Photography – Folding or collapsible camera – Having axially moving lens
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-02
2004-04-06
Mahoney, Christopher E (Department: 2851)
Photography
Folding or collapsible camera
Having axially moving lens
C396S448000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06715938
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-202506, filed Jul. 3, 2001. The entire contents of the application are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera having a forwardly and backwardly movable lens barrel of a photographic lens and a lens-protecting barrier (lens barrier) which can be opened and closed in front of the photographic lens.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the advancement of compact designs, recent cameras with barriers tend to be designed so that the distal ends of the lens barrels and the front faces of the camera bodies, located on the same planes when the lens barrels are retracted.
For example, Japanese Published Patent Application H01-131539 discloses a camera that has a lens barrier and a lens barrel being retractable in the camera main body.
This camera is equipped with a barrier (lens barrier) for the protection of the front part of a photographic lens. The barrier can be opened and closed in front of the lens.
FIG. 20
is a cross-sectional view showing the surroundings of the lens barrel of the camera when the barrier is locked to the camera.
In
FIG. 20
, reference numeral
101
represents the lens barrel, reference numeral
104
represents the barrier, reference numeral
104
a
represents a fitting portion (lock pin cutout) formed in the barrier, reference numeral
110
represents a lock pin and reference numeral
111
represents a leaf spring. As shown in
FIG. 20
, when the lens barrel
101
is extracted (protruding) from the camera main body, the lock pin
110
locks the barrier
104
at an open position so as to prevent the barrier
104
from being moved in a closing direction and contacting the lens barrel
101
. Consequently, when the lens barrel
101
is located at the extended position, the barrier
104
does not interfere with the lens barrel
101
even when the barrier
104
is pressed in the P direction, and thus the forward or backward movement of the lens barrel
101
is not disturbed.
In the disclosed camera, when the barrier is in the closed position, the periphery of the lower portion of the retracted lens barrel
101
presses the L-shaped portion of the lock pin
110
against the urging force (tension) of the leaf spring
111
to move the lock pin
110
down. When the barrier
104
is opened, the lens barrel
101
starts to extract from the retracted state. At a specific point of this extraction, the pressing force on the lock pin
110
by the lower flange of the lens barrel
101
is released, and the lock pin
110
is pushed out to the front side of the camera by the urging force of the leaf spring
111
and engages with the fitting portion (lock pin cutout)
104
a
to lock the barrier
104
. As a result of the described process, there is some time lag between the time at which the barrier
104
reaches to the open position and the time at which it is locked. Therefore, if an operator presses the barrier
104
in the closing direction P just after he or she opens it, the barrier
104
might move in the closing direction P and hit the lens barrel,
101
or the lens barrel
101
might touch the back surface of the barrier
104
. Therefore, the mechanism described above for extracting the lens barrel
101
can cause damage by the contact between the barrier
104
and the lens barrel
101
.
The present invention provides an improved mechanism for extracting and retracting lens barrels, and/or for locking and unlocking a lens barrier to avoid contact between the lens barrel and lens barrier caused by an error.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a camera equipped with a forwardly and backwardly movable photographic lens and a lens protecting barrier (lens barrier) which can be opened and closed in front of the photographic lens. The present invention has some technical features to reduce the risk of contact between the barrier and the photographic lens caused by careless operation of the camera. All the technical features may be used to implement the present invention; however, each one of the technical features has a unique merit for implementation. Consequently, it is not required to implement all the technical features of the present invention. A user of the present invention may use some or all of the technical features which are necessary in accordance with his or her situation.
In various embodiments of the present invention, the camera of the present invention may be a film camera, a digital camera, a video camera or any electronic equipment (for example, a cellular phone, a computer, PDA) having a camera installed therein.
In the present invention, a photographic lens includes a photographic lens and a lens barrel holding the photographic lens unless the photographic lens and the lens barrel are distinguishably described.
The present invention is designed to be used with a camera having a photographic lens which can be forwardly and backwardly moved along the optical axis direction of the lens system and a barrier which can cover the front face or a portion of the front face of the photographic lens when the lens is retracted. The barrier is movable between a closed position at which it covers the front face of the photographic lens or a portion of the front face and a retreated position at which it does not cover the front face of the photographic lens. The path of the photographic lens and the path of the barrier cross each other; therefore the barrier must locate at the retreated position when the photographic lens moves forward or backward and may locate at the closed position only when the photographic lens is retracted in the camera main body.
The first technical feature of the invention resides in that when the barrier is opened, the barrier is locked by using the movement of the barrier itself to the retreated position (the barrier is to be locked at least so as not to be moved in the closing direction). Specifically, the lock operation of the barrier is caused directly by the movement of the barrier to the retreated position, whereby the barrier can be quickly locked when it is moved to the retreated position. As an example to implement this lock operation, the lock member for locking the barrier may be kept under tension in the locking direction so that it can automatically and immediately lock the barrier by the urging force when the barrier comes to the retracted position, and thereby the locking operation becomes possible.
The second technical feature of the invention resides in that, in the first technical feature, the forward movement of the photographic lens is started only after the barrier lock by the lock member is accomplished. By this technical feature, even when the barrier is pressed in the closing direction during the forward movement of the photographic lens, the barrier cannot be moved in the closing direction because it has already been locked. Consequently, the contact between the barrier and the photographic lens can be effectively prevented. As an example to achieve this feature, a switch is provided to detect that the barrier has reached the position where it is to be locked, and the detection makes a motor start to drive the photographic lens in advancing direction.
The third technical feature of the invention resides in that, in a phase of retracting the photographic lens into the camera main body and subsequently closing the lens barrier, the lock of the barrier is released by using the retracting motion of the photographic lens. With this feature, the timing for releasing the barrier's lock can be preferably chosen in connection with the retracting photographic lens's current position. The releasing timing can be chosen with reference to the photographic lens's position, thereby it is possible to defer the release of the barrier's lock until after the photographic lens has sufficiently retracted. Thus there is no possibility of cont
Mahoney Christopher E
Olympus Corporation
Pokotylo John C.
Straub & Pokotylo
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