Digital camera unified with printer

• US 6,980,235 B1
• Filed: 08/04/2000
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishi, Toru, Minato, Shoichi, Yamamoto, Koji, Fukuda, Akira, Murakami, Tohru
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe, Aung
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LUONG TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/631,622
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/207.2, 348/371, 348/372, 348/374, 348/375, 348/376, 347/2, 347/109, 347/186, 347/85, 347/87, 347/88, 358/906, 358/909.1
• US Class Current: 348/207.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras

Abstract

A digital-type camera having a printing mechanism which assures a high quality of prints in an environment with a low temperature. The digital-type camera has an arrangement in which an ink cartridge, for storing ink fed to a printer head of a printing part, is installed on a rear surface of a substrate on a front surface of which a CCD of a heat-generating component is installed. Heat generated from the CCD is conducted to the ink cartridge via the substrate, so that the ink stored inside the ink cartridge is prevented from dropping down in temperature, and so that the temperature of the ink is kept within a thermal region within which its printing operation is guaranteed.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

a member which generates heat at time of executing a photographing operation;

a printing part for printing an image on a basis of data upon the image which is taken at time of executing the photographing operation;

an ink cartridge for supplying an ink to the printing part; and

an ink supply passage which is connected to the ink cartridge and the printing part to supply the ink from the ink cartridge to the printing part,

wherein the ink cartridge adjoins the member and heat generated from the member is directly transmitted to the ink cartridge.

2. The digital camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the member is an image-taking element.

3. The digital camera as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the ink cartridge is removably mounted on a rear side of the image-taking element.

4. The digital camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the member is a monitor for displaying the image which is taken at time of executing the photographing operation.

5. The digital camera as claimed in claim 4, wherein the monitor comprises:

a liquid crystal display part; and

a lighting device for lighting the liquid crystal display part from behind.

6. The digital camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the member is a battery.

17. The digital camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the second member is a thermal conduction substrate having at least first surface and second a second surface, normal to the first surface, and the image-taking element is mounted on one of the first and second surfaces while the ink cartridge is mounted on the other of the first and second surfaces.

18. The digital camera as claimed in claim 17, which further comprises a third member which generates heat at time of executing the photographing operation, wherein the third member is mounted on the substrate.

19. The digital camera as claimed in claim 18, wherein the third member comprises a drive circuit for supplying electric power to a flash device.

7. A digital camera comprising:

a member which generates heat at time of executing a photographing operation;

a printing part for printing an image on a basis of data upon the image which is taken at time of executing the photographing operation; and

a supplier for supplying an ink to the printing part, wherein the supplier adjoins the member,

wherein the member is an electric circuit for driving a flash device.

8. A digital camera comprising:

a first member which generates heat at time of executing a photographing operation;

a printing part for printing an image on a basis of data upon the image which is taken at time of executing the photographing operation;

a supplier for supplying an ink to the printing part; and

a second member for conducting the heat from the first member to the supplier, said second member having a non-flat shape.

9. The digital camera as claimed in claim 8, wherein the supplier comprises:

an ink cartridge; and

an ink supply passage which is connected to the ink cartridge.

10. The digital camera as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first member is an image-taking element.

11. The digital camera as claimed in claim 10, wherein the supplier comprises:

an ink cartridge; and

an ink supply passage which is connected to the ink cartridge,

wherein the ink cartridge is provided on a side of a rear surface of the image-taking element via the second member.

12. The digital camera as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first member is a monitor.

13. The digital camera as claimed in claim 12, wherein the monitor comprises:

a liquid crystal display part; and

a lighting device for lighting the liquid crystal display part from behind.

14. The digital camera as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first member is a battery.

16. The digital camera as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second member is a thermal conduction member.

15. The digital camera comprising:

a first member which generates heat at time of executing a photographing operation;

a printing part for printing an image on a basis of data upon the image which is taken at time of executing the photographing operation;

a supplier for supplying an ink to the printing part; and

a second member for conducting the heat from the first member to the supplier, wherein the first member comprises an electric circuit for driving a flash device.

20. A digital camera comprising:

a member which generates heat at time of executing a photographing operation;

a printing part for printing an image on a basis of data upon the image which is taken at time of executing the photographing operation; and

an ink cartridge for supplying an ink to the printing part, wherein the ink cartridge is removably mounted on the member and heat generated from the member is transmitted to the ink cartridge.