Variable magnification slide copy camera

• US 4,360,264 A
• Filed: 07/31/1981
• Issued: 11/23/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polaroid Corporation (PLR IP Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Polaroid Corporation (PLR IP Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Baker, Philip G., Matthews, Gerald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Monroe H.
• Application Number:
  US06/288,820
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 355/43, 355/40, 355/27, 355/18, 355/55, 354/80, 354/78
• US Class Current: 355/40
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/323 Copying cameras G03B27/34 - G03B27/70 take precedence

Abstract

A copy camera, preferably configured to make enlarged prints from 35mm slides, operates in at least two different magnification modes for providing either a full frame or cropped reproduction of the slide on a film unit having an image area format that differs from that of the slide. Magnification change is accomplished by locating the slide and film unit at alternative corresponding object and film planes that are located at different predetermined image and object distances from a projection lens. An electromechanical logic system provides an indication to the operator of which magnification mode has been selected and automatically inhibits initiation of an exposure cycle if the slide and film unit are not in the corrected corresponding positions to provide a focused image of the slide on the film unit.

Claims

1. A copy camera operative in at least two different magnification modes for selectively varying the size of an object projected onto a film unit, said copy camera comprising:

a support member;

a projection lens, having a given focal length, mounted at a fixed location on said support member;

means for supporting a film unit alternatively at either of first and second film planes spaced at different predetermined fixed image distances from said lens for exposure to an image provided thereby;

means for supporting an object alternatively at either of first and second object planes spaced at different predetermined fixed object distances from said lens, said different image and object distances being selected so that in one magnification mode an image of an object located at said first object plane is focused by said lens at said first film plane and is of a size predetermined by a first magnification factor and in another magnification mode an image of an object located at said second object plane is focused at said second film plane and is of a size predetermined by a second magnification factor that is different than said first magnification factor; and

exposure control means operable for controlling transmission of image forming light rays from an object at either of said first and second object planes to a corresponding one of said first and second film planes to effect exposure of a film unit thereat.

2. The copy camera of claim 1 wherein said film unit supporting means is mounted on said support in fixed relation to said lens and said object supporting means is mounted on said support for movement relative to said lens between first and second object plane supporting positions.

3. The copy camera of claim 2 wherein said object supporting means is movable in directions transverse to the optic axis of said lens.

4. The copy camera of claim 1 further including mode selector means for setting said camera for operation in said one or another magnification modes and means responsive to the setting of said mode selector for enabling operation of said camera when the film unit and object are locatable at corresponding film and object planes to provide a focused image and for disenabling such operation when the film unit and object are not locatable at corresponding film and object planes to provide a focused image.

5. The copy camera of claim 4 further including a camera housing having first and second openings therein respectively providing access for locating a film unit at or withdrawing it from said first and second film planes, and means responsive to operation of said mode selector means for unblocking the one opening corresponding to the selected magnification mode while blocking the other said opening to prevent insertion of the film unit into the wrong opening for the selected magnification mode.

6. The copy camera of claim 5 further including means responsive to the operation of said mode selector for providing the operator with a visual indication of which object plane to use in connection with an unblocked one of said first and second openings.

7. The copy camera of claim 6 wherein said camera is configured to make copies of slide transparencies and further includes first and second slide preview stations corresponding to said one and another of said magnification modes and said visual indication include means for illuminating the corresponding one of said first and second preview stations.

8. The copy camera of claim 1 wherein it is configured to make copies of slide transparencies on film units that have a different normalized image area format than said transparencies and said one magnification mode provides a full frame image of said transparency on the film unit and the other magnification mode provides an image of a selected portion of said transparency frame.

9. The copy camera of claim 1 wherein said object support means includes a slide holder for receiving and supporting a slide transparency and said holder is movable between positions locating a slide therein either at a projection position in alignment with said lens or at a preview position to one side thereof.

10. The copy camera of claim 9 further including a source of artificial illumination aligned with said lens for illuminating a slide at said projection position and said holder is mounted for movement in directions transverse to a common optical axis of said illumination source and said lens.