Photography – Disposable or recyclable camera
Reexamination Certificate
2003-05-16
2004-03-30
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Disposable or recyclable camera
C396S176000, C396S179000, C396S543000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06714728
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photographic mode selectable camera. More particularly, the present invention relates to a photographic mode selectable camera in which selection of a desired one of plural photographic modes in the camera can be effected correctly without error.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A lens-fitted photo film unit is known, and pre-loaded with photo film in the course of manufacture. In a very early type of the lens-fitted photo film unit, an amount of flash light of a flash device is fixed. Also, an aperture stop and shutter speed are fixed. It has been possible to use the lens-fitted photo film unit in only a very limited condition in consideration of optimizing an exposure to be taken.
There are needs of users to take photographs in various conditions with high image quality. To this end, JP-A 9-015693 and JP-A 8-184944 disclose suggested improvements of the lens-fitted photo film unit.
According to JP-A 9-015693, an aperture stop in the lens-fitted photo film unit is changed over to a large aperture stop opening in using the flash device. According to JP-A 8-184944, a shutter speed of the lens-fitted photo film unit is set slower in using the flash device. In each of those, an exposure amount can be sufficiently high even in use of the flash device of a small amount of flash light. An exposure can b taken typically by utilizing ambient light as illumination.
When the lens-fitted photo film unit according to each one of the above two documents is used to take an exposure in the daylight sync photography, an overexposure occurs. To solve this problem, JP-A 2001-215599 discloses an alternative structure of the lens-fitted photo film unit changeable between a daylight mode, a night flash mode and a daylight flash mode. In the daylight mode, the flash device is turned off, and a small aperture stop opening is set. In the night flash mode, the flash device is turned on, and a large aperture stop opening is set. In the daylight flash mode, the flash device is turned on, and the small aperture stop opening is set.
The lens-fitted photo film unit of this document has a slidable type and a depressible type of operable members. The slidable type is operated to select one of the daylight mode and the night flash mode. The depressible type is operated to set or not to set the daylight flash mode. For safety in the mode selection of a user without an error, the lens-fitted photo film unit is provided with a structure to restrict the changeover between the night flash mode and the daylight flash mode.
Furthermore, JP-A 2000-305221 discloses the lens-fitted photo film unit of which the operable member is biased by a spring toward its initial position for the purpose of preventing errors in a user s operation and ensuring precision in a selection mechanism. In this document, the spring is used to bias an aperture stop changing mechanism, by use of which the operable member is biased indirectly.
There is a type of the lens-fitted photo film unit in which a focal length and an amount of flash light are changed over at the time of close-up photography. In this type, there is linking among the operable member, a focal length changing plate and a flash light reducing plate. A toggle spring is connected with the focal length changing plate, and biases the operable member toward the initial position. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,025 (corresponding to JP-A 10-031249) discloses the lens-fitted photo film unit in which the operable member is retained on a view field changing plate of a rotatable type for a viewfinder. A toggle spring is connected with the view field changing plate, to bias the operable member toward the initial position.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,609 (corresponding to JP-A 7-134368) discloses a construction with plural photographic modes to change over a view field of a viewfinder and an aperture size for a frame. This is in contrast with the above-mentioned JP-A 2000-305221 in which the aperture stop is changed over to a large aperture stop state at the time of flash photography.
JP-A 2000-162738 discloses three photographic modes in which the lens-fitted photo film unit is changeable. Three positions to stop the operable member are arranged in one straight direction. The operable member is slid, and is retained in one of the positions assigned to one mode desired by a user, to designate the selected one of the three photographic modes. To this end, ridges are formed for exactly positioning the operable member in its moving path.
If there are so great a number of modes at which the lens-fitted photo film unit can be set, the conditions where exposures are taken can be varied to a large extent. However, a problem arises in that the numerous modes may confuse a user who is uncertain on techniques of photography. He or she may fail to select the most suitable one of the modes in view of a scene.
In relation to the mode selection according to JP-A 2001-215599, a user is likely to commit an error in selecting one of the night flash mode and the daylight flash mode in the lens-fitted photo film unit. There is a higher probability of his or her selection of the slidable type of the operable member relevant to the daylight mode, to determine the night flash mode. This may cause a problem of occurrence of overexposure even in the product changeable in the numerous photographic modes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a photographic mode selectable camera in which selection of an intended one of plural photographic modes can be effected correctly by reducing probability of errors in the selection.
In order to achieve the above and other objects and advantages of this invention, a photographic mode selectable camera is provided, the camera including a flash unit for applying flash light to a photographic object, and an exposure amount changer for changing over object light incident on photo film from the object between low and high exposure amounts. The photographic mode selectable camera includes a movable selector for designating a selected one of a daylight mode, a daylight flash mode and a night flash mode, wherein the movable selector, when the daylight mode is designated, sets the exposure amount changer at the low exposure amount and turns off the flash unit, and when the daylight flash mode is designated, sets the exposure amount changer at the low exposure amount and turns on the flash unit, and when the night flash mode is designated, sets the exposure amount changer at the high exposure amount and turns on the flash unit. The movable selector is externally operable between first, second and third set positions, designates the daylight mode when in the first set position, designates the daylight flash mode when in the second set position, and designates the night flash mode when in the third set position, and the second set position is located between the first and third set positions.
The camera further includes an aperture stop opening for passing the object light from the object toward the photo film. The exposure amount changer includes an aperture stop mechanism for changing over the aperture stop opening between large and small aperture stop states, for selecting the small aperture stop state when the daylight mode or the daylight flash mode is designated, and for selecting the large aperture stop state when the night flash mode is designated.
The camera further includes a shutter mechanism for providing the photo film with an exposure. The exposure amount changer further includes a shutter speed changing mechanism for changing over a shutter speed of the shutter mechanism between high and low shutter speeds, selects the high shutter speed when the daylight mode or the daylight flash mode is designated, and selects the low shutter speed when the night flash mode is designated.
The camera further includes a flash light amount adjustor for changing over the flash light of the flash unit between large and small light am
Kameyama Nobuyuki
Kawamura Fuminori
Masuda Takeshi
Mikami Yuji
Moriya Mitsuhiro
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Gray David M.
Young & Thompson
LandOfFree
Photographic mode selectable camera does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Photographic mode selectable camera, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Photographic mode selectable camera will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3217947