Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

West Electric Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Minolta Camera Co., Ltd.

Toshihiko Taniguchi

Takahisa Shimada

Hiroshi Ootsuka

Junichi Tanii

Sadafusa Tsuji

Masaaki Nakai

Akihiko Fujino

Masatake Niwa

Kunio Kawamura

Tsunemi Yoshino

Yukio Miki

Tetsuro Oya

Hirohiko Ina

Dai Shintani

Nobuharu Murashima

Hideo Kajita

Akio Miyata

Toshitsugu Kashihara

Katsuhito Akagi

Katsushi Sumisaki

Makoto Yanai

Togo Teramoto

Hunichi Tanii

Satoshi Amari

Tomohiro Higuchi

A light emitting element drive device of the present invention includes a light emitting element; a drive unit for driving the light emitting element; an electricity storage element capable of storing electric power; a battery power supply capable of supplying electric power to the electricity storage element; and a boost chopper circuit having an inductor, for boosting voltage by opening and closing a switching element. The drive unit is switchable between three states: a storing state in which electric power from the battery power supply is stored in the electricity storage element; a first discharging state in which the electric power stored in the electricity storage element is supplied to the light emitting element; and a second discharging state in which electric power from the battery power supply is boosted by the boost chopper circuit and is supplied to the light emitting element.

Light emitting element drive device and mobile apparatus

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 support in a photographic camera is provided in a film chamber which holds a film cartridge. The support includes a stopper for limiting the rotation of the film cartridge around a shaft of the film cartridge, and the stopper is supported for rotation in a direction approximately parallel to a surface of a film set on the camera. A modification of the support can include a block portion on the support extending across the lower end of the film chamber to prevent incorrect insertion of the film cartridge into the film chamber. A cut portion which is large enough to allow insertion of an operator's finger may be provided at the top end of the film chamber to allow easier insertion and removal of the film cartridge into and from the film chamber.

Film cartridge support in a camera

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.

Electric zoom camera wherein zooming speed is not influenced even by drop of power source voltage, by driving its zooming electric motor by an electric pulse current such that the period (T.sub.0, T.sub.1, T.sub.2, - - -) is defined by present period of a lens position signal 'b' from a lens position detector (2) which consists of a photo-interrupter and a photo-coupler, and each of the period length is divided into a first portion (Po) (off-portion) wherein motor current is off and a second portion (Pd) (duty portion) wherein the motor current is on, the length of the first portion (Po) being adjusted responding to the present zooming speed obtained from the lens position signal outputted from the lens position detector (2).

Electric zoom 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 photographic camera having a manual focusing mechanism, an automatic focusing mechanism for automatically moving a lens with a drive device and a clutch disposed between the drive device and the lens. The clutch is normally urged towards a state of engagement by an urging element. Also, the clutch may be maintained at its disengaged position against the urging force of the urging element by a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is operatively connected with the drive device so as to be automatically released by a drive operation of the drive device.

Photographic camera

In a distance detecting apparatus comprising a light receiving sensor PSD which outputs two photo-currents which correspond to the incident angle of reflection of light reflected from an object lit by emitted comprising, an integral capacitor and a pair of logarithmic converters, a shift of the PSD away from the center of the optical axis can be easily compensated by simple electrical adjustment of constant current value of constant current source in a power source shifting circuit connected to one of the logarithmic converters.

Distance detecting apparatus

This invention is directed to a camera which has an information setting device including an information setting member rotatable around a display device. The information setting member is provided with a window member which covers the display device and through which the indiciation displayed on the display device can be seen. The display device is supported on a frame which defines a camera body in association with a cover member surrounding the frame, while the information setting device is supported on the cover member. Accordingly, the size of both devices can be made large without necessity of enlarging the camera body in proportion to the size of the devices. Further, both devices can be assembled independently from each other. Namely, the information setting device is mounted on the cover member which is still separated from the frame. Meanwhile, the display device is mounted on the frame. Finally, the cover member with the information setting device and frame with the display device are assembled. Accordingly, the devices are easily assembled, inspected and adjusted.

Camera

This invention is directed to a camera which has an information setting device including an information setting member rotatable around a display device. The information setting member is provided with a window member which covers the display device and through which the indication displayed on the display device can be seen. The display device is supported on a frame which defines a camera body in association with a cover member surrounding the frame, while the information setting device is supported on the cover member. Accordingly, the size of both devices can be made large without necessity of enlarging the camera body in proportion to the size of the devices. Further, both devices can be assembled independently from each other. Namely, the information setting device is mounted on the cover member which is still separated from the frame. Meanwhile, the display device is mounted on the frame. Finally, the cover member with the information setting device and frame with the display device are assembled. Accordingly, the devices are easily assembled, inspected and adjusted.

An illuminating angle adjusting apparatus for an electronic flash device is capable of adjusting the illuminating angle of the electronic flash device in response to drive of a motor smoothly and accurately by a combination of a guide groove and a guide rail provided almost in the same vertical position as a rack gear of a zooming frame and an output gear of a transmission mechanism engaged with one another. A driving force produced by the motor is transmitted to the zooming frame through the engagement of the output gear and the rack gear to move the zooming frame relative to a light emitting portion of the electronic flash device with the same being guided by the guide groove and the guide rail. The movement of the zooming frame causes the change in the illuminating angle of the electronic flash device as it carries a lens at a front portion thereof.

Illuminating angle adjusting apparatus for an electronic flash device

In a method of distance measuring and an optical distance measuring apparatus, a pulse-modulated infrared light beam is irradiated to an object to produce a reflected light beam, which is then received by a resonance circuit, and intensity of output of the resonance circuit is measured, wherein the modulation of frequency is sweepingly varied within a predetermined narrow frequency range; thereby, even when the circuit constants of the resonance circuit varies due to temperature change and so on, the distance measurement result is not affected, and stable measurement of a long distance is possible.

Method for measuring distance and optical distance meter

A number of piezoelectric discs are stacked with electrodes inbetween for application of DC voltage thereto through a pair of lead wires, forming piezoelectric blocks, and a plurality of the piezoelectric block are stacked to form a moving member, which is inserted in a fixed member, a hollow case of rigid material such as steel; by applying voltages to electrodes of selected piezoelectric blocks, any selected block(s) can be driven either to decrease or increase the diameter and increase or decrease the thickness, thereby fixing selected block(s) to the fixed means or releasing of the fixing can be made freely and individually; and by appropriately combining voltage impressions timings and polarities to individual piezoelectric blocks, motion of the moving member in relation to the fixed member, for instance in a measuring worm-like way, is obtainable.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Toshihiko Taniguchi