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. 04, 2001
Filed:
Mar. 15, 2000
David R. Dowe, Holley, NY (US);
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
A camera has an objective lens for forming an image of a subject by focusing rays of light on a film plane, and a mirror for a viewfinder which is movable in the way of the light rays between the objective lens and the film plane to reflect the light rays to a viewing screen in the viewfinder and is movable out of the way of the light rays to allow the lens to focus the light rays on the film plane. The movable mirror is an electrostatic light valve that includes a transparent flat stationary electrode between the objective lens and the film plane, and a coilable mirrored resilient electrode having one end fixed with respect to the stationary electrode and a free end. The coilable electrode is biased to curl into a coil on the stationary electrode, beginning at the free end, to move out of the way of the light rays, and is electrostatically actuatable to uncurl from the coil along the stationary electrode to be in the way of the light rays to reflect them to the viewing screen.