Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A telescopically extendible focusing hood which improves the viewing
of the LCD screen of a digital camera in bright surrounding light.
The focusing hood can be fixed to the rear wall of the camera, surrounding
the LCD screen. The focusing hood preferably has an anti-reflection-coated
enlarging lens or glass disk which covers the entire cross-section
of the focusing hood in parallel to the fixing plane. In its extended
state, the focusing hood can be used with a single lens in the manner
of a 35 mm camera finder. When the enlarging lens is pushed in,
the focusing hood can be used with two lenses for assessing the
image. Digital Camera Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Screen shade for use on a digital camera with an LCD screen
in a wall of a camera casing, comprising at least two telescopic
sections of which a first section has means for attachment thereof
to the camera casing surrounding the LCD screen and a second section
which is telescopically movable relative to the first section for
movement, when attached to the camera, toward and away from the
camera casing; wherein a magnifying lens is fitted in the second
section of the screen shade and is movable between a first, extended
viewfinder position, a second picture viewing position in which
the lens is positioned closer to a camera attachment end of the
first section and an third inactive transport position, and wherein
a reflection protection means for protecting against reflection
when said magnifying lens is in the picture viewing position is
provided, said reflection protection means remaining extending when
said magnifying lens is moved inward from said extended viewfinder
position.
2. Screen shade as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a fixing
means for fixing the second section of the screen shade at an extended
length relative to the first section.
3. Screen shade as claimed in claim 1, said means for attachment
comprises connectors for removably attaching the sunshade to the
camera casing.
4. Screen shade as claimed in claim 3, wherein said connectors
comprise one of bars and holes which arc mountable on two sides
of the LCD screen and which detachably engageable with complementary
holders on the first section of the screen shade.
5. Screen shade as claimed in claim 4, wherein at least one of
the bars is resiliently deflectable at least in part.
6. Screen shade as in claimed in claim 5, wherein the resiliently
deflectable bar has an ergonomically designed grip for disengagement
thereof from the respective complementary holder.
7. Screen shade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnifying lens
has a focal power in a range from 0.5 dpt to 7.5 dpt.
8. Screen shade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnifying lens
has a focal power of 6.5 dpt.
9. Screen shade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnifying lens
has a focal distance of about 150 mm.
10. Screen shade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnifying
lens is positionable about 60 mm from a camera casing mounting surface
of the attachment means for image viewing and a distance of about
95 mm therefrom for viewfinder use.
11. Screen shade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnifying
lens is positioned in an inner tube of the second section of the
telescopic screen shade, about 5 to 20 mm below an upper edge of
the second section of screen shade.
12. Screen shade as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second section
has an uncovered open upper end above the magnifying lens.
13. Screen shade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first section
comprises an outer tube of the telescopic screen shade and the second
section comprises an inner tube, wherein said reflection protection
means is a reflection protection tube mounted on the outer tube,
and wherein an upper end of reflection protection tube comprises
a resilient stop face having an outer side engageable by an eye
area of a user and an opposite inner side which is engageable by
the inner tube for movement of the reflection protection tube on
the inner tube to a position of maximum extension.
14. Screen shade as claimed in claim 13, further comprising nipples
on the reflection protection tube which fit into complementary indentations
on an outer side of the telescopic screen shade such that the telescopic
reflection protection tube is holdable in an extended position when
the inner tube is withdrawn from said position of maximum extension.
15. Screen shade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnifying
lens is moveable on a lens holder in the second section of the screen
shade, said second section forming said reflection protection means.
16. Screen shade according to claim 1, wherein a parallel guide
slot is provided in the second section of the screen shade for guiding
the second section relative to the first section.
17. Screen shade as claimed in claim 16, wherein the magnifying
lens is moveable on a lens holder in the second section of the screen
shade, and wherein the guide slot has means to activate and guide
movement of the lens holder in the second section of the screen
shade.
18. Digital camera, comprising a camera casing, an LCD screen in
a wall of the camera casing, a sunshade having at least two telescopic
sections of which a first section has means for attachment thereof
to the camera casing surrounding the LCD screen and a second section
which is telescopically movable relative to the first section for
movement toward and away from the wall of camera casing; wherein
a magnifying lens is fitted in the second section of the screen
shade and is movable between a first, extended viewfinder position,
a second picture viewing position in which the lens is positioned
closer to a camera attachment end of the first section and an third
inactive transport position, and wherein a reflection protection
means for protecting against reflection when said magnifying lens
is in the picture viewing position is provided, said reflection
protection means remaining extended when said magnifying lens is
moved inward from said extended viewfinder position.
19. Digital camera as claimed in claim 18, wherein said means for
attaching comprises at least two bar-shaped fixing elements fixed
to the camera casing by adhesive.
20. Digital camera as claimed in claim 19, wherein said adhesive
is formed by a removable double-sided adhesive tape.
Digital Camera Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a screen shade for use on a digital camera
with an LCD display (screen). The invention also relates to a digital
camera with a fitting for such a screen shade and for the fitting.
2. Description of Related Art
The LCD screen on a digital camera serves both in directing the
camera when taking a photograph, i.e., as a classic viewfinder,
and also for looking at and assessing the pictures already taken
and stored in the camera. This double function has led to the LCD
screens being made ever larger as the digital camera has developed,
and at the time of this application, they are rarely less than 20
cm.sup.2.
The LCD screen on a digital camera is typically located on the
rear of the camera's body or casing so that the screen is more or
less flat with the rear of the camera. It is easily accessible at
all times in this location. However, this position is also problematic
if the digital camera is to be used in the presence of a bright
light source, e.g., outside in bright sunlight, or in the presence
of spot lights in closed rooms. Even an extensive non-reflective
LCD screen reflects so much light under these circumstances that
the LCD image on a non-illuminated screen can barely be seen. At
least this can be corrected for pictures already taken and stored
in the camera by shading the screen by hand so that the image can
be seen, but when using the screen as a classic viewfinder, this
method of shading does not help since the camera can no longer be
held in two hands ready to take the photograph.
Digital cameras, therefore, are typically fitted with an ordinary
viewfinder as well as with the LCD screen. However, this not only
has the disadvantage of making the construction costs for the camera
more expensive, but also especially has the disadvantage of making
the camera almost unusable in close photography--for which digital
cameras are especially powerful--due to the parallaxes between the
lens and the viewfinder. This is also the case for the use of lenses
which extend or shorten the focal length which at least partly cover
the viewfinder.
The same problems arise for digital cameras which have a reflex
mechanism similar to that of a reflex camera, instead of a separate
optical viewfinder. The photographer can only assess the panorama
in front of the camera lens with this type of construction, even
if only through the lens rather than through the optical viewfinder.
However, due to the reflex mirror, the photographer is not in a
position to assess the image stored in the camera before ultimately
saving the image. Electronic viewfinders have the disadvantage that
they only produce a very rough image which is of little use for
arranging a picture. For professional photographers, therefore,
neither the additional optical viewfinder nor the reflex mirror
principle is a satisfactory solution for the problem of the LCD
image which is barely discernable in the presence of strong light.
A further problem of digital cameras only fitted with an LCD screen
is also one of their most important positive and attractive features,
namely the exceptionally light and small construction, even for
extremely powerful digital cameras. For professional pictures, however,
these small digital cameras, which are only fitted with an LCD screen,
can no longer be held stable by both hands supporting the camera
against the head of the photographer in the form of a stable triangle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Based on this state of technology, the technical problem underlying
the invention is to develop a digital camera, in particular a freeze
frame digital camera or single picture digital camera, such that
the LCD screen remains discernable in light and even in very bright
surroundings, and so that the digital camera can still be held against
the forehead of the photographer in the triangle support position,
as with normal small cameras, without losing the advantages of miniaturization
of the digital camera.
The invention solves this problem with a screen shade for using
a digital camera which has a removable fitting with adhesive for
attaching a screen shade as described herein below.
The substance of the invention is based on creating a telescopic
screen shade which is easy to fit and remove. The screen shade not
only guarantees easy fitting by simply pressing it onto the rear
of the camera, whether using Velcro strips or a notch connection,
a bayonet fitting or other equivalent fitting, but it also allows
the screen shade to be removed from the camera quickly and smoothly.
The small, moveable and light construction of a digital camera,
which are priorities when using the camera, even with powerful cameras,
remains when using a screen shade according to the invention since
this can be simply dismantled and stored in a case.
The telescopic feature of the screen shade, however, allows the
camera to be relatively compact with the screen shade transport-ready,
i.e., attached but not extended. Through its effective shading,
even when light is coming relatively steeply from above, the screen
shade allows the use of the screen shade telescoped outward as a
type of optical viewfinder, while a larger view of the LCD screen
with both eyes is possible by withdrawing the telescope or moving
the lens. Such a view also allows an immediate assessment of the
images on the LCD screen even in relatively bright surroundings
due to the reflex-free, and thus unrestricted, contrast-rich LCD
image.
According to the design of the invention, the telescopic extension
of the screen shade can be fixed, for example, by means of a friction
connection, by form or pressure connection using an adhesive or
by using lockable or nonlockable drive. Since, in practice, the
required extension between the shortest and longest extension is
rarely more than 100%, the screen shade should preferably be designed
with just two telescopic sections.
Regardless of whether the screen shade is made of two or more telescopic
sections, another important feature of the invention is a magnifying
lens, preferably fitted inside the telescopic sections of the screen
shade, in see-through direction, i.e., from the photographer towards
the LCD screen, beneath the external edge of the innermost telescopic
section so that this lens fills the entire internal cross section
of the innermost telescopic section. This magnifying lens also has
an advantageous design as an anti-reflective non-reflective plane-convex
condenser lens. As a result of this design of an anti-reflective
magnifying lens, preferably, located 5-20 mm below the outermost
edge of the telescopic screen shade, any external light can be prevented
from accidentally entering the screen shade so that a reflection-free
view of the LCD screen is guaranteed in practically all light conditions.
The focal power of this lens is to be measured such that an optical
magnification of the LCD screen is achieved when the magnifying
lens is fully withdrawn, which allows an immediate assessment of
focus, resolution and contrast without the resolution of the notch
of the LCD being affected as a result of the magnification. According
to this feature, for an optimum distance of the lens from the LCD
screen, preferably of 60-95 mm, where external light can no longer
penetrate, the lens's focal power should be in the region of 5.5
to 7.5 diopters (dpt), in particular, a focal power of +6.5 diopters.
For use as a viewfinder, the screen shade is focused and fixed
by extending the magnifying lens so that the photographer can see
the image on the LCD screen clearly with one eye while holding the
end of the screen shade against the head. While the focus can be
adjusted by moving the screen shade, and thus the magnifying lens,
in and out when using only one eye, for optimal use of the magnifying
function of the screen shade when using both eyes, the lens should
be pushed in and the focus of the screen can be adjusted by changing
the distance of the magnifying lens in the screen shade from the
eyes.
A substantial feature of the practicability of the screen shade
with the features of the invention is its fast and smooth attaching
and removing while also having an absolutely reliably firm fitting
on the camera against accidental removal. Preferably, this is guaranteed,
by a feature of the invention, by pressing the screen shade on the
rear of the camera using a notch connection produced by snaps which
fix the screen shade to the camera using a shaped rear section.
According to the design of the invention, this is realized through
two bars of notches with holes which are arranged in parallel to
two opposing sides of the LCD screen and which can be released or
firmly attached to the camera's casing. One of these two bars of
notches is designed as a rigid bar while the opposite bar is at
least partially resilient.
The screen shade has complementing rigid snaps which are placed
into the opposing openings in the bars when using the screen shade,
and which also enter the opposing openings on the other side by
briefly bending the resilient bar when pressing the screen shade.
In this position, the screen shade and the digital camera cannot
be separated and are rigidly and reliably connected by the connection.
In order to remove the screen shade, on the other hand, a simple
pressing of the resilient bar is required while pulling the screen
shade from the rigid connectors. The resilient release of the screen
shade connector can be made simpler by a corresponding element on
the resilient bar, for example, a tongue or a simple rounding of
the upper edge of the resilient bar. This rounding can also serve
as a guide for the connector.
Moving the magnifying lens from the viewfinder function to the
image viewing function can be by connecting it to the telescopic
section of the screen shade and moving everything in and out. In
this case, it is beneficial if an additional reflection protection
tube is fitted independently of the telescopic section holding the
lens.
However, a design is preferred where the magnifying lens is fitted
on a lens holder independently of the section of the screen shade
holding it, such that the magnifying lens can be moved with the
lens holder into the image viewing position while the section of
the screen shade farthest from the camera casing remains in the
function of a reflection protection tube. A separate reflection
protection tube is thus fully superfluous.
The invention is explained in more detail using an example in conjunction
with the diagrams.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rear of a digital camera with
LCD screen and the fixing elements for fitting the screen shade
of the invention,
FIG. 2 is a cross section through a first example of a telescopic
screen shade,
FIG. 3 is a cross section through a second example of a telescopic
screen shade, withdrawn for transport,
FIG. 4 is a cross section through the second example of a telescopic
screen shade in an extended position,
FIG. 5 is a cross section through the second example of a telescopic
screen shade with a withdrawn magnifying lens in the position for
viewing the image, and
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken at a right angle with respect
to the view of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a perspective representation of the rear of a camera
casing 1 of a digital camera with an LCD screen 2. Directly next
to the LCD screen 2 on the opposite shorter sides are engagement
bar 3 and 4 with holes 5, 6 and 7 which serve to hold the snaps
22, which are fitted correspondingly to the screen shade 11 as shown
in FIG. 2.
The screen shade 11 serves as an LCD screen viewer and is an valuable
accessory for working with the digital camera in bright light.
The engagement bar 3 is rigid and serves as the opposing fixed
bar. The opposite bar is a resilient engagement bar 4 which is formed
in two sections with one of the two sections 4' also being rigid
as a guide bar, and the other section 4" is resilient in the
form of a resilient tongue. The resilient section 4" has a
rounded edge 8 which serves both as a guide for the snaps 22 of
the shade 11 and as a handle for bending the resilient section 4"
to release the screen shade 11.
The fittings for connecting the screen shade 11, as shown in FIG.
2, can not only be designed in the form or two opposing engagement
bars 3, 4, but they can also be configured as closed frame in the
same way. When produced in the manner shown as two opposing bars,
optical sealing strips 9, 10, made from felt or another optically
separating material, can be inserted along the sides of the LCD
screen 2 without bars, with thinner sealing bars around the connection
bars if required, in order fully to prevent any light from reaching
the LCD screen 2.
In order to attach the screen shade 11, in its extended form as
shown in FIG. 2, with the camera casing 1 of the digital camera,
two connector bars 22 are placed into the holes 5 and 6 on the rigid
bar 3, for a slightly rounded screen shade 11. Hole 5 cannot be
seen because it is behind hole 5 in the view of FIG. 2. Screen shade
11 is then swung down towards the opposing engagement bar 4 (only
the resilient tongue 4" of which can be seen in FIG. 2) and
pressed home, with the left-hand snaps 22 being fitted into hole
7 on the resilient engagement bar 4 after it has been resiliently
bent back. The screen shade 11, which is now fixed to the camera
in this way, by gently pushing the rear of the camera, is secured
against turning or tilting in the plane of the LCD screen by the
guide element 4' and the rigid bar 3, while it is also secured against
twisting by the three snaps 22 in the three holes 5, 6 and 7 on
the engagement bar 3 and 4 on the camera by a formed rear section.
As can be seen in FIG. 2, the screen shade 11 has two telescopic
sections, namely an outer tube 12 and an inner tube 13, each with
a square cross section. The cross section of the outer tube 12 has
been selected such that, in size and shape, it exactly surrounds
the LCD screen 2 and completely encloses it. The inner tube 13 has
a similar shape. However, it is smaller than the outer tube 12 by
the thickness of the tube wall and an amount enabling it to be moved
with limited give.
The telescopic extension between the outer tube 12 and the inner
tube 13 can be held by a tightening screw 14. Instead of the principle
represented in FIG. 2 using the screw, the telescope can, of course,
also be designed to be held, moved and released by friction, by
a sprocket drive or other form. Important in conjunction with this
is merely an effective force for fixing the extension to prevent
the inner tube 13 being pushed into the outer tube 13, so that when
the rounded upper edge 15 of the screen shade 11 is held to the
head of the photographer to stabilize the camera when taking a picture,
the inner tube 13 is not pushed in.
A magnifying lens 16 is fitted crossways in the inner tube 13 of
the screen shade 11 below the outer edge or upper edge 15. The lens
is positioned axially around 12 mm below the upper edge 15 of the
screen shade 11. The magnifying lens 16 has a square outer contour
which covers the entire inner cross section of the inner tube 13.
An additional, careful anti-reflection covering on the magnifying
lens 16, as well as the position of the magnifying lens 16 axially
beneath the upper edge of the screen shade 11 guarantees that absolutely
no light reaches the LCD screen, even under unfavourable light conditions.
As a result, a reflection-free, focused and contour-rich viewing
of the image is guaranteed, both for the one-eyed viewfinder function
and in the withdrawn position of the inner tube 13 of the screen
shade where the photographer can look at and assess the image with
both eyes from a greater distance.
It must be expressly stated that, in order to explain the invention,
only sketched demonstration examples are reproduced in FIGS. 1 and
2. It is obvious that, for mass production, a developed screen shade,
for example, corresponding to FIGS. 3 to 5, does not leave the framework
of the invention with other construction elements, but with the
same or analogous functionality. Thus, for example, the design of
the single step telescopic screen shade 11 described here is seen
as a normal folding shaft or as a two-stage extendable screen shade
as a direct adjustment of the example of the invention.
In the same way, the basic concept of the invention can also be
realized by a screen shade where a cheaper, plain but anti-reflective
piece of glass is used instead of a magnifying lens in order to
save costs. This would, indeed, rule out the advantage of a magnified
professional image, but would be suitable as a substantially cheaper
option for amateur photographers which realize the benefits of the
invention, namely the possibility of a reflection-free LCD screen
on the digital camera and the use of a larger LCD screen as a viewfinder
on all types of small cameras.
A telescopic reflection protection tube is fitted to the outer
tube 12 in the first example in FIG. 2. On the end farthest from
the camera casing 1, the telescopic reflection protection tube has
a resilient stop face 18 which works in conjunction with an upper
edge 15 of the inner tube 13. The reflection protection tube 17
has a nipple 20 on the inside which works in conjunction with an
indentation 21 in the outer casing of the outer tube 12 which is
located close to the outer end of the outer tube 12.
While the inner tube 13 can be held in place against the outer
tube 12 using the screw 14 and can be moved, the reflection protection
tube 17 is taken away from the camera casing 1, when the inner tube
13 is moved away, as a result of the upper edge 15 touching the
stop face 18 until the nipple 20 is grasped by the indentation 21.
This position, which makes the lens 16 be about 95 mm from the LCD
screen 2, forms the viewfinder function in which the user sets the
image and the lighting and color values with one eye to the outer
surface opposite the stop face 18.
After taking the picture, the screw 14 is released and at the same
time the inner tube 13 is pushed into the outer tube 12 by pushing
the screw 14 along a slot in the outer tube 12, while the magnifying
lens 16 is moved into the image viewing position, with the lens
being about 60 mm from the LCD screen 2. The reflection protection
tube 17 remains in position as a result of the nipple 20 being connected
to the indentation 21, which forms a shade for the magnifying lens
16 and the LCD screen 2. Using the magnifying function of the magnifying
lens 16, the user can assess the image taken without light reflection
and the negative influence of additional light. The reflection protection
tube 17 is moved towards the camera casing by a slight amount of
pressure towards the camera casing 1, in order to completely withdraw
the screen shade into its transport position, which separates the
nipple 20 from the indentation 21 and the entire screen shade 11
moves into a compact transport position.
The second example represented in FIGS. 3 to 6 is different from
the first example just described because it does not have an external
reflection protection tube, but instead, the magnifying lens 116
is fixed to a lens holder 135 which is can be moved within the inner
tube 112. In this way, the extended inner tube 113 acts as a reflection
protection tube in this example as the magnifying lens 116 is moved
towards the camera casing 101. In the second example, all parts
which have the same or a similar function to those in the first
example are labeled the same, increased by 100, e.g., so that the
engagement bar 104 corresponds to the engagement bar 4 of FIG. 1.
An LCD screen 102 is located on the rear of the camera casing 101.
Along both long sides of the rectangular LCD screen 102, there is
a rigid engagement bar 103 and another engagement bar 104, with
the latter have a moveable resilient section in the form of a tongue
104A. The bar 103 has two holes 105 and 106. The resiliently movable
tongue 104A of the engagement bar 104 has a similar hole shown only
in FIG. 6. Holes 105 and 106 hold the connecting rods 132 and 133,
respectively, which are fixed to the camera casing end of the outer
tube 112 of the screen shade 111. Opposite the connection rods 132
and 133, there is a bar 134 on the outer tube 112. This goes into
the hole in the tongue 104A as shown on the right in FIG. 6.
The screen shade 111 is thus connected to the bars 103 and 104
such that, at first, the connecting rods 132 and 133 enter the holes
105 and 106 respectively in a tilting movement, after which the
tongue 104A is moved from bar 103 by being pressed, and then, the
connecting rod 134 enters the hole in tongue 104A due to the greater
distance between the connecting rods. After tongue 104A has returned
to its original position, the outer tube 112 is securely attached
to the camera housing 101.
In order to secure an optical seal between the camera housing and
the lower edge of the outer tube 112, additional sealing bars 143
can be fitted to the rear of tube 112 or on or between bars 103
and 104. These are similar to the sealing bars 9 and 10 in FIG.
1. In the outer tube 112, there is a movable inner tube 113 such
that it can be moved with some give on the inner wall of the outer
tube 112.
The wall of the outer tube 112 is penetrated by a screw 114. Screw
114 is connected to the inside with a square nut 124. The square
nut 124 is moved sideways by guides 125 and 126 attached to the
inside of the wall of the outer tube 112. It is limited in its movement
towards the camera casing 101 by guide bar 128 that is also attached
to the inside of the outer tube 112. At the other end, an upper
guide 127 is connected to the inside of the outer tube 112 so that
the square nut can only move at right angles to the movement of
the inner tube 113.
The guide screw 114 and the square nut 124 are also retained in
their left-hand side position by a spring 130 as shown in FIG. 4.
Spring 130 is held to a spring holder 129 on the inside of the outer
tube 112 and its other end is held by slot 131 which is also in
the inside of the outer tube 112.
A smooth section of the screw 114 runs parallel to the axial movement
of the inner tube 113 in slot 122 in the wall. This guide slot 122
has a lower indentation 121 on the end facing the camera casing
101, which runs at right angles to the guide slot 122 (see FIG.
3). Farther from the camera casing 101, the guide slot 122 has an
upper indentation 120, which also runs at right angles to the guide
slot 122 (see, FIG. 4).
The side of the spring 130 in FIGS. 3 and 4 press the screw 114
toward the upper indentation 120 or lower indentation 121 so that
the inner tube 113 cannot twist axially upon entry in the indentations.
The axial movement of inner tube 113 is facilitated by moving the
screw 114 to the right against the spring 130 in the main extension
direction of the guide slot 122. The tube stops automatically when
it reaches indentation 120 or 121 due to the pressure from the spring.
Cross movement of the outer tube 112 is facilitated by screw 123
running at right angles to the guide slot 122. This is located in
the indentations 120 or 121 upon stopping.
In the second example, the guide slot 122 has another function.
It also serves to guide the lens holder guide screw 137. The guide
screw 137 (FIG. 6) penetrates the wall of the inner tube 113 and
a thin, moveable lens holder 135 in the inner tube 113. The lens
holder 135 has a U-shaped profile, and it is preferably produced
by cold folding a MAKROLON.RTM. foil. The two folded side sections
136 act as guides in the square cross section of the inner tube
113. Close to its upper end, near the side sections 136, the lens
holder 135 has gaps which can hold a magnifying lens 116. Since
the material of the side sections 136 continues above the magnifying
lens 116, this is moved axially by the lens holder 135 and radially
by the inner wall of inner tube 113, as mounted.
The lens holder guide screw 137 is connected on the outside to
a milled nut 138 which acts as a handle. Close to its axial guide
in the guide slot 122, it is smooth like a shank screw. On the upper
surface of the inner tube 113, there is a slider 139 around the
lens holder guide screw 137. A spring 140 between the milled nut
138 and the slide 139 ensures that the lens holder 135 and the inner
tube 113 are pressed together and as a result of the pressure, it
is secured against accidental movement. This pressure from spring
140 can be released by gently pressing the top of the milled nut
138 so that the lens holder 135 and the magnifying lens 116 can
be moved along the guide slot 122 in the inner tube 113.
At the outer end of the inner tube 113, there is a rubber fitting
142 for the user to place his or her eye against when using the
screen shade 111 as a viewfinder as shown in FIG. 4.
The screen shade 111 thus has three different positions which correspond
to three different functions. For example, in FIG. 3, the inner
tube 113 is displaced into the outer tube 112 with the fixing screw
114 in the indentation 120. This position is the compact transport
position. In order to prepare the camera for photographing, the
fixing screw 114 is pressed to the right against the pressure from
spring 130, where screw 114 also acts as the handle for moving the
inner tube 113 from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position
shown in FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the inner tube 113 is fully extended,
with the fixing screw 114 in the lower indentation 121. The user
now places his or her eye to the rubber fitting 142 and uses the
screen shade together with the LCD screen 102 as a viewfinder for
the photograph by looking through the magnifying lens, which has
a focal distance of about 150 mm for magnification of about +6.5
dioptres. Because of the shading from the screen shade 111, the
LCD screen provides a contrast-rich image which facilitates the
camera's or optic's perfect setting in respect of the image, as
well as the settings for the light and color conditions.
After taking the picture, the user lightly presses the top of the
milled nut 138 and moves it, and thus, the lens holder 135 connected
to the lens holder guide screw 137 towards the wall of the camera's
casing 101 without moving the inner tube 113. This reduces the distance
between the magnifying lens 116 and the LCD screen 102 from about
95 mm in the position in FIG. 4 to about 60 mm as shown in FIG.
5. The position in FIG. 5 now serves for the viewing of the picture
taken and displayed on the LCD screen 102, with the magnifying lens
116 also enlarging this image. Since the wall of the inner tube
113 extends relatively far beyond the magnifying lens 116, no light
can reach the LCD screen from the outside which could affect the
contrast-rich image on the LCD screen 102.
If other photographs are to be taken, gentle pressure on the milled
nut 138 allows the lens holder guide screw 137 with the lens holder
135 to be moved back into position as shown in FIG. 4. This movement
between the positions shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is repeated until all
desired photographs have been taken, whereupon, the screen shade
is moved back into the compact transport position in FIG. 3.
Lens holder 135 is made from a dark, matt plastic, preferably from
MAKROLON.RTM., and covers the guide slot 122 on the extended inner
tube 113 and with the magnifying lens 116 raised.
Engagement bars 103 and 104 are fixed using a subsequent fixing
material, preferably double-sided tape which is covered with a specially
removable adhesive on the side facing the rear wall of the camera
casing 101. For mass production, engagement bars 103 and 104 can
be attached to the wall directly by the manufacturer. A removable
fixing for the screen shade 11 or 111 is useful in any case since
it is not required under normal conditions, i.e. in normal lighting
conditions or when photographing in enclosed spaces, and can then
be removed.
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