Photography – With object illumination for exposure – Having flash built into camera
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-26
2004-02-24
Perkey, W. B. (Department: 2851)
Photography
With object illumination for exposure
Having flash built into camera
Reexamination Certificate
active
06697572
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera, and more specifically, the invention relates to a camera comprising a gear system for driving a movable part such as a movable barrel of a zoom lens, and a flash tube.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a camera comprises a flash unit for irradiating a subject with light (a flash). The flash unit is a box-shaped flash case accommodating a flash tube made of a Xe (xenon) tube, and a reflector disposed around the flash tube. The flash case is mounted on the upper side of a camera body.
Incidentally, a gear system including a plurality of gears for driving a movable barrel of a zoom lens and so on is disposed on a front face of the camera body (that is, a face of the subject's side). The gears of the gear system are rotatably supported by a plurality of pins provided in a protruding condition on the front face of the camera body, respectively. Further, a gear holding plate which is a plate-shaped part is disposed so as to face the front face of the camera body. The gear holding plate holds each gear so as to prevent the gear from falling out of the pin.
Conventionally, in an assembly process of the camera, each gear of the gear system, the gear holding plate and the flash case are separately mounted on the camera body.
However, in the case where each gear of the gear system, the gear holding plate and the flash case are separately mounted on the camera body, it is difficult to achieve a simplification of the assembly process of the camera.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the foregoing problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a camera capable of achieving a simplification of an assembly process thereof.
A camera having a movable part according to the invention comprises: a camera body; a gear system including a plurality of gears for driving the movable part; a flash tube for irradiating a subject with light; and a holding member mounted on the camera body, and holding the flash tube and the plurality of gears of the gear system.
In a camera according to the invention, the flash tube, and each gear of the gear system are held by a holding member.
Further, in a camera according to the invention, it is preferable that the camera body includes a front face with a plurality of pins provided in a protruding condition, and supporting the plurality of gears to be rotatable, respectively, and the holding member is disposed so as to face the front face of the camera body, and holds the plurality of gears so as to prevent the plurality of gears from falling out of the plurality of pins. Moreover, it is preferable that the camera further comprises a circuit board mounting a circuit for driving the flash tube thereon, and the holding member includes an engagement portion engaged with the circuit board to hold the circuit board. In addition, it is preferable that the holding member further includes a shielding member covering one side of the flash tube. Moreover, the holding member preferably includes a box-shaped portion for accommodating the flash tube, and a plate-shaped portion for holding the gear system between the camera body and the holding member.
In a camera according to the invention, the movable part is preferably a movable barrel with built-in lenses.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5708867 (1998-01-01), Nagata et al.
patent: 6497520 (2002-12-01), Omiya
patent: 2002/0071669 (2002-06-01), Omiya
Manabe Mitsuo
Yamane Kenji
Frommer & Lawrence & Haug LLP
Fujii Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
Perkey W. B.
Ryan Matthew K.
Smid Dennis M.
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