Camera with lens disc drive system
First Claim
1. A camera having means for defining a film plane, said camera comprising:
- a plurality of discrete lens elements each having a different focal length;
means for holding said plurality of lens elements in circumferentially spaced apart relation with respect to each other for rotation about a center axis, rotation of said lens holding means from an initial position operating to sequentially move each of said lens elements into position to focus an image onto the camera film plane of a photographic subject located within a different corresponding camera-to-subject distance range;
a blade mechanism;
means for mounting said blade mechanism for displacement between one arrangement in which said blade mechanism blocks transmission of scene light to the film plane and another arrangement in which said blade mechanism unblocks transmission of scene light to the film plane;
actuable drive means for displacing said blade mechanism between its said one and another arrangements to define an exposure interval;
a torsion spring having an acceleration arm configured to be releasably held at cocked energy storing initial position and upon release to move to a terminal position, said acceleration arm operating during such movement from said initial to said terminal position to engage said lens holding means and effect rotation thereof to sequentially move each of said lens elements into focusing position; and
means for releasably latching said blade mechanism in its said scene light blocking arrangement and also for releasably holding said acceleration arm in said cocked initial position, said blade latching and acceleration arm holding means being movable from a blade mechanism latching position to a blade mechanism unlatching position to enable said drive means to displace said blade mechanism between said blocking and said unblocking arrangements, said movement from said latching to said unlatching position simultaneously operating to release said acceleration arm for movement from said initial cocked position to said terminal position to effect rotation of the lens holding means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A camera having an automatic lens focusing system is provided with a torsion spring drive arrangement for rotatably driving a disc having a plurality of different focal length lens elements thereon in circumferentially spaced apart relation to sequentially present each of the lens elements at a focusing position. A combined shutter blade latch and lens disc actuator member is movable between latching and unlatching positions and additionally serves to releasably hold an acceleration arm of the torsion spring at an initial cocked position, to release the acceleration arm to effect disc rotation in response to movement of the member from the latching to the unlatching position, and thereafter to recock the acceleration arm when the member is moved back to the latching position.
6 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A camera having means for defining a film plane, said camera comprising:
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a plurality of discrete lens elements each having a different focal length; means for holding said plurality of lens elements in circumferentially spaced apart relation with respect to each other for rotation about a center axis, rotation of said lens holding means from an initial position operating to sequentially move each of said lens elements into position to focus an image onto the camera film plane of a photographic subject located within a different corresponding camera-to-subject distance range; a blade mechanism; means for mounting said blade mechanism for displacement between one arrangement in which said blade mechanism blocks transmission of scene light to the film plane and another arrangement in which said blade mechanism unblocks transmission of scene light to the film plane; actuable drive means for displacing said blade mechanism between its said one and another arrangements to define an exposure interval; a torsion spring having an acceleration arm configured to be releasably held at cocked energy storing initial position and upon release to move to a terminal position, said acceleration arm operating during such movement from said initial to said terminal position to engage said lens holding means and effect rotation thereof to sequentially move each of said lens elements into focusing position; and means for releasably latching said blade mechanism in its said scene light blocking arrangement and also for releasably holding said acceleration arm in said cocked initial position, said blade latching and acceleration arm holding means being movable from a blade mechanism latching position to a blade mechanism unlatching position to enable said drive means to displace said blade mechanism between said blocking and said unblocking arrangements, said movement from said latching to said unlatching position simultaneously operating to release said acceleration arm for movement from said initial cocked position to said terminal position to effect rotation of the lens holding means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification