Receptacles – Closures – Pivotable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-23
2002-06-25
Newhouse, Nathan J. (Department: 3727)
Receptacles
Closures
Pivotable,
C220S817000, C220S835000, C429S100000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06409042
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a closure opening/closing apparatus for opening/closing an opening of a storage section in which an insert such as a recording medium, a battery or the like is detachably inserted and stored, in electronics apparatus such as electronic still cameras, video cameras, tape recorders, radios and the like. The present invention also relates to an electronic apparatus provided with the closure opening/closing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, as a closure opening/closing apparatus of the electronics, for example, the one shown in FIG.
1
and
FIG. 2
is known.
FIGS. 1 and 2
show the main part of the electronic still camera shown as one example of the electronics. The housing of the electronic still camera
1
has a front panel
2
and a rear panel
3
superposed on each other, and an ornamental frame
4
is interposed between those panels
2
and
3
. The ornamental frame
4
is fixed to the rear panel
3
, while the front panel
2
and the rear panel
3
are coupled by a hinge so as to be freely opened and closed.
An opening
7
for exposing an insertion port
6
of a battery holder
5
in which a battery for the power supply is stored is provided in the rear panel
3
of the electronic still camera
1
. This opening
7
is freely opened and closed by a closure body
8
having a corresponding shape. The closure body
8
is slidably supported by an arm
9
whose one end is rotatably supported by a bearing portion
5
a
provided on one side of the battery holder
5
. At the tip of the arm
9
is provided a not-shown stopper, which prevents dropout of the closure body
8
. Moreover, at the tip of the closure body
8
is provided a lock pawl
8
a.
By engaging the lock pawl
8
a
to a lock hole
5
b
provided on the other side of the battery holder
5
, the opening
7
can be closed by the closure body
8
in a tightly closed state.
The opening/closing operation of the closure apparatus for electronics having such a construction is performed in the following manner. First, the closure body
8
closing the opening
7
is slid in parallel to the side of the housing, as shown in an arrow A in FIG.
2
. Thereby, the lock pawl
8
a
of the closure body
8
is released from the lock hole
5
b
of the battery holder
5
, and that makes it possible to open the closure body
8
. Then, as shown in an arrow B in
FIG. 2
, the arm
9
is pivoted centering around the bearing portion
5
a
in an arc form. Thereby, the opening
7
is opened to change the state of the closure body
8
as shown in
FIG. 1
, and that makes it possible to insert the battery.
As described above, the closure opening/closing apparatus, for example, a closure opening/closing apparatus for opening/closing an opening where an insert such as a battery for the power supply, a recording medium or the like is detachably inserted in the electronics, can be opened only by 90° to 110° with respect to the housing. Therefore, there is a possibility that the closure body, the shaft or the like may be broken, if a force is forcibly applied to the opening direction. Moreover, since the closure body is opened in a state that it stands against the housing, there is a possibility that the closure may be damaged by being caught by other parts, or may become an obstruction at the time of taking in and out the insert.
To avoid these problems, the closure body or the shaft is made from a soft material, such as polypropylene (PP) or the like. In this case, the appearance becomes different from the housing and the quality is deteriorated. Moreover, this closure body can be reinforced by a sheet metal such as stainless or the like. In this case, since the closure body and the sheet metal are screwed together for fixation, there are such problems that the thickness of the closure increases, that there is a possibility that attachment to the housing may be hindered, and that the cost increases due to the usage of the sheet metal and screws.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above situation, it is an object of the present invention to provide a construction that the closure body can be opened in a state that it is reversed with respect to the housing, to thereby solve the above problems.
To attain the above described objects, the closure opening/closing apparatus of electronics according to the present invention comprises a closure body for opening/closing an opening provided in a hardware housing, and a slide hinge intervened between the hardware housing and the closure body and provided with two hinge portions in parallel to each other at a required interval, wherein a hinge holder is so formed that the slide hinge is rotatably supported by means of a shaft on either one side of the hardware housing or the closure body at one hinge portion, while the other hinge portion is slidably and rotatably held on the other side thereof, and that the closure body is rotated in two steps with respect to the housing, by means of a rotation in the two hinge portions due to sliding of the slide hinge, and closes so as to overlap on the outside of the housing in a reversed state.
In the above construction, a spring member for energizing the closure body in the opening direction is disposed. Moreover, this spring member has a spring energizing section corresponding to respective two hinge portions of the slide hinge, and the spring energizing sections are coupled integrally.
Moreover, the present invention has the construction described above, wherein an engagement section is formed where the slide hinge is engaged with the hinge holder in a clicked state.
The closure opening/closing apparatus of electronics of the present invention constructed as described above has such features that the closure body constructed as describe above is opened so as to be overlapped on the outside of the hardware housing in a reversed state with respect to the housing, hence the opening of the hardware housing can be opened large, and even if the closure body is strongly pushed, there is no possibility of being broken.
Moreover, the closure body is automatically opened after releasing the lock, due to the energy of a resilient energizing section of the spring member disposed in two hinge portions of the slide hinge. Furthermore, the spring member has spring energizing sections coupled integrally, corresponding to respective two hinge portions of the slide hinge, hence assembly to the hinge holder is simplified.
Furthermore, by forming an engagement section where the slide hinge is engaged with a hinge holder which slidably holds the slide hinge in a clicked state, click feeling is generated in the sliding operation of the slide hinge at the time of opening/closing operation of the closure body. Hence, the operability is improved, and the engagement state of the closure body can be confirmed by the clicked feeling to improve the ease of use.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1623477 (1927-04-01), Horni
patent: 3432967 (1969-03-01), Simon
patent: 5206098 (1993-04-01), Cho et al.
patent: 5372395 (1994-12-01), Yang
patent: 5931513 (1999-08-01), Conti
patent: 1-225062 (1989-09-01), None
patent: 9-92243 (1997-04-01), None
patent: 10-17008 (1998-01-01), None
Hirano Misao
Shimada Hiroshi
Ueda Toshiaki
Maioli Jay H.
Newhouse Nathan J.
Sony Corporation
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