed by two-color molding of an outer layer made of an elastomer and an inner layer made of a transparent hard plastic. Here, the term "elastomer" is a general term for an elastic body that can be injection-molded. Front cover 20
The elastomer forming the outer surface side of the above is a polymer substance having rubber-like elasticity, and examples thereof include rubbers, thermoplastic elastomers, elastic fibers, and elastic foams. Especially,
The elastomer used in the present embodiment has a hardness of JI.
In the SA scale, those having a range of 5 to 95, more preferably 30 to 60 are selected. Specifically, Super Tribrene (trade name: Shinko Kasei Co., Ltd.)
And Cosmogel (trade name: Cosmo Keiki) can be used.

On the other hand, as the hard plastic forming the inner layer of the front cover 20, for example, polyethylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate or the like is used. A two-layer resin plate using a transparent hard plastic as a primary resin and an elastomer as a secondary resin is molded in two colors by an injection method such as an insert type, a rotary type, or a movable slide type.

A photographic lens window 48 is formed at the front center of the front cover 20, and a finder window 50 is provided above the photographic lens window 48.
Further, a flash window 52 is formed on the right side. In these windows (48, 50, 52), the outer layer elastomer is not formed, and the inner layer transparent hard plastic is exposed. Thereby, the light transmittance of the photographing lens unit, the finder unit and the strobe light emitting unit is ensured, and each window (48, 50, 52) is covered with the transparent hard plastic in a watertight manner.

As will be described in detail later, each window (4
8, 50 and 52), the lens is integrally formed by the hard plastic of the inner layer so that the influence of the refraction of water during underwater photographing is optically corrected (FIGS. 2 and 3). reference). Also, the film counter window 54 provided on the upper part of the front cover 20 is not formed with the outer layer elastomer and the inner layer transparent hard plastic is exposed, so that the film counter window 54 has a light transmitting property. It is covered in a watertight manner. The number-of-photographs display plate 46 is disposed below the film counter window 54, and the display of the number-of-photographs display plate 46 that rotates in conjunction with the winding of the photographic film 12 can be checked from the film counter window 54. Is available.

Also in the film counter window 54, the lens is integrally formed by the hard plastic in the inner layer of the front cover 20, and the operation of the lens enlarges the display of the film counter, making the number display easier to see. A release button 56 for operating the shutter device 44 is formed integrally with an outer layer of an elastomer at an upper left corner of the front surface of the front cover 20. The portion corresponding to the release button 56 is not formed with the inner layer hard plastic, but is constituted only by the outer layer elastomer. Accordingly, the shutter button 56 can be pressed by utilizing the elasticity of the elastomer, and the periphery of the shutter button 56 also has a watertight structure.

A flash charging button 58 for starting charging of the flash device 18 is formed integrally with the outer layer of elastomer at the lower right corner of the front of the front cover 20. Similarly to the portion corresponding to the shutter button 56, the portion corresponding to the strobe charging button 58 is not formed with the inner hard plastic but is formed only of the outer layer elastomer. Thereby, the pressing operation of the flash charging button 58 can be performed by utilizing the elasticity of the elastomer, and the periphery of the flash charging button 58 can be made watertight.

On the upper left side of the front cover 20, a hoisting knob 6
An opening 62 to which the “0” is attached is formed. An engaging shaft 64 is integrally formed on the lower surface of the hoisting knob 60. By inserting the hoisting knob 60 into the opening 62,
The engagement shaft 64 is engaged with the spool gear 38. Thus, when the hoisting knob 60 is rotated, the cartridge 3
0 spool 30A also rotates together, and the photo film 12
Is wound up in the cartridge 30. The waterproof structure around the mounting portion of the hoisting knob 60 will be described later.

The front cover 20 is made of a resin plate formed by two-color molding of an elastomer and a transparent hard plastic, while the rear cover 22 is made of an opaque hard plastic. The rear cover 22 has a function of surrounding the photo film 12 loaded in the main body portion 14 in a light-tight manner.
The rear cover 22 is provided with a finder viewing window 66. A transparent plastic plate 68 (or eyepiece) is fixed inside the viewing window 66 by a method such as insert molding, bonding, or thermal caulking, and the periphery of the viewing window 66 is watertightly covered.

The front cover 20 and the rear cover 22 are fixed to the main body 14 body 22 in which the cartridge 30 is accommodated from front and rear, and then fixed by, for example, ultrasonic welding. Therefore, the cartridge 30 cannot be taken out unless the connection between the front cover 20 and the rear cover 22 is broken.
The user is substantially prevented from changing the photo film 12.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the front cover 20 shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line, and FIG.
It is sectional drawing which follows a line. As shown in FIG. 2, the rear edge of the front cover 20 (the connection portion with the rear cover 22) is not formed with the inner hard plastic 70, and has a step-shaped connection projection formed only by the elastomer 72 over the entire circumference. 74 is formed.

On the other hand, the edge of the rear cover 22 (the connecting portion with the front cover 20) is connected to the connecting convex portion 74 of the front cover 20.
A groove 76 into which is fitted is formed. When the connecting projection 74 of the front cover 20 is fitted into the groove 76, the flexible elastomer 72 comes into close contact with the wall of the groove 76, and the joint is sealed. The film counter window 54 of the front cover 20 is formed integrally with a convex lens 78 by a transparent hard plastic 70 forming an inner layer of the front cover 20. The finder window 50 of the front cover 20 shown on the right side in FIG.

Further, as shown in FIG.
The photographic lens window 48 also has a convex lens 82 formed integrally with the transparent hard plastic 70 of the inner layer. Underwater, the size of an object appears larger than its actual size due to the refraction of water, and the distance to the object also appears to be shorter than the actual distance. In consideration of such a phenomenon peculiar to underwater photography, convex lenses 80 and 82 are provided for the photography lens window 48 and the finder window 54 so as to correct the distance underwater so as to enable photography equivalent to that on land.

The convex lens 80 provided in the finder window 50 is an element of the finder optical system, and forms an objective lens system together with the finder lens 42 mounted on the photographing mechanism 16 housed inside the front cover 20.
On the other hand, the convex lens 82 provided in the taking lens window 48
It becomes one element of the photographing optical system, and forms a photographing lens system together with the photographing lens (main lens) 40 mounted on the photographing mechanism 16.

The finder lens 42 mounted on the photographing mechanism 16 and the convex lens 80 for underwater correction may be integrated, and a convex lens having the same function as these composite lenses may be integrally formed on the front cover 20. Similarly, the photographing lens 40 mounted on the photographing mechanism 16 and the convex lens 82 for underwater correction may be integrated, and a convex lens having the same function as these composite lenses may be integrally formed on the front cover 20. In this case, the finder lens 42 and the photographing lens (main lens) 40 to be attached to the photographing mechanism 16 can be omitted, and the number of parts can be further reduced and the assembling efficiency can be further improved.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the front cover 20 shown in FIG.
It is sectional drawing which follows the C line. Strobe window 5 of front cover 20
In two parts, a plurality of minute convex lenses 84 (convex lens elements) are integrally formed on the front cover 20 with the transparent hard plastic of the inner layer.
2 has a form arranged in a plane. When the strobe device 18 emits light in water, there is a problem that the refraction of water narrows the irradiation angle of the strobe as compared with on land, making it impossible to sufficiently illuminate the subject.
In this embodiment, a convex lens 84 having a positive power is formed in the strobe window 52 as shown in FIG. 4 in order to correct the light distribution characteristics of the strobe in water.

With this configuration, the irradiation angle of the strobe can be widened in water, and sufficient auxiliary light can be given to an underwater subject. The form of the lens of the strobe window 52 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 4, but may be a single convex lens or a Fresnel lens. FIG. 5 shows a structural example of a positioning mechanism for positioning the front cover 20 and the main body 14.
As described above, when the convex lenses 80 and 82 are formed in the finder window 50 and the photographing lens window 48 of the front cover 20, the optical axes of the convex lenses 80 and 82 are set to the optical axes of the finder optical system of the photographing mechanism 16 or It is necessary to match the optical axis of the photographing optical system. For this reason, in the present embodiment, positioning pins 14A and 14B are provided on the main body 14 to which the photographing mechanism 16 and the strobe device 18 are assembled, and concave portions that engage with these pins 14A and 14B are provided on the inner surface of the front cover 12. 86 are formed. The recess 86 is formed integrally with the front cover 20 by a transparent hard plastic forming an inner layer of the front cover 12. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the pins 14A and 14B of the main body 14 are
6, the front cover 20 and the main body mechanism (the main body 14, the photographing mechanism 16, and the strobe device 18) are accurately positioned and assembled.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an essential part showing an example of a waterproof structure around an assembly portion of a hoisting knob. A known sealing means such as an O-ring may be used for waterproofing the hoisting knob 60.
As shown in FIG.
2 is preferably used as sealing means. As shown in FIG. 6, the opening 62 for attaching the hoisting knob 60 includes:
A cylindrical support base 88 is formed of the transparent hard plastic 70. The lower end of the support base 88 has a passage hole 90 partially in the circumferential direction. During the injection molding process, the elastomer 72 as the secondary resin flows into the support base 88 through the passage hole 90 to support the support base 88. A seal portion 92 made of an elastomer is formed on the inner peripheral portion of 88. The upper surface edge of the seal portion 82 made of the elastomer has an R surface with a predetermined curvature R.

When the engaging shaft 64 of the hoisting knob 60 is inserted into the opening 62, the elastomeric sealing portion 92 comes into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the engaging shaft 64, and the shaft-attached portion of the hoisting knob 60 is kept watertight. It is configured to The winding knob 60
A wedge-shaped claw 94 is formed on the peripheral surface of the engagement shaft 64. When the hoisting knob 60 is inserted, the outer wall of the engagement shaft 64 is formed by the action of the oblique side of the claw 94 and the edge of the opening 62. Is deformed inward, and when the rear end of the pawl 94 passes through the opening 62, the deformation of the outer wall of the engagement shaft 64 returns to its original state, and the rear end of the pawl 94 is wider than the opening diameter. Thus, after the hoisting knob 60 is inserted, the pulling-up of the hoisting knob 60 is prevented by the claw 94, so that the hoisting knob 60 once assembled cannot be easily removed.

Next, the operation of the lens-fitted photo film unit constructed as described above will be described. In the film unit with lens 10 according to the present embodiment, the front cover 20 is formed of a two-color molded resin plate of an outer layer of an elastomer and an inner layer of a hard plastic, and the front cover 20 is formed of a hard plastic. After that, since the cover 22 is joined in a watertight manner by the fitting structure, water and dust do not enter the inside from the joint. Therefore, it is possible to prevent malfunctions and failures caused by these.

A photographing lens window 48, a viewfinder window 50, a flash window 52, and a film counter window 54.
Regarding the above, the transparent hard plastic of the inner layer is exposed by not disposing the elastomer of the outer layer, and the waterproofness is achieved while ensuring the light transmittance of each window. In particular, since the convex lens 78 is formed in the film counter window 54, the number on the number-of-photographs display plate 46 can be viewed in an enlarged manner. Moreover, since the convex lens 78 is formed integrally with the front cover 20 by the transparent hard plastic 70 forming the inner layer of the front cover 20, the number of parts can be reduced and the efficiency of the assembling work can be reduced.

As for the strobe window 52, as described with reference to FIG. 4, since the convex lens 84 is integrally formed of the transparent hard plastic of the front cover 20, parts of the transparent plate conventionally provided in the strobe light emitting section are omitted. Thus, the number of parts can be reduced and the assembling efficiency can be improved. Further, by the action of the lens having a positive power provided in the strobe window 52, the irradiation angle of the strobe in the water can be widened, and an underwater subject can be photographed favorably.

Further, since the lenses are formed integrally with the taking lens window 48 and the finder window 50, the number of lens parts can be reduced and the work of assembling the lens parts can be omitted. In particular, by providing the photographing lens window 48 and the finder window 50 with a convex lens that is optically designed to correct the distance in water, it is possible to photograph in water at the same angle of view as on land.

In addition, in the film unit with lens 10 according to the present embodiment, the release button 56 and the flash charging button 58 are formed integrally with the front cover 20 using an elastic elastomer, and a hard plastic Since the inner layer is not provided, the movable parts related to these pressing operations can be provided without forming a gap around the movable part. Thereby, it is possible to prevent dust and water from entering from the button portion.

Since the lens-fitted film unit 10 has a waterproof structure directly formed by the front cover 20 and the rear cover 22, which are functional components of the lens-fitted film unit, a separate unit as in the prior art is provided. A waterproof case is not required, miniaturization can be achieved, parts can be reduced, and cost can be reduced.

Further, most of the outer surface of the front cover 20 except for a portion requiring light transmission, such as a photographic lens portion, is surrounded by an elastomer, and a grip portion for a photographer to grip the film unit with the lens is also flexible. Since it is covered with the elastomer, there is an advantage that the grip portion is less slippery and has an excellent hold feeling. Also, should the film unit with lens 10 be dropped, the impact can be reduced by the elastomer, and breakage or malfunction can be prevented.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same or similar parts as in the example shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The film unit with lens 100 shown in FIG. 7 is different from the rear cover 22 of the film unit with lens 10 shown in FIG.
20, and a rear cover 122 is provided behind the back cover member 120.

The back cover member 120 includes a cartridge chamber 26 and a film roll chamber 28 of the main body 14 in accordance with the back cover member used in the conventional film unit with a lens.
Bottom lid members 124 and 126 for closing the bottom of are provided integrally via a hinge structure. And the main body 1
After the cartridge 30 and the film roll 32 are loaded into the cartridge 4, the back cover member 120 is assembled to the main body 14, the bottom cover members 124 and 126 are closed, and the photographic film 12 is stored in a light-tight manner.

The rear cover 122 is formed entirely of a transparent hard plastic so that the photographer can look through the view window 128 of the finder with the rear cover 122 disposed behind the back cover member 120. Has become. It is sufficient for the rear cover 122 to be transparent at least in a portion for viewing through the viewfinder. However, from the viewpoint of securing airtightness and simplifying the manufacturing process, it is preferable to configure the viewfinder portion only partially transparent. More preferably, the entire rear cover 122 is formed of a transparent material.

Further, when the transparent rear cover 122 is used, an eyepiece (not shown) of a finder can be formed integrally with the rear cover 122. By forming the eyepiece integrally with the rear cover 122, it is possible to reduce the number of lens components and increase the efficiency of the assembly operation. The structure of the joint between the front cover 20 and the rear cover 122 shown in FIG. 7, and further, in the front cover 20, the taking lens window 48, the finder window 50, and the film counter window 5
The point that the lens is integrally formed with each of the windows 4 and the strobe window 52 is the same as the example described with reference to FIG. 1, and the operation is also as described above.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 8 shows the configuration of a film unit with a lens according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same or similar members as those in the examples shown in FIGS. 1 and 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. The film unit with lens 150 shown in FIG.
4 has a front cover member 152 and a back cover member 120 as functional components for accommodating the outer cover 4, and further has a transparent outer front cover 154 and an outer rear cover 156 surrounding the outside thereof in a watertight manner.

That is, the photographing mechanism 16 and the strobe device 18 are assembled to the main body 14 to form a main body mechanism. The front and rear of the main body mechanism are covered by a front lid member 152 and a rear lid member 120 made of non-transparent hard plastic. Thereby, a camera unit is formed. The camera unit is water-tightly covered with a waterproof case including an outer front cover 154 and an outer rear cover 156, and the camera unit is housed inside the waterproof case.

The front cover member 152 includes a photographing lens window 158,
It has opening windows corresponding to the finder window 160 and the strobe window 162, and the photographing lens 40, the finder lens 42, and the strobe light emitting unit 18A mounted on the main body mechanism are exposed from each window (158, 160, 162). . In the figure, reference numeral 166 is a part corresponding to a release button, and reference numeral 168 is a part corresponding to a strobe charging button. Each of these buttons (166, 168) is provided by forming a cut line along the button shape on the front lid member 152, and inclines and presses inward by a pressing operation using the elastic force of hard plastic. A button function called restoration by cancellation is realized.

The front cover member 152 has a main body 1
4 are provided with holes 170 and 172 through which the positioning pins 14A and 14B are inserted. On the other hand, the outer front cover 154 has a transparent hard plastic outer side 174.
And a resin plate formed by two-color molding in which an elastomer 176 is partially disposed. That is, the outer front cover 154
Is mainly made of transparent hard plastic, and has a grip portion 180, a release button 56, a strobe charging button 5
8, the elastomer 176 is formed in a limited portion such as a seal portion of the hoisting knob 60 and a joint portion with the outer rear cover 156. The point that the transparent hard plastic 174 is not formed inside the portion corresponding to the release button 56 and the flash charging button 58 is the same as the example described in FIG.

A portion corresponding to the film counter window 54 on the upper part of the outer front cover 154 is integrally formed with a convex lens so that the display of the counter is easy to see. In addition, portions corresponding to the viewfinder window 50, the photographing lens 48, and the flash window 52 of the outer front cover 154 are also provided.
The point that the lens is integrally formed with the transparent hard plastic 174 is the same as the example described with reference to FIG.

The structure of the outer rear cover 156 is the same as the structure of the rear cover 122 described with reference to FIG. 7, and is entirely formed of a transparent hard plastic. Although not shown in the figure, a finder eyepiece may be integrally formed with the outer rear cover 156. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the joint between the outer front cover 154 and the outer rear cover 156 shown in FIG. The outer front cover 154 is mainly made of a transparent hard plastic 174. As shown in the figure, the rear end edge of the outer front cover 154 (the connecting portion with the outer rear cover 156) is made of an elastomer over its entire circumference. 176
Are arranged, and a step-like connecting projection 182 is formed by the elastomer 176.

On the other hand, the edge of the outer rear cover 156 (the connecting portion with the outer front cover 154) is
A groove 184 into which the connecting projection 182 is fitted is formed. When the connecting projection 182 of the outer front cover 154 is fitted into the groove 184, the flexible elastomer 176 comes into close contact with the wall of the groove 184, and the joint is sealed.

Regarding the operation of the film unit with a lens according to the third embodiment configured as described above, the taking lens window 48, the finder window 50 of the outer front cover 154,
FIG. 1 shows the operation of the lens formed integrally with each window corresponding to the flash window 52 and the film counter window 54.
This is the same as the embodiment shown in FIG. In addition, in the present embodiment, a photographing lens 40 suitable for land photographing is used for the photographing function 16.
And the finder lens 42, and the outer front cover 15
By forming underwater correction lenses in the taking lens window 48, viewfinder window 50, and strobe window 52 of No. 4, the outer front cover 154 and the outer rear cover 156 are removed in land shooting, and only the inner camera unit is used. When taking a picture and taking a picture underwater, the camera unit can be covered with the outer front cover 154 and the outer rear cover 156 in a watertight manner, so that it is possible to use the same type of photography as on land even underwater. There is an advantage.

[0061]

As described above, according to the film unit with the lens according to the present invention, the photographing lens and the front cover for covering the front part of the film unit with the lens are provided.
Since at least one of the finder lens, the strobe light-emitting part lens, and the film counter window part lens is integrally molded, the complicated steps of separately manufacturing these lens members and individually assembling them are avoided, and The number can be reduced and the assembly efficiency can be improved.

In particular, the front cover of the present invention can be applied to dust-proof and waterproof film units with lenses.
A small and low-cost film unit with a waterproof lens can be provided. Further, by forming a lens configured to correct the underwater distance in the photographing lens portion and the finder portion of the front cover, it is possible to perform photographing equivalent to on land. Furthermore, since the strobe part is formed integrally with a lens with positive power on the front cover to correct the narrowing of the irradiation angle of the strobe caused by the refraction of water, the underwater subject can be widely illuminated. And good photographing becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a film unit with a lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the front cover shown in FIG. 1 along the line AA.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the front cover shown in FIG. 1 along the line BB;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the front cover shown in FIG. 1 taken along line CC.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a structural example of a positioning mechanism for positioning the front cover and the main body shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a waterproof structure around an assembly portion of a hoisting knob.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a film unit with a lens according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a film unit with a lens according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a joint between the outer front cover and the outer rear cover shown in FIG. 8;

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 100, 150: Film unit with lens 12: Photo film 14: Main body 16: Photographing mechanism 18: Strobe device 20: Front cover 22, 122: Rear cover 26: Cartridge room 28: Film roll room 48: Photographic lens window 50 Finder Window 52 Strobe Window 54 Film Counter Window 70, 174 Transparent Hard Plastic 72, 176 Elastomer 78, 80, 82 Convex Lens 84 Convex Lens (Convex Lens Element) 120 Back Cover Member 154 Outer Front Cover 156 … Outside rear cover

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A film unit with a lens having a built-in photographing mechanism including a shutter means and a photographic film and having a structure in which the photographic film cannot be replaced substantially, wherein an outer layer is made of an elastomer and an inner layer is made of a transparent hard plastic. A front cover formed of a two-color molded resin plate is provided. The front cover is provided with a photographic lens, a finder lens, a lens of a strobe light emitting unit, and a film counter window by a transparent hard plastic forming an inner layer of the front cover. A film unit with a lens, characterized in that at least one of the lenses of the section is integrally formed. 2. A front cover, which is disposed behind a main body unit including the main body unit in which the photo film is stored and the main body unit including the photographing mechanism and is closely joined to the front cover by a fitting structure. 2. The film unit with a lens according to claim 1, wherein the main unit is directly watertightly housed inside the rear cover. 3. An edge portion of the front cover is not formed with an inner hard plastic, and a connecting portion is formed by an elastomer over the entire periphery thereof, and the connecting portion is tightly fitted to the rear cover to form a connection with the front cover. 3. The film unit with a lens according to claim 2, wherein a joint portion of the rear cover is sealed. 4. A lens unit with a built-in photographing mechanism including shutter means and a photographic film, and having a structure in which photographic film exchange is substantially impossible. A transparent front cover surrounding the front side of the main body unit comprising a lens, wherein at least one of a lens of a strobe light emitting unit and a lens of a film counter window is integrally molded with the front cover. Film unit. 5. A back cover member assembled behind a main body portion in which the photo film is stored, the back cover member for surrounding the photo film in a light-tight manner, and the rear cover member is disposed behind the back cover member, and the front cover includes A transparent rear cover that is closely joined by a fitting structure, and the main body portion inside the front cover and the transparent rear cover,
The film unit with a lens according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the photographing mechanism and the back cover member are directly housed in a watertight manner. 6. The lens-fitted film unit according to claim 5, wherein a finder eyepiece is integrally formed with the transparent rear cover. 7. A water-resistant lens-equipped film unit in which a main body in which a photographic film is stored and a photographing mechanism including shutter means are water-tightly housed inside a front cover and a rear cover. A film unit with a lens, wherein a convex lens designed to correct a change in an apparent focal length of a photographing lens caused by a refraction action is formed integrally with the front cover. 8. A film unit with a waterproof lens in which a main body for storing a photographic film and a photographing mechanism including shutter means are stored in a watertight manner inside a front cover and a rear cover. A lens-fitted film unit, wherein a convex lens designed to correct a change in an apparent focal length of a finder lens caused by a refraction action is integrally formed with the front cover. 9. The front cover, wherein an outer layer is an elastomer,
The inner layer is formed of a two-color molded resin plate made of a transparent hard plastic, and the convex lens is formed by the transparent hard plastic forming the inner layer of the front cover, and an outer layer is formed at a portion where the convex lens is formed. 9. The film unit with lens according to claim 7, wherein the elastomer is not formed and the convex lens is exposed. 10. A main body in which a photo film is stored,
In a film unit with a waterproof lens in which a photographing mechanism including a shutter means is housed inside the front cover and the rear cover in a water-tight manner, the stroboscopic illumination angle narrowed by the refraction of water during underwater photography is corrected for a wide area. A lens unit with a lens, wherein a lens having a positive power, which is designed to enable a strobe light distribution, is formed integrally with the front cover. 11. The film unit with a lens according to claim 10, wherein the lens having a positive power has a form in which a plurality of small convex lens elements are arranged. 12. The front cover is formed of a two-color molded resin plate in which an outer layer is made of an elastomer and an inner layer is made of a transparent hard plastic, and the positive power is supplied by the transparent hard plastic which forms an inner layer of the front cover. 2. A lens having a positive power is formed without forming an outer layer elastomer at a portion where the lens is formed, wherein the lens having the positive power is exposed.
The film unit with a lens described in No. 0.