Abstract:
Electronic apparatus comprises an image-taking unit, a first exterior member and a second exterior member. The first exterior member has at least front face, rear face, top face, bottom face, first and second sides. The second exterior member has a first face locating opposite the first side, a second face locating opposite the top face and a third face locating opposite the bottom face.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to electronic apparatus such as a camera or the like.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     Conventional cameras are designed so that internal structures are covered by a front cover and a rear cover as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11(1999)-261858.  
         [0005]     In conventional cameras, it is frequently carried out to insert a strap through a strap ring and hold a camera via the strap. When a user releases the strap and the strap slides off under the state where the camera is held by griping the strap, the camera falls with the electric flash unit side facing the ground surface. In this case, the camera strikes against the ground surface or the like, so that the boundary between the front cover and the rear cover at the electric flash unit side may be opened or the electric flash unit may malfunction.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention has an object to provide electronic apparatus which is hardly broken even when it suffers a shock due to falling or the like.  
         [0007]     According to one aspect of the present invention, an electronic apparatus comprising an image-taking unit including an image-pickup element which takes an image of an object and a lens which provides the image on the image-pickup element, a first exterior member having at least front face, rear face, top face, bottom face, first and second sides, for covering the image-taking unit, the first exterior member including a front exterior member assembled from the front of the image-taking unit and a rear exterior member assembled from the back of the image-taking unit, and a second exterior member provided so as to cover the connection between the front exterior member and rear exterior member on the first side, top face and bottom face, and formed as one. The image-taking unit is provided on the first side of the electronic apparatus. The second exterior member has a first face locating opposite the first side, a second face locating opposite the top face and a third face locating opposite the bottom face.  
         [0008]     The feature of the electronic apparatus of the present invention will be clarified through description of preferred embodiments described hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawing. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the outward appearance of a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the camera of the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view of the camera of the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the camera of the first embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a diagram showing attaching/detaching of a side cover of the camera of the first embodiment according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0014]     Embodiment 1  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the outward appearance of a camera (electronic apparatus) according to an embodiment 1 of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view showing the camera when the camera is viewed from the front side, and  FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the camera when the camera is viewed from the back side.  
         [0016]     In these figures, Reference Numeral  1  denotes a front cover for covering the front side of the camera (containing parts of the upper, lower, right and left side surfaces of the camera), and Reference Numeral  2  denotes a rear cover for covering the back side of the camera (containing parts of the upper, lower, right and left side surfaces of the camera). These covers  1  and  2  are formed of thin plates of stainless steel or the like.  
         [0017]     Reference Numeral  3  denotes a side cover, and it is mounted to the front cover  1  and the rear cover  2  so as to cover parts of the front cover  1  and the rear cover  2 , that is, one side of the camera body (the side surface at the right side when viewing the front of the camera), and parts of the upper and lower surfaces.  
         [0018]     Reference Numeral  4  denotes a lens barrel for holding an image taking lens or the like, and it is moved in the optical axis direction to change the focal length of an image taking optical system. An object image formed by the image taking optical system is photoelectrically converted by an image pickup element  45  such as a CCD sensor, a CMOS sensor or the like. Image data output from the image pickup element  45  are subjected to image processing (color processing, etc.) in an image processing circuit, and then recorded in a recording medium mounted in the camera or output to an LCD panel  26  described later to be displayed as an object image.  
         [0019]     The lens barrel  4  is disposed so as to be leaning to the right side with respect to the camera body. Here, a hole portion  1   b  for allowing the operation of the lens barrel  4  is formed in the front cover  1 .  
         [0020]     Reference Numeral  5  denotes a strap ring to which a strap  51  is secured, and it is equipped at the left side of the front cover  1  when viewing the front side of the camera.  
         [0021]     Speaker hole portions  1   a  and  2   a  are formed in the front cover  1  and the rear cover  2 , and some of the speaker hole portions  1   a  and  2   a  penetrate through the covers  1  and  2 , and the other hole portions are formed so as to project to the insides of the covers  1  and  2 .  
         [0022]     Reference Numeral  6  denotes a base member, and holds various kinds of parts disposed in the camera. Reference Numeral  7  denotes a battery holding member, and holds a battery  8  inserted in the camera. Here, a space (battery case) in which the battery  8  is accommodated is formed by the battery holding member  7  and the base member  6 .  
         [0023]     A lid unit  11  constructed by a lid member  9  and a lid slide member  10  is rotatably secured via shafts  11   a  and  11   b  to the end portion of the battery holding member  7 . That is, when the battery  8  is mounted in the battery case, the lid slider member  10  is first slid in a predetermined direction, and the lid member  9  is rotated with the shafts  11   a  and  11   b  as rotational axes, whereby an opening portion of the batter case can be opened. Under this state, the battery  8  is accommodated in the battery case, and the mounting operation of the battery  8  is finished by closing the lid unit  11 .  
         [0024]     A operating flexible board  12  and a speaker  13  for emitting specific sounds (for example, an operating sound, voices in a moving-picture pickup operation) are disposed at the upper portion of the battery holding member  7 . A release switch  12   a  for starting an image taking standby operation (a focusing adjusting operation of the image taking optical system, a light metering operation, etc.) and an image taking operation (recording of image data read out from the image pickup element  45 ), and a power switch  12   b  for turning on/off the power of the camera are mounted on the operating flexible board  12 .  
         [0025]     At the upper side of the speaker  13  are disposed a buffer member  14  having elasticity such as urethane foam or the like, and a water-repellant sheet  15  for preventing water immersion from the outside of the camera to the speaker  13 . The buffer member  14  and the water-repellant sheet  15  are fixed to the battery holding member  7  by a speaker holding member  16 .  
         [0026]     A release button  18  and a power supply button  19  are held via a spring member (not shown) by a button holding member  17 . The button holding member  17  is fixed to the upper portion of the operating flexible board  12  by an arm portion  6   a  of the base member  6  and the speaker holding member  16 .  
         [0027]     Reference Numeral  20  denotes a contact piece holding member for holding contact pieces  8   a  to  8   c  of the battery  8 , and a pawl portion formed in the contact piece holding member  20  is engaged with the battery holding member  7 , whereby the contact piece holding member  20  is fixed to the battery holding member  7 .  
         [0028]     Reference Numeral  21  denotes an electric flash holding member, and holds a light emitting unit  21   a  for irradiating illumination light to an object, and a capacitor  24  which is disposed at the back side of the light emitting unit  21   a  and accumulates energy when the illumination light is irradiated. The electrical flash holding member  21  is fixed to the base member  6 .  
         [0029]     A flexible board  22  on which an electrical flash circuit and a power supply circuit are mounted is fixed to an area of the electrical flash holding member  21  which extends from the light emitting unit  21   a  to the lower side of the camera. The flexible board  22  is disposed in the front-and-rear direction of the camera with respect to the electric flash holding member  21 , and it comprises board portions on which various kinds of electrical parts are mounted, and a flexible portion for linking these board portions. A flexible protecting member  23  is disposed so as to cover the flexible portion of the flexible board  22 .  
         [0030]     On the other hand, the board portion located at the front side of the camera out of the board portions of the flexible board  22  is connected to the contact pieces of the battery  8  held by the contact piece holding member  20  at this one end, and directly supplies power from the battery  8  to the power supply circuit. A partial area  23   a  of the flexible protecting member  23  has spring performance, and it comes into contact with the side cover  3  so as to bias the side cover  3  when it is assembled to the side cover  3 . Accordingly, the flexible protecting member  23  plays the role of protecting flexible board  22  without transferring to the flexible board  22  any impact applied from the outside of the camera to the side cover  3 .  
         [0031]     Reference Numeral  25  denotes an LCD holder for holding an LCD panel  26  and a back light (not shown) for LCD display, and it is fixed to the base member  6  by a hook portion  25   a  and a screw (not shown). The LCD panel  26  is connected to a control circuit mounted on a main board  27  described later via a flexible print wire board  26   a , and displays data such as image taking information or image taking images on the basis of an output from the control circuit.  
         [0032]     A projecting portion  25   b  formed at one end of the LCD holder  25  has spring performance, and is brought into contact with the rear cover  2 . Accordingly, electrical conduction between the rear cover  2  and the base member  6  is secured. Here, a hole portion  2   b  through which the LCD panel  26  is exposed to the outside of the camera is formed in the rear cover  2 .  
         [0033]     Reference Numeral  27  denotes a main board on which the control circuit, the image processing circuit, etc., of the camera are mounted. It is fixed to the base member  6  by screws  28   a  and  28   b  and also fixed to the electrical flash holding member  21  together with the flexible protecting member  23  by a screw  28   c . Accordingly, the electrical conduction between the main board  27  and the side cover  3  is secured via the flexible protecting member  23 .  
         [0034]     Reference Numeral  29  denotes a mode switching button, and the operation mode of the camera can be switched by sliding the mode switching button  29  in the right and left direction of the camera body. Specifically, mode selection of a still picture image taking mode (REC MODE), a moving picture image taking mode (MOVIE MODE) and a reproducing mode (PLAY MODE) can be carried out.  
         [0035]     The mode switching button  29  is slidably secured to the rear cover  2  by a securing member  30 , and a mode contact piece  31  is fixed to a portion of the mode switching button  29  which is located inside the rear cover  2 .  
         [0036]     The mode contact piece  31  is designed so as to come into contact with a conduction pattern  12   c  formed on the operating flexible board  12 , and it slides on the conduction pattern  12   c  in accordance with the operation of the mode switching mode button  29  to thereby output a predetermined signal. The output signal is transmitted to the control circuit on the main board  27 , and the control circuit switches the operation mode of the camera in accordance with the signal thus input.  
         [0037]     Reference Numeral  32  denotes a tripod securing member disposed on the lower surface of the camera body, and it has a screw hole portion which is engaged to a screw secured to a tripod (not shown). The tripod securing member  32  is fixed to the base member  6  by screws  32   a  and  32   b.    
         [0038]     Reference Numerals  33 ,  34   a  and  34   b  denote operating buttons, attached to an operating button base member  35 . The operating button  33  comprises a so-called cross button, and by operating the cross button, information displayed on the LCD panel  26  can be switched in the up-and-down and right-and-left direction. Here, plural hole portions  2   c  for exposing the operating buttons  33 ,  34   a  and  34   b  to the outside of the camera are formed in the rear cover  2 .  
         [0039]     A conduction member is attached to the areas of the operating button base member  35  which correspond to the operating buttons  33 ,  34   a ,  34   b , and by pressing the operating buttons  33 ,  34   a ,  34   b , the conduction members are brought into contact with the pattern on the operating flexible board  12 , thereby establishing electrical conduction. This signal is input to the control circuit and the control circuit carries out the operation corresponding to the input signal.  
         [0040]     The operating flexible board  12  and the operating button base member  35  are positioned by a boss (not shown) equipped to the base member  6  so that the relative positions thereof are not displaced from each other.  
         [0041]     Reference Numeral  36  denotes a jack board, and a jack and a USB connector for communicating images and voices with external equipment (for example, a PC, a printer and TV) (not shown).  
         [0042]     Next, the process in which the structure unit constructed by securing the various kinds of members described above to the base member  6  is covered by the front cover  1 , the rear cover  2  and the side cover  3  to thereby fabricate a camera will be described with reference to  FIG. 4 .  
         [0043]     After the positional adjustment of the various kinds of members fixed to the base member  6  is carried out, the front cover  1  and the rear cover  2  are secured. Specifically, the camera front side of the structure unit  50  is covered by the front cover  1 , and the front cover  1  is fixed to the base member  6  by a screw  37 . At this time, the projecting portions projecting to the inside of the front cover  1  out of the speaker hole portions  1   a  of the front cover  1  are hooked to the edge  16   a  of the hole portion formed in the speaker holding member  16 .  
         [0044]     Furthermore, a hole portion  1   c  through which the light emitting unit  21   a  penetrates is formed in the front cover  1 , and the front surface of the light emitting unit  21   a  is exposed to the front surface of the front cover  1  while the front cover  1  is secured to the structure unit  50 . Here, an area of the front surface of the light emitting unit  21   a  at the lower side of the camera is constructed by a surface continuous with the surface of the front cover  1 , and an area of the front surface of the light emitting unit  21   a  at the upper side of the camera is designed to project from the surface of the front cover  1 .  
         [0045]     Subsequently, the camera back side of the structure unit  50  is covered by the rear cover  2 , and the rear cover  2  is fixed to the base member  6  by a screw  38 . At this time, the projecting portions projecting to the inside of the rear cover  2  out of the speaker hole portions  2   a  of the rear cover  2  are hooked to the edge  16   b  of the hole portion formed in the speaker holding member  16 .  
         [0046]     As described above, the projecting portions formed in the front cover  1  and the rear cover  2  are hooked to the hole portion of the structure unit  50  (the hole portion of the speaker holding member  16 ), whereby the front cover  1  and the rear cover  2  can be prevented from being opened in the front-and-rear direction of the camera body (thickness direction).  
         [0047]     Furthermore, since the speaker holding member  16  is lifted to the upper side of the camera by the buffer member  14 , so that it is brought into close contact with the covers  1  and  2 , the projecting portions of the covers  1  and  2  are hardly detached from the speaker holding member  16 .  
         [0048]     After the front cover  1  and the rear cover  2  are assembled with the structure unit  50 , the side cover  3  is mounted on the covers  1  and  2  by sliding the side cover  3  from the light emitting unit  21   a  side in the lateral direction of the camera body.  
         [0049]     Here, pawl portions  3   a  and  3   b  are formed at one end of the side cover  3 , and the pawl portions  3   a  and  3   b  are made to abut against the insides of engaged portions  1   d  and  2   d  formed in the front cover  1  and the rear cover  2  respectively, whereby one end side of the side cover  3  can be prevented from being floated with respect to the covers  1  and  2 .  
         [0050]     Furthermore, the front cover  3  and the covers  1  and  2  are designed so that the surfaces of the side cover  3  and the covers  1  and  2  which are located on the upper surface of the camera body are continuous with one another while the pawl portions  3   a  and  3   b  are engaged with the engaged portions  1   d  and  2   b . Accordingly, as compared with a case where the side cover  3  and the covers  1  and  2  are fixed to each other by screws or the like, the appearance quality of the camera can be further enhanced.  
         [0051]     Under the state where the side cover  3  is assembled with the covers  1 ,  2 , a screw  39  is screwed in from the side surface side of the camera body, and also screws  40   a  and  40   b  are screwed in from the lower surface side of the camera body, whereby the side cover  3  is fixed to the covers  1  and  2 . Through this operation, the assembly of the camera is finished.  
         [0052]     The side cover  3  is shaped as shown in  FIG. 4  by inwardly bending side edges of a planar member extending in one direction (side edges extending in the longitudinal direction) to form a substantially overturned U-shape, and then bending the result at two places in the longitudinal direction to form a substantially overturned U-shape.  
         [0053]     The side cover  3  thus shaped is assembled with the covers  1  and  2 , whereby parts of the upper surface and lower surface of the camera body and one side surface of the camera body can be covered, and thus the covers  1  and  2  can be enforced. That is, the side cover  3  covers the mated portions of the front cover  1  and rear cover  2 , whereby the mated portions of the covers  1  and  2  can be repressed from being opened due to an impact when the camera falls.  
         [0054]     In the camera of this embodiment, since the members constituting the camera which are disposed in the covers  1 ,  2 , for example, the lens barrel  4  and the light emitting unit  21   a  are disposed so as to be leaning from the center of the camera body to the right side, the center of gravity of the camera is deviated to the right side of the camera body. Therefore, when the camera falls, the camera may fall to the ground surface or the like from a side of the camera which is near to the center of gravity of the camera. Furthermore, when a strap is released from a hand under the state where the strap is secured to a strap ring  5  and a camera is held through the strap, the camera strikes against the ground surface or the like from the right side surface of the camera.  
         [0055]     In this embodiment, the side cover  3  is equipped so as to be located at a near position to the center of gravity of the camera. Therefore, when the camera falls, an impact to be imposed on the camera is suppressed by the side cover  3 , so that the mated portions of the front cover  1  and the rear cover  2  can be prevented from being opened or the light emitting unit  21   a  can be prevented from being damaged.  
         [0056]     In addition, the side cover  3  also covers the bent portions of the front cover  1  and the rear cover  2  (the end portions of the camera), so that an impact imposed on these portions can be suppressed.  
         [0057]      FIG. 5  is a front view showing the camera according to this embodiment, wherein  FIG. 5A  shows a state under which the side cover  3  is mounted on the covers  1  and  2 , and  FIG. 5B  shows a state under which the side cover  3  is detached from the covers  1  and  2 .  
         [0058]     In  FIG. 5A , Reference Numeral  41  denotes a prism panel disposed on the front surface of the light emitting unit  21   a , and adjusts an irradiation angle of illumination light exited from the light emitting unit  21   a . An area of the prism panel  41  at the lower side of the camera (the lower side of  FIG. 5A ) is constructed by a surface continuous with the surface of the front cover  1 , and an area of the prism panel  41  at the upper side of the camera (the upper side of  FIG. 5A ) is constructed by a surface continuous with the surface of the side cover  3 .  
         [0059]     A slant portion  41   a  is formed at a part of the prism panel  41 , and also a slant portion  3   c  is formed at the area corresponding to the slant portion  41   a  of the side cover  3 . Under the state where the side cover  3  is mounted on the covers  1  and  2  ( FIG. 5A ), the slant portion  41   a  abuts against the slant portion  3   c.    
         [0060]     Here, when the side cover  3  is detached from the covers  1  and  2 , it is first required to slide the side cover  3  in the lateral direction of the camera body until the pawl portions  3   a  and  3   b  of the side cover  3  are disengaged from the engaged portions  1   d  and  2   b . At this time, the slant portion  3   c  of the side cover  3  moves along the slant portion  41   a  of the prism panel  41 , and the side cover  3  can be detached while deforming the side cover  3 .  
         [0061]     Here, when the slant portions  3   c  and  41   a  are not formed in the side cover  3  and the prism panel  41 , that is, when the areas corresponding to the slant portions  3   c  and  41   a  are formed substantially at right angles, the prism panel  41  may be damaged by the side cover  3  when the side cover  3  is detached while slid in the right-and-left direction of the camera.  
         [0062]     However, according to this embodiment, the slant portion  3   c  is equipped to the side cover  3  while the slant portion  41   a  is also equipped to the prism panel  41 . Therefore, when the side cover  3  is detached from the covers  1  and  2 , the slant portion  3   c  of the side cover  3  is moved along the slant portion  41   a  of the prism panel  41 , whereby the side cover  3  can be prevented from being hooked to the prism panel  41  and thus damaging the prism panel  41 . Accordingly, the side cover  3  can be easily detached from the camera body.  
         [0063]     When the side cover  3  is mounted on the covers  1  and  2 , the side cover  3  is made to merely abut against the end portion of the prism panel  41 , so that the prism panel  41  is not damaged.  
         [0064]     In the above-described embodiment, a description has been given regarding a camera. However, the present invention may be applied to other electronic apparatus, for example, portable electronic apparatus such as a mobile phone or the like. Furthermore, the camera of the above-described embodiment has the front cover  1  and the rear cover  2 , however, these covers may be integrally formed with each other. In this case, the side cover  3  is mounted on the cover thus integrally formed.  
         [0065]     While preferred embodiments have been described, it is to be understood that modification and variation of the present invention may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.  
         [0066]     This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-319997 filed on Sep. 11, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.