KR100744080B1 - Rotary Hinge Unit and Image Photographing Apparatus Having the Same - Google Patents

Abstract

A rotating hinge unit and an image photographing apparatus having the same are disclosed. The rotatable hinge unit may be freely rotated with respect to the main body, the rotating hinge member coupled to the display; And a tilt hinge member coupled to the rotation hinge member such that the rotation hinge member is rotatable and tiltable with respect to the main body. The rotating hinge member is preferably, a bracket coupled to the display; A rotating shaft having one end coupled to the bracket; A cam member inserted into the rotation shaft; First and second elastic members for pressing the cam member; And a fixing member supporting a lower end of the cam member. The tilt hinge member preferably comprises: a connection member connected to rotate the hinge member; A tilt shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the connection member from an outer surface of the connection member; A support member for supporting the tilt shaft; And a third elastic member coupled to the tilt shaft on both outer surfaces of the support member.

Imaging Device, Hinge, Tilt, Rotating, Display

Description

Rotary Hinge Unit and Image Photographing Apparatus Having the Same}

1 is a configuration diagram of a conventional image photographing apparatus, in which FIG. 1A is open at about 90 degrees and FIG. 1B is opened at about 180 degrees.

2 is a block diagram of an image photographing apparatus according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is an internal perspective view of the display of the image recording apparatus equipped with a rotatable hinge unit of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the rotatable hinge unit of Figure 3, Figure 4a is a rotated state of the hinge unit, Figure 4b is a tilt state of the hinge unit.

5 is an exploded perspective view of the rotatable hinge unit of FIG. 4.

6 is a perspective view of another rotating hinge unit of the present invention.

7 is an operation state diagram of the display of the image recording apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 7a is the display is rotated state, Figure 7b is the display is tilted state.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

10: main body 20: display

100: rotatable hinge unit 110: rotary hinge member

111: rotating shaft 112: bracket

113, 114: cam member 115, 117: elastic member

116: fixed member 120: tilt hinge member

121: connecting member 122a, 122b: tilt shaft

123: support member 124: stopper

The present invention relates to an image photographing apparatus, and more particularly, to a rotating hinge unit capable of rotating and tilting a display with respect to a main body and a micro image photographing apparatus having the same.

In general, an image photographing apparatus such as a digital still camera and a camcorder records and records and reproduces an image of a subject using a recording medium such as a tape. However, in recent years, due to the development of recording media, an image photographing apparatus employing a memory stick, a high capacity HDD, and the like has been widely used. Accordingly, the newly released video recording device is becoming smaller and lighter.

In response to this trend, most miniature image capturing devices are manufactured to photograph a subject through a display such as an LCD panel instead of a view finder. The image photographing apparatus equipped with the display also gives a user a self photographing opportunity, but provides various photographing conditions.

The image photographing apparatus includes a hinge unit such that the display is opened and closed from the main body and the display can be rotated at various angles so that a user photographs a subject through the display. Most imaging apparatuses have an open hinge for opening and closing the display from the main body, and a rotary hinge for allowing the display to be rotatable with respect to the main body according to the photographing angle.

Recently, various types of hinge units have been developed that integrate an open hinge and a rotatable hinge. For example, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-0086859 discloses a new hinge unit that enables the display to be rotated in two axes. According to the hinge unit, as shown in FIG. 1A, the image photographing apparatus opens and closes the display 2 from the main body 1 and simultaneously rotates the display 2 about the x axis. However, the hinge unit 10 can open and close the display 2 to about 90 degrees from the side of the main body (1). Such an image photographing apparatus is limited in the photographing angle due to the fixed structure of the lens barrel 3 and the display 2.

For this reason, the ultra-small image photographing apparatus is provided with an open hinge and a rotatable hinge unit 10 'separately in the main body 1 so that the display 2 opens to the upper portion of the lens barrel 3. In the image photographing apparatus having the open hinge and the rotatable hinge unit 10 'separately, as shown in FIG. 1B, the display 2 can be opened and closed with respect to the main body 1 by about 180 degrees. At the same time, such an image photographing apparatus is capable of rotating the display 2 about the x axis by the rotatable hinge unit 10 '. Therefore, the image photographing apparatus having the open hinge and the rotatable hinge unit 10 'provides better shooting conditions by rotating the display 2 to the upper side of the lens barrel 3 so that the user can check the subject. have. However, the conventional image photographing apparatus does not satisfy various photographing conditions that may occur due to the height of the subject and the position of the user's gaze because the display 2 moves freely only about the x-axis. In addition, the hinge units 10 and 10 'mounted to the conventional image capturing apparatus require a fairly large space, and are vulnerable to static pressure in the direction of the lens barrel.

The present invention has been proposed to improve the above problems of the conventional image photographing apparatus, and an object thereof is to allow the user to open the display on the lens barrel to shoot at various angles while looking at the LCD screen of the display. It is to provide a rotatable hinge unit for properly tilting while rotating the LCD screen according to the position and the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a micro image photographing apparatus equipped with such a hinge unit.

Rotating hinge unit according to the present invention for achieving the above object, rotatable hinge member (rotary hinge member) coupled to the movable body (movable body), freely rotatable with respect to the main body (main body); And a tilt hinge member coupled to the rotation hinge member such that the rotation hinge member is rotatable and tiltable with respect to the fixed body.

The stationary body may be, for example, a main body of an image photographing apparatus, and the movable body may be a display thereof.

In the rotatable hinge unit, the rotatable hinge member is preferably a bracket coupled to the movable body; A rotating shaft having one end coupled to the bracket; A cam member inserted into the rotation shaft; First and second elastic members for pressing the cam member; And a fixing member supporting a lower end of the cam member.

It is preferable that the bracket is a bow-shaped member having a height different from that of the center portion and both sides. The bracket may have fastening holes at both ends.

The rotating shaft may have a stepped groove for accommodating the fixing member. The rotating shaft may be formed as a separate member or one member from the bracket.

The cam member is preferably installed between the bracket from the step groove of the rotation shaft. The cam member is preferably composed of a cam and a cam holder having a profile corresponding to each other.

The first elastic member may be a tension spring, and the second elastic member may be a leaf spring.

In the rotatable hinge unit, the tilt hinge member is preferably, a connecting member to which the rotatable hinge member is rotatably connected; A tilting axis extending in both directions in a direction perpendicular to the connection member from an outer surface of the connection member; A support member for supporting the tilt shaft; And a third elastic member coupled to the tilt shaft on both outer surfaces of the support member.

The connecting member may be a hollow cylindrical member so that the rotating shaft of the rotating hinge member is inserted.

The tilt shaft may have a flange formed at an end thereof, and the tilt shaft may be formed as one member with the connecting member.

The support member may include a pair of support plates for supporting the tilt shaft to be rotatable, and a base plate for connecting the pair of support plates. Stoppers may be further provided at both ends of the base plate to prevent the rotating hinge member from tilting.

The third elastic member may be a leaf spring.

In addition, the micro image photographing apparatus according to the present invention, the main body having a lens barrel; A display capable of opening and closing with respect to the main body; And a rotatable hinge unit that simultaneously rotates the display with respect to the main body and simultaneously tilts the rotatable hinge unit, the rotatable hinge unit being rotatable freely with respect to the main body and coupled to the display; And a tilt hinge member coupled to the rotation hinge member so that the rotation hinge member is rotatable and tiltable with respect to the main body.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred rotating hinge unit and a micro image photographing apparatus having the same.

2 is a block diagram of an image photographing apparatus according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the image photographing apparatus of the present invention includes a main body 11 (see FIG. 7A), a display 20, and a rotatable hinge unit 100 connecting the same.

The main body 11 includes a lens barrel 30 at an upper portion thereof, and the display 20 includes a separate open hinge that is not shown to be openable and closed with respect to the main body 11. The open hinge is installed in the hinge mounting portion 21 of the display 20. Such configurations are generally known, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted for convenience.

The image capturing apparatus of the present invention includes a rotatable hinge unit 100 so that the display 20 can be rotated with respect to the main body 11 separately from the open hinge for opening and closing the display 20 with respect to the main body 11.

3 is an internal perspective view of a display 20 of an image photographing apparatus equipped with such a rotatable hinge unit 100. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the rotatable hinge unit 100, Figure 4a is a state in which the rotary hinge unit 100 is rotated, Figure 4b shows a state in which the rotary hinge unit 100 is tilted. 5 is an exploded perspective view thereof.

3 to 5, the rotatable hinge unit 100 of the present invention includes a rotating hinge member 110 and a tilt hinge member 120.

The rotating hinge member 110 is freely rotatable with respect to the main body 11 and is coupled to the display 20. Therefore, the rotating hinge member 110 can freely rotate the display 20 with respect to the main body 11.

In detail, the rotating hinge member 110 includes a bracket 112, a rotation shaft 111, cam members 113 and 114, first and second elastic members 115 and 117, and a fixing member 116.

The bracket 112 is coupled to the display 20. The bracket 112 may have fastening holes 112a and 112b at both ends so as to be easily coupled to the display 20. The bracket 112 is a member 112c having a different shape from the height of the center portion and the height of both sides so that the display 20 can move smoothly without being caught by the main body 11 or the hinge mounting portion 21 when the display 20 is rotated and tilted. For example, it is preferable that it is the bow member 112c.

The rotating shaft 111 is coupled to the center of the bracket 112, it is preferable to have a stepped groove (111a) for receiving the fixing member 116 to be described later on the outer peripheral surface. Cam members 113 and 114 and elastic members 115 and 117 to be described later are inserted into the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 111 from the stepped groove 111a of the rotating shaft 111 to the inner surface of the bracket 112. The rotary shaft 111 is inserted into the connection member 121 of the tilt hinge member 120 to be described later. The rotating shaft 111 may be a member separate from the bracket 112 and may be formed as one member with the bracket 112. When the rotating shaft 111 is a member separate from the bracket 112, the rotating shaft 111 is fastened to the bracket 112 by the fastening member 118 and the fixing ring 118a.

The cam members 113 and 114 may be installed between the bracket 112 and the step groove 111a of the rotation shaft 111. The cam members 113 and 114 are composed of a cam 113 having a constant profile 113a and a cam holder 114 having a profile 114a corresponding to the profile 113a. The profiles 113a and 114a of the cam 113 and the cam holder 114 are arc-shaped profiles corresponding to each other, such that the rotating hinge member 110 rotates at a constant angle. In addition, when the grooves and the projections are provided in the profiles 113a and 114a, a click sense may be felt when the display 20 is rotated.

The first elastic member 115 imparts elastic force to the cam members 113 and 114 to help the display 20 not to rotate arbitrarily. The first elastic member 115 may be a tension spring.

The second elastic member 117 is installed at the lower end of the connecting member 121 of the tilt hinge member 120 to press the connecting member 121 toward the bracket 112. The second elastic member 117 may be a leaf spring.

The rotating hinge member 110 having such a structure can freely rotate about the rotation axis 111, that is, the x-axis of FIG. 4A in the connection member 121 of the tilt hinge member 120.

As shown in FIG. 5, the tilt hinge member 120 includes a connection member 121, a tilt shaft 122, a support member 123, and a third elastic member, which are connected to rotate the rotating hinge member 110. 126a, 126b.

The connection member 121 is connected to the rotating hinge member 110 to be rotatable. Tilt shafts 122a and 122b extend on the outer surface of the connecting member 121 in both vertical directions with respect to the connecting member 121. The connection member 121 is preferably a hollow cylindrical member. In addition, the connection member 121 may be a completely hollow cylindrical member, a hole may be formed in the bottom surface so that the bottom surface is blocked and the rotary shaft 111 is inserted through. A fixing member 116 and a second elastic member 117 of the rotary hinge member 110 are installed on the bottom surface of the connection member 121.

The tilt shafts 122a and 122b protrude from both sides of the body of the connecting member 121. The tilt shafts 122a and 122b are supported by the support member 123 so as to be rotatable. The first fastening rings 124a and 124b, the third elastic members 126a and 126b, and the second fastening rings 128a and 128b are sequentially coupled to each of the tilt shafts 122a and 122b. Tilt grooves 122a 'and 122b' through which the second fastening rings 128a and 128b are inserted are formed at ends of the tilt shafts 122a and 122b. The tilt shafts 122a and 122b may be made of the connecting member 121 and one member.

The support member 123 supports the tilt shafts 122a and 122b to be movable. The support member 123 includes a pair of support plates 123a and 123b for rotatably supporting the tilt shafts 122a and 122b and a base plate 123c for connecting the pair of support plates 123a and 123b. The support plates 123a and 123b and the base plate 123c may be formed of one member. Receiving grooves 123c and 123d are formed at both ends of the support plates 123a and 123b to accommodate the tilt shafts 122a and 122b. Both ends of the base plate 123c may further include stoppers 124a and 124b for preventing the rotating hinge member 110 from being too tilted. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, the rotatable hinge unit 100 is no longer tilted by the stoppers 124a and 124b after the display 20 is tilted at an appropriate interval.

The third elastic members 128a and 128b are coupled to the tilt shafts 122a and 122b at outer surfaces of the support plates 123a and 123b. The third elastic members 128a and 128b generate torque by generating a friction force in the opposite direction of rotation when the connecting member 121 rotates the tilt. This prevents the display 20 from flowing arbitrarily when the display 20 is tilted. The third elastic members 128a and 128b may be leaf springs.

A spherical hinge cover 130 may be attached to the center of the rotatable hinge unit 100 so as to protect the rotatable hinge unit 100 and look beautiful in appearance.

6 is a perspective view of another rotating hinge unit of the present invention. In the rotary hinge unit 101 of FIG. 6, the rotating shaft 111 ′ and the bracket 112 ′ are integrally formed. Therefore, a fastening member for fastening the rotating shaft 111 'and the bracket 112' is unnecessary. In addition, a hinge cover 130 is mounted at the center of the rotatable hinge unit 101. In addition to this configuration, the rotatable hinge unit 101 has the same configuration as the rotatable hinge unit 100 described above.

On the other hand, when the rotating hinge units (100, 101) of the present invention is mounted on the micro image photographing apparatus, the rotating hinge member 110 is freely rotatable to the main body 11, it is also coupled to the display (20). However, the rotary hinge units 100 and 101 of the present invention are not limited to such an image photographing apparatus, and may be applied to other apparatuses having a main body and a movable body, for example.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail the operating state of the image recording apparatus equipped with a rotary hinge unit of the present invention.

7 is a view showing an operating state of the display of the image recording apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 7a is a display is rotated state, Figure 7b is a display is tilted state.

Referring to the drawings, the rotatable hinge unit 100 of the present invention is installed in the hinge mounting portion 21 between the main body 11 and the display 20. In the image photographing apparatus of the present invention, opening and closing of the display 20 is performed by an open hinge separately installed, although not shown. When the display 20 is rotated while the display 20 is opened to the upper end of the lens barrel 30 by such an open hinge, the display 20 is in a state as shown in FIG. 7A.

When the display 20 is rotated in the image photographing apparatus of the present invention, the rotatable hinge unit 100 is in a state as shown in FIG. 4A. That is, when the display 20 is rotated, as the bracket 112 rotates, the cam 113 pushes the cam holder 114 down by its profiles 113a and 114a. At this time, the rotating shaft 111 is freely rotatable in the connection member 121. In addition, since the first elastic member 115 is compressed to push the cam members 113 and 114, the first elastic member 115 can be stopped at a predetermined rotational angle.

When the display 20 is rotated and the display 20 is tilted as shown in FIG. 7B, the rotatable hinge unit 100 will be in the state as shown in FIG. 4B. That is, as shown in Figure 4b, the rotary hinge member 110 is capable of tilt rotation about the tilt axis (122a, 122b). Since the elastic force is applied to the connection member 121 by the third elastic members 126a and 126b coupled to the tilt shafts 122a and 122b, the rotary hinge member 110 generates a frictional force due to torque, thereby providing a constant tilt rotation angle. You can stop at. Accordingly, the display 20 is prevented from moving by an unwanted force, and will have various shooting angles.

In addition, when the display 20 is tilted back and forth around the rotating shaft 111, the display 20 does not tilt more than a predetermined angle by the stoppers 124a and 124b protruding to both sides of the support member 123.

Since the image capturing apparatus according to the present invention rotates the display to the upper side of the lens barrel, the display can be rotated and tilted at the same time, thereby enabling the user to identify the subject, thereby providing better photographing conditions. The image capturing apparatus is capable of freely rotating and tilting a display to satisfy various shooting conditions that may occur due to a height of a subject and a user's gaze position.

As described above, the image photographing apparatus having the rotatable hinge unit according to the present invention can implement a rotation and tilt function at the same time can provide a wider shooting angle to the user. In particular, the rotatable hinge unit of the present invention can be mounted in a very small space, which is very useful for a micro image photographing apparatus such as a camera cell phone equipped with a micro lens or a camcorder having a memory recording medium.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the appended claims.

Claims (5)

A rotatable hinge member rotatably free with respect to the stationary body and coupled to the movable body; And And a tilt hinge member coupled to the rotation hinge member so that the rotation hinge member is rotatable and tiltable with respect to the fixed body. The rotating hinge member may include a bracket coupled to the movable body, a rotating shaft coupled to one end of the bracket, a cam member inserted into the rotating shaft, first and second elastic members pressurizing the cap member, and a lower end of the cam member. Rotating hinge unit comprising a fixing member for supporting. delete A rotatable hinge member rotatably free with respect to the stationary body and coupled to the movable body; and And a tilt hinge member coupled to the rotation hinge member so that the rotation hinge member is rotatable and tiltable with respect to the fixed body. The tilt hinge member includes a connecting member to which the rotatable hinge member is rotatably connected, a tilt shaft extending in both directions in a vertical direction with respect to the connecting member from an outer surface of the connecting member, a supporting member for supporting the tilt shaft, and the supporting member. Rotating hinge unit comprising a third elastic member coupled to the tilt axis on both outer surfaces of the member. The method of claim 3, The support member is a rotary hinge unit, characterized in that the stopper further comprises a stopper for preventing the rotating hinge member from tilting. A main body having a lens barrel; A display capable of opening and closing with respect to the main body; And a rotatable hinge unit which simultaneously rotates the display with respect to the main body and tilts the same. The rotatable hinge unit may include: a rotatable hinge member rotatably free with respect to the main body and coupled to the display; And And a tilt hinge member coupled to the rotation hinge member so that the rotation hinge member is rotatable and tiltable with respect to the main body. The rotating hinge member supports a bracket coupled to the movable body, a rotating shaft coupled to one end of the bracket, a cam member inserted into the rotating shaft, first and second elastic members pressurizing the cam member, and a lower end of the cam member. Imaging device comprising a fixing member to.

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