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:
Dec. 26, 2000
Filed:
Jan. 27, 1998
Kazushige Ichino, Tokyo, JP;
Ryoichi Suzuki, Yokohama, JP;
Takayuki Tsuboi, Yokohama, JP;
Yoshiaki Hamada, Kawasaki, JP;
Yuji Fujihara, Kawasaki, JP;
Yoshiyuki Kaneko, Kawasaki, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An apparatus, such as a camera, comprises a plurality of operation mechanisms, a first rotation member, such as a sun gear, rotatable by operation of a motor, a second rotation member, such as a planetary gear which revolves around the sun gear, and a plurality of force transmitting members, such as output gears, each capable of meshing with the planetary gear by revolution of the planetary gear around the sun gear, where the plurality of output gears transmit power to the plurality of operation mechanisms, respectively, and a limiting structure, e.g., a stopper that limits revolution of the planetary gear around the sun gear. In one aspect, the limiting structure limits the revolution of the planetary gear at a revolution position where the planetary gear does not mesh with any of the plurality of output gears, and a position of the planetary gear during revolution thereof is determined on the basis of the position where revolution of the planetary gear is limited by the limiting structure, e.g., by determining an amount of revolution of the planetary gear relative to the position where the revolution of the planetary gear is limited by the limiting structure.