JP5365910B2 - Imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To effectively prevent a photographer from performing an erroneous operation owing to touching an operation button of a multidirectional operation switch in gripping the imaging apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: A multidirectional operation button keytop 19 is secured to a post-like operation portion 27a of a multidirectional operation switch 27. The multidirectional operation button keytop 19 is inserted into an opening portion of a multidirectional operation button stage 18 attached to the opening portion of a rear cover 11a. The periphery of the multidirectional operation button keytop 19 is sealed with a rubber seal member 30. A body case 11 is provided with a finger placing member 31 and a rear grip portion 12 across the multidirectional operation button keytop 19. The projection portion of the finger placing member 31 and the maximum projection portion of the rear grip portion 12 protrude above the multidirectional operation button keytop 19. With this configuration, the risk of the multidirectional operation button to be wrongly operated by the holding finger is reduced when an imaging apparatus such as a digital camera is gripped. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus that captures an image of a subject via an imaging optical system and acquires an image of the subject, and in particular, operates an operation unit in multiple directions according to the operation direction in order to input various information to the system. The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus using a multidirectional operation switch that obtains an output.

In recent years, a subject image formed by a camera, particularly an imaging optical system, is imaged by a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD (charge coupled device) imaging device or a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) imaging device, and image data of the subject is captured. The digital camera that records the image in the memory has been miniaturized, but the display screen of the LCD (liquid crystal display element) display for displaying images based on the image data before and after the imaging has been increased in size. In addition, in this type of digital camera, functions related to imaging and reproduction display are increasing in response to user needs.
For this reason, the space in which the operation buttons can be arranged on the body of the digital camera is narrowed, and the layout of the operation buttons is not easy, and the operation buttons themselves also obtain a single switch input by pressing, which is conventionally common. From the one-push type operation buttons, gradually touch panel type to place the touch sensor etc. on the display screen of the LCD display and input directly by pressing on the screen, tilting one operation part in multiple directions A multi-function system that performs a plurality of different inputs according to the operation direction, and a rotation that rotates a ball-shaped operation unit in various directions as in a conventional trackball to input various signals according to the rotation direction. It has multiple functions, such as a ball type, and can minimize the space required for layout. It is that an increasing number of to adopt the operation means to be.

For example, a camera having a multi-directional operation unit that can be operated in five directions of tilting operation in the four directions of front and rear, right and left and pressing operation in the push direction is already known, and an example of such a camera is a patent applicant. Is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-182779. The camera disclosed in Patent Document 1 has operation buttons that can move only in four directions in order to suppress operations in directions not intended by the photographer. In addition, this Patent Document 1 also shows a configuration of a multidirectional operation unit that can be operated in a total of five directions including a general tilting operation in four directions, front and rear, left and right, and a pressing operation in the push direction.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an operation button portion having a multi-directional operation unit that can be operated in five directions, that is, a general tilting operation in the front and rear, left and right directions and a pressing operation in the push direction, disclosed in Patent Document 1. It is. In FIG. 5, with the camera body as a reference, the subject side is the front, the photographing optical axis direction is the front-rear direction, the camera height direction is the up-down direction, and the direction perpendicular to the plane including these front-rear direction and up-down direction is The left-right direction (left-right direction when viewed from the back of the camera) is used.
In this camera, the multidirectional operation unit 118 is appropriately operated to instruct directions and select various functions. The multidirectional operation unit 118 will be described. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the multidirectional operation unit 118 used for direction indication.

The multidirectional operation unit 118 includes a multidirectional operation switch 119, an operation button top 120, and a seal member 121. The multidirectional operation unit 118 is installed on the control board 122 and from an opening formed in the body housing 113. A part of the operation button top 120 is exposed to the outside.
The multidirectional operation switch 119 is an element for recognizing a plurality of operation directions and obtaining an electrical switch signal corresponding to the operation direction, and includes a switch base portion 123 and an operation member 124.
In the switch base 123, a switch board 126 provided with five base-side contacts 125 is accommodated in the base case 127. The base case 127 is fixed to the control board 122, and the switch board 126 and the control board 122 are electrically connected.
The five base-side contacts 125 are not clearly shown, but on the switch board 126, the central base-side contact 125 (not shown) located at the center and the top, bottom, left and right are equally spaced from each other. And four four-sided base-side contacts 125 arranged one by one. That is, the five substrate-side contacts 125 are arranged in parallel at equal intervals in the vertical direction while being mounted on the camera on the switch board 126, and the center substrate-side contacts 125 located at the center thereof. Two base-side contacts 125 are provided at equal intervals on both sides in the left-right direction. The switch substrate 126 provided with the five base-side contacts 125 is provided with a hollow annular support rubber 129 so as to surround the central base-side contact 125, and the operation member 124 is provided on the upper surface of the support rubber 129. Is installed.

  The operation member 124 includes a rod-shaped operation column 130 and a switch flat plate portion 131, and the operation column 130 extends vertically upward from the center portion of the switch flat plate portion 131. The flat plate portion 131 is provided with five operation-side contacts 132 on the lower surface thereof, and the five operation-side contacts 132 include a central operation-side contact disposed on the axis of the operation column 130 and its central operation. It is composed of four four-side operation side contacts that are positioned corresponding to the four-way base side contact 125 with the side contact as the center. The operation member 124 is supported by a support rubber 129 so that the axis of the operation column 130 is orthogonal to the switch substrate 126. In this example, the four four-way operation side contacts 132 are set to have the same protruding amount, and the protruding amount of the central operation side contact 132 is set larger than the protruding amount of the four-way operation side contacts 132. As a result, when the operation member 124 is pushed down along the reference line BL, the four-way operation side contact 132 does not contact the corresponding substrate side contact 125, and the central operation side contact 132 contacts the center substrate side contact 125. You will be in touch.

The multidirectional operation switch 119 is tilted from the reference posture Ba when the operation member 124 is pushed to the side as shown by a virtual line in FIG. 5 (the axis of the operation column 130 is inclined with respect to the reference line BL). When one of the four-way operation side contacts 132 of the flat plate portion 131 comes into contact with the corresponding substrate side contact 125, the corresponding operation side contact 132 and the corresponding substrate side contact 125 become conductive. . Further, as described above, although not shown, when the operation member 124 is pressed along the reference line BL, the central operation side contact 132 on the reference line comes into contact with the corresponding central substrate side contact 125. The corresponding operation side contact 132 and the substrate side contact 125 are in a conductive state.
In this way, when any one of the operation side contacts 132 and the corresponding substrate side contact 125 are brought into conduction, this is transmitted to the control board 122 as an electrical signal via the switch board 126. That is, the multi-directional operation switch 119 can input a switch signal indicating a desired direction according to the tilting operation of the operation member 124, and a switch signal other than the direction instruction can be input by pressing the operation member 124. it can.
The operation button top 120 has a shape in which a substantially disc-shaped flange portion 135 is coupled to a short cylindrical operation head 133 via a small-diameter neck portion 134. The operation head 133 is exposed from an opening formed in the body housing 113. The operation button top 120 is fitted and fixed to the operation member 124 by inserting the rod-shaped operation column 130 of the operation member 124 of the multidirectional operation switch 119 into the lower surface side of the flange portion 135. The upper surface of the flange portion 135 is formed in a flat conical surface shape that is convex upward.

A seal member 121 is mounted between the neck 134 of the operation button top 120 described above and the inner surface of the peripheral edge of the opening of the body housing 113.
The seal member 121 is a thin film formed in a substantially annular shape, and is formed of an elastically deformable material, in this example, rubber. The seal member 121 has an inner peripheral edge that is closely pressed against the neck 134 of the operation button top 120 over its entire circumference due to its elasticity, and an outer peripheral edge that is in contact with the inner surface of the body housing 113 around the opening. .
In a properly assembled state, the operation head 133 of the operation button top 120 is exposed outward from the opening of the body casing 113, and the neck 134 of the operation button top 120 and the inner surface around the opening of the body casing 113 are exposed. Is sealed by a seal member 121 to prevent dust and the like from entering the body housing 113 from the opening. In addition, the seal member 121 shields the gap between the opening and the operation button top 120 to prevent the inside of the body housing 113 from being seen from the outside.

The multi-directional operation switch 119 as described above is called a multi-function switch (or multi-function switch) or a multi-directional operation switch (or multi-directional switch) such as a stick switch type having a rod-shaped operation unit. It has almost the same function and can also be used as such a multidirectional operation switch 119. A commercially available multi-function switch (multi-function switch) such as a stick switch type or a multi-directional operation switch (multi-directional switch) mainly has four directions (front / rear / left / right) in the same manner as the multi-directional operation switch 119 described above. 4-plus-1 direction type that generates switch output corresponding to the tilt direction in response to the tilt operation and switch output corresponding to the push operation in the push direction, and four directions except for the push direction (front and rear, left and right) The four-direction type is known which generates only switch outputs corresponding to the tilt directions in response to only the tilting operation to ().
By the way, as described above, the operation button top 120 is fixed to the operation member 124 of the multidirectional operation switch 119 by press-fitting or bonding the tip of the operation column 130 to the operation button top 120. Since such a multi-directional operation switch 119 is tilted, the tip of the operation button top 120 must protrude from the outer surface of the body housing 113 to some extent in order to ensure sufficient operability. .

On the other hand, in the digital camera, since the photographing lens is arranged on the front side of the body casing 113, the digital camera is mounted on a desk or the like with the back side of the body casing 113 on which the operation button top 120 is arranged facing downward. There are not a few cases. In such a case, if the tip of the operation button top 120 protrudes, if the force is applied carelessly from the front side of the body casing 113 on the opposite side, When the operation button top 120 is dropped, an excessive force exceeding a general operation force is applied to the operation button top 120, and an impact is applied to the operation button top 120, so that the multi-directional operation switch 119 itself May be destroyed.
In order to avoid this, a part positioned on both sides of the part where the operation button (that is, the operation button top) of the multidirectional operation switch is arranged, for example, the maximum protrusion on the periphery of the LCD display, and the photographer By placing at least one of the largest protrusion on the back side of the grip member for gripping from the operation button and placing it on a desk or the like with the back side on which the operation button is disposed facing downward, In some cases, the operation buttons are not directly touched on the desk.

However, in the conventional method in which the operation button of the multidirectional operation switch is arranged between the protrusion on the periphery of the LCD display and the grip member, when the photographer holds the camera, the finger of the gripped hand (for example, There is a problem that the thumb) touches the operation button and makes an erroneous operation.
In particular, recently, since a large display screen is preferred, the LCD display tends to increase in size, and accordingly, there are many restrictions on the location and space of the operation buttons of the multi-directional operation switch, and the above-mentioned problem of erroneous operation. Is bigger.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus that can effectively prevent erroneous operation by touching a button key top when a photographer holds it.
The object of the first to third aspects of the present invention is to support a finger with a finger rest portion and a rear grip portion that are formed so as to protrude from the button key top , particularly when gripping the imaging device, and to place the finger on the button key top . An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus capable of effectively suppressing contact with the touch panel.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide an image pickup apparatus that can suppress a finger from contacting the button key top by supporting the finger by a finger placement portion that is formed so as to protrude from the button key top. .
The purpose of 請 Motomeko 5 of the present invention, in particular, the a rear grip finger rest portion sandwiching the button key top protrudes than button key top, when holding the imaging device, the finger is in contact with the button key top An object of the present invention is to provide an image pickup apparatus that can effectively suppress this.

In order to achieve the above-described object, an imaging apparatus according to the present invention described in claim 1
An imaging device that images a subject via an imaging optical system and acquires an image of the subject,
The back surface of the body casing of the imaging apparatus, in order from the side outside of the body casing inward,
Back grip,
Button key top for tilting or pressing in multiple directions;
A finger rest,
A display unit having a display screen for displaying the captured image;
Are arranged side by side next to each other ,
The back grip portion is formed to protrude in the back direction of the imaging device from the button key top,
An operation member for operating the imaging device is not disposed on the surface of the finger placement unit , and the opposite side of the button key top in the finger placement unit protrudes from the button key top toward the back side of the imaging device. not, the height inclined to become lower in the rear of the button key top side the imaging device toward the button key top side from the opposite side of the said finger rest portion, the top the button key in the finger rest portion A portion adjacent to the side is formed so as to protrude from the button key top toward the back side of the imaging device.

In particular, when grasping the imaging device, an imaging device capable of effectively suppressing contact of the finger with the operation button by supporting the finger with a finger rest portion and a rear grip portion protruding from the button key top. It is to provide.
According to the imaging device of claim 2 of the present invention,
An imaging device according to the present invention described in claim 2 is the imaging device according to claim 1,
A recess is formed in a portion corresponding to the finger rest portion of the body housing, and a finger rest member formed separately from the body housing is fixed to the recess to form the finger rest portion. It is characterized by that.
An imaging apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is the imaging apparatus according to the first or second aspect,
The finger placement part and the back grip part are formed integrally with the body casing itself.

In order to achieve the above-described object, an imaging apparatus according to the present invention described in claim 4
An imaging device that images a subject via an imaging optical system and acquires an image of the subject,
The back surface of the body casing of the imaging apparatus, in order from the side outside of the body casing inward,
Button key top for tilting or pressing in multiple directions;
A finger rest,
Are arranged side by side next to each other ,
An operation member for operating the imaging device is not disposed on the surface of the finger placement unit , and the opposite side of the button key top in the finger placement unit protrudes from the button key top toward the back side of the imaging device. not, the height inclined to become lower in the rear of the button key top side the imaging device toward the button key top side from the opposite side of the said finger rest portion, the top the button key in the finger rest portion A portion adjacent to the side is formed so as to protrude from the button key top toward the back side of the imaging device.

An imaging device according to the present invention described in claim 5 is the imaging device according to claim 4,
On the opposite side of the front Symbol the finger rest portion sandwiched between the button key top, is characterized in that it has a rear grip portion.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imaging apparatus that can effectively prevent erroneous operation by touching the button key top when the photographer holds it.
That is, according to the imaging device of claim 1 of the present invention,
An imaging device that images a subject via an imaging optical system and acquires an image of the subject,
The back surface of the body casing of the imaging apparatus, in order from the side outside of the body casing inward,
Back grip,
Button key top for tilting or pressing in multiple directions;
A finger rest,
A display unit having a display screen for displaying the captured image;
Are arranged side by side next to each other ,
The back grip portion is formed to protrude in the back direction of the imaging device from the button key top,
An operation member for operating the imaging device is not disposed on the surface of the finger placement unit , and the opposite side of the button key top in the finger placement unit protrudes from the button key top toward the back side of the imaging device. not, the height inclined to become lower in the rear of the button key top side the imaging device toward the button key top side from the opposite side of the said finger rest portion, the top the button key in the finger rest portion The part adjacent to the side is formed so as to protrude in the back direction of the imaging device from the button key top,
In particular, when gripping the image pickup device, the finger is supported by the finger rest portion and the rear grip portion that are formed to protrude from the button key top and have a unique configuration as described above, and the finger contacts the button key top. It can be effectively suppressed.

According to the imaging device of claim 2 of the present invention, the imaging device of claim 1,
A recess is formed in a portion corresponding to the finger placement portion of the body housing, and a finger placement member formed separately from the body housing is fixed to the recess to form the finger placement portion. By
In particular, when gripping the imaging device, the button key top finger is supported by the finger placing portion and rear grip portion protruding than the, it is possible to effectively prevent the finger touches the button key top.
According to the imaging device of claim 3 of the present invention, the imaging device of claim 1 or claim 2,
The finger placement part and the back grip part are formed integrally with the body casing itself,
In particular, when gripping the imaging device, the button key top finger is supported by the finger placing portion and rear grip portion protruding than the, it is possible to effectively prevent the finger touches the button key top.

Furthermore, according to the imaging device of claim 4 of the present invention,
An imaging device that images a subject via an imaging optical system and acquires an image of the subject,
The back surface of the body casing of the imaging apparatus, in order from the side outside of the body casing inward,
Button key top for tilting or pressing in multiple directions;
A finger rest,
Are arranged side by side next to each other ,
An operation member for operating the imaging device is not disposed on the surface of the finger placement unit , and the opposite side of the button key top in the finger placement unit protrudes from the button key top toward the back side of the imaging device. not, the height inclined to become lower in the rear of the button key top side the imaging device toward the button key top side from the opposite side of the said finger rest portion, the top the button key in the finger rest portion The part adjacent to the side is formed so as to protrude in the back direction of the imaging device from the button key top,
In particular, the button key top peripheral囲近near and the protruded than button key top is supported a finger with a finger rest section consisting such unique arrangement described above, when holding the imaging device, the finger is in contact with the button key top Can be effectively suppressed.

Moreover, according to the imaging device of claim 5 of the present invention, the imaging device of claim 4,
On the opposite side of the finger rest section across the front Symbol button key top, by having a rear grip portion,
In particular, around the vicinity of the button key top button key top also protrude from, when holding the imaging apparatus, it is possible to effectively suppress the contact finger to the button key top.

It is a back perspective view showing typically the composition seen from the back of the digital camera as an imaging device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a front perspective view which shows typically the structure seen from the front of the digital camera of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows typically the assembly structure of the digital camera of FIG. FIG. 2 is a partial detailed cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration of a main part of the digital camera of FIG. 1. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows typically the structure of the principal part of the conventional multidirectional operation switch.

Hereinafter, based on an embodiment of the present invention, a digital camera as an imaging apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1 to 4 show a configuration of a main part of a digital camera according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a rear perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the digital camera as viewed from the rear, FIG. 2 is a front perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the digital camera as viewed from the front, and FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the assembly configuration of the digital camera 1 and FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the configuration in the vicinity of the multidirectional operation switch, which is the main part of the digital camera of FIG.
1 to 4, the digital camera 1 includes a body housing 11, a rear grip portion 12, a zoom lever 13, a release button 14, a power button 15, a mode switching dial 16, an LCD display portion 17, and a multidirectional operation button base 18. , Multi-directional operation button key top 19, playback button 20, imaging lens unit 21, decoration ring 22, strobe light emitting unit 23, auxiliary light LED (light emitting diode) 24, battery cover 25, printed circuit board (PCB) 26, multi-directional An operation switch 27, a dome switch sheet 28, a button structure 29, a rubber seal member 30, a finger placement member 31, and a double-sided tape 32 are provided.

That is, the digital camera 1 has an appearance as shown in the rear perspective view of FIG. 1 and the front perspective view of FIG. The digital camera 1 is provided with a rear grip portion 12 projecting to the rear side in the vicinity of the right end portion of the body housing 11 when viewed from the rear surface, and on the upper surface of the body housing 11 for zooming operation. A zoom lever 13, a release button 14 for shooting operation, a power button 15 for power on / off, a mode switching dial 16 for switching shooting mode, and the like are arranged. Further, on the back side of the body housing 11, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display unit 17 for displaying images and the like, and an opening for exposing the multi-directional operation button key top 19 are formed. 18, buttons such as a multi-directional operation button key top 19 for multi-directional operation and a reproduction button 20 for instructing image reproduction display are arranged.
Further, an imaging lens unit 21 serving as an imaging optical system is disposed approximately at the center of the front as viewed from the front side of the digital camera 1, and a decoration ring 22 is provided around the imaging lens unit 21. Further, on the front side of the digital camera 1, a strobe light emitting unit 23 and auxiliary light for emitting illumination light for photographing in a case where the required distance from the image pickup lens unit 21 exists and the amount of light is insufficient and dark. An auxiliary light LED 24 is provided to emit light. On the bottom surface of the body casing 11 of the digital camera 1, a card slot for mounting a memory card and a battery cover 25 for covering a battery chamber for mounting a battery are disposed.

  Further, a detailed configuration of the main part according to the present invention in the digital camera 1 will be described with reference to an exploded perspective view of the main part shown in FIG. 3 and a sectional view of the main part shown in FIG. In this case, the multidirectional operation switch 27 is referred to as, for example, a stick switch type multifunction switch (multifunctional switch) or a multidirectional operation switch (multidirectional switch) such as the multidirectional operation switch 119 shown in FIG. A 4 + 1 direction switch is used to generate a switch output corresponding to each operation direction in response to the tilting operation in the four directions of front, rear, left and right and the push operation up and down. The multidirectional operation switch 27 is mounted on the printed circuit board 26, and the multidirectional operation button key top 19 is attached to the columnar operation portion 27a by press-fitting or bonding the columnar operation portion 27a of the multidirectional operation switch 27. It is fixed. As shown in detail in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, above the multidirectional operation switch 27, a gap between the rear cover 11 a of the body housing 11 and the periphery of the opening for mounting the base is covered. A multidirectional operation button base 18 is disposed, and the tip of the multidirectional operation button key top 19 is exposed from the opening of the multidirectional operation button base 18. That is, the multidirectional operation button base 18 is attached to the opening of the rear cover 11 a from the inside, and the multidirectional operation button key top 19 is inserted into the opening of the multidirectional operation button base 18.

The multi-directional operation button key top 19 is formed with a substantially disc-shaped operation end at the tip, and a flange having a larger diameter than the operation end via a cylindrical portion having a smaller diameter than the operation end behind the operation end. The engaging portion 19a is formed. The opening diameter of the multidirectional operation button base 18 is larger than the operation end of the multidirectional operation button key top 19 and smaller than the engagement portion 19a, and the multidirectional operation button key top 19 is pulled out. Even if the multi-directional operation switch 27 is disengaged, the engaging portion 19a of the multi-directional operation button key top 19 is engaged with the opening of the multi-directional operation button base 18 to prevent dropping. The opening portion of the multidirectional operation button base 18 corresponds to the cylindrical portion of the multidirectional operation button key top 19 in the attached state, and the multidirectional operation button key top 19 is operated by the operation of the multidirectional operation button key top 19. And even if the columnar operation part 27a of the multi-directional operation switch 27 is tilted, it does not interfere.
The cylindrical portion of the multidirectional operation button key top 19 is press-fitted into and in close contact with the central opening of the flat annular rubber seal member 30, and the outer periphery of the rubber seal member 30 is sufficiently larger than the opening of the multidirectional operation button base 18. The multi-directional operation button base 18 is closely arranged on the inner surface side. The rubber seal member 30 is provided to prevent dust from entering from the opening of the multidirectional operation button base 18.

The rear cover 11a of the body housing 11 is formed with an opening for mounting the pedestal, and the multidirectional operation button pedestal 18 is inserted and fitted into the opening from the back side (inner side). In order not to make it difficult to assemble the rear cover 11a of the body housing 11 and the multidirectional operation button base 18, the maximum outer diameter of the multidirectional operation button key top 19 is not set to be equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the opening for mounting the base. . A rear grip part 12 is formed at the edge of the rear cover 11a of the body housing 11 on the multi-directional operation button base 18 side so as to protrude from the multi-directional operation button key top 19 to the camera rear side. The opening for wearing is arranged so that at least a part thereof overlaps the rear grip portion 12 and the surrounding bulge portion toward the rear side of the camera, and the multidirectional operation button base 18 and the multidirectional operation button key top 19 are arranged. Is disposed substantially inside the rear grip portion 12.
With such an arrangement, the thumb when the digital camera 1 is held in a normal lateral position inevitably presses the left side of the multidirectional operation button base 18. The rear cover 11 a covers the peripheral edge of the LCD display unit 17 and is provided with an LCD display window that opens corresponding to the display screen of the LCD display unit 17.

In the rear cover 11a, a recess for installing the finger placement member 31 is formed between the LCD display window and the opening for mounting the pedestal. The finger placing member 31 is dropped into this recess and fitted, and is fixedly bonded using a double-sided adhesive tape 32. If it does in this way, the level | step difference of the rear part cover 11a and the finger placement member 31 can be made small, and the finger placement member 31 adhere | attached with the double-sided adhesive tape 32 becomes difficult to take off.
The finger placement member 31 is provided with a protrusion that protrudes from the multidirectional operation button key top 19 in the vicinity of the end on the multidirectional operation button key top 19 side. The multi-directional operation button key top 19 is not touched. Further, the finger placement member 31 also serves as an anti-slip for ensuring gripping of the digital camera 1, and has an effect of ensuring gripping and preventing camera shake and the like. By configuring the finger placement member 31 with a soft mold member such as rubber or elastomer, it can be expected to further improve the anti-slip effect when the digital camera 1 is gripped.

As already mentioned, the protrusions of the finger placement member 31 and the maximum protrusions of the rear grip part 12 are formed so as to protrude from the multi-directional operation button key top 19 to the camera rear side. This is because when the digital camera 1 is placed on a desk or the like with the back side facing downward, a general operating force is applied when a force is applied from the front side of the body housing 11 or when the digital camera 1 is dropped. When an excessive force exceeding is applied, a strong force or a strong impact is applied to the multidirectional operation button key top 19 to prevent the multidirectional operation switch 27 from being destroyed.
Note that the finger placement portion is formed by fitting a separate finger placement member 31 to the rear cover 11a of the body housing 11 and bonding it to the rear cover 11a of the body housing 11 in the same manner as the rear grip portion 12. It may be formed integrally as a part of.
On the printed circuit board 26, for example, a dome switch sheet 28 configured as a sheet switch of a membrane switch using a metal dome is attached, and a plurality of buttons including the playback button 20 are integrated thereon. A button structure 29 formed by molding is disposed. By pressing each button of the button structure 29, each dome portion of the dome switch sheet 28 is pressed via each button to perform a switch operation. That is, the dome switch sheet 28 is a sheet switch of a membrane switch formed by integrally forming a plurality of switches including a regeneration switch in a sheet shape, and a metal dome is installed for each switch, and each dome is When pressed, the corresponding switch operates.

The button structure 29 is formed by integrally molding a plurality of buttons including the reproduction button 20 so as to be individually pressable in correspondence with each dome of the dome switch sheet 28. By forming the button structure 29 by molding, each button can be operated by utilizing the bending of the molding material. This button structure 29 integrates a plurality of buttons including the playback button 20, thereby reducing the number of parts and reducing the cost.
In the above description, the finger placement member 31 and the back grip portion 12 are provided across the multi-direction operation button key top 19 for operating the multi-direction operation switch 27, and the camera of the finger placement member 31 and the back grip portion 12 is provided. The projecting dimension in the back direction is made larger than that of the multidirectional operation button key top 19, but portions that protrude around the multidirectional operation button are provided near the multidirectional operation button. Other configurations may be used as long as the button protrudes from the multidirectional operation button. In this way, when the imaging apparatus such as the digital camera is gripped, it is possible to reduce a risk that the multidirectional operation button is erroneously operated by the gripped finger.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Digital camera 11 Body housing 11a Back cover 12 Back grip part 13 Zoom lever 14 Release button 15 Power button 16 Mode switch dial 17 LCD (liquid crystal display element) display part 18 Multidirectional operation button base 19 Multidirectional operation button Key top 19a Engagement unit 20 Playback button 21 Imaging lens unit 22 Decoration ring 23 Strobe light emitting unit 24 Auxiliary light LED (light emitting diode)
25 Battery cover 26 Printed circuit board (PCB)
27 Multi-directional operation switch 27a Column-shaped operation section 28 Dome switch sheet 29 Button structure 30 Rubber seal member 31 Finger placement member 32 Double-sided tape

Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-182779

Claims (5)

An imaging device that images a subject via an imaging optical system and acquires an image of the subject,
The back surface of the body casing of the imaging apparatus, in order from the side outside of the body casing inward,
Back grip,
Button key top for tilting or pressing in multiple directions;
A finger rest,
A display unit having a display screen for displaying the captured image;
Are arranged side by side next to each other ,
The back grip portion is formed to protrude in the back direction of the imaging device from the button key top,
An operation member for operating the imaging device is not disposed on the surface of the finger placement unit , and the opposite side of the button key top in the finger placement unit protrudes from the button key top toward the back side of the imaging device. not, the height inclined to become lower in the rear of the button key top side the imaging device toward the button key top side from the opposite side of the said finger rest portion, the top the button key in the finger rest portion An image pickup apparatus characterized in that a portion adjacent to the side protrudes from the button key top in the back direction of the image pickup apparatus.   A recess is formed in a portion corresponding to the finger rest portion of the body housing, and a finger rest member formed separately from the body housing is fixed to the recess to form the finger rest portion. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the finger placement unit and the rear grip unit are integrally formed with the body casing itself. An imaging device that images a subject via an imaging optical system and acquires an image of the subject,
The back surface of the body casing of the imaging apparatus, in order from the side outside of the body casing inward,
Button key top for tilting or pressing in multiple directions;
A finger rest,
Are arranged side by side next to each other ,
An operation member for operating the imaging device is not disposed on the surface of the finger placement unit , and the opposite side of the button key top in the finger placement unit protrudes from the button key top toward the back side of the imaging device. not, the height inclined to become lower in the rear of the button key top side the imaging device toward the button key top side from the opposite side of the said finger rest portion, the top the button key in the finger rest portion An image pickup apparatus characterized in that a portion adjacent to the side protrudes from the button key top in the back direction of the image pickup apparatus.   The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a rear grip part on a side opposite to the finger placement part across the button key top.

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