JP2008172418A - Digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a digital camera of good design and excellent functionality, being small in size, of thin type, good appearance, and good gripping property. <P>SOLUTION: There are provided a digital camera body 12, a battery 14 which is detachably attached to an attaching surface 24 formed on either left or right side of the digital camera body 12 to supply power to the digital camera body 12, constituting a grip part of a digital camera 10, and a heat radiation hole 38 which is formed on the attaching surface 24 to radiate heat of the digital camera body 12, and a protruding part 39. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a digital camera, and more particularly to a technique for improving design functions such as miniaturization, thinning, appearance, and grip of a digital camera.

  In recent years, the spread of digital cameras has been remarkable, and digital cameras with multiple functions have been developed. On the other hand, design functions such as downsizing, thinning, appearance, and grip are being pursued. In particular, the size of the battery part (for example, battery holder) is an obstacle to downsizing and thinning.

  For example, there are Patent Documents 1 to 3 as techniques for improving such design-like functions. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-228688 is configured so that each component of a strobe unit, a card slot unit, a liquid crystal unit, and a battery unit can be attached to and detached from the digital camera body. As a result, parts that are not used for the time being can be used in a state where they are removed from the digital camera body, thereby reducing the size and thickness of the parts during use.

Further, Patent Document 2 describes that the entire device such as a digital camera or a mobile phone is made thin by using a battery device body integrated with a memory card. In Patent Document 3, a camera that has a secondary battery is attached to a battery pack so that the secondary battery of the camera body can be charged at any time from the battery pack. It is disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-187297 JP 2004-213925 A JP 11-295808 A

  However, although Patent Documents 1 to 3 described above have been devised as design functions, they are still not sufficient.

  Also, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, a memory card is generally used for a digital camera. Furthermore, a button battery may be used as a power supply source such as a date / time circuit that must be driven even when the main power supply from the battery is stopped.

  These memory cards and button batteries must be provided with an insertion slot for mounting on a digital camera, require a lid for the insertion slot, and if the insertion slot is visible, it is not preferable from an external appearance. Furthermore, in the digital camera, the solid-state imaging device (CCD or CMOS) constituting the imaging apparatus generates heat, but there is a problem that appearance is deteriorated when a heat radiating hole is formed in the digital camera.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a digital camera excellent in design functions such as downsizing, thinning, appearance, and grip.

  In the present invention, the battery itself detachably attached to the digital camera body is configured as a grip part of the digital camera, and the mounting surface of the digital camera body to which the battery is mounted is provided with a heat radiating hole, a memory card insertion slot, or a button battery. By forming the battery insertion slot, the mounting surface is effectively used, thereby improving the design function of the digital camera.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the digital camera main body and a mounting surface formed on either the left or right side of the digital camera main body are detachably mounted, and the digital camera main body is powered. A battery that constitutes a grip portion of the digital camera, a heat radiation hole that is formed in the mounting surface and radiates heat generated in the digital camera body, and the battery is mounted on the mounting surface And a clearance forming means for forming a clearance between the mounting surface and the battery.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the detachable battery itself is used as the grip portion of the digital camera, it is not necessary to form the grip portion in the digital camera body. Thereby, not only can the digital camera body be miniaturized, but also the degree of freedom in designing the digital camera body is improved. In addition, by making the battery a separate device from the digital camera main body, it becomes easy to cope with the high capacity of the battery. Further, by providing the battery separately from the digital camera body, the battery capacity can be increased.

  Furthermore, since the heat radiating hole is formed on the mounting surface on which the battery is mounted, the heat radiating hole becomes invisible when the battery is mounted, and the appearance is improved. Moreover, when the battery is mounted on the mounting surface of the digital camera main body, the heat radiation effect is not reduced because the heat radiation holes on the mounting surface are not blocked by the clearance forming means. The clearance is not limited if the heat dissipation hole is not blocked by the battery, and is preferably about 0.1 mm to 1 mm, for example.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the digital camera main body and a mounting surface formed on either the left or right side of the digital camera main body are detachably mounted, and the digital camera main body is powered. A digital camera comprising: a battery that forms a grip portion of the digital camera; and a card insertion slot that is formed on the mounting surface and mounts a memory card in the digital camera body. To do.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the detachable battery itself is used as the grip portion of the digital camera, it is not necessary to form the grip portion in the digital camera body. Thereby, not only can the digital camera body be miniaturized, but also the degree of freedom in designing the digital camera body is improved. In addition, by making the battery a separate device from the digital camera main body, it becomes easy to cope with the high capacity of the battery. Further, by providing the battery separately from the digital camera body, the battery capacity can be increased.

  In addition, since the card insertion slot for the memory card is formed on the mounting surface where the battery is installed, the card insertion slot becomes invisible when the battery is installed, which not only improves the appearance, but also the battery is inserted into the card insertion slot. Since it functions as a lid, there is no need to provide a separate lid. In addition, it is preferable to insert and remove the memory card while the power is turned off, but since a card insertion slot is formed on the attachment surface where the battery is attached, in order to attach and remove the memory card, It is necessary to remove the battery from the digital camera body, and the power is automatically turned off. Therefore, there is no need for a detection switch for protecting memory card data depending on the presence or absence of a battery.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the digital camera main body and a mounting surface formed on either the left or right side of the digital camera main body are detachably mounted, and the digital camera main body is powered. A digital camera comprising: a battery that forms a grip portion of the digital camera; and a battery insertion port that is formed on the mounting surface and into which a button battery is inserted into the digital camera body. provide.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the detachable battery itself is used as the grip portion of the digital camera, it is not necessary to form the grip portion in the digital camera body. Thereby, not only can the digital camera body be miniaturized, but also the degree of freedom in designing the digital camera body is improved. In addition, by making the battery a separate device from the digital camera main body, it becomes easy to cope with the high capacity of the battery. Further, by providing the battery separately from the digital camera body, the battery capacity can be increased.

  Furthermore, since the battery insertion slot for the button cell is formed on the mounting surface where the battery is installed, the battery insertion slot becomes invisible when the battery is installed, and not only the appearance is improved, but the battery is also inserted into the battery insertion slot. Since it functions as a lid, there is no need to provide a separate lid.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the digital camera main body and a mounting surface formed on either the left or right side of the digital camera main body are detachably mounted, and the digital camera main body is powered. A battery that constitutes a grip portion of the digital camera, a heat radiation hole that is formed in the mounting surface and radiates heat generated in the digital camera body, and the battery is mounted on the mounting surface A clearance forming means for forming a clearance between the mounting surface and the battery, a card insertion slot formed in the mounting surface and for inserting a memory card into the digital camera body, and formed in the mounting surface. There is provided a digital camera comprising a battery insertion port for inserting a button battery into the digital camera body.

  Claim 4 of this invention is comprised so that all the requirements of Claims 1-3 may be satisfied.

  A fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the thickness of the battery is the same as the thickness of the digital camera body.

  According to the fifth aspect, since the thickness of the battery is the same as the thickness of the digital camera body, a sense of unity between the digital camera body and the battery is formed, and a digital camera excellent in design can be provided. .

  A sixth aspect of the present invention provides the plate spring according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the mounting surface is provided with a connector pin that electrically connects the battery and the digital camera body, and the connector pin is curved. When the battery is mounted on the digital camera body, the connector pin biases the battery and the digital camera body in a direction away from each other.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when a battery that is detachable from the digital camera body is used as a grip portion, the digital camera body is likely to slightly move unless the battery is securely fixed to the digital camera body. . However, in the present invention, the mounting surface is provided with a connector pin that electrically connects the battery and the digital camera body, and when the battery is mounted on the digital camera body, the connector pin connects the battery and the digital camera body. Since the battery is biased in the direction of separation, the battery can be securely fixed to the digital camera body.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the battery has an L-shaped cross section.

  Since the shape of the battery itself is formed so as to have an L-shaped cross section as in claim 7, the grip performance when the battery is gripped by hand is improved.

  An eighth aspect according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein at least one of the front and rear surfaces of the battery has a convex shape that runs vertically along the surface of the battery, and the grip portion is gripped by hand. In some cases, an engaging protrusion for engaging with a finger is formed.

  According to claim 8, at least one of the front and back surfaces of the battery has a convex shape that runs vertically along the surface of the battery and engages with a finger when the battery is gripped by hand. Since the protrusion is formed, the grip performance is improved.

  A ninth aspect is characterized in that, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, a strap is attached to the battery.

  According to the ninth aspect, since the strap is attached to the battery, it is not necessary to attach it to the digital camera body. This not only increases the degree of design freedom of the digital camera body, but also makes it difficult to lose the battery due to the strap when the battery is removed.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the digital camera excellent in design functions, such as size reduction, thickness reduction, the external appearance, and grip property, can be provided.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a digital camera according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the basic configuration of the digital camera of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a diagram in which the battery is detached from the digital camera body, and FIG. 1B is the battery in the digital camera body. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the digital camera 10 of the present invention is mainly composed of a digital camera body 12 and a battery 14.

  The digital camera body 12 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with a small thickness, and a retractable lens 16 (a system in which the lens protrudes and disappears from the digital camera body 12), a flash window 18 and the like are provided on the surface of the digital camera body 12. A liquid crystal monitor 20 (LCD), various operation buttons 22 and the like are provided on the back surface. As the operation buttons 22, for example, a menu button 22A, a reproduction button 22B, a photo mode button 22C, a wide-angle zoom / telephoto zoom button 22D, a display / return button 22E, a flash drive button 22F, and the like are provided. A release button 23 is provided on the upper surface of the digital camera body 12.

  Also, a mounting surface 24 for mounting the battery 14 is formed on either the left or right side surface of the digital camera body 12. In this case, it is more preferable that the right side surface in FIG. 1 on which the operation buttons 22 are arranged is the mounting surface 24 among the left and right side surfaces of the digital camera body 12. The mounting surface 24 of the digital camera body 12 is provided with a connector pin 26 for electrically connecting the digital camera body 12 and the battery 14 and a mounting mechanism for mounting the battery 14 to the digital camera body 12. The mounting mechanism is also provided on the mounting surface 27 side of the battery 14.

  A plurality (three in FIG. 1) of connector pins 26 are provided in parallel on the upper surface of the mounting surface 24, and are formed by a leaf spring member protruding in a curved shape.

  Further, the mounting mechanism mainly includes hooks 28, 28... Formed on a total of four places, two on the upper left and right sides of the mounting surface 24 of the digital camera body 12 and two on the lower left and right sides, and the upper portion of the mounting surface 27 on the battery 14 side. It is formed by engagement holes 30 that are formed at a total of four locations, two on the left and two on the left and two on the left and right on the bottom, and engage with the hook 28. Thus, the battery 14 is mounted on the mounting surface 24 of the digital camera body 12 by engaging the hook 28 of the digital camera body 12 with the engagement hole 30 of the battery 14. Further, by this mounting, the curved connector pin 26 is pressed and a reaction force is generated, and the battery 14 receives a biasing force in a direction away from the digital camera body 12. Therefore, the battery 14 is securely attached and fixed to the digital camera body 12. As a result, even if the battery is made detachable and the battery is configured as a grip portion, there is no backlash between the battery 14 and the digital camera body 12, so that there is no imaging blur.

  A slide pin 32 is formed on the mounting surface of the digital camera body 12, and the slide pin 32 is configured to slide in conjunction with the slide of a slide button 34 provided on the back surface of the digital camera body 12. On the other hand, on the mounting surface 27 on the battery 14 side, a longitudinally long hole (not shown) for engaging the slide pin 32 is formed, and when the slide button 34 is slid to the lowest end, it is formed at the lowest end of the long hole. Abut. Thus, after the battery 14 is mounted on the mounting surface 24 of the digital camera body 12 by the mounting mechanism, the engagement between the hook 28 and the engagement hole 30 can be locked by sliding the slide button 34 to the lowest end. it can. When the battery 14 is detached from the digital camera body 12, the hook 28 and the engagement hole 30 are unlocked if the slide button 34 is slid to the uppermost end. The mounting mechanism and the locking mechanism described above are not limited to this, and any mechanism that can be securely mounted and locked may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the thickness D1 and the height H1 of the battery 14 are preferably the same as the thickness D2 and the height H2 of the digital camera body 12. Moreover, as the shape of the battery 14, the shape of FIG. 2 (A) or FIG. 2 (B) can be preferably employed.

  In FIG. 2A, the shape of the battery 14 is a substantially rectangular shape, and the surface opposite to the mounting surface 27 (the mounting surface of the battery) is formed in a curved shape with a rounded shape. An engagement protrusion 36 is provided on at least one surface of the battery 14 (used in the same meaning as the front and back surfaces of the digital camera body 12). The engaging protrusion 36 has a single convex shape that runs vertically on the battery 14, and the engaging protrusion 36 formed on the back surface grips the battery 14 mounted on the digital camera body 12 by hand. The thumb of the hand will engage. Further, fingers other than the thumb engage with an engaging protrusion 36 (not shown) formed on the surface of the battery 14. Thereby, the grip property of the digital camera 10 can be improved.

  FIG. 2B shows a mode in which the cross-sectional shape of the battery 14 is L-shaped. In this case, the L-shape is preferably bent toward the surface side of the digital camera 10. Thus, the grip property of the digital camera 10 can also be improved by making the battery 14 L-shaped. In addition, although FIG. 2B shows the engagement protrusion 36 not being provided, the engagement protrusion 36 may be provided on at least one of the front and back surfaces of the battery 14.

  The cells 37 built in the battery 14 are preferably arranged in series as shown in FIG.

  In addition to the basic configuration described above, the digital camera 10 of FIG. 3 has a number of fine heat radiation holes 38, 38... On the mounting surface 24 of the digital camera body 12, and a heat radiation hole when the battery 14 is mounted on the mounting surface 24. .. Are formed with protrusions (clearance forming means) 39, 39,. In FIG. 3, the elongated projections 39 are formed at the upper and lower ends of the mounting surface 24, but the clearance forming means is not limited to the projections 39, and the heat radiating holes 38 when the battery 14 is mounted on the mounting surface 24. If is not blocked. The clearance forming means may be formed on the mounting surface 27 on the battery 14 side. Further, the clearance is not limited as long as the heat dissipation hole 38 is not blocked by the battery 14, and is preferably about 0.1 mm to 1 mm, for example.

  The digital camera 10 needs to dissipate heat in some form because the solid-state image pickup device (CCD or CMOS) constituting the image pickup apparatus generates heat. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, a large number of minute heat radiation holes 38 are formed in the mounting surface 24 of the digital camera body 12. Thus, even if the heat radiation hole 38 is formed on the mounting surface 24, the heat radiation hole 38 is hidden by mounting the battery 14, so that the appearance is not deteriorated. Moreover, when the battery 14 is mounted on the mounting surface 24 of the digital camera body 12, the heat radiation hole 38 of the mounting surface 24 is not blocked by the protrusion 39. Therefore, even when the digital camera 10 with the battery 14 attached to the digital camera body 12 is shooting, the heat generated by the solid-state imaging device can be effectively radiated from the digital camera body 12.

  In addition to the basic configuration described above, the digital camera 10 of FIG. 4 has a card insertion slot 42 for inserting the memory card 40 in the digital camera body 12 formed on the mounting surface 24 of the digital camera body 12. As shown in FIG. 4, a substrate 44 shown in FIG. 4B is built in the digital camera body 12 of FIG. 4A in parallel with the front and back surfaces of the digital camera body 12. The board 44 is mounted with a CPU, a driver, a drive circuit, a date / time circuit, and the like (not shown) for driving various functions of the digital camera 10 by the operation buttons 22 described above, and a holder-shaped card connector 46 is mounted on the board 44. Provided in parallel. A card insertion slot 42 of the card connector 46 is formed on the mounting surface 24 of the digital camera body 12. The memory card 40 is inserted into the card connector 46 from the card insertion slot 42, and is electrically connected to the circuit etc. of the substrate 44 via the connector pins 48 and 50.

  When the memory card 40 is attached to the card connector 46, the battery 14 is first removed from the digital camera body 12. Thereby, the power supply from the battery 14 to the digital camera body 12 is stopped. In this state, the memory card 40 is also inserted into the card connector 46 from the card insertion slot 42, and the connector pin 48 of the card connector 46 and the connector pin 50 of the memory card 40 are brought into firm contact. Next, the battery 14 is attached to the digital camera body 12. As a result, the card insertion slot 42 closes the lid. When removing the memory card 40 from the card connector 46, the battery 14 is first removed from the digital camera body 12. As a result, the card insertion slot 42 is opened and the power supply from the battery 14 to the digital camera body 12 is stopped. In this state, the memory card 40 is pulled out from the card connector 46.

  As described above, since the card insertion slot 42 of the memory card 40 is formed on the mounting surface 24 to which the battery 14 is mounted, the card insertion slot 42 becomes invisible when the battery is installed, and not only the appearance is improved. Since the battery 14 serves as a lid for the card insertion slot 42, it is not necessary to provide a lid separately. The memory card 40 is preferably attached and detached while the power is turned off. However, since the card insertion slot 42 is formed in the attachment surface 24 to which the battery 14 is attached, the memory card 40 is attached and detached. In order to do this, it is necessary to remove the battery 14 from the digital camera body 12, and the power is automatically turned off. Therefore, a detection switch for protecting the memory card data depending on the presence or absence of the battery 14 is not required. In addition, since the card connector 46 is arranged in parallel with the substrate 44, the substrate mountability is improved.

  In addition to the basic configuration described above, the digital camera 10 of FIG. 5 is formed by forming a battery insertion port 54 for inserting the button battery 52 into the digital camera body 12 on the mounting surface 24 of the digital camera body 12. The digital camera 10 has a function that must be driven even when the digital camera 10 is not used, such as a date / time circuit, that is, when the main power supply from the battery 14 is stopped. A battery 52 may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the digital camera body 12 of FIG. 5A, the substrate 44 described in FIG. 4B is built in parallel to the front and back surfaces of the digital camera body 12, and FIG. As described above, the battery holder 56 of the button battery 52 is formed on the substrate 44 in parallel with the substrate 44. In addition, the battery insertion port 54 of the battery holder 56 is formed in the mounting surface 24 of the digital camera body 12, and the button battery 52 is inserted into the battery holder 56 from the battery insertion port 54, so that the date and time circuit of the substrate 44 is electrically connected. Connected. Thereby, electric power is always supplied to the date and time circuit formed on the substrate 44. When attaching the button battery 52 to the battery holder 56, first, the battery 14 is detached from the digital camera body 12. As a result, the battery insertion port 54 of the battery holder 56 is opened, and the button battery 52 is inserted into the battery holder 56. When the button battery 52 is removed from the battery holder 56 and replaced, a protruding mechanism may be provided in the battery holder 56 so as to come out by applying a force in the direction in which the button battery 52 is pushed. Moreover, it is preferable to form a depression for pinching in the battery insertion port 54 so that the button battery 52 can be easily picked out from the battery insertion port 54.

  As described above, since the battery insertion port 54 of the button battery 52 is formed on the mounting surface 24 of the digital camera main body 12 to which the battery 14 is mounted, the battery insertion port 54 becomes invisible when the battery is mounted, and the appearance looks good. In addition to the improvement, since the battery 14 serves as a lid for the battery insertion port 54, it is not necessary to provide a lid separately. Further, by forming the battery holder 56 in parallel with the substrate 44, the substrate mountability is improved.

  The digital camera 10 in FIG. 6 is configured such that a strap 58 is provided on the battery 14 in addition to the above basic configuration. As shown in FIG. 6, a hole 60 is formed in the engaging protrusion 36 formed in the battery 14 so that the strap 58 can be passed therethrough. Thereby, not only can the design freedom of the digital camera body 12 be increased, but the battery 14 is less likely to be lost due to the strap 58 when the battery 14 is detached.

  In the present embodiment, the heat radiation hole 38 and the protrusion 39 in FIG. 3, the card insertion slot 42 in FIG. 4, the battery insertion slot 54 in FIG. 5, and the strap 58 in FIG. The digital camera 10 may include all of these.

The perspective view explaining the basic composition of the digital camera of the present invention Perspective view explaining different shapes of battery The perspective view explaining the aspect which formed the heat radiating hole in the mounting surface of the digital camera main body in the digital camera of this invention. The perspective view explaining the aspect which formed the card insertion slot in the mounting surface of the digital camera main body in the digital camera of this invention. The perspective view explaining the aspect which formed the battery insertion slot in the mounting surface of a digital camera main body The perspective view explaining the aspect which provided the strap in the battery in the digital camera of this invention

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Digital camera, 12 ... Digital camera body, 14 ... Battery, 16 ... Retractable lens, 18 ... Flash window, 20 ... LCD monitor, 22 ... Operation button, 24 ... Mounting surface of digital camera body, 26 ... Connector pin, 27 ... Battery mounting surface, 28 ... Hook, 30 ... Engagement hole, 32 ... Slide pin, 34 ... Slide button, 36 ... Engagement projection, 38 ... Radiation hole, 39 ... Projection, 40 ... Memory card, 42 ... card insertion hole, 44 ... substrate, 46 ... card connector, 48, 50 ... connector pin, 52 ... button battery, 54 ... battery insertion slot, 56 ... battery holder, 58 ... strap, 60 ... hole

Claims (9)

The digital camera body,
A battery that is detachably mounted on a mounting surface formed on either the left or right side of the digital camera body, and that supplies power to the digital camera body and constitutes a grip portion of the digital camera;
A heat dissipation hole formed on the mounting surface and dissipating heat generated in the digital camera body, and
A digital camera comprising clearance forming means for forming a clearance between the mounting surface and the battery when the battery is mounted on the mounting surface. The digital camera body,
A battery that is detachably mounted on a mounting surface formed on either the left or right side of the digital camera body, and that supplies power to the digital camera body and constitutes a grip portion of the digital camera;
A digital camera, comprising: a card insertion slot formed on the mounting surface for mounting a memory card in the digital camera body. The digital camera body,
A battery that is detachably mounted on a mounting surface formed on either the left or right side of the digital camera body, supplies power to the digital camera body, and constitutes a grip portion of the digital camera;
A digital camera comprising: a battery insertion slot formed on the mounting surface and into which a button battery is inserted into the digital camera body. The digital camera body,
A battery that is detachably mounted on a mounting surface formed on either the left or right side of the digital camera body, and that supplies power to the digital camera body and constitutes a grip portion of the digital camera;
A heat dissipation hole formed on the mounting surface and dissipating heat generated in the digital camera body,
Clearance forming means for forming a clearance between the mounting surface and the battery when the battery is mounted on the mounting surface;
A card insertion slot formed on the mounting surface and for inserting a memory card into the digital camera body;
A digital camera comprising: a battery insertion slot formed on the mounting surface and into which a button battery is inserted into the digital camera body.   The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the battery has a thickness that is the same as a thickness of the digital camera body.   The mounting surface is provided with a connector pin for electrically connecting the battery and the digital camera body, and the connector pin is formed by a curved leaf spring member, and the battery is mounted on the digital camera body. 6. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the connector pin biases the battery and the digital camera main body away from each other.   7. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the battery has an L-shaped cross section.   At least one of the front and back surfaces of the battery has a convex shape that runs vertically along the surface of the battery, and an engagement protrusion that engages with a finger when the battery is gripped by hand is formed. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the digital camera is a digital camera.   The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein a strap is attached to the battery.

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