Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Minolta Camera Co., Ltd.

Takahisa Shimada

Junichi Tanii

Sadafusa Tsuji

Hiroshi Ootsuka

Toshihiko Ishimura

Reiji Seki

Toshihiko Taniguchi

Hideo Kajita

Masaaki Chikasaki

Sueyoshi Okumura

Sinji Katayori

Yoshinobu Kudo

Masaaki Nakai

Kenji Ishibashi

Akihiko Fujino

Kenji Tsuji

Nobuharu Murashima

Ikushi Nakamura

Toshio Yamaki

Makoto Yanai

Togo Teramoto

A dc motor wherein a driving force thereof can be used effectively with a simple and compact mechanical construction and a motor controlling system which can control such a dc motor to be driven efficiently. The motor comprises at least two coils, and change-over means for changing electric connection of the coils to change over the motor, when power is selectively supplied to the coils, between a first mode in which the torque produced is relatively high and the rotational frequency is relatively low and a second mode in which the torque is relatively low and the rotational frequency is relatively high. The motor controlling system includes selecting means for automatically selecting one of the first and second modes to control the change-over means in response to a given condition of the motor.

DC motor and controlling system therefor

A film cartridge includes a rewinding shaft for rewinding a film, a case having a film exit/entrance and accommodating the film rewound by the shaft therearound in a light-intercepted condition, and a locking mechanism for locking the leading portion of the film in the film exit/entrance in the vicinity thereof, so that the film does not get out of the cartridge more than a predetermined amount or get out of the exit/entrance carelessly. The shaft or a film feeding-out member in the cartridge is set in a predetermined position, so that the shaft or the member is immediately and smoothly connected with a corresponding member of a camera for accommodating the cartridge. A camera accommodates the cartridge to take the advantage. The camera accommodates the cartridge having a film feeding-out mechanism, a film rewinding mechanism, and a portion for accommodating only the film, so that after the cartridge is accommodated in the camera, each mechanism is suitably and automatically driven to perform a film feeding-out operation or a film rewinding operation.

Film cartridge and a camera employing the film cartridge

A camera according to the present invention is a camera which feeds a film from a film feed opening of a patrone chamber and it includes a film feeder for feeding the film drawn from the film feed opening to a spool chamber through a film exposure portion, a detector for detecting whether or not the fed film passes through the film exposure portion, and a controller for controlling operation of the film feeder in response to an output of the detector.

Camera having an automatic film loading mechanism

A dc motor wherein a driving force thereof can be used effectively with a simple and compact mechanical construction and a motor controlling system which can control such a dc motor to be driven efficiently. The motor comprises at least two coils, and change-over means for changing electric connection of the coils to change over the motor, when power is selectively supplied to the coils, between a first mode in which the torque produced is relatively high and the rotational frequency is relatively low and a second mode in which the torque is relatively low and the rotational frequency is relatively high. The motor controlling system includes selecting means for automatically selecting one of the first and second modes to control the change-over means is response to a given condition of the motor.

A reflex camera capable of automatic focus adjustment comprises a motor for driving a lens used for focus adjustment, an electromagnet for lifting-up a mirror to expose a film at the time of shutter release, a battery for operating the motor and the electromagnet, and a controller for controlling power supply such that the power is supplied to the magnet after the lens is moved by the motor to a position such as an in-focus point. Since the power is supplied to the electromagnet after the completion of power supply to the motor, there is no possibility of malfunction of the electromagnet.

Reflex camera

A lens retracting apparatus for a photo-taking device which comprises an interchangeable photo-taking lens, a main switch selectively switchable between an ON position for enabling an operation of the photo-taking device and an OFF position for inhibiting the operation of the camera, a focus detecting unit, a drive unit for selectively retracting and extending a focusing lens of the photo-taking lens toward an in-focus position on the basis of a result of focus detection carried out by the focus detecting unit, a discriminating unit for determining whether or not the photo-taking lens is retracted to a predetermined position, and a control means for driving the drive unit to retract the photo-taking lens only by switching off the main switch and also for stopping the drive unit when a condition in which the photo-taking lens is retracted to the predetermined position is determined by the discriminating unit.

Apparatus for retracting a photo-taking lens

This invention relates to a film winding/rewinding apparatus for winding a film after cooking a diaphragm, a mirror, and a shutter of a camera and the rewinding the film at a predetermined time. In the apparatus, the film is wound by the normal rotation of the motor and when the last frame of the film has been detected, the film is rewound by the reverse rotation of the motor.

Film winding/rewinding apparatus

A film winding system of a camera, capable of automatically winding a film roll, comprising, an electric motor driven so as to winding the film roll, a film winding apparatus driven by the motor, a lock mechanism for locking the film winding apparatus, the lock mechanism comprising a film winding controller connected with the film winding apparatus and a lock lever engaging with the film winding controller so as to restrain an operation of the film winding apparatus, a releasing lever for cancelling an engagement of the lock lever to the film winding controller in advance before the film winding apparatus is actuated, and a loosing mechanism driven by the motor for reducing a degree of the engagement between the film winding controller and the lock lever in advance before the releasing lever swings in the cancellation direction of the engagement. The system operates as follows. Since the loosing mechanism is driven so as to reduce the degree of the engagement between the film winding controller and the lock lever in advance before the releasing lever swings in the cancellation direction of the engagement, the releasing lever cancels the engagement of the lock lever to the film winding controller with light dynamic force. Then, the film winding apparatus is actuated, and the film roll is wound.

Film winding system of camera

A flash device in which a mechanism for shifting a light emitting section up and down and a mechanism for changing over the light distribution angle can be automatically controlled by means of a single motor and which occupies a comparatively small spacing when mounted on a camera. The flash device includes a bidirectional drive motor mounted in a body member, and a shiftable member having the light emitting section thereon. The shiftable member is shifted by rotation of the motor in either direction between a retracted inoperative position and a projected operative position. The light distribution angle of the light emitting section is changed over by continued energization of the motor after the shiftable member is moved from the inoperative to the operative position. A friction mechanism is interposed in a motion transmitting mechanism from the motor to the shiftable member. The motor and the motion transmitting mechanism are disposed at a location within the body member at which they are located, when mounted on a camera, above a spacing sidewardly of a central portion of the camera in which a pentagonal prism is disposed.

Flash device

A film winding system of a camera, comprising: an electrical motor, a film winding device, a cocking device. Both devices are driven by the motor, for winding a film roll and for cocking a predetermined mechanism, through a differential gearing by which one of the devices is driven selectively. The system further comprises a counter for counting a frame of the film roll, a lock lever for locking the film winding device every time one frame of the film roll is wound up, a dis-lock device for releasing a locked state of the film winding device, an order generator for ordering initiation of initial loading, and a controller operating in such a way that the dis-lock device operates at completion of a cocking operation of the cocking device at a normal film winding operation, while the dis-lock device operates when the order generator operates, and an operation of the dis-lock device is terminated when the predetermined total number of the frames is counted by the counter, and the motor is continuously driven in operation of the dis-lock device. When the patrone is loaded at a film chamber, the dis-lock device operates and the locked state is released and the motor is driven. Then, the predetermined total number of the frames is wound without any interruption.

A film rewinding system, of camera, capable of automatically rewinding a film roll which is wound by film winding apparatus comprising, an electrical motor, a film winding device driven by the motor, a lock mechanism associated with the film winding device, for locking the winding device every time feed of a frame of the film roll is completed, and a dis-lock mechanism having a dis-lock lever for releasing a locked state of the winding device for feeding the film roll, while the dis-lock lever is located at a neutral position during one-frame feeding and a magnet unit for holding the dis-lock lever at the neutral position, the system comprising: a film rewinding device driven by the motor; a switch operating on and off several times during the one-frame feeding, which is associated with the winding device and operates during film travelling; and a controller which controls the film rewinding device and the magnet unit with a predetermined routine. The system operates as follows. A locking operation of the lock mechanism to the film rewinding system does not operate, at least, during a period from initiation of an operation of film rewinding through completion of one-frame rewinding of the film roll, on the occasion of the film rewinding.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Takahisa Shimada