Camera

• US 5,708,900 A
• Filed: 06/20/1994
• Issued: 01/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Ando, Hiroyuki, Yokoyama, Kunio
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUCCILLO, NICHOLAS
• Application Number:
  US08/260,197
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 354/275, 354/288, 396/535, 396/538, 396/511
• US Class Current: 396/538
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/30 Locating spools or other rotatable holders of coiled film
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/268 Unloading the cartridge from the camera; Loading the cartridge into the camera

Abstract

A camera equipped with a compact mechanism for loading or unloading film cassettes, has an R fork that transmits a drive force to the spool shaft of a film cassette in a cassette compartment so as to rotate the spool shaft in a predetermined direction. The cassette compartment is such that two opposite end faces in the axial direction of the spool are generally of the same size as two opposite end faces of the loaded film cassette and the R fork is urged in such a direction that it protrudes into the cassette compartment along the spool shaft and that it is capable of movement between two positions, one being where it protrudes into the cassette compartment and the other being where it retracts therefrom.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a cassette compartment for receiving a film cassette, the cassette compartment having a length generally the same as that of the film cassette and including an opening for loading the film cassette into the cassette compartment, the opening being dimensioned to limit loading of said film cassette in a direction generally perpendicular to a rotating shaft of said film cassette;

an engaging member for engaging the rotating shaft of the film cassette when the film cassette is loaded in the cassette compartment, the engaging member being movable between a first position in which said engaging member protrudes into said cassette compartment and a second position in which said engaging member retracts from within said cassette compartment;

a lid rotatable between an open position in which the opening of said cassette compartment is exposed and a covering position in which the opening of said cassette compartment is covered; and

means, operatively associated with said lid, for pushing said film cassette from said cassette compartment when the lid rotates from the covering position to the open position such that said film cassette moves said engaging member to the second position.

2. A camera according to claim 1, further comprising a hinge shaft, said pushing means and said lid being rotatable about said hinge shaft.

3. A camera according to claim 1, further comprising a hinge shaft, said pushing means and said lid being rotatable about said hinge shaft.

4. A camera for use with a film cassette, the camera comprising:

a camera body;

a film cassette compartment in said camera body for containing said film cassette, said film cassette compartment including at least two faces, the two end faces including a first end face proximate a first end of said film cassette and a second end face proximate a second end of said film cassette when said film cassette is loaded in said film cassette compartment between said two end faces;

a spool engaging shaft for engaging and rotating a spool shaft disposed in said film cassette, said spool engaging shaft being located on one of said first end face and said second end face such that said spool engaging shaft protrudes therefrom into said film cassette compartment, the spool engaging shaft;

including a tapered portion axially movable to a position outside said film cassette compartment such that when the film cassette is inserted into said film cassette compartment the film cassette pushes the tapered portion of said spool engaging shaft to the position outside said film cassette compartment so as to permit continued insertion of the film cassette;

a lid movably coupled to said camera assembly such that the lid is movable between a covering position in which said film cassette compartment is covered and an open position in which the film cassette compartment is exposed; and

film cassette ejecting means for ejecting the film cassette out of the film cassette compartment in response to said lid moving from the closed position to the open position,

such that when said lid moves from the closed position to the open position, while the film cassette is contained in said film cassette compartment, the film cassette ejecting means ejects the film cassette from said film cassette compartment so that the film cassette axially moves said tapered portion of said spool engaging shaft to the position outside said film cassette compartment so as to permit continued ejection of the film cassette out of said film cassette compartment.

5. A camera comprising:

a cassette compartment for receiving a film cassette, the cassette compartment having a length generally the same as that of the film cassette and including an opening for loading the film cassette into the cassette compartment, the opening being dimensioned to limit said loading of said film cassette in a direction generally perpendicular to a rotating shaft of said film cassette;

an engaging member movable between a first position in which said engaging member protrudes into said cassette compartment and a second position in which said engaging member retracts from within said cassette compartment, said engaging member being moved from said first position to said second position by a side surface of the film cassette during insertion of the film cassette into the cassette compartment, and said engaging member engaging the rotating shaft of the film cassette when the film cassette is loaded in the cassette compartment;

a lid rotatable between an open position in which the opening of said cassette compartment is exposed and a covering position in which the opening of said cassette compartment is covered; and

means, operatively associated with said lid, for pushing said film cassette from said cassette compartment when the lid rotates from the covering position to the open position such that said film cassette moves said engaging member to the second position.