JP7725532B2 - Camera units and electronic devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a camera unit and an electronic device equipped with the camera unit.

Electronic devices such as notebook PCs or tablet PCs are equipped with cameras, for example, on the side of the display (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-008025

The camera described above is a so-called in-camera, installed so that it can only capture the operator's side using the electronic device. However, depending on the conditions of use of the electronic device, it may be desirable for the camera to be able to capture the side opposite the display, and be usable as a so-called out-camera. In this case, it is expected that a rotatable camera unit will be used, with the camera unit rotatably supported on the housing of the electronic device. If a rotatable camera unit is installed, the display angle and camera angle can be adjusted separately, making it possible to achieve both easy-to-view display and good camera images.

However, rotating camera units require a mechanism for rotatably mounting them on the housing of the electronic device. This means that such camera units tend to have a complex structure and are prone to increasing in thickness and height. This can result in a decrease in the appearance quality of the housing of an electronic device equipped with a camera unit, for example by increasing the width of the bezel surrounding the display.

The present invention was made in consideration of the problems with the prior art described above, and aims to provide a camera unit that can reduce thickness and height and improve the appearance quality of the electronic device in which it is installed, as well as an electronic device equipped with such a camera unit.

A camera unit according to a first aspect of the present invention is a camera unit to be attached to the housing of an electronic device, and comprises: a housing having a cylindrically extending main body; and a camera module accommodated in the main body. The housing has: a first shaft portion that protrudes axially from a first end face on one side in the longitudinal direction of the main body and has a smaller diameter than the main body portion; and a second shaft portion that protrudes axially from a second end face on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the main body and has a smaller diameter than the main body portion. The housing further comprises: a first bearing component that has an axial hole into which the first shaft portion is rotatably inserted and an attachment portion for the housing of the electronic device; and a second bearing component that has an axial hole into which the first shaft portion is rotatably inserted and an attachment portion for the housing of the electronic device.

An electronic device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a housing having a display mounted thereon, and a camera unit attached to the housing and arranged along one edge of the display. The camera unit comprises a housing having a cylindrically extending main body, a first shaft protruding axially from a first end face on one side in the longitudinal direction of the main body and formed with a smaller diameter than the main body, and a second shaft protruding axially from a second end face on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the main body and formed with a smaller diameter than the main body; a camera module accommodated in the main body, a first bearing component having an axial hole into which the first shaft is rotatably inserted and an attachment portion for the housing, and a second bearing component having an axial hole into which the first shaft is rotatably inserted and an attachment portion for the housing.

The above-described aspects of the present invention enable thickness and height to be reduced, thereby improving the appearance quality of the electronic device in which it is installed.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electronic device according to an embodiment, viewed from above. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the camera unit. FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the camera unit attached to the cover member and its surroundings. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the cover member shown in FIG. 3 with a bezel member, a display, and a glass plate attached thereto. FIG. 5A is an enlarged perspective view of one shaft portion and its surrounding area. FIG. 5B is a perspective view of the shaft portion shown in FIG. 5A in a state where a bearing part is connected to the shaft portion. FIG. 6A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line VIA-VIA in FIG. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the camera unit shown in FIG. 6A rotated 180 degrees. FIG. 7A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VIIA-VIIA in FIG. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the camera unit shown in FIG. 7A rotated 180 degrees. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a camera unit according to a modified example.

Below, preferred embodiments of the camera unit and electronic device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a top-down plan view of an electronic device 10 according to one embodiment. The electronic device 10 comprises a system main body 12 and a lid 14. The electronic device 10 of this embodiment is a clamshell notebook PC in which the system main body 12 and the lid 14 are connected by a hinge 16 so that they can rotate relative to each other. Electronic devices to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to notebook PCs, and examples include various information devices such as tablet PCs, smartphones, and portable game consoles.

The system main body 12 has a flat, box-shaped housing. A keyboard 18 and a touchpad 19 are provided on the top surface of the system main body 12. Inside the system main body 12, various electronic components are housed, such as a circuit board on which a CPU and other components are mounted, a storage device, a battery device, and an antenna.

The cover 14 has a flat, box-shaped housing 20 that is thinner than the system main body 12. The housing 20 is equipped with a display 22 and a camera unit 24.

In the following description of the housing 20 and camera unit 24, the left-right direction will be referred to as the X1 and X2 directions, the height direction as the Y1 and Y2 directions, and the thickness direction (depth direction) as the Z1 and Z2 directions, based on the direction in which the operator views the display 22 from the front. The X1 and X2 directions may be collectively referred to as the X direction, and the Y1, Y2 directions and the Z1, Z2 directions may similarly be referred to as the Y direction and the Z direction.

The housing 20 is composed of a cover member 26 and a bezel member 28 (see also Figure 6A).

The cover member 26 is a plate-shaped member that forms the back surface (Z2-side surface) of the housing 20. The back surface of the display 22 is supported by the inner surface of the cover member 26. The display 22 is made of liquid crystal or organic EL, and occupies most of the front surface of the lid body 14. The display 22 is installed so that the display surface 22a that displays images faces the front surface (Z1-side surface) of the housing 20. The bezel member 28 is a frame that surrounds the periphery of the display 22. The bezel member 28 is provided so as to surround the periphery of the display surface 22a of the display 22. The bezel member 28 may be provided integrally with the cover member 26.

The outer peripheral side of the housing 20 is formed by a standing wall 29. The standing wall 29 is composed of a Z2-side portion that stands in the Z1 direction from the outer peripheral edge of the cover member 26, and a Z1-side portion that stands in the Z2 direction from the outer peripheral edge of the bezel member 28 (see also Figures 4 and 6A). The standing wall 29 may be provided on only one of the cover member 26 or the bezel member 28.

The standing wall 29 has a recessed portion 29a approximately in the center of the portion forming the Y1-side side surface of the housing 20. The recessed portion 29a is formed by recessing part of the standing wall 29 in the direction toward the Y1-side edge (edge 22b) of the display 22, i.e., in the Y2 direction. The bottom wall 29a1 of the recessed portion 29a, which extends along the X direction, is close to the edge 22b of the display 22. The recessed portion 29a forms an installation space for the camera unit 24 on the Y1-side edge of the housing 20. By installing the camera unit 24 in the recessed portion 29a, it is positioned as if embedded in the bezel member 28 along the edge 22b of the display 22.

The display surface 22a of the display 22 is covered by a glass plate 30 fixed to the Z1-side surface of the bezel member 28. The glass plate 30 covers the display surface 22a and forms most of the front surface of the housing 20. A decorative frame that covers only the surface of the bezel member 28 may be used instead of the glass plate 30.

Next, we will explain the camera unit 24.

The camera unit 24 is a rotatable camera unit supported relative to the housing 20, rotatably about a rotation axis along the X direction. The camera unit 24 can capture images in any direction within a range of approximately 180 degrees, from the front of the housing 20 (Z1 direction) via the Y1 direction to the rear of the housing 20 (Z2 direction) (see Figures 6A and 6B). The angle of the camera unit 24 can be adjusted separately from the angle adjustment of the display 22 using the hinge 16 of the lid 14. Therefore, the actual angle adjustment range of the camera unit 24, when combined with the angle adjustment range of the display 22 (e.g., 180-degree range), is greater than 180 degrees. In this way, the electronic device 10 can adjust the display angle and camera angle independently, achieving both easy display visibility and high-quality camera images. The rotation range of the camera unit 24 may be less than 180 degrees or greater than 180 degrees.

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the camera unit 24. Figure 3 is a schematic front view of the camera unit 24 and its surrounding area attached to the cover member 26. Figure 4 is a schematic front view of the cover member 26 shown in Figure 3 with the bezel member 28, display 22, and glass plate 30 attached.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the camera unit 24 comprises a housing 32, a pair of bearing components 34, 35, a camera module 36, and a pair of microphone modules 38, 39. Below, unless otherwise noted, the structure and arrangement of the components of the camera unit 24 will be described based on the orientation in which the lens 36a of the camera module 36 faces the front of the housing 20 (Z1 direction), i.e., the rotational position in which the lens 36a faces the same direction as the display surface 22a of the display 22.

The housing 32 has a cylindrical main body 40 extending in the X direction and a pair of shafts 41, 42 provided at both longitudinal ends of the main body 40. The housing 32 is a metal part made of, for example, aluminum or steel, but may also be a resin part.

The main body 40 is a cylindrical body with a roughly circular outer periphery, and has a long space 40a inside that extends along the axial direction (X direction). The main body 40 may be a rectangular tube with a polygonal outer periphery, but a cylindrical shape is preferable to reduce the effective outer diameter during rotation. A slightly recessed flat surface 40b is provided on the Z1-side surface of the main body 40. The flat surface 40b is a flat surface that is aligned with the XY directions and extends along roughly the entire length of the main body 40 in the longitudinal direction.

A camera hole 44 is formed through the flat surface 40b, which forms part of the outer wall surface of the main body 40, approximately in the center in the longitudinal direction, and microphone holes 45a and 46a, each with a smaller diameter than the camera hole 44, are formed near both ends in the longitudinal direction. A lens plate 48, which conceals the camera hole 44, is fixed to the flat surface 40b with double-sided adhesive tape or the like. The lens plate 48 is, for example, a strip-shaped glass plate. Holes 48a and 48b, which communicate with the microphone holes 45a and 46a, are formed near both ends in the longitudinal direction of the lens plate 48. A rectangular elongated hole 48c is formed near the center of the lens plate 48. An operating knob 50a of a camera shutter 50 is movably inserted through the elongated hole 48c. The camera shutter 50 is sandwiched between the lens plate 48 and the flat surface 40b so as to be slidable in the X direction. By operating the operating knob 50a in the X direction, the camera shutter 50 can be slid between an open position that opens the camera hole 44 and a closed position that closes it. The camera shutter 50 may be omitted.

A pair of microphone holes 45b, 46b are formed through the outer wall surface of the main body 40, also on the Y2 side surface. Microphone holes 45b, 46b are small holes with the same diameter as microphone holes 45a, 46a or slightly larger. With the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the main body 40 as the reference point, microphone hole 45b is located in approximately the same position as microphone hole 45a, and microphone hole 46b is located in approximately the same position as microphone hole 46a. The axial direction (penetration direction) of microphone holes 45b, 46b is perpendicular to the axial direction (penetration direction) of microphone holes 45a, 46a. Microphone holes 45a, 45b communicate with the same microphone module 38, allowing sound to be collected by the microphone module 38. Microphone holes 46a, 46b communicate with the same microphone module 39, allowing sound to be collected by the microphone module 39.

The shaft portions 41, 42 are cylindrical bodies with a smaller diameter than the main body portion 40 and are arranged coaxially on the axis of the main body portion 40. One of the shaft portions 41 protrudes in the X2 direction from the end face 40c on one side (X2 side) of the main body portion 40 in the longitudinal direction. The other shaft portion 42 protrudes in the X1 direction from the end face 40d on the other side (X1 side) of the main body portion 40 in the longitudinal direction.

Figure 5A is an enlarged perspective view of one shaft portion 41 and its surrounding area. Figure 5B is a perspective view of the shaft portion 41 shown in Figure 5A with the bearing component 34 connected to it.

As shown in Figures 2 to 5A, one shaft portion 41 is inserted into the shaft hole 56a of the bearing part 34 so as to be able to rotate relative to the shaft hole 56a. The shaft portion 41, together with the bearing part 34, constitutes the rotation shaft portion 51 on the X2 side of the camera unit 24 (see Figure 5B). The shaft portion 41 has a cable insertion hole 53 that passes through it in the axial direction. The cable insertion hole 53 communicates with the space 40a of the main body part 40. A cable 54 connected to the camera module 36 and microphone modules 38, 39 is inserted through the cable insertion hole 53.

The shaft portion 41 is bifurcated by a split 55 extending axially from its tip. The split 55 is formed by a pair of slit-shaped notches located opposite each other in the circumferential direction of the shaft portion 41. The split 55 enables the shaft portion 41 to generate a diametrical biasing force F, as indicated by the dashed-dotted arrow in Figure 5A.

The shaft portion 41 is divided by the crack 55 so that one portion protrudes longer than the other portion. The tips of these portions form a pair of stopper surfaces 55a, 55b that face approximately in the Z1 direction. The stopper surfaces 55a, 55b are spaced apart at an angle slightly greater than 180 degrees in the circumferential direction of the shaft portion 41. This allows the stopper surfaces 55a, 55b to engage the stopper piece 56b of the bearing component 34 (described below) within a rotation range of, for example, 180 degrees.

The other shaft portion 42 is inserted into the shaft hole 56a of the bearing part 35 so as to be able to rotate relative to it. Together with the bearing part 35, the shaft portion 42 constitutes the rotation shaft portion 52 on the X1 side of the camera unit 24. The shaft portion 42 may have the same configuration as the one shaft portion 41 described above, except that it is bilaterally symmetrical. Therefore, components of the shaft portion 42 that are the same as or similar to those of the shaft portion 41 are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions are omitted. That is, the shaft portion 42 also has a cable insertion hole 53, a slit 55, and stopper surfaces 55a and 55b.

The cable insertion hole 53 may be formed in only one of the shaft portions 41, 42. However, providing the cable insertion hole 53 in both shaft portions 41, 42 has the advantage that each cable insertion hole 53 can be used when there are a large number of cables 54 connected to the camera module 36 and microphone modules 38, 39 or when the cables are thick.

As shown in Figure 2, the housing 32 can be constructed by connecting housing members 32A and 32B, which are split vertically along the axial direction.

When the XY plane passing through the axis of the housing 32 is used as a reference, the housing member 32A forms approximately half of the housing 32 on the Z1 side, and the housing member 32B forms approximately half of the housing 32 on the Z2 side. Therefore, the housing member 32A includes the body member 40A, which forms approximately half of the Z1 side of the body portion 40, and the shaft members 41A and 42A, which form approximately half of the Z1 side of the shaft portions 41 and 42. The housing member 32B includes the body member 40B, which forms approximately half of the Z2 side of the body portion 40, and the shaft members 41B and 42B, which form approximately half of the Z2 side of the shaft portions 41 and 42.

The camera module 36, microphone modules 38 and 39, and substrate 60 (described later) are fixed to, for example, main body member 40B. Shaft portion 41 is divided into shaft members 41A and 41B at the position where it passes through gap 55. Shaft portion 42 is also divided into shaft members 42A and 42B at the position where it passes through gap 55. Stopper surfaces 55a and 55b are provided on, for example, shaft members 41B and 42B.

The divided housing members 32A, 32B can be connected using, for example, a pair of left and right sleeves 59, 59. The sleeves 59 are, for example, metal rings. By fitting the sleeves 59 onto the shaft portions 41, 42, respectively, the housing members 32A, 32B can be joined without rattle, with their divided end faces in close contact with each other. The sleeves 59 are press-fitted into the protruding direction of the shaft portions 41, 42, closer to the base (end faces 40c, 40d) than the bearing components 34, 35. This improves the joining strength of the housing members 32A, 32B. It also prevents the sleeves 59 from interfering with the generation of the biasing force F caused by the crack 55.

As shown in Figures 2 to 5B, bearing components 34 and 35 support shaft portions 41 and 42, respectively, so that they can rotate relative to one another, thereby forming rotational shaft portions 51 and 52 of the camera unit 24. Bearing components 34 and 35 also function as brackets for attaching the camera unit 24 to the housing 20 (cover member 26) (see Figure 3).

One bearing component 34 has a cylindrical portion 56 with a shaft hole 56a formed therein and an attachment portion 57. Bearing components 34 and 35 are metal components made of, for example, aluminum or steel, but may also be resin components.

The tubular portion 56 is a bearing for the shaft portion 41. The tubular portion 56 is cylindrical, with an axial hole 56a extending through it in the axial direction (X direction). The shaft portion 41 is inserted into the axial hole 56a with almost no gap, allowing for relative rotation. At this time, the shaft portion 41 is connected to the axial hole 56a without rattle and for smooth sliding and rotation due to the diametrical biasing force F generated by elastic deformation due to the crack 55. There is a predetermined sliding resistance between the axial hole 56a and the shaft portion 41, and this sliding resistance becomes the rotational torque of the camera unit 24 relative to the housing 20.

The cylindrical portion 56 is formed with a stopper piece 56b that protrudes radially inward from the Z2-side end of the inner circumferential surface of the shaft hole 56a. When the shaft portion 41 rotates relative to the shaft hole 56a, the stopper piece 56b can selectively abut against the stopper surfaces 55a, 55b of the shaft portion 41, thereby defining the rotational range of the shaft portion 41. In this embodiment, the shaft portion 41 can rotate 180 degrees relative to the bearing component 34. For example, the stopper piece 56b abuts against one stopper surface 55a at a rotation angle (0 degrees) when the lens 36a faces the Z1 direction (see Figure 5B), and abuts against the other stopper surface 55b at a rotation angle (180 degrees) when the lens 36a faces the Z2 direction.

The mounting portion 57 is a plate piece formed by protruding approximately half of the Z2 side of the X2 end face of the cylindrical portion 56 in the X2 direction, bending it toward the Z1 side, and then bending it again toward the X2 side. The tip of the mounting portion 57 is formed from a flat plate that extends along the XY directions, and a mounting hole 57a is formed through it in the plate's thickness direction (Z direction). For example, the mounting hole 57a is positioned in the Z direction so that it approximately coincides with the axis of the shaft portion 41. This gives the bearing component 34 a thin structure in which the mounting portion 57 does not protrude in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the camera unit 24. A screw 58 is inserted into the mounting hole 57a to secure the camera unit 24 to the housing 20 (cover member 26) (see Figure 3).

The bearing part 34 has an axial hole 56a arranged coaxially with the cable insertion hole 53 of the shaft portion 41, and a gap G is formed between the cylindrical portion 56 and the mounting portion 57. The cable 54 can be pulled out from this gap G to the outside.

The other bearing component 35 may have the same configuration as the above-described one bearing component 34, except that it is bilaterally symmetrical. Therefore, for bearing component 35, components that are the same or similar to those of bearing component 34 are assigned the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. Specifically, bearing component 35 also has a cylindrical portion 56 provided with an axial hole 56a and a stopper piece 56b, and an attachment portion 57 provided with an attachment hole 57a. Bearing component 35 also has a predetermined sliding resistance between axial hole 56a and shaft component 42, and this sliding resistance becomes a rotational torque for the housing 20 of the camera unit 24. This sliding resistance may be set to occur only between the shaft component 41 and bearing component 34, or between the shaft component 42 and bearing component 35.

As shown in FIG. 2, the camera module 36 is housed in the space 40a of the main body 40. The camera module 36 has a central focusing lens 36a and an image sensor 36b that converts light incident through the lens 36a into an electrical signal and transmits the data. The camera module 36 is, for example, a digital camera capable of capturing video and still images. The camera module 36 is mounted on the Z1-side surface of the circuit board 60. The circuit board 60 has a horizontally elongated rectangular shape extending substantially the entire length of the space 40a in the longitudinal direction. The circuit board 60 is fixed to the inner wall surface of the housing 32 using fasteners such as screws or double-sided adhesive tape. The circuit board 60 may also be fixed to the housing 32 without using these fasteners, for example, by sandwiching it between the main body members 40A and 40B. The camera module 36 may further include an infrared camera (IRLED) that can be used for facial recognition, an illuminance sensor that can detect the brightness of the surrounding environment, etc.

As shown in Figure 2, the microphone modules 38 and 39 are housed in the space 40a of the main body 40 and mounted on the Z1 side surface of the substrate 60.

One of the microphone modules, 38, is provided near the X2 end of the substrate 60. The microphone module 38 has a microphone 38a and a microphone cover 38b (see also Figure 7A). The microphone 38a is, for example, a MEMS microphone with a shielded MEMS chip or IC chip having a diaphragm, and is mounted on the substrate 60. As shown in Figure 7A, the microphone cover 38b is a rubber cover material that covers the microphone 38a with a cavity 38c formed around the microphone 38a. The microphone cover 38b has a communication hole 38b1 that opens to the Z1 side surface and a communication hole 38b2 that opens to the Y2 side surface.

As shown in FIG. 7A , the main body 40 may have a flat surface 40e on the Z1-side inner wall surface located behind the flat surface 40b, and a flat surface 40f on the Y2-side inner wall surface perpendicular to the flat surface 40e. A microphone hole 45a is formed in the flat surface 40e, and a microphone hole 45b is formed in the flat surface 40f. The opening edge of the communication hole 38b1 is in close contact with the flat surface 40e and communicates with the microphone hole 45a, thereby connecting the microphone hole 45a to the cavity 38c. The opening edge of the communication hole 38b2 is in close contact with the flat surface 40f and communicates with the microphone hole 45b, thereby connecting the microphone hole 45b to the cavity 38c. As a result, external sound that passes through the microphone holes 45a and 45b passes through the communication holes 38b1 and 38b2, then passes through the cavity 38c, and is smoothly collected by the microphone 38a.

The other microphone module 39 is provided near the X1 end of the substrate 60. The microphone module 39 may have the same configuration as the above-mentioned one microphone module 38, except that it is bilaterally symmetrical. Therefore, for microphone module 39, components that are the same or similar to those of microphone module 38 are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions are omitted. That is, microphone module 39 also has a microphone 38a, a microphone cover 38b, a cavity 38c, and communication holes 38b1 and 38b2, and faces flat surfaces 40e and 40f of main body 40. The camera unit 24 may be equipped with only one of microphone modules 38 and 39, or may be equipped with three or more microphone modules.

Next, we will explain the rotational movement of the camera unit 24 and its effects.

As shown in Figure 6A, when the camera unit 24 is in the 0-degree position with the lens 36a facing in the Z1 direction, the shooting direction of the camera module 36 is approximately the same as the display surface 22a of the display 22. For this reason, the camera module 36 can be suitably used as an in-camera that shoots images of the operator viewing the display 22 (see shooting direction C indicated by the dashed dotted line in the figure). Note that the camera unit 24 can also be adjusted to a more optimal shooting angle by tilting it slightly up and down with a fingertip from the 0-degree position. In other words, the camera unit 24 may be configured to allow angle adjustment by tilting it slightly downward from the 0-degree position, and the same is true for the 180-degree position shown in Figure 6B.

As shown in Figure 7A, in the 0-degree position, the microphone hole 45a (46a) of the microphone module 38 (39) faces in approximately the same direction (Z1 direction) as the shooting direction of the camera module 36. In other words, the sound collection direction using the microphone hole 45a (46a) of the microphone module 38 (39) coincides with the shooting direction of the camera module 36 (see sound collection direction S indicated by the dashed dotted line in the figure). This allows the microphone module 38 (39) to efficiently collect sounds such as the voice of the person being photographed by the camera module 36.

On the other hand, when using the camera unit 24 as an in-camera, as shown in FIG. 7A, the separate microphone hole 45b (46b) for collecting sound into the microphone module 38 (39) faces closely to the bottom wall 29a1 of the recessed portion 29a. In other words, in the 0-degree position, the microphone hole 45b (46b) is blocked by the bottom wall 29a1, resulting in almost no sound being collected. In this way, the electronic device 10 automatically blocks the microphone hole 45b (46b) that is not needed when using the in-camera mode. This prevents the unused microphone hole 45b (46b) from picking up ambient noise and improves the sound collection efficiency of the microphone hole 45a (46a). Note that blocking the microphone hole 45b (46b) in this manner will function satisfactorily not only when the axial direction of the microphone hole 45b (46b) is perfectly perpendicular to the axial direction of the microphone hole 45a (46a), but also when the axial direction is slightly off-perpendicular.

The camera unit 24 in this 0-degree position can be easily rotated with a fingertip or the like. The 180-degree position shown in Figures 6B and 7B is the state in which the camera unit 24 has been rotated 180 degrees clockwise in the figure from the 0-degree position shown in Figures 6A and 7A. Of course, the camera unit 24 can be set to any angle between the 0-degree position and the 180-degree position by the rotational torque generated by the rotation shafts 51 and 52, allowing it to take pictures or collect sound.

As shown in Figure 6B, in the 180-degree position, the imaging direction of the camera module 36 faces substantially opposite the display surface 22a of the display 22 (Z2 direction). In other words, the camera module 36 can be suitably used as an external camera that captures images on the side opposite the operator viewing the display 22 (see imaging direction C indicated by the dashed line in the figure).

As shown in Figure 7B, in the 180-degree position, the microphone hole 45a (46a) of the microphone module 38 (39) faces in approximately the same direction (Z2 direction) as the shooting direction of the camera module 36. In other words, the sound collection direction using the microphone hole 45a (46a) of the microphone module 38 (39) coincides with the shooting direction of the camera module 36 (see sound collection direction S1 indicated by the dashed dotted line in the figure). This allows the microphone module 38 (39) to efficiently collect sounds, such as the voice of the person being photographed by the camera module 36.

Furthermore, when using the camera unit 24 as an external camera, as shown in FIG. 7B, the separate microphone hole 45b (46b) for collecting sound into the microphone module 38 (39) is positioned facing the Y1 direction, midway between the operator's direction (Z1 direction) and the shooting direction (Z2 direction). In other words, the sound collection direction using the microphone hole 45b (46b) of the microphone module 38 (39) faces between the operator and the shooting direction (see the sound collection direction S2 indicated by the dashed line in the figure). Therefore, the microphone module 38 (39) can also collect sounds from the operator and those around them through the microphone hole 45b (46b). As a result, for example, conversations between the operator operating the electronic device 10 and another company in the shooting direction of the external camera can be efficiently collected through the two microphone holes 45a (46a) and 45b (46b). The axial direction of the microphone holes 45b and 46b does not have to be perpendicular to the axial direction of the microphone holes 45a and 46a; for example, in Figure 7B, the microphone holes 45b (46b) may face in an oblique direction midway between the Y1 direction and the Z1 direction.

As described above, the camera unit 24 of this embodiment comprises a housing 32 having a cylindrically extending main body 40, and a camera module 36 housed in the main body 40. The housing 32 has shafts 41, 42 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, each of which has a smaller diameter than the main body 40. The camera unit 24 further comprises bearing components 34, 35 that are provided with an axial hole 56a into which the shafts 41, 42 are inserted so as to be rotatable relative to each other, and an attachment portion 57 for mounting to the housing 20.

In this way, the camera unit 24 supports the small-diameter shafts 41, 42 at both ends of the cylindrically extending main body 40 with bearing components 34, 35, and can be fixed to the housing 20 of the electronic device 10 via the mounting portions 57 of these bearing components 34, 35. This simplifies the structure of the rotation shafts 51, 52 of the camera unit 24, allowing its thickness in the Z direction and its height in the Y direction to be minimized. For example, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5B, the outer diameter of the camera unit 24 in the axial direction is kept entirely within the outer diameter of the main body 40. This reduces the thickness and height of the camera unit 24, allowing the housing 20 of the electronic device 10 to be made smaller and thinner. In particular, the camera unit 24 is arranged along the edge 22b of the display 22 together with the bezel member 28. This allows the width of the bezel member 28 surrounding the periphery of the display 22 of the electronic device 10 to be narrowed, improving its appearance.

The electronic device 10 of this embodiment also includes a housing 20 that mounts a display 22, and a camera unit 24 that is rotatably supported on the housing 20 and is provided along the edge 22b of the display 22. The camera unit 24 includes a housing 32 that is rotatably supported relative to the housing 20, and a camera module 36 and a microphone module 38 (39) housed in the housing 32. The outer wall surface of the housing 32 is formed with a camera hole 44 that allows light to pass through to the camera module 36, and a microphone hole 45a (46a) that faces in the same direction as the camera hole 44 and collects sound into the microphone module 38 (39). Note that the camera hole 44 and the microphone hole 45a (46a) facing in the same direction means that their axial directions are perfectly aligned, but some degree of misalignment is acceptable.

Therefore, when the electronic device 10 uses the camera unit 24 as an external camera that captures images in a direction different from the display surface 22a, for example, 180 degrees away, the microphone hole 45a (46a) faces the same direction as the imaging direction of the camera module 36. This allows the microphone module 38 (39) to efficiently collect sounds, such as the voice of the person being imaged by the camera module 36. In other words, the difference between the imaging direction of the camera module 36 and the sound collection direction of the microphone module 38 (39) can be reduced, enabling efficient sound collection.

In this embodiment, the camera unit 24 is further provided with a microphone hole 45b (46b) on the outer wall surface of the housing 32, facing in a different direction from the microphone hole 45a (46a), for collecting sound into the microphone module 38 (39). This allows the camera unit 24 to efficiently collect not only the voice of the person being photographed when used as an external camera, but also the voice of an operator viewing the display 22, for example.

The camera unit 24 of this embodiment includes a housing 32 formed by connecting two separate housing members 32A and 32B. This allows for easy installation of the circuit board 60 and camera module 36 in the housing 32, and assembly efficiency is high. The housing members 32A and 32B can be joined together using a sleeve 59 that is press-fit into the shaft portions 41 and 42. This makes it easier and stronger to join the two separate housing members 32A and 32B in the camera unit 24. Furthermore, the sleeve 59 provides better space efficiency than joining the housing members 32A and 32B with screws or the like, and has almost no effect on the thickness or height of the camera unit 24.

The housing 32 may be configured in a manner other than the vertically split housing members 32A and 32B shown in Figure 2.

Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of a modified camera unit 62. In Figure 8, the same reference numerals as those shown in Figures 1 to 7 indicate the same or similar components, and therefore will not be described in detail as they have the same or similar functions and effects.

The camera unit 24 shown in FIG. 2 has a housing 32 configured by connecting vertically separated housing members 32A and 32B. In contrast, the camera unit 62 shown in FIG. 8 has a housing 64 configured differently from the housing 32. The housing 64 is configured by connecting housing members 64A and 64B. One housing member 64A has a main body portion 40 and a shaft portion 42 integrally formed with the end face 40d of the main body portion 40. The X2 side end of the main body portion 40 of housing member 64A is an opening to a space 40a, and does not have an end face 40c. The other housing member 64B has a shaft portion 41 protruding from the end face 40c, and a fitting portion 65.

The mating portion 65 is a cylindrical body that protrudes in the X1 direction from the rear surface of the flange-shaped portion, on the shaft portion 41 side, where the end face 40c is formed. The mating portion 65 can be press-fit into the opening at the X2 side end of the main body portion 40 of the housing member 64A. A hole 65a penetrates the mating portion 65 along the axial direction, connecting the cable insertion hole 53 of the shaft portion 41 with the space 40a of the main body portion 40. A flat surface 65b is formed on the Z1 side surface of the mating portion 65, abutting against the flat surface 40e of the main body portion 40 to prevent rotation of the housing member 64B relative to the housing member 64A. A support plate 66 extending in the X1 direction is integrally formed with the mating portion 65. The support plate 66 is a strip-shaped plate that is positioned closer to the Z2 side within the space 40a and extends in the X direction. The Z1 side surface of the support plate 66 supports the board 60, on which the camera module 36 and microphone modules 38 and 39 are mounted.

In this type of camera unit 62, the support plate 66 with the board 60 attached is inserted into the space 40a, and the mating portion 65 is fitted into the X2 side end of the housing member 64A. This connects the housing member 64B to the housing member 64A, forming a camera unit 62 similar to the camera unit 24 described above. Also, by attaching the board 60 and other components to the support plate 66, it is easy to install the camera module 36 and microphone modules 38 and 39, and also to secure them to the main body 40. While the split structures shown in Figures 2 and 8 have been presented as examples in consideration of assembly efficiency of the housings 32 and 64, it goes without saying that the housing structure is not limited to these.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can of course be freely modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The above example shows a camera unit 24 equipped with a camera module 36 and microphone modules 38 and 39, but the microphone modules 38 and 39 do not have to be integrated.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Electronic device 20 Housing 22 Display 24, 62 Camera unit 29a Recessed portion 32, 64 Housing 34, 35 Bearing part 36 Camera module 38, 39 Microphone module 40 Main body 41, 42 Shaft portion 45a, 45b, 46a, 46b Microphone hole 51, 52 Rotating shaft portion 53 Cable insertion hole 55 Crack 57 Mounting portion 60 Board

Claims (8)

A camera unit attached to a housing of an electronic device,
a housing having a cylindrically extending main body;
a camera module accommodated in the main body;
Equipped with
The housing includes:
a first shaft portion that protrudes in the axial direction from a first end surface on one side in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion and is formed with a smaller diameter than the main body portion;
a second shaft portion that protrudes in the axial direction from a second end surface on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion and has a smaller diameter than the main body portion;
and
moreover,
a first bearing component provided with an axial hole into which the first shaft portion is inserted so as to be relatively rotatable and an attachment portion for attachment to a housing of the electronic device;
a second bearing component provided with an axial hole into which the first shaft portion is inserted so as to be relatively rotatable, and an attachment portion for attachment to a housing of the electronic device;
A camera unit comprising: 2. The camera unit according to claim 1,
A camera unit, characterized in that at least one of the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion has a slit extending from its tip along the axial direction, thereby being able to generate a biasing force in a diameter direction. 3. The camera unit according to claim 1,
The camera unit is characterized in that the housing is configured by connecting a first housing member and a second housing member, each of which is vertically divided along the axial direction, with the main body portion, the first shaft portion, and the second shaft portion. 4. The camera unit according to claim 3,
a first sleeve into which the first shaft portion is press-fitted to couple a portion of the first shaft portion provided on the first housing member with another portion of the first shaft portion provided on the second housing member;
a second sleeve into which the second shaft portion is press-fitted to couple a portion of the first shaft portion provided on the first housing member with another portion of the first shaft portion provided on the second housing member;
A camera unit comprising: 3. The camera unit according to claim 1,
The housing includes:
a first housing member provided with the main body portion and the first shaft portion formed integrally with the first end surface of the main body portion;
a second housing member provided with the second shaft portion and fitted to the main body portion;
A camera unit comprising: 6. The camera unit according to claim 5,
The camera unit according to claim 1, wherein the second housing member further includes a support plate that supports the camera module and is inserted into an internal space of the main body. 3. The camera unit according to claim 1,
a cable insertion hole through which a cable connected to the camera module can be inserted, the cable insertion hole being formed through at least one of the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion along its axial direction to communicate with the internal space of the main body portion. An electronic device,
A housing equipped with a display,
a camera unit attached to the housing and provided along one edge of the display;
Equipped with
The camera unit includes:
a housing having a main body portion extending in a cylindrical shape, a first shaft portion protruding in an axial direction from a first end face on one side in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion and formed with a smaller diameter than the main body portion, and a second shaft portion protruding in the axial direction from a second end face on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the main body portion and formed with a smaller diameter than the main body portion;
a camera module accommodated in the main body;
a first bearing component provided with an axial hole into which the first shaft portion is inserted so as to be relatively rotatable and an attachment portion for attachment to the housing;
a second bearing component provided with an axial hole into which the first shaft portion is inserted so as to be relatively rotatable and an attachment portion for attachment to the housing;
An electronic device comprising: