Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Pentax Corporation

Tomoaki Itabashi

Toshiyuki Kitazawa

Isao Soshi

Shinsuke Kohmoto

Kosei Kosako

Masayuki Misawa

Tetsuo Hosokawa

Satoshi Nakano

Tatsuhide Takebayashi

Toshiyuki Katazawa

A picture size switching mechanism for a variable picture size camera includes a stationary standard picture plane forming member and a pair of light interception frames having light interception portions which can obstruct upper and lower edges of the standard picture frame and are movable in the upward and downward direction to selectively define a standard picture plane or a laterally elongated picture plane. A light interception frame association mechanism moves one of the light interception frames symmetrically with the other light interception frame with respect to the center of the picture plane when the other light interception frame is moved in the upward and downward direction. A follower pin is provided on one of the light interception frames and a rotatable cam member is supported by the camera body to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to the picture plane.

Camera having operation member on rear cover thereof, variable picture size camera and picture size switching mechanism, and click stop mechanism

A camera having a rear cover with an operation member thereon, includes an electrical signal generation device and a mechanical operation device, provided in a camera body; a movable common operation member provided on the rear cover of the camera to actuate the electrical signal generation device and the mechanical operation device; a movable association member in the camera body, which is moved in accordance with the movement of the common operation member when the rear cover is closed, to actuate both the electrical signal generation device and the mechanical operation device; a biasing member on the rear cover, for holding the common operation member at a predetermined position when the rear cover is opened, regardless of the position of the common operation member when the rear cover has been closed; and a biasing member on the camera body, for holding the association member at a predetermined position when the rear cover is opened, regardless of the position of the common operation member when the rear cover has been closed.

A motor-driven single-lens reflex camera which controls and executes, through forward and reverse rotation of a single motor, a mirror up/down operation and a shutter charge operation by a mirror/shutter driving system, and also a film winding/rewinding operation by a film feeding system. The mirror up and the shutter charge release operations are executed through forward rotation of the motor, and the mirror down, the shutter charge and the film winding/rewinding operations are executed through reverse rotation of the motor. Thus the speedy film feeding after exposure can be made without stopping or reversing drive of the motor.

Motor-driven single-lens reflex camera and motor-driven single-lens reflex camera for self-feeding film cartridge

Disclosed is a camera which includes: a film chamber, formed in a camera body, for accommodating a film cassette therein; a film door for opening and closing an opening formed on the camera body through which the film cassette is inserted into the film chamber, the film door being positioned at an upper part of the camera; and a flash provided on the film door.

Camera having a flash

A camera with a built-in strobe includes a camera body and a camera grip provided in the camera body. In the grip, a battery, a spool and a main strobe capacitor are provided. An elongated space, with extends in the camera grip along the longitudinal direction thereof, is defined so as to be surrounded by the battery, the spool and the main strobe capacitor. A strobe circuit board is roughly formed into an L-shape so as to have a cutout portion, and a motor is arranged in the cut-out portion of the strobe circuit board. As a result, the motor and the circuit board can be housed effectively within the smallest possible space within the camera grip. Further, by this arrangement, it becomes possible to realize a small-sized camera provided with a built-in strobe.

Camera with built-in strobe

An SLR camera which uses a film cartridge having a spool includes first and second motors. The first motor performs a film advancing operation, in which the first motor rotates the spool to advance a film wound on the spool from the film cartridge, and a film rewinding operation, in which the first motor rotates the spool so as to rewind the film into the film cartridge. The second motor performs a film winding operation, in which the second motor rotates a film take-up spool provided in the camera to wind the film around the film take-up spool, a shutter charging operation, in which a shutter charge is performed, a mirror up operation, in which a quick-return mirror provided in the camera is moved up after a shutter release, and a mirror down operation, in which the quick-return mirror is moved down after the mirror up operation is completed.

Motor-driven camera

A display device for a camera finder include a display for displaying data, a position sensor which outputs a signal that is dependent on an orientation of the camera finder, and a controller for controlling the display such that the data is displayed along one of several predetermined directions. The predetermined direction that is selected depends on the output signal of the position sensor.

Display device in a camera finder

A single lens reflex camera includes a mirror box provided in a camera body to support a mirror located on an optical axis of a photographing lens for up and down movement. The mirror box, together with a mirror driving mechanism, is detachably attachable to the camera body as a unit. A diaphragm control mechanism is provided for controlling a diaphragm, which is mounted to a mounting member separate from the mirror box to form a unit, which can be detachably attached to the camera body. A charge/reset mechanism is provided and is mounted to the camera body and serves to connect the mirror drive mechanism and the diaphragm control mechanism.

Single lens reflex camera

A flat-type display panel fixing device in which a holding frame, in which a flat-type display panel is held, is connected to a prism cover without a screw. The holding frame is rotatably supported by the prism cover at one end portion, and connected to the prism cover at the other end portion, where an engaging hole provided in the holding frame is fitted to an engaging pin formed on the prism cover.

Flat-type display panel fixing device

A mechanical control apparatus of a single lens reflex (SLR) camera is provided that includes a rotatable cam having a shutter cam for charging a shutter and a mirror cam, integral and coaxial with the shutter cam, for charging a mirror. The mechanical control apparatus further includes a diaphragm resetting lever, coaxial to the rotatable cam, for resetting a diaphragm of the camera in association with the rotation of the cam.

Mechanical control apparatus of a single lens reflex camera

A liquid crystal panel positioning device by which a liquid crystal panel and a light emitting panel are positioned in a liquid crystal panel holding frame. Stoppers with which the liquid crystal panel is engaged are formed at both ends of each of the side walls of the holding frame. Stoppers with which the light emitting panel is engaged are formed near the liquid crystal panel stoppers, and slightly outside of the liquid crystal panel stoppers. The liquid crystal panel and the light emitting panel are positioned by these stoppers.

Liquid crystal panel positioning device

A camera has a pop-up strobe incorporated therein, including a light emitting unit which is movable between a retracted position, in which it is retracted into a camera body, and a pop-up position, in which the light emitting unit projects from the camera body. A manual actuating switch for moving the light emitting unit from the retracted position to the pop-up position, and a drive mechanism for driving the light emitting unit into the pop-up position in accordance with the operation of the manual actuating switch are provided, as is a mode changing switch for changing light emission modes of the light emitting unit. The manual actuating switch includes at least a part of the mode changing switch when the light emitting unit is in the pop-up position.

Camera having pop-up type strobe incorporated therein

A camera having a mid-exposure zooming function, including a zoom motor driving a zoom lens, a trigger switch initiating mid-exposure zooming, and a mid-exposure zooming execution mechanism for initiating the driving of the zoom motor based on the operation of the trigger switch for initiating exposure.

Camera with mid-exposure zooming function

A switching device having an operation button member to be depressed includes at least one contact member to be moved by the operation button member when the operation button member is depressed. The contact member is electrically conductive and a conductive member for contacting the contact member when the operation button member is depressed by a predetermined amount is provided. An elastic member is arranged opposite to the at least one contact member with respect to the conductive member, so as to be elastically deformed when the operation button member is depressed, after the contact member has contacted the conductive member.

Switching device

A camera employing an automatic focusing unit for detecting an optical image through a photographic lens and for outputting an image signal. The automatic focusing unit has a window for introducing the optical image thereinto and comprises a mounting member on which the automatic focusing unit is mounted. The mounting member has a hole for allowing the optical image to pass therethrough and a pair of nested mounting cylindrical members acting as a guide are provided between the mounting member and the automatic focusing unit and surrounding the optical path therebetween for guiding the automatic focusing unit in the direction toward and away from the mounting member. A biasing member, such as coil spring is provided on the outer periphery of the cylindrical members for biasing the automatic focusing unit in the direction away from the mounting member. Fixing elements are provided for adjustably fixing the position of the automatic focusing unit to the mounting member against biasing force of the coil spring so that the image receiving plane of the automatic focusing unit is placed at an optically equivalent position to that of a film plane with respect to the photographic lnes.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Tomoaki Itabashi