Camera slowly opening structure

Abstract

This utility model relates to a slow-opening structure for a camera, comprising: a back shell, including a back plate and a support; a slow-opening drive assembly mounted on one side of the inner surface of the back shell; the slow-opening drive assembly including an outer sleeve, an inner sleeve, a coil spring, and a drive shaft; a camera assembly connected to the slow-opening drive assembly; the camera assembly including a camera housing, a camera element, and a rotating shaft; and a locking assembly connected to the side of the camera assembly away from the slow-opening drive assembly; the locking assembly including a support, a hook, a button, a follower shaft, and a brake roller. The above-mentioned slow-opening structure for a camera is simple in structure and easy to use. The drive shaft, rotating shaft, and follower shaft are coaxially connected. Through the gradual release of energy from the coil spring, the rotating shaft drives the camera assembly to slowly flip and open, ensuring a smooth and controllable flipping speed for the camera assembly, effectively avoiding mechanical impact, and preventing damage to components or breakage of the wiring.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of camera opening technology, and in particular to a camera slow-opening structure. Background Technology

[0002] To further increase the screen-to-body ratio of tablets and create a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing design, the flip-up camera design was developed. When not in use, the camera flips up and fits snugly against the back of the tablet for easy storage, effectively saving screen bezel space and allowing for narrower bezels and a larger display area. When the camera is needed, users simply flip it up and unfold it, greatly expanding the camera's usability and convenience.

[0003] However, most tablets on the market currently featuring flip-up cameras generally lack effective buffering mechanisms during camera opening. The rapid flipping action generates significant impact, directly affecting the camera module and its connection to the tablet body. Frequent and repeated rapid flipping can lead to loosening, wear, or even breakage of these connecting components, severely impacting the camera's normal operation and shortening the device's lifespan. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on this, the present invention provides a camera slow-opening structure.

[0005] To achieve the objectives of this utility model, the following technical solution is adopted: A camera slow-opening structure includes: The back cover includes a back plate and a support connected to the inner surface of the back plate; A slow drive assembly is installed on one side of the inner surface of the back shell; the slow drive assembly includes an outer sleeve fixedly installed on one side of the support, an inner sleeve rotatably connected to the outer sleeve, a coil spring connecting the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve, and a drive shaft coaxially fixedly connected to one end of the inner sleeve. A camera assembly connected to a slow-drive component; the camera assembly includes a camera housing, a camera element installed inside the camera housing, and a rotating shaft fixedly connected to the camera housing; the two opposite ends of the rotating shaft protrude beyond the opposite ends of the camera housing, and one end of the rotating shaft is matched and connected to a drive shaft; A locking component is connected to the side of the camera assembly away from the slow-drive component; the locking component includes a support mounted on one side of the carrier, a hook floatingly connected inside the support, a button fixedly connected to the top of the hook, a follower shaft rotatably mounted on one side of the support, and a brake roller coaxially connected to one end of the follower shaft; the brake roller and the hook engage to lock the follower shaft; the follower shaft is used to connect to the end of the rotating shaft away from the drive shaft, so that the drive shaft, the rotating shaft and the follower shaft are coaxially connected.

[0006] The aforementioned camera slow-opening structure is simple in structure and easy to use. The drive shaft, rotating shaft and follower shaft are coaxially connected. Through the gradual release of energy by the coil spring, the rotating shaft drives the camera assembly to slowly flip open. This ensures that the flipping speed of the camera assembly is smooth and controllable, effectively avoiding mechanical impact and preventing damage to components or breakage of the ribbon cable.

[0007] In one embodiment, a first groove is provided on the bottom inner wall of the outer sleeve, and a second groove is provided on the bottom inner wall of the inner sleeve; one end of the coil spring is correspondingly embedded in the first groove, and the other end of the coil spring is correspondingly embedded in the second groove.

[0008] In one embodiment, the center of the rotating shaft has a slot along its axial direction, and the camera element is connected to a flexible flat cable, which is used to pass through the slot.

[0009] In one embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the brake roller has two recesses spaced apart, which are used to accommodate the hook portion of the catch to achieve engagement.

[0010] In one embodiment, the included angle between the centers of the two recesses is α, and the included angle α is greater than 180 degrees.

[0011] In one embodiment, the included angle α between the centers is 250 degrees.

[0012] In one embodiment, the back plate has a through hole in the middle, which is opposite to the support base and is used for the camera component to pass through.

[0013] In one embodiment, the end of the back plate is provided with key holes; the key passes through the key holes and protrudes beyond the end of the back plate. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a camera slow-opening structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the camera's slow-opening structure; Figure 3 for Figure 2 An exploded view of the camera slowly opening structure shown from another perspective; Figure 4 for Figure 2 The diagram shows the assembly of the support and locking components in the camera slow-opening structure. Figure 5 for Figure 1 A comparative diagram of the slow-drive component and the camera component in the slow-opening structure of the camera shown; Figure 6 for Figure 5A schematic diagram showing a comparison between the slow-drive component and the camera component from another perspective in the slow-opening structure of the camera. Figure 7 for Figure 1 The cross-sectional view of the camera slowly opening structure shown; Figure 8 for Figure 7 An enlarged view of circle A shown; Figure 9 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the slow-drive component in the slow-opening structure of the camera shown. Figure 10 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the slow-drive component in the slow-opening structure of the camera shown.

[0015] Attached image annotations: 10-Back shell, 11-Back plate, 12-Bearing base, 13-Through hole, 14-Key hole; 20-Slow drive assembly, 21-Outer sleeve, 210-First slot, 22-Inner sleeve, 220-Second slot, 23-Coil spring, 24-Drive shaft; 30-Camera assembly, 31-Camera housing, 32-Camera element, 320-Flexible cable, 33-Hinge, 330-Slot; 40-Locking component, 41-Support, 42-Hook, 43-Button, 44-Follower shaft, 45-Brake roller, 450-Recess. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To facilitate understanding of this utility model, a more complete description will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of this utility model are shown in the drawings. However, this utility model can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this utility model.

[0017] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly attached to the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is said to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component.

[0018] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0019] Please see Figures 1 to 10 The camera slow-opening structure according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a back shell 10, a slow-drive assembly 20 installed on one side of the inner surface of the back shell 10, a camera assembly 30 connected to the slow-drive assembly 20, and a locking assembly 40 connected to the side of the camera assembly 30 away from the slow-drive assembly 20.

[0020] The back cover 10 includes a back plate 11 and a support seat 12 connected to the inner surface of the back plate 11. A through hole 13 is provided in the middle of the back plate 11, and the through hole 13 is disposed opposite to the support seat 12. A key hole 14 is provided at the end of the back plate 11.

[0021] The slow drive assembly 20 includes an outer sleeve 21 fixedly installed on one side of the support base 12, an inner sleeve 22 rotatably connected to the outer sleeve 21, a coil spring 23 connecting the outer sleeve 21 and the inner sleeve 22, and a drive shaft 24 coaxially fixedly connected to one end of the inner sleeve 22; the drive shaft 24 is used to connect the camera assembly 30.

[0022] like Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the inner wall of the outer sleeve 21 has a first groove 210 at the bottom, and the inner wall of the inner sleeve 22 has a second groove 220 at the bottom end. One end of the coil spring 23 is inserted into the first groove 210, and the other end of the coil spring 23 is inserted into the second groove 220.

[0023] The camera assembly 30 includes a camera housing 31, a camera element 32 installed inside the camera housing 31, and a rotating shaft 33 fixedly connected to the camera housing 31. The two opposite ends of the rotating shaft 33 protrude beyond the opposite ends of the camera housing 31. One end of the rotating shaft 33 is connected to a drive shaft 24, and the other end is used to connect to a locking component 40. A coil spring 23 drives the drive shaft 24 to rotate, thereby driving the entire camera assembly 30 to flip and pass through the through hole 13.

[0024] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the center of the rotating shaft 33 has a slot 330 along its axial direction. The camera element 32 is connected to a flexible flat cable 320. The flexible flat cable 320 is used to pass through the slot 330, so that the flexible flat cable 320 can move smoothly during the flipping process of the camera assembly 30, effectively avoiding the flat cable from getting tangled or even breaking.

[0025] In this embodiment, the two opposite ends of the rotating shaft 33 are respectively set as semi-cylinders.

[0026] The locking assembly 40 includes a support 41 mounted on one side of the support base 12, a hook 42 floatingly connected inside the support 41, a button 43 fixedly connected to the top of the hook 42, a follower shaft 44 rotatably mounted on one side of the support 41, and a brake roller coaxially connected to one end of the follower shaft 44; the brake roller 45 engages with the hook 42 to lock the follower shaft 44. The button 43 is used to pass through the key hole 14 and protrude beyond the end of the back plate 11.

[0027] like Figure 4 As shown, the end of the follower shaft 44 facing away from the brake roller 45 is set as a semi-cylinder. The follower shaft 44 is used to match and connect the end of the rotating shaft 33 away from the transmission shaft 24, so that the transmission shaft 24, the rotating shaft 33 and the follower shaft 44 are coaxially connected.

[0028] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the outer peripheral surface of the brake roller 45 is provided with two recesses 450 spaced apart. The recesses 450 are used to accommodate the hook of the catch 42 to achieve engagement and thus lock the brake roller 45 and the follower shaft 44. In practical applications, one recess 450 is used to lock the brake roller 45 when the camera is in the retracted state, and the other recess 450 is used to lock the brake roller 45 when the camera is in the open state.

[0029] Specifically, the included angle between the centers of the two concave depressions is α, and the included angle α is greater than 180 degrees.

[0030] In this embodiment, the included angle α of the center is 250 degrees. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the included angle α of the center can be other angles, depending on actual production needs, and is not limited to the angle specified in this embodiment.

[0031] When the camera is in its retracted state, the camera assembly 30 is completely attached to the back plate 11. At this time, the hook 42 engages with a recess 450, forcibly locking the brake roller 45 so that it cannot rotate, thereby keeping the entire camera assembly 30 fixed. At this time, the coil spring 23 is under torsional stress, accumulating elastic torque.

[0032] When the camera is in the open position, press button 43 to disengage hook 42 from recess 450, releasing the lock on brake roller 45. Spring 23 then returns to its natural state from a stressed state, releasing torque to drive inner sleeve 22 to rotate. This rotation, via drive shaft 24, drives rotating shaft 33 to rotate synchronously, causing camera assembly 30 to flip outwards and unfold. Finally, as follow-up shaft 44 and brake roller 45 rotate, hook 42 engages another recess 450, locking brake roller 45 again. At this point, camera assembly 30 is fully opened to its working position and held in place, and spring 23 returns to its natural state. During this opening process, the torque of spring 23 is released gradually rather than instantaneously, ensuring a smooth and controllable flipping speed for camera assembly 30, effectively avoiding mechanical impact and preventing component damage or cable breakage.

[0033] Understandably, when it is necessary to store the camera, the camera assembly 30 can be manually flipped. This action drives the brake roller 45 through the rotating shaft 33 to overcome the resistance of the hook 42, so that the brake roller 45 disengages from the hook of the hook 42 and rotates until the camera assembly 30 is completely attached to the back plate 11. At this time, the brake roller 45 is locked by the hook 42 again.

[0034] The aforementioned camera slow-opening structure is simple in structure and easy to use. The drive shaft 24, rotating shaft 33 and follower shaft 44 are coaxially connected. Through the gradual release of energy by the coil spring 23, the rotating shaft 33 drives the camera assembly 30 to slowly flip open. This ensures that the flipping speed of the camera assembly 30 is smooth and controllable, effectively avoiding mechanical impact and preventing damage to components or breakage of the ribbon cable.

[0035] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0036] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A camera slow opening structure, characterized by, include: The back cover includes a back plate and a support connected to the inner surface of the back plate; A slow drive assembly is installed on one side of the inner surface of the back shell; the slow drive assembly includes an outer sleeve fixedly installed on one side of the support, an inner sleeve rotatably connected to the outer sleeve, a coil spring connecting the outer sleeve and the inner sleeve, and a drive shaft coaxially fixedly connected to one end of the inner sleeve. A camera assembly connected to a slow-drive component; the camera assembly includes a camera housing, a camera element installed inside the camera housing, and a rotating shaft fixedly connected to the camera housing; the two opposite ends of the rotating shaft protrude beyond the opposite ends of the camera housing, and one end of the rotating shaft is matched and connected to a drive shaft; A locking component is connected to the side of the camera assembly away from the slow-drive component; the locking component includes a support mounted on one side of the carrier, a hook floatingly connected inside the support, a button fixedly connected to the top of the hook, a follower shaft rotatably mounted on one side of the support, and a brake roller coaxially connected to one end of the follower shaft; the brake roller and the hook engage to lock the follower shaft; the follower shaft is used to connect to the end of the rotating shaft away from the drive shaft, so that the drive shaft, the rotating shaft and the follower shaft are coaxially connected. 2.The camera slow opening structure according to claim 1, wherein, The outer sleeve has a first groove on the bottom inner wall and the inner sleeve has a second groove on the bottom inner wall; one end of the coil spring is inserted into the first groove and the other end of the coil spring is inserted into the second groove.

3. The slow-to-open camera structure of claim 1, wherein, The center of the rotating shaft has a slot along its axial direction, and the camera element is connected to a flexible flat cable, which is used to pass through the slot.

4. The slow-to-open camera structure of claim 1, wherein, The outer circumferential surface of the brake roller has two recesses spaced apart, which are used to accommodate the hook of the catch to achieve engagement.

5. The slow-to-open camera structure of claim 4, wherein, The included angle between the centers of the two concave circles is α, and the included angle α is greater than 180 degrees.

6. The slow-to-open camera structure of claim 5, wherein, The included angle α between the centers is 250 degrees.

7. The slow-to-open camera structure of claim 1, wherein, The back panel has a through hole in the middle, which is positioned opposite to the support base and is used for the camera component to pass through. 8.The camera slow-to-open structure according to claim 1, wherein, The back panel has key holes at its end; the buttons pass through the key holes and protrude beyond the end of the back panel.

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