Flexible printed wiring board arrangement of an imaging device

1. A flexible printed wiring board arrangement of an imaging device, comprising:

an image sensor movable in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis;

a flexible printed wiring board extending from said image sensor; and

a movable support member which is positioned behind said image sensor in said optical axis direction to support said flexible printed wiring board, wherein said movable support member moves with said image sensor in directions orthogonal to said optical axis when said image sensor is moved, a part of said flexible printed wiring board being disposed along a front surface of said movable support member behind said image sensor.

2. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said movable support member comprises a plate which is arranged substantially parallel to said plane in which said image sensor is movable, and

wherein said flexible printed wiring board is in surface contact with said front surface of said movable support member.

3. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising a rear protection member positioned behind said movable support member in said optical axis direction to cover the back of said image sensor.

4. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein a part of said flexible printed wiring board is fixed to said rear protection member.

5. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 4 , wherein said rear protection member comprises a plate provided substantially parallel to said plane in which said image sensor is movable,

wherein said part of said flexible printed wiring board is fixed to a rear surface of said rear projection member, and

wherein said movable support member prevents said flexible printed wiring board, except said part thereof that is fixed to said rear protection member, from touching said rear protection member.

6. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein said rear protection member is fixed to a body of said imaging device so as to be immovable with respect thereto.

7. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 3 , further comprising:

an external display device positioned behind said rear protection member to be exposed to the outside of said imaging device; and

a second flexible printed wiring board which extends from said external display device and provided separately from said flexible printed wiring board that extends from said image sensor;

wherein said second flexible printed wiring board is positioned in a space between said external display device and said rear protection member.

8. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an image sensor fixing member to which said image sensor is fixed;

a holding member which holds said image sensor fixing member and is supported to be movable along said plane orthogonal to said optical axis; and

an inclination angle adjusting mechanism for changing an inclination angle of said image sensor fixing member relative to said holding member,

wherein said movable support member is fixed to said holding member.

9. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein said inclination angle adjusting mechanism comprises:

a plurality of screw holes provided on said holding member;

a plurality of adjusting screws which pass through a plurality of through-holes formed in said image sensor fixing member to be screwed into corresponding said screw holes, respectively; and

a plurality of compression coil springs positioned between said holding member and said image sensor fixing member in a compressed state.

10. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 9 , further comprising a rear protection member positioned behind said movable support member in said optical axis direction to cover the back of said image image sensor,

wherein a plurality of through-holes are formed in said rear protection member so that said adjusting screws are accessible from the rear of said rear protection member through said through-holes, respectively.

11. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said imaging device comprises a digital camera.

12. A flexible printed wiring board arrangement of an imaging device, comprising:

an image sensor movable in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis;

a flexible printed wiring board extending from said image sensor; and

a bending resistance device which is positioned behind said image sensor in said optical axis direction so as to provide a bending-resistance property to said flexible printed wiring board, wherein said bending resistance device moves with said image sensor in directions orthogonal to said optical axis when said image sensor is moved.

13. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein said bending resistance device comprises a plate lying in a plane substantially parallel to said plane orthogonal to said optical axis.

14. A flexible printed wiring board arrangement including an image pickup device movable in a plane orthogonal to an optical axis, a stationary circuit board, and a flexible printed wiring board which is wired to connect said image pickup device to said stationary circuit board, said flexible printed wiring board arrangement comprising:

a rear protection member positioned behind said image pickup device in said optical axis direction to protect the back of said image pickup device, a part of said flexible printed wiring board being fixed to said rear protection member; and

a movable support member which is positioned between said rear protection member and said image pickup device in said optical axis direction to support said flexible printed wiring board, wherein said movable support member moves with said image pickup device in directions orthogonal to said optical axis when said image pickup device is moved, a part of said flexible printed wiring board being disposed along a front surface of said movable support member behind said image pickup device.

15. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 14 , wherein said movable support member comprises a plate which is arranged substantially parallel to said plane orthogonal to said optical axis, and

wherein said rear protection member comprises a plate which is arranged substantially parallel to said plane orthogonal to said optical axis,

16. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein said movable support member integrally moves with said image sensor in directions generally orthogonal to said optical axis when said image sensor is moved.

17. The flexible printed wiring board arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein said bending resistance device integrally moves with said image sensor in directions generally orthogonal to said optical axis when said image sensor is moved.