Photographic film wind-up and shutter charge mechanism

• US 4,222,649 A
• Filed: 02/17/1978
• Issued: 09/16/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Niwa, Masatake, Kawamura, Kunio, Inoue, Norihiro, Beppu, Norio
• Primary Examiner(s): Hix, L. T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Perkey, William B.
• Application Number:
  US05/879,109
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 354/171, 354/173, 354/212, 354/213, 354/288, 354/295, 354/204-206, 354/60 R, 339/182 R, 339/183, 200/19 R, 200/33 R, 242/71.4, 242/71.5, 361/205
• US Class Current: 396/395
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/425 motor drive cameras

Abstract

An electrical drive which includes a motor for actuation of a film wind-up and shutter mechanism subsequent to exposure of a film frame and a mechanism for decoupling drive from the motor at the end of each wind-up and shutter charge action and also during this action if something occurs a fault preventing correct action of the film wind-up and shutter charge mechanism, whereby damage to the mechanism, the motor and film is prevented. The drive is correctly positioned with respect to a camera by a mechanism which also serves to provide electrical connection between a shutter control circuit and a drive control circuit, whereby the number of elements required to be precisely positioned with respect to the camera is less and manufacturing and assembly cost is reduced.

Claims

1. A camera comprising a guide member having a hollow recess opening out of said guide member;

fastening member receiving means;

a film wind-up and shutter charge mechanism operable to feed a film past an exposure station subsequent to exposure of the film and having a coupling member;

signal means having a movable contact movable in response to termination of exposure from a first position outside said hollow recess to a second position in said hollow recess subsequent to termination of exposure;

a camera drive unit having;

a fastening member receivable in said fastening member receiving means to fasten said drive unit onto said camera,

a single positioning element receivable in said hollow recess in said guide member when said fastening member is received in said fastening member receiving means for acting together with said fastening member for positioning said camera drive unit relative to said camera, said single positioning element having an electrically conductive member capable of contacting said movable contact when said positioning element is received in said hollow recess in said guide member and when said movable contact moves to its second position,

a drive mechanism couplable with said coupling member when said fastening member and said positioning element are received in said fastening member receiving means and said hollow recess in said guide member, respectively, for driving said film wind-up and shutter charge mechanism, and

an electric circuit connected to said drive mechanism and having an input connected to said conductive element of said positioning element and actuated for actuating said drive mechanism in response to the contact of said conductive member with said movable contact; and

a stop member engageable with said film wind-up and shutter charge mechanism to prevent a film wind-up and shutter charge action at least during the period of exposure and means for disengaging said stop member from said film wind-up and shutter charge mechanism subsequent to termination of exposure, and wherein said stop member is associated with said signal means for moving said movable contact from said first to said second position upon the disengagement of said stop member from said film wind-up and shutter charge mechanism.

2. A drive unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said signal means includes an electrically conductive wire spring having a portion constituting said movable contact, said wire spring having sufficient resiliency for bringing said portion into said hollow recess in said guide member and being engageable with said stop member for moving out of said hollow recess in said guide member against the resiliency thereof when said stop lever engages said film wind-up and shutter charge mechanism.

3. A drive unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said wire spring is grounded to said camera, whereby said electric circuit is activated when said input terminal is grounded through said wire spring and said conductive member of said positioning element.

4. A camera drive unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electric circuit includes a motor for driving said drive mechanism, and further comprises a clutch releasably coupling said motor with said drive mechanism for decoupling said motor from said drive mechanism when an excessive load is imposed on said clutch, and switching means connected in the power supply to said motor and operatively associated with said clutch for being operated for interrupting the power supply subsequent to the decoupling of the motor from said drive mechanism, whereby when said film wind-up and shutter charge mechanism stops upon termination of one-frame film wind-up an excessive load is imposed on said clutch through said coupling member and said drive mechanism.

5. A camera drive unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said switching means includes a switch positioned to be operated for interruption of the electric power supply to said motor when said motor is at a predetermined phase position displaced from the position wherein said clutch decouples said motor from said drive mechanism.

6. A camera drive unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein said electric circuit includes a self-maintaining semiconductor switching circuit and a trigger circuit for rendering said switching circuit conductive in response to the contact of said conductive member with said movable contact, for causing supply of power to said motor, said switch switching off said switching circuit upon the operation thereof.

7. A camera drive unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein said electric circuit includes a relay actuable when said switching circuit becomes conductive, said relay controlling the electric power supply to said motor.

8. A photographic camera comprising:

a camera body having driven means therein;

a guide member provided on said camera body and having a hollow recess therein;

first circuit means provided in said camera body and having a movable first electrical terminal responsive to termination of an exposure by the camera so as to move into said hollow recess of said guide member and further having means for generating at said first electric terminal an electric signal representative of termination of an exposure operation of the camera;

a drive unit having a motor driven camera drive mechanism;

means for releasably attaching said drive unit to said camera body;

a single positioning element provided on said drive unit and cooperable with said attaching means for positioning said drive unit in a predetermined positional relation with respect to said camera body such that said driven means is coupled with said camera drive mechanism, said single positioning element being receivable in said hollow recess of said guide member for the positioning of said drive unit when said drive unit is attached to said camera body and having a fixed second electrical terminal with which said first electrical terminal comes into contact when said single positioning element is in said hollow recess of said guide member and said first electrical terminal moves into said hollow recess of said guide member, said electric signal from said first circuit means being transmitted to said second electrical terminal upon the contact of said first electrical terminal with said second electrical terminal; and

a second circuit means provided in said drive unit and having a drive control circuit connected to said motor driven camera drive mechanism and having said second electric terminal as an input thereof and activated for driving said motor driven camera drive mechanism upon receipt of said electric signal.

9. A photographic camera as claimed in claim 8 in which said driven means includes a film wind-up and charge mechanism provided in said camera body for feeding a film past an exposure station and a coupling member provided on said camera body and connected to said film wind-up and charge mechanism for driving said wind-up and charge mechanism in response to the rotation of said coupling member;

and in which said drive mechanism is coupled with said coupling member for rotation thereof when said drive unit is attached to said camera with said single positioning element received in said hollow recess of said guide member.

10. A photographic camera as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a clutch releasably coupling said motor with said drive mechanism for decoupling said motor from said drive mechanism when an excessive load is imposed on said clutch, and switching means connected in the power supply to said motor and operatively associated with said clutch for being operated for interrupting the power supply subsequent to the decoupling of said motor from said drive mechanism, whereby when said film wind-up and charge mechanism stops upon termination of one frame film wind-up an excessive load is imposed on said clutch through said coupling member and said drive mechanism.

11. A photographic camera as claimed in claim 10, wherein said switching means includes a switch positioned to be operated for interruption of the electric power supply to said motor when said motor is at a predetermined phase position displaced from the position where said motor is decoupled from said drive mechanism.

12. A photographic camera as claimed in claim 11, wherein said drive control circuit includes a self-maintaining semi-conductor switching circuit which is rendered conductive in response to said electric signal for causing supply of power to said motor and being switched off upon the operation of said switch.

13. A photographic camera as claimed in claim 12, wherein said drive control circuit includes a trigger circuit for triggering the switching circuit, said trigger being constituted by a discharge circuit including a capacitor which is charged upon completion of the film wind-up and shutter charge action, said discharge circuit being actuated in response to said electric signal to trigger said switching circuit.

14. A photographic camera as claimed in claim 12, wherein said drive control circuit includes a relay actuable when said switching circuit becomes conductive, said relay controlling the supply of the electric power to the motor.