Photography – Having operator controlled data entry into camera – Manual manipulators on camera body unit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-10
2002-03-12
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Having operator controlled data entry into camera
Manual manipulators on camera body unit
C396S435000, C396S543000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06356716
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera having an operation member on a rear cover thereof, a camera whose picture size is variable and a picture size switching mechanism, and a click stop mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a known variable picture size camera in which the picture size can be switched between, for example, a standard picture size and a panoramic picture size (laterally elongated picture plane), an operation member which is adapted to turn the power source ON or OFF and an operation member which is adapted to switch the picture size are separately provided. Namely, the two operation members are independently actuated. Moreover, in a known camera having additional operation members for actuating an electrical signal generation device and a mechanical operation device, incorporated in the camera body, the operation members are separately or individually provided. Generally speaking, a simplification of the operation system has been needed to facilitate the assembly and reduce the manufacturing cost. However, for example, in a water proof camera, the separate water tight structures of the operation members for the electrical signal generation device (e.g., power switching mechanism) and for the mechanical operation device (e.g., picture size switching mechanism) makes the assembly complicate and expensive.
In the case that the operation members are provided on the rear cover of the camera, so that the electrical signal generation device or the mechanical operation device, incorporated in the camera body can be actuated from the outside of the camera body by the operation members, it is difficult to establish an interconnection between the external operation members and the internal electrical signal generation device or the mechanical operation device, etc. When the rear cover is opened, the operation members are disconnected from the corresponding internal device to be actuated. Consequently, if the operation member is actuated when the rear cover is open, there is a possibility that a positional relationship or association therebetween is broken or fails, or the rear cover cannot be closed.
One solution to prevent an appropriate association between the operation member and the internal operation mechanism to be actuated by the operation member from being broken when the rear cover is open is to bias the operation member and the internal operation mechanism toward the association or engagement position. However, in this solution, it is impossible to forcibly close the rear cover while the operation member is maintained in a position different from the engagement position. To make it possible to forcibly close the rear cover, in a conventional camera in which the internal operation mechanism of the camera is, for example, the picture size switching mechanism, a light interception frame which is adapted to vary the picture size is elastically deformed when the forced operation is carried out. However, it is not advisable to deform the light interception frame, from the viewpoint of duration and reliability of the operation thereof.
Furthermore, in a variable picture size camera, a pair of light interception frames for a panoramic picture size are provided in the vicinity of an aperture which defines a standard picture plane, so that the light interception frames can be moved in opposite directions to cover upper and lower edges of the standard picture plane to thereby vary the picture size. The light interception frames must be reliably moved between a standard picture size position in which the standard picture size is obtained and a panoramic picture size position in which a panoramic picture size is obtained, and must be firmly held in the standard picture size position or the panoramic picture size position. To this end, in conventional cameras, a reversible action biasing spring whose direction of action is reversed at a specific spring position is used to move and hold the light interception frames to and in the two extremity positions, or a unidirectional biasing spring is used to continuously bias the light interception frames toward one of the two extremity positions, so that when an external force in a direction opposite to the biasing direction is released, the light interception frames are automatically returned to the one extremity position. However, the biasing spring complicates the structure of the camera.
Moreover, in a operation mechanism, not limited to the camera, a click stop mechanism which includes a click spring and a click projection which can be disengageably engaged by the click spring is often employed to stably hold the operation member which is biased in one direction in one of specific positions so as to move the operation member from the specific position when a predetermined strength of force is applied. In a conventional click stop mechanism, the engagement of the click spring and the click projection at each specific position (engagement position) takes place only at one point thereof, thus resulting in an unstable engagement. In addition to the foregoing, in a conventional click stop mechanism, the position of engagement between the click spring and the click projection is different depending on the direction of the movement of the operation member or the engagement positions (click positions), so that an operator would sense a different amount of operation resistance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a small, inexpensive and high operation efficiency camera in which an electrical signal generation device and a mechanical operation device are incorporated in a camera body and operation members are provided on a rear cover of the camera body, wherein an operation portion is simplified.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a small and inexpensive variable picture size camera in which the assembly can be simplified by simplifying an operation portion thereof.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive picture size switching mechanism for a variable picture size camera in which light interception frames can be reliably held at extremity positions without providing a biasing member to return the light interception frames.
A fourth object of the present invention is to make it possible to carry out a forced operation of the operation device upon closing the rear cover which has been opened (in a camera having an operation mechanism such as a picture size switching mechanism and an operation device for the same provided in a camera body and a rear cover, respectively) without burdening the operation mechanism in the camera body (e.g., picture size switching mechanism).
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a simple click stop mechanism in which an operation member can be stably held in a specific position and an operator's sense of operation hardly changes regardless of the operation direction or operation position.
To achieve the first object of the present invention, there is provided a camera having a rear cover with an operation member thereon, including an electrical signal generation device and a mechanical operation device, provided in a camera body; a movable common operation member provided on the rear cover to actuate the electrical signal generation device and the mechanical operation device; a movable association member in the camera body, which is moved in accordance with the movement of the common operation member when the rear cover is closed, to actuate both the electrical signal generation device and the mechanical operation device; a biasing member on the rear cover, for holding the common operation member at a predetermined position when the rear cover is opened, regardless of the position of the common operation member when the rear cover has been closed; and a biasing member on the camera body, for holding the association member at a predetermined position when the rear cover is opened, regardless of the position of the association
Itabashi Tomoaki
Kosako Kosei
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Gray David M.
Greenblum & Bernstein P.L.C.
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