Photography – Single lens reflex camera – With mirror support or drive
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-04
2001-07-10
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Single lens reflex camera
With mirror support or drive
C396S447000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257775
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mirror-reflex camera having a mirror support which supports a viewfinder mirror and can be adjusted between two end positions, a viewing position and a taking position.
A conventional mirror-reflex camera is disclosed, for example in DE 44 47 092 A1. In this case, it is usual for the viewfinder mirror to be arranged inside a beam path in the viewing position and outside a beam path in the taking position. This requires the appropriate adjusting movement of the viewfinder mirror and/or of the mirror support supporting the viewfinder mirror, which must be undertaken with adequate speed upon actuating an operator button on the mirror-reflex camera, and yet must ensure reliable adjustment into the two end positions. In this case, accurate positioning of the two end positions is necessary, in particular, so that the beam path is not inadvertently influenced by a maladjustment of the mirror in one of the positions. Moreover, in the case of an electromagnetic drive such as is shown in DE 44 47 092 A1, an appropriate quiescent current is required in general in the end positions or one of the two end positions, in order to hold the viewfinder mirror in the end position or positions.
JP 01-134443 A discloses a mirror-reflex camera, having a mirror support which supports a viewfinder mirror and can be adjusted between two end positions, a viewing position and a taking position, and latches behind mechanical latching means in its two end positions. Adjustable engaging means in the form of pivotable hooks engage in the latching means and release the latching means in a release position. The mirror support has at least a part of the latching means and can be actuated via drive means.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to make available a solution for reliably positioning the viewfinder mirror in its end positions.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a mirror-reflex camera comprises a mirror support which supports a viewfinder mirror and is adjustable between two end positions, a viewing position and a taking position. In addition, latching means (such as hooks) are provided for latching in the end positions. A holding device (such as a holding plate) holds a driver, with the driver being adjustable along a driver track by a drive and movable in the holding device along the driver track within a distance defined by two bearing positions in the holding device. Adjustable engaging means (such as levers) engage in the latching means in an engaging position and release the latching means in a release position and are adjustable from the engaging position into the release position by the driver. In addition, the mirror support is adjustable above the holding device by the driver in the bearing positions.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the adjusting movement of the mirror support is therefore performed via a driver which is driven by a drive and, in addition to the adjusting movement of the mirror support, also effects the release of the engaging means from the latching means. Thus, the adjusting movement of the mirror support and the release operation in which the mirror support is released from the latched end positions are performed by a unified movement of the driver.
Thus, in order to release and move the mirror support, there is no need for two operations which are to be carried out sequentially and on the one hand necessitating accurate coordination of the operations to be carried out sequentially, something which leads in general to a time delay in the adjusting movement of the mirror support, since a corresponding adjusting mechanism cannot be activated until after release, and on the other hand sufficient reliability is ensured, since the mirror support cannot already be moved before initiation of the latching operation.
Furthermore, the use of three subassemblies, the mirror support with a holding device and latching means, the engaging means such as, for example, latching levers, and the driver ensure a high reliability against inadvertent release of the mirror support from an end position, which can lead, for example, to inadvertent exposure of the film. Since the driver is arranged in the holding device with a distance, in particular a free play, even severe vibrations do not immediately lead to release of the engaging means.
The engaging means are advantageously arranged pivotably as latching levers, and are correspondingly pivoted into the latching position and release position by the driver. According to another embodiment of the present invention, springs are provided which move the latching hooks into the engaging position: thus, a reliable fixing of the mirror support in the end position is achieved. When the mirror support is moved into an end position, engaging means are first moved in general from the engaging position into a release position before the engaging means in turn latch from the release position into the latching position. The release operation from the latching position into the release position can be achieved as follows: when being moved out, the driver inside the holding device firstly presses against a running-out bevel of the engaging means and thus moves the engaging means from the latching position into the release position, so that it can subsequently move the mirror support via the holding device into the other end position, where a latching operation is initiated, in turn.
When latching, the relevant engaging means can firstly be conveyed from an engaging position into a release position, in order to hold the mirror support together with the holding device and the latching means. In this case, the movement of the engaging means from the latching position into the release position can be effected, on the one hand, by the driver, which presses against a running-in bevel of the engaging means and thus moves the engaging means away, or by the latching means, which press against a bevel of a nose connected to the engaging means, which is connected, in turn, to the engaging means.
The latching mechanism can be used both for a linear displacement of a mirror support between the end positions, and for a pivoting or hinging movement of the viewfinder mirror between the end positions.
Further features of the invention form the subject matter of the claims and will be explained in more detail, in conjunction with further advantages of the invention, with reference to an exemplary embodiment.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3008397 (1961-11-01), Winkler
patent: 5121148 (1992-06-01), Windeler et al.
patent: 5715003 (1998-02-01), Kanno
patent: 5758217 (1998-05-01), Mieke
patent: 44 47 092 (1996-07-01), None
patent: 1-134443 (1989-05-01), None
Scholz Erwin
Tiedemann Joerg
Foley & Lardner
Gray David M.
Rollei Fototechnic GmbH
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