Camera structure for positioning a photosensitive component

Claim 2

In a camera having a film plane in which film is located during exposure, photosensitive means for responding to light intensity and for participating in the determination of the extent to which film is exposed, support means supporting said photosensitive means for movement between an operative position situated directly in front of the film plane in the path of light travelling to the film plane for exposing film during subsequent opening of a shutter of the camera and an inoperative position displaced beyond said path of light, said support means when supporting said photosensitive means in said operative position thereof covering only a small fraction of the area exposed to light when the shutter opens and situating said photosensitive means in close proximity to the film plane so that the condition of the light reaching said photosensitive means closely approximates the condition of the light to which film is subsequently exposed, shutter-tripping means movable along a predetermined path for tripping the camera shutter so as to open the latter and make an exposure, said shutter-tripping means being movable along said path of movement through an initial increment prior to actual tripping of the shutter, and positioning means coacting with said shutter-tripping means and said support means for responding to movement of said shuttertripping means through said initial increment to position said photosensitive means in said inoperative position thereof, said positioning means coacting with said support means for normally maintaining said photosensitive means in said operative position thereof prior to actuation of said shutter-tripping means.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 and wherein said positioning means includes a spring operatively connected with said support means for acting on the latter to hold said photosensitive means normally in said operative position thereof, said positioning means further including a transmission actuated by said shutter-tripping means and acting on said support means in opposition to said spring for displacing said photosensitive means to said inoperative position thereof upon movement of said shutter-tripping means through said initial increment of said path of movement thereof.

Claim 4

In a camera having a film plane in which film is located during exposure, photosensitive means for responding to light intensity and for participating in the determination of the extent to which film is exposed, support means supporting said photosensitive means for movement between an operative position situated directly in front of the film plane in the path of light travelling to the film plane for exposiNg film during subsequent opening of a shutter of the camera and an inoperative position displaced beyond said path of light, shutter-tripping means movable along a predetermined path for tripping the camera shutter so as to open the latter and make an exposure, said shutter-tripping means being movable along said path of movement through an initial increment prior to actual tripping of the shutter, and positioning means coacting with said shutter-tripping means and said support means for responding to movement of said shutter-tripping means through said initial increment to position said photosensitive means in said inoperative position thereof, said positioning means coacting with said support means for normally maintaining said photosensitive means in said operative position thereof prior to actuation of said shutter-tripping means, said positioning means including a spring operatively connected with said support means for acting on the latter to hold said photosensitive means normally in said operative position thereof, said positioning means further including a transmission actuated by said shutter-tripping means and acting on said support means in opposition to said spring for displacing said photosensitive means to said inoperative position thereof upon movement of said shutter-tripping means through said initial increment of said path of movement thereof, said support means including a rotary shaft situated beyond said path of light and a carrier arm fixed to said shaft and carrying said photosensitive means, so that the latter turns with said rotary shaft, and a spring lever fixed to said shaft and said spring for normally positioning said photosensitive means in said path of light.

Claim 5

In a camera having a film plane in which film is located during exposure, photosensitive means for responding to light intensity and for participating in the determination of the extent to which film is exposed, support means supporting said photosensitive means for movement between an operative position situated directly in front of the film plane in the path of light travelling to the film plane for exposiNg film during subsequent opening of a shutter of the camera and an inoperative position displaced beyond said path of light, shutter-tripping means movable along a predetermined path for tripping the camera shutter so as to open the latter and make an exposure, said shutter-tripping means being movable along said path of movement through an initial increment prior to actual tripping of the shutter, and positioning means coacting with said shutter-tripping means and said support means for responding to movement of said shutter-tripping means through said initial increment to position said photosensitive means in said inoperative position thereof, said positioning means coacting with said support means for normally maintaining said photosensitive means in said operative position thereof prior to actuation of said shutter-tripping means, said positioning means including a spring operatively connected with said support means for acting on the latter to hold said photosensitive means normally in said operative position thereof, said positioning means further including a transmission actuated by said shutter-tripping means and acting on said support means in opposition to said spring for displacing said photosensitive means to said inoperative position thereof upon movement of said shutter-tripping means through said initial increment of said path of movement thereof, said support means including a rotary shaft situated beyond said path of light and a carrier arm fixed to said shaft and carrying said photosensitive means, so that the latter turns with said rotary shaft, and a spring lever fixed to said shaft and said spring for normally positioning said photosensitive means in said path of light.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 3 and wherein said spring lever has an arm projecting from said shaft, and said transmission including one of said arms and a transmission lever engaging said one arm for turning said shaft in opposition to said spring upon movement of said shutter-tripping means through said initial increment.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 4 and wherein said transmission includes a second spring acting on said transmission lever for urging the latter to turn said one arm and said shaft in opposition to said first-named spring, and said transmission also including a blocking lever normally blocking said transmission lever from being turned by said second spring, said shutter-tripping means during said initial increment of movement thereof displacing said blocking lever to a non-blocking position releasing said transmission lever for movement by said second spring.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 5 and wherein said transmission lever coacts with said arm of said spring lever.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 1 and wherein said support means and said positioning means form a pair of means for determining the position of said photosensitive means, and manually operable means coacting with one of said pair of means for manually positioning said photosensitive means in said inoperative position thereof.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 7 and wherein said manually operable means coacts with said support means for acting on the latter independent of said positioning means to locate said photosensitive means in said inoperative position thereof.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 8 and wherein said support means includes a rotary shaft and a carrier arm fixed to said rotary shaft and carrying said photosensitive means, said manually operable means including a lever fixed to said shaft and a manually movable member coacting with said lever for acting on the latter to maintain said photosensitive means in said inoperative position, said manually movable member having a rest position freeing said support means to control by said positioning means.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 8 and wherein a second photosensitive means is situated at a location beyond the path of light travelling to the film plane for providing a different light measurement, said manually operable means having a rest position freEing said support means for control by said positioning means and rendering said first-named photosensitive means operative and said second photosensitive means inoperative, said manually operable means when situating said first-named photosensitive means in said inoperative position thereof rendering said first-named photosensitive means inoperative while simultaneously rendering said second photosensitive means operative.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 1 and wherein said camera is a single lens reflex camera having a mirror swingable about a given axis, said support means supporting said photosensitive means for swinging movement about an axis situated beneath said given axis.