JP2006080979A - Electronic camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic camera which is capable of coping with a dust matter for an imaging unit without causing damage to the imaging unit etc and also coping with dust that is firmly attached to the imaging unit. <P>SOLUTION: The electronic camera is equipped with the imaging unit which is installed inside containing an imaging element that receives and photoelectrically converts a light flux reflected from an object and a light transmitting dust-proof member 20 which can be inserted in a space just in front of the optical plane of incidence of the imaging unit. The dust-proof member 20 is inserted in or extracted out from the space just in front of the optical plane of incidence through an insertion/extraction opening 1b provided on the outer surface of a camera main body 1, and dust is prevented from adhering to the imaging unit when the dust-proof member 20 is inserted. The insertion/extraction opening 1b is opened/closed by a lid 1B. When dust is attached to the dust-proof member 20, the dust-proof member 20 is dismounted, cleaned and inserted again or replaced with a new one. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic camera and takes measures against dust on an imaging unit.

  One problem with electronic cameras is the attachment of dust to the imaging unit. The imaging unit here refers to a unit including an imaging element and an optical filter (for example, an optical low-pass filter) disposed in front of the imaging element, and in many cases, dust adheres to the optical filter, thereby degrading an image. . For example, in the case of a single-lens reflex electronic camera, dust enters from the mount opening when the lens is replaced, and this adheres to the optical filter, or dust from the drive unit such as the focal plane shutter or mirror similarly adheres to the optical filter. There are things to do. In a lens shutter type electronic camera in which lenses cannot be exchanged, there is little possibility of dust entering from the outside, but dust generated in the camera may move to the optical filter due to vibration or the like.

  Conventionally, as countermeasures against dust in a single-lens reflex electronic camera, the mirror is held up and the shutter is kept open, and dust attached to the filter is blown from the lens mount opening with a blower or the like, or alcohol is used. Wiping away is done. Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose a structure for removing dust by blowing compressed air on a filter, and Patent Document 3 discloses a structure for shaking the camera to shake off dust.

JP 2003-319218 A JP 2003-319219 A JP 2003-319222 A

  However, the method of blowing off dust, shaking it off with vibration, or wiping it off with a cleaning member may cause damage to the imaging unit or other components in the camera. Powerful dust) cannot be easily removed by vibration or air, and it is necessary to bring the camera to the service center.

An electronic camera according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an imaging device that receives and photoelectrically converts a subject light beam, and performs imaging to prevent dust from adhering to the imaging unit installed inside the camera body. A light-transmitting dustproof member that can be inserted immediately before the light incident surface of the unit, and an insertion / extraction port for inserting / removing the dustproof member into / from the arrangement space immediately before the light incident surface is provided on the outer surface of the camera body. .
In particular, the invention of claim 2 is provided with an opening / closing lid for exposing / hiding the insertion / extraction opening.
An electronic camera according to a third aspect of the present invention includes an imaging device that receives and photoelectrically converts a subject light beam, and an imaging unit installed inside the camera body, and a transparent for preventing dust from adhering to the imaging unit A dust-proof film, and both ends of the dust-proof film are wound around two shafts, and the portion between the shafts is disposed immediately before the light incident surface of the imaging unit, and one of the shafts rotates. Thus, the dustproof film can be fed to the imaging unit.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the light transmissive dustproof member can be inserted / removed immediately before the light incident surface of the image pickup unit, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering to the image pickup unit and to replace the dustproof member attached with dust. Since it can be easily re-inserted after cleaning, there is no problem with dust with strong adhesion, and there is no risk of damage to the imaging unit or other camera components.
According to the invention of claim 3, since dust is prevented from adhering to the imaging unit with the dust-proof film that can be fed by winding, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a single-lens reflex digital still camera according to the present embodiment as viewed from the side, where 1 indicates a camera body and 2 indicates a photographing lens (interchangeable lens). The subject luminous flux that has passed through the photographing lens 2 is reflected upward by the main mirror 3 and is observed by the eyepiece 6 through the focusing screen 4 and the pentaprism 5. When shooting is instructed, the main mirror 3 is flipped up, the focal plane shutter 7 is opened and closed, and the subject light flux is guided to the imaging unit 10 through the shutter opening.

  The image pickup unit 10 is formed by integrating an image pickup element 11, an optical filter 12 disposed on the front surface thereof, an image pickup substrate (not shown), and the like, and is positioned and arranged at a predetermined position in the camera body 1. The optical filter 12 includes an optical low-pass filter, an infrared cut filter, and the like. The light beam guided to the imaging unit 10 passes through the optical filter 12 and forms an image on the light receiving surface of the imaging device 11, and the imaging device 11 outputs an electrical signal (image signal) corresponding to the received light amount. Image data is generated by performing various processes on the image signal, and the image data is recorded on a recording medium (not shown) such as a memory card.

  In the present embodiment, the dustproof filter 20 is detachable between the shutter 7 and the imaging unit 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the dustproof filter 20 is formed by fitting a transparent plate 22 such as glass into a resin or metal frame 21. The fitting position of the transparent plate 22 is close to one end of the frame 21, and hereinafter, the end portion on the fitting side is referred to as the front end, and the opposite side is referred to as the rear end.

  On the other hand, a concave portion 1a is formed on one side of the outer surface of the camera body 1, and a slit-shaped filter insertion / extraction port 1b is formed on the bottom surface of the concave portion 1a. A filter guide rail 31 (FIG. 4) extends from the insertion / extraction opening 1 b to the front surface of the imaging unit 10, and an insertion / extraction passage P for the dustproof filter 20 is formed by the guide rail 31. The recess 1a can be opened and closed by a rotating lid 1B. When the lid 1B is closed, the insertion / extraction port 1b is concealed. The lid 1B is locked in a closed state by a lock mechanism (not shown).

When the dust filter 20 is mounted, the lock is released and the lid 1B is opened, and the dust filter 20 is inserted into the insertion / extraction port 1b from the tip as shown in FIG. When the filter 20 is pushed into the mounting position shown in FIG. 3 through the passage P, the tip surface of the dustproof filter 20 hits a stopper formed on the guide rail 31, for example, and further pushing is prevented. At this time, the rear end portion of the dustproof filter 20 is slightly protruded from the insertion / extraction port 1b, and the mounting operation is completed when the lid 1B is closed in this state.
In addition, it is desirable to prevent the reverse insertion of the filter, that is, the insertion from the rear end portion, by devising the shape of the frame 21 of the dustproof filter 20 or the insertion / extraction opening 1b.

  When the dustproof filter 20 is in the mounting position, the transparent plate 22 is positioned immediately before the light incident surface of the optical filter 12 and covers the entire light incident surface. Therefore, dust that has entered from the mount opening during lens replacement or dust generated from the sliding portion of the shutter 7 is blocked by the dustproof filter 20 and does not adhere to the light incident surface of the optical filter 12.

  Here, when the dust filter is attached, the light beam that has passed through the shutter opening passes through the transparent plate 22 and enters the imaging unit 10. However, since the transparent plate 22 transmits almost all of the incident light, the optical performance is improved. There is no impact. Further, the transparent plate 22 has an area sufficient to cover the entire light incident surface of the optical filter 12, and there is no fear that the effective light beam is vignetted by the frame 21. Further, the dustproof filter 20 at the mounting position is restrained at the tip by the stopper, the rear end by the lid 1B, and the upper and lower ends by the guide rail 31, respectively. There will be no misalignment of 20.

  The dust adhering to the incident surface of the dustproof filter 20 can be removed by removing the filter 20 from the camera and cleaning it. At the time of removal, the lid 1B is opened, the rear end portion of the dustproof filter 20 exposed from the insertion / extraction port 1b is held and pulled out as it is. Cleaning may be performed by blowing air around the transparent plate 22 or wiping with absolute ethanol. In any case, since the cleaning is performed by the filter alone, it can be performed more carefully than the cleaning of the optical filter through the mount opening, and all the dust stuck with the adhesive force can be removed. In addition, there is no need to pay attention to the damage of the imaging unit.

  After cleaning, the dust filter 20 is attached to the camera again as described above. In this way, one dustproof filter 20 can be used any number of times, but if the transparent plate 22 is damaged or damaged, it may be replaced with a new one. Since the dustproof filter 20 is simple in construction, it does not cost much.

  Here, if dust enters the passage P from the insertion / extraction port 1b, the dust may adhere to the optical filter 12. Therefore, it is desirable to take measures to prevent dust from entering the insertion / extraction port 1b. For example, when a flexible intrusion prevention member such as felt, flocking or rubber is arranged at the insertion / extraction opening, the insertion / extraction opening 1b is blocked by the intrusion prevention member when the dustproof filter is not attached, and an attempt to insert the dustproof filter Is deformed to allow insertion, and at the time of loading, the gap between the dustproof filter and the insertion / extraction port may be blocked by the intrusion prevention member.

  The transparent plate of the dustproof filter is not limited to a glass plate, and may be a transparent film, for example. Or if the member which has the characteristic of the said optical filter 12 is used as a dust-proof filter, the structure of an imaging unit can be simplified. For example, when both a low-pass filter and an infrared cut filter are required as the optical filter, if the transparent plate of the dust-proof filter 20 is an optical low-pass filter, the filter provided in the imaging unit is only an infrared cut filter. In this case, the optical low-pass filter that also functions as a dustproof filter prevents dust from adhering to the infrared cut filter. Further, if only one type of optical filter is required, the optical filter is not required for the imaging unit by using the optical filter as a dustproof filter. In this case, the optical filter as the dustproof filter prevents dust from adhering to the image sensor.

  Furthermore, there are various optical filters (for example, an ultraviolet cut filter) that can be attached to the tip of the lens. However, if a filter having these characteristics is used as the dustproof filter, it is not necessary to attach a filter to the lens.

  The structure of the dustproof filter and its insertion / extraction mechanism is not limited to the above. For example, the filter may be automatically conveyed to a proper mounting position when the tip of the dustproof filter is inserted into the insertion / extraction opening. Further, an ejection mechanism may be provided, and the dustproof filter may be taken out by operating the ejection button. Or the structure which inserts / extracts a dustproof filter using a certain tool may be sufficient. The position of the filter insertion / extraction port is not limited to the side surface of the camera, and may be, for example, the bottom surface.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the same code | symbol is demonstrated to the component similar to previous embodiment.
In the present embodiment, a roll-shaped dustproof film is used instead of the plate-shaped dustproof filter. The dustproof film 50 is made of a transparent film, and is installed on one end side of the camera body in a state of being wound around a shaft 61 like a 35 mm film or an APS film used in a film camera. The film 50 drawn from the shaft 61 passes through the front surface of the imaging unit 10 and is wound around a shaft 62 provided on the other end side of the camera body 1. The shafts 61 and 62 can be rotated by operating the winding dials 63 and 64, respectively. The rotation of the shaft 62 causes the dustproof film 50 to be wound around the shaft 62, and the portion between the shafts is fed in the A direction. The dust-proof film 50 is wound around the shaft 61 by the rotation of the shaft 61, and the portion between the shafts is fed in the direction opposite to the A direction.

A part of the interaxial portion of the dustproof film 50 covers the front surface of the optical filter 12 of the imaging unit 10 in a flat state, and prevents dust from adhering to the optical filter 12 as described above. If dust adheres to the dust-proof film 50 during repeated photographing, the dust-proof film 50 is fed by a predetermined amount by operating the winding dial 64, and a new surface without dust is positioned on the front surface of the optical filter 12. Thereby, the influence of garbage can be prevented. When the dustproof film 50 is wound up to the end, it is rewound onto the shaft 61 by the operation of the winding dial 63 and replaced with a new film 50.
Note that the dustproof film 50 does not adversely affect the optical performance of the camera as in the previous embodiment.

  Here, as in the case of 35 mm film and APS film, if the dustproof film 50 is prepared in a state of being stored in the cartridge in advance and the camera is provided with an insertion / removal mechanism for the cartridge, the dustproof film can be used by the user as needed. 50 can be exchanged for convenience. On the other hand, the user may not replace the dustproof film 50, but may disassemble and replace the camera at the service center. In this case, although there is inconvenience of bringing the camera to the service center, it is not necessary to provide a film insertion / removal mechanism in the camera, so that the cost can be reduced. Even if it is brought into the service center, it is possible to shoot for a long period of time until one dustproof film is used up to the end.

  Note that the structures of the above two embodiments can be applied to non-single-lens reflex electronic cameras (for example, lens shutter cameras).

Schematic which shows the structure of the electronic camera in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the insertion / extraction structure of the dustproof filter in an electronic camera, and shows the state in the middle of filter insertion. It is a figure similar to FIG. 2, and shows a filter mounting state. The figure which shows the filter insertion / extraction vicinity of an electronic camera. The perspective view which shows the electronic camera in other embodiment using a roll-shaped dustproof film.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera main body 1a Recessed part 1B Cover 1b Dust-proof filter insertion / extraction port 2 Shooting lens 3 Main mirror 4 Focusing screen 5 Pentaprism 6 Eyepiece lens 7 Focal plane shutter 10 Imaging unit 11 Imaging element 12 Optical filter 20 Dust-proof filter 21 Frame 22 Transparent plate 31 Guide rail 50 Dust-proof film 61, 62 Shaft 63, 64 Winding dial P Insertion / extraction passage

Claims (3)

An imaging unit that includes an imaging element that receives and photoelectrically converts a subject luminous flux, and is installed inside the camera body;
A light-transmitting dustproof member that can be inserted immediately before the light incident surface of the imaging unit in order to prevent dust from adhering to the imaging unit;
An electronic camera, wherein an insertion / extraction opening for inserting / removing the dustproof member into / from the space immediately before the light incident surface is provided on the outer surface of the camera body.   The electronic camera according to claim 1, further comprising an opening / closing lid that exposes / hides the insertion / extraction opening. An imaging unit that includes an imaging element that receives and photoelectrically converts a subject luminous flux, and is installed inside the camera body;
A transparent dustproof film for preventing dust from adhering to the imaging unit;
The dust-proof film is wound around two shafts at both ends, and the portion between the shafts is disposed immediately before the light incident surface of the imaging unit, and the one shaft is rotated, An electronic camera characterized in that a dustproof film can be fed to the imaging unit.

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