Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Yukihiko Sugita

Moriya Katagiri

Masami Takase

Shinya Takahashi

Hiroshi Terada

Hitoshi Yoshida

Yoshiyuki Kitahara

Akira Inoue

Satoshi Miyazaki

Koji Kato

Yoshiaki Kobayashi

Shigeru Kato

Hiroyuki Ando

Naohiro Tsuchida

Takaaki Ue

Hideaki Ichikawa

Tatsuya Suzuki

Shigeo Hayashi

Takao Nishida

Tamotsu Koiwai

Akiyoshi Tochigi

Hiroshi Takase

Kazuhiro Satoh

Shinichi Kodama

Tetsuya Takagi

Hiroshi Akitake

Shunji Matsutani

Kazuo Mikami

Wataru Koide

Kazumi Ito

Masatoshi Sato

Manabu Ikeda

Hiroshi Kahara

Masako Suzuki

A camera has a rangefinder device having an optical system constituted by a plurality of optical elements and a diopter adjustment mechanism capable of adjusting the observation diopter of the rangefinder device by operation by the user from outside the camera. In addition, there are provided an operating member that operates the diopter adjustment mechanism and an adjustment mechanism that effects adjustment such that the observation diopter of the rangefinder device is at a predetermined value when the operating member is in a prescribed position. By this means, a camera having a diopter adjustment mechanism whereby the relative positional relationship of the operating member and driven member can always be ensured such that the observation diopter gets equal to the predetermined observation diopter that is to be set when the operating member is arranged in the prescribed position. This can be realized by a straightforward construction.

Camera having diopter adjustment mechanism

In a camera having a camera body unit constituted by combining a plurality of units, the camera configuration is realized so as to allow to easily remove only a lens frame unit from the camera body unit before the other units (for example, a strobe unit, a finder unit, a film feed unit and the like) when the camera is disassembled to repair or replace the lens frame unit by constituting so that the lens frame unit having a photographing optical system can be mounted independently.

Camera

Finder unit

An improved camera includes a photographing optical system and a finder optical system, existing independently from each other. In order that a finder observation image will not be obstructed by a camera lens, the camera comprises a driving circuit for respectively driving the photographing optical system and the finder optical system, and an optical system control circuit for controlling the photographing optical system in a manner such that the finder optical system will not be obstructed by the photographing optical system.

Camera including a device for controlling the photographing optical systems to prevent obscuring of an image in the finder optical system

A specification-variable camera comprises a plurality of switches. A specification-change member renders a predetermined combination of the plurality of switches conductive. An operation member is used to select a mode of the camera. A detection switch serves to detect an operation on the operation member. A control means is compatible with a plurality of specifications. The control means sets a mode of the camera in correspondence with conducting states of the switches, when an output is supplied from the detection switch. The specification of the camera is changed by changing the combination of the conducting states of the switches.

Specification-variable camera

A camera is provided which enables the selection of a plurality of specifications in a simple structure and by a simple method. A first contact pattern, a second contact pattern, and a third contact pattern are provided at different positions, respectively. The mode of the camera can be optionally selected out of a derivative mode switch having a first mode setting button which enables conduction of the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern, and a derivative mode switch having a first mode setting button which enables conduction of the first contact pattern and the third contact pattern.

Camera enabling the change in the product specifications, and a method of manufacturing

A camera of this invention incorporates a finder unit capable of changing its magnification corresponding to any one of plural zoom lens barrels (first, second lens barrels) each having different zoom range. When installing the finder unit, first, a positioning pin is inserted into a positioning hole in a rotary frame so as to hold the lens barrel in standard zoom condition. Then, a finder positioning pin is inserted into a cam gear positioning hole and main body positioning hole in finder cam shaft so as to hold a finder lens at a variable magnification position corresponding to the standard zoom condition. With that condition, a zoom driving gear arrangement is meshed with a driving gear portion and cam gear in a rotary frame so that the lens barrel and finder are assembled with each other. This camera realizes reduction of product development term and production cost.

Camera and method of manufacturing camera

A driving force transmission switching apparatus for a camera in accordance with the present invention includes: a drive source that generates a driving force; a worm gear that receives the driving force to rotate; a driving force transmission gear device that includes a driving gear and meshes the driving gear with the worm gear to move the driving gear in parallel to an axial direction of the worm gear as the worm gear rotates so as to shift the driving gear to a plurality of transmission positions for applying a driving force of the drive source and a non-transmission position for not applying the driving force of the drive source; a plurality of driven gears which are disposed in positions for meshing with the driving gear, respectively corresponding to the plural transmission positions where the driving gear is to be set, and which receive a driving force of the drive source via the driving gear; and a position control device for conducting control by meshing the driving force transmission gear device with the worm gear to move the driving force transmission gear device in parallel to an axial direction of the worm gear as the worm gear rotates so as to shift the driving force transmission gear device to a plurality of transmission positions for applying the driving force of the drive source and a non-transmission position for not applying the driving force of the drive source.

Driving force transmission switching apparatus

A clutch unit according to the present invention includes a driving sleeve fixed to a driving shaft and a driven sleeve fixed to a driven shaft. A coil-like clutch spring is received on the driven sleeve, and a clutch sleeve is received on the driving sleeve. When the driving shaft is rotated normally or reversely, the driving sleeve abuts one of the arm portions of the clutch spring. Consequently, the clutch spring engages the driven sleeve. Torque producing rotation in either direction is transmitted to the driven shaft. The clutch unit also can operate as an overrunning clutch. When the clutch unit is adapted to a film feeding and driving system in a camera, the clutch unit can be positioned to utilize what had been dead spaces in a camera body, thus promoting compact camera design.

Clutch unit and camera

A film drive mechanism for a camera, in which a drive force of a motor is transmitted through a differential gear mechanism to a wind shaft and a rewind shaft and is also transmitted through a screw gear to a spool shaft or a fork shaft whereby, operations of winding and rewinding film are performed. The rewind shaft is placed in such a manner as to be inclined to the drive shaft of the differential gear mechanism. Also, a pair of engaging gears in the drive force transmission device are aligned so that their axes of rotation are oblique to one another. This film drive mechanism requires small space than conventional designs and is small in weight and is advantageous for the cost thereof.

Drive force transmission device for camera

The present invention provides a power transmission mechanism characterized in that two-directional rotations of a driving shaft can be transmitted to a driven-side shaft, it shows a high degree of freedom in arrangement even when it is applied to a driving force transmission system, the driving force of a driving-side input shaft can be transmitted to a driven-side ring via a roller in each of opposite directions, and when the rotational speed of the driven-side ring is higher than that of the driving-side input shaft, no driving force is transmitted from the driving-side input shaft to the driven-side ring in either of the opposite directions.

Power transmission mechanism

A film cartridge loader for a camera includes a film cartridge chamber having an opening into which a film cartridge can be loaded, a film cartridge chamber lid, a lid locking unit, a lid close detecting unit, an ejecting unit, a film cartridge interceptive door opening/closing unit, a moving unit, a movement detecting unit, a driving source, and a driving control unit. The film cartridge chamber lid is movable for opening or closing the cartridge chamber opening. The lid locking unit locks the film cartridge chamber lid in a closed state. The lid close detecting unit detects that the film cartridge chamber lid is locked by the lid locking unit. The ejecting unit ejects the film cartridge from the film cartridge chamber. The film cartridge interceptive door opening/closing unit opens or closes the interceptive door of the film cartridge. The moving unit moves the ejecting unit responsively to opening actions performed by the film cartridge interceptive door opening/closing unit. The movement detecting unit detects a movement made by the moving unit. The driving source generates driving force by which the film cartridge interceptive door opening/closing unit is driven. The driving control unit controls the driving performed by the driving source in response to an output of the lid close detecting unit and an output of the movement detecting unit.

Film cartridge loader for camera

A camera having a camera body unit including mainly a photographic lens frame, a front cover unit and back cover unit that are housing members for covering the outer circumference of camera body unit, a back lid unit to be opened or closed for loading film, and a battery lid for opening or closing a battery stowage chamber. The battery stowage chamber is formed inside the flank of a front cover that is an integral part of the front cover unit, and the battery lid is supported by a back cover that is an integral part of the back cover unit so that the battery lid can pivot freely. According to the camera having these components, a camera having any of various contours can be produced readily without loss of freedom in design.

Camera body for a camera having a battery stowage chamber design

A visual field of finder change-over apparatus for changing over a size and shape of a visual field of finder of a camera in a plurality of stages, includes a pair of first visual-field frame members which are movable relative to the visual field of finder in two opposite directions and each of which has an approximately arc-shaped cam slot, a pair of second visual-field frame members which are movable relative to the visual field of finder, and in further two opposite directions, the further two opposite directions crossing the two opposite directions, and each of which has an approximate arc-shaped cam slot, and a rotation member which is rotatable and has a plurality of pins fitted in the cam slots of the first and second visual-field frame members, the rotation member selectively moving the first and second visual-field frame members by a movement of the moving pins when the rotation member rotates, wherein at least one of the pairs of the first and second visual-field frame members is moved in accordance with the rotation of the rotation member.

Growing community of inventors

Kokubunji, Japan

Yukihiko Sugita