Film winding system of camera

• US 5,003,331 A
• Filed: 05/14/1990
• Issued: 03/26/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Okumura, Sueyoshi, Katayori, Sinji, Seki, Reiji, Shimada, Takahisa, Kajita, Hideo, Ishimura, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, Michael L.
• Application Number:
  US07/523,265
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 354/173.1, 354/173.11, 354/204
• US Class Current: 396/402
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/425 motor drive cameras

Abstract

A film winding system of a camera, capable of automatically winding a film roll, comprising, an electric motor driven so as to winding the film roll, a film winding apparatus driven by the motor, a lock mechanism for locking the film winding apparatus, the lock mechanism comprising a film winding controller connected with the film winding apparatus and a lock lever engaging with the film winding controller so as to restrain an operation of the film winding apparatus, a releasing lever for cancelling an engagement of the lock lever to the film winding controller in advance before the film winding apparatus is actuated, and a loosing mechanism driven by the motor for reducing a degree of the engagement between the film winding controller and the lock lever in advance before the releasing lever swings in the cancellation direction of the engagement.

The system operates as follows. Since the loosing mechanism is driven so as to reduce the degree of the engagement between the film winding controller and the lock lever in advance before the releasing lever swings in the cancellation direction of the engagement, the releasing lever cancels the engagement of the lock lever to the film winding controller with light dynamic force. Then, the film winding apparatus is actuated, and the film roll is wound.

Claims

1. In a film winding system of a camera, capable of automatically winding a film roll, comprising an electric motor, cocking means driven by said motor, for cocking a predetermined mechanism, and film winding means driven by said motor, for winding the film roll, said system further comprising:

a differential gearing for driving said cocking means and said film winding means, individually, said differential gearing;

first lock means driven by said motor, for locking said film winding means so that said film winding means does not operate;

second lock means provided in said cocking means, for locking said cocking means so that said cocking means does not operate;

first detection means for detecting whether or not said first lock means locks said film winding means;

second detection means for detecting whether or not said second lock means locks said cocking means;

interlock control means for controlling said first lock means so that said first lock means operates when said cocking means is in operation; and

control means for controlling execution to initiate a first operation, a second operation, and a third operation, sequentially, the first operation representing initiating drive of said motor and actuating of said cocking means through the drive of said motor, the second operation representing that actuating of said interlock control means is caused to stop and locking of said first lock means is cancelled when said second detection means detects that said second lock means locks said cocking mean, the third operation representing that said motor is turned off when said first detection means detects that said first lock means locks said film winding means.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said differential gearing comprises:

an input gear for inputting a driving force of said motor, said input gear rotatably fitted around a first shaft which is rotatably supported with a camera body;

planetary gears driven by said input gear, which gear into said input gear, said planetary gears comprising at least one wheel;

a first driving gear for driving said cocking means, said first driving gear rotatably supported around said first shaft and supporting said planetary gears with a shaft provided therewith;

a carrier rotatably together with said first shaft and said first driving gear; and

second driving gear for driving said film winding means, said second driving gear being rotatably fitted to said first shaft and provided with an internal toothed gear which is disposed so as to gear into said planetary gears.

3. A film winding system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cocking means is adapted to cock at least one of a diaphragm mechanism, a mirror-up mechanism, and a shutter mechanism.