Camera

Details Camera Camera

2000-05-24

2002-06-04

Mahoney, Christopher E. (Department: 2851)

Photography

Camera detail

Lens cover

Reexamination Certificate

active

06398426

ABSTRACT:

This application claims benefit of Japanese Application No. H11-147089 filed in Japan on May 26, 1999, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by this reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a camera provided with a slide barrier mechanism which covers a taking lens.
2. Related Art Statement
Recently, in the field of compact cameras, to satisfy demands on contours or design while taking into account of the protection of taking lenses and portability of cameras, cameras which cover front faces of taking lenses by means of slide barriers after sinking and accommodating taking lens barrels in camera bodies have been commercialized.
With respect to the cameras provided with these slide barrier mechanisms, cameras that are provided with mechanisms which hold the slide barriers at given positions, for example, at a closed position where the slide barriers cover the taking lenses and a fully opened position have been known.
The applicant of the present application disclosed a holding mechanism in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 102570/1994 which is constituted such that in holding a slide barrier at given positions, a click ball for generating a click action and a click spring member which biases the ball are provided to a camera body and the click action is applied to the slide barrier by means of the click ball which is biased by the click spring member.
Further, a camera which includes a click mechanism formed by a slit at a portion of a camera body thus realizing a holding mechanism of a slide barrier has been proposed.
Although the camera proposed by the applicant in the above-mentioned Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication 102570/1994 is useful in terms of holding the slide barrier by the mechanism, an operation to incorporate the above-mentioned click ball and the click spring member had to be cumbersome.
Further, in the camera provided with the click mechanism which is constituted by forming the slit in the camera body, the slit must be formed in the camera body per se. Accordingly, there has been a problem with leakage of light or intrusion of dust, small dust, water and the like requiring countermeasure taken to be resulting in the camera becomes large-sized and the cost increased.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the first object of the present invention to provide a camera having a simple constitution which can hold a slide barrier at given positions.
The second object of the present invention is to provide a camera having a simple constitution which can assuredly hold a slide barrier at a fully opened position or a closed position and enables a user to detect the position of the slide barrier by a click feeling.
In summary, the camera of the present invention includes a slide barrier movable between a closed position where the slide barrier covers a taking lens and an opened position left from the taking lens, wherein a click spring portion is formed in a portion of the slide barrier by providing a slit thereon and a click protruding portion provided on the click spring portion therein is engageable with both a first click recessed portion and a second click recessed portion provided in a camera body. Due to such a constitution, by suitably engaging the click protruding portion with the first click recessed portion or the second click recessed portion, the slide barrier is positioned at the time of closing the slide barrier or at the time of fully opening the slide barrier.
These objects and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed explanation.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4557574 (1985-12-01), Kohno et al.
patent: 5508769 (1996-04-01), Inoue et al.
patent: 5708891 (1998-01-01), Ando et al.
patent: 5708895 (1998-01-01), Ando et al.
patent: 5740480 (1998-04-01), Kuhn, Jr. et al.
patent: 5765068 (1998-06-01), Kamoda
patent: 6151455 (2000-11-01), Mikami et al.
patent: 6-102570 (1994-04-01), None
patent: 11-338009 (1999-12-01), None

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