Photography – Camera detail – Shutter
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-06
2001-08-21
Mathews, Alan A. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Camera detail
Shutter
C396S502000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276847
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to the field of photography, and in particular to cameras. More specifically, the invention relates to a shutter mechanism including a self-timer with a shaped memory alloy control.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A shutter controls the time during which light is allowed to reach the sensitized material in a camera. The shutter consists of some means of normally covering the taking lens, the aperture stop, or the film light-tight, uncovering it for a brief time and then covering it up again.
A self-timer is a delayed action release for the shutter. The self-timer, when set, delays operation of the shutter for a certain time. This, for example, enables the photographer to place himself in front of the camera to be photographed.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,544 issued Oct. 17, 1995 proposes that the self-timer have a shaped memory alloy control for delaying operation of the shutter. The shaped memory alloy control is a metallic fine wire that is mechanically deformed (stretched) lengthwise via a spring and that when subjected to electrical current heats (because of its electrical resistance) to recover (shrink) lengthwise from being deformed and after some delay during recovery initiates operation of a shutter. When the electrical current is discontinued, the wire cools which allows the spring to again deform (stretch) the wire.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A shutter mechanism comprising a shutter that is operated to allow the passage of light, and a self-timer with a shaped memory alloy control that can be deformed and that when subjected to electrical current heats to recover from being deformed and after some delay during recovery initiates operation of the shutter, is characterized in that:
a manually set timer member is connected to the shaped memory alloy control and is supported to be manually moved to deform the shaped memory alloy control to set the self-timer and for the shaped memory alloy control to reverse-move the timer member during recovery of the shaped memory alloy control.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4664493 (1987-05-01), Takagi
patent: 4860040 (1989-08-01), Tamamura et al.
patent: 5105213 (1992-04-01), Takahashi
patent: 5150702 (1992-09-01), Miyanaga et al.
patent: 5185621 (1993-02-01), Kagechika
patent: 5459544 (1995-10-01), Emura
Richiuso Leonard
Stanchus Robert J.
Eastman Kodak Company
Fields Roger A.
Mathews Alan A.
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