Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to an exterior member of an image-taking apparatus, and in particular, to an image-taking apparatus having a metal exterior member formed by drawing.  
         [0003]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0004]     Conventional image-taking apparatuses such as digital still cameras and video cameras are composed of an image-pickup unit composed of a plurality of units such as an image-pickup lens unit, an illuminating unit, and a battery housing unit, and a exterior member which protects the image-pickup unit.  
         [0005]     With a recent decrease in the size of image-taking apparatuses, an exterior member is often used which is obtained by drawing a thin metal plate.  
         [0006]     The casing material of the recent image-taking apparatus is divided into a plurality of areas for an operation of assembling the exterior member with the image-pickup unit. To combine the divided exterior members together, it is necessary to provide an auxiliary member inside each exterior member.  
         [0007]     Further, after the pluralities of exterior members have been assembled with the image-pickup unit, there may be a fine step in the combined part between two exterior members. Furthermore, if the combined part is located around an operation member operated by a user, a sufficient rigidity cannot be obtained by using only the exterior members.  
         [0008]     To solve this problem, it is contemplated that an exterior member which is formed by drawing and which is thin but is integrally machined is applied to the image-taking apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.H8(1996)-55613.  
         [0009]     However, the image-pickup unit is provided with a plurality of projecting portions such as operation buttons and a lens placed in a front surface of an illuminating unit which project from the surface of the exterior member. In this case, an operation of securing the projecting portions from the inside of the integrated exterior member is difficult.  
         [0010]     Then, if the image-pickup unit having the projecting portions projecting from an outer surface of the exterior member is inserted into the integrated exterior member, the projecting portions may interfere with the exterior member. It is thus difficult to insert the image-pickup unit into the exterior member.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     One aspect of an image-taking apparatus according to the present invention has an image-pickup unit and an exterior member which is made of a metal and in which the image-pickup unit is inserted and contained. Here, the image-pickup unit has a projecting portion on an end surface in a direction in which the image-pickup unit is inserted into the exterior member, the projecting portion projecting from the end surface. The exterior member is produced by drawing and has a second opening portion in a face locating opposite to a first opening which is formed by drawing. The projecting portion projects out of the opening.  
         [0012]     Another aspect of an image-taking apparatus according to the present invention has an image-pickup unit and an exterior member which is made of a metal and in which the image-taking unit is inserted and contained. Here, the exterior member is produced by drawing. The image-pickup unit is provided with an inserting portion on the side of an opening of the exterior member, the opening is formed by drawing, a member which is installed in the image-pickup unit being inserted into the inserting portion through the opening.  
         [0013]     Features of the image-taking apparatus of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description of a specific embodiment taken in conjunction with the drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the appearance of a camera exterior member in a camera which is Embodiment 1 of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the appearance of the camera exterior member and a camera main body unit according to Embodiment 1;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the appearance of a camera which is Embodiment 2 of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the appearance of a camera which is Embodiment 3 of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the appearance of the camera of Embodiment 3 in which a cover member is open; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the appearance of a camera exterior member of a camera which is Embodiment 4 of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [heading-0020]     (Embodiment 1)  
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the appearance of a camera exterior member of a camera which is Embodiment 1 of the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a view illustrating how a camera main body unit is inserted into the camera exterior member.  
         [0022]     In  FIG. 1 , reference numeral  1  denotes a camera exterior member constituting a casing of the camera, which is formed by drawing. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the camera exterior member  1  has an opening  13  (hereinafter referred to as a drawing opening), which is formed by inserting a tool at the time of drawing, in a direction different from that of an image-taking optical axis  11 , that is, a direction orthogonal to the image-taking optical axis  11  and in a lateral direction of the camera.  
         [0023]     Further, the camera exterior member  1  has a structure surface  14  which is a camera front surface orthogonal to a surface including the drawing opening  13 . The structure surface  14  is provided with an opening  21  which ensures an optical path for a finder optical system, an opening  18  which allows a lens barrel to move in the direction of the image-taking optical axis  11 , and an opening  16  from which a lens placed in a front surface of an illuminating unit  28 , described later, is exposed, the openings being formed by another machining following drawing.  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a view of the camera exterior member  1  as viewed from its rear surface. The camera exterior member  1  has a structure surface  15  locating opposite the structure surface  14 . The structure surface  15  is provided with an opening  17  from which a liquid crystal display unit  23  displaying taken images, image-taking information, and the like is exposed. Further, a surface  19  of the camera exterior member  1  which is located opposite the surface including the drawing opening  13  is provided with a plurality of openings  20  through which a plurality of operation buttons  24  penetrate.  
         [0025]     On the other hand, a camera main body unit  22  as an image-taking unit has the liquid crystal display unit  23 , a finder unit  27 , the illuminating unit  28 , the operation buttons  24 , and the like.  
         [0026]     The dimensions of the liquid crystal display unit  23 , finder unit  27 , and illuminating unit  28  of the camera main body unit  22  are set to be smaller than those of inner wall surfaces of the camera exterior member  1 , that is, the dimensions in the height direction, lateral direction, and thickness direction of the camera. Accordingly, these units are accommodated in the camera exterior member  1 . Thus, in the direction of an arrow A in  FIG. 2 , when the camera main body unit  22  is housed in the camera exterior member  1 , the camera main body unit  22  is prevented from partly interfering with the camera exterior member  1 .  
         [0027]     On the other hand, the operation buttons  24  of the camera main body unit  22  are not housed in the camera exterior member  1 . The operation buttons  24  penetrate the openings  20  and partly project from the surface of the camera exterior member  1 .  
         [0028]     The operation buttons  24  are provided on a side of the camera main body unit  22  in the same direction as that in which the camera main body unit  22  is inserted as shown by the arrow A in  FIG. 2 . Thus, the camera main body unit  22  can be housed in the camera exterior member  1  without causing the operation buttons  24  to interfere with the inner wall surfaces of the camera exterior member  1 .  
         [0029]     As described above, according to the present embodiment, even if the operation buttons  24  being a part of the camera main body unit  22  project from the surface of the camera exterior member  1  after the camera has been assembled, the camera main body unit  22  can be housed in the camera exterior member  1  by being inserted into the camera exterior member  1  from the surface provided with the operation buttons  24 , without causing the operation buttons  24  to interfere with the inner wall surfaces of the camera exterior member  1 . This enables the camera to be easily assembled.  
         [0030]     Further, the camera exterior member  1  is integrally formed by drawing, it is not necessary to provide auxiliary members inside of exterior members in order to combine the divided exterior members together as in the case of the prior art. Moreover, in contrast to the prior art, the combined part of the camera exterior members is not located near the operation buttons or the like. Thus, the strength of the camera exterior member  1  can be increased compared to the prior art.  
         [0031]     Further, by drawing in the direction different from that of the image-taking optical axis, it is possible to integrally form the camera exterior member by deep drawing. This enables the number of combined parts to be reduced compared to the construction of the outer surface of the camera using a plurality of divided camera exterior members. Furthermore, the rigidity of the camera exterior member can be increased and an esthetically excellent camera can be provided.  
         [heading-0032]     (Embodiment 2)  
         [0033]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the appearance of a camera which is Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The same members as those described in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals with their description omitted.  
         [0034]     In  FIG. 3 , the operation buttons  24  of the camera project from the surface locating opposite the surface including the drawing opening  13 , that is, a side  19  of the camera exterior member  1 , as in the case of Embodiment 1.  
         [0035]     A release button  45  projects out of an opening which formed in an area closer to the drawing opening  13  of a top surface of the camera constituting a part of the camera exterior member  1 . Thus, when an image is to be taken, the side on which the release button  45  is placed is used as a grip portion.  
         [0036]     By inserting the camera main body unit from the drawing opening  13 , it is possible to assemble the camera without causing the camera main body unit to interfere with the camera exterior member  1  as in the case of Embodiment 1. Further, the operation buttons  24  are arranged in an area located opposite the grip portion. Accordingly, an inadvertent operation of the operation buttons  24  is repressed when the camera is held.  
         [0037]     As described above, according to the present embodiment, the release button  45  is placed away from the operation buttons  24 . Therefore, an inadvertent operation of the operation buttons  24  can be repressed.  
         [heading-0038]     (Embodiment 3)  
         [0039]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the appearance of a camera which is Embodiment 3 of the present invention.  FIG. 5  is a view showing that a cover member provided on a side of the camera of the present embodiment is open.  
         [0040]     A camera exterior member  101  is formed by drawing in a direction orthogonal to the image-taking optical axis (the lateral direction of the camera). A camera main body unit (corresponding to the camera main body unit in  FIG. 2 ) housed in the camera exterior member  101  has a lens barrel  102  which can move in the direction of the image-taking optical axis, a release button  103  used to start an image-taking operation and image-taking preparing operation (a focusing operation or a light metering operation), a finder  104  through which a subject is observed, and an illuminating unit including a Fresnel lens  105 . These members are arranged as shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0041]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the camera exterior member  101  is provided with a cover member  106  constituting a part of the casing of the camera. The cover member  106  is placed so as to open and close a drawing opening  101   a  formed in the camera exterior member  101 . Here, the cover member  106  can be slid in the thickness direction (the direction of an arrow B in  FIG. 4 ) of the camera using a slide member (not shown) provided in the camera exterior member  101 .  
         [0042]      FIG. 5  shows that the cover member  106  is opened to expose a battery housing portion  107  and a recording medium housing portion  108  both formed in the camera main body unit. The battery housing portion  107  houses batteries as a power source for the camera. The recording medium housing portion  108  houses a recording medium which records image data taken by an image pickup element (a CCD sensor, a CMOS sensor, or the like) provided in the camera main body unit.  
         [0043]     Instead of the above slide type, an opening and closing mechanism for the cover member  106  may be rotatably supported by the camera exterior member  101 . In this case, the cover member  106  can be rotated around the axis of rotation to open and close the drawing opening  101   a  in the camera exterior member  101 , that is, the opening for the battery housing portion  107  and recording medium housing portion  108 .  
         [0044]     Thus, if there are members such as batteries and recording media which are frequently installed in and removed from the camera main body, insertion ports for those members are arranged at the drawing opening  101   a  to enable the area of the drawing opening  101   a  side of the camera main body to be efficiently utilized. Further, the structure of the camera can be simplified. Furthermore, compared to the formation of the respective openings for the battery housing portion and recording medium housing portion in the camera exterior member, the number of openings can be reduced and the rigidity of the camera exterior member can be improved.  
         [0045]     Further, by drawing in the direction different from that of the image-taking optical axis, it is possible to integrally form a camera exterior member by deep drawing. Furthermore, the only combined part of exterior members which part is formed on the outer surface of the camera is the abutting part between the cover member  106  and the camera exterior member  101 . Consequently, compared to the use of a plurality of camera exterior members, the number of combined parts of the exterior members can be reduced.  
         [heading-0046]     (Embodiment 4)  
         [0047]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the structure of a camera exterior member of a camera which is Embodiment 4 of the present invention.  
         [0048]     A hinge portion  201   b  is formed on a camera exterior member  201  to attach a cover member to a side end of a drawing opening  201   a . Openings  201   c ,  201   d , and  201   e  corresponding to the openings  21 ,  16 , and  18  in Embodiment 1 are formed in the camera exterior member  201 .  
         [0049]     The camera of the present embodiment is assembled by inserting a camera main body unit (similar to the camera main body unit  22 , shown in  FIG. 2 ) constituting the interior of the camera, from a drawing opening  201   a  formed in the camera exterior member  201 . The camera exterior member  201  is formed by integrating up to five of the six surfaces covering the camera main body unit, excluding one located on a side of the camera. That is, the surfaces (up to five surfaces mentioned above) of the camera exterior member  201  other than the one including the drawing opening  201   a  are composed of continuous surfaces. Further, the hinge portion  201   b  is integrally formed on the drawing opening  201   a  of the camera exterior member  201 . Accordingly, separate hinge parts need not be attached to the camera exterior member  201 . This enables the number of parts to be reduced, thus reducing costs.  
         [0050]     In the above embodiment, the drawing opening of the camera exterior member is formed at a position such that a surface formed by the drawing opening is orthogonal to a direction different from that of the image-taking optical axis  11 . However, the drawing opening may be formed at a position such that the surface formed by the drawing opening is orthogonal to the image-taking optical axis. That is, in the camera according to the above embodiment, the camera exterior member can be molded by drawing so that the front or rear surface of the camera forms a drawing opening.  
         [0051]     Further, various changes or improvements may be made to the above embodiments.  
         [0052]     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.  
         [heading-0053]     This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-330110 filed on Sep. 22, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

Technology Category: 5