Photography – Camera detail – Having printed circuit detail
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-04
2001-12-04
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photography
Camera detail
Having printed circuit detail
C361S749000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327442
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a circuit board for a camera.
A camera has several optical systems that comprise optical elements such as lenses, mirrors, prisms, and filters. When the camera has been used for a long time, dust may likely enter inside the camera, and adhere to optical elements. In such a case, quality of an image formed by the optical system may be deteriorated. Thus, if dust adheres to the optical elements, the optical elements must be taken out of the camera and cleaned. When the optical elements are damaged and to be replaced, they must also be taken out of the camera.
FIG. 4
is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional camera of which the body cover (not shown) is removed. It should be noted that a camera includes an internal body
11
and a body cover. The body cover covers an internal body
11
on which a printed circuit board is provided.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, upper and the side surfaces of the internal body
11
is covered with a circuit board
12
. On the circuit board
12
, electronic circuits are formed (printed) to control various systems such as the shutter, the aperture, the focusing mechanism, and the like. As components of the circuits, button-type switches
21
, a semiconductor chip
101
, and the like are provided on the circuit board
12
.
In the conventional camera, when an optical element provided inside the internal body
11
is to be replaced, the circuit board
12
must be removed from the internal body
11
. If an optical element is to be taken out from an upper surface of the internal body
11
, at least a portion of the circuit board
12
covering the upper surface should be completely removed. In addition, to remove the circuit board
12
, the wires between the circuit board
12
and the internal body
11
may be disconnected. Further, after the optical element is taken out and cleaned, or a new optical element is placed inside the internal body
11
, the wires once disconnected must be restored to their original status. Thus, work required to take out the optical element from the internal body
11
is very bothersome. Furthermore, if the camera is constructed such that the circuit board
12
is fixed to the internal body
11
with screws, when the circuit board
12
is removed, unfastened screws may be lost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved circuit board which enables elements in the internal body to be taken out therefrom easily.
For the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a circuit board provided on outer surfaces of an internal camera body having a containing section to hold an element of a camera, the containing section having an opening on one of the outer surfaces of the internal camera body, the circuit board comprising: a bendable portion that allows the circuit board to bend thereat; and a leaf portion that is corrected to the remaining part of the circuit board only with the bendable portion, the leaf portion covering the containing section when the leaf portion is not bent at the bendable portion, the leaf portion being located to expose the containing section to outside when the leaf portion is bent at the bendable portion.
Since the leaf portion can be located away from the internal camera body without removing the entire circuit board, it is less bothersome to remove or replace the element(s) held in the containing section.
Optionally, the circuit board covers substantially an entire area of the one of the outer surfaces on which the opening is formed, wherein at least one slit is formed on the circuit board to define the leaf portion.
Thus, it is not necessary to reduce the area of the circuit board, and the operability in removing or replacing the element contained in the containing section is improved.
In a particular case, at least the bendable portion is formed of a flexible circuit board. In other words, even it the entire circuit board is formed of rigid material, by forming the bendable portions with the flexible circuit board, the element held in the containing section can easily be removed/replaced, and further electrical connection can be maintained.
In a particular case, the element of the camera held in the containing section could be an optical element. For example, the optical element can be a focusing block of a finder optical system of the camera.
optionally, the bendable portion is formed to extend, from one side end of the circuit board, in a predetermined direction, and wherein the at least one slit is formed, from another side end next to the one side end, to extend in a direction perpendicular to the bendable portion.
The bendable portion maybe arranged to extend parallel with an optical axis of a photographing optical system of the camera. Alternatively, the bendable portion may be arranged to extend in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis of a photographing optical system of said camera.
Optionally, one electronic component may be provided on the leaf portion and is connected to another electronic component located, on the circuit board, at a portion other than the leaf portion.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a camera, which is provided with: an internal camera body having outer surfaces on which a circuit board is provided, the camera having a containing section to hold an element of a camera, the containing section having an opening on one of the outer surfaces of the internal camera body. In this case, the circuit board may have: a bendable portion that allows the circuit board to bend thereat; and a leaf portion that is connected to the remaining part of the circuit board only with the bendable portion, the leaf portion covering the containing section when the leaf portion is not bent at the bendable portion, the leaf portion being located to expose the containing section to outside when the leaf portion is bent at the bendable portion.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a circuit board provided on outer surfaces of an internal camera body having a containing section to hold an element of a camera, the containing section having an opening on one of the outer surfaces of the internal camera body. The circuit board is provided with: an unremovable portion which is unremovable from the internal camera body; and a removable portion that is formed to be bendable so as to be removed from the internal camera body without being electrically disconnected from the unremovable portion, the removable portion covering the containing section when the removable portion is not bent, the removable portion being located away from the internal camera body so as to expose the containing section to outside when the leaf portion is bent.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4711548 (1987-12-01), Arakawa et al.
patent: 4853734 (1989-08-01), Tokura et al.
patent: 5079577 (1992-01-01), Nomura
patent: 5181065 (1993-01-01), Hara
patent: 5398163 (1995-03-01), Sano
patent: 5521670 (1996-05-01), Hara et al.
patent: 5528336 (1996-06-01), Inoue
Adams Russell
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Whittington Kenneth J
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