Nikon Corporation

Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Asahi Kogaku Kogyo K.k.

Nixon Corporation

Isao Soshi

Hidenori Miyamoto

Hiroshi Wakabayashi

Junichi Omi

Minoru Kato

Toshiyuki Nakamura

Yoshio Imura

Tatsuo Amanuma

Tatsuhide Takebayashi

Motoyuki Ohtake

Noriyasu Kotani

Hiroshi Terunuma

Akio Nishizawa

Yoshihiro Takeuchi

Shuji Iijima

Seijiro Noda

Jirou Asami

Hiroaki Suzuki

Daiki Tsukahara

Shinsuke Kohmoto

Osamu Sato

Toshiyuki Kitazawa

Noboru Akami

Tomoaki Itabashi

Hidenobu Kaji

Koshi Yoshibe

Teruhiko Naruo

Minoru Katou

A camera with a data imprinting device includes a generally triangular space adjacent a film spool. A roller, used to conform the film to the film spool is urged into the triangular space when the film diameter on the roller approaches a maximum diameter. A portion of an optical system for the data imprinting device is also located in the triangular space. The periods of film drive pulses are averaged to establish periods of data imprinting pulses. A plurality of the data imprinting pulses are generated for each film drive pulse. In a full size mode of operation, a first set of the data imprinting pulses are used to record imprinting data. In a panorama mode of operation, a second set of the data imprinting pulses are used to record the imprinting data. The second set of data imprinting pulses contains more data imprinting pulses than the first set of data imprinting pulses, whereby the data imprinted in panorama mode occupies a shorter length of the film than does the data imprinted in full size mode.

Camera equipped with data imprinting device

A display device adapted for use with a camera is equipped with circuitry for monitoring and controlling camera operation. The display device includes a display unit having a first display part which shows a photographic mode indication, a second display part which shows calendar information (e.g., date and time information), and a connector designed to electronically connect the display device to the circuitry. The connector is mounted in the camera in parallel relation to the first display part and to the second display part. The second display part is mounted near the connector and in closer proximity to the connector than the first display part. Additionally, a control device for controlling the drive characteristics of a display device adapted for use in a camera is provided. The control device includes a plurality of main contacts which are connected to at least one of a first display device which has a respectively associated plurality of contacts and which displays date information and a second display device which has a respectively associated plurality of contacts and which displays photographic information other than date information. Additionally, the control device includes a drive unit which causes date information to be displayed on the first display device when the plurality of main contacts are connected to the respectively associated plurality of contacts of the first display device, and which causes photographic information other than date information to be displayed on the second display when the plurality of main contacts are connected to the respectively associated plurality of contacts of the second display.

Camera having a display unit including multiple display areas and a connector mounted parallel to said multiple display areas

A vibration correction system for a camera using a correcting lens driven by a reduction gear train attached to a motor. Image deflection, originating from vibration and the like of the camera, is prevented by shifting the correcting lens. A movement detector, to detect the amount of movement of the correcting lens, is arranged near the drive shaft of the motor or near the first couple of gears of the reduction gear train. After the correcting lens has been driven, the connecting lens is reset to a predetermined standard position, based on the output of the movement detector. By placing the movement detector on or near the drive shaft, a high resolving power is obtained. Accordingly, the correcting lens can be shifted with fine precise movements, and accurate correction of image deflection becomes possible.

Vibration correction system for a camera

A camera according to the present invention is provided wherein a pair of electric energy storage devices spaced from each other in the direction of the thickness of the camera so as to extend in the direction perpendicular to the film winding direction, and a circuit board having a plurality of electric parts mounted thereon is disposed along the pair of electric energy storage devices so that the electric parts are located between the pair of electric energy storage devices.

Arrangement of structure in a camera for reduced thickness

A camera has a data imprinting device having an optical system focussing light from an LED array on a photographic film at first and second positions corresponding to full-size and panorama-size picture formats. In a first embodiment the optical system has two lens elements, at differing distances from the LED array, each aligned to imprint data at one of the two positions. In a second embodiment the optical system has a single lens element which moves from a first lens position to a second lens position at differing distances from the LED array. Amounts of light emitted by the LED array are modulated by a control system to produce correctly exposed imprinted data at both position. The control system compensates for differing numerical apertures of associated with the first and second positions. The control system also compensates for film speed. One embodiment of the invention modulates the amount of emitted light by adjusting a current level driving the LED array. Another embodiment modulates by pulse width modulating the illumination period of the LED array.

Camera with dual mode exposure controlled data imprinting

A camera having multiple display functions and/or a date imprinting function wherein the display can alternately switch between displaying the date and the film frame number. The frame number is displayed when winding blank film and the date is displayed at other times. The display also has an indicator which lights up or flashes to indicate the status of the camera power source. The display also shows the date and this date can be imprinted on film when a photograph is taken. The date can be imprinted whether or not the camera is in a date correction mode when the photograph is taken. A multiple function button is used to change photographic information shown on the display, wherein different functions correspond to different camera modes. Adequate safeguards are therefore provided by this camera to prevent accidental changing of information.

Camera having multiple display functions and/or a date imprinting

An image deflection preventing device for a camera, such as a still camera which is used to drive a deflection preventing optical system in accordance with readings from angular velocity sensors and other circuitry. Moreover, an exposure mode selection device is included to select strobe photography according to the focusing distance from a distance measuring unit maintained in the camera to a subject to be photographed. The selection device can select strobe photography when the focusing distance is closer than a predetermined distance or when photographic magnification from a focal length detection unit to a subject to be photographed is greater than a predetermined value. The selection of strobe photography is done using results from a photometric unit in conjunction with the determination of a brightness level. In particular, if a given brightness level is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, strobe photography is selected, otherwise, exterior light photography is selected. The brightness level for selection of strobe photography is typically higher at closer distances, longer focal lengths, or larger photographic magnifications.

Camera with device to prevent image blurs

A camera having a retractable lens barrel which can be fully received in the camera body when the camera is not in use, such that the portion of the lens barrel closest to the back of the camera, i.e., nearest the image plane, stops forward of the portion of the electric supply battery extending furthest from the side wall of the camera body to which the electric supply battery is adjacent. As a result, the height of the camera can be made smaller. Moreover, a mounting board, with a release switch formed thereon and activated by a release button operated by a user, is located above a motor which drives the lens barrel, such that the load on the mounting board, during the activation of the release switch by pressure of the release button, is supported by the motor, so that it is not necessary to dispose a separate support member in the camera body, and the size of the camera can be made smaller.

Camera with a retractable photographic lens and compact battery

An optical lens barrel having a lens group which serves as a vibration compensation lens group and a focusing lens group. The lens group is held by a holder movably secured to a plate. The lens group is movable within the plate on a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens group via a pair of DC motors and associated gear trains. The DC motors and associated gear trains are mounted on the plate. The plate is slidably movable parallel to the optical axis of the lens group by a stepping motor via a series of concentric drive rings disposed around the plate. The drive rings also actuate an aperture mechanism which serves as a shutter. This reduces both the number of lenses and components needed to provide vibration compensation and autofocusing functions.

Optical lens barrel with an optical lens group shiftable perpendicular

A lens barrel comprises a focusing optical system for moving in the direction of the optical axis to perform a focusing operation, an ultrasonic motor used for the automatic focus control, containing a stator and a rotor, and disposed around the optical axis, a motion transformation/transmission mechanism for moving the focusing optical system in the direction of the optical axis on the basis of a rotation of the rotor, a manual operation member to be rotated manually, and a motor holding device for holding the motor to be rotated by a rotation of the manual operation member so as to rotate the rotor, wherein said motor is held on the motor holding device to have the stator and the rotor provided from the light incident side toward the lens barrel in the named order.

Lens barrel comprising an ultrasonic motor

A camera includes, but is not limited to, a focus adjustment optical system such as a zoom or a non-zoom type optical system, for example, an actuator generating a drive force which moves the focus adjustment optical system, a transmission mechanism transmitting the drive force from the actuator to the focus adjustment optical system, a drive amount detection mechanism detecting an amount of drive of the focus adjustment optical system caused by the actuator; and wherein the actuator, the transmission mechanism and the drive amount detection mechanism are disposed in the camera in a position which is on the outer circumference of the aforementioned focus adjustment optical system and which is on a long side of an aperture that forms light fluxes into a rectangular shape to become incident on a film surface. Also provided is a camera that includes, but is not limited to, a variable power device conducting focus distance variable power operations based on multiple photographic lens groups by moving the multiple photographic lens groups in a direction of their optical axes, a vibration detection device to detect a vibration and to generate vibration signals in relation thereto, a vibration compensation device to correct vibration corresponding to the vibration detection signals from the vibration detection device and wherein the variable power device houses the vibration compensation device inside a main cover of a camera body when the camera is not in use and wherein the vibration compensation device is made to extend to a position outside of the main cover of the camera to a specified region when the camera is in use. Finally, a camera is provided that includes, but is not limited to, a lens groups positioned along an optical axis, a drive device changing a distance between a first lens group of the lens groups and the lens groups. The drive device includes an actuator and a displacement transmission device. The drive device is positioned in the camera along an exterior circumference of a second lens group of the lens groups. The second lens group is closest to an image forming plane.

Camera equipped with a device for focus adjustment during times of

A film positioning apparatus includes a camera body assembled with a feeding system for allowing a film to travel in a first direction parallel to its surface and a platen member having external rails for positioning the film in a second direction parallel to the surface thereof but orthogonal to the first direction and connected to the camera body with screws. The platen member is provided with a mounting member for a magnetic head to be disposed in a predetermined positional relationship in the second direction with respect to the film.

Film positioning apparatus

A lens camera having a viewfinder mechanism and an adjustable strobe light generating unit, wherein the zoom viewfinder mechanism has a disk cam to cause a lens group of a viewfinder optical system to move back and forth in an optical axis direction according to a difference of the distances in the radial direction from the rotation center of shafts of individual lenses of the lens group, the shafts fitting in grooves of the disk and driving the individual lenses of the lens group in order to perform variable power of a zoom viewfinder. Drive gears drive the disk cam and one of the drive gears is a helical gear which has a predetermined angle for a lead angle, the rotation center of the disk cam and the rotation axis direction of the one drive gear being positioned so as to intersect. The strobe light generating unit is moved in the direction of the optical axis of the camera so that a radiating angle of a strobe fitted in the strobe light generating unit is changed according to the variable power of operation of the lens. Jaw portions are integrally formed on the strobe light generating unit and engage rail grooves formed on the body of the camera.

Lens shutter camera having a zoom viewfinder mechanism and an adjustable

The picture frame switching mechanism according to the present invention includes: a plurality of picture frame definition members whose relative position in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis of an optical system is changed so as to switch picture frames; a drive section which drives a portion of the plurality of picture frame definition members; and a linked driving section which drives other portion of the picture frame definition members in linkage according to predetermined conditions with driving of the portion of the picture frame definition members.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Isao Soshi