Motor drive for camera

• US 4,618,237 A
• Filed: 07/29/1985
• Issued: 10/21/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitagawa, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell E.
• Application Number:
  US06/760,136
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 354/412, 354/173.1, 354/173.11
• US Class Current: 396/263
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/425 motor drive cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/005 Blur detection

Abstract

A motor drive which is adapted to be used with a camera having a mechanical shutter release mechanism is modified to enable the motor drive to be mounted in a camera having an electromagnetic shutter release mechanism, by providing a circuit which produces an electromagnetic release signal. The likelihood of blurring which may be caused by the rotation of a motor during the exposure of a film and which may be caused by the mere provision of the circuit for producing an electromagnetic release signal is avoided by preventing the rotation of the motor during the exposure of the film. In addition, difficulties are also avoided which are experienced when a film, not subject to any winding operation, is loaded into the camera.

Claims

1. A motor drive for mechanically transmitting the rotation of a motor to a camera to which the motor drive is releasably mounted in order to enable a shutter release operation of the camera shutter and/or a film winding operation within the camera;

comprising;

means in said motor drive for producing a motor drive signal and an electromagnetic release signal substantially simultaneously in response to the operation of an operating member in said motor drive, both said motor drive signal and said electromagnetic signal being electrical signals;

means for transmitting the electromagnetic release signal from the motor drive to said camera which is of the electromagnetic release type and which includes a shutter release mechanism;

said shutter release mechanism including means responsive to said electromagnetic release signal for transmitting an exposure operation signal from said camera of the electromagnetic release type to the motor drive just prior to operation of the shutter, the exposure operation signal being produced by means for detecting the exposure operation, which means is located within said camera of the electromagnetic release type;

means for preventing the rotation of the motor in response to the exposure operation signal during the exposure operation and means for energizing the motor when the exposure operation signal is absent and the motor drive signal is present.

2. A motor drive according to claim 1 in which said means for producing an electromagnetic release signal comprises a normally open switch which is closed in response to the depression of the operating member, and a pulse generator for producing the electromagnetic release signal in the form of a single pulse in response to the closure of the switch.

3. A motor drive according to claim 1 in which said means for transmitting the electromagnetic release signal comprises terminal means which provides an interconnection between the motor drive and the camera, and a switching transistor connected in parallel with a release switch disposed within the camera through the terminal means.

4. A motor drive according to claim 1 in which said means for detecting an exposure operation comprises a changeover switch mechanically interlocked with an upward and downward movement of a movable mirror disposed within the camera for generating a first signal when the mirror is in the up position and a second signal when the mirror is in the down position.

5. A motor drive according to claim 1, further including a changeover switch including a pair of transfer contacts, the switch being switched to engage one of the contacts upon completion of the rotation of the motor which effects a shutter release operation and being switched to engage the other contact upon completion of the rotation of the motor which effects a film winding operation.

6. A motor drive according to claim 1 in which said means for ceasing the motor comprises a logic circuit connected between said means for producing the electromagnetic release signal and a motor control circuit.

7. A motor drive according to claim 1, further including a photographing mode selection switch which permits a selection between a single frame photographing mode and a consecutive photographing mode.

8. A motor drive according to claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic shutter is powered by a first power supply;

said motor drive connected with a second separate power supply, the second power supply being part of a motor control circuit.

9. A motor drive for mechanically transmitting the rotation of a motor to a camera in which the motor drive is mounted in order to effect a shutter release operation and/or a film winding operation of the camera;

comprising;

means for producing an electromagnetic release signal in response to the operation of an operating member;

means for transmitting the electromagnetic release signal to said camera in which the motor drive is mounted and which includes an electromagnetic shutter release mechanism;

means for transmitting an exposure operation signal to the motor drive, the exposure operation signal being produced by means disposed within the camera which detects an exposure operation which occurs therein;

first storage means responsitve to the exposure operation signal for storing the initiation of an exposure operation which occurs within the camera;

second storage means for storing the rotation of the motor to effect a shutter release operation which occurs after the operation of the operating member;

means responsive to outputs from the first and the second storage means for detecting the failure of an exposure operation within the camera despite the rotation of the motor to effect a shutter release operation subsequent to the operation of the operating member;

and means responsive to an output from the last mentioned detecting means for initiating the rotation of a motor to effect a film winding operation at a given time interval after the completion of the rotation of the motor which effects a shutter release operation.

10. A motor drive according to claim 9 in which said means for producing an electromagnetic release signal comprises a normally open switch which is closed in response to the depression of the operating member, and a pulse generator for producing the electromagnetic release signal in the form of a single pulse in response to the closure of the switch.

11. A motor drive according to claim 9 in which said means for transmitting the electromagnetic release signal comprises terminal means which provides an interconnection between the motor drive and a camera, and a switching transistor connected in parallel with a release switch disposed within the camera through the terminal means.

12. A motor drive according to claim 9 in which said means for detecting an exposure operation comprises a changeover switch which is mechanically interlocked with an upward or a downward movement of a movable mirror disposed within the camera.

13. A motor drive according to claim 9 in which the first storage means comprises an RS flipflop.

14. A motor drive according to claim 9 in which the second storage means comprises an RS flipflop.

15. A motor drive according to claim 9 in which said detecting means comprises a logic circuit connected between the changeover switch and a motor control circuit.

16. A motor drive according to claim 9, further including a changeover switch including a pair of transfer contacts, the changeover switch switching to one of the contacts upon completion of the rotation of the motor which effects a shutter release operation and switching to the other of the contacts upon completion of the rotation of the motor which effects a film winding operation.

17. A motor drive according to claim 9, further including a photographing mode selection switch which permits a selection between a single frame photographing mode and a consecutive photographing mode.

18. A motor drive according to claim 9 which is adapted to be connected with a separate power supply which includes part of a motor control circuit.

19. A motor drive according to claim 17, further including another means for producing an electromagnetic release signal which is effective to store the electromagnetic release signal whenever the mode selection switch has selected the consecutive mode and for producing a fresh electromagnetic release signal during a photographing operation for a second and subsequent frame in the consecutive mode.

20. A motor drive according to claim 19 in which said another means for producing an electromagnetic release signal comprises a flipflop.

21. A motor drive according to claim 9 in which said time interval is determined by a counter comprising a cascade connection of flipflops for counting down a pulse train.

22. A motor drive for mechanically transmitting the rotation of a motor to a camera having a shutter with a mechanical type shutter release in which the motor drive is mounted in order to enable a shutter release operation and/or a film winding operation of the camera;

said motor drive comprising;

means in said motor drive for substantially simultaneously producing an electrical drive signal and an electrical electromagnetic release signal in response to the operation of an operating member provided in said motor drive;

means for transmitting the electromagnetic release signal to a camera in which the motor drive is mounted and which includes a shutter with an electromagnetic shutter release mechanism, thereby enabling the motor drive to be mounted in a camera having an electromagnetic shutter release mechanism as well as in a camera having a mechanical shutter release mechanism;

said shutter release mechanism initiating a shutter operation of said shutter responsive to said electromagnetic release signal;

said shutter generating a signal just prior to opening of said shutter;

means in the motor drive responsive to said shutter signal from said camera signal for preventing operation of the motor during the time that the shutter is open.