IMAGE-PICKUP APPARATUS

• US 20140184903A1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Tomoki, Ohashi, Hiroaki, Miyagawa, Miyabi, Kikkawa, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,264,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/374
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00519 Constructional details not otherwise provided for, e.g. housings, covers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/531 being rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus capable of performing zooming and release operation easily whether the photographer operates with right-handed or left-handed without being lack of design. The image pickup apparatus includes a lens unit, a first ring operation unit that is ring shaped and arranged around the lens unit, a base unit configured to hold the first ring operation unit so that the first ring operation unit is capable of sliding in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens unit, and a first detector configured to detect a slide of the first ring operation unit in the first direction or the second direction. The first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a lens unit;

a first ring operation unit that is ring shaped and arranged around the lens unit;

a base unit configured to hold the first ring operation unit so that the first ring operation unit is capable of sliding in a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens unit; and

a first detector configured to detect a slide of the first ring operation unit in the first direction or the second direction,

wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the first detector include a first switch which turns on when the first ring operation unit slides in the first direction and a second switch which turns on when the first ring operation unit slides in the second direction, and

wherein the first switch and the second switch are arranged so as to face each other.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein release operation is performed when either the first switch or the second switch turns on.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second ring operation unit that is ring shaped and arranged around the lens unit, the second ring operation unit being held by the base unit so as to rotate around the optical axis of the lens unit; and

the second detector configured to detect a rotation of the second ring operation unit around the optical axis.

5. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein zooming is performed when the second detector detects rotation operation of the second ring operation unit.

6. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first ring operation unit is arranged forward the second ring operation unit on the optical axis of the lens unit.

7. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an outside diameter of the first ring operation unit is smaller than an outside diameter of the second ring operation unit.

8. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a movement range of the first ring operation unit does not protrude from the outside diameter of the second ring operation unit in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

9. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first detector and the second detector are arranged so as not to overlap each other in an optical axis direction of the lens unit.

10. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a first urging member configured to return the first ring operation unit to a neutral position; and

a second urging member configured to return the second ring operation unit to a neutral position,

wherein the first urging member and the second urging member are arranged so as not to overlap each other in an optical axis direction of the lens unit.

11. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the first detector and the first urging member are arranged so as not to overlap each other in the optical axis direction of the lens unit, and

wherein the second detector and the second urging member are arranged so as not to overlap each other in the optical axis direction of the lens unit.

12. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lens unit is arranged so that a center of the optical axis of the lens unit is overlapped with a center of horizontal and vertical directions of a front of the image pickup apparatus

13. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup apparatus includes an apparatus body and a display unit rotating relative to the apparatus body.