US 7,507,041 B2
Imaging device
Toshiaki Ueda, Saitama (Japan); Takayoshi Yamasaki, Tokyo (Japan); Tetsuya Okuchi, Tokyo (Japan); Kouta Nagano, Tokyo (Japan); Tomonori Watanabe, Tokyo (Japan); Shin Miyashita, Kanagawa (Japan); and Atsuko Koyama, Kanagawa (Japan)
Assigned to Sony Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Dec. 13, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/299,790.
Claims priority of application No. 2004-375753 (JP), filed on Dec. 27, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2006/0165407 A1, Jul. 27, 2006
Int. Cl. G03B 17/02 (2006.01); H01M 2/10 (2006.01); H05K 1/14 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 396—423  [396/539; 348/375; 429/100; 361/737] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging device comprising:
a flat box-shaped housing having a first main surface, a second main surface opposite to said first main surface, and a first end surface connecting said first main surface and said second main surface;
an imaging lens provided on said first main surface;
a monitor provided on said second main surface;
a battery compartment defined between said first main surface and said second main surface, said battery compartment having an opening exposed to said first end surface for insertion and ejection of a battery;
a battery release lever provided on said first end surface for allowing the insertion of said battery into said battery compartment having an opening and the ejection of said battery from said battery compartment through said opening; and
a battery lid provided on said first end surface for opening and closing said opening of said battery compartment; wherein
said battery release lever is located adjacent to said battery lid to avoid substantially covering said battery release lever when said battery lid is closed, said battery release lever being formed at one end with a battery engaging portion and being slidably mounted on said first end surface so as to be movable between an advanced position where said battery engaging portion of said battery release lever is advanced to close a part of said opening of said battery compartment and a retracted position where said battery engaging portion is retracted to open said part of said opening; said battery release lever being normally biased toward said advanced position by a spring.