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Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A digital camera has a printed circuit board which comprises a main
area and a flexible area. An optical sensor chip (e.g. a CCD) is
fixed onto the flexible area. The flexible area has flexible character
relative to the main area. Therefore, even if the printed circuit
board is stressed, such stress will be almost or completely eliminated
in the flexible area, so that the optical sensor chip and an optical
lens can be coupled together in a precise manner.
Digital Camera Patent Claims
1. A digital camera comprising: a case; and an image capturing control
system having an optical lens set, an optical sensor chip and a
circuit board, wherein the optical lens set and the optical sensor
chip are fixed on the circuit board, and the optical sensor chip
is disposed between the optical lens and the circuit board; the
digital camera characterized in that: the circuit board comprises
a main area and a flexible area, wherein the flexible area is connected
to the main area and is capable of flexing relative to the main
area; and the optical sensor chip is fixed to the flexible area.
2. The digital camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image
capturing control system further comprises a mounting seat disposed
between the optical sensor chip and the circuit board, and the mounting
seat is connected to the optical lens set via a plurality of fastening
members.
3. The digital camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible
area is surrounding by a plurality of slots and a plurality of connecting
areas and the flexible area is connected to the main area with the
plurality of connecting areas.
4. The digital camera as claimed in claim 3, wherein there are
two slots and two connecting areas.
5. The digital camera as claimed in claim 4, wherein each slot
is L-shaped.
6. The digital camera as claimed in claim 4, wherein each slot
is U-shaped.
7. The digital camera as claimed in claim 4, wherein the slots
are symmetric with respect to each other.
8. The digital camera as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality
of slots surround from 60% up to 97% of the periphery of the flexible
area, and the plurality of connecting areas surround 40% down to
3% of the periphery of the flexible area.
9. The digital camera as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality
of slots surround 70% up to 95% of the periphery of the flexible
area, and the plurality of connecting areas surround 30% down to
5% of the periphery of the flexible area.
10. The digital camera as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flexible
area is surrounding by a plurality of slots and a plurality of connecting
areas, and the flexible area is connected to the main area with
the plurality of connecting areas.
11. The digital camera as claimed in claim 10, wherein the mounting
seat comprises a plurality of fastening holes, and the plurality
of fastening members are combined with the optical lens set via
the plurality of fastening holes.
12. The digital camera as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality
of fastening members are in the plurality of slots but not combined
with the slots.
13. The digital camera as claimed in claim 12, wherein there are
two slots and two connecting areas.
14. The digital camera as claimed in claim 13, wherein each slot
is symmetric with respect to the other slot.
15. The digital camera as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality
of slots surround from 60% up to 97% of the periphery of the flexible
area, and the plurality of connecting areas surround from 40% down
to 3% of the periphery of the flexible area.
16. The digital camera as claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality
of slots surround from 70% up to 95% of the periphery of the flexible
area, and the plurality of connecting areas surround from 30% down
to 5% of the periphery of the flexible area.
Digital Camera Patent Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to digital cameras, and, more
particularly, to circuit boards used in digital cameras.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] One of the most important things for the manufacturing process
of a digital camera is ensuring that the optical lens set and the
optical sensor chip (such as charge coupled device, CCD) are perfectly
parallel with each other.
[0005] Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a first method of combining
an optical lens set and an optical sensor chip together in a prior
art prior art digital camera. The optical sensor chip 81 is fixed
onto a smaller circuit board 82, and the optical lens set 80 is
combined with the optical sensor chip 81. The smaller circuit board
82 is then connected to a primary circuit board (not shown) via
a flexible circuit board 83. The primary circuit board is therefore
not directly connected to the optical sensor chip 81, and so both
during and after the assembly process, the primary circuit board
does not transmit stress to the smaller circuit board 82, and the
optical sensor chip 81 is also not affected by stress from the primary
circuit board.
[0006] Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a second method of
combining an optical lens set and an optical sensor chip together
in a prior art digital camera. The optical sensor chip 91 is fixed
on a flexible circuit board 93, and the flexible circuit board 93
is connected to the primary circuit board (not shown). Stress from
the primary circuit board is therefore not transferred to the optical
sensor chip 91, and so the optical sensor chip 91 may be precisely
aligned with the optical lens set 90.
[0007] However, the above-mentioned methods increase the volume
of the mentioned parts, the number of the parts, the number of assembly
steps and product costs. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a
digital camera with a circuit board to mitigate and/or obviate the
aforementioned problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The main objective of the present invention is to provide
a digital camera that can solve the above-mentioned problem. In
this digital camera, the optical sensor chip is directly combined
with the main circuit board, and the optical sensor chip can be
precisely aligned with the optical lens set, and the volume and
the number of the parts, the number of assembly steps and product
costs can be reduced.
[0009] The digital camera of the present invention has a printed
circuit board which comprises a main area and a flexible area. An
optical sensor chip (e.g. a CCD) is fixed onto the flexible area.
The flexible area has flexible character relative to the main area.
Therefore, even if the printed circuit board is stressed, such stress
will be almost or completely eliminated in the flexible area, so
that the optical sensor chip and an optical lens can be coupled
together in a precise manner.
[0010] According to the embodiments of the present invention, there
are two symmetric slots on the circuit board, and the flexible area
can be connected to the main area via two connecting areas. The
two slots surround from 60% up to 97% of the periphery of the flexible
area, and the two of connecting areas surround from 40% down to
3% of the periphery of the flexible area.
[0011] Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention
will become more apparent from the following detailed description
when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 shows a first method of combining together an optical
lens set and an optical sensor chip in a prior art digital camera.
[0013] FIG. 2 shows a second method of combining together an optical
lens set and an optical sensor chip in another prior art digital
camera.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a digital camera according
to the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a digital camera according
to the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a first embodiment circuit
board in a digital camera, which shows a combination of an optical
lens set, an optical sensor chip, a mounting seat and the circuit
board.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing showing fastening members
and slots of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a first embodiment circuit
board in a digital camera, which shows the combination of an optical
sensor chip, a mounting seat and the circuit board.
[0019] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a second embodiment circuit
board in a digital camera, which shows a combination of an optical
sensor chip, a mounting seat and the circuit board.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] Please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. FIG. 3 is a perspective
view of a digital camera according to the present invention. FIG.
4 is an exploded view of a digital camera according to the present
invention. A digital camera 10 comprises a case 11 and an image
capturing control system 12. The image capturing control system
12 comprises an optical lens set 20, an optical sensor chip 30 (such
as CCD or CMOS), a mounting seat 40, at least one control button
14, at least one circuit board 50 (the circuit board includes circuitry
and electronic units) and a screen 15. Since the basic hardware
structure of the digital camera 10 is a very well known technology,
it requires no further description.
[0021] A characteristic of the present invention is the combination
of the optical lens set 20, the optical sensor chip 30, the mounting
seat 40 and the circuit board 50, with particular reference to the
mechanism in the circuit board 50.
[0022] Please refer to FIG. 5 to FIG. 7. The circuit board 50 of
the present invention comprises a main area 56 and a flexible area
58. The flexible area 58 is surrounded by two L-shaped slots, a
first slot 51 and a second slot 52, and also surrounded by a first
connecting area 53 and a second connecting area 54 (the areas shown
by the dashed lines in FIG. 6). The flexible area 58 is therefore
connected to the main area 56 by the first connecting area 53 and
the second connecting area 54. In a preferred embodiment, the first
slot 51 and the second slot 52 are symmetric, and the first connecting
area 53 and the second connecting area 54 are also symmetric. Furthermore,
the first slot 51 and the second slot 52 surround 60%.about.97%
(and preferably 70%.about.95%) of the periphery of the flexible
area 58, and the first connecting area 53 and the second connecting
area 54 surround 40%.about.3% (and preferably 30%.about.5%) of the
periphery of the flexible area 58. The first slot 51 and the second
slot 52 are disposed between the flexible area 58 and the main area
56; therefore the flexible area 58 is flexible relative to the main
area 56.
[0023] The optical sensor chip 30 is fixed onto the flexible area
58, and the mounting seat 40 is disposed between the optical sensor
chip 30 and the circuit board 50. A plurality of fastening members
42 (such as screws) are disposed in the first slot 51 and the second
slot 52, and pass through a plurality of fastening holes 41 of the
mounting seat 40 to lock with a plurality of locking holes on the
optical lens set 20. Please refer to FIG. 6. The plurality of fastening
members 42 are placed in the first slot 51 and the second slot 52
having respective widths 51w, 52w, which are larger than a largest
width 42w of the fastening member 42. Therefore, the plurality of
fastening members 42 are not connected to the first slot 51 or the
second slot 52, and when the fastening members 42 are fastened to
the optical lens set 20, the optical sensor chip 30 is connected
parallel to the optical lens set 20 to ensure a high quality captured
image.
[0024] Please refer to FIG. 8, an exploded view of a second embodiment
of a circuit board in a digital camera, which shows the combination
of the optical sensor chip, the mounting seat and the circuit board.
The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment
is that the first slot 51a and the second slot 52a are not only
symmetric but U-shaped.
[0025] Because the circuit board 50 is connected to other elements,
such as the case 11 and the optical lens set 20, the circuit board
50 generates stress (both during and after the assembly process).
The present invention utilizes the first slot 51 and the second
slot 52 to reduce the stress acting on the flexible area 58. Moreover,
since the flexible area 58 can flex relative to the main area 56,
though the circuit board 50 may have minor bends that generate stress
(during and after the assembly process), the optical sensor chip
30 on the flexible area 58 remains in parallel connection with the
optical lens set 20 via the mounting seat 40.
[0026] Although the present invention has been explained in relation
to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other
possible modifications and variations can be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. |