JP2002262161A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera where a printed circuit board, an optical system device and a battery or the like are laid out with ingenuity so as to minimize a projection area in a direction of a projection optical axis, to enhance the user-friendliness with downsizing and to realize low profile at a low cost. SOLUTION: In the camera 1 of this invention, a battery container chamber 15 and a media slot 21 are placed toward a 1st grip section 1A in the inside of a flat case 2, and an image pickup board 16 is configured by placing a lens unit 17 toward a 2nd grip section 1B inversely to the 1st grip section 1A, and an image pickup board 16 is placed at its side end face in parallel with an image pickup face of a CCD. Furthermore, a main board 20 is fitted to a chassis 5 forming the battery container chamber 15 and contained in the inside of the case 2. The main board 20 is layered in the battery container section 15 perpendicular to the case 2 and not layered perpendicular to the lens unit 17, and configured with an outer shape nearly entirely covering a projection face of the object of the case 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention uses a folding type imaging optical system which bends incident light from a subject to form an image on an imaging surface, and optimally arranges various parts necessary for photographing. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a camera that is low-cost and that can be made thinner and smaller.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the spread of electronic devices such as personal computers, a subject image formed by an imaging optical system is
There is a great demand for a camera that captures an image with a CD (charge transfer type imaging device) and performs recording and reproduction.

In this type of camera, a subject image formed by an image pickup optical system is picked up by a CCD to obtain a video signal, and a monitor display unit, for example, an LCD
(Liquid crystal display device) is configured to display a subject image and check a shooting screen. In addition, there is a type in which a recording medium such as a memory card capable of recording a video signal obtained by imaging is detachable.

By the way, in such a camera,
In general, it is strongly desired to make a camera thinner in order to improve usability and reduce size at low cost.

In view of such a demand for thinning, various proposals have hitherto been made.
There is a thin digital camera described in JP-A-36496, a recording / reproducing apparatus described in JP-A-9-163206, and the like.

According to the proposal described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-336496, in a digital camera in which an imaging optical system, an imaging device, and a monitor device are built in a camera body, the imaging device and the monitor device are connected to the camera body. The image pickup optical system is characterized in that it is arranged at a position that does not overlap when viewed from the optical axis direction of the imaging optical system. In other words, the unit having the largest depth is the imaging optical system, and the thicker unit in the depth direction of the imaging optical system is configured not to overlap with each other, thereby realizing a thinner camera.

The proposal described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-163206 relates to a video camera configured to bend the optical axis of subject light incident from a front lens in a right angle direction and to enter a solid-state imaging device. In particular, according to another embodiment shown in FIG.
A configuration embodiment is disclosed in which the arrangement with the wiring board does not overlap when viewed from the subject side. This allows
Attempts are being made to reduce the width, length, and height of the video camera device to reduce the overall size.

[0008]

However, the above-mentioned conventional Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-336496 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
According to the proposal described in JP-A-163206, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the camera to some extent by adopting such a configuration in the prior art. However, if the units are arranged so as not to overlap each other in the depth direction, the camera can be reduced accordingly. However, the projection area when viewed from the direction of the photographing optical axis is inevitably large. In other words, minimization of the projection area is sacrificed for the purpose of reducing the thickness of the camera, and there is a problem that the usability is improved and the camera is not optimal for reducing the thickness.

Further, assuming a digital camera that consumes a large amount of electric energy, this type of camera requires a large space for accommodating a battery. However, in the above-mentioned conventional proposal, the arrangement of the battery occupying a large space is required. Is not disclosed, that is, nothing is described about a technique for minimizing a true camera.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and by arranging a circuit board, an optical system device, a battery, and the like, the projection area in the projection optical axis direction can be minimized and the camera can be used easily. It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera capable of improving the image quality and reducing the size and thickness of the entire camera at low cost.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera having a flat and elongated shape, and a shortest dimension of an outer shape dimension provided on one side in a longitudinal direction of the case. A battery housing portion for housing a battery, the portion of which is arranged in the thickness direction of the flat shape of the housing, and a battery housing portion provided on the other side of the housing, which bends incident light from a subject and forms the light on an imaging surface. An imaging optical system for imaging, an imaging substrate to which an output signal from the imaging means provided in parallel with the imaging surface of the imaging means provided on the imaging surface of the imaging optical system, and a thickness of the housing A circuit board having a shape that is stacked on the battery storage unit in the direction and not stacked in the thickness direction of the imaging optical system, and has an external shape that covers substantially the entire projection surface of the housing from a subject;
It is characterized by having.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the camera having the above configuration, an output signal from the imaging means provided in parallel with the imaging surface of the imaging means provided on the imaging surface of the imaging optical system is input. An imaging substrate, and a shape that is stacked on the battery storage unit in the thickness direction of the housing and is not stacked in the thickness direction of the imaging optical system, and is substantially the entire projection surface of the housing from a subject. And a circuit board having a wide external shape, thereby minimizing the projection area in the projection optical axis direction, improving the usability of the camera, and reducing the size and thickness of the entire camera at low cost. Can be planned.

A camera according to a second aspect of the present invention is the camera according to the first aspect, wherein the imaging substrate is provided on the other end side of the housing. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the image pickup substrate is provided on an end portion of the housing closer to the other side, so that the image pickup substrate is provided. Since a layout suitable for reducing the thickness of the camera can be obtained according to the optical system, it is possible to obtain substantially the same operation and effect as in the first aspect.

A camera according to a third aspect of the present invention is the camera according to the first or second aspect, further comprising connector means for connecting the imaging board and the circuit board. According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first or second aspect, the imaging board and the circuit board are connected to each other by including a connector for connecting the imaging board and the circuit board. Can be shortened, and a wiring form suitable for thinning the camera can be obtained. Further, the structure of the connector means and the electrical connection work can be simplified. Other functions and effects are substantially the same as those of the first aspect.

A camera according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the camera according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein two opposite sides of the imaging board are provided on a front surface and a rear surface of the housing. It is characterized by being arranged close to.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to any one of the first to third aspects, two opposite sides of the imaging substrate are close to a front surface and a rear surface of the housing. With the arrangement, substantially the same operation and effect as those of the above-described invention can be obtained.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the third aspect, the circuit board has a tongue extending to a position avoiding the image pickup optical system, and the tongue is provided on the circuit board. The connector means is arranged.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the third aspect, the circuit board has a tongue extending to a position avoiding the imaging optical system, and the tongue has the connector. By arranging the means, the size of the circuit board can be reduced, and the arrangement of the imaging optical system, the imaging board, and the circuit board suitable for making the camera thinner can be configured. Other functions and effects are substantially the same as those of the third aspect.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the camera of the third aspect, the circuit board has a tongue extending on both sides of the imaging optical system. The connector means is arranged on one of the two tongues that are protruded.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the third aspect, the circuit board has a tongue extending on both sides of the imaging optical system. By arranging the connector means on one of the tongue portions, substantially the same operation and effect as those in the third and fifth aspects can be obtained.

A camera according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the camera according to the fifth aspect, further comprising a second circuit board, wherein the connector means is arranged on one of the tongues and the other on the other tongue. A connector for connecting to the second circuit board is provided.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the seventh aspect, the second circuit board is formed by laminating the optical system and at least a part thereof in a thickness direction of the housing. It is characterized by that.

According to the seventh and eighth aspects of the present invention, in the fifth or seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a second circuit board, wherein the connector means is disposed on one of the tongues and the other. A connector means for connecting to the second circuit board is provided on the tongue portion, and the second circuit board has a structure in which the optical system and at least a part thereof are laminated in the thickness direction of the housing. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain an arrangement form of a circuit board, a second circuit board, and an imaging optical system that is suitable for reducing the thickness of the camera, and it is possible to reduce the thickness of the camera 1 as in the above-described invention. Since the structure of the connector means and the electrical connection work can be simplified, it also contributes to cost reduction.

[0025]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First Embodiment: FIGS. 1 to 6 show a first embodiment of a camera according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the camera when the camera is viewed from the front side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the camera when the camera is viewed from the rear side, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an internal structure of the camera shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a chassis in which an optical device having an image pickup substrate is mounted, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of a chassis in which an optical device having an image pickup substrate is mounted. FIG. 6A is a top view of a chassis in which various components such as an optical system device and a main board and a power board are mounted, and FIG. 6B is a view seen from the imaging board side. It is a side view of the chassis of (a).

As shown in FIG. 1, a camera 1 according to the present embodiment is mainly composed of a housing 2 formed in a flat and elongated shape. The housing 2 includes a front cover (hereinafter referred to as a front cover) 3 as an exterior member on which an optical system member, electronic circuit components, and the like necessary for photographing, which will be described later, are mounted and which sandwiches the chassis 5. (Hereinafter referred to as a rear cover) 4.

The housing 2 is formed by fitting the front cover 3 and the rear cover 4 so that the first grip portion 1A is located near the release button 6 shown at the left end in FIG. And a second grip portion 1B (right end in the figure) located at the portion.

The first grip portion 1A is mainly formed by the rear cover 4, and the thickness of the flat portion of the corresponding portion of the rear cover 4 in the longitudinal direction of the housing 2 is the largest. It is formed as follows. That is, by forming the first grip portion 1A including the thickest portion, the user can use the first grip portion 1A.
Since A can be grasped firmly, it is suitable for preventing blurring of the camera 1 during photographing, and for executing a photographing operation with one hand. Usually, the first and second grip portions 1A and 1B are gripped by both hands of the user.

A release button 6 is disposed on the upper surface of the housing 2 on the first grip portion 1A side. The release button 6 is a switch means for executing a shooting operation by pressing the release button 6. The release button 6 is mounted on a chassis 5 which will be described later, and the mounting holes 3a, 4a of the fitted front cover 3 and rear cover 4 are provided.
(See FIG. 3).

On the front face of the front cover 3 disposed on the front face of the housing 2, a barrier main switch 3A is disposed so as to be slidable horizontally left and right of the front cover 3. The barrier main switch 3A is linked with a power switch (not shown) disposed on the main board 20 in the camera 1 by sliding the barrier main switch 3A to the left as shown in FIG. The camera 1 can be turned on.

The barrier main switch 3A is slid rightward in FIG. 1 when the camera 1 is not photographed, such as when the camera 1 is carried or stored, so that the camera 1 is operated in conjunction with the power switch as described above. The power can be turned off, and a finder window 7A, a photographing lens 8, and a strobe light emitting unit 9 arranged at one side of the front side of the camera 1
Also, components such as the self-timer LED 10 and the like are covered to protect them.

In the camera 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the imaging optical system such as the finder window 7A and the photographing lens 8,
The components necessary for photographing, such as the strobe light emitting unit 9 and the self-timer LED 10, are arranged on the front cover 3 on the right side toward the front of the housing 2.

The other end of the front cover 3, that is, the end on the left side as viewed from the front of the housing 2, is opened and closed when a memory card is attached and detached as a recording medium for recording a captured video signal. The media slot cover 3 </ b> B is attached so as to be openable and closable in the outer direction of the housing 2.

At the base end of the media slot cover 3B, two shaft engaging portions 3b, 3b are formed, and these shaft engaging portions 3b, 3b are formed at predetermined positions corresponding to the front cover 3. It can be opened and closed by being supported by a shaft 3d, which is mounted on the bearings 3c, 3c. The media slot cover 3B is held in a tightened state as shown in FIG.

For example, when a memory card such as a smart media as a recording medium is to be inserted into or pulled out from a media slot (media socket) provided at a corresponding portion inside the casing 2, the media slot is used. This is performed by opening and closing the cover 3B.

On the other hand, the rear cover 4 constituting the housing 2 is provided with a finder 7B, an operation switch group 12, and a display 13 as shown in FIG.

The finder 7B is arranged above the rear cover 4 near the second grip 1B, so that the user can see the subject to be photographed by looking through the finder 7B.

The operation switch group 12 is provided on the second
Is disposed on the cover 4 near the grip portion 1B. The operation switch group 12 includes a plurality of switches 12a to 12c for executing various modes of the camera 1. For example, a plurality of switches 12a-
12c is constituted by a push-type switch,
Among these switches, a switch 12a is a menu selection switch for selecting a menu such as a shooting mode of the camera 1, and a switch 12b is a display display 1
3 is an LCD drive switch for turning on / off 3. The operation switch 12c composed of at least four switches is a switch for operating more detailed setting operation or other setting operation of the determined shooting mode, and for example, an up / down switch for electronic processing zoom. The user operates the perspective and operates the strobe light emission mode selection and the macro shooting mode (close-up shooting mode) using the left and right switches.

In the vicinity of the operation switch group 12, a display 13 is arranged. That is,
The display 13 is disposed on the cover 4 near the second grip side of the housing 2 similarly to the operation switch group 12. The display 13 is composed of, for example, a transmissive TFT LCD, and has a rear cover 4.
The screen is exposed from the cutout hole 4B cut out upward. This display 13
In addition to displaying various setting information and other photographing information, a photographed image based on a photographed video signal or a video signal recorded on a recording medium is displayed.

A connection terminal group 11 is arranged below the base end of the rear cover 4 on the side of the second grip portion 1B. The connection terminal group 11 includes a DC power supply terminal 11a for receiving a DC power supply, a video output terminal 11b for outputting a captured video signal to another external device, and a USB terminal 11c. The connection terminal cover 4A is detachably attached so as to cover the connection terminal group 11.

Next, the internal structure of the camera 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The camera 1 according to the present embodiment is characterized in that a folding type photographing optical system is employed in order to make the camera 1 thinner more efficiently.

The foldable optical system is, for example, an object light (incident light) taken in through a photographic lens 8 disposed in front of the front cover, bent at a substantially right angle through a reflecting mirror, and Is an optical system in which an image is formed on an imaging surface of a CCD provided on the base end side in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, unlike the conventional optical system, the bending type optical system bends the subject light substantially at right angles to the optical axis of the photographing lens, and performs
Since an image is formed on a CD, there is an advantage that the size of the lens optical system in the optical axis direction, that is, the size of the camera 1 in the depth direction can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lens unit 17 employing such a folding optical system is provided at the right end of the chassis 5 sandwiched between the front cover 3 and the rear cover 4 in the drawing. It is to be arranged.

The lens unit 17 includes the photographing lens 8
Is arranged on the front surface of the unit, and inside thereof are a reflection mirror for reflecting and bending the subject light from the photographing lens 8, a plurality of optical system lens groups, an AF drive mechanism such as a drive motor for performing AF, and a CCD. And the like.

The imaging substrate 16 includes a CCD and the CCD
And a processing circuit group necessary for converting the image of the subject formed into a video signal by the above-described method, and is attached to the side surface of the lens unit 17 in the present embodiment. That is, two opposite sides of the imaging board 16 are arranged close to the front and rear surfaces of the housing 2 in a state where the front cover 3 and the rear cover 4 are combined.

In such a lens unit 17, the subject light from the photographing lens 8 is reflected and bent by a reflection mirror (not shown), and then imaged by a CCD (not shown) mounted on the imaging board 16. Thereafter, the formed subject image is processed by a processing circuit group (not shown) on the imaging substrate 16.
Is converted into a video signal by the main board 2 shown in FIG.
0 is supplied to the main processing circuit group.

An optical finder unit 7 is mounted on the upper part of the lens unit 17, and is arranged together with the lens unit 17 on the right side of the chassis 5 in the drawing.

On the other hand, on the opposite base end portion of the chassis 5,
A battery storage chamber 15 for storing a battery power supply that controls the power supply of the camera 1 is integrally formed. That is, the battery storage chamber 15 is arranged at a position opposite to the lens unit 17 in the chassis 5. The battery storage chamber 15 is arranged on the rear side of the chassis 5 and is formed with a minimum thickness necessary for storing a battery power supply.

A notch 5 A is formed at the center of the chassis 5 so as to be interposed between the battery storage chamber 15 and the lens unit 17. In addition, a locking wall 5a and a locking base 5b for locking the capacitor 19 are formed above the notch 5A.

The camera 1 of the present embodiment also has a strobe light emitting function, and therefore requires a capacitor 19 for storing a large amount of electric charges in order to execute strobe light emission. It is also important to arrange the capacitor 19.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the capacitor 19 is locked with the locking wall 5a and the locking base 5b formed integrally with the chassis 5 lying down. When the capacitor 19 is locked, the thickness of the locking wall 5a and the locking base 5b is substantially the same as the thickness of the battery storage chamber 15, which greatly contributes to the reduction in thickness.

The capacitor 19 is connected to the capacitor 1
It is mounted on an upper end of a power board 18 provided with a circuit group such as a charging circuit for storing electric charges in the flash memory 9 and a trigger circuit for facilitating light emission of the strobe light emitting unit 9 and is electrically connected thereto.

When the power board 18 having such a configuration is mounted on the chassis 5, the lower power board 18 is mounted on the chassis 5 while the upper capacitor 19 is locked on the locking wall 5a and the locking base 5b. 5 and is turned toward the notch 5A. In this case, mounting holes A1, positioning holes A2, and A3 provided at predetermined positions of the power board 18
The positioning is performed by fitting the mounting projections a1, the positioning projections a2, and a3 of the chassis 5 provided at the corresponding positions. Also, the upper end of the power board 18 is engaged with the claw portion of the elastic hook member 5c while being in contact with the contact portion 5d formed outside the locking wall 5a, so that the power board 18 is positioned. I have.

The power board 18 is connected to the main board 20.
In order to easily make an electrical connection via the connector 5 and the connector 26 (see FIG. 6A), it is mounted on the chassis 5 so that there is some play up, down, left and right.

In the present embodiment, the main board 20 as the main board of the camera 1 is mounted on the chassis 5 so as to cover the entire surface on which the power board 18 is mounted.

The main board 20 has a notch 20 for fitting the upper and lower surfaces of the lens unit 17 in consideration of the thickness reduction.
By providing A, the first and second tongue portions 20a and 20b which are opposed to each other are formed, and are formed so as to be arranged almost completely on the front side of the chassis 5. In other words, the main board 20 is formed so as to have a size and an arrangement suitable for the miniaturization and thinning of the camera 1.
Is possible to maximize.

On the main board 20, various circuit groups such as a control circuit necessary for executing almost all functions of the camera 1, an interlocking switch (not shown) interlocking with the barrier main switch 3A, and An LED for a self-timer, a buzzer 22 for reproducing operation sounds, and the like are mounted at predetermined locations.

Further, in the present embodiment, the main substrate 2
A media slot (media socket) 21 to which a memory card such as a smart media as a recording medium can be removably mounted is mounted on the left side in FIG.

When the main board 20 having the above structure is mounted on the chassis 5, the mounting holes B 1 to B 2, which are provided at predetermined locations on the main board 20 while the power board 18 is mounted on the chassis 5, are positioned. The mounting protrusions b1 to b of the chassis 5 provided at the positions corresponding to the holes B3, respectively.
2. The positioning is fixed by fitting the positioning protrusion b3.

In this case, by connecting a connector (not shown) mounted on the back side of the main board 20 and a connector mounted on the surface of the power board 18, the electrical connection between the main board 20 and the power board 18 is established. However, since the power board 18 is temporarily fixed with play, the connection between the connectors can be easily performed. Thereafter, the substrates 18 and 20 are completely fixed to the chassis 5 by being screwed into the mounting protrusions b1 and b2 of the chassis 5 with screws or the like.

Accordingly, the main board 20 is
In this state, the media slot 21 and the battery storage chamber 15 are located on the front and back sides, and both are disposed closer to the left side of the chassis 5 in the drawing.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, a display 13 and a switch board 12A are provided on the inner surface of the rear cover 4 which sandwiches the chassis 5 with the front cover 3. The display 13 and the switch board 12
A is arranged on the same side as the lens unit 17 of the chassis 5 housed in the rear cover 4, that is, on the right side of the rear cover 4 in the drawing.

The switch board 12 A is electrically connected to the operation switch group 12 provided on the rear side of the rear cover 4, and generates operation signals based on various operation switches. Supply.

On the surface of the display 13 and the switch board 12A, a metal plate 1 is provided so as to cover these components.
4 are provided. Since the backlight of the display 13 is driven at a high voltage, the metal plate 14 has a role of preventing the influence of noise on other circuit groups that may be generated by driving the backlight. is there.
Further, a pair of plate-like spring portions 14
a and 14b are formed, and by using this elastic characteristic, it is possible to absorb variations when the rear cover 4 and the display 13 are combined. Further, although not shown, an extended contact piece is formed at the upper end of the metal plate 14, and by using this contact piece, grounding can be performed more easily than in the conventional method.

Therefore, the chassis 5 configured as described above is fitted and accommodated inside the front cover 3 and the rear cover 4 so as to be sandwiched by the front cover 3 and the rear cover 4, and is further screwed from the rear side of the rear cover 4. By screwing and fixing, the camera 1 is a feature of the present embodiment.

Next, a layout which is a feature of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the chassis 5 on which the lens unit 17 shown in FIG. 3 is mounted. As shown in this figure, in the camera 1 of the present embodiment, the folding optical system is used. The lens unit 17 is disposed at an end of the chassis 15 on the right side in the figure, and an imaging board 16 to which an output signal from a CCD is supplied is disposed on a side surface of the lens unit 17. In this case, the imaging substrate 16 is provided to be substantially parallel to an imaging surface (not shown) of a CCD provided on the imaging surface of the lens unit 17.

On the other hand, on the other side of the chassis 5 opposite to the lens unit 17, the battery storage chamber 15 is disposed as described above. In this case, the battery storage chamber 15 is formed so as to coincide with the flat thickness direction near the first grip portion 1A of the housing 2.

That is, in the present embodiment, the imaging substrate 16 is provided on the side surface of the lens unit 17 and the lens unit 17 and the battery housing 15 are
Are arranged at positions where there is no overlapping portion in the front projection plane from the subject.

Generally, in a digital camera, a processing / control system circuit for controlling a series of signal processing of an image pickup signal, recording processing on a recording medium, control of each actuator / sensor related to photographing, and the like has a large circuit scale. Becomes For this reason, conventionally, a configuration has been adopted in which a plurality of boards are separately arranged in a camera, and these boards are connected to each other by a number of connectors.

However, these processing and control circuits have a close circuit relationship in terms of function, and it is advantageous in terms of circuit and board configuration to concentrate them on one board as much as possible. Although it greatly contributes to miniaturization,
No such attempt has been made in the past.

Therefore, in the embodiment according to the present invention, the functions of the processing / control system having the extremely large circuit scale are concentrated and arranged on one main board 20.
In order to maximize the area of the main board 20 in the camera, the main board 20 is formed in an optimum shape that can be compatible with a thin camera.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the main board 20 is formed by forming the cutout portion 20A and the first and second tongue portions 20a and 20b which are opposed to each other as described above. The lens unit 17 and the housing 2 are formed so as not to overlap in the thickness direction of the housing 2 and to be disposed almost completely on the front side of the chassis 5.

In this case, the lens unit 17 is
The main board 20 and the lens unit 17 are prevented from overlapping each other by being fitted into the notch 20A formed between the second tongues 20a and 20b. Accordingly, the area of the main board 20 in the camera can be maximized, and the main board 20 having a shape suitable for reducing the size and thickness of the camera 1 can be configured.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, C
By providing an imaging substrate 16 provided with a CD on the side surface of the lens unit 17 and providing a processing circuit group and the like corresponding to the preceding process before outputting to the main substrate 20 on the imaging substrate 16, the main substrate The size of the main board 20 is reduced by reducing the circuit scale of the main board 20 to some extent.

That is, as described above, a processing circuit group and the like necessary for converting a subject image from a CCD into a video signal are mounted on the imaging substrate 16, and such a processing circuit group is mainly provided. Since the circuit is configured to include a circuit group for performing a pre-stage process necessary for minimizing signal processing on the substrate 20 side, the size of the main substrate 20 can be reduced as a result. The substrate was not divided and only one substrate could be formed.

The first tongue 20a of the main board 20
As shown in FIG. 5, a connector 23 for electrically connecting to the imaging board 16 is provided in accordance with the arrangement of the imaging board 16 as shown in FIG. This connector 23
The imaging substrate 16 and the main substrate 20 are electrically connected via sheet-like connection lines 16a extending from the upper end surface of the imaging substrate 16. Therefore, the imaging substrate 1
By providing the connector section 23 according to the arrangement shape of the main board 20 and the imaging board 16,
Can be shortened, and electrical connection suitable for thinning can be performed, and unnecessary wiring and the like can be eliminated.

On the surface of the second tongue portion 20b of the main substrate 20, the switch substrate 12A
(See FIG. 3) Connector section 24 for electrical connection
And a connector unit 25 electrically connected to the display 13 to transmit and receive image data such as an image signal to and from the display 13. As a result, the electric path between the display 13 and the switch board 12A can be shortened as well as the above, and the electric connection suitable for thinning can be performed, and extra wiring and the like can be eliminated.

The main board 20 of the present embodiment is
As shown in FIG. 6A, in the battery storage chamber 15 opposite to the first and second tongue portions 20a and 20b,
They are arranged so that their thickness directions overlap. A connector 26 is mounted on the back side of the central portion of the main board 20 so that the main board 20 is electrically connected to the power board 18 disposed at a position suitable for thinning via the connector 26. Has become.

Therefore, in the camera 1 of the present embodiment, the lens unit 17 and various components
6A, a battery storage chamber 15 (not shown, but a media slot 21) is arranged on the chassis 5 housed in the housing 2 near the first grip 1A. The lens unit 17 is arranged on the side closer to the second grip 1B, which is opposite to the side of the first grip 1A, and the imaging board 16 is arranged on the side end surface of the lens unit 17. .

In this case, the main board 20 is stacked in the battery storage chamber 15 of the chassis 5 in the thickness direction of the housing 2, and the lens unit 17 is fitted in the cutout in the thickness direction of the lens unit 17. By being combined, they are not stacked, and are arranged so as to cover substantially the entire projection surface of the housing 2 from the subject. Also,
Two opposing sides of the imaging board 16 are arranged close to the front and rear surfaces of the housing 2. Although not shown, the switch board 12A is mounted on the housing 2 after the assembly is completed.
Are arranged so that the lens unit 17 and at least a part thereof are laminated in the thickness direction.

With such a configuration, the chassis 5 can be made thinner even when various components are mounted as shown in FIG. 6B, and as a result, it contributes greatly to the thinning and miniaturization of the camera 1. Will do.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, usually, in a digital camera, the size of the battery power supply cannot be increased in order to consume a large current, and the capacitor required for strobe light emission is required. Although it is a difficult task to arrange the arrangement in the camera and the high-density board mounting, it is difficult to achieve the thinning and miniaturization of the camera by adopting the above configuration. It is possible to do.

Further, by mounting the lens unit 17 employing the folding type optical system, the direction of the imaging board 16 is orthogonal to the main board 20. 16 can be arranged, and the circuit scale of the main board 20 which is a large-sized board can be reduced to some extent. In addition, since the connector portion needs to be connected only to orthogonal surfaces, a connector which can be adopted The structure can be simplified and downsized, and the miniaturization of the camera 1 can be further advanced. Also, as described above, the media slot 2
By arranging 1 at a predetermined location on the main board 20 and providing the connection terminals directly on the board, no extra wiring is required, which greatly contributes to further downsizing of the camera.

Further, considering the manufacturing process of the camera 1, the camera 1 is formed by sandwiching the chassis 5 with the main components mounted between the front cover 3 and the rear cover 4 and combining them. The assembling process can be simplified and the assembling performance can be improved, and the simplification of the manufacturing process greatly reduces the manufacturing cost and greatly contributes to the cost reduction of the camera 1.

Second Embodiment FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of a camera according to the present invention, and is a plan view showing a layout of a modification of the arrangement position of the optical system device and the shape of the main board. FIG. 6 shows the camera 1 according to the first embodiment.
The same components as those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. Only different portions will be described.

In the present embodiment, an opening cutout portion 20B for fitting the lens unit 17 is provided at a corner on one side of the main substrate 20 to form one tongue portion 20c. Is different from that of the first embodiment, and the other configuration is substantially the same as that of the camera 1 of the first embodiment.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the main board 20 has a cutout 20 with an upper corner opened.
By forming one tongue portion 20c by providing B, the lens unit 17 is formed so as not to overlap with the lens unit 17 in the thickness direction of the housing 2 and to be arranged almost completely on the front side of the chassis 5. I have.

In this case, the lens unit 17 is fitted into the opening cutout portion 20B of the main board 20, thereby preventing the main board 20 from overlapping with the lens unit 17. Thus, the area of the main board 20 in the camera can be maximized.

The imaging substrate 16 is disposed on the side end surface of the lens unit 17 in substantially the same manner as in the first embodiment, and the lower end thereof is extended in accordance with the arrangement of the lens unit 17. I have. On the other hand, a connector 23 is provided at the end of the tongue 20 c of the main board 20, similarly to the first embodiment, and the sheet 23 extends from the lower end of the imaging board 16 by the connector 23. The imaging substrate 16 and the main substrate 20 are electrically connected via the connection line 16a having a rectangular shape. Thus, the electrical path between the imaging board 16 and the main board 20 is shortened, electrical connection suitable for thinning is performed, and unnecessary wiring and the like are unnecessary.

A connector 24 for electrically connecting to the switch board 12A (see FIG. 3) and a display 13 are also provided at predetermined positions of the tongue 20c as in the first embodiment. And a connector section 25 electrically connected to the display 13 for transmitting and receiving image data such as an image pickup signal, so that electrical connection suitable for thinning is possible, and extra wiring and the like are provided. Is unnecessary.

According to the above configuration, the main board 20 having a shape suitable for reducing the size and thickness of the camera 1 can be configured. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, but if the arrangement of the lens unit 17 is changed, the arrangement and the shape of various components corresponding to the arrangement are changed as necessary. good.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, an opening cutout portion 20B for fitting the lens unit 17 is provided at one corner of the main substrate 20 at one side thereof to form one tongue portion 20c.
Is formed and the arrangement position of the lens unit 17 is changed, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained, which greatly contributes to the thinning and miniaturization of the camera 1. .

The present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments, but also includes combinations and applications of these embodiments.

In the first and second embodiments according to the present invention, the imaging substrate 16 is mounted on the lens unit 17.
The case where the lens unit 17 is disposed at the side end is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lens unit 17 may be disposed on the upper surface or the lower surface in accordance with the arrangement state of the lens unit 17. May be. in this case,
The main board 20 is also formed into an optimal shape in accordance with the arrangement state of the imaging board 16, so that electrical connection by a connector is performed.

Further, the present invention relates to a camera using a lens unit 17 of a folding type optical system, when various components such as a battery power supply and an LCD of a display are further reduced in thickness or size. The components may be combined as needed in a layout suitable for thinning.

[0098]

As described above, according to the present invention, by arranging the circuit board, the optical system device, the battery and the like skillfully, the projection area in the direction of the projection optical axis can be minimized and the usability of the camera can be improved. It is possible to realize a camera which can be reduced in size and thickness at a low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a camera according to the present invention and showing an external configuration of the camera when the camera is viewed from a front side.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the camera shown in FIG. 1 when viewed from the rear side.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an internal structure of the camera shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a chassis in which an optical device having an imaging substrate is mounted.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a layout of the optical system device, a main board, and a power board.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a layout of a chassis in which various components such as an optical device and a main board and a power board are mounted.

FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating a layout of an optical system device, a main board, and a power board according to a second embodiment of the camera according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Camera, 2 ... Housing, 3 ... Front cover, 3A ... Barrier main switch, 3B ... Media slot cover, 4 ... Rear cover, 4A ... Connection terminal cover, 4B ... Notch hole, 5 ... Chassis, 6 ... Release Button 7: Optical viewfinder unit, 7A: Viewfinder window, 7B: Viewfinder, 8: Shooting lens, 9: Flash light emitting section, 10: Self-timer LED, 11: Connection terminal group, 12: Operation switch group, 13 ... Display display (LCD), 14: metal plate, 15: battery storage room, 16: front imaging board, 17: lens unit (bending optical system device), 18: power board, 19: capacitor, 20: main board, 20a ... first tongue, 20b ... second tongue, 21 ... media slot (media socket) 23, 24, 25, 26 ... connector

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2H054 AA01 CD00 2H100 AA32 BB05 BB11 DD03 DD05 2H101 FF00 5C022 AA13 AC00 AC70 AC78

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A flat and elongated casing, and a shortest dimension portion of an outer shape dimension provided on one side in a longitudinal direction of the casing is matched with a thickness direction of the flat shape of the casing. A battery housing section for housing a battery arranged in a position, an imaging optical system provided on the other side of the housing, and bending an incident light from a subject to form an image on an imaging surface; and an imaging surface of the imaging optical system. An image pickup substrate provided in parallel with an image pickup surface of the provided image pickup means, to which an output signal from the image pickup means is input; and an image pickup optical system stacked on the battery housing in a thickness direction of the housing. A circuit board having a shape that is not laminated in the thickness direction and has an outer shape that covers substantially the entire projection surface of the housing from a subject. 2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the imaging board is provided on an end portion near the other side of the housing. 3. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising connector means for connecting the imaging board and the circuit board. 4. The camera according to claim 1, wherein two opposing sides of the imaging board are disposed close to a front surface and a rear surface of the housing. . 5. The circuit board according to claim 3, wherein the circuit board has a tongue extending to a position avoiding the imaging optical system, and the connector means is arranged on the tongue. camera. 6. The circuit board has a tongue extending on both sides of the imaging optical system, and the connector is disposed on one of the extended tongues. The camera according to claim 3, wherein 7. A device according to claim 7, further comprising a second circuit board, wherein said connector means is arranged on one of said tongues, and a connector means for connecting to said second circuit board is provided on the other tongue. The camera according to claim 5. 8. The camera according to claim 7, wherein the second circuit board is laminated with the optical system and at least a part thereof in a thickness direction of the housing.