Photography – Having variable focal length of camera objective – Power zoom
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-05
2003-04-29
Perkey, W. B. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Having variable focal length of camera objective
Power zoom
C396S536000, C396S543000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06556786
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a camera, and more particularly, to a camera having a switch mechanism of which operation member is provided to a back cover of the camera.
Generally, a camera has a back cover mounted to a camera body by a hinge mechanism for open and close an inner space of the camera for accommodating a film cartridge. Recently, many cameras have switches on the back cover since a camera user can conveniently operate the switch arranged on the back cover. One example is a zoom lens camera having a switch on the back cover which is operated for varying the focal length of a zoom lens system. Each of such zoom lens cameras further has a lens moving mechanism which moves the lenses of the zoom lens system to vary the focal length, and a controller for controlling the lens moving mechanism,. each of which is provided to the camera body. The switch on the back cover is electrically connected with the controller by lead wires or a flexible board that are extending from the back cover into the camera body through the hinge mechanism.
By such cameras, however, mechanical stress is applied to the lead wires and/or the flexible board each time when the back cover is opened and closed. Such mechanical stress is not desirable since repetition of mechanical stress may break the lead wire and/or the flexible board.
Further, assembly of a camera having the above-described structure requires many additional and complicated steps for arranging the lead wires or flexible board through the hinge mechanism.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved camera having a switch operatable from the back cover of the camera, which does not require a complicated assembly and is not damaged even if the back cover is opened and closed for many times.
Thus, the invention provides a camera including a camera body having an inner space, a cover mounted to said camera body to open and close said inner space, and an operation member movably mounted to said cover. The operation member is manually operable from outside said camera. The camera further includes at least one switch provided in said camera body, and a motion transmitting mechanism provided between the at least one switch and the operation member. The motion transmitting mechanism is provided to the camera such that it switches a status of the at least one switch in response to an operation of said operation member.
The at least one switch may include first and second switches, and the camera may execute a first operation when the first switch is ON and a second operation when the second switch is ON. Further, the motion transmitting mechanism may switch on the first switch when the operation member is at a first position, and switch on the second switch when the operation member is at a second position.
In the above case, The camera may further include a zoom lens system, a lens moving mechanism and a controller, each of which provided to the camera body. The lens moving mechanism moves one or more lenses of said zoom lens system to vary a focal length of said zoom lens system. The controller is connected to both the first and second switches and the lens moving mechanism is controlled by said controller such that the focal length decreases when the first switch is ON, and such that the focal length increases when the second switch is ON.
The inner space may be a film cartridge space for accommodating a film cartridge, and the cover is a back cover mounted to a back side of the camera body to open and close the film cartridge space.
The film cartridge space may include a shaft space formed in a back wall of the camera body, and the shaft space may accommodate a shaft which protrudes from said film cartridge. Further, the motion transmitting mechanism may be provided to the back wall at the vicinity of the shaft space.
The at least one switch of the camera according to the invention may be provided to the camera body such that a back wall of the camera body is located between the at least one switch and the operation member, and the motion transmitting mechanism may include a rod supported slidably in a through hole formed in the back wall. The rod is urged towards the at least one switch by the operation member as the operation member being moved in a predetermined direction, and thereby switches on said at least one switch.
The motion transmitting mechanism may be provided to the camera body such that the motion transmitting mechanism is disconnected from the operation member when the cover is opened.
In other cases, the motion transmitting mechanism may be provided to the back cover such that the motion transmitting mechanism is disconnected from the operation member when the cover is opened.
According to another aspect of the invention, a camera is provided which includes a camera body, a cover openably mounted onto the camera body, at least one electrical device provided in the camera body, the at least one electrical device being mechanically operated to change status thereof, a manually operable member mounted on the cover, the manually operable member being electrically disconnected from the at least one electrical device; and a motion transmitting mechanism that transmits an operation of the manually operable member to the at least one electrical device.
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Suzuka Shinya
Taguchi Ichiro
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
Pentax Corporation
Perkey W. B.
LandOfFree
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