Camera Body Recess Guiding Mechanism for Connector Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional imaging apparatuses face difficulties in accurately and smoothly connecting the camera body and image pickup unit during detachable attachment, leading to inefficient handling and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a camera body with a recess featuring three wall sections and a guiding mechanism, including a rear wall reinforcing sheet metal member and a plate spring, to ensure precise alignment and secure attachment of the image pickup unit, utilizing engaging protrusions and guiding holes to prevent unnatural postures and angles, and a locking mechanism for stable connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the image pickup unit is detachably attached to the camera body using a simple housing recess structure, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the manufacturing precision and reliability of the connection are insufficient leading to inaccurate and rough attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a guiding mechanism comprising guiding protrusions and guiding grooves as intermediary elements between the image pickup unit housing and the camera body housing recess. These guiding structures act as mediators that precisely control the relative position and orientation during attachment, transforming the rough detachable connection into an accurate one without fundamentally changing the detachable attachment concept
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding protrusions and guiding grooves are pre-formed on the housing components before assembly. The guiding structures preliminarily establish the correct spatial relationship between the image pickup unit and camera body, ensuring that when the units are attached, they automatically align to the precise position without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms during the attachment process
2Reliability
If the image pickup unit is attached by pushing along the back wall section without additional guiding structures, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of the connection is worsened due to potential unnatural postures and angles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing guiding structures only at specific critical locations where alignment is needed, rather than making the entire attachment surface complex. The guiding protrusions and grooves are strategically positioned to control the relative orientation, while other areas maintain simple flat surfaces for easy operation. This localized approach ensures reliability without sacrificing ease of operation
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional detachable attachment structure is used, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the risk of damage during attachment and detachment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding protrusions and guiding grooves are designed to make contact first during the attachment process, before the main housing bodies come into full contact. This preliminary contact acts as a cushioning mechanism that guides the units into proper alignment, preventing misalignment forces that could cause damage to connectors or other sensitive components. The guiding structures absorb the initial impact and directional errors before the main connection is established
Data Source
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AI summary
A camera body includes a recess to which an image pickup unit is detachably attached to be placed therein. The image pickup unit includes a housing having an optical system, an image pickup device, a first connector section. The recess has three wall sections including a back wall section facing a rear of the housing of the image pickup unit and a side wall section facing a side surface of the housing when the image pickup unit is placed in the recess. The side wall section includes a second connector section to be connected to the first connector section to perform communication. The back wall section is provided with a controlling member. A rear of the image pickup unit has an insertion opening into which the controlling member is to be inserted and an abutting section to allow the controlling member to abut thereon. When the image pickup unit is attached to the recess, the first connector section and the second connector section are connected to each other when the controlling member is inserted into the insertion opening, and the first connector section is not connected to the second connector section when the controlling member abuts on the abutting section.