Electronic camera with an automatic lens cover

Abstract

A camera including a body, an image pickup unit including an optical lens system and an image pickup device and being formed to rotate around the body freely; a lens cover opening and closing in front of the optical lens system group; and a lens cover driving unit for driving the lens cover to open while the image pickup unit rotates from an unused position in one direction within a predetermined range, and driving the lens cover to close while the image pickup unit rotates in another direction within a determined range.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A camera, comprising: 
 a body;    an image pickup unit including an optical lens system and an image pickup device that rotate around the body freely;    a lens cover opening and closing in front of the optical lens system group; and    a lens cover driving unit for driving the lens cover to open while the pickup image unit rotates from an unused position in a first direction within a predetermined range, and driving the lens cover to close while the pickup image unit rotates in a second direction within said predetermined range.    
     
     
         2 . The camera of  claim 1 , wherein the image pickup unit freely rotates over the predetermined range, and the lens cover is opened when the image pickup unit is rotated over the predetermined range.  
     
     
         3 . The camera of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the lens cover is formed at a lens cover driving axle, said lens cover driving axle being inserted into a protrusion formed on the image pickup unit, and wherein an axle fixing portion is formed at the upper and lower ends of the lens cover driving axle.  
     
     
         4 . The camera of  claim 1 , wherein a strobe light is formed on one part of the lens cover.  
     
     
         5 . The camera of  claim 1 , wherein the cover driving unit comprises, 
 a driving gear formed at the one part of the lens cover;    a first transfer gear and a second transfer gear engaged with said driving gear and positioned within the image pickup unit;    a lever capable of rotating with the second transfer gear integratedly;    a coil spring engaged to press an end plane of the second transfer gear and the lower arm of the lever;    an angle cam protruded from the body and having a tilted plane for moving the upper arm of the lever and a highest vertex plane and a plane to stop the upper arm; and    a non-cam member being formed in the one plane of the body around the angle cam.    
     
     
         6 . The camera of  claim 1 , wherein the driving gear is formed around the upper periphery of the lens cover driving axle.  
     
     
         7 . The camera of  claim 5 , wherein the transfer gear has a cross section of a folding pan.  
     
     
         8 . The camera of  claim 7 , wherein a micro switch is formed at the cross section of the first transfer gear, 
 said micro switch contacting the end plane of the first transfer gear in accordance with a rotation of the first transfer gear.    
     
     
         9 . The camera of  claim 1 , 
 wherein the angle cam moves along a 90 ° range around the center of the rotating axle of the image pickup unit.    
     
     
         10 . A camera comprising: 
 a body;    an image pickup unit including an optical lens system and an image pickup device that rotate around the body;    a pair of lens covers opening and closing in front of the optical lens system; and    a lens cover driving unit for driving the lens cover to open while the image pickup unit rotates from an unused position in a first direction within a predetermined range, and driving the lens cover to close while the image pickup unit rotates in a second direction within the predetermined range.    
     
     
         11 . The camera of  claim 10 , 
 wherein the pair of lens covers are formed at the front of the optical lens system, and rotate around axles.    
     
     
         12 . The camera of  claim 10 , wherein pins are formed on an inner plane of the image pickup unit in the direction of opening of the pair of lens covers pickup unit to stop the pair of lens covers.  
     
     
         13 . The camera of  claim 10 , wherein the lens cover driving units comprise: 
 an angle cam protruded from the body connected to the image pickup unit;    a driving lever having an upper arm rotating along a tilted plane of the angle cam;    a double lever having a first lever and a second lever, wherein the second lever has a pin which is inserted into a hole formed at the driving lever;    a coil spring one end of which is engaged with said driving lever, and the other end of which is engaged with a pin formed at one plane of the image pickup unit;    a driving ring for opening the pair of lens covers in accordance with the rotation of the double lever, said driving ring being connected to said first lever of said double lever and to said pair of lens covers.