Photography – With film drive – Mechanical detail
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-05
2001-02-13
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
With film drive
Mechanical detail
C396S440000, C396S541000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186678
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a camera body and, more particularly, to a camera body that performs picture taking using a photographic photosensitive film.
2. Related background art
A diversity of constructions have been proposed for the main body of a picture-taking camera (hereinafter simply referred to as a camera) that performs picture taking using a roll of photographic photosensitive film (hereinafter simply referred to as film) or other photosensitive materials.
Cameras as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 8-160516 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-259631, incorporate a unitized design in which a plurality of units, each constructed for its own function, are integrated into a unitary body in an efficient manner to form the camera body while assuring the robustness of the camera body.
Even when an external force acts on the camera body, the above design controls deformation of a guide rail and other components forming a film path within the camera and maintains the flatness of the film therein. When any change in specification is necessary, corresponding design change is carried out on a unit by unit basis. The time required for the design change is thus shortened, and a modification in the manufacturing facility is kept to a limited range.
A unit (hereinafter referred to as an aperture unit) defining a picture-taking opening (also referred to as an aperture) is provided with guide rails that project rearward by a predetermined length in a direction parallel to an optical axis and that runs in the vicinity of the upper inner edge and the lower inner edge of the unit. The guide rails and a pressure plate arranged on the rear side in the camera typically defines the position of the film loaded in the camera body in terms of the width direction of the film and the direction of the optical axis.
Such an aperture unit of this conventional camera is typically provided with a pair of first guide rails that define the position of the film in its width direction and a pair of second guide rails that are arranged within the first guide rails to define the film position in the optical axis direction, thereby assuring the flatness of the film.
A small gap or tunnel gap between the second guide rails and the pressure plate forms a film path. Since the surfaces of the guide rails forming the film path require an extremely high machining accuracy, a high-precision plastic molding process, milling operation or other technique is used to achieve the required accuracy level.
When the aperture unit is manufactured from a metal material such as aluminum or aluminum alloy, a milling cutting process is typically used to precisely machine the rail surface of the guide rails in the unit. The milling cutting process requires high manufacturing skill, thereby unavoidably pushing up the cost of production.
When the means such as the milling cutting process is used on the metal aperture unit, a bending process is also needed to assure accuracy. This means not only degrades the production efficiency but also increases the cost of production.
When the aperture unit is constructed of a plastic material as is recently in widespread use, the rail surface of the guide rails is easily formed, but the plastic member fails to meet the strength that is required of the aperture unit. There is thus a possibility that the aperture unit itself may become deformed during use or transportation, and a deformed unit may present a problem with maintaining the flatness of the film.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera body having a plurality of units including an aperture unit which has a simple construction to assure an easy-to-manufacture process, and assures a required strength while still contributing to a reduction in the cost of production.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, the camera body includes an aperture unit in which an aperture opening is formed, a cartridge chamber unit connectable with one end of the aperture unit, and a spool chamber unit connectable with the other end of the aperture unit, wherein at least one of a film exit port of the cartridge chamber unit and a film entrance port of the spool chamber unit includes a guide portion that defines the position of a film in the direction of width of the film that is paid out from a film cartridge.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the camera body includes an aperture unit including an aperture opening, guide rails for defining the position of a film in the direction of an optical axis with respect to the aperture opening, projecting portions for defining the position of the film on the guide rails, a pressure plate, a cartridge chamber unit connectable with one end of the aperture unit, and a spool chamber unit connectable with the other end of the aperture unit.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the camera body includes a generally planar aperture unit comprising an aperture opening, guide rails for defining the position of a film in the direction of an optical axis, projecting portions for defining the position of the film on the guide rails, a pressure plate, a cartridge chamber unit connectable with one end of the aperture unit, a spool chamber unit connectable with the other end of the aperture unit, and a guide portion formed on at least one of a film exit port of the cartridge chamber unit and a film entrance port of the spool chamber unit for defining the position of the film in the direction of width of the film that is paid out from a film cartridge.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the camera body includes an aperture unit including at least a picture-taking opening, and a film cartridge chamber unit for housing a film cartridge, wherein the film cartridge chamber unit includes a guide portion for restraining the position of a film in the direction of the width of the film.
Furthermore, the camera body may include an aperture unit including at least a picture-taking opening, and a spool chamber unit for housing a film paid out of a film cartridge, wherein the spool chamber unit includes a guide portion for restraining the position of a film in the direction of the width of the film.
These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent when the following detailed description of the present invention is considered.
The present invention thus provides a camera body having a plurality of units including an aperture unit having a simple construction to assure an easy-to-produce process, and assures a required strength while still contributing to a reduction in the cost of production.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4132473 (1979-01-01), Kondo
patent: 4152062 (1979-05-01), Kobori
patent: 4685790 (1987-08-01), Uematsu
patent: 5521668 (1996-05-01), Ezawa
patent: 5623711 (1997-04-01), Misawa
patent: 5999750 (1999-12-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 6023592 (2000-02-01), Yokoyama et al.
patent: 2-259631 (1990-10-01), None
patent: 8-160516 (1996-06-01), None
Kato Koji
Komatsu Toru
Gray David M.
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
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