Photography – Single lens reflex camera
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-20
2002-05-28
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Single lens reflex camera
C396S357000, C396S535000, C396S541000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394667
ABSTRACT:
This application is based on application No. Hei 10-13865 filed in Japan, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera. This invention relates to a method for assembling a camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, to adjust a functional unit such as a shutter unit or a mirror box disposed inside the camera body, after a preliminary adjustment is performed unit by unit, a final adjustment is performed with the functional unit incorporated in the camera body. This is done in order to correct accumulated part errors.
For example, as shown in the relevant portion exploded perspective view of
FIG. 1
, for a shutter unit
2
of a single lens reflex camera, first, the preliminary adjustment of the transport speeds of the leading and the trailing screens is performed unit by unit. Specifically, a worm gear
2
w
meshing with a gear
2
x
is rotated or a ratchet
2
y
being rotatable only in one direction by being engaged with a claw
2
v
is rotated, thereby adjusting the helix angles, that is, the spring charge forces of transport springs
2
s
and
2
t
for driving the leading and the trailing screens. Then, with the shutter unit
2
incorporated in a camera body
1
, the final adjustment of the shutter screen speed is performed. Specifically, the worm gear
2
w
is rotated from above to thereby adjust the speed of the leading screen so as to be the same as that of the trailing screen.
However, the final adjustment in which the worm gear
2
w
is accessed is necessarily performed with an upper cover, an exterior part of the camera, being detached. Consequently, when the upper cover is attached after the final adjustment, it can occur that the camera body
1
and the shutter unit
2
are distorted to cause the shutter unit
2
to be out of adjustment. Moreover, the access to the worm gear
2
w
is necessarily secured, for example, by forming a hole in an electrical member such as a flexible circuit board disposed in an upper part of the camera. Further, the worm mechanism complicated in structure compared with a ratchet mechanism is necessarily provided only for the adjustment, so that the lateral size of the camera is increased by the presence of the worm gear
2
w.
Moreover, for example, as shown in the relevant portion exploded perspective view of
FIG. 2
, for a mirror box
4
having a main mirror (not shown) and a sub mirror
4
a
, after a preliminary adjustment is performed unit by unit and the mirror box
4
is incorporated into the camera body
1
, a decentered pin
4
t
provided on a side surface of the mirror box
4
is rotated to perform the final adjustment of the angle of the sub mirror
4
a
. Specifically, the decentered pin
4
t
engages with one end of an interlocking lever
4
k
rotatably held on the side surface of the mirror box
4
, and the rotation of the decentered pin
4
t
shifts the position of a stopper pin
4
s
provided at the other end of the interlocking lever
4
k
. A holder
4
b
for holding the sub mirror
4
a
abuts on the stopper pin
4
s
. Consequently, the rotation of the decentered pin
4
t
changes the angle of the sub mirror
4
a
. Such a complicated interlocking mechanism is used in order that the angle of the sub mirror
4
a
can be adjusted from a position easily accessed from the outside.
However, the final adjustment in which the decentered pin
4
t
is accessed is necessarily performed with a front cover detached. Consequently, when the front cover is attached after the final adjustment, it can occur that the camera body
1
and the mirror box
4
are distorted to slightly change the angle of the sub mirror
4
a
. Further, the complicated interlocking mechanism is necessary only for the adjustment of the sub mirror
4
a.
As described above, various problems arise with the prior art since the final adjustments of the functional units
2
and
4
are performed in an unfinished state where no exterior parts are attached to the camera.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a camera in which it never occurs that functional units become out of adjustment after the final adjustment of the functional units.
A camera of the present invention is a type in which at least a part of a functional unit is disposed at an interior portion of a camera body which portion is not exposed when a cover is opened in a finished state. In one aspect of the present invention, an opening is formed in an interior portion that is exposed when a cover is opened. A continuous space for inserting an adjustment tool is provided between the opening and the adjustment part of the functional unit.
According to the above-described structure, in the camera body, there is a space (referred to as complete interior) that is not exposed when a cover of the finished camera (e.g. a back cover, a battery chamber cover, a film cartridge chamber cover, or a hiding cover for covering a switch, a display panel or a contact, etc.) is opened, and a space (referred to as quasi-interior) that is not exposed at ordinary times such as at the time of photographing but is exposed when the cover is opened. In the complete interior, at least a part of a functional unit (including an electrical unit such as a flash light emitting unit or a circuit board in addition to a mechanical unit such as a shutter unit or a mirror box) is disposed. In the quasi-interior, an opening is formed. Between the opening and the adjustment part of the functional unit (including an electrical adjustment part by a variable resistance, a DIP switch, a jumper switch or the like in addition to a mechanical adjustment part by a screw, a gear or the like), a continuous space is provided for inserting an adjustment tool. To perform the final adjustment of the functional unit, after the camera is assembled to a substantially finished state, an adjustment tool is inserted through the opening into the adjustment tool insertion space to access the adjustment part of the functional unit with the adjustment tool. Here, the “substantially finished state of the camera” indicates not only the finished state in which the camera is completely finished with all the parts incorporated therein but also a state in which the incorporation of parts has been advanced to such an extent that the incorporation of the remaining parts does not affect the adjustment of the functional unit, that is, does not cause the functional unit to be out of adjustment.
Consequently, the functional unit is not caused to be out of adjustment after the final adjustment thereof.
Preferably, a light intercepting member or a covering for covering the opening is further provided at the opening.
According to the above-described structure, a light intercepting member or a covering is attached to cover the opening after the final adjustment of the functional unit. Since the light intercepting member and the covering are provided only for covering the opening, the attachment of the light intercepting member or the covering does not distort the camera body. Consequently, the attachment of the light intercepting member or the covering does not cause the functional unit to be out of adjustment. Since the light intercepting member intercepts light between the complete interior and the quasi-interior of the camera body, when the film is placed in the quasi-interior of the camera body, film is prevented from being exposed by light from the complete interior of the camera body. Since the access to the adjustment part of the functional unit is inhibited by the light intercepting member or the covering after the final adjustment, the adjustment of the functional unit is not easily changed by the user.
An example of the above-mentioned functional unit is a shutter unit. The adjustment part is a screen adjustment part for adjusting the speed of the shutter screen.
According to the above-described structure, the shutter mechanism can be adjusted without the need for a worm mechanism or a hole in an electrical m
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Gray David M.
Minolta Co. , Ltd.
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