Exposure control device in a camera

• US 4,884,091 A
• Filed: 07/19/1988
• Issued: 11/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippon Seimitsu Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Nippon Seimitsu Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nakagomi, Kazuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): MATHEWS, ALAN A
• Application Number:
  US07/221,288
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 354/230, 354/246, 354/247, 354/270, 354/271.1, 354/274, 354/435, 354/436, 354/437, 354/438, 354/439, 354/440
• US Class Current: 396/508
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 9/02 Diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 9/42 with adjustable slot; with mechanism controlling relative movement of plates to form slot

Abstract

A pair of iris diaphragms are each connected to a driving pin formed on either free end of a rocking lever at one point and are each supported slidably by a single guide pin formed on a base plate, thereby to move smoothly without wobbling. By driving the rocking lever with a motor, the iris diaphragms move in opposite directions to form an iris aperture for determining correct exposure in fast response to the brightness of a subject to be taken as an image.

Claims

1. An exposure control device in a camera, which comprises an iris composed of a pair of iris diaphragms each having an exposure space, which define an iris aperture and each have a guide slot and a pin hole;

a driving motor which is driven in accordance with brightness of a subject to be taken as an image;

a rocking lever mounted on said driving motor and provided on its both end portions with driving pins which are in engagement with said pin holes formed in said iris diaphragms; and

a base plate having an exposure opening about an optical axis and guide pins slidably fitted one into each guide slot of the iris diaphragms so as to permit the iris diaphragms to move in substantially opposite directions with said rocking lever being, operated by said driving motor, said base plate being provided on its upper surface with guide ribs which come into contact with at least one of said iris diaphragms.

2. An exposure control device according to claim 1, further comprising a guard cover for covering said diaphragms in conjunction with said base plate, which is fixed onto said base plate and provided on its lower surface with longitudinal guide ribs coming into contact with at least one of said iris diaphragms.

3. An exposure control device according to claim 2, wherein said guide ribs formed on the base plate are opposite to the longitudinal guide ribs on said guard cover.

4. An exposure control device according to claim 2, wherein said guide ribs formed on the base plate are displaced relative to the longitudinal guide ribs on said guard cover.

5. An exposure control device according to claim 1, wherein one of said iris diaphragms is provided on a part of a circumferential edge portion of the exposure space thereof with an anti-interference expansion, and the other diaphragm is provided in a part of a circumferential edge portion of the exposure space thereof with a counterpart anti-interference dent.

6. An exposure control device according to claim 1, wherein said base plate has a surrounding wall formed intermittently and positioning projections formed on said surrounding wall.

7. An exposure control device according to claim 1, wherein said base plate has arcuate holes for allowing said driving pins of said rocking lever to pierce therethrough and at least one arcuate rib formed along said arcuate hole so as to slidably support one of said iris diaphragms.

8. An exposure control device according to claim 7, wherein said guard cover has arcuate holes for allowing said driving pins of said rocking lever to pierce therethrough and at least one arcuate rib formed along said arcuate hole so as to slidably support one of said iris diaphragms.

9. An exposure control device according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said guide ribs which is in contact with one of said iris diaphragms is different in height from the remaining guide ribs.

10. An exposure control device according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said guide ribs which is in contact with one of said iris diaphragms is different in height from the remaining guide ribs.

11. An exposure control device according to claim 2, wherein at least one transverse guide rib is formed on at least one of the base plate and guard cover at positions where the guide slots of said iris diaphragms pass, which guide rib has a length larger than the width of said guide slots of said iris diaphragms.

12. An exposure control device according to claim 11, wherein said guard cover has an exposure opening which is aligned with the exposure opening of said base plate, said transverse guide rib formed on at least one of said base plate and guard cover being connected to said exposure opening of at least one of said base plate and guard cover.

13. An exposure control device in a camera, which comprises an iris composed of a pair of iris diaphragms each having an exposure space, which define an iris aperture and each have a guide slot and a pin hole;

a driving motor which is driven in accordance with brightness of a subject to be taken as an image;

a rocking lever provided on its both end portions with driving pins which are in engagement with said pin holes formed in said iris diaphragms;

a link having one end connected to said driving motor and a free end connected to said rocking lever to transmit rotational motion of said motor to said rocking lever;

a base plate having an exposure opening about an optical axis and guide pins slidably fitted one into each guide slot of the iris diaphragms so as to permit the iris diaphragms to move in substantially opposite directions with said rocking lever being operated by said driving motor; and

a guard cover for covering said diaphragms in conjunction with said base plate, which is fixed onto said base plate, said base plate being provided on its upper surface with guide ribs which come into contact with at least one of said iris diaphragms, and said guard cover being provided on its lower surface with longitudinal guide ribs coming into contact with at least one of said iris diaphragms.

14. An exposure control device according to claim 13, wherein said guide ribs formed on the base plate are opposite to the longitudinal guide ribs on said guard cover.

15. An exposure control device according to claim 13, wherein said guide ribs formed on the base plate are displaced relative to the longitudinal on said guard cover.