Structure for guiding flexible printed wiring board through a hinge portion between a body and a swingable member

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to a structure which guides a flexible PWB (printed wiring board) through a hinge portion between a body, e.g. a body of a digital camera or a camcorder, and a swingable member, e.g. a flat-panel display, which is hinged on the body.

#2. Description of the Related Art

#The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a digital camera which incorporates a structure guiding a flexible PWB through a hinge portion to which the prevent invention is applied;

#FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 and illustrates the digital camera with a swingable display member being fully open.

#FIGS. 1 through 4 show an embodiment of a digital camera having a hinge portion between a camera body 10 and a flat-panel display member (swingable member) 20 hinged on the camera body (body member) 10, according to the present invention. Although one of the camera body 10 and the display member 20 is swingable relative to the other, the camera body 10 and the display member 20 are hereinafter referred to as a body member 10 and a swingable member 20, respectively, for the sake of expediency. The body member 10 is provided with a pair of exterior members: a body casing 10H and a body cover member 10C fixed to the body casing 10H. Likewise, the swingable member 20 is provided with a pair of exterior members: a swingable casing 20H and a swingable cover member 20C fixed to the swingable casing 20H.

#The swingable member 20 is provided between the swingable casing 20H and the swingable cover member 20C with an LCD panel 21. The swingable casing 20H is provided with a rectangular opening 22 through which the LCD panel 21 is exposed to the outside of the swingable member 20. As shown in FIGS. 12 through 15, the swingable casing 20H is provided with a pair of first knuckles (upper and lower knuckles) 23 which are integrally formed with the swingable casing 20H. The pair of first knuckles 23 extend horizontally from a vertical side wall of the swingable casing 20H with a vertical gap therebetween so that the respective axes are coaxially arranged.

#As clearly shown in FIG. 16, the body casing 10H of the body member 10 is provided with a second pair of knuckles (upper and lower knuckles) 12 which are integrally formed with the body casing 10H. The pair of second knuckles 12 extend horizontally from a rear wall of the body casing 10H with a vertical gap therebetween so that the respective axes are coaxially arranged. The upper knuckle 12 is positioned immediately above the upper knuckle 23 while the lower knuckle 12 is positioned immediately below the lower knuckle 23. In a state where the swingable member 20 is correctly hinged on the body member 10, the pair of first knuckles 23 and the pair of second knuckles 12 are coaxially arranged. The upper knuckle of the pair of first knuckles 23 and the upper knuckle of the pair of second knuckles 12, i.e. an upper pair of knuckles, are hinged with a pivot pin (upper pivot pin) 30 which is inserted into respective axial holes of the two upper knuckles from above the upper knuckle of the pair of second knuckles 12. Likewise, the lower knuckle of the pair of first knuckles 23 and the lower knuckle of the pair of second knuckles 12, i.e. a lower pair of knuckles, are hinged with another pivot pin (lower pivot pin) 30 which is inserted into respective axial holes of the two lower knuckles from below the lower knuckle of the pair of second knuckles 12. The upper pair of knuckles 12 and 23 that are joined to each other by the upper pivot pin 30 and the lower pair of knuckles 12 and 23 that are joined to each other by the lower pivot pin 30 are symmetrically arranged with respect to a horizontal plane extending through a center point therebetween.