Motor driven still camera

Claim 2

A motor driven still camera comprising a shutter, an electric motor for advancing the film, an electric power source for energizing said motor, shutter holding means for holding the previously opened shutter in the open state, and an electric circuit for controlling said shutter holding means and said motor, said electric circuit comprising a first delay circuit for producing an output signal to actuate the shutter holding means so as to close the shutter after a predetermined time interval from actuation of said shutter holding means motor control means for controlling energization of said motor including a semiconductor switching device by which said motor is selectively connected to said electric power source; and a second delay circuit responsive to the output signal of said first delay circuit to render said semi-conductor switching device conductive a predetermined time after receipt of the output of said first delay circuit.

Claim 3

A motor driven still camera according to claim 1 further comprising an exposure-time-setting member and a photographing-period-setting member, wherein said second delay circuit comprises a capacitor, a first variable resistor means and a second variable resistor means connected in series with each other, said second variable resistor means including a first group of fixed resistors and a first selection switch which are coupled with each other to obtain a first resistance having a value corresponding to the setting of shutter speed, and a second group of fixed resistors and a second selection switch which are coupled with each other to determine a second resistance having a value corresponding to the setting of photographing period, the resistance value of said second variable resistor means being determined as the value of a combined resistance of said first and second resistances.

Claim 4

A motor driven still camera according to claim 2, wherein said switches include a short-circuiting means for short-circuiting such time defining resistors for making time differences for unrealizable exposure time at a selected photographing period.

Claim 5

A motor driven still camera of claim 3, wherein said switches have a mechanical interlocking means for preventing selection of unrealizable combinations between the exposure time and the photographing period.

Claim 6

A motor driven still camera of claim 1, wherein said first delay circuit includes a transistor triggering circuit having output circuit through which said shutter holding means is energized, and further comprising a release switch being closed in response to manual handling of a shutter release member to energize at least said shutter holding means, and a means for forcedly controlling the performance of said transistor triggering circuit so as to deenergize said shutter holding means in response to resetting manual handling of the shutter releasing member whereby bulb exposure can be effected.

Claim 7

A still camera including a shutter system for controlling duration of time during which a film is exposed to light from an object scene, means for effecting the shutter closing operation, a motor for advancing the film, an electric circuit for controlling said means for effecting the shutter closing operation and said motor, and a release switch for connecting an energizing circuit to said electric circuit, said electric circuit comprising: first means for generating a first signal after a lapse of predetermined time from the actuation of said release switch, for actuating said means for effecting the shutter closing operation to terminate the exposure; second means responsive to said first signal generated by said first means for generating a second signal delayed a predetermined period of time with respect to said first signal; a motor control circuit, coupled to said film advance motor, for actuating said motor, so as to advance said film and cock said shutter subsequent to the closUre of said shutter; and a semiconductor switching device connected between said second means and said motor control circuit for maintaining the energization of said motor by said motor control circuit in response to said second signal.

Claim 8

A still camera including a shutter system for controlling duration of time during which a film is exposed to light from an object scene, means for effecting the shutter closing operation, a motor for advancing the film, an electric circuit for controlling said means for effecting the shutter closing operation and said motor, and a release switch for connecting an energizing circuit to said electric circuit, said electric circuit comprising: first means for generating a first signal after a lapse of predetermined time from the actuation of said release switch, for actuating said means for effecting the shutter closing operation to terminate the exposure; second means responsive to said first signal generated by said first means for generating a second signal delayed a predetermined period of time with respect to said first signal; a motor control circuit, coupled to said film advance motor, for actuating said motor, so as to advance said film and cock said shutter subsequent to the closUre of said shutter; and a semiconductor switching device connected between said second means and said motor control circuit for maintaining the energization of said motor by said motor control circuit in response to said second signal.

Claim 9

A camera according to claim 6, wherein said second means comprises a resistor-capacitor delay circuit and means for applying a charging voltage to said capacitor in response to said first signal generated by said first means, said resistor-capacitor delay circuit including first and second variable resistor elements, one of said variable resistor elements including a first selector switch with variable resistance settings for selecting the duration of the photographing, in accordance with the magnitude of a selected resistance, coupled to said capacitor and a second selector switch with a number of variable resistor settings for selecting exposure time.

Claim 10

A camera according to claim 7, wherein said second means further includes means for short-circuiting selected ones of said number of variable resistor settings of said second selector switch in response to the setting of said first selector switch, so as to prevent an unrealizable combination of exposure time and photographing period.

Claim 11

A camera according to claim 8, wherein said short-circuiting means comprises a mechanical interlocking mechanism provided between the resistor selectors of each of said first and second selector switches.

Claim 12

A camera according to claim 7, wherein said semiconductor switching device comprises a pair of transistors the bases and collectors of which are cross connected to each other, while the emitter thereof are respectively connected to said motor control circuit and the base of one of said transistors is connected to said second means.

Claim 13

A camera according to claim 6, wherein said camera further comprises means for forcedly controlling the performance of said first means in a manner to produce said first signal in response to resetting a manual handling of a shutter release member whereby bulb exposure can be effected.

Claim 14

A camera according to claim 11, wherein said first means comprises a resistor-capacitor timing circuit, a source of potential for charging said capacitor through said resistor, and a transistor triggering circuit for controlling said second means, and wherein said means for controlling the operation of said first means comprises a voltage divider network connected in parallel with said resistor-capacitor timing circuit of said first means and a control switch for switchably connecting said transistor triggering circuit to said resistor-capacitor timing circuit or said voltage divider network.

Claim 15

A camera according to claim 12, wherein said second means comprises a resistor-capacitor delay circuit and a delay circuit transistor connected thereto and to said transistor triggering circuit for enabling the charging of the capacitor therein, and wherein said motor control circuit comprises first and second switches, connected to said semiconductor switching device and an energy relay switch for coupling energizing supply voltage to said motor.

Claim 16

A camera according to claim 13, wherein said energizing relay switch comprises a relay coil and an electromagnetically operating switch arm coupled thereto, said switch arm being connected to short-circuit said motor in a first position and to provide said supply voltage thereto in a second position.

Claim 17

A camera according to claim 14, wherein said first and second switches of said motor control circuit each include contacts for by-passing said semiconductor switching device to energize said energizing relay directly therethrough and said second switch further includes an additional pair of contacts for permitting consecutive film advance of said motor during the closure thereof.

Claim 18

A camera according to claim 15, further including conductor means for connecting a portion of said resistor-divider network to said first switch of said motor control circUit.

Claim 19

A camera according to claim 15, wherein said motor control circuit comprises a source of driving voltage for said motor and means for connecting said source of driving voltage to said shutter control coil.

Claim 20

A camera according to claim 6, wherein said second means comprises a resistor-capacitor delay circuit and a transistor triggering circuit connected thereto and to said semiconductor switching device for controlling the switching device in accordance with the charged voltage of the capacitor, charging to the capacitor being initiated in response to said first signal.

Claim 21

A camera according to claim 18, wherein said means for actuating shutter closing operation is so arranged to hold the shutter open from the actuation of said release switch until said first means generates the first signal, and wherein said first means includes an output transistor shunted across said capacitor and being made conductive while said shutter is held open.

Claim 22

A camera according to claim 19, wherein said motor control circuit comprises first and second switches, connected to said semiconductor switching device and an energy relay switch for coupling energizing supply voltage to said motor.

Claim 23

A camera according to claim 20, wherein said energizing relay switch comprises a relay coil and an electromagnetically operating switch arm coupled thereto, said switch arm being connected to short-circuit said motor in a first position and to provide said supply voltage thereto in a second position.

Claim 24

A camera according to claim 21, wherein said first and second switches of said motor control circuit each include contacts for by-passing said semiconductor switching device to energize said energizing relay directly therethrough and said second switch further includes an additional pair of contacts for permitting consecutive film advance of said motor during the closure thereof.

Claim 25

A motor driven still camera including a shutter mechanism for controlling duration of time during which a film is exposed to scene light, a motor for advancing the film, means for effecting shutter closing, an electric circuit for controlling said means for effecting shutter closing and said motor, and a release switch for closing energizing circuit for said electric circuit in response to shutter releasing operation, said electric circuit comprising: first means for generating a first signal after a lapse of a predetermined exposure time from the actuation of said release switch, for actuating said means for effecting shutter closing to terminate the exposure; a motor control circuit, coupled to said film advance motor, for actuating said motor, so as to advance said film subsequent to the closure of said shutter; a semiconductor switching device connected to said motor control circuit for maintaining the energization of said motor by said motor control circuit; and second means responsive to said first signal generated by said first means for timing the actuation of said semiconductor switching device.

Claim 26

A motor driven still camera including a shutter mechanism for controlling duration of time during which a film is exposed to scene light, a motor for advancing the film, means for effecting shutter closing, an electric circuit for controlling said means for effecting shutter closing and said motor, and a release switch for closing energizing circuit for said electric circuit in response to shutter releasing operation, said electric circuit comprising: first means for generating a first signal after a lapse of a predetermined exposure time from the actuation of said release switch, for actuating said means for effecting shutter closing to terminate the exposure; a motor control circuit, coupled to said film advance motor, for actuating said motor, so as to advance said film subsequent to the closure of said shutter; a semiconductor switching device connected to said motor control circuit for maintaining the energization of said motor by said motor control circuit; and second means responsive to said first signal generated by said first means for timing the actuation of said semiconductor switching device.

Claim 27

A motor driven still camera including a shutter mechanism for controlling duration of time during which a film is exposed to scene light, a motor for advancing the film, means for effecting shutter closing, an electric circuit for controlling said means for effecting shutter closing and said motor, and a release switch for closing energizing circuit for said electric circuit in response to shutter releasing operation, said electric circuit comprising: first means for generating a first signal after a lapse of predetermined exposure time from the actuation of said release switch, for actuating said means for effecting shutter closing to terminate the exposure; a motor control circuit, coupled to said film advance motor, for energizing said motor, so as to advance said film subsequent to the closure of said shutter; a semiconductor switching device connected to said motor control circuit for actuating said motor control circuit in response to the generation of said first signal.

Claim 28

A motor driven still camera including a shutter mechanism for controlling duration of time during which a film is exposed to scene light, a motor for advancing the film, means for effecting shutter closing, an electric circuit for controlling said means for effecting shutter closing and said motor, and a release switch for closing energizing circuit for said electric circuit in response to shutter releasing operation, said electric circuit comprising: first means for generating a first signal after a lapse of predetermined exposure time from the actuation of said release switch, for actuating said means for effecting shutter closing to terminate the exposure; a motor control circuit, coupled to said film advance motor, for energizing said motor, so as to advance said film subsequent to the closure of said shutter; a semiconductor switching device connected to said motor control circuit for actuating said motor control circuit in response to the generation of said first signal.

Claim 29

A motor driven still camera according to claim 24, further comprising an electric power source, and a relay switch means connected between said power source and said motor, said relay switch is controlled by said semiconductor switching device so that the relay switch is closed with the actuation of the semiconductor switching device.