Photography – Camera detail – Body structure or housing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-23
2003-01-28
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photography
Camera detail
Body structure or housing
C396S300000, C396S543000, C396S297000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06512893
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement on a cartridge using apparatus and a camera having a lock mechanism which is arranged to be controlled and driven to a lock position or an unlocking position where a cartridge chamber lid is locked to or unlocked from a cartridge chamber.
2. Description of Related Art
A camera body is generally formed to include a cartridge chamber to accommodate therein a film cartridge with a cartridge chamber lid arranged to cover the cartridge chamber. A cartridge chamber lid locking device has heretofore been variously developed for preventing the cartridge chamber lid from being opened by mistake.
For example, a cartridge chamber lid locking device disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 6-258699 is composed of a lock member arranged to be settable at a locking position at which the cartridge chamber lid is locked to a closed state or at an unlocking position at which the cartridge chamber lid can be opened or closed, a lens barrel drive transmission member arranged to be capable of setting the lock member either at the locking position or at the unlocking position according to the movement of a lens barrel, and a driving means for driving the lens barrel. Since a film would be exposed to light if the cartridge chamber lid happens to be inadvertently opened by mistake with the film in a state of having been pulled out from a film cartridge loaded in the cartridge chamber, the cartridge chamber lid locking device is arranged such that, with the film in the pulled-out state, the driving means is driven to set the lock member at the locking position through the lens barrel drive transmission member. When the film is in a state of being completely stowed within the film cartridge, the driving means is driven to set the lock member at the unlocking position.
Meanwhile, it has been developed to provide a film cartridge with an index for indicating a film using state by rotating together with a cartridge spool which is disposed within the film cartridge. In rewinding the film, the stopping position of the cartridge spool is controlled to have a film using state, such as an unused state, a half used state or a full used state, indicated by the index.
Some of known cameras are provided with the cartridge chamber lid locking device disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 6-258699 in combination with the above-stated function of indicating the film using state. The camera of this type is arranged to rewind the film, upon completion of photo-taking, in relation to timing of setting the lock member at the unlocking position, to finish the film rewinding action with a leader part of the film having been pulled into the film cartridge, and to adjust the position of the index. After the completion of adjustment of the position of the index, the cartridge chamber is allowed to become openable and closable by driving the lens barrel in such a way as to have the lock member set at the unlocking position.
It is also known to arrange a safety lock device to effect change-over from an unlocking state to a locking state and vice versa according to the direction of film driving. The safety lock device is arranged to be set into the locking state in a case where a film happens to come to a stop due to some reason while film rewinding is still in process.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a cartridge using apparatus and a camera which are arranged to be capable of unlocking a cartridge chamber lid, without necessitating any overhaul work nor any additional member for taking a film cartridge out from a cartridge chamber for repair, even in a case where an unlocking action on the cartridge chamber lid happens to be inhibited due to some accident.
To attain the above object, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a camera having a cartridge chamber arranged to accommodate therein a cartridge having a film stowed therein, the camera comprising a lock mechanism having a locking state in which a lid of the cartridge chamber is locked to the cartridge chamber and an unlocking state in which the lid of the cartridge chamber is unlocked to be openable and closable, the lock mechanism being arranged to operate according to movement of a lens barrel in such a way as to come into the locking state when the lens barrel is located within a first range of position including a photo-taking position and to come into the unlocking state when the lens barrel is located at a specific position which differs from the first range of position, a lens driving mechanism arranged to move the lens barrel to the specific position when a predetermined condition including completion of film rewinding is satisfied, and a control circuit arranged to cause the lens driving mechanism to drive the lens barrel to the specific position in response to a specific operation when the predetermined condition is not satisfied.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a camera or a cartridge using apparatus having a cartridge chamber arranged to accommodate therein a cartridge having a film stowed therein, the camera or the cartridge using apparatus comprising a lock mechanism arranged to be controlled and driven to one of a locking position for locking a lid of the cartridge chamber to the cartridge chamber and an unlocking position for unlocking the lid of the cartridge chamber to be openable and closable, a first control circuit arranged to judge whether a predetermined operation condition is satisfied and, if the predetermined operation condition is satisfied, to control and drive the lock mechanism from the locking position to the unlocking position, and a second control circuit arranged to allow the lock mechanism to be driven from the locking position to the unlocking position in response to a specific operation if the predetermined operation condition is not satisfied.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a camera or a cartridge using apparatus having a cartridge chamber arranged to accommodate therein a cartridge having a film stowed therein, the camera or the cartridge using apparatus comprising a lock mechanism arranged to be controlled and driven to one of a locking position for locking a lid of the cartridge chamber to the cartridge chamber and an unlocking position for unlocking the lid of the cartridge chamber to be openable and closable, a communication terminal capable of being connected to an adjustment tool and arranged to perform communication with the adjustment tool in a state of being connected to the adjustment tool, storage means having a driving control program stored therein for driving the lock mechanism from the locking position to the unlocking position, and a control circuit arranged to execute the driving control program upon receipt of predetermined data from the adjustment tool through the communication terminal.
These and further objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4026101 (1977-05-01), Moyer
patent: 5432575 (1995-07-01), Funahashi
patent: 5568224 (1996-10-01), Saegusa
patent: 5903791 (1999-05-01), Okada
patent: RE36865 (2000-09-01), Tosaka et al.
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Robin Blecker & Daley
Sever Andrew
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