Photography – Camera detail – Lens cover
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-30
2001-07-03
Perkey, W. B. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Camera detail
Lens cover
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254289
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a lens cover apparatus for a camera, and more particularly to a lens cover and a driving device for the lens cover, which is provided between the body and a casing of the camera and uncovers and covers a lens in a lens barrel by opening and closing an opening of the casing, which faces a fixed cylinder of the lens barrel.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,132 discloses a lens cover for protecting a lens of a camera while the camera is unused. The lens cover is provided between the body and a casing of the camera so that the lens cover can pivot to open and close an opening of the casing that faces the lens. The lens cover protects the lens by closing the opening.
The lens cover is driven by a mechanism with a drive ring. The drive ring is rotatably mounted on the circumference of a fixed cylinder for a taking lens barrel, which is formed on the body of the camera. A power gear engages with teeth formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drive ring. A power transmission member is provided between the drive ring and the lens cover so as to transmit a rotational force of the drive ring to the lens cover. Driving the power gear and rotating the drive ring transmit the rotational force to the lens cover through the power transmission member and turn the lens cover to open and close the opening of the casing.
The conventional lens cover apparatus, however, is designed without taking account of the position of a pivot of the lens cover. More specifically, the conventional camera with the lens cover is large since it is necessary to have a space where the lens cover is recessed while the opening is opened. Moreover, a member for preventing the drive ring from coming off the fixed cylinder is fixed to the end of the fixed cylinder after the drive ring is mounted on the fixed cylinder. This increases the thickness of the camera.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 2-251829 discloses a camera lens cover apparatus, which has a power transmission mechanism including first and second spring members. The power transmission mechanism transmits a driving force of a lens cover driving motor to the lens cover through the first spring member. If an external force acts on the lens cover, the power transmission mechanism cushions the external force by expanding and contracting the first and second spring members to thereby prevent the damage against the driving mechanism for the lens cover. The conventional lens cover apparatus is designed without considering a position where the power transmission mechanism is arranged in the camera. In short, the camera with the conventional lens cover is large since it is necessary to provide a space for arranging the power transmission mechanism.
A driving mechanism for the lens cover is composed of a lens cover drive motor and a power transmission member for transmitting power of the motor to the lens cover. When the lens cover drive motor is run, its power is transmitted to the lens cover through the power transmission member to drive the lens cover in order to open and close the opening. There is a camera, which has the lens cover and the zoom lens and moves movable lenses of a zoom finder forward and backward so that an image of a subject magnified by a photographic magnification can be seen through the finder.
The movable lenses, which are supported by movable lens holding frames, are arranged in a finder frame in such a manner as to freely move forward and backward. Cam followers project from the movable lens holding frames, and the cam followers are fitted in cam grooves formed on a finder cam. The finder cam connects to a cam drive motor. When the cam drive motor drives the finder cam, the cam followers move along the cam grooves and the movable lens holding frames move forward and backward along the optical axis. Consequently, an image of a subject magnified by a photographic magnification can be seen through the finder. In the conventional camera, however, it is necessary to separately provide the driving mechanism for the lens cover and the driving mechanism for the movable lens holding frames of the zoom finder. Thus, many parts are required for the camera, and the camera is large and heavy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a camera lens cover apparatus in which a pivot of a lens cover is arranged at an optimum position to reduce the size of the camera with the lens cover.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a camera lens cover apparatus that reduces the thickness of the camera by improving a member for preventing a drive ring, which drives the lens cover to open and close an opening, from coming off a fixed cylinder.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a camera lens cover apparatus, in which a power transmission mechanism is arranged at an optimum position to reduce the size of the camera.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a lens cover apparatus, which reduces the size and weight of a camera having the lens cover apparatus and a mechanism for moving movable lens holding frames of a zoom finder.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is directed to a camera comprising: a camera body having a fixed cylinder of a lens barrel, a film cartridge chamber at a side of the fixed cylinder, and a finder above the fixed cylinder; a casing attached to the front of the camera body, the casing having an opening facing the fixed cylinder; and a lens cover arranged between the camera body and the casing, the lens cover having a pivot in a space enclosed by the film cartridge chamber, the fixed cylinder and the finder of the camera body, the lens cover turning on the pivot to open and close the opening of the casing.
According to the present invention, the pivot of the lens cover is arranged in the space enclosed by the film cartridge chamber, the fixed cylinder and the finder. If the lens cover turns on the pivot to recess from the opening of the casing, the lens cover is positioned at the front of the film cartridge chamber. The camera can be small since the relatively-wide front of the film cartridge chamber is utilized as the recessed space for the lens cover.
Alternatively, the pivot of the lens cover may be arranged in a space that is enclosed by the film cartridge chamber, the fixed cylinder and a gear train. If the lens cover turns on the pivot to recess from the opening of the casing, the lens cover is positioned at the front of the film cartridge chamber. The gear train transmits a driving force of a main motor to various driving mechanisms such as a film feeding mechanism and a film winding mechanism. The camera can be small since the front of the film cartridge chamber is utilized as the recessed space for the lens cover.
Preferably, a driving mechanism using a drive ring is used to drive the lens cover. The drive ring is rotatably arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the fixed cylinder of the camera body. Preferably, teeth are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drive ring, and a drive gear is engaged with the teeth. A power transmission member for transmitting a rotational force of the drive ring to the lens cover is provided between the drive ring and the lens cover. If the drive gear is run to rotate the drive ring, the power transmission member transmits the rotational force of the drive ring to the lens cover. Consequently, the lens cover pivots to open and close the opening of the casing.
The driving mechanism enables the lens cover to open or close only by rotating the drive ring by a small angle. This eliminates the necessity of forming the teeth at the whole circumference of the drive ring, and reduces the costs for manufacturing the drive ring.
Preferably, there is provided a forcing member for pressing the drive ring against the outer peripheral surface of the fixed cylinder, and this keeps the position of the drive ring even if the teeth of the driv
Kobayashi Hideo
Manabe Mitsuo
Nagata Kazuaki
Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Perkey W. B.
Safran David S.
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