Photography – Folding or collapsible camera
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-19
2001-09-11
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Folding or collapsible camera
C396S542000, C439S067000, C439S077000, C174S254000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287021
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices such as flexible printed circuit boards used to couple electronic components within electronic devices such as cameras and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many electronic devices such as cameras, etc., incorporate components that move relative to each other. Often, such moveable components must be electrically coupled to each other to facilitate power and data transfers. To couple such components, flexible printed circuit boards or “FPCs” often are used. An electronic device that utilizes a conventional type FPC is shown in drawing figures identified as
FIGS. 1A
,
1
B,
2
A, and
2
B which have been appended to this patent document.
FIGS. 1A and 1B
are diagrams of a camera. More particularly,
FIG. 1A
shows a state in which a lens barrel
100
and photographic lens
105
are collapsed within a camera body
101
.
FIG. 1B
shows a state in which lens barrel
100
protrudes from camera body
101
. A circuit unit
102
used in performing focusing or shutter driving operations is disposed in lens barrel
100
. Circuit unit
102
is connected to a main device board (not shown in the drawing) disposed in camera body
101
at camera body point
104
via an FPC
103
. A connecting portion
102
a
of circuit unit
102
is used to connect to FPC
103
. Another connecting member
104
a
is maintained on the camera body side to connect to FPC
103
.
With reference to
FIGS. 2A and 2B
, depicted therein are diagrams of FPC
103
as originally shown in
FIGS. 1A and 1B
, respectively.
FIG. 2A
is a diagram that shows FPC
103
when lens barrel
100
is in a retracted or closed position. As shown, a gap Lo exists between circuit member
102
and camera body point
104
such that FPC
103
is maintained in a folded-up state. The fold or bend in FPC
103
occurs as a result of movement of lens barrel
100
. As shown in
FIG. 2B
, when lens barrel
100
is extended, FPC
103
is unfolded and gap Lo is widened.
Although FPC
103
permits electrical connection within camera
100
, stresses resulting from movement of FPC
103
concentrate in portion
103
a.
As a result, surface malformations and dis-connections often occurred as a result of repeated lens barrel movement. Such problems were exacerbated by the fact that the smaller the bending radius of portion
103
a
as shown in
FIG. 2A
, the larger the change of the angle &thgr; as shown in FIG.
2
B. And, unfortunately, it was disadvantageous to make the folding space larger as internal spaces within camera body
101
needed to be correspondingly enlarged.
Thus, there exists a need to provide new and improved connecting devices such as FPCs that minimize and negate the effects of repeated movement and the like. Additionally, to be viable such connecting devices must be effective within small spaces such as those found within cameras and other compact electronic devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has as its principal object to solve the problems mentioned above. In so doing, the present invention provides a new flexible connecting apparatus that allows at least two electronic components to be connected to each other reliably and in situations where repeated movement of the two electronic devices is realized. As a result, the present invention provides certain benefits not heretofore realized by prior devices and, in particular, prior flexible printed circuit board components. For example, the present invention now provides device manufactures with a component that may be placed into small, tight spaces that can be reliably used to facilitate electrical and data connections among electronic components. By utilizing certain geometric shapes and patterns, a new flexible printed circuit board (FPC) is realized that better responds to destructive stresses from component movement and takes up less space inside of complex electronic devices such as cameras, microscopes, projection scanner equipment, etc.
The present invention solves the aforementioned problems to deliver the above-described benefits by providing an apparatus such as a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) for coupling two electronic components that are configured to move relative to each other such as within a multi-part, slide-open type camera, multi-part micro-scope, a scanner device, etc. that includes a first end configured to be coupled to a first electronic component, a flexible connecting member emanating from the first end, and a second end at which the connecting member terminates and which is used to connect the flexible connecting member to a second electronic component. The connecting member includes a component surface used to communicate electrical signals between the fist electronic component and the second electronic component. The flexible connecting member has a shape that permits it to extend and retract in directions substantially perpendicular to the component surface. The shape also permits the flexible connecting member to be maintained in a single plane when in a fully retracted state.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4864348 (1989-09-01), Fujiwara et al.
patent: 5708875 (1998-01-01), Hayakawa
patent: 5758208 (1998-05-01), Fuji et al.
Katoh Minoru
Miyamoto Hidenori
Nishimura Tomoki
Otani Tadashi
Erik B. Cherdak & Associates, LLC.
Gray David M.
Nikon Corporation
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