Imaging device

Abstract

Provided is an imaging device that is capable of suitably locking an imaging element. The imaging device 1 comprises: a movable section 20 that holds an imaging element 21, is provided so as to be movable within an orthogonal plane orthogonal to an optical axis OA, and is provided with an engagement section 27 protruding toward one side of the optical axis OA direction; and a lock unit 40 that is arranged on one side of the movable section 20, provided so as to be movable within an orthogonal plane orthogonal to the optical axis OA, and has a lock member 43 which moves within the orthogonal plane, engages with the engagement section 27 provided to the movable section 20, and locks the movable section 20.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an imaging device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an imaging device has been disclosed that corrects camera shake by driving an imaging element when camera shake is detected (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This conventional imaging device is provided with a mechanism for holding the imaging element in a predetermined position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-102035 A Summary of the Invention

[0004] The imaging device of the present invention includes a movable section which holds an imaging element, is provided so as to be movable within an orthogonal plane perpendicular to an optical axis, and is provided with an engagement section which protrudes toward one side in the optical axis direction, and a locking unit which is disposed on the one side of the movable section, is provided so as to be movable within an orthogonal plane perpendicular to the optical axis, and has a locking member which moves within the orthogonal plane to engage with the engagement section provided on the movable section to lock the movable section, The locking member has a U-shaped portion that holds the engaging portion, and a tapered portion that is wider at the tip end of the U-shaped portion than at the base end side of the U-shaped portion is provided. The composition was as follows. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a camera 1 of an embodiment and an interchangeable lens 2 that is detachable from the camera 1. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view of the movable portion 20, the fixed portion 30, and the lock unit 40 as viewed obliquely from behind. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view of the movable portion 20, the fixed portion 30, and the lock unit 40 as viewed obliquely from the front. [Figure 4]13A and 13B are views of the engagement portion 27 and a part of the lock unit 40 as seen from behind, in which (a) is in the unlocked state and (b) is in the locked state. [Diagram 5] 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lock unit 40 as seen obliquely from the rear. FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a front view of the cam plate 42. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0006] Hereinafter, a camera 1 as an embodiment of an imaging device will be described with reference to the drawings etc. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a camera 1 of the embodiment and an interchangeable lens 2 that is detachable from the camera 1. Note that, although a camera 1 to which an interchangeable lens 2 is detachable will be described in the embodiment, the camera 1 of the present invention may be a camera with an integrated lens.

[0007] (Camera 1) Camera 1 comprises a fixed part 30 fixed to camera 1, a movable part 20 including an image sensor 21 and moving relative to fixed part 30, a lock unit 40 that limits the movement of movable part 20, a release switch 11, a display unit 12, a shake detection sensor 13, a drive unit 3 that drives movable part 20 relative to fixed part 30, a position detection unit 4, a control unit 14, and an operation unit 15.

[0008] A release switch 11 is a member for controlling the photographing operation of the camera 1, and controls the timing of driving a shutter (not shown), etc.

[0009] The image sensor 21 is provided on a planned focal plane of the photographing optical system of the interchangeable lens 2, and generates a signal by photoelectrically converting subject image light incident via the photographing optical system of the interchangeable lens 2 based on the control of the control unit 14. The image sensor 21 is composed of, for example, a CCD, a CMOS, or the like.

[0010] Display unit 12 is provided on the rear surface of camera 1 and is a color liquid crystal display that displays captured subject images (still images, videos including live view images), information related to operations (menus), and the like.

[0011] The shake detection sensor 13 is an acceleration sensor or an angular velocity sensor, and detects shake of the camera 1 caused by camera shake.

[0012] Control unit 14 controls shooting of image sensor 21 by pressing release switch 11. Control unit 14 also performs processes such as noise processing and A / D conversion on the signal output by image sensor 21 to generate image data and display it on display unit 12. Control unit 14 also detects a target position of image sensor 21 based on a shake signal of image sensor 21 detected by shake detection sensor 13. Control unit 14 then calculates a drive amount for correcting shake of image sensor 21 based on the detected target position, and drives image sensor 21 via drive unit 3 based on the calculated drive amount.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the movable part 20, the fixed part 30, and the lock unit 40 as viewed diagonally from the rear, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the movable part 20, the fixed part 30, and the lock unit 40 as viewed diagonally from the front.

[0014] In the following figures, an XY Cartesian coordinate system has been provided as appropriate to facilitate explanation and understanding. In this coordinate system, the direction toward the left side as seen by the photographer in the position of camera 1 (normal position) when the photographer takes a landscape image with the optical axis OA horizontal is defined as the X plus direction. Also, the direction toward the upper side in the normal position is defined as the Y plus direction. Also, the subject side in the optical axis OA direction will be described as the front, the opposite side as the rear, the Y plus side as the top, the Y minus side as the bottom, and the rear surface as the rear surface.

[0015] (Movable part 20) The movable part 20 is movable within an XY plane, which is an orthogonal plane perpendicular to the optical axis OA, relative to the fixed part 30. The movable part 20 includes a movable frame 22 that holds an imaging element 21, and the imaging element 21 is attached to the front surface of the movable frame 22.

[0016] (Drive unit 3 on the movable unit 20 side) A coil 23 for driving in the X direction as part of the driving unit 3 is attached to the negative X side of the area of ​​the movable frame 22 in which the imaging element 21 is located, and coils 24, 25 for driving in the Y direction and driving in the rotational direction as part of the driving unit 3 are attached to the negative Y side (lower side) of the imaging element 21.

[0017] (Engagement portion 27) In the embodiment, two pin-shaped engagement portions 27 are provided at the edge of the movable frame 22 and protrude rearward in the optical axis OA direction. However, the number is not limited to two and may be more than two. The two engagement portions 27 in the embodiment are disposed at approximately the center of the movable frame 22 in the X direction, at equal positions in the Y direction from the optical axis OA, and spaced apart from each other on both edges of the movable frame 22 in the Y direction. The arrangement of the two engagement portions 27 is not limited to the above example. For example, instead of disposing the engagement portions 27 on the positive and negative sides of the Y direction, they may be disposed on the positive and negative sides of the X direction.

[0018] In the embodiment, the engaging portion 27 is pin-shaped, but is not limited to this and may be any shape that engages with a locking member 43 described later. In the embodiment, the engaging portion 27 extends rearward in the direction of the optical axis OA. The two engaging portions 27 are disposed in positions facing each other with respect to the optical axis OA, i.e., at equal distances from the optical axis OA and facing in opposite directions, and a straight line connecting the centers of the two engaging portions 27 passes through the optical axis OA.

[0019] (Recess 27a) FIG. 4 is a view of the engagement portion 27 and a part of the lock unit 40 seen from the rear, (a) in the unlocked state and (b) in the locked state. The locking operation will be described later. The tip surface of the engagement portion 27 is provided with a recess 27a recessed in an approximately mountain shape (approximately fan shape). In the embodiment, the top of the mountain shape of the recess 27a is located on or near the central axis of the engagement portion 27, but this is not limited to this. However, it is preferable that the top of the mountain shape of the recess 27a is located on a straight line connecting the axis of the engagement portion 27 and the optical axis OA. It is also preferable that the center of the part corresponding to the base of the mountain shape of the recess 27a is located on a straight line connecting the optical axis OA and the axis of the engagement portion 27. In the embodiment, the recess 27a is approximately mountain-shaped, but this is not limited to this, and it may be, for example, arc-shaped. In addition, the recess 27a does not need to be formed in the axial direction on the outer periphery of the engagement portion 27, and may be formed by cutting out a part of the outer periphery of the engagement portion 27.

[0020] (Fixed part 30) The fixed part 30 includes a fixed frame 31 that is fixed to the housing of the camera 1. The fixed part 30 covers the rear side of the portion of the movable part 20 where the imaging element 21 is disposed.

[0021] (hole 37) Two holes 37 are disposed spaced apart from each other at positions equidistant from the optical axis OA in the Y direction on both edges of the fixed frame 31 in the Y direction. The positions at which the holes 37 are provided substantially correspond to the positions at which the engagement portions 27 are provided.

[0022] (Fixed part 30 side drive part 3) A magnet 33 for driving in the X direction as the driving unit 3 is attached to the negative X side of the fixed frame 31, and magnets 34 and 35 for driving in the Y direction and for driving in the rotation direction as the driving unit 3 are attached to the negative Y side (lower side) of the imaging element 21. The magnets 33, 34, and 35 are provided at positions corresponding to the coils 23, 24, and 25, respectively.

[0023] (Position detection unit 4) The camera 1 is provided with a position detection unit 4 (illustrated in FIG. 1). The position detection unit 4 detects the position of the movable part 20 relative to the fixed part 30. In this embodiment, the position detection unit 4 is, for example, a Hall element 26 attached to the movable part 20 and a position detection magnet 36 attached to the fixed part 30, but is not limited thereto and may be, for example, a light emitter and a light receiver (PSD). Note that instead of providing the position detection magnet 36, the driving magnets 33, 34, 35 may also function as a position detector.

[0024] (Drive unit 3) As described above, the coils 23, 24, and 25 provided on the movable frame 22 and the magnets 33, 34, and 35 provided on the fixed frame 31 constitute the driving unit 3 as a voice coil motor (VCM).

[0025] The movable part 20 and the fixed part 30 are biased by a spring member via three balls (not shown) in a direction approaching each other, whereby the movable frame 22 is supported movably in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the rotational direction around the optical axis OA relative to the fixed frame 31. Note that instead of biasing the movable part 20 and the fixed part 30 in a direction approaching each other with a spring member, a magnet may be provided on either the movable part 20 or the fixed part 30, and the magnet may be attracted to a metal part of the other, thereby biasing the movable part 20 and the fixed part 30 in a direction approaching each other.

[0026] When a current is passed through the coils 23, 24, and 25, an electromagnetic force acts on the parts of the coils 23, 24, and 25 where the direction of the current is perpendicular to the magnetic field lines of the magnets 33, 34, and 35, and the movable part 20 is driven relative to the fixed part 30. When the direction of the current passed through the coils 23, 24, and 25 is reversed, the movable part 20 is driven in the opposite direction. In addition, the force acting on the movable part 20 can be changed by changing the magnitude of the current flowing through the coils 23, 24, and 25.

[0027] When current is flowing through coils 23, 24, and 25, movable part 20 is held in a predetermined position. However, when current is stopped from flowing through coils 23, 24, and 25, there is no force holding movable part 20. At this time, movable part 20 can move freely within the movable range inside the housing of camera 1, so there is a possibility that when current is stopped, movable part 20 may fall in the direction of gravity due to its own weight and collide with other parts inside the housing, or that movable part 20 may collide with other parts when camera 1 is shaken, etc., and the movable part, etc. may be damaged.

[0028] (Lock Unit 40) For this reason, in this embodiment, a lock unit 40 is provided to lock the movable part 20 when not energized. The lock unit 40 is disposed on the rear side of the fixed part 30 inside the housing of the camera 1. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the lock unit 40 as viewed obliquely from the rear.

[0029] The lock unit 40 includes a base portion 46 disposed at the front and a cover portion 41 disposed at the rear. Between the base portion 46 and the cover portion 41, there are arranged a worm gear 47 and a second pinion gear 48, which are intermediate gear portions, held by the base portion 46, an actuator 44, a first pinion gear 45 held on the shaft of the actuator 44, two lock members 43, and a cam plate 42. Instead of separately providing the worm gear 47 and the second pinion gear 48 as intermediate gear portions, the worm gear 47 and the second pinion gear 48 may be integrated together to be formed as a single component.

[0030] (Base part 46) A cam plate holding shaft 46a extending rearward in the optical axis OA direction and a gear holding portion 46b disposed on the negative X side of the cam plate holding shaft 46a are provided on the rear surface of the base portion 46 in the optical axis OA direction.

[0031] The cam plate 42 is rotatably held on the cam plate holding shaft 46a. A holding shaft (not shown) extending in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA is disposed on the gear holding portion 46b, and the second pinion gear 48 is attached to the holding shaft on the negative Y side of the holding shaft, and the worm gear 47 is attached to the holding shaft on the upper part of the second pinion gear 48. Therefore, when the holding shaft rotates due to the rotation of the second pinion gear 48, the worm gear 47 also rotates. Note that when the worm gear 47 and the second pinion gear 48 are integrated and formed as one component, the holding shaft may be fixed to the base portion 46, and the integrated intermediate gear portion (worm gear 47 and second pinion gear 48) may be rotatably supported on the holding shaft.

[0032] Further, two through holes 46c are provided in the base portion 46. The two through holes 46c are at equal positions in the Y direction from the optical axis OA, and a straight line connecting the two through holes 46c passes through the optical axis OA. The position where the through holes 46c are provided substantially corresponds to the positions where the engagement portion 27 and the hole portion 37 are provided. Furthermore, the base portion 46 is provided with a guide frame 46f that guides the movement of a locking member 43, which will be described later.

[0033] (Actuator 44) The actuator 44 is supported on the negative Y side of a gear holding portion 46b of the base portion 46. A rotating shaft 44a of the actuator 44 is rotatable with respect to the base portion 46, and a first pinion gear 45 having a gear is attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft 44a. The first pinion gear 45 meshes with a second pinion gear 48. Note that when the worm gear 47 is directly connected to the rotating shaft 44a of the actuator 44, the first pinion gear 45 and the second pinion gear 48 do not need to be provided.

[0034] (lock member 43) In the embodiment, two locking members, 43U and 43D, are arranged on the positive and negative sides (top and bottom) of the Y direction with respect to the optical axis OA. The locking members 43U and 43D have the same shape and are arranged on a straight line passing through the optical axis OA so as to be symmetrical with respect to the optical axis OA. In other words, they are arranged so as to face in opposite directions on a straight line passing through the optical axis OA. The locking member 43 is disposed within a guide frame 46f provided on the base portion 46. The side surface of the locking member 43 is guided by the inner side surface of the guide frame and moves on a straight line passing through the optical axis OA. At that time, the two locking members 43U and 43D can move while maintaining the same distance from the optical axis OA by the cam follower 43a described below moving in the cam groove 42b of the cam plate 42.

[0035] When there is no need to distinguish between them, the locking member 43U and the locking member 43D will be collectively described as the locking member 43. Fig. 4(a) shows the second position when the locking member 43 is unlocked (unlocked) and does not lock the movable part 20, and Fig. 4(b) shows the first position when the locking member 43 is locked (locked) and does not lock the movable part 20.

[0036] (Cam follower 43a) 4 and 5, the locking member 43 has a cam follower 43a on its rear surface on the optical axis OA side that engages with a cam groove 42b of the cam plate 42. One end of the cam groove 42b is located on the center side of the cam plate 42, and the other end is located on the outer periphery side of the cam plate 42.

[0037] (U-shaped part 43c) Furthermore, a U-shaped portion 43c for holding the engaging portion 27 is provided at the outer end of the locking member 43 in the radial direction with the optical axis OA as the center. Furthermore, the locking member 43 is provided with a tapered portion 43d at the entrance of the U-shaped portion 43c, the tapered portion 43d being wider than the base end side of the U-shaped portion 43c. That is, the opening of the entrance of the U-shaped portion 43c is wider than the other portions. Instead of providing the tapered portion 43d at the entrance of the U-shaped portion 43c, an R-shaped curved surface may be formed.

[0038] (Elastic portion 43b) The elastic portion 43b is attached to the rear surface side of the base end of the U-shaped portion 43c. The elastic portion 43b presses the engaging portions 27 in directions away from each other while holding the engaging portions 27 in the U-shaped portion 43c.

[0039] In the embodiment, the elastic portion 43b is a leaf spring, and has a protrusion 43e protruding from the center in a direction facing the engagement portion 27. The protrusion 43e is formed by bending the leaf spring so as to fit into the mountain-shaped recess 27a of the engagement portion 27. With the engagement portion 27 held by the U-shaped portion 43c, the protrusion 43e of the elastic portion 43b fits into the recess 27a of the engagement portion 27 and presses the surface of the recess 27a on the optical axis OA side radially outward. Note that, although the present embodiment shows an example in which the elastic portion 43b is formed as a leaf spring, it may be formed as a wire spring instead of a leaf spring.

[0040] (Cam plate 42) 6 is a front view of the cam plate 42. The cam plate 42 is a disk member that is rotatable about the optical axis OA. A gear 42a is provided on the outer periphery of the cam plate 42.

[0041] (Cam groove 42b) Two cam grooves 42b are provided on the front surface of the cam plate 42, which is the surface facing the locking member 43. Cam followers 43a of the locking member 43 engage with the cam grooves 42b, respectively. One end of the cam groove 42b is located at the center of the cam plate 42, i.e., on the optical axis OA side, and the other end of the cam groove 42b is located on the outer periphery of the cam plate 42, i.e., at a position radially spaced from the optical axis OA.

[0042] 4(b) and 6, two sides 42ba of the cam groove 42b on the other end side on the outer circumferential side of the cam plate 42 are parallel to each other, perpendicular to the optical axis OA, and extend perpendicular to the radial direction. That is, when the locking member 43 locks the engaging portion 27 as shown in FIG. 4(b), the two sides of the cam groove 42b where the cam follower 43a is located are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the moving direction of the locking member 43 in the perpendicular plane. Therefore, the movement of the engaging portion 27 in the Y direction is restricted by the side edge 42ba. Furthermore, the movement of the locking member 43 in the X direction is restricted by a guide frame 46f (shown in FIG. 5) that guides the movement of the locking member 43. As a result, the movement of the locking member 43 in the orthogonal plane is restricted. On the other hand, the two sides 42bb of the cam groove 42b on one end side of the cam plate 42 on the optical axis OA side are also parallel to each other and extend perpendicular to the optical axis OA and also perpendicular to the radial direction. Therefore, even in the unlocked state shown in FIG. 4(a), the movement of the locking member 43 within the perpendicular plane is restricted.

[0043] (Cover part 41) The cover portion 41 is provided with a holding portion (not shown) that holds the tip of the cam plate holding shaft 46 a of the base portion 46 , and combines with the base portion 46 to form the outer frame of the lock unit 40 . Furthermore, two through holes 41c are provided in the cover portion 41. The two through holes 41c are positioned at equal distances from the optical axis OA, and a straight line connecting the two through holes 41c passes through the optical axis OA. Note that if the cam plate holding shaft 46a is given sufficient bending strength so that it can be held as a cantilever, the cover portion 41 can be omitted.

[0044] The through hole 46c of the base portion 46 and the through hole 41c of the cover portion 41 are formed in the same position, and when the cover portion 41 and the base portion 46 are combined, they form a through hole 40c that penetrates the lock unit 40. The two through holes 40c are at equal distances from the optical axis OA, i.e., they correspond to the positions where the engagement portions 27 are provided, and the straight line connecting the two through holes 40c passes through the optical axis OA.

[0045] The engagement portion 27 provided on the movable portion 20 is inserted into a hole portion 37 provided in the fixed portion 30, and further into a through hole 46c of the base portion 46 of the lock unit 40 and a through hole 40c of the cover portion 41.

[0046] (Operation of lock member 43) 4(a), the locking member 43 of the locking unit 40 is in a second position on the optical axis OA side, away from the engaging portion 27. At this time, the locking member 43 is not engaged with the engaging portion 27, and is in an unlocked state in which the movement of the movable portion 20 relative to the fixed portion 30 is not restricted.

[0047] In this state, for example, if the photographer selects to turn off the main power supply of the camera 1, the actuator 44 rotates before the power supply is completely turned off. This rotates the first pinion gear 45 attached to the rotating shaft of the actuator 44, which in turn rotates the second pinion gear 48 meshing with the first pinion gear 45. The rotation of the second pinion gear 48 rotates the holder shaft, which in turn rotates the worm gear 47. This causes the gear 42a of the cam plate 42 to mesh with the worm gear 47, causing the cam plate 42 to rotate.

[0048] When the cam plate 42 rotates, the lock member 43 moves in a radial direction perpendicular to the optical axis OA within the guide frame 46f because the cam follower 43a is engaged with the cam groove 42b of the cam plate 42.

[0049] When the locking member 43 moves in the radial direction relative to the optical axis OA, the engaging portion 27 is sandwiched and held inside the U-shaped portion 43c, and the movable portion 20 is locked relative to the fixed portion 30. In other words, the locking member 43 is in the first position where the movement of the movable portion 20 relative to the fixed portion 30 is restricted.

[0050] (Effect of moving radially relative to the optical axis OA direction) Here, unlike the embodiment, when the locking member 43 moves along the optical axis OA rather than radially to lock the movable part 20 to the fixed part 30, a thickness in the optical axis OA direction is required to provide space for the locking member 43 to move along the optical axis OA direction, and the camera 1 becomes larger. However, in this embodiment, the locking member 43 moves in a radial direction relative to the optical axis OA, thereby engaging with the engaging portion 27 and locking the movable portion 20 to the fixed portion 30. This makes it possible to reduce the thickness of the camera 1. Furthermore, since the locking member 43 moves linearly within a plane perpendicular to the optical axis OA, the movement space of the locking member 43 can be reduced.

[0051] (Tapered section 43d) Here, a Hall element is attached to the movable part 20, and a position detection magnet 36 is attached to the fixed part 30, thereby detecting the position of the movable part 20. However, depending on the temperature, the detection of the position of the movable part 20 may become inaccurate, and the position of the movable part 20 may deviate from the target position. If this happens, the center of the engagement part 27 may not be on the straight line along which the lock member 43 moves. However, in the embodiment, a tapered portion 43d that is wider than the base end side of U-shaped portion 43c is provided at the entrance portion of U-shaped portion 43c that is provided at the tip of locking member 43 and holds engaging portion 27. That is, the opening of the entrance portion of U-shaped portion 43c is wider. Therefore, even if the position of the engaging portion 27 varies, the engaging portion 27 can be reliably guided into the U-shaped portion 43c. Therefore, the locking operation of the movable portion 20 can be reliably performed.

[0052] (Effect of elastic portion 43b) Furthermore, when the locking member 43 holds the engaging portion 27, the convex portion 43e of the elastic portion 43b fits into the concave portion 27a of the engaging portion 27 and presses the surface of the concave portion 27a on the optical axis OA side radially outward. As a result, the two engagement parts 27 arranged on both sides of the optical axis OA are elastically pressed in directions away from each other, thereby preventing rattling of the movable part 20 when the locking member 43 locks the engagement parts 27.

[0053] (Effect of the shape of the cam groove 42b) When the locking member 43 is locked to the engaging portion 27, the cam follower 43a is located at the end close to the outer periphery of the cam groove 42b provided in the cam plate 42. The two sides at the end close to the outer periphery of the cam groove 42b are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the movement direction of the locking member 43 in the orthogonal plane. That is, the cam follower 43a is held at one side and the other side in the radial direction, and further, the normal line at the contact portion between the cam follower 43a and the cam groove 42b passes through the optical axis OA, that is, the rotation center of the cam plate 42. Therefore, even if a force in the Y direction acts on the locking member 43, no force that rotates the cam plate 42 acts, so the movement of the locking member 43 in the Y direction is restricted. Note that the movement of the locking member 43 in the X direction is restricted by the guide frame 46f that guides the movement of the locking member 43, so the movement of the locking member 43 in the orthogonal plane is restricted.

[0054] (Effect of providing two engagement portions 27) When the engaging portion 27 is provided at one location, the locking member 43 restricts the engaging portion 27 from moving in one direction in the Y direction (positive Y direction or negative Y direction), but the engaging portion 27 can move freely in the other direction. On the other hand, when the engaging portion 27 is provided at two locations, the locking member 43 restricts the engaging portion 27 from moving in both directions in the Y direction (positive Y direction and negative Y direction), so that the movement of the movable portion 20 in the Y direction relative to the fixed portion 30 can be reliably restricted. Since the U-shaped portion 43c restricts the movement of the engaging portion 27 in the X direction, the engaging portion 27 is restricted from moving in the X and Y directions, i.e., in the orthogonal plane, so that the movement of the movable portion 20 in the orthogonal plane relative to the fixed portion 30 is restricted. As a result, since the movable portion 20 is fixed even in the power-off state, there is no need to constantly energize the movable portion 20, and power consumption can be reduced. In the embodiment, the embodiment has been described in which the sensor is held at two locations, but the sensor may be held at three or more locations. 4(b), the locking portion 43 is elastically pressed by the two engaging portions 27 arranged on both sides of the optical axis OA in directions approaching each other via the elastic portion 43b. In this case, the cam follower 43a is pressed by the side 42ba1 on the optical axis OA side of the two side edges 42ba of the cam groove 42b on the outer periphery of the cam plate 42, and the movement of the engaging portion 27 in the Y direction is restricted by the two side edges 42ba1 on the optical axis OA side.

[0055] As described above, when the power is OFF, the locking member 43 does not exert a force that rotates the cam plate 42, and therefore the locking member 43 does not move. Therefore, even when the power is OFF, the movable part 20 including the imaging element 21 is fixed, so the movable part 20 will not fall due to gravity or move due to vibrations caused during transport. Therefore, the movable part 20 including the imaging element 21 can be held without consuming power. 4(a) in which the locking member 43 does not lock the engaging portion 27, the cam follower 43a is located at an end portion close to the optical axis OA of the cam groove 42b provided in the cam plate 42. Two side edges 42bb at the end portion close to the optical axis OA of the cam groove 42b are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the movement direction of the locking member 43 in the orthogonal plane. Furthermore, the movement of the locking member 43 in the X direction is restricted by a guide frame 46f (shown in FIG. 5) that guides the movement of the locking member 43. Therefore, the movement of the locking member 43 in the orthogonal plane is restricted. As a result, the locking member 43 does not move freely even when the power is turned off in the unlocked state, so there is no need to keep it energized all the time, and power consumption can be reduced.

[0056] In this manner, the movable part 20 may be held not only when the power is turned off, but also by a user's selection through the operation unit 15. Also, the movable part 20 may be automatically held depending on the shooting mode.

[0057] In addition, in the embodiment, the fixing portion 30 is provided with two holes 37 through which the engagement portions 27 are inserted, but no other openings for locking operation are provided on the rear surface side of the imaging element 21. Therefore, when the temperature of the image sensor 21 rises during shooting, the fixed frame 31 of the fixed part 30 can be used as a heat dissipation path, and since a sufficient area can be secured for the heat dissipation mechanism, heat can be efficiently dissipated in the area close to the heat source.

[0058] Furthermore, by arranging the engagement parts 27 on the edge parts of the imaging element 21 rather than on the rear side thereof, it is possible to increase the distance between the engagement parts 27. Therefore, the movable part 20 can be locked in position with higher accuracy.

[0059] For example, unlike the embodiment, if the retraction of the locking member 43 during unlocking is performed by the biasing force of a spring, if the standby position of the engaging portion 27 is misaligned, the frictional force between the locking member 43 and the engaging portion 27 increases, and there is a possibility that the retraction of the locking member 43 cannot be performed accurately and reliably. It is also conceivable to try to solve this problem by increasing the biasing force of the elastic body, but in this case, there is a drawback in that the operating load during locking increases. However, in the embodiment, when releasing the lock, the actuator 44 is rotated in the reverse direction, so that the lock member 43 is retracted with sufficient force from the engagement position with the engagement portion 27 even when releasing the lock. Therefore, the movement of the lock member 43 can be performed accurately and reliably.

[0060] Although the preferred embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications and variations are possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] OA optical axis 1 Camera 20 Moving parts 21 Image sensor 22 Movable Frame 27 Engagement part 27a Recess 30 Fixed part 31 Fixed Frame 37 Hole 40 Lock Unit 42 Cam plate 42a Gears 42b Cam groove 43 Locking member 43a Cam follower 43b Elastic part 43c U-shaped part 43d Tapered section 43e Convex 44 Actuator 44a Rotation axis 45 1st pinion gear 46 Base 46a Cam plate retaining shaft 46b Gear holder 46c through hole 47 Worm Gear 48 2nd pinion gear

Claims

1. a movable section that holds the image sensor, is movable within a plane perpendicular to the optical axis, and has an engagement section that protrudes toward one side in the optical axis direction; a lock unit including a lock member disposed on the one side of the movable portion, movable within a plane perpendicular to the optical axis, and movable within the plane to engage with the engaging portion provided on the movable portion to lock the movable portion; Equipped with The locking member has a U-shaped portion that holds the engagement portion, The imaging device, wherein a tapered portion that is wider than a base end side of the U-shaped portion is provided at a tip end of the U-shaped portion.

2. The movable portion is provided with a plurality of the engagement portions, The lock unit has a plurality of lock members which engage with the plurality of engagement portions, respectively. The imaging device according to claim 1 .

3. the locking member moves in a linear direction in the orthogonal plane between a first position for locking the movable portion and a second position for unlocking the movable portion. The imaging device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. Any two of the plurality of engagement portions are disposed at positions facing each other with respect to the optical axis. The imaging device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The plurality of engagement portions are disposed at an edge portion of the movable portion and spaced apart from each other. The imaging device according to claim 2 .

6. The locking member has an elastic portion that presses the engaging portions in directions away from each other while holding the engaging portions. The imaging device according to claim 1 .

7. The elastic portion is formed of a spring having a convex portion protruding in a direction facing the engagement portion, and the convex portion presses a concave portion provided in the engagement portion when the locking member holds the engagement portion. The imaging device according to claim 6.

8. The lock unit is a cam plate that is rotatable about the optical axis and has a cam groove on a surface facing the locking member; The locking member is A cam follower that engages with the cam groove is provided. When the cam plate rotates, the cam follower moves along the cam groove, whereby the locking member moves within a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. The imaging device according to claim 1 .

9. When the locking member locks the engaging portion, two side edges of the portion of the cam groove in which the cam follower is located are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the moving direction of the locking member in the orthogonal plane, and movement of the engaging portion in the orthogonal plane is restricted by the side edges. The imaging device according to claim 8.

10. When the locking member releases the lock on the engaging portion, two side edges of the portion of the cam groove in which the cam follower is located are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the moving direction of the locking member in the orthogonal plane, and movement of the engaging portion in the orthogonal plane is restricted by the side edges. The imaging device according to claim 8 or 9.

11. an actuator that rotates the cam plate; The actuator rotates the cam plate, A locking operation for locking the engagement portion of the locking member; and an unlocking operation is performed in which the locking member unlocks the engagement portion; The imaging device according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

12. Each of the cam plate and the actuator has a gear, an intermediate gear portion having pinion gears meshing with the respective gears; a base portion that supports the actuator and that fixes the intermediate gear portion and the cam plate, a driving force of the actuator is transmitted to the cam plate via the intermediate gear portion to rotate the cam plate; The imaging device according to claim 11.

Images