Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Masataka Kashima

Akira Yoshizaki

Haruo Kobayashi

Takeo Hoda

Shinji Tominaga

Akira Yamanaka

Ikushi Nakamura

Norihiro Inoue

A camera having a photographic optical system, a lens barrel disposed to be movable relative to a camera body in a direction of an optical axis and holding the photographic optical system, a focal length switchover mechanism for moving the photographic optical system such that the photographic optical system has a longer focal length as the same is moved forwardly in the direction of the optical axis, and a lens barrier displaceable between a closed position and an opened position for covering and uncovering a front face of the lens barrel. This lens barrier is disposed independently of the lens barrel adjacent a front end of the lens barrel having returned to a home position thereof at the side of the camera body such that the lens barrier is not movable in unison with the lens barrel. The lens barrel is moved to a projected position at which a front portion of the same is projected forwardly of the lens barrier when the focal length of the photographic optical system is set to be long by the focal length switchover mechanism. When the lens barrel is placed at the projected position and if the lens barrier is operated to its closed position, the lens barrel first returns to its home position before the lens barrier will close.

Camera

A film information reading system for automatically reading film information such as film sensitivity from code patterns on a film cartridge mounted in a cartridge chamber of a camera. The code patterns comprise a six code areas arranged axially of the film cartridge. The reading system comprises a first electric contact to contact at least one of the second to fourth code areas, a second electric contact to contact the fifth code area, and a third electric contact to contact the sixth code area. The second and third contacts are in a short-circulating relationship. A film information readout circuit is connected to the contacts for reading the film information from conductive, and non-conductive states between the first to third contacts provided by the code patterns.

Automatic film information reading method and device

An electronic instrument, such as a camera, which is supplied with electric power from a battery and selectively receives two kinds of batteries which are different from each other in shape and output voltage. A battery chamber of the electronic instrument is constructed to commonly receive the first and second batteries such that a space of the battery chamber is commonly occupied by parts of the first and second batteries. Additionally, a member is projected into the battery chamber and determines which kind of batteries is received. In response to the result of the determination, a voltage converting means converts the output voltage of the battery to a given voltage such that an electionic circuit of the electronic instrument operates with the optimum voltage condition with the voltage supplied from either one of the batteries which are different from each other in shape and output voltage.

Electronic instrument which selectively receives different kinds of

Growing community of inventors

Toyokawa, Japan

Masataka Kashima