Eastman-kodak Company

Jean F Depatie

Robert A Bovenzi

Martin P Farcella

Teresa C Mayer

J Kelly Lee

Svetlana Reznik

James A Schmieder

Anthony L Tintera

Allan M Waugh

Michael Donovan Dunn

William D Vanarsdale

William M Leonard

James Joseph Parker, Jr

According to the present invention, an aperture/shutter system comprises a stator, a homogeneous rotor and at least one shutter blade. The rotor is located adjacent to the stator and has at least one positioning feature; and the shutter blade has a complimentary feature coupled directly to the positioning feature so as to be directly rotatable by the rotor.

Aperture/shutter system with a motor component

An aperture/shutter system defining an optical path comprises a shutter mechanism operable at a first state to selectively block light along the optical path and a second state to allow light along the optical path; and a motor including a stator and an annular rotor. The rotor is rotably supported within the stator by a support that is (i) stationary with respect to the stator and (ii) engages an inner surface of the rotor. The rotor is coupled to the shutter mechanism to move the shutter mechanism between the first state and the second state.

Aperture/shutter system and a stepper motor for use therein

According to one aspect of the present invention, an imaging apparatus includes an annular motor with a central opening and a plurality of lens elements positioned inside the central opening. The motor includes a stator and a homogeneous cylindrical rotor. This rotor is positioned inside the stator and is 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm thick and 2.5 mm to 5 mm long. According to one embodiment of the present invention the rotor is characterized by an outer cylindrical surface defined by its circumference. The rotor has a plurality of magnetic poles, and the ratio of the circumference of the outer cylindrical surface to the number of magnetic poles is between 1 and 2.

Imaging apparatus with a motor component

A device for controlling a stepper motor that drives a plurality of shutter blades. The movement and position of the movement of the rotor of the stepper motor is monitored to determine when the next step of the stepper motor should be stepped so that the rotation of the rotor will be known to cause the shutter blades to form the correct aperture size. The device may also be used to drive an automatic focusing mechanism and/or zoom.

Device for controlling a stepper motor that drives one or more camera

An aperture mechanism for controlling the aperture of an optical system includes a flexible diaphragm having an opening at its center for forming a first aperture value for the optical system and means for stretching the diaphragm to enlarge the opening and form at least one additional aperture value for the optical system. A stepper motor is used to stretch the diaphragm to form a plurality of aperture values for the optical system. Because the size of the aperture is determined by how much the diaphragm is stretched, the backlash between the stepper motor and related gearing is kept to a minimum due to the elastic properties of the diaphragm, which provides economical and accurate control of very small apertures.

Stretched diaphragm aperture for an optical system

A camera includes a mechanically-controlled aperture mechanism providing two or more aperture sizes for regulation of the intensity of image light gathered by the camera, a storage device for storing aperture calibration data corresponding to the measured transmissivity of each aperture size, and means for controlling camera exposure according to the value of one or more exposure parameters other than the aperture. The exposure errors caused by the aperture mechanism are thereupon compensated for with an exposure circuit that utilizes the stored aperture calibration data in order to establish the value of at least one of the exposure parameters other than the aperture. Such other exposure parameters include the shutter time and quench time for a flash, and in the case of an electronic camera the gain applied to the captured image signal.

Camera using calibrated aperture settings for exposure control

An aperture/shutter mechanism includes one or more shutter blades moveable to various aperture openings between a fully open and closed position. At least one damping member has a damping surface in continuous frictional contact with at least a portion of a surface of the one or more shutter blades to substantially prevent oscillation of the one or more shutter blades during movement to the various aperture openings between the fully open and closed positions.

Aperture/shutter mechanism with damping member

An electronically actuated shutter in which the location of the shutter blades are known to accurately control the aperture size and exposure. A gradient neutral density strip, a light source and a light detector are used to determine the position of the shutter blades.

Growing community of inventors

Albion, NY, United States of America

Jean F Depatie