Sensor holding mechanism and imaging apparatus

Abstract

To provide a sensor holding mechanism capable of suppressing adverse effects caused by shock and an imaging apparatus.SOLUTION: A camera 10 includes a battery holder 12, a front cover 14, a roll sensor substrate 20, a yaw sensor substrate 22, a pitch sensor substrate 24, an FPC 30 for connecting the sensor substrates 20, 22, and 24, and buffer members 40 and 42. The roll sensor substrate 20 is arranged on the front surface of the battery holder 12, the yaw sensor substrate 22 is arranged on the upper surface of the battery holder 12, and the pitch sensor substrate 24 is arranged on the side surface of the battery holder 12. The FPC 30 is held by the buffer members 40 and 42 in a non-adhesion manner.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sensor holding mechanism and an imaging device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which an FPC (flexible printed circuit board) (flexible substrate) is sandwiched between cushioning materials on both sides. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-085928 A Summary of the Invention

[0004] One embodiment of the technique disclosed herein provides a sensor holding mechanism and an imaging device that can reduce adverse effects of impact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One embodiment of the sensor holding mechanism according to the technology disclosed herein includes a first sensor arranged on a first surface, a second sensor arranged on a second surface intersecting the first surface, a third sensor arranged on a third surface intersecting the first surface and the second surface, a first support member supporting the first cushioning member, a second support member arranged opposite the first support member and supporting the second cushioning member, and a flexible substrate connecting the first to third sensors, and the flexible substrate is sandwiched between the first abutment surface of the first cushioning member and the second abutment surface of the second cushioning member without being adhesively attached.

[0006] The flexible substrate may have a bent portion, and of the first and second cushioning members, one of the cushioning members located on the inside of the bent portion may be made thicker than the other cushioning member located on the outside of the bent portion.

[0007] The first and second cushioning members may have different thicknesses.

[0008] The flexible substrate may have a flat portion connected to the bent portion, and the first and second buffer members may sandwich the flat portion.

[0009] The first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor may be sensors that detect a feature amount of a three-dimensional space.

[0010] The first sensor may be a roll sensor that detects an angular velocity in a roll direction, the second sensor may be a yaw sensor that detects an angular velocity in a yaw direction, and the third sensor may be a pitch sensor that detects an angular velocity in a pitch direction.

[0011] The flexible substrate may be connected to a yaw sensor and a pitch sensor via a roll sensor.

[0012] A frequency filter may be mounted on the first board on which the roll sensor is arranged, and at least one of the second board on which the yaw sensor is arranged and the third board on which the pitch sensor is arranged may not be equipped with a frequency filter.

[0013] The frequency filter may be a low pass filter.

[0014] The bent portion may be provided in at least one of a region straddling the boundary between the first surface and the second surface and a region straddling the boundary between the first surface and the third surface.

[0015] The first cushioning member may be adhered to the first support member, and the second cushioning member may be adhered to the second support member.

[0016] An imaging device according to one aspect of the technique of the present disclosure includes the above-described sensor holding mechanism.

[0017] The first support member may be a battery exterior member of the imaging device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] [First embodiment] In Fig. 1, camera 10 (imaging device) is, for example, a digital camera that records captured images as digital image data. As shown in Fig. 2, camera 10 includes a battery holder 12 (first support member, battery exterior member) that supports a battery (not shown) and a front cover 14 (second support member) that faces battery holder 12 and is disposed on the front side of camera 10.

[0020] The camera 10 also includes a roll sensor board 20 on which a roll sensor (first sensor) that detects angular velocity in the roll direction is mounted, a yaw sensor board 22 on which a yaw sensor (second sensor) that detects angular velocity in the yaw direction is mounted, a pitch sensor board 24 on which a pitch sensor (third sensor) that detects angular velocity in the pitch direction is mounted, and an FPC (flexible printed circuit board) 30 (flexible board) that connects these sensor boards 20, 22, and 24.

[0021] <Sensor board placement position> The roll sensor board 20 is disposed on a first base 20a provided on the front surface of the battery holder 12 (a surface parallel to the front surface of the camera 10, the first surface of the present invention). The yaw sensor board 22 is disposed on a second base 22a provided on the upper surface of the battery holder 12 (a surface parallel to the upper surface of the camera 10, the second surface of the present invention). Furthermore, the pitch sensor board 24 is disposed on a third base 24a provided on the side surface of the battery holder 12 (a surface parallel to the side surface of the camera 10, the third surface of the present invention). Thus, in this embodiment, the battery holder 12 functions as a sensor holding mechanism that holds each sensor (sensor boards 20, 22, 24).

[0022] In this embodiment, the sensor boards 20, 22, 24 are arranged on each surface of the battery holder 12, which is larger than the sensor boards 20, 22, 24, and therefore the degree of freedom in installing the sensor boards 20, 22, 24 is increased. This allows the sensor boards 20, 22, 24 to be arranged in a manner that takes into consideration the space efficiency of the camera 10, as compared to when the sensor boards 20, 22, 24 are arranged as separate members.

[0023] In this embodiment, the first to third sensors are a roll sensor, a yaw sensor, and a pitch sensor, but the present invention is not limited to this. The first to third sensors may be sensors that detect feature amounts in a three-dimensional space. Examples of sensors that detect feature amounts in a three-dimensional space include gyro sensors such as the roll sensor, yaw sensor, and pitch sensor described in this embodiment, as well as acceleration sensors, geomagnetic sensors, and pressure sensors (for audio).

[0024] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the first surface is a surface parallel to the front surface of the camera 10, the second surface is a surface parallel to the top surface of the camera 10, and the third surface is a surface parallel to the side surface of the camera 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. The second surface may be any surface that intersects perpendicularly with the first surface, and the third surface may be any surface that intersects perpendicularly with the first and second surfaces. Note that "perpendicular" includes not only strictly perpendicular but also approximately perpendicular.

[0025] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the first to third sensors (roll sensor, yaw sensor, pitch sensor) are supported by the battery holder 12, but the first to third sensors may be supported by a member other than the battery holder 12. Also, in the present embodiment, the first to third sensors are supported by an integrated common support member (the battery holder 12 in the present embodiment), but the present invention is not limited to this. The first to third sensors may be supported by a different support member (first support member) formed separately.

[0026] <Wiring route> The FPC 30 includes a connection portion 32 for electrically connecting to the main body of the camera 10, a first wiring portion 34 connecting the connection portion 32 and the roll sensor board 20, a second wiring portion 36 connecting the roll sensor board 20 and the yaw sensor board 22, a third wiring portion 38 connecting the roll sensor board 20 and the pitch sensor board 24, and a shared portion (no reference number) shared by the second wiring portion 36 and the third wiring portion 38. In this way, the FPC 30 is connected to the yaw sensor board 22 (yaw sensor) and the pitch sensor board 24 (pitch sensor) via the roll sensor board 20 (roll sensor).

[0027] In this embodiment, in the first wiring section 34 (upstream side of the roll sensor board 20 (opposite side of the second and third wiring sections 36, 38)), a common signal line (wiring) is used to transmit information from the roll sensor board 20 (roll sensor), information from the yaw sensor board 22 (yaw sensor), and information from the pitch sensor board 24 (pitch sensor). In this way, the volume (width and / or thickness) of the wiring (FPC) is reduced in the first wiring section 34 (upstream side of the roll sensor board 20), which contributes to the miniaturization of the camera 10.

[0028] In this embodiment, a low-pass filter (not shown) is mounted on the roll sensor board 20, and no low-pass filter is mounted on the yaw sensor board 22 and the pitch sensor board 24. The low-pass filter mounted on the roll sensor board 20 is shared by the sensor boards 20, 22, and 24 to remove noise contained in the information (signals) to the roll sensor, yaw sensor, and pitch sensor. This improves space efficiency. That is, the first surface on which the roll sensor board 20 is arranged is a surface parallel to the front surface of the camera 10, and the front surface of the camera 10 (surfaces parallel to the front surface) has a larger area than the other surfaces (upper surface, lower surface, left and right side surfaces) (surfaces parallel to the front surface), making it easier to secure mounting space for components. For this reason, mounting a low-pass filter on the roll sensor board 20 can improve space efficiency compared to mounting the low-pass filter on the yaw sensor board 22 or pitch sensor board 24.

[0029] Although the above description has been given taking an example of a configuration in which one low-pass filter is shared by all of the sensor boards 20, 22, and 24, a dedicated low-pass filter may be provided for each of the sensor boards 20, 22, and 24, i.e., three low-pass filters may be provided and mounted on the roll sensor board 20. Also, the above description has been given taking an example in which the component mounted on the roll sensor board 20 and not mounted on the yaw sensor board 22 or the pitch sensor board 24 is a low-pass filter, but a well-known frequency filter other than the above-mentioned low-pass filter may be mounted on the roll sensor board 20 and not mounted on the yaw sensor board 22 or the pitch sensor board 24. Furthermore, the above description has been given taking an example in which a low-pass filter (frequency filter) is mounted on the roll sensor board 20, but the low-pass filter may be provided separately from the roll sensor board 20 and disposed on the same surface as the roll sensor board 20 (in this embodiment, the front surface of the battery holder 12).

[0030] <Cushioning material> Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, camera 10 is provided with cushioning member 40 (first cushioning member) and cushioning member 42 (second cushioning member), and these cushioning members 40, 42 clamp second wiring section 36 without adhesive, thereby reducing adverse effects when impact is applied, for example.

[0031] The cushioning members 40 and 42 are formed of an elastic material such as rubber or silicone, and the cushioning member 40 is disposed on the rear side of the second wiring portion 36, and the cushioning member 42 is disposed on the front side of the second wiring portion 36. The second wiring portion 36 has a bent portion 36a. The bent portion 36a is bent along the battery holder 12 in a region straddling the boundary between the front surface (first surface) and the upper surface (second surface) of the battery holder 12. The second wiring portion 36 also has a flat portion 36b connected to the bent portion 36a. The flat portion 36b (the bent portion 36a side of the flat portion 36b) of the second wiring portion 36 is sandwiched from the front and rear by the cushioning members 40 and 42.

[0032] The cushioning member 40 has an adhesive surface 40a on the rear side, and is supported by the battery holder 12 by adhering the adhesive surface 40a to the front surface of the battery holder 12. The cushioning member 40 has an abutment surface 40b (first abutment surface) on the front side that abuts on the rear surface of the second wiring portion 36 without being adhered. On the other hand, the cushioning member 42 has an adhesive surface 42a on the front side, and is supported by the front cover 14 by adhering the adhesive surface 42a to the rear surface of the front cover 14. The cushioning member 42 has an abutment surface 42b (second abutment surface) on the rear side that abuts on the front surface of the second wiring portion 36 without being adhered. The second wiring portion 36 is sandwiched between the abutment surfaces 40b, 42b.

[0033] In this way, by sandwiching the FPC 30 (second wiring portion 36) between two elastic cushioning members 40, 42 without bonding, the FPC 30 has a high degree of freedom of movement compared to when the FPC 30 is bonded (fixed) to a hard (non-elastic) member, and therefore adverse effects when an impact is applied can be suppressed. Also, in this embodiment, the cushioning members 40, 42 are provided on a surface parallel to the front surface of the camera 10 (a surface which has a larger area than other surfaces and is easy to secure space for mounting components), so space efficiency is also good.

[0034] Furthermore, in the camera 10, in addition to the aforementioned cushioning members 40, 42, cushioning member 44 (first cushioning member) and cushioning member 46 (second cushioning member) are provided, and these cushioning members 44, 46 clamp the third wiring section 38 without adhesive, thereby reducing adverse effects in the event of an impact being applied (see Figures 2 and 3).

[0035] The cushioning members 44, 46 are formed from an elastic material, with the cushioning member 44 disposed on the rear side of the third wiring portion 38 and the cushioning member 46 disposed on the front side of the third wiring portion 38. The third wiring portion 38 includes a bent portion 38a bent along the battery holder 12 in a region spanning the boundary between the front side (first surface) and the side surface (second surface) of the battery holder 12, and a flat portion 38b connected to the bent portion 38a. The flat portion 38b (the bent portion 38a side of the flat portion 38b) of the third wiring portion 38 is sandwiched from the front and rear by the cushioning members 44, 46.

[0036] The cushioning member 44 has an adhesive surface 44a on the rear side, and is supported by the battery holder 12 by adhering the adhesive surface 44a to the front surface of the battery holder 12. The cushioning member 44 has an abutment surface 44b (first abutment surface) on the front side that abuts on the rear surface of the third wiring portion 38 without being adhered. On the other hand, the cushioning member 46 has an adhesive surface 46a on the front side, and is supported by the front cover 14 by adhering the adhesive surface 46a to the rear surface of the front cover 14. The cushioning member 46 has an abutment surface 46b (first abutment surface) on the rear side that abuts on the front surface of the third wiring portion 38 without being adhered. The third wiring portion 38 is sandwiched between the abutment surfaces 44b, 46b.

[0037] This allows the FPC 30 to move with a high degree of freedom, and can suppress adverse effects when a shock is applied, as in the case of the above-mentioned buffer members 40, 42. In addition, since the buffer members 44, 46 are provided on a surface parallel to the front surface of the camera 10 (a surface that has a larger area than other surfaces and is easy to secure space for mounting components), space efficiency is also good.

[0038] In this embodiment, the buffer members 40 and 42 have the same thickness (see FIG. 4), but the present invention is not limited to this. The buffer members 40 and 42 may have different thicknesses. Similarly, the buffer members 44 and 46 have the same thickness, but the buffer members 44 and 46 may have different thicknesses. However, when the buffer members 40 and 42 have different thicknesses, it is preferable to make the buffer member (buffer member 40 in this embodiment) on the inside of the bent portion 36a (the side where the angle between the FPC 30 upstream of the bent portion 36a and the FPC 30 downstream of the bent portion 36a is smaller) thicker than the buffer member (buffer member 42 in this embodiment) on the outside of the bent portion 36a. By doing so, the part sandwiched by the buffer members 40 and 42 is moved away from the sensor board (yaw sensor board 22 in this embodiment), and the transmission of the impact to the sensor board (yaw sensor board 22) can be reduced. Similarly, when the thicknesses of the cushioning members 44, 46 are made different, it is preferable that the cushioning member on the inside of the bent portion 38a (in this embodiment, cushioning member 44) is thicker than the cushioning member on the outside of the bent portion 38a (in this embodiment, cushioning member 46).

[0039] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the second wiring portion 36 and the third wiring portion 38 are sandwiched by the buffer member in a non-contact manner, but the first wiring portion 34 may be sandwiched by the buffer member in a non-contact manner, similar to the second wiring portion 36 and the third wiring portion 38. In this case, the planar portion 34b (see FIG. 3) of the first wiring portion 34 may be sandwiched by the buffer member from the front side and the rear side. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which all of the first to third wiring portions 34 to 38 are sandwiched by the buffer member, and it is sufficient that at least one of the first to third wiring portions 34 to 38 is sandwiched by the buffer member.

[0040] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an example in which a buffer member is provided on a surface parallel to the front surface of the camera 10 (an example in which the FPC 30 is sandwiched by the buffer member from the front and rear) has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. A configuration in which a buffer member is provided on a surface parallel to the upper or lower surface of the camera 10 (a configuration in which the FPC 30 is sandwiched by the buffer member from above and below) may be used. A configuration in which a buffer member is provided on a surface parallel to the left and right side surfaces of the camera 10 (a configuration in which the FPC 30 is sandwiched by the buffer member from the left and right) may also be used. Of course, it is also possible to use a combination of multiple buffer members sandwiching the FPC 30 from the front and rear, buffer members sandwiching the FPC 30 from above and below, and buffer members sandwiching the FPC 30 from the left and right.

[0041] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the buffer members 40, 44 are bonded to the battery holder 12, that is, the first buffer member is supported by a support member (first support member) formed integrally with a support member supporting the sensor boards 20, 22, 24, but the present invention is not limited to this. The buffer members 40, 44 may be supported by a support member (first support member) formed separately from the battery holder 12.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which adverse effects such as application of an impact are suppressed by sandwiching the FPC between the cushioning members, but in addition to this, an adhesive that remains flexible (elastic) even after hardening may be used to bond the FPC 30 to the first support member (battery holder 12 in this embodiment) to suppress adverse effects such as application of an impact. In this case, the bonding locations are preferably in the vicinity of the sensor boards 20, 22, and 24. Also, the entire width of the FPC 30 may be bonded, but it is preferable to bond only the ends of the FPC 30 in the width direction.

[0043] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the sensor boards 20, 22, and 24 are supported by the battery holder 12 (an example in which the battery holder 12 functions as the first support member), but in the second embodiment and in the third embodiment described below, the sensor boards 20, 22, and 24 are supported by a member different from the battery holder 12 (a member other than the battery holder 12 functions as the first support member). Below, a detailed description is given with reference to the drawings of a configuration in which the sensor boards 20, 22, and 24 are supported by a member different from the battery holder 12, but in the following description with reference to the drawings, the same members as in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

[0044] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in the second embodiment, a metal plate 50 is provided and functions as a first support member. The metal plate 50 is fixed, for example, by screwing to the rear surface of the front cover 14 (see Fig. 2). In the second embodiment, the roll sensor board 20 is arranged and supported on a first base 20a provided on the front surface of the metal plate 50 (a surface parallel to the front surface of the camera 10, a first surface of the present invention). The yaw sensor board 22 is arranged and supported on a second base 22a provided on the upper surface of the metal plate 50 (a surface parallel to the upper surface of the camera 10, a second surface of the present invention). Furthermore, the pitch sensor board 24 is arranged and supported on a third base 24a provided on the side surface of the metal plate 50 (a surface parallel to the side surface of the camera 10, a third surface of the present invention).

[0045] In the second embodiment, the flat surface 52 of the FPC 30 is sandwiched between a buffer member 54 (first buffer member) and a buffer member 56 (second buffer member). The buffer member 54 has a lower surface serving as an adhesive surface 54a, which is adhered to the upper surface of the metal plate 50. The buffer member 54 has an upper surface serving as an abutment surface 54b (first abutment surface) that abuts against the flat surface 52 without being adhered. On the other hand, the buffer member 56 has an upper surface serving as an adhesive surface 56a, which is adhered to the lower surface of a second support member (not shown) such as the upper cover of the camera 10. The buffer member 56 has a lower surface serving as an abutment surface 56b (second abutment surface) that abuts against the flat surface 52 without being adhered.

[0046] In the second embodiment, an example has been described in which only the flat portion 52 is sandwiched between the cushioning members 54 and 56, but the present invention is not limited to this. The other flat portions 60, 62, and 64 of the FPC 30 may also be sandwiched between cushioning members in the same manner as the flat portion 52.

[0047] [Third embodiment] As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, in the third embodiment, a first base 20a is provided on the back surface of the front cover 14 (see Fig. 2), and the roll sensor board 20 is arranged and supported on the first base 20a (the front cover 14 functions as a first support member that supports the roll sensor). In addition, in the third embodiment, a metal plate 70 is provided, and the pitch sensor board 24 is arranged and supported on a third base 24a provided on a side surface of the metal plate 70 (the metal plate 70 functions as a first support member that supports the pitch sensor). Furthermore, in the third embodiment, a metal plate 72 is provided, and the yaw sensor board 22 is arranged and supported on a second base 22a provided on the upper surface of the metal plate 72 (the metal plate 72 functions as a first support member that supports the yaw sensor).

[0048] In the third embodiment, the FPC 30 is provided with flat portions 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85. In the third embodiment, any one or more of these flat portions 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85 are sandwiched by a buffer member to suppress adverse effects when an impact is applied. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 10 Camera (imaging device) 12 Battery holder (first support member, battery exterior member) 14 Front cover (second support member) 20 Roll sensor board 20a 1st Base 22 Yaw sensor board 22a 2nd Base 24 Pitch sensor board 24a 3rd Base 30 FPC (flexible board) 32 Connection 34 1st wiring section 34b Plane part 36 2nd wiring section 36a Bend part 36b Plane part 38 Third wiring section 38a Bend part 38b Plane part 40 Cushioning material (first cushioning material) 40a Adhesive surface 40b Contact surface (1st contact surface) 42 Cushioning material (second cushioning material) 42a Adhesive surface 42b Contact surface (1st contact surface) 44 Cushioning material (first cushioning material) 44a Adhesive surface 44b Contact surface (1st contact surface) 46 Cushioning material (second cushioning material) 46a Adhesive surface 46b Contact surface (1st contact surface) 50 Sheet metal (first support member) 52 Plane part 54 Cushioning material (first cushioning material) 54a Adhesive surface 54b Contact surface (1st contact surface) 56 Cushioning material (second cushioning material) 56a Adhesive surface 56b Contact surface (1st contact surface) 60, 62, 64 flat part 70, 72 Metal plate (first support member) 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85 flat part

Claims

1. a first sensor disposed on a first surface, a second sensor disposed on a second surface intersecting the first surface, a third sensor disposed on a third surface intersecting the first surface and the second surface, and a first support member supporting a first buffer member; a second support member disposed opposite the first support member and supporting a second buffer member; a flexible substrate connecting the first to third sensors; the flexible substrate is sandwiched between a first contact surface of the first buffer member and a second contact surface of the second buffer member in a non-adhesive manner; Sensor retention mechanism.

2. the flexible substrate has a bent portion, One of the first and second buffer members located on the inside of the bent portion is made thicker than the other buffer member located on the outside of the bent portion. The sensor retention mechanism according to claim 1 .

3. The sensor holding mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the first buffer member and the second buffer member have different thicknesses.

4. the flexible substrate has a planar portion connected to the bent portion, The first and second buffer members sandwich the planar portion. The sensor retention mechanism according to claim 2 .

5. the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor are sensors for detecting feature quantities of a three-dimensional space; The sensor retention mechanism according to claim 1 .

6. the first sensor is a roll sensor that detects an angular velocity in a roll direction, the second sensor is a yaw sensor that detects an angular velocity in a yaw direction, The third sensor is a pitch sensor that detects an angular velocity in a pitch direction. The sensor retention mechanism according to claim 5 .

7. the flexible substrate is connected to the yaw sensor and the pitch sensor via the roll sensor; The sensor retention mechanism according to claim 6.

8. a frequency filter is mounted on the first substrate on which the roll sensor is disposed; the frequency filter is not mounted on at least one of the second substrate on which the yaw sensor is disposed and the third substrate on which the pitch sensor is disposed. The sensor retention mechanism according to claim 7.

9. The frequency filter is a low-pass filter. The sensor retention mechanism according to claim 8.

10. The bent portion is provided in at least one of a region straddling a boundary between the first surface and the second surface and a region straddling a boundary between the first surface and the third surface. The sensor retention mechanism according to claim 2 .

11. the first cushioning member is bonded to the first support member, The second cushioning member is bonded to the second support member. The sensor retention mechanism according to claim 1 .

12. An imaging device comprising the sensor holding mechanism according to claim 1 .

13. the first support member is a battery exterior member of the imaging device; The imaging device according to claim 12.

Images