Seiko Koki Kabushiki Kaisha

Seikosha Co., Ltd.

Seiko Precision Inc.

Seiko Koki Kabushiki Kasiha

Masuo Ogihara

Nobuo Shinozaki

Yoichi Seki

Kozo Chimura

Kiyoshi Kitai

Hajime Oda

Hiroshi Yamazaki

Tadashi Ishikawa

Kozo Sato

Shinji Nagaoka

Yuzuru Takazawa

Shigeru Tagami

Hiroaki Ishida

Atsushi Takami

Youichi Seki

Toshiya Tamura

Hiroyuki Ishida

Kouzo Sato

Hiroyuki Saito

Koji Sato

Nobuo Shinozuki

Yusuru Takazawa

A distance measurement device is provided which determines the measurement zone of an object and also determines the direction of movement of the object within the measurement zone. The distance measurement device comprises distance measurement means for measurement a distance to an object, judging means for judging which measurement zone from a plurality of measurement zones divided within the full distance measurement range of the distance measurement means that the object belongs to, storing means for storing the distance measurement result, movement detection means for comparing a current distance measurement result with a preceding distance measurement result stored in the storing means, determining whether the object has moved away from, toward, or remained stationary with respect to the distance measurement means in accordance with the comparison result, and output means for generating a first output signal in accordance with a judgement result of the judging means and a second output signal in accordance with a determination of the movement detection means.

Distance measurement device

An apparatus for winding up film in a camera has a direct current brush motor and an arrangement for producing a pulse train of pulses in response to the production of brush noise by said motor as it rotates. A control circuit is responsive to the pulse train of pulses to control the advancing and rewinding of the film as well as to detect the winding ends and to detect the occurrence of film loading errors.

Camera and film winding-up apparatus for camera

An instant photocopying apparatus that allows scanning of an optical means to be carried out plural times continuously by one copying starting operation in the instant photocopying apparatus for sequentially imaging and copying fine areas of an object on an instant photosensitive material by scanning the optical means in parallel to the object is provided. A scanning number setting means 57 is provided and a control circuit 48 is programmed so that it scans continuously by the number of times set by the scanning number setting means 57. An user set any scanning number by the scanning number setting means 57. Then when a start switch SW3 is pressed, the control circuit 48 lights up an illuminating means 24 and issues a command to a motor driving circuit 54 to scan continuously by the preset number of times from one end to the other end of a copying area.

Instant photocopying apparatus

A drive ring drivable by a stepping motor is normally urged by a spring to turn in one direction around a lens aperture. When not in use, the stepping motor is not subjected to the resilient force from the spring since the drive ring is locked against rotation by a ratchet wheel engaged by an engagement lever. The stepping motor is therefore not subjected to undue stresses and is prevented from malfunctioning. Consequently, focusing failures and exposure adjustment failures which could otherwise arise from malfunctioning of the stepping motor are prevented from occurring. In operation, a solenoid is energized to move the engagement lever out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, which is then freed to allow the drive ring to be turned by the stepping motor.

Motor-driven shutter for camera

A programmable shutter of the type wherein a shutter blade is opened and closed by means of a stepping motor. The motor is rotated in a forward direction by drive pulses of a predetermined fixed period to gradually open a sector while at the same time a light measuring circuit is started. Thus, at the time when an appropriate exposure quantity is reached, the direction of rotation of the motor is forcibly reversed to effect closing of the sector to attain simultaneous measurement of light and exposure.

Programmable shutter

A camera shutter has an automatic focusing lens operative when actuated to effect an automatic focusing operation. An actuating ring is normally placed in a non-operating region and momentarily shifted to an operating region during the automatic focusing operation. The actuating ring is sequentially displaceable in forward and reverse direction through the operating region to actuate the automatic focusing lens, and displaceable in the forward and reverse directions in the non-operating region without effecting actuation of the automatic focusing lens. A ratchet mechanism is coupled to the actuating ring for selectively locking and unlocking the actuating ring in the non-operating region in response to the displacement thereof in the forward and reverse directions. A bi-directionally rotatable stepping motor is connected to drive the actuating ring to displace the same in the forward and reverse directions.

In a program shutter using a stepping motor for opening and closing sectors, the stepping motor is composed of a 4-pole magnetized rotor and two sets of U-shaped stators and coils, the stators being each provided with a pair of leg portions which are formed with magnetic poles at end portions thereof in an opposed relation to the outer periphery of the rotor, the magnetic poles at the leg end portions of each stator being formed in a phase relation of 90.degree. with respect to the rotational center of the rotor, and one magnetic poles of the stators being disposed in proximity to each other so as to in a phase relation of 45.degree. with respect to the rotational center of the rotor.

Stepping motor-driven sector opening/closing device

A strobo control circuit for a program shutter which opens or closes sectors by means of a stepping motor, wherein a data ROM (read-only memory) is accessed in accordance with a value obtained by computing a code representative of a distance to a subject, a film speed and so forth, and after the data stored in the ROM is set in a timer circuit, the timer is started synchronously with start of the stepping motor to produce a strobo trigger signal upon termination of the timer action.

Strobe control circuit for flash photography

A time recorder includes a clock circuit for producing a clock signal, a detector for detecting when a time card is loaded in the time recorder to produce a detection signal, and a correcting circuit for producing a correcting signal effective to correct time information. A printing wheel assembly is rotationally driven to print the time information which is displayed in a display device. A positioning mechanism receives the loaded time card and moves relative to the printing wheel assembly for positioning the loaded time card in a print position relative to the printing wheel assembly. A hammer is opposed to the loaded time card and actuated to act thereon against the printing wheel assembly to thereby print the time information. The display device, printing wheel assembly and positioning mechanism are driven in synchronization with one another to update and correct the displayed time information, the time information to be printed and the position of the time card in response to the clock and correcting signals. The hammer is actuated in response to the detection signal without relative interference with the drive of the printing wheel assembly and positioning mechanism.

Time recorder with printing wheels and impression hammer

A time recorder is normally powered by a main power source for supplying a commercial power and occasionally powered by a back-up power source during interruption of the commercial power supply. A clock means counts time to constantly produce a clock pulse, and a digital display constantly digitally indicates updated time data in response to the clock pulse. An analogue display is driven for analogically indicating time information and a recording mechanism is driven for recording time information on a recording medium. A driving device drives the analog display and recording mechanism in response to the clock pulse to update the time information indicated in the analog display and recorded by the recording mechanism. A detecting device is connected to the main power source for detecting the interruption of the commercial power supply. A controlling device responsive to the detection of the commercial power supply interruption inhibits the operation of the driving device during the commercial power supply interruption so that the driving device suspends the driving of the analog display and recording mechanism to thereby cause a delay of the time information from the updated time data, and operates after recovery of the commercial power supply for controlling the driving device to quickly drive the analog display and recording mechanism to correct for the delay to thereby update the time information.

Time recorder with automatic correction for momentary discontinuation of

A device which includes means for detecting a film sensitivity code based upon International Standardization Organization and provided on a film cartridge when the film cartridge is loaded, whereby it is determined whether or not a film is one whose cartridge has a code provided thereon by adding 1 to the film sensitivity code detected the means to detect if a carry-over appears or not.

Automatic film sensitivity change-over device

A program shutter has a shutter mechanism comprised of at least one sector movable in opening and closing directions in response to forward and reverse rotation of a step motor to form a lens aperture. A control unit automatically controls the shutter operation and comprises an exposure quantity storage circuit for storing exposure quantity data corresponding to the brightness of a subject being photographed, a motor control data storage circuit for storing step drive number data proportional to the exposure quantity data and interpolation quantity data corresponding to the exposure quantity data, a pulse generator circuit for generating step drive pulses and clock pulses, a first presettable counter preset with the step drive number data before opening of the sector and downcounted to zero by the drive pulses, a second presettable counter preset with the interpolation quantity data and downcounted to zero by the clock pulses beginning at a time after the first counter has downcounted to zero, a reverse drive circuit for detecting when the second counter has counted down to zero and thereafter effecting rotation of the step motor in the reverse direction, and a motor drive circuit for rotationally driving the step motor according to the drive pulses generated by the pulse generator circuit means.

Program shutter

In a program shutter having a sector which is opened and closed by a step motor, there is provided a home position detection means for detecting whether or not the sector is positioned in a home position. Before and after an exposure operation, it is detected whether or not the sector is positioned in the home position, and if the sector is not positioned in the home position, the step motor is reversely rotated to complete the closing movement of the sector.

Camera shutter

An hour detection wheel and a minute detection wheel for detecting an alarm signaling time are provided in combination with an hour time wheel and a minute time wheel respectively. An alarm signaling time indicating block having a minute indication drum connected to an alarm signaling time setting member and marked with minute-scale alarm signaling time graduations and an hour indication drum marked with hour-scale alarm signaling time graduations and adapted to be turned intermittently by the minute indication drum is disposed outside a clock movement having the hour and the minute detection wheels and the minute indication drum interlocked by gear trains with the hour and the minute detection wheels.

Growing community of inventors

Yotsukaido, Japan

Masuo Ogihara