Camera with electrostatic light valve that functions as diaphragm

• US 6,443,637 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2000
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Dowe, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Arthur A
• Application Number:
  US09/526,332
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 396/257, 396/261, 396/262, 396/505, 396/506, 396/457, 359/230, 359/231, 359/280, 359/281
• US Class Current: 396/505
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/02 for controlling the intensity of light G02B26/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/005 Diaphragms for cameras G03B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 9/02 Diaphragms

Abstract

The diaphragm for an objective lens in a camera includes a circular series of coilable resilient opaque electrodes that are biased to curl into respective coils radially outward to make the size of an aperture larger and are electrostatically actuatable to uncurl from the coils radially inward to make the size of the aperture smaller, a transparent flat stationary electrode that is positioned parallel to the coilable electrodes when the coilable electrodes are uncurled from the coils, a peripheral conductor that encircles the coilable electrodes and has respective conductive connections to each one of the coilable electrodes, and one conductive lead attached to the peripheral conductor and another conductive lead attached to the stationary electrode for together applying an electric potential between the coilable electrodes and the stationary electrode to electrostatically actuate the coilable electrodes to uncurl.

Claims

1. A camera comprising an objective lens for forming an image of a subject by focusing rays of light at a film plane, and a diaphragm for forming a variable size aperture for said lens that changes the amount of light from said lens, is characterized in that:

said diaphragm has a series of coilable light valves constructed to curl into respective coils and to uncurl from said coils to change the size of said aperture.

2. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said coilable light valves are arranged in a circle to curl into said coils radially and to uncurl from said coils radially.

3. A camera as recited in claim 2, wherein said coilable light valves when uncurled radially make the size of said aperture smaller and when curled radially make the size of said aperture larger.

4. A camera as recited in claim 3, wherein said coilable light valves when uncurled radially to make the size of said aperture smaller are similarly tapered toward the aperture.

5. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said coilable light valves are arranged in a circle about said aperture and each one of them is tapered from an outer fixed end to an inner free end that is movable to vary the size of said aperture.

6. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said coilable light valves include respective coilable resilient opaque electrodes that are biased to curl into said coils and are electrostatically actuatable to uncurl from said coils.

7. A camera as recited in claim 6, wherein said coilable light valves include a transparent flat stationary electrode that is positioned parallel to said film plane, and said coilable electrodes are parallel to said stationary electrode hen the coilable electrodes are uncurled from said coils.

8. A camera as recited in claim 6, wherein said coilable electrodes are arranged in a circle to curl into said coils radially outward to make the size of said aperture larger and to uncurl from said coils radially inward to make the size of said aperture smaller and are similarly tapered toward said aperture when uncoiled radially inward.

9. A camera as recited in claim 6, wherein said coilable electrodes are arranged in a circle to curl into said coils radially and to uncurl from said coils radially, a peripheral conductor encircles said coilable electrodes and has respective conductive connections to each one of said coilable electrodes, and a conductive lead is attached to said peripheral conductor for electrostatically actuating said coilable electrodes to uncoil.

10. A camera as recited in claim 1, wherein said lens has a number of optical elements, and said coilable light valves are located between two of said optical elements.

11. A method in a camera of adjusting a diaphragm to vary the size of an aperture for an objective lens, in order to change the amount of light that can pass through the objective lens, is characterized by the steps of:

curling a series of coilable light valves into respective coils to make the size of the aperture larger so that more light can pass through the objective lens; and

uncurling the coilable light valves from the coils to make the size of the aperture smaller so that less light can pass through the objective lens.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the step of uncurling the coilable light valves includes applying an electric potential between a transparent flat stationary electrode and opaque resilient coilable electrodes biased to curl into the coils, in order to electrostatically actuate the coilable electrodes to uncurl from the coils along the stationary electrode.

13. A camera comprising an objective lens for forming an image of a subject by focusing rays of light, and a diaphragm for forming a variable size aperture for said lens that changes the amount of light from said lens, is characterized in that:

said diaphragm includes a circular series of coilable resilient opaque electrodes that are biased to curl into respective coils radially outward to make the size of said aperture larger and are electrostatically actuatable to uncurl from said coils radially inward to make the size of said aperture smaller, a transparent flat stationary electrode that is positioned parallel to said coilable electrodes when the coilable electrodes are uncurled from said coils, a peripheral conductor that encircles said coilable electrodes and has respective conductive connections to each one of said coilable electrodes, and one conductive lead attached to said peripheral conductor and another conductive lead attached to said stationary electrode for together applying an electric potential between said coilable electrodes and said stationary electrode to electrostatically actuate the coilable electrodes to uncurl.

14. A camera comprising an objective lens for forming an image of a subject by focusing rays of light at a film plane, and a diaphragm for forming a variable size aperture for said lens that changes the amount of light from said lens, is characterized in that:

said diaphragm includes a transparent flat stationary electrode that is positioned parallel to said film plane, and a circular series of coilable resilient opaque electrodes each one of which is tapered from an outer end fixed with respect to said stationary electrode to a inner free end that is movable to vary the size of said aperture.