Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A device for controlling a rotation of a lens in a digital camera
includes a lens connected to and exposed out of the housing of a
digital camera and a motor disposed within the housing of the digital
camera. The lens is provided with a shaft which extends through
the housing to have an end extending into the interior of the housing
which is disposed with a follower gear. The motor has a drive spindle
which is disposed with a driving gear. A set of reduction gears
are disposed between and engageable with the follower gear on the
shaft of the lens and the driving gear on the drive spindle of the
motor. By means of the rotation of the motor, the lens is rotatable
horizontally, while the digital camera remains stationary, to a
desired direction in order to take a picture. Digital Camera Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A device for controlling a rotation of a lens in a digital camera,
comprising: a lens connected to and exposed out of a housing of
said digital camera, said lens being formed with a shaft extending
through said housing, said shaft having a lower end extending into
interior of said housing, said lower end being disposed with a follower
gear.
Digital Camera Patent Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a digital camera and in particular
to a device for controlling a rotation of a lens in a digital camera
for providing a broad angle of photographing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, digital cameras include a lens and a housing and
the lens is fixed on the housing and is not rotatable. Therefore,
when a digital camera is used to take a picture, the digital camera
can only photograph a scenery which is right in the front of the
digital camera. However, if the digital camera is used to photograph
a scenery in other directions, the digital camera must be rotated
so that the desired photographing scenery is right in the front
of the digital camera.
Thus, it is desirable to have a device for controlling a rotation
of a lens in a digital camera to solve the above problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device
for controlling a rotation of a lens in a digital camera, by which
the lens can be rotated horizontally, while the digital camera is
not rotated, to a desired direction so as to take a picture.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a device
for controlling a rotation of a lens in a digital camera, comprising
a lens connected to and exposed out of the housing of a digital
camera and a motor disposed within the housing. The lens is provided
with a shaft which extends through the housing to have an end of
the shaft extending into the interior of the housing which is disposed
with a follower gear. The motor is formed with a drive spindle and
the drive spindle is disposed with a driving gear. A set of reduction
gears are disposed between the follower gear on the shaft of the
lens and the driving gear on the drive spindle of the motor. By
means of the rotation of the motor, the lens can be rotated horizontally,
while the digital camera is not rotated, to a desired direction
in order to take a picture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be better understood from the following
description of preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to
the attached drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a device for electrically
controlling a rotation of a lens in a digital camera in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a device for manually
controlling a rotation of a lens in a digital camera in accordance
with another embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing a directional plate in accordance
with the embodiment of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the engagement between
the directional plate of FIG. 3 and a ball on a fixing plate in
accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, wherein
a device for electrically controlling a rotation of a lens in a
digital camera in accordance with the present invention is shown,
the device comprises a lens 3 connected to and exposed out of the
housing 51 of a digital camera 5 and formed with a shaft 34 extending
through a hole of the housing 51 into the interior of the housing
51. The end of the shaft 34 extending into the interior of the housing
51 is disposed with a follower gear 31. A motor 1 which is formed
with a drive spindle 12 is disposed within the housing 51 and activated
by a power source (not shown) of the digital camera 5. The drive
spindle 12 is disposed with a driving gear 11. A set of reduction
gears 2 are disposed between and engageable with the follower gear
31 and the driving gear 11. When the motor 1 is activated, the driving
gear 11 on the drive spindle 12 of the motor 1 drives the reduction
gears 2 which in turn drive the follower gear 31 on the shaft 34
of the lens 3 so that the lens 3 can be rotated horizontally to
a desired direction.
With reference to FIG. 2 which shows a device for manually controlling
a rotation of a lens in a digital camera in accordance with another
embodiment of the present invention, the device comprises a lens
3 connected to and exposed out of the housing 51 of a digital camera
5 and formed with a shaft 34 extending through a hole of the housing
51 into the interior of the housing 51. The end of the shaft 34
extending into the interior of the housing 51 is disposed with a
follower gear 31. A directional plate 32 which is provided with
a bottom side is disposed on the shaft 34 above the follower gear
31. The bottom side of the directional plate 32 is formed with a
plurality of notches 321 equally-spaced from each other (as shown
in FIG. 3). A revolving member 4 which has a central axle 42 is
disposed within the housing 51 with a driving gear 41 fixed on the
central axle 42. A set of reduction gears 2 are disposed between
and engageable with the follower gear 31 and the driving gear 41.
The revolving member 4 is partially exposed out of the housing 51
for conveniently rotating. A fixing plate 33 is fixed within the
housing 51 and formed with a concave in which a spring member 331
is disposed. A ball 332 is disposed on the other end of the spring
member 331 and engagable with one of the notches 321 of the directional
plate 32 (as shown in FIG. 4). When the revolving member 4 is rotated,
the driving gear 41 on the central axle 42 of the revolving member
4 drives the reduction gears 2 which in turn drive the follower
gear 31 on the shaft 34 of the lens 3 so that the lens 3 can be
rotated horizontally to a desired direction. Further, when the lens
3 is rotated by the reduction gears 2 which drive the follower gear
31 on the shaft 34 of the lens 3, the directional plate 32 is rotated
simultaneously and then one of the notches 321 of the directional
plate 32 is engaged with the ball 332 so that the lens 3 is rotated
horizontally to a certain angle and located at a precise angular
position.
The present invention has been particularly shown and described
with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be
understood to those skilled in the art the various changes in form
and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention. |