Photographic camera with built-in optical converter

• US 4,214,829 A
• Filed: 06/01/1978
• Issued: 07/29/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohashi, Saichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hix, L. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Application Number:
  US05/911,541
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 354/53, 354/163, 354/167, 354/168, 354/195, 354/197-199, 354/222, 352/93, 352/142
• US Class Current: 396/73
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/14 interchangeably

Abstract

A photographic camera comprising a principal objective lens assembly including an objective lens mount and a focus adjusting ring carried by the camera body through a fixed barrel for rotation through first and second predetermined focusing angle. The focus adjusting ring is operatively coupled to the objective lens mount such that rotation of the focus adjusting ring results in linear movement of the objective lens mount in an axial direction parallel to the optical axis of the objective lens. An optical converter lens is supported for movement between an inoperative position, in which the converter lens is out of alignment with the optical axis of the objective lens, and an operative position in which the converter lens is aligned with the optical axis of the objective lens. This optical converter is brought into the operative position when the focus adjusting ring is rotatable through the second focusing angle while it is brought into the inoperative position when the focus adjusting ring is rotatable through the first focusing angle.

Claims

1. A photographic camera comprising, in combination:

a camera body including a front wall having an opening therein at a position opposed to a focal plane within the camera body where a photosensitive film, when loaded in the camera, is positioned;

an objective lens assembly including a fixed barrel having one end secured to the camera body in alignment with the opening in said front wall of the camera body, an objective lens means providing a principal optical system of a first predetermined focal length, a lens mount means for supporting the objective lens means for movement together therewith, a focusing barrel means positioned on one side of the fixed barrel remote from the camera body, in alignment with any one of the fixed barrel and the optical axis of the objective lens means, said focusing barrel means being supported by said fixed barrel for rotation about the optical axis of the objective lens means through first and second predetermined focusing angles, and a motion translating barrel means positioned substantially internally of the fixed barrel and the focusing barrel means and externally of said lens mount means for transmitting rotary motion of said focus adjusting barrel means to said lens mount means to move the latter in an axial direction parallel to the optical axis of the objective lens means, said force adjusting barrel means, when rotated through the first predetermined focusing angle, rendering the principal optical system operable to take a photographic picture of a target object to be photographed and said focus adjusting barrel means, when rotated through the second predetermined focusing angle, rendering another optical system of a second predetermined focal length, different from said first predetermined focal length of said principal optical system, operable to take a photographic picture of a target object to be photographed;

a converter lens means;

means for supporting said converter lens means for movement between an operative position, in which the converter lens means is exactly in alignment with the optical axis of the objective lens means to provide said another optical system in cooperation with said objective lens means, and an inoperative position in which the converter lens means is out of alignment with the optical axis of the objective lens means; and

means for causing said supporting means to move from the inoperative position to the operative position in response to change from the capability of rotation of the focus adjusting barrel means within the range of the first predetermined focusing angle to the capability of rotation of the focus adjusting barrel means within the range of the second predetermined focusing angle, and vice versa, said supporting means comprising a pivotably supported, elongated arm member having one end rigidly carrying the converted lens means and the other end carrying an engagement element, means for biasing said arm member toward the operative position and wherein said causing means comprises cam means operatively coupled to the focus adjusting barrel means, said cam means having a cam in constant engagement with said engagement element under the influence of the biasing force of said biasing means and said cam being shaped such that, so long as the focus adjustment barrel means is rotated within the range of the first predetermined focusing angle, the supporting means is held in the operative position, and so long as the focus adjusting barrel means is rotated within the range of the second predetermined focusing angle, the supporting means is held in the inoperative position.

3. A photographic camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein said focus adjusting barrel means includes a focus adjusting ring having one end adjacent the fixed barrel overlapping and mounted on the other end portion of the fixed barrel, and wherein said first and second predetermined focusing angles are respectively defined by first and second guide grooves formed circumferentially on the outer peripheral surface of said other end portion of said fixed barrel, the sum of the angles subtended by the arcs of the respective guide grooves being less than 360°

with respect to the optical axis of the objective lens means, said first and second guide grooves being spaced from each other with a pair of ungrooved areas left in said outer end portion of said fixed barrel between said first and second guide grooves, and said camera further comprising means carried by said focus adjusting ring for selective engagement with any one of said first and second guide grooves.

2. A photographic camera comprising, in combination:

a camera body including a front wall having an opening therein at a position opposed to a focal plane within the camera body where a photosensitive film, when loaded in the camera, is positioned;

an objective lens assembly including a fixed barrel having one end secured to the camera body in alignment with the opening in said front wall of the camera body, an objective lens means providing a principal optical system of a first predetermined focal length, a lens mount means for supporting the objective lens means for movement together therewith, a focusing barrel means positioned on one side of the fixed barrel remote from the camera body, in alignment with any one of the fixed barrel and the optical axis of the objective lens means, said focusing barrel means being supported by said fixed barrel for rotation about the optical axis of the objective lens means through first and second predetermined focusing angles, and a motion translating barrel means positioned substantially internally of the fixed barrel and the focusing barrel means and externally of said lens mount means for transmitting rotary motion of said focus adjusting barrel means to said lens mount means to move the latter in an axial direction parallel to the optical axis of the objective lens means, said focus adjusting barrel means, when rotated through the first predtermined focusing angle, rendering the principal optical system operable to take a photographic picture of a target object to be photographed and said focus adjusting barrel means, when rotated through the second predetermined focusing angle, rendering another optical system of a second predetermined focal length, different from said first predetermined focal length of said principal optical system, operable to take a photographic picture of a target object to be photographed;

a converter lens means;

means for supporting said converter lens means for movement between an operative position, in which the converter lens means is exactly in alignment with the optical axis of the objective lens means to provide said another optical system in cooperation with said objective lens means, and an inoperative position in which the converter lens means is out of alignment with the otpical axis of the objective leans means; and

means for causing said supporting means to move from the inoperative position to the operative position in response to change from the capability of rotation of the focus adjusting barrel means within the range of the first predetermined focusing angle to the capability of rotation of the focus adjusting barrel means within the range of the second predetermined focusing angle, and vice versa, and wherein said supporting means comprises a pivotally supported, elongated arm member having one end rigidly carrying the converter lens means and the other end carrying an engagement element and means for biasing said arm member towards the operative position, and wherein said causing means comprises a cam ring means supported for rotation together with the focus adjusting barrel means and positioned substantially internally of the fixed barrel and externally of the lens mount means, said cam ring means having a circumferential cam to which said engagement element is constantly engaged under the influence of the biasing force of said biasing means, and said circumferential cam being so shaped that, so long as the focus adjusting barrel means is rotated within the range of the first predetermined focusing angle, the supporting means is held in the operative position and, so long as the focus adjusting barrel means is rotated within the range of the second predetermined focusing angle, the supporting means is held in the inoperative position.

4. A photographic camera as claimed in claim 2, wherein said focus adjusting barrel means includes a focus adjusting ring having one end adjacent the fixed barrel overlapping and mounted on the other end portion of the fixed barrel, and wherein said first and second predetermined focusing angles are respectively defined by first and second guide grooves formed circumferentially on the outer peripheral surface of said other end portion of said fixed barrel, the sum of the angles subtended by the arcs of the respective guide grooves being less than 360°

with respect to the optical axis of the objective lens means, said first and second guide grooves being spaced from each other with a pair of ungrooved areas left in said outer end portion of said fixed barrel between said first and second guide grooves, and said camera further comprising means carried by said focus adjusting ring for selective engagement into any one of said first and second guide grooves.

5. A photographic camera as claimed in claim 2, wherein said camera body further includes a rangefinder arrangement having an index frame display structure for presenting to the eye of a photographer, looking through the viewfinder arrangement, information showing whether the camera is ready to shoot with the principal lens system or whether the camera is ready to shoot with said another lens system, and said index frame display structure being operatively coupled to a cam formed on said arm member.

6. A photographic camera comprising, in combination:

a camera body including a front wall having an opening therein at a position opposed to a focal plane within the camera body where a photosensitive film, when loaded in the camera, is positioned;

an objective lens assembly including a fixed barrel having one end secured to the camera body in alignment with the opening in said front wall of the camera body, an objective lens means providing a principal optical system of a first predetermined focal length, a lens mount means for supporting the objective lens means for movement together therewith, a focusing barrel means supported in alignment with any one of the fixed barrel and the optical axis of the objective lens means by said fixed barrel for rotation about the optical axis of the objective lens means through first and second predetermined focusing angles, and a motion translating means for transmitting rotary motion of said focus adjusting barrel means to said lens mount means to move the latter in an axial direction parallel to the optical axis of the objective lens means, said focus adjusting barrel means, when rotated through the first predetermined angle, effecting a focus adjustment of the principal optical system with respect to a target object to be photographed and said focus adjusting barrel means, when rotated through the second predetermined angle, effecting a focus adjustment of another optical system of a second predetermined focal length different from said first predetermined focal length of said principal optical system with respect to a target object to be photographed;

a converter lens means;

means for supporting said converter lens means for movement between an operative position, in which the converter lens means is exactly in alignment with the optical axis of the objective lens means to provide said another optical system in cooperating with said objective lens means, and an inoperative position in which the converter lens means is out of alignment with the optical axis of the objective lens means; and

means for causing said supporting means to move from the inoperative position to the operative position in response to change from the capability of rotation of the focus adjusting barrel means within the range of the first predetermined focusing angle to the capability of rotation of the focus adjusting barrel means within the range of the second predetermined focusing angle, and vice versa, said supporting means comprising a pivotably supported, elongated arm member having one end rigidly carrying the converted lens means and the other end carrying an engagement element, means for biasing said arm member toward the operative position and wherein said causing means comprises cam means operatively coupled to the focus adjusting barrel means, said cam means having a cam in constant engagement with said engagement element under the influence of the biasing force of said biasing means and said cam being shaped such that, so long as the focus adjustment barrel means is rotated within the range of the first predetermined focusing angle, the supporting means is held in the operative position, and so long as the focus adjusting barrel means is rotated within the range of the second predetermined focusing angle, the supporting means is held in the inoperative position.