Digital Camera Patent Abstract
The invention provides a digital camera having a viewfinder with
an adjustable length. The digital camera includes a first viewfinder
member, a second viewfinder member, a first resilient member, a
first engagement member, and a second engagement member. In this
invention, the first viewfinder member is mounted in the digital
camera. The second viewfinder member is mounted in the first viewfinder
member and is capable of sliding relative to the first viewfinder
member. The first resilient member is connected to the second viewfinder
member and capable of pushing the second viewfinder member from
a ready position to an ejected position. The first engagement member
is mounted on the second viewfinder member. The second engagement
member cooperates with the first engagement member so as to press
against the first engagement member to keep the second viewfinder
member at the ready position when the second engagement member is
at an engaged position, and to be pushed toward the ejected position
by the first resilient member when the second engagement member
moves toward a non-engaged position. Digital Camera Patent Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A digital camera having a viewfinder with an adjustable length,
comprising: a first viewfinder member mounted in the digital camera;
a second viewfinder member capable of sliding relative to the first
viewfinder member; a first resilient member connected to the second
viewfinder member and capable of pushing the second viewfinder member
from a ready position to an ejected position; a first engagement
member mounted on the second viewfinder member; and a second engagement
member cooperating with the first engagement member so as to press
against the first engagement member to keep the second viewfinder
member at the ready position when the second engagement member is
at an engaged position, and to be pushed toward the ejected position
by the first resilient member when the second engagement member
moves toward a non-engaged position.
2. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the second
engagement member includes an actuator, and the second engagement
member can move from the engaged position to the non-engaged position
after the actuator is actuated.
3. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising:
a second resilient member connected to the second engagement member
and capable of pushing the second engagement member from the non-engaged
position to the engaged position.
4. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein at least one
of the first engagement member and the second engagement member
includes a slanted surface enabling the second engagement member
to move toward the non-engaged position and the second viewfinder
member to move toward the ready position when the second viewfinder
member is pressed from the ejected position to the ready position.
5. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising:
a switching member for switching a state of the digital camera,
which is arranged so as to be triggered when the second engagement
member moves toward the non-engaged position.
6. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the second
viewfinder member is arranged inside the first viewfinder member.
7. A viewfinder assembly used in a digital camera, the viewfinder
assembly comprising: a first viewfinder member mounted in the digital
camera; a second viewfinder member capable of sliding relative to
the first viewfinder member; a first resilient member connected
to the second viewfinder member and capable of pushing the second
viewfinder member from a ready position to an ejected position;
a first engagement member mounted on the second viewfinder member;
and a second engagement member cooperating with the first engagement
member so as to press against the first engagement member to keep
the second viewfinder member at the ready position when the second
engagement member is at an engaged position, and to be pushed toward
the ejected position by the first resilient member when the second
engagement member moves toward a non-engaged position.
8. The viewfinder assembly according to claim 7, wherein the second
engagement member includes an actuator, and the second engagement
member can move from the engaged position to the non-engaged position
after the actuator is actuated.
9. The viewfinder assembly according to claim 7, further comprising:
a second resilient member connected to the second engagement member
and capable of pushing the second engagement member from the non-engaged
position to the engaged position.
10. The viewfinder assembly according to claim 7, wherein at least
one of the first engagement member and the second engagement member
includes a slanted surface enabling the second engagement member
to move toward the non-engaged position and the second viewfinder
member to move toward the ready position when the second viewfinder
member is pressed from the ejected position to the ready position.
11. The viewfinder assembly according to claim 7, further comprising:
a switching member for switching a state of the digital camera,
which is arranged so as to be triggered when the second engagement
member moves toward the non-engaged position.
12. The viewfinder assembly according to claim 7, wherein the second
viewfinder member is arranged inside the first viewfinder member.
Digital Camera Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a digital camera having a viewfinder with
an adjustable length.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the size of an electronic apparatus depends on the
number and the sizes of electronic elements of the electronic apparatus.
With the advance in semiconductor technology, the sizes of electronic
elements are reduced greatly. Therefore, the size of the electronic
element is no longer one of the important factors regarding the
size of an electronic apparatus. One of the important factors limiting
the size of the electronic apparatus resides in the hardware structure
of the electronic apparatus.
Taking a digital camera as an example, since the internal electronic
elements of the digital camera can be made very small, the volume
of the current digital camera is far smaller than that of the early
digital camera. However, one of the important factors limiting the
size of the digital camera resides in the length of the viewfinder.
The viewfinder is provided for users to view the image acquired
by the digital camera. According to the principle of optical imaging,
the length of the viewfinder must be within a predetermined range.
Consequently, the factor of the viewfinder length limiting the size
of the digital camera is greater than the factor of the sizes of
the electronic elements limiting the size of the digital camera.
As for the factor of the viewfinder length limiting the size of
the digital camera, a method of changing the appearance of the digital
camera has been disclosed to solve the problem. In other words,
the digital camera is designed so that the viewfinder length is
greater than the thickness of the camera body. Using such a design,
however, the appearance of the digital camera may be influenced.
Furthermore, it is inconvenient for users when carrying the digital
camera, and the projecting viewfinder may be easily damaged.
In addition, in order to solve the problem of the viewfinder length
limiting the size of the digital camera, it is possible to change
the viewfinder to a liquid crystal screen. Although the viewfinder
length can be decreased using the liquid crystal screen as a viewfinder,
the manufacturing cost of the digital camera having the liquid crystal
screen is increased because the liquid crystal screen is expensive.
To sum up, it is important to design a viewfinder capable of decreasing
the thickness of the digital camera as well as costing less than
the digital camera using a liquid crystal screen as a viewfinder.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-mentioned problem, it is therefore an objective
of the invention to provide a viewfinder capable of decreasing the
thickness of the digital camera.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a viewfinder costing
less than a viewfinder using a liquid crystal screen.
To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the invention provides
a digital camera having a viewfinder with an adjustable length.
The digital camera includes a first viewfinder member, a second
viewfinder member, a first resilient member, a first engagement
member, and a second engagement member. In this invention, the first
viewfinder member is mounted in the digital camera. The second viewfinder
member is mounted in the first viewfinder member and is capable
of sliding relative to the first viewfinder member. The first resilient
member is connected to the second viewfinder member and capable
of pushing the second viewfinder member from a ready position to
an ejected position. The first engagement member is mounted on the
second viewfinder member. The second engagement member cooperates
with the first engagement member so as to press against the first
engagement member to keep the second viewfinder member at the ready
position when the second engagement member is at an engaged position,
and to be pushed toward the ejected position by the first resilient
member when the second engagement member moves toward a non-engaged
position.
According to one aspect of the invention, the second engagement
member may include an actuator. The second engagement member can
move from the engaged position to the non-engaged position after
the actuator is actuated. In addition, at least one of the first
engagement member and the second engagement member includes a slanted
surface enabling the second engagement member to move toward the
non-engaged position and the second viewfinder member to move toward
the ready position when the second viewfinder member is pressed
from the ejected position to the ready position.
According to another aspect of the invention, the digital camera
may further include a second resilient member and a switching member.
In this invention, the second resilient member is connected to the
second engagement member, and capable of pushing the second engagement
member from the non-engaged position to the engaged position. A
switching member switches a state of the digital camera and is arranged
so it is triggered when the second engagement member moves toward
the non-engaged position.
Using such a design, since the viewfinder consists of the first
viewfinder member and the second viewfinder member, and the position
of the second viewfinder member relative to the first viewfinder
member may be changed, the length of the viewfinder can be shortened
when the digital camera is not in use. Accordingly, the digital
camera may be made thinner. When the digital camera is not in use,
the viewfinder may be received within a thinner digital camera,
so that the viewfinder does not project out from the thinner digital
camera.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a pictorial view showing the structure of a digital camera
in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a pictorial view showing the structure of a viewfinder
assembly of the digital camera in accordance with the preferred
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a pictorial view showing a second viewfinder member located
at a ready position in the digital camera in accordance with the
preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a pictorial view showing a second engagement member moving
toward a non-engaged position in the digital camera in accordance
with the preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a pictorial view showing the second viewfinder member
located at an ejected position in the digital camera in accordance
with the preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 is a pictorial view showing the second viewfinder member
pressed back to the ready position in the digital camera in accordance
with the preferred embodiment of the invention.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The digital camera having a viewfinder with an adjustable length
in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention will
be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein
the same reference numbers denote the same elements.
Referring to FIG. 1, the digital camera 100 in accordance with
a preferred embodiment of the invention includes a viewfinder assembly
101, a first camera body 102 and a second camera body 103. The viewfinder
assembly 101 is arranged between the first camera body 102 and the
second camera body 103.
Referring to FIG. 2, the viewfinder assembly 101 of this embodiment
includes a second viewfinder member 11, a first resilient member
12, a first engagement member 13, a second engagement member 14,
a second resilient member 15 and a switching member 16. The second
viewfinder member 11 is mounted within the first viewfinder member
17 and can slide within the first viewfinder member 17. The second
viewfinder member 11 also has a tab 111 contacting the first resilient
member 12. The first resilient member 12 may be a spring having
one end contacting the tab 111 of the second viewfinder member 11,
and the other end received in the sleeve 18. The first engagement
member 13 is attached to the second viewfinder member 11. The second
engagement member 14 contacts the second resilient member 15 and
is formed with an actuator 141. The second resilient member 15 also
may be a spring having one end contacting the second engagement
member 14, and the other end contacting a member (not shown in FIG.
2) mounted in the digital camera 100.
In this embodiment, the first viewfinder member 17 and the sleeve
18 are mounted in the digital camera 100, while the second viewfinder
member 11, the first resilient member 12, the first engagement member
13, the second engagement member 14 and the second resilient member
15 in the digital camera 100 are movable members.
FIG. 3 shows the state where the second viewfinder member 11 is
positioned at a ready position. In FIG. 3, the second engagement
member 14 is in an engaged position to press against the first engagement
member 13. At this time, the first resilient member 12 is compressed.
However, since the second engagement member 14 presses against the
first engagement member 13, the second viewfinder member 11 is still
kept at the ready position as shown in FIG. 3.
Referring to FIG. 4, when a user actuates the actuator 141 to cause
the second engagement member 14 to move toward a non-engaged position
along a direction B, the first resilient member 12 moves along a
direction A to push the second viewfinder member 11 because the
second engagement member 14 no longer presses against the first
engagement member 13. When the second engagement member 14 moves
along the direction B, the switching member 16 is triggered to enable
the digital camera 100 to be ready for acquiring images.
The second resilient member 15 is pressed when the second engagement
member 14 moves along the direction B. After the user looses the
actuator 141 (i.e., the user's finger actuating the actuator 141
moves away from the actuator 141), the second engagement member
14 will be pushed by the second resilient member 15 along a direction
B' until contacting the first engagement member 13, as shown in
FIG. 5. At this time, the second viewfinder member 11 is located
at an ejected position where the user may preview the to-be-acquired
image, through the second viewfinder member, after the shutter is
activated.
Referring to FIG. 6, at least one of the first engagement member
13 and the second engagement member 14 in this embodiment includes
a slanted surface. The slanted surface causes the second engagement
member 14 to move toward the non-engaged position when the second
viewfinder member 11 is pressed from the ejected position to the
ready position along a direction A'. Accordingly, the second viewfinder
member 11 can move to the ready position.
After the second viewfinder member 11 moves to the ready position,
the second resilient member 15 pushes the second engagement member
14 from the non-engaged position back to the engaged position so
as to press against the first engagement member 13 and fix the second
viewfinder member 11 at the ready position as shown in FIG. 3.
When the second viewfinder member 11 are pressed from the ejected
position to the ready position along the direction A', the second
engagement member 14 moves toward the non-engaged position. Therefore,
the switching member 16 is again triggered so that the state of
the digital camera is changed.
In this embodiment, the first viewfinder member 17 and the second
viewfinder member 11 form a viewfinder with an adjustable length.
When the digital camera is not in use, the second viewfinder member
11 may be placed at the ready position to shorten the length of
the viewfinder. When the digital camera is used, the user may actuate
the actuator 141 to cause the second viewfinder member 11 to eject
to the ejected position, thereby increasing the length of the viewfinder.
Using such a design, since the length of the viewfinder in the
digital camera can be shortened when the digital camera is not in
use, the digital camera may be made thinner. When the digital camera
is not in use, the viewfinder may be received within a thinner digital
camera, so that the viewfinder does not project out from the thinner
digital camera.
While the invention has been described by way of an example and
in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that
the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment. To the
contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications. Therefore,
the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest
interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications. |