Fuji Photo Optical Co., Ltd.

Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Nobuhiro Aoki

Shigenori Goto

Hisashi Hamada

Shiro Hashimoto

Hiroshi Fukuda

Tokuji Sato

Yasuhiko Tanaka

Hiroshi Komatsuzaki

Kazuhiro Akiyama

Toru Ito

Masao Shoji

Takao Koda

Katsuhiko Yamamoto

Masaya Nozawa

Humio Hashimoto

Syunji Nashimura

Jun Hiraku

An operation button comprises a button body swingably attached to a recess of a portable apparatus. The button body has a conical shape and is uniformly urged toward the recess by arm portions of a leaf spring. The button body is kept in a neutral position where a bottom edge of the button body abuts on the bottom of the recess and the button body does not incline. When the operation button is depressed, the button body is swung in a state that the bottom edge thereof is a fulcrum. Upon this, contact points formed on a printed circuit board is short-circuited. The arm portion corresponding to the depressed position urges a button cover in a direction separating from the recess. At the same time, a position of the button body opposite to the depressed position is urged toward the recess by the other arm portion. When the operation button is stopped to be depressed, it is speedily returned to the neutral position owing to synergism of the arm portions.

Operation button used for portable apparatus

When a switching lever is positioned for horizontal photographing, an exposure frame composed of two switching frames is switched to a horizontal photographing exposure frame. When the switching lever is positioned for vertical photographing, a wheel ring starts rotating about a photographic optical axis, and the switching frames start moving by the operation of elongated holes. When the switching lever is positioned for vertical photographing, the exposure frame composed of two switching frames is switched to a vertical photographing exposure frame.

Exposure and view finder orientation switching mechanism for a camera

A Brownie camera is loadable with a 120- and 220-type roll photo film. The 120 type includes light-shielding backing paper overlaid on the entirety of the photo filmstrip, unlike the 220 type. An exposure aperture is formed in a camera body, and disposed between a photo film supply chamber and a photo film take-up chamber, for exposing the roll photo film. A pair of rails are disposed along respective two edges of the exposure aperture extending horizontally, and contact sides of an emulsion surface of the roll photo film. A pressure plate contacts a back of the roll photo film to position the roll photo film on a rear of the exposure aperture, and is disposed behind the exposure aperture to define a photo film passageway between the pressure plate and the rails. An external selector wheel is disposed outside the camera body, for selecting one of the 120 and 220 types. A mechanism for moving the pressure plate is actuated by a shift of the selector wheel, for moving the pressure plate toward or away from the rails. The passageway is set at a wide space size when the 120 type is selected, and at a narrower space size when the 220 type is selected.

Camera and focussing method for the same

A camera for use with a Brownie roll film having a bar code containing data about a roll film, such as a film speed and a roll film type. The bar code is printed on an adhesive tape which secures light-shielding paper to a leading end of a photo filmstrip of the roll film. As soon as the roll film is loaded with its leading end of the light-shielding paper secured to a take-up spool of the camera, the camera starts rotating the take-up spool and, simultaneously, a reflective photo sensor starts scanning. Based on output signal from the photo sensor and the transport amount of the filmstrip, a first frame exposure portion of the filmstrip is automatically positioned behind an exposure aperture. The number ofavailable exposures is derived from the roll film type data read from the bar code, and is displayed on an LCD panel. An automatic exposure control is effected while taking the film speed read from the bar code into consideration.

Camera, bar code reader for camera and method of detecting bar code

The present invention is related to a camera having a film wind spool with an insertion slot for receiving a film leader, a counter roller at a film supply side of the film wind spool, and a film winding device having a plate-shaped guide member between the film wind spool and the counter roller for guiding the film leader from the film supply side to the insertion slot of the film wind spool when the guide member is in a first position. The guide member further includes two end pieces, each of the two end pieces are pivotally connected to a different axial end of the counter roller. A rear cover is provided on the camera that opens to expose the film winding device and has an interior projection. The film winding device further includes a flange protruding from the film winding device in a position corresponding to the interior projection when the rear cover is closed. This flange is connected to one of the end pieces for moving the guide member from the first position to a second position which allows winding of the film onto the film wind spool when the rear cover of the camera is closed.

Camera and film winding device of camera

A camera is used with a Brownie photo film, which has a photo filmstrip on which plural frames are formable serially. A light-shielding leader is disposed on a front end of the photo filmstrip. A light-shielding trailer is disposed on a rear end of the photo filmstrip. The Brownie photo film is wound about a supply spool with the trailer positioned inside and with the leader positioned outside. In the camera, a photo film supply chamber is formed for loading of the Brownie photo film. A photo film take-up chamber has a take-up spool disposed in a rotatable manner, for winding the Brownie photo film from the photo film supply chamber. The take-up spool has a spool core, and an insertion slit for receiving insertion of the leader through the spool core. A drive shaft in the photo film supply chamber rotates the take-up spool, to transport the Brownie photo film to the photo film take-up chamber and wind the Brownie photo film about the take-up spool. A motor rotates the drive shaft. A rotational detector switch detects a rotational position of the drive shaft. A controller controls the motor in accordance with a signal from the rotational detector switch, to set the drive shaft in at least one specified rotational position before insertion of the leader into the insertion slit. The insertion slit is directed in a predetermined orientation for facilitating receipt of the leader.

Camera for use with a roll photo film

A switch for a camera includes a switch button. While being urged toward a flange section of a switch-button holding member by an urging member, the switch button is held so as to be movable in the pushing direction of the switch button and a direction perpendicular to the pushing direction. When one end of the switch button is pushed, the height to which the other end is raised can be lowered. Accordingly, the appearance of the camera is prevented from deteriorating. The switch is also advantageous in reducing the size of the camera.

Mode selecting switch for camera

A rotary encoder which provides multiple-bit encoded signals according to predetermined angular positions comprises a ground segment pattern having a circular arrangement of conductive ground segments and a signal segment pattern having at least one circular arrangement of different conductive signal segments corresponding to bits of each multiple-bit encode signal, which is formed in a circle concentric with the circular arrangement of conductive ground segments, and a rotary contact having a plurality of contact points making contact with the conductive signal segments in each predetermined angular position and a contact point making contact with the conductive ground segments to provide bit signals forming the multiple-bit encoded signal.

Rotary encoder

An opening is formed in an upper cover so as to be positioned above a printed circuit board when the upper cover is attached to a camera's main body. In order to connect the contacts of the printed circuit board and the lead wires, the upper cover is attached to the camera's main body, and the opening in the upper cover is used for connection. The lead wires are connected to the contacts of the printed circuit board in the opening.

Camera cover

A data recording device installed into a camera has a light image forming element for forming an image of data to be recorded on a film. It also has an optical system for focusing the data image on the film, with its exit end attached to a data exposure aperture formed in a film guide rail. The guide rail extends in a lengthwise direction on either side of a film exposure aperture at the back of the camera body.

Data recording device for camera

A zoom lens system shifts the position of front and rear lens groups relative to each other in the direction of the optical axis to change its focal length, by moving a lens barrel back and forth in the axial direction. The lens barrel is formed with cutouts in its rear portion for receiving therein parts and elements projecting forwardly from the plane in which an exposure aperture is located when the lens barrel is retracted, so as to reduce the thickness of the camera with the retracted zoom lens. A focal length changing mechanism comprises a fixed cam and a lever attached to the lens barrel which is turned by the cam when the lens barrel moves back and forth to shift one lens group, thereby changing the focal length of the zoom lens to desired focal lengths. To correct the changes in focus of the zoom lens caused by the change of focal length, an adjusting member is provided in the focal length changing mechanism. An encoder is provided in the camera to detect the shifted axial positions of the lens barrel.

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Saitama, Japan

Nobuhiro Aoki