Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Canon Denshi Kabushiki Kaisha

Honda Giken Kogyo K.k.

Yasuhiro Toyoda

Tsuyoshi Fukuda

Akira Kato

Toyohei Nakajima

Toshiyuki Mieno

Toru Yano

Masao Shikaumi

Fumio Shimada

Haruo Horiuchi

Katsumi Yoshida

Masayuki Suzuki

Hiroshi Hashimoto

Yuji Kawaguchi

Michio Hirohata

Takayuki Tsuboi

Masayoshi Yamamichi

Goro Noto

Ryoji Okuno

Noboru Tanaka

Yoshinobu Shibayama

Akira Tomitaka

Yoshifumi Ishikawa

Tomio Aoi

Yoshio Suzuki

Toshihiro Kameda

Kiyohide Nagase

Isao Murakami

Akihiro Iwasaki

There is provided an image pickup apparatus having a simple structure that enables reduction of shutter release time lag and shutter control with highly accurate shutter time. The apparatus comprises an image pickup element that converts an optical object image incident thereon into an electric image signal to output it, a shutter apparatus having a screen for shielding an exposure aperture for the image pickup element, a reset circuit for reset scanning the image pickup element on a predetermined unit-batch-by-unit-batch basis sequentially in a running direction of the screen, a plurality of detection circuits disposed at different positions along the running direction of the screen for detecting passing of the screen after start of running of the screen for shielding the exposure aperture and before it runs over the exposure aperture, and a control circuit that estimates a running characteristic of the screen during running based on a detection result by the plurality of detection circuit and controls reset scanning by the reset circuit in conformity with the estimated running characteristic.

Image pickup apparatus and control method therefor

A shutter device, which is capable of achieving power-saving when holding a shutter opening in an open state for a long time by mechanically inhibiting an operation of a second light shielding plate in a direction to close the shutter opening, is provided. The shutter device has a second light shielding plate locking memberdisplaceable to a locking position to inhibit a shutter opening closing operation of the second light shielding platestoand an unlocking position to allow the shutter opening closing operation of the second light shielding plates. The second light shielding plate locking member displaces to the locking position at a point of time when first light shielding platestofully open the shutter opening, and displaces to the unlocking position immediately before the second light shielding plates start running.

Shutter device and image pick up apparatus

A driving apparatus having a small charging load, capable of reducing the size of the appratus is disclosed. A present invention discloses a driving apparatus comprises a driving source, a driven member, an energizing member which energizes the driven member in a predetermined direction, a lever member rotatable by receiving the driving force from the driving source at an input portion, which contacts and charges the driven member and a main body which includes a first engaging portion and a second engaging portion and supports the lever member.

Driving apparatus, shutter apparatus and camera

Disclosed are shutter apparatus provided with a shutter base plate having a shutter aperture, a first arm member which rotates around a center of rotation at a first axis, relative to the shutter base plate, a second arm member which rotates around a center of rotation at a second axis, relative to the shutter base plate, and a plurality of shutter blades, wherein each of the plurality of shutter blades is coupled to the first and second arm members, wherein the first and second arm members rotate around their respective axes whereby the plurality of shutter blades run over the shutter aperture, wherein each shutter blade has a blade main body portion extending in a direction perpendicular to a running direction thereof, and wherein a first shutter blade with a smallest running travel comprises a light shielding portion projecting in the running direction on the coupling portion side to the first and second arm members and arranged to effect light shielding of the shutter aperture, and also disclosed are shutter apparatus permitting fast shutter speeds while being constructed in compact structure.

Shutter apparatus

The present invention discloses a shutter apparatus including a base plate, a plurality of blades which run between a superposed state and a spread state for opening and closing a shutter aperture and two arms, each of the arms pivotably supported on the base plate. It is characterized in that each of the two arms are pivotably connected to the plurality of blades, and the two arms cause the plurality of blades to run between the superposed state and the spread state, and a protruding section is formed in a central area of at least one of the plurality of the blades, and the protruding section protrudes in the blade running direction so as to overlap with the base plate in the spread state.

Shutter apparatus and camera

A shutter device of the invention includes: a shutter base plate having a shutter opening; a first arm member which rotates with a first shaft as a rotation center relative to the shutter base plate; a second arm member which rotates with a second shaft as a rotation center relative to the shutter base plate; and plural shutter blades, wherein each of the plural shutter blades is joined to the first and second arm members and when the first and second arm members rotate with respect to each shaft, the plural shutter blades travel over the shutter opening in a predetermined direction, and in a state in which the plural shutter blades are positioned in their overlapping state, when an angle formed between a line connecting the rotation center of the first arm with a connecting center to the first arm member of a shutter blade, located on a front end side (opposite side to the first rotation center) of the first arm member and a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction is assumed to be &agr;, a condition of 45&deg;&lE;&agr;&lE;50&deg; is satisfied. Consequently, the size of the shutter device in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the shutter can be reduced.

Shutter device

A shutter device with a shutter base plate having an aperture part and a protruding part. First and second shutter blade members are arranged to travel a predetermined movement distance and a distance shorter than the predetermined distance, respectively, over the aperture part. The second shutter blade member has a slot engaging the protruding part of the base plate. First and second arm members are pivotally supported by the shutter base plate and the second arm member supports the first and second shutter blade members in a swingable manner. The second arm member is also connected to the second shutter blade member, wherein the first shutter blade member and the second shutter blade member are caused to travel over the aperture part by the second arm being driven,

A light flux deflecting device includes a light flux deflecting unit displacable along a predetermined plane for deflecting light flux, and a support unit for supporting the light flux deflecting unit in such a manner as to allow the light flux deflecting unit to move in a direction along the plane, but to restrain the light flux deflecting unit from moving in a direction vertical to the plane. The support unit includes a support portion comprising (1) at least three hinge portions having short sides arranged to lie in the direction along the plane, and (2) rigid members each positioned between two adjacent hinge portions and having a predetermined width in the direction along the plane. A support mechanism having a small-sized and simple construction is achieved which can support the light flux deflecting unit to be freely movable along the predetermined plane with the smallest possible resistance in driving the light flux deflecting unit for movement, and can hold the light flux deflecting unit in a proper posture or orientation without causing tilting and a play in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane. The light flux deflecting unit may be implemented as any movable unit displacable along the predetermined plane.

Movable control member having improved planar movement control

A camera and a cartridge indicator setting apparatus adapted to a film cartridge including an indicator operatively coupled to a film supply spool provided in the film cartridge. The camera and the cartridge indicator setting apparatus includes a storage device which stores information to be indicated by the indicator of the film cartridge; and a setting device for driving, in response to an operation for ejecting the film cartridge which has been loaded on the camera, the film supply spool of the film cartridge which has been stopped after completion of rewinding of a film, and for setting the indicator of the film cartridge in accordance with the information stored by the storage device.

Camera and film cartridge display setting apparatus

An image display apparatus includes a storage display element having a screen portion which receives image light from its back side and stores and displays an image, and a light blocking mechanism. The light blocking mechanism is capable of being switched over between a light-blocked state in which the light blocking mechanism blocks light incident on the front side of the screen portion of the storage display element to shut off incidence of external light on the screen portion, and an observation-possible state in which the light blocking mechanism unblocks light incident on the front side of the screen portion of the storage display element.

Image display apparatus

In a camera having a camera body part and a lens barrel part, an optical filter arranged to be rotatable around an axis located inside a lens optical path derived from the lens barrel part (for example, around an axis substantially parallel with an optical axis of the lens barrel part), and a filter rotating part having a drive source (for example, an electric motor) for rotating the optical filter are contained in the camera body part.

Camera

An image stabilizer including a movable frame that moves in a plane perpendicular to an optical axis to correct image blurring and has a first surface perpendicular to the optical axis and a support frame for movably supporting the movable frame in the plane perpendicular to the optical axis. The support frame includes a predetermined member having a second surface perpendicular to the optical axis and a ball arranged between the first surface and the second surface. The support frame movably supports the movable frame in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis with the ball kept in rolling contact with the first and second surface. The image stabilizer thus suffers small resistance in the shifting movement.

Image stabilizer

A camera comprises a photographing optical system, and a cover for covering the photographing optical system, and the cover is supported turnably about a rotating axis which is neither parallel nor perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of a camera body, and is operative to selectively open and close by turning about the rotating axis. Part of the cover is positioned by coming into abutment with part of a front exterior portion of the camera, so that the cover is held in a predetermined opened state. The cover is provided with a flash device, and when the cover is in an opened state, the flash device is moved away from the photographing optical system so that a red-eye phenomenon is prevented from easily occurring.

Growing community of inventors

Saitama, Japan

Yasuhiro Toyoda