JP2007280835A - Electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic device in which a battery can be locked when in use and the battery can be taken out easily when not in use. <P>SOLUTION: A digital still camera main body 11 is provided with a lens barrier 20. A battery 30 is housed in a battery housing chamber 31 and can be taken out from or inserted into a bottom face part 11 of the camera main body 11. A sliding pin 25 provided on the lens barrier 20 pushes down a tapered cam 35 when the lens barrier 20 is closed and deforms elastically a twisted spring 35. A locking pawl 32 rotates in a direction to push up the battery 30 with a force of the twisted spring and holds the battery 30. When the lens barrier 20 is open, the locking pawl 32 can be retired easily and the battery 30 can be taken out easily. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device including a storage unit that locks and stores a detachable component such as a battery.

  Portable electronic devices that can be carried around, such as digital still cameras and mobile phones, have become widespread. Since general portable electronic devices are driven using a dry battery or a rechargeable battery as a power source, they are provided with a battery storage chamber for storing various batteries serving as a power source. An opening for taking in and out the battery is formed in the battery storage chamber, and a lid is attached to the opening so as not to drop the stored battery.

In a conventional electronic device, when the lid of the opening is removed due to an impact when it is accidentally dropped, the battery may jump out. In an electronic device that records information in a non-volatile memory or the like, if the power is shut off during information recording, information being recorded and recorded may be lost or a memory failure may occur. Therefore, an electronic device having a double lock structure that can lock the operation member for locking and unlocking the battery to prevent the battery from popping out due to an impact or the like and preventing the accident that the power is cut off during use. Devices are known (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).
JP-A-10-275605 JP 2005-50753 A

  However, the conventional double lock structure that prevents the battery from falling off, regardless of whether the electronic device is in use or not, locks the battery strictly even when it is not in use, which originally does not require the battery to be locked. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes time to release the lock when replacing the battery. This is inconvenient for use in an electronic device such as a digital still camera that has a high battery replacement frequency.

  In view of the above-described problems, the present invention provides an electronic device that prevents a detachable part such as a battery from being detached while the power is on, and that allows the battery to be taken out without much trouble when replacing the battery. Objective.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a movable member for operating a power switch that is switched between an on position where power is supplied and an off position where power is cut off, In an electronic device including a storage portion for storing a detachable detachable component to be connected, a holding force for holding the detachable component when the movable member is operated to an ON position of the power switch. A holding force generating means for generating and a locking means for preventing movement of the detachable component by the holding force are provided.

  The holding force generating means includes transmission means for transmitting a force by which the movable member is operated to the lock means.

  The transmission means includes an elastic body that is elastically deformed by receiving a force to operate the movable member and obtains its restoring force as the holding force, and the elastic body has the movable member operated to the off position. Sometimes, the detachable component is held with a smaller holding force than when the movable member is operated to the ON position.

  The transmission means includes a torsion spring as the elastic body, the locking means is rotatably provided, and has a claw portion that presses an end face of the detachable component. The torsion spring has the movable member at the on position. The elastic member is elastically deformed when operated, and the restoring force is transmitted to the lock means.

  The transmission means includes a compression spring as the elastic body, the lock means has a claw portion that presses an end face of the detachable part, and the compression member is operated by moving the movable member to the on position. It is sometimes elastically deformed and its restoring force is transmitted to the locking means.

  The movable member is operated in a direction perpendicular to a direction when the detachable part is attached / detached, and the transmission means converts a force in a direction in which the movable member is operated into a force in a direction when the detachable part is attached / detached. It is characterized by having a cam.

  The transmission means includes magnets respectively attached to the movable member and the lock means, and when the movable member is operated to the on position, the magnetic force when the magnets are brought close to each other is used as the holding force. It transmits to a locking means, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  The locking means includes a press contact portion that is in close contact with a side surface of the detachable component and obtains a frictional force of the close contact surface as the holding force.

  An urging spring for urging the movable member toward the ON position is provided.

  The storage unit is a battery storage chamber that stores a battery serving as a power source as the detachable part.

  The movable member includes a lens barrier that moves between an open position that exposes the photographing lens and a closed position that covers the photographing lens, and is configured as a photographing device in which the open position of the lens barrier is set to the ON position of the power switch It is characterized by being.

  According to the present invention, in conjunction with turning on and off the power switch by operating the movable member, it is determined whether or not the detachable component is locked by the locking means. When the power is turned on, the detachable component is locked and the power is turned off. Sometimes it is possible to unlock the detachable parts. This prevents detachable parts such as batteries from popping out when the power is turned on, and information stored in the memory circuit, etc. is lost when the power is suddenly shut down, or other precision parts are damaged. Can be prevented. In addition, when the power is turned off, the holding force transmitted to the locking means is reduced so that the locking means can be easily withdrawn. .

  In FIG. 1, a digital still camera 10 to which the present invention is applied includes a camera body 11 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The camera body 11 is provided with a photographing lens 12, a finder 13 and a strobe light emitting portion 14 on the front surface portion 11a. A mode switch 15 for switching between a shooting mode and a playback mode and a shooting button 16 are provided on the upper surface portion 11 b of the camera body 11. The camera body 11 is provided with a lens barrier 20 that protects the photographing lens 12 and the finder 13. The lens barrier 20 is slidably provided on the front surface portion 11a of the camera body 11, and moves between a position covering the photographing lens 12 and a position exposing the photographing lens 12.

  In FIG. 2, the front surface portion 11 a of the camera body 11 is provided with two guide grooves 21 and guide grooves 22 that guide the lens barrier 20 in the horizontal direction in an area covered by the lens barrier 20. On the back surface of the lens barrier 20, a slide pin 24 that slides in the guide groove 21 and a slide pin 25 that slides in the guide groove 22 are provided. The sliding pin 24 and the sliding pin 25 are inserted into the guide groove 21 and the guide groove 22, and members for preventing the removal are attached from the back side of the guide groove 21 and the guide groove 22, respectively. Thereby, the lens barrier 20 is slidably held with respect to the camera body 11.

  On the front surface portion 11a of the camera body 11, power terminals 26a and 26b serving as power switches are provided at positions between the guide grooves 21 and the guide grooves 22. The lens barrier 20 is provided with a conductive plate 27 in contact with the power supply terminals 26a and 26b. When the lens barrier 20 is completely opened, the power supply terminal 26a and the power supply terminal 26b are connected by the conductive plate 27, and the power supply is turned on. On the other hand, when the lens barrier 20 is closed even a little, the power terminal 26a and the power terminal 26b are not connected and the power is turned off.

  In FIG. 3, a battery storage chamber 31 for storing a battery 30 serving as a power source of the digital still camera 10 is provided inside the camera body 11. The battery 30 has, for example, a rectangular plate shape, and is composed of a rechargeable secondary battery. The battery storage chamber 31 has a terminal that contacts the electrode of the battery 30, and the battery 30 can be taken in and out when the lid provided on the bottom surface portion 11 c of the camera body 11 is opened. The battery 30 slides the lens barrier 20 to supply power to the digital still camera 10 when the power terminal 26 a and the power terminal 26 b are connected by the conductive plate 27.

  Inside the camera body 11, a lock claw 32 that locks the battery 30 stored in the battery storage chamber 31 is provided. The lock claw 32 has a claw part 32a that presses the end face of the battery 30 from the direction of the bottom surface part 11c of the camera body 11, and holds the battery 30 so as not to move. Above the lock claw 32, a taper cam 33 having a taper surface 33a that is pressed downward by the slide pin 25 when the slide pin 25 slides in the guide groove 22 is provided. The taper cam 33 has a trapezoidal shape and is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

  In FIG. 4, the lock claw 32 is provided with a rotating shaft 36 through which the torsion spring 35 is inserted. The rotation shaft 36 is supported by the camera body 11, and the lock claw 32 is rotatably supported. The lock claw 32 has a spring receiving surface 38 that receives the other end 35 b of the torsion spring 35. The other end portion 35b of the torsion spring 35 presses the spring receiving surface 38 when the torsion spring 35 is elastically deformed, and rotates the lock claw 32 in the direction in which the claw portion 32a is provided.

  In FIG. 5, when the lens barrier 20 is operated in the opening direction, the sliding pin 25 slides in the guide groove 22, and the sliding pin 25 contacts the tapered surface 33 a of the taper cam 33. When the sliding pin 25 further slides, the tapered surface 33 a of the taper cam 33 is pressed against the sliding pin 25. The taper cam 33 moves downward by receiving the force of the sliding pin 25 moving along the taper surface 33a. The taper cam 33 is provided with a spring-engaging projection 33 b that comes into contact with one end 35 a of the torsion spring 35. When the taper cam 33 is pressed downward, the protrusion 33 b of the taper cam 33 presses the one end 35 a of the torsion spring 35. The other end 35b of the torsion spring 35 is pressed against the spring receiving surface 38 of the lock claw 32, and when the taper cam 33 is further moved, the torsion spring 35 is elastically deformed.

  When the torsion spring 35 is elastically deformed, the other end portion 35b presses the spring receiving surface 38, and the lock claw 32 is rotated in the direction of the claw portion 32a (arrow direction in the figure). The claw portion 32a of the lock claw 32 is pressed against the end face of the battery 30 stored in the battery storage chamber 31, and pushes the battery 30 upward. The battery 30 is held inside the battery storage chamber 31 by a lock claw 32 and fixed so as not to move.

  Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. When using the digital still camera 10, the lens barrier 20 is opened to expose the taking lens 12 and the like. The sliding pin 24 and the sliding pin 25 slide in the guide groove 21 and the guide groove 22, and the lens barrier 20 slides in the horizontal direction. The sliding pin 25 contacts the taper cam 33 before the lens barrier 20 is completely opened, and pushes the taper cam 33 downward. The taper cam 33 elastically deforms the torsion spring 35. The lock claw 32 receives a force in the direction of rotation about the rotation shaft 36 from the torsion spring 35. The battery 30 is fixed inside the battery storage chamber 31 by a lock claw 32. Thereby, even if the cover of the battery storage chamber 31 is opened with the lens barrier 20 opened, the battery 30 is not removed. Further, the lock claw 32 has a strong force to hold the battery 30 by the restoring force of the elastically deformed torsion spring 35, and in order to remove the lock claw 32 from the battery 30 with the finger while the lens barrier 20 is opened. Great power is required.

  When the digital still camera 10 has been used, the lens barrier 20 is closed. When the operation of closing the lens barrier 20 is performed, the conductive plate 27 is separated from the power terminal 26a and the power terminal 26b, and the power of the digital still camera 10 is turned off. Further, when the lens barrier 20 is operated in the closing direction, the sliding pin 24 that has pushed down the taper cam 33 moves, so that the taper cam 33 moves upward by the restoring force of the torsion spring 35. When the taper cam 33 moves upward, the restoring force decreases as the torsion spring 35 tries to return to the natural state, so that the force with which the lock pawl 32 holds the battery 30 decreases.

  When the sliding pin 25 moves away from the taper cam 33, the torsion spring 35 returns to the natural state, and the force with which the lock claw 32 holds the battery 30 is almost eliminated. At this time, if the lock claw 32 is retracted from the battery 30 with a finger, the lock claw 32 is easily retracted and the battery 30 can be easily taken out.

  As described above, in the digital still camera 10, the opening / closing of the lens barrier 20 and the on / off of the power switch are interlocked. When the lens barrier 20 is opened and the power is turned on, the battery 30 is fixed and the lens barrier 20 is closed. Since the battery 30 is unlocked when the power is turned off, the battery can be prevented from being detached while the power is on, and the battery 30 can be easily taken out when the power is off.

  Next, a second embodiment is shown in FIG. In the first embodiment described above, the restoring force generated by the sliding pin 25 elastically deforming the torsion spring 35 is transmitted to the lock claw 32, and the battery 30 is pressed by the lock claw 32. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the sliding pin 25 and the lock claw 32 are connected by the compression spring 40. When the lens barrier 20 is closed, the compression spring 40 is in a substantially natural state. On the other hand, when the lens barrier 20 is opened, the sliding pin 25 moves in a direction approaching the lock claw 32 and the compression spring 40 is compressed.

  The camera body 11 and the lens barrier 20 are connected by an omega spring 41. For example, the camera body 11 is provided with a shaft that holds one end and the center of the omega spring 41, and the lens barrier 20 is provided with a shaft that holds the other end of the omega spring 41. The omega spring 41 biases the lens barrier 20 in the direction in which the lens barrier 20 opens. If the restoring force of the omega spring 41 exceeds the restoring force of the compression spring 40, even if the compression spring 40 is compressed and deformed by opening the lens barrier 20, the lens barrier 20 is not pushed back in the closing direction, and the compression spring 40 is restored. The force can be efficiently transmitted to the lock claw 32. It should be noted that it is desirable to be able to fix the lens barrier 20 to the camera body 11 when the lens barrier 20 is closed so as not to cause a problem that the lens barrier 20 cannot be kept closed by the omega spring 41.

  The lock claw 32 is rotatably provided. When the compression spring 40 is compressed, the lock claw 32 rotates, and the end face of the battery 30 is held by the lock claw 32. The force with which the battery 30 holds the lock pawl 32 is determined by the restoring force of the compression spring 40. That is, the force with which the lock claw 32 holds the battery 30 is small when the lens barrier 20 is closed, and the force with which the lock claw 32 holds the battery 30 is large when the lens barrier 20 is open. Thereby, it is easy to take out the battery 30 in the power-off state where the lens barrier 20 is closed, and the battery 30 is securely held by the lock claw 32 in the power-on state where the lens barrier 20 is open.

  Next, a third embodiment will be described. 7 and 8, a plate-like magnet 50 is attached to the lock claw 32. A rod-shaped magnet 51 is attached to the sliding pin 25. The magnet 50 and the magnet 51 are provided so that the same magnetic poles of N poles face each other. The lock claw 32 is provided with a torsion spring 52 to keep the lock claw 32 stationary at a fixed position even when the battery 30 is not attached.

  When the operation of opening the lens barrier 20 is performed, the magnet 51 provided on the sliding pin 25 approaches the magnet 50, and a force in a direction in which the lock claw 32 moves away from the sliding pin 25 is exerted by mutual repulsive force. The lock claw 32 rotates by the repulsive force of the magnet 50 and the magnet 51, pushes up the end face of the battery 30, and holds the battery 30. When the lens barrier 20 is closed, the magnet 51 moves away from the magnet 50, so that the magnetic force acting on the lock claw 32 disappears. In this state, the lock claw 32 can be pushed away with a finger, and the battery 30 can be easily taken out. In this embodiment, considering that the lens barrier 20 is pushed back by the repulsive force of the magnet, it is preferable to urge the lens barrier 20 using a spring in the direction in which the lens barrier 20 opens as in the second embodiment.

  Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. The lens barrier 20 is provided with a pressing protrusion 61 to which a rubber plate 60 is attached as a flexible body at the tip. The pressing protrusion 61 is integral with the lens barrier 20 and moves in the same direction as the direction in which the lens barrier 20 is opened and closed. When the lens barrier 20 is operated to open, the rubber plate 60 enters the opening 63 provided in the battery storage chamber 62, and the pressing protrusion 61 enters, and the rubber plate 60 as the pressure contact portion is pressed against the side surface portion of the battery 30. The A frictional force proportional to the pressure contact force acts between the rubber plate 60 and the side surface portion of the battery 30, and the battery 30 is held inside the battery storage chamber 62 by this frictional force. On the other hand, when the operation of closing the lens barrier 20 is performed, the rubber plate 60 is separated from the side surface portion of the battery 30, so that the battery 30 can be easily taken out.

  As described above, a plurality of embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention can be applied to other electronic devices different from a digital still camera. For example, the present invention can be applied to a mobile phone or a computer terminal as a portable electronic device using a battery. In addition to the battery, an information storage medium such as a memory card or an IC card may be applied as a detachable part that is detachably attached to the apparatus main body. Further, in order to hold the detachable part, a force for moving the movable member is transmitted to obtain a holding force for holding the detachable part. For example, a sensor for detecting the position of the drive source such as a solenoid and the movable member The holding power for holding the detachable parts is generated by the driving source when the movable member is operated to the power-on position, and the holding force is reduced (disappeared) when the movable member is operated to the power-off position. Also good.

It is a perspective view of a digital still camera. It is a perspective view of a camera body and a lens barrier. It is a top view which shows a lock nail | claw and a cam. It is a perspective view of a lock claw and a torsion spring. It is an enlarged view of a lock claw and a cam. It is a top view which shows 2nd Embodiment. It is an enlarged view which shows the lock nail | claw of 3rd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the lock nail | claw of 3rd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the press protrusion which has a rubber part as 4th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Digital still camera 12 Shooting lens 20 Lens barrier 21, 22 Guide groove 24, 25 Slide pin 27 Conductive plate 30 Battery 31 Battery storage chamber 32 Lock claw 32a Claw part 33 Cam 33a Tapered surface 33b Protrusion 35 Torsion spring 36 Rotating shaft 38 Spring receiving surface 40 Compression spring 41 Omega spring 50, 51 Magnet 52 Torsion spring 60 Rubber plate 61 Pressing protrusion 62 Battery storage chamber 63 Opening

Claims (11)

A movable member for operating a power switch that is switched between an on position where power is supplied and an off position where power is cut off, and a detachable detachable part that is electrically connected to the device body side are housed. In an electronic device equipped with a storage unit
Holding force generating means for generating a holding force for holding the detachable component when the movable member is operated to the ON position of the power switch;
An electronic apparatus comprising: a lock unit that prevents the detachable component from moving by the holding force.   The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding force generation unit includes a transmission unit that transmits a force by which the movable member is operated to the lock unit. The transmission means includes an elastic body that is elastically deformed by receiving a force to operate the movable member and obtains its restoring force as the holding force,
The elastic body holds the detachable component with a smaller holding force when the movable member is operated to the off position than when the movable member is operated to the on position. The electronic device as described in. The transmission means includes a torsion spring as the elastic body,
The locking means is provided rotatably, and has a claw portion that holds the end face of the detachable part,
The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein the torsion spring is elastically deformed when the movable member is operated to the on position, and transmits the restoring force to the lock unit. The transmission means includes a compression spring as the elastic body,
The locking means has a claw portion that holds the end face of the detachable component,
The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the compression spring is elastically deformed when the movable member is operated to the on position, and transmits a restoring force to the lock unit. The movable member is operated in a direction perpendicular to a direction when the detachable part is attached and detached,
The electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the transmission unit includes a cam that converts a force in a direction in which the movable member is operated into a force in a direction in which the detachable component is attached or detached. The transmission means includes magnets attached to the movable member and the lock means,
The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the movable member is operated to the ON position, a magnetic force when the magnets are brought close to each other is transmitted as the holding force to the lock unit.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the lock unit includes a press contact portion that is in close contact with a side surface of the detachable component and obtains a frictional force of the close surface as the holding force.   The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing spring that biases the movable member toward the ON position.   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is a battery storage chamber that stores a battery serving as a power source as the detachable part.   The movable member includes a lens barrier that moves between an open position that exposes the photographing lens and a closed position that covers the photographing lens, and is configured as a photographing device in which the open position of the lens barrier is set to the ON position of the power switch The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is provided.

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