Patent ID: 8496390

Claim:
A cover unit comprising: a first cover that is slidably movable in a first direction between a cover position at which the first cover covers an object to be covered and an exposed position at which the first cover does not cover the object to be covered; a second cover including a visible surface that is substantially coplanar with a visible surface of the first cover when the first cover is in the closed position, the second cover being movable in a height direction, said height direction being substantially perpendicular to the visible surface of the second cover, said second cover including a leg that is disposed on a back surface of the second cover, the back surface being an opposite surface to the visible surface of the second cover; and a cover moving mechanism that moves the second cover in the height direction in accordance with a substantially lateral movement of the first cover between the cover position and the exposed position, said first cover covering the second cover when the first cover is in the exposed position, the cover moving mechanism including a guide that supports the first cover so that the first cover is slidably movable between the cover position and the exposed position, a base with a hole into which the leg is inserted to accommodate a change in height of the second cover, said base also having a substantially flat portion that supports a foot of the leg when the first cover is in the covered position, wherein when the first cover is in the cover position, the foot of the leg contacts the substantially flat portion of the base and the visible surface of the second cover is substantially coplanar with the visible surface of the first cover, and when the first cover is moved to the exposed position, the leg is inserted into the hole and the second cover is lowered in the height direction by at least a distance that corresponds with a thickness of the first cover, wherein the object to be covered is a camera lens.