JP2002262162A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a camera that can minimize a projection area in a direction of a projection optical axis not only with a low profile, enhance the user- friendliness of the camera, improve the assembling performance and attain downsizing at a low cost. SOLUTION: In the camera 1 of this invention, a battery container chamber 15 and a media slot 21 are placed toward a 1st grip section 1A in the inside of a flat case 2, a lens unit 17 is placed toward a 2nd grip section 1B inversely to the 1st grip section 1A and an operation switch group 12 and a switch board 12A are arranged on the rear side. In this case, the media slot 21 are layered via the battery container chamber 15 and the main board 20, at least either of the operation switch group 12 and a display device 13 is placed so as to be layered on the lens unit 17 perpendicularly to the case 2 and the operation switch group 12 and the display device 13 are placed without being overlapped on a projection face of the case 2 from the object.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention uses a folding type imaging optical system which bends incident light from a subject to form an image on an imaging surface, and optimally arranges various parts necessary for photographing. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a camera that is low-cost and that can be made thinner and smaller.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the spread of electronic devices such as personal computers, a subject image formed by an imaging optical system is
There is a great demand for a camera that captures an image with a CD (charge transfer type imaging device) and performs recording and reproduction.

In this type of camera, a subject image formed by an image pickup optical system is picked up by a CCD to obtain a video signal, and a monitor display unit, for example, an LCD
(Liquid crystal display device) is configured to display a subject image and check a shooting screen. In addition, there is a type in which a recording medium such as a memory card capable of recording a video signal obtained by imaging is detachable.

By the way, in such a camera,
In general, it is strongly desired to make a camera thinner in order to improve usability and reduce size at low cost.

In view of such a demand for thinning, various proposals have hitherto been made.
There is a thin digital camera proposed by Japanese Patent No. 36496.

In this proposal, in a digital camera in which an imaging optical system, an imaging device, and a monitoring device are built in a camera body, the imaging device and the monitoring device view the camera body from the optical axis direction of the imaging optical system. It is characterized in that it is arranged so that it does not overlap when it is placed. In other words, the unit having the largest depth is the imaging optical system, and the thicker unit in the depth direction of the imaging optical system is configured not to overlap with each other, thereby realizing a thinner camera.

[0007]

However, in the proposal disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-336496, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the camera to some extent by adopting such a configuration in the prior art. If the image pickup device and the monitor device are arranged so that the camera body does not overlap, the projection area when viewed from the direction of the photographing optical axis is correspondingly large. In other words, minimization of the projection area is sacrificed for the purpose of reducing the thickness of the camera, and there is a problem that the usability is improved and the camera is not optimal for reducing the thickness.

[0008] In addition to the need for a thinner camera, it has been desired to reduce the size and the assemblability of the camera and to reduce the cost of the entire camera. Was not something to do.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is possible to not only reduce the thickness, but also minimize the projection area in the projection optical axis direction and improve the usability of the camera.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a camera capable of improving the assemblability and reducing the size at a low cost.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera having a flat and elongated shape, and a shortest dimension of an outer shape dimension provided on one side in a longitudinal direction of the case. A battery storage part for storing a battery, the part of which is arranged in the thickness direction of the flat shape of the housing, and at least a part of the battery storage part being stacked in the battery storage part in the thickness direction of the housing, and A recording medium storage portion in which the shortest dimension portion of the external shape dimensions is arranged in accordance with the thickness direction of the housing, and provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the housing to bend incident light from a subject. An imaging optical system that forms an image on an imaging surface, an operation switch, and a display unit, wherein at least a part of at least one of the operation switch and the display unit is disposed in the thickness direction of the housing in the imaging optical system. Multiplied by While it disposed in a position that is, above the operation switch and the display member is characterized in that arranged at a position that does not overlap the projection plane from the object of the housing.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the camera having the above structure, at least a part of at least one of the operation switch and the display unit is stacked on the imaging optical system in a thickness direction of the housing. And the operation switch and the display member are arranged at positions where they do not overlap with each other on the projection surface from the subject of the housing, so that not only the thickness is reduced, but also the projection area in the projection optical axis direction is minimized, and It is possible to improve the usability, to further improve the assemblability, and to reduce the size at low cost.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the imaging optical system is configured such that both the battery storage unit and the recording medium storage unit are in front of the housing from the subject. It is characterized in that it is arranged at a position where there is no overlap in the projection plane.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the imaging optical system is configured such that both the battery storage unit and the recording medium storage unit are in front of the housing from the subject. By arranging the camera at a position where there is no overlapping portion in the projection plane, substantially the same operation and effect as those of claim 1 can be obtained, and further, the projection area in the projection optical axis direction can be minimized, and It greatly contributes to the reduction in thickness.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the operation switch comprises a plurality of switch groups.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the operation switch is constituted by a plurality of switch groups, so that substantially the same operation and effect as in the first aspect are obtained. Besides, it greatly contributes to improvement of operability and usability of the camera.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the operation switch is disposed at the other end of the housing, and the display member is provided with respect to the operation switch. It is characterized by being arranged on the one side.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the operation switch is disposed at the other end of the housing, and the display member is provided on the one side with respect to the operation switch. By arranging it on the near side, substantially the same operation and effect as those of the first aspect can be obtained, and further, it greatly contributes to improvement of operability and usability by two-handed operation.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the display member is disposed at the other end of the housing, and the operation switch is connected to the display member. It is characterized by being arranged on the one side.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the display member is disposed at the other end of the housing, and the operation switch is provided on the one side with respect to the display member. By arranging it on the near side, substantially the same operation and effect as in claim 1 can be obtained. In addition, since the operation switch is arranged at a position where the finger extends while holding the grip portion of the camera, one-hand operation is possible And greatly contributes to improvement of usability.

A camera according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the camera according to the first aspect, wherein one side of the housing forms a grip portion of the camera.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the one side of the housing forms a grip portion of the camera, so that substantially the same operation and effects as those of the first aspect are achieved. In addition to the effect, the camera can be held firmly, and since the battery power, which is the heaviest unit, is stored in this grip, it also has an excellent effect on weight balance when holding the camera. Bring.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the recording medium storage section is capable of storing a removable recording medium, and an opening / closing lid member for attaching and detaching the recording medium. Is provided on one end surface of the housing.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the recording medium storage section is capable of storing a removable recording medium, and the opening / closing lid member for attaching and detaching the recording medium is provided in the camera. By being provided on one end surface of the housing, substantially the same operation and effect as those of claim 1 can be obtained, and the recording medium can be easily attached and detached.
It greatly contributes to improved usability.

[0024]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First Embodiment: FIGS. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of a camera according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the camera when the camera is viewed from the front side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the camera when the camera is viewed from the rear side, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an internal structure of the camera shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the camera for explaining a layout that is a feature of the camera.

As shown in FIG. 1, a camera 1 according to the present embodiment is mainly constituted by a casing 2 formed in a flat and elongated shape. The housing 2 includes a front cover (hereinafter referred to as a front cover) 3 as an exterior member on which an optical system member, electronic circuit components, and the like necessary for photographing, which will be described later, are mounted and which sandwiches the chassis 5. (Hereinafter referred to as a rear cover) 4.

The housing 2 is formed by fitting the front cover 3 and the rear cover 4 so that the first grip portion 1A is located near the release button 6 shown at the left end in FIG. And a second grip portion 1B (right end in the figure) located at the portion.

The first grip portion 1A is mainly formed by the rear cover 4, and the flat portion of the corresponding portion of the rear cover 4 in the longitudinal direction of the housing 2 has the largest thickness. It is formed as follows. That is, by forming the first grip portion 1A including the thickest portion, the user can use the first grip portion 1A.
Since A can be grasped firmly, it is suitable for preventing blurring of the camera 1 during photographing, and for executing a photographing operation with one hand. Usually, the first and second grip portions 1A and 1B are gripped by both hands of the user.

A release button 6 is disposed on the upper surface of the housing 2 on the side of the first grip 1A. The release button 6 is a switch means for executing a shooting operation by pressing the release button 6. The release button 6 is mounted on a chassis 5 which will be described later, and the mounting holes 3a, 4a of the fitted front cover 3 and rear cover 4 are provided.
(See FIG. 3).

On the front face of the front cover 3 disposed on the front face of the housing 2, a barrier main switch 3A is disposed so as to be slidable horizontally left and right of the front cover 3. The barrier main switch 3A is linked with a power switch (not shown) disposed on the main board 20 in the camera 1 by sliding the barrier main switch 3A to the left as shown in FIG. The camera 1 can be turned on.

Also, the barrier main switch 3A is slid to the right in FIG. 1 when the camera 1 is not photographed, such as when it is carried or stored, so that the barrier main switch 3A interlocks with the power switch in the same manner as described above. The power can be turned off, and a finder window 7A, a photographing lens 8, and a strobe light emitting unit 9 arranged at one side of the front side of the camera 1 can be turned off.
Also, components such as the self-timer LED 10 and the like are covered to protect them.

In the camera 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the imaging optical system such as the finder window 7A and the photographing lens 8,
The components necessary for photographing, such as the strobe light emitting unit 9 and the self-timer LED 10, are arranged on the front cover 3 on the right side toward the front of the housing 2.

The other end of the front cover 3, that is, the end on the left side as viewed from the front of the housing 2, opens and closes when a memory card is attached and detached as a recording medium for recording a captured video signal. The media slot cover 3 </ b> B is attached so as to be openable and closable in the outer direction of the housing 2.

At the base end of the media slot cover 3B, two shaft engaging portions 3b, 3b are formed, and these shaft engaging portions 3b, 3b are formed at predetermined positions corresponding to the front cover 3. It can be opened and closed by being pivotally supported on a shaft 3d, which is mounted on two bearings 3c, 3c. The media slot cover 3B is held in a tightened state as shown in FIG.

For example, when a memory card such as a smart media as a recording medium is inserted into or pulled out from a media slot (media socket) provided at a corresponding portion inside the casing 2, the media slot is used. This is performed by opening and closing the cover 3B.

On the other hand, the rear cover 4 constituting the housing 2 is provided with a finder 7B, an operation switch group 12, and a display 13 as shown in FIG.

The finder 7B is arranged above the rear cover 4 near the second grip 1B, so that the user can see the subject to be photographed by looking through the finder 7B.

The operation switch group 12 is provided on the second
Is disposed on the cover 4 near the grip portion 1B. The operation switch group 12 includes a plurality of switches 12a to 12c for executing various modes of the camera 1. For example, a plurality of switches 12a-
12c is constituted by a push-type switch,
Among these switches, a switch 12a is a menu selection switch for selecting a menu such as a shooting mode of the camera 1, and a switch 12b is a display display 1
3 is an LCD drive switch for turning on / off 3. The operation switch 12c composed of at least four switches is a switch for operating more detailed setting operation or other setting operation of the determined shooting mode, and for example, an up / down switch for electronic processing zoom. The user operates the perspective and operates the strobe light emission mode selection and the macro shooting mode (close-up shooting mode) using the left and right switches.

A display 13 is arranged near the operation switch group 12. That is,
The display 13 is disposed on the cover 4 near the second grip side of the housing 2 similarly to the operation switch group 12. The display 13 is composed of, for example, a transmissive TFT LCD, and has a rear cover 4.
The screen is exposed from the cutout hole 4B cut out upward. This display 13
In addition to displaying various setting information and other photographing information, a photographed image based on a photographed video signal or a video signal recorded on a recording medium is displayed.

A connection terminal group 11 is arranged below the rear end of the rear cover 4 on the side of the second grip portion 1B. The connection terminal group 11 includes a DC power supply terminal 11a for receiving a DC power supply, a video output terminal 11b for outputting a captured video signal to another external device, and a USB terminal 11c. The connection terminal cover 4A is detachably attached so as to cover the connection terminal group 11.

Next, the internal structure of the camera 1 according to this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The camera 1 according to the present embodiment is characterized in that a folding type photographing optical system is employed in order to more efficiently reduce the thickness of the camera 1.

The foldable optical system is, for example, an object light (incident light) taken in through a photographing lens 8 arranged in front of the front cover, bent at a substantially right angle through a reflection mirror, and Is an optical system in which an image is formed on an imaging surface of a CCD provided on the base end side in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, unlike the conventional optical system, the bending type optical system bends the subject light substantially at right angles to the optical axis of the photographing lens, and performs
Since an image is formed on a CD, there is an advantage that the size of the lens optical system in the optical axis direction, that is, the size of the camera 1 in the depth direction can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lens unit 17 employing such a folding optical system is provided at the right end in the figure of the chassis 5 sandwiched between the front cover 3 and the rear cover 4 described above. It is to be arranged.

The lens unit 17 includes the photographing lens 8
Is arranged on the front surface of the unit, and inside thereof are a reflection mirror for reflecting and bending the subject light from the photographing lens 8, a plurality of optical system lens groups, an AF drive mechanism such as a drive motor for performing AF, and a CCD. And the like.

The imaging substrate 16 includes a CCD and the CCD
And a processing circuit group necessary for converting the image of the subject formed into a video signal, and is attached to the side surface of the lens unit 17.

In such a lens unit 17, after subject light from the photographing lens 8 is reflected and bent by a not-shown reflecting mirror, an image is formed by a not-shown CCD mounted on the imaging board 16. Thereafter, the formed subject image is processed by a processing circuit group (not shown) on the imaging substrate 16.
Is converted into a video signal by the main board 2 shown in FIG.
0 is supplied to the main processing circuit group.

The optical finder unit 7 is mounted on the upper part of the lens unit 17 and is arranged together with the lens unit 17 on the right side of the chassis 5 in the drawing.

On the other hand, on the opposite base end portion of the chassis 5,
A battery storage chamber 15 for storing a battery power supply that controls the power supply of the camera 1 is integrally formed. That is, the battery storage chamber 15 is arranged at a position opposite to the lens unit 17 in the chassis 5. The battery storage chamber 15 is arranged on the rear side of the chassis 5 and is formed with a minimum thickness necessary for storing a battery power supply.

A notch 5A is formed in the center of the chassis 5 so as to be interposed between the battery housing 15 and the lens unit 17. In addition, a locking wall 5a and a locking base 5b for locking the capacitor 19 are formed above the notch 5A.

The camera 1 of the present embodiment also has a strobe light emitting function, and therefore requires a capacitor 19 for storing a large amount of electric charges in order to execute strobe light emission. It is also important to arrange the capacitor 19.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the capacitor 19 is locked in a state where the capacitor 19 is lying on the locking wall 5a and the locking base 5b formed integrally with the chassis 5. When the capacitor 19 is locked, the thickness of the locking wall 5a and the locking base 5b is substantially the same as the thickness of the battery storage chamber 15, which greatly contributes to the reduction in thickness.

The capacitor 19 is a capacitor 1
It is mounted on the upper end of a power board 18 provided with a circuit group such as a charging circuit for storing electric charges in the flashlight 9 and a trigger circuit for prompting the strobe light emitting section 9 to emit light, and is electrically connected.

When the power board 18 having such a structure is mounted on the chassis 5, the lower power board 18 is fixed to the chassis 5 while the upper capacitor 19 is locked on the locking wall 5a and the locking base 5b. 5 and is turned toward the notch 5A. In this case, mounting holes A1, positioning holes A2, and A3 provided at predetermined positions of the power board 18
The positioning is performed by fitting the mounting projections a1, the positioning projections a2, and a3 of the chassis 5 provided at the corresponding positions. Also, the upper end of the power board 18 is engaged with the claw portion of the elastic hook member 5c while being in contact with the contact portion 5d formed outside the locking wall 5a, so that the power board 18 is positioned. I have.

The power board 18 is connected to the main board 20.
In order to easily perform electrical connection via the connector 23 and the connector 23 (see FIG. 4), it is mounted on the chassis 5 so that there is some play up, down, left, and right.

In the present embodiment, the main board 20, which is the main board of the camera 1, is mounted on the chassis 5 so as to cover the entire surface on which the power board 18 is mounted.

The main board 20 is formed so as to have a notch for fitting the upper and lower surfaces of the lens unit 17 in consideration of a reduction in thickness, and is arranged so as to be fully disposed on the front side of the chassis 5. That is, the main board 20 is formed so as to be in the most suitable size and arrangement state for the miniaturization and thinning of the camera 1, and to maximize the main board 20 for the miniaturized camera 1. Is possible.

On the main board 20, various circuit groups such as a control circuit necessary for executing almost all functions of the camera 1, an interlocking switch (not shown) interlocking with the barrier main switch 3A, and An LED for a self-timer, a buzzer 22 for reproducing operation sounds, and the like are mounted at predetermined locations.

Further, in the present embodiment, the main substrate 2
A media slot (media socket) 21 to which a memory card such as a smart media as a recording medium can be removably mounted is mounted on the left side in FIG.

When the main board 20 having the above configuration is mounted on the chassis 5, the mounting holes B 1 to B 2, which are provided at predetermined positions of the main board 20, are positioned with the power board 18 mounted on the chassis 5. The mounting protrusions b1 to b of the chassis 5 provided at the positions corresponding to the holes B3, respectively.
2. The positioning is fixed by fitting the positioning protrusion b3.

In this case, by connecting a connector (not shown) mounted on the back side of the main board 20 and a connector mounted on the surface of the power board 18, the electrical connection between the main board 20 and the power board 18 is established. However, since the power board 18 is temporarily fixed with play, the connection between the connectors can be easily performed. Thereafter, the substrates 18 and 20 are completely fixed to the chassis 5 by being screwed into the mounting protrusions b1 and b2 of the chassis 5 with screws or the like.

Therefore, the main board 20 is
In this state, the media slot 21 and the battery storage chamber 15 are located on the front and back sides, and both are disposed closer to the left side of the chassis 5 in the drawing.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, a display 13 and a switch board 12A are provided on the inner surface of the rear cover 4 which sandwiches the chassis 5 with the front cover 3. The display 13 and the switch board 12
A is arranged on the same side as the lens unit 17 of the chassis 5 housed in the rear cover 4, that is, on the right side of the rear cover 4 in the drawing.

The switch board 12 A is electrically connected to the operation switch group 12 provided on the rear side of the rear cover 4, and generates operation signals based on various operation switches. Supply.

On the surface of the display 13 and the switch board 12A, a metal plate 1 is provided so as to cover these components.
4 are provided. Since the backlight of the display 13 is driven at a high voltage, the metal plate 14 has a role of preventing the influence of noise on other circuit groups that may be generated by driving the backlight. is there.
Further, a pair of plate-like spring portions 14
a and 14b are formed, and by using this elastic characteristic, it is possible to absorb variations when the rear cover 4 and the display 13 are combined. Further, although not shown, an extended contact piece is formed at the upper end of the metal plate 14, and by using this contact piece, grounding can be performed more easily than in the conventional method.

Therefore, the chassis 5 configured as described above is fitted and accommodated inside the front cover 3 and the rear cover 4 so as to be sandwiched between the front cover 3 and the rear cover 4, and is further screwed from the rear side of the rear cover 4. By screwing and fixing, the camera 1 is a feature of the present embodiment.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4, a camera 1 of the present embodiment
The battery compartment 15 and the media slot 21 are arranged on the side closer to the grip 1A, and the lens unit 17 is arranged on the side closer to the second grip 1B, which is opposite to the first grip 1A. The operation switch group 12 and the switch board 12A are arranged on the back side of the unit 17.

In this case, the battery storage chamber 15 is arranged so as to coincide with the thickness direction of the flat shape near the first grip portion 1A of the housing 2 as shown in the figure.
The media slot 21 is stacked on the battery storage chamber 15 via the main board 20 and the first grip 1
It is arranged so as to coincide with the thickness direction of the flat shape near A.

At least one of the operation switch group 12 and the display 13 is disposed so as to be stacked on the lens unit 17 in the thickness direction of the housing 2. Are arranged so as not to overlap with each other on the projection plane from the subject of the housing 2.

Further, the lens unit 17 is arranged at a position where there is no overlapping portion between the battery storage chamber 15 and the media slot 21 in the front projection plane of the housing 2 from the subject.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 24 denotes a connector for electrically connecting the main board 20 and the imaging board 16, and reference numeral 23 denotes a connector for electrically connecting the main board 20 and the power board 18, respectively. Is shown.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, by mounting the lens unit 17 employing the folding type optical system, the optical system itself can be made thinner. It is possible to arrange the operation switch group 12 or the display 13 on the side so as to overlap with each other. Further, by arranging the battery storage chamber 15 and the media slot 21 inside the first grip 1A side body 2, In addition, it is possible to easily realize a reduction in thickness and a minimization of the projection area of the camera as a whole.

Further, since the battery power supply, which is the heaviest unit, is stored in the battery storage chamber 15 disposed in the first grip portion 1A, the weight balance when the camera 1 is held is excellent. And greatly contributes to improvement in usability.

Further, in consideration of the manufacturing process of the camera 1, the camera 1 is formed by sandwiching the chassis 5 having the main components mounted between the front cover 3 and the rear cover 4 and combining them. The assembling process can be simplified and the assembling performance can be improved, and the simplification of the manufacturing process greatly reduces the manufacturing cost and greatly contributes to the cost reduction of the camera 1.

Second Embodiment By the way, in consideration of the usage of the camera 1 by a user, for example, it is conceivable to hold the first grip portion 1A of the camera 1 with only one hand for photographing. It is desirable to be able to perform various operations while gripping with one hand. Therefore, in the present invention, when the LCD of the display 13 is further reduced in thickness, it is possible to perform a one-handed operation by arranging the operation switches 12 near the first grip portion 1A. . Such an embodiment is shown in FIGS.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a second embodiment of the camera according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the camera when the camera is viewed from the rear side, and FIG. 6 is a camera view for explaining a layout which is a feature of the camera of the present embodiment. It is sectional drawing. FIG. 5 and FIG.
The same components as those of the camera 1 according to the embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

In the present embodiment, the LCD of the display 13A has been further improved to be thinner in place of the display 13 used in the first embodiment.
This display 13A is arranged on the back side of the lens unit 17 of the folding type optical system,
This is characterized in that an operation switch group 12B is arranged on the cover 4 near the grip portion 1A side.

The overall configuration of the camera 10 of the present embodiment is as follows.
Although substantially the same as the camera 1 of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, an operation switch group 12B is disposed on the rear cover 4 near the first grip portion 1A side of the housing 2, and A thinned display 13A is arranged on the cover 4 near the side of the second grip 1B.

The layout will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 6, the camera 10 according to the present embodiment has a battery housing 15 inside the flat casing 2 on the side closer to the first grip 1A. An operation switch group 12B including a media slot 21 and a switch substrate 12A is arranged, and a lens unit 17 is arranged on a side closer to a second grip 1B opposite to the first grip 1A. The display 13A is arranged on the back side of the display.

In this case, the display 13A is arranged so as to be stacked on the lens unit 17 in the thickness direction of the housing 2 because the thickness of the display 13A has been improved. Group 1
2B, similarly to the first embodiment, is arranged at a position where it does not overlap on the projection surface of the housing 2 from the subject. Other configurations are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, in addition to obtaining the same effects as those of the first embodiment, the user is also provided by arranging the operation switch group 12B near the first grip 1A. Is in the position where the finger extends while holding the first grip portion 1A.
Are arranged, it is possible to easily execute a one-handed operation.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described first and second embodiments, but also includes combinations and applications of these embodiments.

Further, the present invention relates to a camera using a lens unit 17 of a folding type optical system, when various components such as a battery power supply and an LCD of a display are further reduced in thickness or size. The components may be combined as needed in a layout suitable for thinning.

[0083]

As described above, according to the present invention, not only the thickness can be reduced, but also the projection area in the direction of the projection optical axis can be minimized, the usability of the camera can be improved, and the assemblability can be further improved. Thus, it is possible to realize a camera that can be reduced in size at low cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a camera according to the present invention and showing an external configuration of the camera when the camera is viewed from a front side.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the camera shown in FIG. 1 when viewed from the rear side.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an internal structure of the camera shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the camera for explaining a layout that is a feature of the camera according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the camera according to the present invention, and showing an external configuration of the camera when the camera is viewed from the rear side.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a camera for describing a layout that is a feature of the camera according to the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Camera, 2 ... Housing, 3 ... Front cover, 3A ... Barrier main switch, 3B ... Media slot cover, 4 ... Rear cover, 4A ... Connection terminal cover, 4B ... Notch hole, 5 ... Chassis, 6 ... Release Button 7: Optical viewfinder unit, 7A: Viewfinder window, 7B: Viewfinder, 8: Shooting lens, 9: Flash light emitting section, 10: Self-timer LED, 11: Connection terminal group, 12: Operation switch group, 13 ... Display display (LCD), 14: Metal plate, 15: Battery storage room, 16: Front imaging board, 17: Lens unit (bending optical system device), 18: Power board, 19: Capacitor, 20: Main board, 21 ... Media slot (media socket).

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A flat and elongated casing, and a shortest dimension portion of an outer shape dimension provided on one side in a longitudinal direction of the casing is matched with a thickness direction of the flat shape of the casing. A battery storage portion for storing a battery disposed in a manner that at least a part of the battery storage portion is stacked on the battery storage portion in a thickness direction of the housing, and a shortest dimension portion of the external shape is the thickness of the housing. A recording medium storage unit arranged in the same direction as the first direction, an imaging optical system provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the housing, and bending an incident light from a subject to form an image on an imaging surface; and an operation switch; A display unit, wherein at least a part of at least one of the operation switch and the display unit is arranged at a position where the operation switch and the display unit are stacked on the imaging optical system in a thickness direction of the housing, and the operation switch is provided. A camera and a display member, wherein the camera and the display member are arranged at positions not overlapping with each other on a projection plane of the housing from a subject. 2. The imaging optical system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging optical system is arranged at a position where there is no overlapping portion in the front projection plane from the subject of the housing with any of the battery storage section and the recording medium storage section. The camera according to claim 1. 3. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the operation switch includes a plurality of switch groups. 4. The operation switch according to claim 1, wherein the operation switch is arranged at the other end of the housing, and the display member is arranged at the one side with respect to the operation switch. Camera. 5. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display member is disposed on the other end of the housing, and the operation switch is disposed on the one side with respect to the display member. Camera. 6. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the one side of the housing forms a grip portion of the camera. 7. The recording medium storage section is capable of storing a detachable recording medium, and an opening / closing lid member for attaching and detaching the recording medium is provided on one end surface of the housing. The camera according to claim 1.