Abstract:
An electronic apparatus with an illuminated button, the apparatus comprising a first operation button, a second operation button, a first board mounted with a first switch corresponding to the first operation button, wherein a portion of the first board is notched, a second switch corresponding to the second operation button, wherein the second switch is mounted below the notched portion of the first board, and a light source that is mounted below the second operation button.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to an operation button to be illuminated of an electronic apparatus.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     An electronic apparatus, such as digital camera, is often configured so that the operation buttons are all disposed on one face of the apparatus, and their associated switches are disposed on a single flexible board or a print board.  
         [0005]     Moreover, for a purpose of distinguishing buttons or identifying a button that indicates a specific function, a surface of the operation button is illuminated using a light source such as LED, which is emitted from the rear side of the button.  
         [0006]     The light source and the switch cannot both be placed right below the button. With regard to their positions, if the light source is not located in the center of the button, the button will not be evenly or efficiently illuminated. On the other hand, if the switch is not located in the center of the button, a satisfactory feeling of the button clicking cannot be obtained.  
         [0007]     With the advancement in recent years of the technology for producing thin electronic apparatuses, a space between the button and the light source or the switch is becoming smaller, and the above described problem is becoming more prominent.  
         [0008]     In small electronic apparatuses in recent years, if possible, the operation buttons tend to be situated in one place. The switches are frequently arranged on the flexible board or the print board, and disposed within a small space below a cover. In such a device, if apart of the operation buttons is configured to be illuminated, unevenness of illumination can easily occur if the LED is not located in the center of the button due to a space between the buttons, and because the board or flexible board on which the LED or the switches are mounted is so narrow. Moreover, there is a problem in that the amount of light decreases if the light originates from a light source placed away from the button. Moreover, because the tactile switch is thin, it has to be mounted on the large area so that the LED or the switch must be placed away from the center of the button.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     One aspect of the present invention is directed to providing a structure when a plurality of operation members, including an illumination type operation member, is closely positioned.  
         [0010]     In one aspect of the present invention, an electronic apparatus includes a first operation button, a second operation button, a first board mounted with a first switch corresponding to the first operation button, wherein a portion of the first board, a second switch corresponding to the second operation button, wherein the second switch is mounted below the notched portion of the first board, and a light source mounted below the second operation button.  
         [0011]     In another aspect of the present invention, an image capture device includes an image capture unit, a display unit that displays am image obtained from the image capture unit, wherein the display unit is mounted on a first side of a rear portion of the image capture unit, a first operation button mounted on a second rear portion located opposite to the first rear side, a second operation button mounted on the second rear side located opposite to the first rear side, a first board mounted with a first switch corresponding to the first operation button, wherein the first board is notched in part, a second switch corresponding to the second operation button, mounted below the notched portion of the first board, and a light source mounted below the second operation button.  
         [0012]     Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view showing a camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention viewed from the front side.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view showing the camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention viewed from the rear side.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a drawing showing a cross sectional view of the illumination button and its surroundings according to the first embodiment.  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a drawing showing a cross sectional view of the illumination button and its surroundings according to the second embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     Embodiments of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.  
       First Embodiment  
       [0019]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a camera according to one embodiment of the present invention, where the view is from front side of the camera.  FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the camera according to one embodiment of the present invention, where the view is from the rear side of the camera. Referring to these drawings, a front cover  1  covers the front side of the camera, and a rear cover  2  covers the rear side. A lens barrel unit  3  holds an image taking lens and the like in which a finder unit  4 , a zoom motor  5  that rotates the lens barrel unit, and a gear unit  6  are integrally assembled, and is fixed to a base member  8  by screws  7   a ,  7   b , and  7   c.    
         [0020]     The battery case  9  holds a battery  51 , which is fixed to the base member  8  with screws  11   a  and  11   b  inserting the power source board unit  10  in between.  
         [0021]     Reference numeral  12  denotes a strobe unit on the upper part of which a strobe flash unit  13  is arranged. A flexible board  14  for a strobe that mounts to a strobe circuit thereon is attached to a frame portion of the strobe unit  12  which extends to a lower part. A strobe capacitor  15  is also fixed to the frame portion of the strobe unit  12 . The strobe unit  12  is disposed in front of the zoom motor  5  and the gear unit  6  attached to the lens barrel unit  3 , which is fixed to the base member  8  by a screw  16  in the side portion. A width of the strobe flash unit  13  is approximately equal to the combined width of the gear unit  6  and the zoom motor  5  disposed in its back, accordingly they can be arranged with no wasted space.  
         [0022]     Reference numeral  17  denotes a main board on which the CPU, the memory, the image processing LSI, and the like, are mounted. A slot  17   a  of the SD memory card  17   b  (external memory) and a USB connector  17   c  are mounted on the rear side of the main board  17 . The main board  17  is fixed to the base member  8  and the battery case  9  by screws  18   a ,  18   b , and  18   c . Reference numeral  19  denotes an operation flexible board on which a release switch, a power switch, and the like are mounted. Reference numeral  20  denotes a speaker which terminal is soldered to one edge of the operational flexible board  19 .  
         [0023]     An operation button base  21  is made of silicon rubber to which the operation buttons such as cross key  22 , center key  23 , or push buttons  24  and  25  are attached. At the rear side of this operation button base  21 , dome-shaped metallic plates (metal domes) are attached to positions corresponding to each of the buttons stuck on the operation button base  21 . By pressing each operation button, the metal dome is brought into contact with a pattern on the operation flexible plate  19  and energization is performed. Moreover, a portion  21   a  of the operation button base  21  covers an edge of the speaker  20  and plays a role of the cushion by filling in a gap between the speaker  20  and the rear cover  2 . Reference numeral  26  denotes an illumination button to which a light guiding member  27  is attached at the center.  
         [0024]     An LCD holder  30  holds an LCD panel  29  and a back light (not shown), and is fixed to the base member  8  by a screw  31 . A mode switching button  32  switches the operation mode of the camera to a still picture image taking mode, a moving picture image taking mode, or a replaying mode by sliding in a right and left direction as shown in  FIG. 2 . The mode switching button  32  is configured to be capable of moving from side to side, sandwiching the rear cover  2  together with a fixing board  33  located at its rear side. In addition, the mode switching button  32  is configured to enable the switch unit to perform switching with a notch  33   a , which holds an arm of the mode switching button  32  mounted on the operation flexible board  19 .  
         [0025]     A button holding member  34  holds a zoom dial  35 , a release button  36 , and a power button  37  and is disposed above the battery case  9  across the operational flexible board  19 . Moreover, the button holding member  34  has on its side a USB connector  17   c  and a jack storing unit that stores a jack (not shown) for images and sounds, as well as a pull-out type jack cover  38  that covers them.  
         [0026]     Reference numeral  41  denotes a strap attaching member of a rectangular shape with a round surface to which a strap  42  is attached. From the standpoint of design and strength, the strap attaching member  41  is formed by die casting. The strap attaching member  41  has an opening  41   b . An end of the strap ring  42  is wounded around a rod-shaped unit  41   a  which crosses nearly the center of the opening  41   b . The strap attaching member  41  has screw holes punched approximately in an elongated direction of the rod-shaped unit  41   a . The screw holes are used to mount the strap attaching member  41  on the base member  8  by the screws  44   a  and  44   b . Thereby, the force pulling the strap attaching member  41  caused by the strap  42  is efficiently transmitted to the camera body.  
         [0027]     Reference numeral  43  denotes an inner member having an arc-shaped (or hemisphere) recess  43   a . The inner member  43  is fitted to the opening unit  41   b  of the strap attaching member  41  from the rear side. When the inner member  43  is fitted to the strap attaching member  41 , the recess  43   a  and the opening  41   b  form a hole under the rod-shaped unit  41   a  which guide an end  42   a  of the strap  42  from one side of the opening  41   b  to the other side. Reference numeral  45  denotes a tripod securing member where a screw is cut to secure a tripod.  
         [0028]      FIG. 3  shows the cross sectional view of the illumination button  26  and its surroundings. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the operational flexible board  19  and the operation button base  21  are sandwiched and held by the base member  8  and the rear cover  2 . A push button  25  is attached on top of the operation button base  21 , and a metal dome  25   a  adheres on its rear side. Other push buttons  24 , the cross key  22 , and the center key  23  are similarly arranged (not shown in  FIG. 3 ). The illumination button  26  is arranged by notching a part of the operational flexible board  19 . A tactile switch  10   a  is mounted on the power source board unit  10  located further inside the camera than the flexible board  19  and is configured to be pressed by an edge  27   a  of the light guiding member  27 . An LED  10   b  is disposed at a side of the tactile switch  10   a , and a light emitted from the LED  10   b  is guided to the surface of the illumination button  26  through the light guiding member  27 . Although the LED  10   b  is located slightly off-center of the illumination button  26 , it is capable of irradiating the surface of the illumination button  26  uniformly and efficiently because of its position with respect to the surface of the illumination button  26 . Moreover, since the tactile switch  10   a  does not require a large mounting area, the center of the tactile switch  10   a  can be placed close to the center of the illumination button  26 , thus keeping the LED  10   b  close to the center of the illumination button  26 . A base of the illumination button  26  is fixed to the base member  8  by a screw  28 .  
       Second Embodiment  
       [0029]      FIG. 4  shows the cross sectional view of the illumination button  126  and its surroundings according to the second embodiment. All other elements of the camera have the same configuration as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the operational flexible board  119  and the operation button base  121  are sandwiched and held by the base member  108  and the rear cover  102 . A push button  125  is attached on the operation button base  121 , and a metal dome  125   a  adheres to its rear side. The illumination button  126  has a U-shaped switch (SW) pressing unit  126   a , and a light guiding member  127  is attached to the button  126  center. A tongued unit  108   a  of the base member  108  is inserted into the inside of the switch pressing unit  126   a . An LED  110   b  is disposed immediately below the light guiding member  127 . Moreover, a tactile switch  110   a  is mounted on the power source board unit  110  which is located further inside the camera than the operational flexible board  119 , and configured to be pressed by the switch pressing unit  126   a . A light emitted from the LED  10   b  is guided to the surface of the illumination button  126  through the light guiding member  127  in an upward direction from the tactile switch  110   a.    
         [0030]     According to the first embodiment, a plurality of buttons is disposed in the vicinity of one face of the camera, and a part of the buttons is illuminated with light from a light source, such as an LED, from behind the buttons so as to allow them to light up. In that case, if the light source is disposed further inside than the switches of the buttons, and the part of the button surfaces is illuminated using the light guiding member, the buttons can be illuminated efficiently and with good appearance since the light source is located almost immediately below the button.  
         [0031]     Moreover, according to the second embodiment, a switch is located further inside than the light source, and the light source is placed between the switch and the light guiding member. Accordingly, the buttons can be illuminated efficiently and with good appearance.  
         [0032]     Further, according to the present embodiments, only the center of the illumination button  26  ( 126 ) is illuminated so that the light guiding member is configured as a separate member. However, the illumination button  26  ( 126 ) and the light guiding member  27  ( 127 ) may be integrally molded and other unnecessary surfaces may be screened with a paint, and the like, or the whole button  26  ( 126 ) may be illuminated while it is integrally molded.  
         [0033]     While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all modifications, equivalent structures and functions.  
         [0034]     This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-284345 filed Sep. 29, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.