Camera having compact layout

Details Camera having compact layout Camera having compact layout

1998-09-24

2001-08-28

Mathews, Alan A. (Department: 2851)

Photography

Camera detail

Body structure or housing

C396S535000, C396S539000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06282382

ABSTRACT:

This application is based on application No.9-264167 filed in Japan, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to a camera and to a layout of components in a camera to make it more compact.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, cameras have acquired an increasing number of functions and many operations have become automated so that the camera may be easily operated by the average user. Because the capacities of the camera's battery and condenser and the power of the motor have had to be increased accordingly, these large internal components have become larger in size. Conversely, however, due to the high demand for smaller cameras, it has become necessary to design the layout of components so that the outer dimensions of the camera reflect a more efficient use of internal space.
An example of the construction of a conventional camera is shown in
FIG. 1. A
camera body is ordinarily covered by a top cover
1
, a bottom cover
3
, a front cover
4
, a grip cover
7
and a rear door not shown in the drawing. A lens unit
8
protrudes from the front cover
4
, and dials
5
a
and
5
b
that perform exposure mode selection and exposure correction are located such that they protrude from the top cover
1
. Two batteries
2
(typically of the kind having the trade designation CR123A) are often housed inside a grip
10
(indicated by diagonal line shading in the drawing) in series, and a motor, flash unit, etc., not shown in the drawing are driven by means of these batteries.
In a camera having this construction, the height L
2
of the grip
10
is more or less determined by the combined lengths of the two batteries
2
, and the extent to winch the camera size can be reduced along the grip height dimension is limited In order to avoid this limitation, a method using small CR2 batteries as the batteries
2
has been developed, but because these batteries have a smaller capacity and are more expensive than CR123A batteries, the use of CR123A batteries is preferred. A method has also been considered to install the two batteries side by side, but this increases the space that the batteries occupy along the width of the camera, again limiting the extent to which its size can be reduced.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 60-217351-A discloses a camera using disk cartridge film and having a construction in which the cartridge protrudes tom the camera body. The protruding part is the cartridge bay cover and has no operational function as a part of the camera other than to cover the cartridge.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides an arrangement of internal camera components in a space-efficient manner so that the outer dimensions of the camera may be reduced. As is described further below, in a camera having large internal components such as batteries, a condenser and/or a motor housed inside the camera, the space on the camera surface may be efficiently utilized, the height of the grip may be reduced, and the camera as a whole may be made smaller.
The invention also provides the feature that by having any of the large internal components and supplementary components connected with such large internal components to support them or to pride functions in addition to those provided by the large internal components protrude above the top surface of the camera, the space within the camera body that would be occupied by the supplementary components may be moved to the outside of the grip, thus further reducing the height of the grip. By positioning any of these large internal components either inside the film take-up spool or next to the spool compartment, it becomes easier to mount the cover component, and the battery cover can be made thin.
The invention also provides the ability to reduce the amount of dead space by having the cover component that covers the large component internal protruding above the top surface of the camera be a rotatable operation member which controls or performs some camera function beyond merely acting as a cover for the large internal component.
Finally, by having any of said large components oriented essentially parallel to the film take-up spool, the existence of dead space can be prevented.
These and other features, objects and advantages can be realized from the invention as described in greater detail below and from the appended claims.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2989906 (1961-07-01), Rentschler
patent: 3096699 (1963-07-01), Harvey et al.
patent: 3988751 (1976-10-01), Goto
patent: 4062028 (1977-12-01), Tezuka et al.
patent: 4274726 (1981-06-01), Yoneyama et al.
patent: 5708896 (1998-01-01), Machida
patent: 5870645 (1999-02-01), Tanbara et al.

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