Television – Camera – system and detail – Support or housing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-28
2004-06-15
Garber, Wendy R. (Department: 2612)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Support or housing
C348S374000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06750916
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic imaging apparatus, and in particular, to an electronic imaging apparatus that electronically records images taken with an image pickup device, comprising a strobe device in its body and an open/close lid for protecting an image pickup lens, wherein a strobe flashing unit of this strobe device is incorporated in the open/close lid.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up to now, in cameras for taking pictures using silver halide film, electronic imaging apparatuses such as digital still cameras that electronically record image signals obtained by image pickup devices, and the like, a slidably moveable open/close lid is provided to protect a picture-taking lens that is in the front of the camera and other respective constitutive members located in an exterior part in the front of the camera when the camera is not being used.
In addition, various cameras with which picture-taking is performed using conventional silver halide film and the like inclusion of a strobe device composed of a strobe flashing unit inside the lens barrier and the like has been proposed. Japanese Utility Unexamined Publication No. 61-140338 is an example of such a strobe device in use.
According to a conventional camera that includes a strobe flashing unit in a lens barrier for protecting the front of a picture-taking lens, it is possible to keep a distance between the strobe flashing unit and the picture-taking lens by moving the lens barrier to the open direction at the time of picture-taking, and thus suppressing the red-eye phenomenon.
In addition, since a lens barrier occupies a comparatively large area on a camera body, the placing of a strobe flashing unit on this lens barrier is advantageous in that it is possible to effectively utilize the area occupied by the lens barrier, and thus it becomes possible to further reduce the size of the entire camera.
However, if the open/close lid for protecting a picture-taking lens (a lens barrier) as used in a conventional silver halide film is applied to an electronic imaging apparatus such as a digital still camera, it is not possible to take a satisfactory image because electromagnetic wave noise and the like that occur at the time of flashing of the strobe adversely affect an image pickup device, an image pickup circuit, and the like. Therefore, the use of the above-described construction in the conventional camera for an electronic imaging apparatus is problematic.
In a common strobe flashing unit, electric charges charged in a strobe capacitor by the control of a strobe circuit are supplied by a xenon tube, high voltage generated in a trigger transformer is applied to a reflector, and the xenon tube is flashed thereby. In this case, there is also plenty of electromagnetic wave noise because of the high voltage generated in particular between the trigger transformer and the xenon tube.
In the conventional construction of a lens barrier incorporating a strobe flashing unit, it is well known to place only a xenon tube and a reflector inside a lens barrier and to place members such as a trigger transformer in the camera body.
Therefore, the trigger transformer and the reflector of the xenon tube are connected with a long harness and the like including the margin, that is, a moving distance of the lens barrier. The large electromagnetic wave noise and the like occur from this long harness, and hence the harness becomes a source of the electromagnetic wave noise in the camera body. These electromagnetic wave noise and the like were not serious problems in conventional cameras not using each image pickup device and the like, that is, cameras using silver halide film.
However, in an electronic imaging apparatus, the above-described electromagnetic wave noise and the like adversely affect the image pickup device which converts an optical subject image, i.e. an image-formed with a picture-taking lens, into an electric signal. The electromagnetic noise also adversely affects the electric circuits of the image pickup system which handle weak signals, for example the image processing circuit, thus causing degradation of image quality.
Furthermore, in an electronic imaging apparatus, electrical countermeasures against the above-described electromagnetic wave noise and the like become necessary. The addition of components to effect the countermeasures results in further problems such as increasing the size of other components like the board and increasing the manufacturing cost.
The electronic imaging apparatus includes more electric part than a camera using silver halide film. Thus, addition of components to effect countermeasures against the electromagnetic noise inevitably increases the size of the apparatus.
On the one hand, the portability and operability of the electronic imaging apparatuses are degraded when the strobe flashing unit is incorporated in the open/close lid because such an arrangement produces an appearance of only the strobe reflector projecting from the open/close lid to the exterior since the strobe reflector is particularly thick.
On the other hand, generally speaking, the open/close lid in a conventional camera is slidably supported on the camera body using guide rails and the like, and is not restricted so firmly.
Therefore, for example, upon application of a strong input, there is a possibility that the open/close lid will be disjoined and will drop from its supporting guide rails.
In particular, if an open/close lid which has a strobe flashing unit incorporated therein drops, there is a possibility that the strobe flashing unit and its charging block will be exposed to the outside such that connecting lines such as lead wires that supply electricity to the strobe flashing unit are connected, or some of the connecting lines become disconnected.
In such a case, an ordinary user may misunderstand that the dropped open/close lid can be easily restored, and may restore the open/close lid to its position while failing to restore the disconnected lines. It is natural that the camera assembled in the incomplete state cannot perform a complete picture-taking operation.
By the way, although, conventional cameras having a strobe device in the camera body are widespread, it is usual to produce each housing, by means of injection molding with nonconductive material.
Therefore, if each housing is formed with the non-conductive material in case of incorporating the strobe device in a camera body of the above-described conventional camera, it is unnecessary to consider in particular the space between the strobe device, which is located in the housing, and the internal wall surface of the housing member.
Then, heretofore, miniaturization of a camera itself has been performed by adjacently placing the strobe reflector, constructing the strobe device provided inside the housing member like. For example, cameras and the like that incorporate each strobe device are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 7-306453 and No. 8-129207.
Nevertheless, since plenty of electronic circuits performing high-speed processing, as described above, are located inside each electronic imaging apparatus, the electromagnetic wave noise occurring from the electronic circuits in the body is large in comparison to conventional cameras using silver halide film.
Since this electromagnetic wave noise and the like cause degradation of the quality of an image shown by a picture signal in the electronic imaging apparatus which electrically records the picture signal, it is necessary to remove the electromagnetic wave noise.
Then, in the conventional electronic imaging apparatuses, various types of means for preventing the above-described electromagnetic wave noise and the like are put into practical use by forming each housing and its exterior with conductive material through, for example, plating, coating, using metal-fiber-containing resin, and the like.
Furthermore, in the design purpose on the apparatus body, using plating, coating, metal-fiber-containing resin, and the like
Isashi Yasuo
Kaneko Kaoru
Toyofuku Toshiyuki
Garber Wendy R.
Olympus Corporation
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
Whipkey Jason
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