The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 14, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 21, 1998
Hiroshi Nomura, Tokyo, JP;
Yasushi Tabata, Tokyo, JP;
Norio Numako, Tokyo, JP;
Yoshinari Tanimura, Tokyo, JP;
Takuma Sato, Tokyo, JP;
Masaaki Kishimoto, Tokyo, JP;
Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A camera with lens barrier apparatus in which the lens barrier apparatus is driven by a motor that is also used to drive another mechanical element in the camera. The motor is switched between the lens barrier apparatus and the mechanical element by the movement of a lens barrel. In this arrangement, the driving of the lens barrier apparatus and the mechanical element are controlled in accordance with the output of a single sensor, for example an encoder. The driving of the lens barrier apparatus is controlled such that the barrier will not close unless the lens barrel is at the housed position and such that if the lens barrier does not open, the lens barrel will not move. The driving is further controlled such that if the lens barrier apparatus does not move to its intended state, the drive is reversed prior to again attempting to drive to the intended state. The lens barrier apparatus is mechanically arranged such that barrier blades are nonresiliently driven during a portion of the closing or opening operation and are resiliently driven during the remainder of the closing or opening operation.