Digital Camera Patent Abstract
The present invention relates to a digital camera with an adjusting
device coupled with the lens and holes of the digital camera. The
digital camera comprises a housing with a front opening installed
at its front end for receiving incident light, a sensor installed
at a rear end of the housing for recording the incident light, an
iris strip moveably installed in the housing having a plurality
of irises of different sizes for adjusting the amount of the incident
light emitted to the sensor, a lens moveably installed in the housing
for concentrating the incident light onto the sensor, and an adjusting
device rotatably installed in the housing for adjusting positions
of the lens and the iris strip. The adjusting device is rotated
to move the lens to a plurality of lens positions to change the
distance between the lens and the sensor. At each lens position,
the adjusting device can also be rotated to move each of the irises
on the iris strip to a position between the front opening of the
housing and the sensor so as to adjust the amount of the incident
light emitted to the sensor. Digital Camera Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An image detecting device comprising: a housing with a front
opening installed at its front end for receiving incident light;
a sensor installed at a rear end of the housing for recording the
incident light; an iris strip moveably installed in the housing
having a plurality of irises of different sizes for adjusting the
amount of the incident light emitted to the sensor; a lens moveably
installed in the housing for concentrating the incident light onto
the sensor; and an adjusting device rotatably installed in the housing
for adjusting the positions of the lens and the iris strip, the
adjusting device comprising: a circular lens pedestal fixed in the
housing having a hole in it for the incident light to pass through,
the lens pedestal comprising a plurality of contacting surfaces
of various heights around its periphery; a main gear rotatably mounted
on the lens pedestal, the main gear comprising a plurality of contacting
feet for contacting the contacting surfaces of the lens pedestal
of the same height; and an elastic device for elastically pushing
the lens toward the main gear and the lens pedestal; wherein the
adjusting device can be rotated to move the lens to a plurality
of lens positions to change the distance between the lens and the
sensor, and at each lens position, the adjusting device can also
be rotated to move each of the irises on the iris strip to a position
between the front opening of the housing and the sensor so as to
adjust the amount of the incident light emitted to the sensor, and
wherein when the main gear is rotated, the contacting feet of the
main gear will be moved from the contacting surfaces of one height
to the contacting surfaces of another height over the lens pedestal
so as to move the lens from one lens position to another lens position.
2. The image detecting device of claim 1 further comprising an
actuating device for rotating the adjusting device so as to change
the positions of the lens and the iris strip.
3. The image detecting device of claim 1 being a digital camera
wherein the sensor is a charge coupled device for converting the
incident light into digital image signals.
4. The image detecting device of claim 1 wherein the adjusting
device comprises an engaging unit for moving the iris strip, and
the main gear comprises a handle on its periphery for interacting
with the engaging unit so as to move the iris strip to various positions.
5. An image detecting device comprising: a housing with a front
opening installed at a front end for receiving incident light: a
sensor installed at a rear end of the housing for recording the
incident light; an iris strip moveably installed in the housing
having a plurality of irises of different sizes for adjusting the
amount of the incident light emitted to the sensor; a lens moveably
installed in the housing for concentrating the incident light onto
the sensor; and an adjusting device rotatably installed in the housing
for adjusting the positions of the lens and the iris strip; wherein
the adjusting device is capable of being rotated to move the lens
to a plurality of lens positions to change a distance between the
lens and the sensor; when the lens is moved to one of the lens positions,
the irises on the iris strip are moved by the adjusting device to
a position between the front opening of the housing and the sensor
according to the lens position so as to adjust the amount of the
incident light emitted to the sensor; and wherein the adjusting
device comprises a circular lens pedestal fixed in the housing,
the circular lens pedestal having a hole for the incident light
to pass through, a main gear rotatably mounted on the lens pedestal,
and an elastic device for elastically pushing the lens toward the
main gear and the lens pedestal; wherein when the main gear is rotated,
the distance between the main gear and the lens pedestal is changed
correspondingly so as to move the lens to various lens positions;
and wherein the lens pedestal comprises a plurality of contacting
surfaces of various heights around a periphery of the lens pedestal,
and the main gear comprises a plurality of contacting feet for contacting
the contacting surfaces of the lens pedestal of the same height;
wherein when the main gear is rotated, the contacting feet of the
main gear are moved from the contacting surfaces of one height to
the contacting surfaces of another height over the lens pedestal
so as to move the lens from one lens position to another lens position.
6. The image detecting device of claim 5 further comprising an
actuating device for rotating the adjusting device so as to change
the positions of the lens and the iris strip.
7. The image detecting device of claim 5 being a digital camera
wherein the sensor is charge coupled device for converting the incident
light into digital image signals.
8. The image detecting device of claim 5 wherein the adjusting
device comprises an engaging unit for moving the iris strip, and
the main gear comprises a handle on a periphery of the main gear
for interacting with the engaging unit so as to move the iris strip
to various positions.
Digital Camera Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a digital camera, and more particularly,
to a digital camera with an adjusting device coupled with the lens
and irises of a digital camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a component diagram of a prior
art digital camera 10. The digital camera 10 comprises a housing
12 with a lens holder 14 and a protruding axle 16 installed on it
for mounting components for focusing the digital camera 10.
The digital camera 10 further comprises a lens 22 movably mounted
on the lens holder 14 along a front-and-rear direction, a spring
28 installed between the lens 22 and the lens holder 14 for fixing
the lens 22 so as to allow movement of the lens 22, a gear wheel
18 rotatably installed on the lens holder 14 and connected with
the lens 22 for driving the lens 22, a driving wheel 30 installed
on the protruding axle 16 for driving the lens 22 with the gear
wheel 18 and adjusting the focus, and a screw 32 for rotatably fixing
the driving wheel 30 to the protruding axle 16. The focusing of
the digital camera 10 is accomplished by using an actuating device
(not shown) to activate the driving wheel 30 and gear wheel 18 and
to move the lens 22 along the front-and-rear direction, or by manually
adjusting the driving wheel 30 for driving the gear wheel 18 and
the lens 22.
The digital camera 10 further comprises a magnetic switch (not
shown) and a driving device (not shown) for switching holes of the
digital camera 10. Because the lens 22 and the holes are separately
controlled, the digital camera 10 is costly to produce, oversized
and has many components and electronic parts with complex installation
procedures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to
provide a digital camera to solve the above mentioned problems.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a digital
camera comprising: a housing with a front opening installed at its
front end for receiving incident light; a sensor installed at a
rear end of the housing for recording the incident light; an iris
strip moveably installed in the housing having a plurality of irises
of different sizes for adjusting the amount of the incident light
emitted to the sensor; a lens moveably installed in the housing
for concentrating the incident light onto the sensor; an adjusting
device rotatably installed in the housing for adjusting the positions
of the lens and the iris strip; wherein the adjusting device can
be rotated to move the lens to a plurality of lens positions to
change the distance between the lens and the sensor, and at each
lens position, the adjusting device can also be rotated to move
each of the irises on the iris strip to a position on the front
opening of the housing and the sensor so as to adjust the amount
of the incident light emitted to the sensor.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the digital camera
only requires an actuating device for rotating the adjusting device,
changing the lens and iris strip position, focusing the image, and
adjusting the light emitted to the sensor. Thus, the digital camera
has a simpler structure, more compact size, and lower production
cost.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt
become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading
the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which
is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a component diagram of a prior art digital camera.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a digital camera according to the
present invention.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line 1--1 of the digital camera
shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the inside structure of the digital
camera shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a component diagram of the inside structure of the digital
camera shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the control surface on the lens
pedestal shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is. a relative height diagram illustrating relative heights
over the control surface shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the engaging unit shown in FIG.
5 before moving the iris strip.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the engaging unit shown in FIG.
5 after moving the iris strip.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Please refer to FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a
digital camera 40 according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is
a sectional view along line 1--1 of the digital camera 40. FIG.
4 is a detailed view of the inside structure of the digital camera
40. FIG. 5 is a component diagram of the inside structure of the
digital camera 40.
The digital camera 40 comprises a housing 41 with a front opening
43 installed at its front end for receiving incident light, a sensor
45, which is a charge coupled device, installed at a rear end of
the housing 41 for recording the incident light, an iris strip 42,
with two unequal sized irises 44, 46, movably installed in the housing
41 for concentrating the incident light onto the sensor 45, a lens
48 movably installed in the housing 41 along a front-and-rear direction
for concentrating the incident light onto the sensor 45, an adjusting
device 50 rotatably installed in the housing 41 for adjusting positions
of the lens 48 and iris strip 42, and an actuating device (not shown)
for rotating the adjusting device 50 so as to change the positions
of the lens 48 and iris strip 42.
The adjusting device 50 comprises a lens pedestal 52 fixed in the
housing 41 having a hole in it for the incident light to pass through,
a main gear 54 rotatably mounted on a control surface 60 of the
lens pedestal 52 between the lens pedestal 52 and the lens 48, and
an elastic device 56 for elastically pushing the lens 48 toward
the main gear 54 and the lens pedestal 52. When the main gear 54
is rotated, the distance between the main gear 54 and the lens pedestal
52 is changed correspondingly so as to move the lens 48 to various
lens positions.
Please refer to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of
the control surface 60 on the lens pedestal 52. FIG. 7 is a relative
height diagram illustrating relative heights over the control surface
60. The control surface 60 comprises nine areas of various heights,
including three low planes A, three swirling slopes B, and three
high planes C. Three feet (not shown) are installed on the rear
side of the main gear 54 simultaneously in contact with the three
low planes A, three swirling slopes B, or three high planes C of
the control surface 60. When the main gear 54 is rotated from the
low planes A to high planes C through swirling slopes B, or from
the high planes C to low planes A, the contacting feet of the main
gear 54 will be moved from the contacting surfaces of one height
to the contacting surfaces of another height over the lens pedestal
52 so as to move the lens from one lens position to another lens
position.
Please refer to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views
of an engaging unit 58 shown in FIG. 5 before and after moving the
iris strip 42. The adjusting device 50 further comprises an engaging
unit 58 for moving the iris strip 42 and hence alternating the holes
44, 46 on the iris strip 42 at the position between the opening
43 on the front side of the housing 41 and the sensor 45. A handle
59 is installed on the main gear 54 for functioning with the engaging
unit 58 to move the iris strip 42. When the main gear 54 is rotated
to the low planes A or high planes C for adjusting the focus, the
handle 59 on the main gear 54 will interact with the engaging unit
58 for moving the iris strip 42, alternating the holes 44 and 46
and thus adjusting the incident light emitted to the sensor 45.
The digital camera 40 of the present invention requires only an
actuating device for rotating the adjusting device 50, changing
the lens 48 and iris strip 42 positions, focusing, and adjusting
the light emitted to the sensor 45. Thus, the digital camera 40
has a greatly simplified structure, smaller size, and lower production
cost.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications
and alternations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings
of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed
as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
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