Electronic image pickup apparatus

• US 20040174452A1
• Filed: 03/02/2004
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xacti Corporation (Office Support KK)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kinemura, Hiroyuki, Sasada, Motohiro, Miki, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 7,583,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A display cabinet having a monitor is attached to a main cabinet serving as a handle portion so as to be overlapped with the main cabinet. The main cabinet and the display cabinet are pivotal within a plane generally perpendicular to the optical axis of a lens with one end of the main cabinet being connected to one end of the display cabinet. A soft lock device is provided between the main cabinet and the display cabinet for holding the display cabinet at a pivot position with respect to the main cabinet. The display cabinet has a pivot center axis which is aligned with the optical axis of the lens, and an image pickup device is located behind the lens. An operation button is provided on the main cabinet within the reach of a finger of a hand holding the main cabinet.

Claims

1. An electronic image pickup apparatus comprising:

a main cabinet serving as a handle portion;

a display cabinet having a monitor and attached to the main cabinet as overlapping with the main cabinet;

a lens provided on one of the main cabinet and the display cabinet for picking up an image;

the main cabinet and the display cabinet being pivotal within a plane generally perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens with one end of the main cabinet being connected to one end of the display cabinet;

a lock device provided between the main cabinet and the display cabinet for holding the display cabinet at a pivot position with respect to the main cabinet.

2. An electronic image pickup apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the display cabinet includes a proximal portion having a pivot center axis, and a free end portion pivotal with respect to the proximal portion about a pivotal support shaft perpendicular to the pivot center axis,

wherein the monitor is provided on the free end portion.

3. An electronic image pickup apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the optical axis of the lens is aligned with the pivot center axis of the display cabinet,

wherein an image pickup device is located behind the lens.

4. An electronic image pickup apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein an operation switch is provided on the main cabinet within reach of a finger of a hand holding the main cabinet.

5. An electronic image pickup apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an operation switch is provided on a proximal portion of the display cabinet.

6. An electronic image pickup apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a recording start button is provided on a longitudinal end portion of the main cabinet.

7. An electronic image pickup apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein the image pickup device is supported so as to be pivotal unitarily with the display cabinet.

8. An electronic image pickup apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the image pickup device has a light receiving surface longitudinally aligned with the monitor.