1980-11-19
1982-09-14
Griffin, Donald A.
350 65, 354288, G03B 1104, G03B 1702
Patent
active
043492665
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lens cap for a camera, and more particularly to a lens cap which, when the camera is not in use, not only covers the front of the camera objective lens, thereby protecting the objective lens, but also covers other parts of the camera, thereby preventing any misoperation of the camera.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A lens cap is generally used for protecting an objective lens of a camera when the camera is not in use. However, when a camera includes a viewfinder optical system which operates independently of the photographic optical system, such as in the case of a direct viewing-type viewfinder, misoperation of the camera can result when the user erroneously operates the manual operating members, e.g., either the shutter release member or, when the camera includes a built-in flash device, the switching member which controls whether the camera is set to normal or flash photography conditions. This misoperation may occur because the user may not notice that the lens cap has not been removed from the front of the camera.
As a means to avoid misoperation of the camera, it has been proposed to provide a lens cap detection pin on the forward end of the camera lens barrel to detect whether or not a lens cap is mounted on the camera to lock the shutter release button upon detection of the cap. However, this structure requires the camera to be provided with a locking member for locking the shutter release member and a complex interlocking mechanism for linking the detection pin with the locking member, resulting in complexity of the mechanism, as well as an increase in camera size and in the cost of manufacture.
In a twin-lens reflex camera and the like, a lens cap has been used which covers both the photographic objective lens and the viewfinder objective lens so that a photographer, upon looking through the viewfinder, will notice the lens cap covering the lenses. However, it is impossible for such a lens cap to prevent operational errors with the camera, for example, the inadvertent depressing of the shutter release button and the resultant undesired exposure of the film when the camera is not intended to be used or the inadvertent turning on of the power switch of the electronic flash device built into the camera, causing the power source battery to be wastefully consumed.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a very simple device which is capable of preventing any inadvertent operations of the camera when the camera is not in use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the aforementioned object, the present invention provides a lens cap formed integrally with a protector portion which protects the manual operating members, such as the shutter release button and the power switch operating member for the electronic flash device, from being operated when the lens cap is mounted on the camera. The protector portion is constructed to prevent external force from reaching the manual operating members, or prevents the movement of the manual operating member even when an external force is applied, whereby the manual operating members may not erroneously be operated with the lens cap remaining mounted on the camera.
Further, from a structural viewpoint, only a protector portion formed integrally with a lens cap will suffice, thus and unlike conventional lens cap requiring no additional member to be assembled into the camera, whereby the camera can remain unchanged both in size and cost.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a lens cap is integrally formed to include a protector wall which is capable of surrounding the camera shutter release button when the lens cap is mounted on the camera lens, thereby preventing a user's finger, body, or in fact any object near the camera from contacting the shutter release button to result in its inadvertent operation. The top of the protector wall may either be opened or closed.
According to another feature of the inventive lens cap, the lens cap is integrally formed with a protecto
REFERENCES:
patent: 3441072 (1969-04-01), Schmitt
patent: 3602118 (1971-08-01), Oberheim
patent: 4019192 (1977-04-01), Miyagawa
patent: 4130356 (1978-12-01), Yamanaka
Maeda Keisuke
Oya Tetsuro
Takechi Keiji
Griffin Donald A.
Minolta Camera KK
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