Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A digital camera with spindle capable of positioning has a spindle
composed of a shaft carrier and a shaft sleeve, in which the shaft
carrier has two arcuate columns and the shaft sleeve is sleeve-jointed
to the shaft carrier. Those two arcuate columns confront against
the top rim of the shaft sleeve such that a plurality of projecting
dots of the arcuate columns would be snap-engaged in a plurality
of corresponding dimples formed in the top rim of the shaft sleeve
to thereby achieve angular positioning effect of a lens end in the
digital camera. Digital Camera Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A digital camera with spindle capable of positioning, in which
one end of a spindle is fixed to a lens end and the other attached
to a main body end of the digital camera such that the lens end
is permitted to rotate for view finding freely, and the spindle
comprises: a shaft sleeve, which is a hollow cylinder, having a
plurality of lateral ears with a fixing hole each for setting the
shaft sleeve to the digital camera by locking pieces; and a shaft
carrier having a rotation post and an ear rack, in which the rotation
post is substantially a cylinder to be inserted in the shaft sleeve;
a plurality of set holes is perforated in the ear rack for setting
the shaft carrier on the digital camera with locking pieces;
in which a pair of arcuate columns is formed in the top end of
the rotation post; a protruding rib is arranged on the top end of
each arcuate column; a projecting dot is resided on each projecting
rib; and a plurality of dimples corresponding to the dots is formed
in the top rim of the shaft sleeve such that the projecting dots
would be snap-engaged to the corresponding dimples to obtain a positioning
effect of the lens end when the rotation post is sheathed and turned
in the shaft sleeve.
2. The digital camera according to claim 1, in which the spindle
is a plastic shaft.
3. The digital camera according to claim 1 being applicable by
combining together with a PDA, which serves for a display device
of the digital camera.
Digital Camera Patent Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a digital camera, particularly
to a digital camera provided with a spindle capable of positioning.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A PDA (personal digital assistant) can be not only an electronic
device for data processing but also a display device in the meanwhile
for other electronic devices.
As indicated in FIG. 1, a PDA 10 serves as a display device for
view finding of a digital camera 11. In the digital camera 11, a
spindle 12 is arranged to facilitate view finding in different directions.
The digital camera 11 is composed of a lens end 13 and a main body
end 14, in which one end of the spindle 12 is fixed to the lens
end 13 and the other attached to the main body end 14 such that
the lens end 13 is permitted to rotate for view finding freely.
Referring to FIG. 2 this time, a conventional spindle 12 in the
digital camera 11 comprises a shaft carrier 15 and a shaft sleeve
16 sleeve-jointed to the shaft carrier 15 such that the spindle
12 can rotate stably by taking advantage of the frictional force
in-between. However, the spindle 12 cannot be positioned at where
desired, for example, in a direction oriented 45 degrees, and this
is the problem pending improvements according to this invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of this invention is to provide a digital camera
with spindle capable of positioning.
In order to realize the object mentioned, a spindle of a digital
camera of this invention comprises a shaft carrier and a shaft sleeve,
in which the shaft carrier has two arcuate columns and the shaft
sleeve is sleeve-jointed to the shaft carrier, wherein those two
arcuate columns confront against the top rim of the shaft sleeve
such that a plurality of projecting dots of the arcuate columns
would be snap-engaged in a plurality of corresponding dimples formed
in the top rim of the shaft sleeve to thereby achieve angular positioning
effect of a lens end in the digital camera.
For more detailed information regarding advantages or features
of this invention, at least an example of preferred embodiment will
be fully described below with reference to the annexed drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The related drawings in connection with the detailed description
of this invention to be made later are described briefly as follows,
in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing that a PDA serves as a display
device of a digital camera for view finding;
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a conventional spindle;
FIG. 3 is a spread view of a spindle of this invention; and
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an assembled spindle of this
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, a spindle 20 of a digital camera
of this invention is composed of a shaft sleeve 21 and a shaft carrier
22.
The shaft carrier 22 comprises a rotation post 26 and an ear rack
27, in which the rotation post 26 is substantially a cylinder to
be inserted in the shaft sleeve 21; a plurality of set holes 28
is perforated in the ear rack 27 for setting the shaft carrier 22
on the digital camera with locking pieces. The shaft sleeve 21 is
in reality a hollow cylinder to be sleeve-jointed with the rotation
post 26 and is provided with a pair of lateral ears 30, in which
a fixing hole 31 is formed respectively for anchoring the shaft
sleeve 21 on the digital camera with locking pieces. A pair of arcuate
columns 23 formed in the top end of the rotation post 26 is provided
with a protruding rib 29 on their top ends apiece and a projecting
dot 24 is resided on each projecting rib 29. When the rotation post
26 is sheathed in the shaft sleeve 21, the protruding ribs 29 confronted
against the top rim of the shaft sleeve 21 might be turned to have
the projecting dots 24 engaged with corresponding dimples 25 formed
on the top rim of the shaft sleeve 21 so that a positioning effect
is obtainable. Thus, the spindle 20 might be precisely turned to
sweep a predetermined angle, say 15 degrees, should every two contiguous
dimples have been spaced in that angle.
By making capital of the tolerance and frictional force between
the rotation post 26 and the shaft sleeve 21, the rotation post
26 can be turned stably. Meanwhile, as the shaft sleeve 21 confronts
against the arcuate columns 23, an outward reactive force from the
arcuate columns 23 is created such that the protruding ribs 29 would
apply pressure onto the top rim of the shaft sleeve 21 to have its
projecting dots 24 snap-engaged in the dimples 25 of the shaft sleeve
21. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the spindle 20
is a plastic shaft that can provide a larger deformable allowance
with a better positioning effect of a lens end in the digital camera.
In the above described, at least one preferred embodiment has been
described in detail with reference to the drawings annexed, and
it is apparent that numerous variations or modifications may be
made without departing from the true spirit and scope thereof, as
set forth in the claims below. |