Photography – Single lens reflex camera – With mirror support or drive
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-16
2001-05-08
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Single lens reflex camera
With mirror support or drive
C396S447000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227727
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electromotive drive for swiveling the viewfinder mirror in a single-lens mirror reflex camera between its viewfinder position and its taking position.
2. Description of Related Art
One such drive is disclosed in DE 44 47 092 A1, in which the electric drive is designed as a plunger coil drive, the magnet head of which is fixed within the camera housing. An angular link is molded onto the coil former of the plunger coil drive. One limb of the link is fork-shaped at its free end forming a slot guide that reaches over a pin, which is fastened on the swivel axis of the viewfinder mirror axially parallel to the axis and with a lever distance from the axis.
One disadvantage of this arrangement is the functionally dependent one-sided mounting of the viewfinder mirror. The mass (dead weight) of the viewfinder mirror exerts a permanent torque about the mirror swiveling axis, which may lead to varying mirror running times as well as vibrations if the position of the camera is changed.
The difficulties or problems with this current alternative drive mechanism are not intended to be exhaustive, but are among many tending to reduce the desirability of such known drive mechanisms. Other notable problems may exist; those presented above, however, should be sufficient to demonstrate that devices appearing in the past are amenable to worthwhile improvement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the invention to provide a mirror drive that obviates or minimizes the problems of known drive mechanisms.
A specific object of the invention is to provide a mirror drive that permits position-independent swiveling.
A preferred embodiment of the invention intended to accomplish at least some of the foregoing objects includes a swivel axis; a fixed pivot axis; and a drive arm electromotively swiveled about a fixed pivot axis that is parallel to the viewfinder mirror swivel axis and kinematically connected to the viewfinder mirror, wherein, when the drive arm swivels in a first direction, the drive arm induces a swiveling of the viewfinder mirror in an opposite second direction.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description of the preferred embodiments and, in part, will be apparent from the description or through practicing the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3852791 (1974-12-01), Eukuda
patent: 3860941 (1975-01-01), Fukuda
patent: 4213689 (1980-07-01), Clapp
patent: 4338009 (1982-07-01), Lee
patent: 4558938 (1985-12-01), Petersen
patent: 4839679 (1989-06-01), Cameron et al.
patent: 5325142 (1994-06-01), Depatie et al.
patent: 5758217 (1998-05-01), Mielke
patent: 5892990 (1999-04-01), Ogi
patent: 44 47 092 (1996-07-01), None
Foley & Lardner
Gray David M.
Rollei Fototechnic GmbH
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