Photography – Camera detail – Lens cover
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-20
2001-05-01
Perkey, W. B. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Camera detail
Lens cover
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224271
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based on application No.
97-2743
filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on May 14, 1998, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and method for opening and closing a barrier in a zoom camera. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device and method for opening and closing a barrier in a zoom camera in which opening and closing of the barrier is performed by a focus control motor mounted in a shutter block such that problems arising in the use of a zoom motor are avoided.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, zoom cameras are equipped with a focus system in which the focal length is changed by multiple steps. Zoom cameras typically also include a zoom system. These two systems operate separately in most zoom cameras. That is, the zoom system begins to operate when a power switch is turned on and the focus system begins to operate when a shutter is operated.
A zoom camera comprising the above zoom system and focus system has a barrier installed in a front panel to protect the lens. The barrier is linked with the zoom system to be opened or shut respectively as a power switch is turned on and off.
FIG. 12
shows a partial cross-sectional view of a lens system in the conventional zoom camera. With regard to a structure in the conventional lens system used to open and close the barrier, formed on a circumference of a movable lens barrel
201
and assembled to a fixed lens barrel
203
are gears connected through a gear train
207
to a zoom motor
205
and to a helicoid pattern meshed to a helicoid pattern formed on an inner circumference of the fixed lens barrel
203
. The fixed lens barrel
203
is fixed to a body of a camera (not shown). The rotational force of zoom motor
205
is transmitted through the gear train
207
to the movable lens barrel
201
.
With the above structure, the opening and closing of barrier sectors
213
are achieved by (a) transmitting the rotational force of the zoom motor
205
to the movable lens barrel
201
; (b) rotational and rectilinear movement of the movable lens barrel
201
with respect to the fixed lens barrel
203
, whereby the revolving power is conveyed; and (c) using the rotational force of the movable lens barrel
201
to open and close the barrier sector
213
.
That is, the structure used to open and close the barrier in the conventional zoom camera is such that a barrier driving lever
209
is disposed to receive the rotational force of the movable lens barrel
201
, and by the connection of a ring portion
211
of the barrier driving lever
209
to the barrier sectors
213
, the barrier sectors
213
are opened or closed according to the rotation of the ring portion
211
. The barrier sectors
213
, which are designed to open or close according to the rotation of the ring portion
211
, are hinged with the ring portion
211
through a driving pin
229
and are disposed in a front panel such that they (the barrier sectors
213
) can freely rotate.
Focusing is carried out by the forward and backward movement of a focus lens group
217
inside the above movable lens barrel
201
. The focus lens group
217
is disposed in a shutter block
219
, and a focusing motor
221
is provided in the vicinity of the focus lens group
217
and within the shutter block
219
. To focus, a gear train
237
is connected to the focusing motor
221
and a focusing ring
223
is rotatably meshed with the gear train
227
. Further, a connection lever
225
is connected to the focusing ring
223
, and is fixedly connected to the focus lens group
217
.
When the power switch of a zoom camera having the above structure is turned on, the zoom motor
205
begins to operate, and the driving power of the zoom motor
205
is transmitted through the gear train
207
such that the movable lens barrel
201
is moved to a wide position. During this process, the barrier driving lever
209
is rotated, thereby rotating the pair of the barrier sectors
213
to open the same.
When the shutter switch is operated in a state where the barrier sectors
213
are open, the focusing motor
221
starts running, and the rotational power of the focusing motor
221
conveyed through the gear train
227
rotates the focusing ring
223
. The focusing ring
223
, by moving the connection lever
225
connected to the focus lens group
217
, moves the focus lens group
217
to a predetermined position and then returns to its initial position. When the power switch of the zoom camera is turned off, the movable lens barrel
201
returns to its initial position, and the movable lens barrel
201
is disconnected from the barrier driving lever
9
to close the barrier sectors
213
.
In the above structure used to open and close the barrier of the conventional zoom camera, since a plurality of structural elements are integrated with the movable lens barrel
201
, great stress is put upon the zoom motor
205
. That is, in the case where the barrier sectors
213
are opened or closed simultaneously while zooming is performed, driving all of the necessary elements places a significant strain on the zoom motor
205
.
Further, it is possible that the opening and closing of the barrier sectors
213
will not be smooth as a result of assembly errors and/or incorrect adjustments related to focusing made in the movable lens barrel
201
.
In addition, the lens may become damaged by foreign substances or an external impact because the barrier sectors
213
are left opened during the entire zooming operation. Therefore, if the barrier sectors
213
are closed by operation of the power switch to prevent damage to the lens, the process of turning the power switch back on, opening the barrier sector
213
, and finally performing zooming is inconvenient.
Finally, since the power switch is turned off to close the barrier sectors
213
, the taking of photos or other such quick shots is not possible even with the operation of a release switch, and the user must go through the cumbersome step of first turning the power switch on to open the barrier sectors
213
even before focusing and zooming can be performed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above problems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device and method for opening and closing a barrier in a zoom camera in which a load given to a zoom motor is reduced while enabling barrier sectors to be normally opened and closed.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a device and method for opening and closing a barrier in a zoom camera. The device includes a connection lever fixed to a lens barrel of a focus lens group and rotated by transmission of a rotational power of a focusing motor; and a barrier driving unit including a barrier driving lever contacting the connection lever to receive rotational force from the connection lever and a ring portion for pushing sector pins of barrier sectors in a direction to close the barrier sectors.
According to a feature of the present invention, the device further includes a spring for exerting an elastic force on the barrier driving unit in a direction to open the barrier sectors; and a close spring for exerting an elastic force on the barrier driving unit in a direction to close the barrier sectors.
According to another feature of the present invention, the elastic force of the open spring is greater than the elastic force of the close spring, and the elastic force of the close spring is sufficient to move the barrier sectors.
According to yet another feature of the present invention, the rotational power of the focusing motor is greater than the elastic force of the open spring and rotates the connection lever such that the connection lever rotates the barrier driving lever of the barrier driving unit in a direction to close the barrier sectors.
According to yet another feature of the present invention, the device further include
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Perkey W. B.
Samsung Aerospace Industries Ltd.
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