Photography – Camera detail – With mechanical switch detail
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-02
2002-04-23
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Camera detail
With mechanical switch detail
Reexamination Certificate
active
06377756
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation button used for portable apparatus of a camera and so forth. Particularly, the present invention relates to an operation button having a thin thickness.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, portable apparatus of a camera and so forth have been contrived such that various functions can be operated in a limited space. As to one of such contraptions regarding a camera, it is known that an electric zooming operation and a mode setting operation can be performed by a single operation button. This is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-90768 (counterpart of U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,760).
An operation button described in the above publication is schematically shown in
FIGS. 4A and 4B
. A main part of the operation button
50
is constituted of a button body
51
having a disc shape. A central portion of the button body
51
is formed with a through hole
52
into which a boss
53
a
is inserted. The boss
53
a
projects from an inner frame
53
of a camera body. The button body
51
is fixed to the boss
53
a
by a screw-like retainer
55
so as not to trip. Moreover, the button body
51
is urged by a leaf spring
56
in a direction separating from the inner frame
53
. Meanwhile, a button cover
57
for obscuring the retainer
55
is attached to a surface of the button body
51
. The operation button
50
is provided with a plurality of depressed positions which are arranged in a circumferential direction of the operation button
50
. Under the respective depressed positions, is disposed a switch
58
for detecting the depression of the operation button
50
.
As shown in
FIG. 4B
, when one of the depressed positions of the operation button
50
is depressed by a finger, the button body
51
is swung around a position where an lower face of a flange
55
a
of the retainer
55
comes into contact with an upper face of the button body
51
which is opposite to the depressed position relative to the retainer
55
. Owing to this, a protrusion
51
a
depresses the switch
58
to turn on it. When the finger depressing the operation button
50
is released, the switch
58
is turned off. At the same time, the button body
51
is pushed up by the leaf spring
56
and is returned to the original state.
The above operation button
50
has the depressed positions arranged in the circumferential direction thereof. Thus, the operation button
50
needs to have a space a secured along the round of the boss
53
a
in order to swing the button body
51
. Hence, the operation button
50
is kept in a floating state that the whole of the operating button
50
is separated from the camera body by the leaf spring
56
. Accordingly, there arises a problem in that the operation button
50
as a whole has a thick depth.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an operation button of which thickness is adapted to be thin.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide an operation button in which it is possible to employ a thin urging member having urging force being relatively weak.
In order to achieve the above and other objects, the operation button according to the present invention comprises a button body and an urging member. The button body is swingably attached to an exterior wall of a portable apparatus, and has a plurality of depressed positions which are arranged in a circumferential direction of the operation button. The urging member urges the button body in a direction from the outside of the portable apparatus to the inside thereof. In virtue of this, return force for returning the button body to a neutral position is applied to the button body by the urging member. In the neutral position, the button body is kept so as not to incline.
Meanwhile, the button body is provided with a button cover for veiling the urging member so as to contain the urging member between the button body and the button cover. When one of the depressed positions of the button body is pressed, the button body is swung in a state that the bottom of the button body is a fulcrum. At this time, the urging member corresponding to the depressed position urges the button cover toward the outside of the portable apparatus. At the same time, a position of the button body opposite to the depressed position is urged toward the inside of the portable apparatus by the urging member. When the button body is stopped to be depressed, it is speedily returned to the neutral position due to synergism of two portions of the urging member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5815760 (1998-09-01), Ito et al.
patent: 10-090768 (1998-04-01), None
Blackman Rochelle
Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
Gray David M.
Young & Thompson
LandOfFree
Operation button used for portable apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Operation button used for portable apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Operation button used for portable apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2879615