JP3932072B2 - Electronic camera - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic camera such as an electronic still camera (digital camera) and an electronic movie camera (video camera), and particularly displays an image on a monitor display unit provided in a camera body based on an image signal from an image sensor. It relates to electronic cameras.
[0002]
[Prior art]
There are two types of viewfinders that indicate the shooting range of an electronic camera: an optical type and a liquid crystal display type. However, in either method, the photographer needs to look into the eyepiece of the viewfinder to check the subject, which is inconvenient for those who are not accustomed to looking into the viewfinder.
[0003]
Therefore, as an electronic camera improved in this respect, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-302169 discloses an electronic camera having a camera body with a large liquid crystal monitor. In this electronic camera, a lens unit is connected to a side portion of a camera body so as to be pivotable in the front-rear direction, and an image signal converted by an imaging element of the lens unit is displayed on a liquid crystal monitor provided in the camera body. I am doing so.
[0004]
According to this electronic camera, the photographer does not need to look into the eyepiece of the viewfinder to check the subject, and the angle between the lens unit facing the subject and the camera body is free, so that the photographer can shoot over the head. Various photographing methods such as photographing the photographer himself can be realized.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the electronic camera disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-302169, when the camera is held, the lens unit rotates only in one direction in the front-rear direction with respect to the camera body. There was a drawback that it could not be adjusted.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic camera capable of freely adjusting the angle between the camera body and the lens unit.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a lens unit including a photographing lens, an image sensor, and the like, and a camera body including a monitor display unit that displays an image based on an image signal from the image sensor. An electronic camera having a base end portion of the lens unit and the camera body are connected via a joint mechanism, and the lens unit is controlled by the joint mechanism so that rotation around the axis is restricted so that the optical axis does not rotate. Is supported to be rotatable in two directions, a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, with respect to the camera body, and is deformed into a first state along the camera body and a second state substantially perpendicular to the camera body. When the electronic camera is not used and carried, it is deformed to the first state, and when the electronic camera is used, it is deformed to the second state.
[0008]
According to the present invention, since the lens unit is supported so as to be rotatable in two directions, the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, with respect to the camera body, the imaging lens can be adjusted to a free angle with respect to the camera body. .
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A preferred embodiment of an electronic camera according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 and 2 are a perspective view of an electronic camera according to the present invention as viewed from the front side and a perspective view as viewed from the back side, respectively.
[0010]
As shown in the figure, the electronic camera 10 of the present embodiment is composed of a camera body 12 and a lens unit 14.
The camera body 12 is formed in a flat and substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its upper part is formed as a taper 12A. On the other hand, the lens unit 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a taper 14A corresponding to the taper 12A is formed in the lower part thereof. The base end portion of the lens unit 14 is connected to one end of the upper surface portion of the camera body 12 via a spherical bearing structure 16. The spherical bearing structure 16 connects the lens unit 14 to the camera body 12 in the horizontal direction H. And it is supported so as to be rotatable only in the vertical direction V. FIGS. 1 and 2 each show a state in which the lens unit 14 is housed in the camera body 12 (folded state). In this state, the entire electronic camera 10 has a flat and substantially rectangular parallelepiped appearance. Yes.
[0011]
A photographing lens 20 is disposed on the front end surface of the lens unit 14, and subject light incident on the photographing lens 20 is converted into an image signal by a solid-state imaging device (CCD) built in the lens unit 14. . Further, a strobe light emitter 22 is provided on the front end surface of the lens unit 14, and the strobe light emitter 22 is disposed below the photographing lens 20.
[0012]
On the other hand, a liquid crystal monitor 24 is disposed on the back surface of the camera body 12, and the liquid crystal monitor 24 displays an image based on an image signal converted by the solid-state imaging device. A grip 12B is formed on the side of the camera body 12, and a shutter button 26 is provided above the grip 12B. When the shutter button 26 is pressed, the image signal output from the solid-state image sensor at that time is recorded as image data in a memory built in the camera body 12.
[0013]
3 and 4 are a cross-sectional view and an assembly view showing the configuration of the spherical bearing structure 16, respectively.
As shown in the figure, the spherical bearing structure 16 includes a spherical seat 30A, a joint 34, a cap 36, a lock ring 38, and the like as main members.
A screw hole 28 is formed at one end of the upper surface of the camera body 12. A column 30 is erected vertically at the center of the screw hole 28, and a hemispherical spherical seat 30 </ b> A is formed on the top of the column 30.
[0014]
On the other hand, a screw hole 32 is formed in the base end portion of the lens unit 14, and a screw portion 34 </ b> C formed integrally with the tip end portion of the joint 34 is screwed into the screw hole 32. The joint 34 includes a shaft 34A formed in a rectangular cross section and a sphere 34B formed integrally with a base end portion of the shaft 34A. Then, the ball 34B is rotatably mounted on a spherical seat 30A formed on the top of the column 30.
[0015]
A cap 36 formed in a hemispherical shape is put on the sphere 34B of the joint 34 placed on the spherical seat 30A. The inner diameter of the cap 36 is formed to be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the sphere 34B, and the sphere 34B rotates along the inner surface of the cap 36. In addition, a single guide groove 36 </ b> A having substantially the same width as the shaft 34 </ b> A of the joint 34 is formed on the peripheral surface of the cap 36. The shaft 34A of the joint 34 is fitted in the guide groove 36A and moves along the guide groove 36A. In addition, since the cross section of the shaft 34A is formed in a rectangular shape, the lens unit 14 rotates in a state in which the rotation around the axis is restricted during rotation.
[0016]
A cap 36 placed on the sphere 34B is fixed to the camera body 12 by a lock ring 38. The lock ring 38 is formed in an annular shape, and includes a screw portion 38A that is screwed into a screw hole 28 formed in the camera body 12, and a knob portion 38B that is integrally formed on the upper portion of the screw portion 38A. ing. A number of anti-slip grooves are formed on the outer periphery of the knob portion 38B, and a lever 38C is formed so as to protrude. A flange 38b is formed on the inner periphery of the knob portion 38B, and the inner diameter of the flange 38b is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the cap 36.
[0017]
On the other hand, a flange 36B is formed on the outer periphery of the base end portion of the cap 36, and the flange 36B is formed to have substantially the same diameter as the inner diameter of the lock ring 38. The lock ring 38 is fitted on the outer periphery of the cap 36, and the flange 38 b of the fitted lock ring 38 presses the flange 36 </ b> B of the cap 36.
[0018]
The spherical bearing structure 16 is configured as described above, and the lens unit 14 is connected to the camera body 12 using the spherical bearing structure 16 as follows.
As shown in FIG. 4, first, a cap 36 is put on the ball 34 </ b> B of the joint 34. Then, the shaft 34 </ b> A of the joint 34 is fitted into the guide groove 36 </ b> A of the cap 36. Next, the ball 34 </ b> B of the joint 34 is placed on the spherical seat 30 of the column 28 formed on the camera body 12 with the cap 36 covered. Next, the lock ring 38 is fitted into the cap 36, and the screw portion 38 </ b> A of the lock ring 38 is screwed into the screw hole 28 formed in the camera body 12.
[0019]
Here, when the screw portion 38A of the lock ring 38 is screwed into the screw hole 28 of the camera body 12, the flange 38b of the lock ring 38 presses the flange 36B of the cap 36, and the cap 36 is moved to the camera body 12 side. Push in. As a result, the ball 34B of the joint 34 housed in the cap 36 is sandwiched between the inner peripheral surface of the cap 36 and the spherical seat 30A, and the joint 34 is fixed. Then, a screw hole 32 formed at the base end portion of the lens unit 14 is screwed into the screw portion 34 of the fixed joint 34 to connect the lens unit 14 to the camera body 12.
[0020]
The operation of the electronic camera 10 of the present embodiment configured as described above is as follows.
1 and 2 each show a state in which the lens unit 14 is housed in the camera body 12. When the photographer takes a picture from this state, first, a finger is put on the lever 38C of the lock ring 38 to rotate the lock ring 38, and the screw portion 38A is loosened. Thereby, the cap 36 of the spherical bearing structure 16 connecting the lens unit 14 and the camera body 12 can be rotated with respect to the camera body 12, and the shaft 34 </ b> A of the joint 34 is formed in the guide groove 36 </ b> A of the cap 36. Can move along. As a result, the lens unit 14 can be rotated in the horizontal direction H and the vertical direction V with respect to the camera body 12.
[0021]
Next, the photographer turns the lens unit 14 in the vertical direction V so that the strobe light emitter 22 provided at the tip of the lens unit 14 is positioned above the photographing lens 20 (this strobe light emitter 22 is taken as the photographing lens). 20 is a normal shooting state.
Next, the lens unit 14 is turned in the horizontal direction H, and the lens unit 14 is directed in a direction that facilitates photographing. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, when the direction of the lens unit 14 is determined, the lock ring 38 is rotated by putting a finger on the lever 38C of the lock ring 38, and the screw portion 38A is tightened. Thereby, the sphere 34B of the joint 34 of the spherical bearing structure 16 is sandwiched between the inner peripheral surface of the cap 36 and the spherical seat 30A, and the joint 34 and the cap 36 are fixed. As a result, the lens unit 14 is fixed to the camera body 12.
[0022]
The operation of loosening or tightening the screw portion 38A of the lock ring 38 can be performed with one hand with one hand by putting the thumb on the lever 38C formed on the knob portion 38B of the lock ring 28 and turning the lock ring 38. it can.
Thus, according to the electronic camera 10 of the present embodiment, the lens unit 14 can be adjusted to a free angle with respect to the camera body 12. Therefore, it is possible to freely hold the camera body 12 at a position where the camera main body 12 is easily held or a position where the liquid crystal monitor 24 is easy to see, regardless of the direction of the taking lens 20 during shooting. In addition, the camera body 12 can be used on a table or the like instead of a tripod, and a self-portrait can be performed.
[0023]
In addition, the set position can be fixed so as not to move, and the locking and unlocking can be performed with one hand with one touch, so that shooting can be performed quickly and reliably.
Further, the lens unit 14 rotates only in the horizontal direction H and the vertical direction V by the action of the shaft 34A formed in a rectangular cross section, and does not rotate around the optical axis of the photographing lens 20, so that the image is inclined. There is no inconvenience.
[0024]
Further, by rotating the lens unit 14 in the horizontal direction H and the vertical direction V around the base end portion, the thickness of the set can be reduced even when a lens unit having a long overall length such as a high magnification zoom is adopted. it can.
In the electronic camera 10 of the present embodiment, the lens unit 14 is disposed above the camera body 12, but the positional relationship between the camera body 12 and the lens unit 14 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the lens unit 14 may be disposed on the side of the camera body 12, and the lens unit 14 may be coupled to the upper side of the side surface of the camera body 12 via a spherical bearing structure 16. .
[0025]
In the present embodiment, the spherical bearing structure 16 is used to connect the camera body 12 and the lens unit 14. However, the joint mechanism is not limited to the spherical bearing structure 16 as long as the optical axis of the lens unit 14 does not rotate. It is not something.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the electronic camera of the present invention, the lens unit can be adjusted to a free angle with respect to the camera body. Therefore, at the time of photographing, the camera body can be freely held at a position where the camera body can be easily held or a position where the display unit can be easily seen regardless of the direction of the photographing lens.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a perspective view of an electronic camera according to the present invention as viewed from the front side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electronic camera according to the present invention as viewed from the back. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a spherical bearing structure. FIG. 4 is an assembly view showing a configuration of a spherical bearing structure. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a usage state of the electronic camera according to the invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the electronic camera according to the invention. Explanation of]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Electronic camera 12 ... Camera body 14 ... Lens unit 16 ... Spherical bearing structure 20 ... Shooting lens 22 ... Strobe light emitter 24 ... Liquid crystal monitor

Claims (5)

In an electronic camera having a photographic lens, a lens unit with a built-in image sensor and the like, and a camera body having a monitor display unit that displays an image based on an image signal from the image sensor,
A base end portion of the lens unit and the camera body are connected via a joint mechanism, and the lens unit is attached to the camera body in a state where rotation around the axis is restricted by the joint mechanism so that the optical axis does not rotate. On the other hand, it is supported so as to be rotatable in two directions, a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, and is configured to be deformable into a first state along the camera body and a second state substantially perpendicular to the camera body, An electronic camera that is deformed to the first state when the electronic camera is not used and carried, and is deformed to the second state when the electronic camera is used. The joint mechanism is
A shaft formed in a rectangular cross section, and a sphere provided at a base end portion of the shaft, and a joint connected to the lens unit;
The joint sphere is formed in a hemispherical shape that can rotate along the inner surface, a single guide groove having substantially the same width as the axis of the joint is formed on the peripheral surface, and a cap connected to the camera body;
The joint is characterized in that the ball is accommodated in the cap, the shaft is fitted in the guide groove, and rotation around the shaft is restricted by a cross-sectional shape of the shaft. An electronic camera according to 1. A grip formed on a side of the camera body;
It is placed at a position where it can be operated with the fingers of the hand holding the grip, and the joint mechanism is locked and unlocked by two-way operation of locking and unlocking to lock and unlock the rotation of the lens unit. Locking means;
The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising: The electronic camera according to claim 3, wherein the lock unit is disposed at a position that can be operated by a thumb of a hand holding the grip. On the front end surface of the lens unit, a strobe light emitting unit is provided above the photographing lens, and the lens unit is housed in the camera body so that the strobe light emitting unit is located below the photographing lens. 5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the strobe light emitting unit is positioned above the photographing lens to be in a normal photographing state by swiveling in a vertical direction during use. camera.

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