Video camera having a plurality of housings for a variety of operations

• US 5,742,341 A
• Filed: 05/12/1995
• Issued: 04/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohno, Tetsuya, Suzuki, Kazuyoshi, Yamamoto, Shusaku, Tomikawa, Shouzou, Moriyasu, Yoshitada, Ohishi, Masayuki, Morishita, Seiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, NGOC YEN T
• Application Number:
  US08/440,234
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: D16/200, D16/202, D16/205, D16/208, D16/211, D16/212, D16/218, D16/219, D16/220, 348/333, 348/334, 348/373, 348/374, 348/375, 348/376, 354/75, 354/76, 354/80, 354/81
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/006 with video camera or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

A video camera includes a first housing accommodating a recording and reproducing device for recording and reproducing video signals and having a recess defined therein on an upper surface thereof, and a second housing having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and housed in the recess of the first housing at its rest position at which the first surface of the second housing is opposed to the upper surface of the first housing. The second housing has a recess defined therein on the second surface thereof. The video camera also includes a monitor screen mounted on the first surface of the second housing and a support member having a first end to which the second housing is hingedly connected and a second end hingedly connected to the first housing. The support member is housed in the recess of the second housing when the second housing is in the rest position.

Claims

1. A video camera comprising:

a first housing adapted to accommodate a recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing video signals, said first housing having a recess defined therein on an upper surface thereof;

a second housing having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other and housed in the recess of said first housing at its rest position at which the first surface of said second housing is opposed to the upper surface of said first housing, said second housing having a recess defined therein on the second surface thereof;

a monitor screen mounted on the first surface of said second housing; and

a support member having a first end to which said second housing is connected via a first hinge and a second end connected to said first housing via a second hinge, said support member being housed in the recess of said second housing when said second housing is in the rest position,

wherein connection of said second housing with said first housing via said support member and said first and second hinges allows said monitor screen to rotate more than 180°

, enabling a user to video himself while viewing said monitor screen.

2. The video camera according to claim 1, wherein a depth of the recess of said second housing is made approximately equal to a thickness of said support member.

3. The video camera according to claim 1, wherein said second housing can be fixed relative to said first housing in a spaced relationship.

4. The video camera according to claim 2, wherein said second housing can be fixed relative to said first housing in a spaced relationship.

5. A video camera comprising:

a first housing adapted to accommodate a recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing video signals;

a monitor screen rotatably mounted on said first housing for movement between a rest position, in which said monitor screen confronts said first housing, and a use position;

a second housing rotatably mounted on one side of said first housing;

a camera portion required for videoing and accommodated in said second housing; and

a finder having a viewing portion and being rotatably mounted on said second housing so as to be rotatable between a rest position, at which said finder is housed in said second housing, and an upright position,

wherein, when said monitor screen is at said rest position thereof and said finder is at said upright position thereof, said viewing portion of said finder is positioned higher than said monitor screen such that, while viewing an object through said viewing portion of said finder with one eye, a user can confirm, by viewing over said monitor screen, with the other eye, the object being viewed through said viewing portion of said finder.

6. The video camera according to claim 5, wherein each of said monitor screen and said finder is automatically turned on or off according to a position thereof.

7. The video camera according to claim 5 wherein each of said monitor screen and said finder is rotated, when the video camera is held horizontally, on a vertical plane lying between the user and the object to be videotaped.

8. A video camera comprising:

a first housing adapted to accommodate a recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing video signals, said first housing having a front surface and a rear surface opposite to each other;

a second housing, having a front surface and a rear surface, rotatably mounted on one side of said first housing for rotary movement between various positions including a rest position in which said front surface of said second housing faces in a same direction as said front surface of said first housing and in which said rear surface of said second housing faces in a same direction as said rear surface of said first housing;

a camera portion required for videoing and accommodated in said second housing;

a lens mounted on said front surface of said second housing;

a loudspeaker mounted on the rear surface of said first housing for outputting sound reproduced by said recording and reproducing means, so as to enable a user to readily hear the sound reproduced by said recording and reproducing means; and

a microphone mounted on the front surface of said first housing for collecting environmental sound.

9. A video camera comprising:

a first housing;

a monitor screen unit mounted directly on said first housing;

a loudspeaker accommodated in said first housing;

a second housing removably mounted on a lower surface of said first housing and adapted to accommodate a tuner for receiving TV signals,

wherein upon receipt of the TV signals, TV broadcast is outputted to said monitor screen and said loudspeaker; and

a first operating portion mounted on said first housing and a second operating portion mounted on said second housing, wherein said second housing has a partially protruding portion protruding from said first housing, said second operating portion being positioned on said partially protruding portion at a location close to said first operating portion.