Reflex camera and viewer with a folded optical path

Claim 2

In a camera of the type having a housing; an objective lens in a forward wall of said housing; means for positioning a film unit at a focal plane of said objective lens; a reflective focusing screen normally adjacent said focal plane; and a viewing mirror inside said housing and rearward of said objective lens, and oriented to reflect a primary image formed by said objective lens onto said focusing screen and from said focusing screen to an area proximate said objective lens, the improvement comprising: compound lens means located at said area proximate said objective lens and opposite said viewing mirror, fOr receiving light reflected to it from said focusing screen by said viewing mirror, and for forming a real image of said focusing screen and said primary image thereon; a window in an upper wall of said housing; a small mirror, adjacent said compound lens means, positioned to reflect light emanating from said real image-forming means toward said window; and an eye lens, in a location where it receives light from said small mirror, for magnifying said real image.

Claim 3

The improved camera described in claim 1, wherein said compound lens means is a panoramic type lens located outside the angular field of said objective lens so it will not obstruct the field of view, said panoramic lens and said objective lens both characterized by an optic axis, said panoramic lens oriented so its optic axis is parallel to the optic axis of said objective lens.

Claim 4

The improved camera described in claim 2, wherein said eye lens is at said window and it is characterized by an optic axis oriented at an acute angle to the path of light through said window, said acute angle being equal to the angle between said panoramic lens and said path.

Claim 5

In a reflex camera of the type having a housing; an objective lens in a forward wall of said housing; a reflective focusing screen at a focal plane of said objective lens; and a viewing mirror inside said housing and rearward of said objective lens for and oriented to reflect a primary real image formed by said objective lens onto said focusing screen and from said focussing screen to an area proximate said objective lens, the improvement comprising: a window in an upper wall of said housing; a small mirror, proximate said objective lens, but substantially outside the angular field of said objective lens so it will not obscure any portion of said primary image, for reflecting light reaching said small mirror from said reflective focusing screen, via said viewing mirror, toward said window; a compound lens, situate in the path of said light emanating from said reflective focusing screen but substantially outside the angular field of said objective lens, to form a secondary real image of said reflective focusing screen and said primary real image formed thereon; and an eye lens, situate in said path, for magnifying said secondary real image.

Claim 6

In a reflex camera of the type having a housing; an objective lens in a forward wall of said housing; a reflective focusing screen at a focal plane of said objective lens; and a viewing mirror inside said housing and rearward of said objective lens for and oriented to reflect a primary real image formed by said objective lens onto said focusing screen and from said focussing screen to an area proximate said objective lens, the improvement comprising: a window in an upper wall of said housing; a small mirror, proximate said objective lens, but substantially outside the angular field of said objective lens so it will not obscure any portion of said primary image, for reflecting light reaching said small mirror from said reflective focusing screen, via said viewing mirror, toward said window; a compound lens, situate in the path of said light emanating from said reflective focusing screen but substantially outside the angular field of said objective lens, to form a secondary real image of said reflective focusing screen and said primary real image formed thereon; and an eye lens, situate in said path, for magnifying said secondary real image.

Claim 7

The improved reflex camera described in claim 4, wherein said small mirror is oriented to reflect said light transversely to the optic axis of said objective lens.

Claim 8

The improved reflex camera described in claim 5, wherein said small mirror is positioned close to said optic axis without obscuring the angular field of said objective lens so as to minimize the angle between said optic axis and the path of light reaching said small mirror from said focusing screen.

Claim 9

The improved reflex camera described in claim 6, wherein said eye lens and said compound lens are oriented so their optic axes are at acute angles to the path of light through them between said focusing screen and said window, said acute angle being substantially equal to the angle, at said focusing screen, between said path and the optic axis of said objective lens.

Claim 10

The improved reflex camera described in claim 7, wherein said compound lens is of the panoramic type.

Claim 11

The improved reflex camera described in claim 8, wherein said panoramic lens is below said angular field, proximate said small mirror.

Claim 12

The improved reflex camera described in claim 9, wherein said eye lens is situate in said window.

Claim 13

The improved reflex camera described in claim 8, wherein said panoramic lens is above said small mirror, between said folding mirror and said window.

Claim 14

The improved reflex camera described in claim 11, further comprising: reflecting means, outside said window, for turning said light in a direction substantially parallel to the optical path of said objective lens; and a field lens, behind said reflecting means, for promoting the brightness of an image seen through said Window, said eye lens being situate behind said field lens toward the rear of said reflex camera housing.

Claim 15

In a reflex camera of the type having a housing; an objective lens in a forward wall of said housing; means for locating a photosensitive film unit at a predetermined position in a lower portion of said housing; a reflective focusing screen, movably mounted within said housing so as to protect said film unit from exposure while said objective lens is focused by forming a primary image of a subject on said focusing screen; and a reflex mirror in said housing, oriented to reflect said primary image from said objective lens downward onto said focusing screen and from said focusing screen to an area proximate said objective lens, the improvement comprising: window means, in an upper wall of said housing, for permitting an observer to view into said reflex camera; lens means, situate inside said housing, at said area proximate said objective lens and below the path of light refracted by said objective lens, for receiving light from said focusing screen via reflection from said reflex mirror, and for forming a secondary image of said focusing screen and said primary image thereon; means, situate between said lens means and said forward wall, for reflecting said secondary image toward said window means; eye lens means, proximate said window means, for magnifying said secondary image.

Claim 16

In a reflex camera of the type having a housing; an objective lens in a forward wall of said housing; means for locating a photosensitive film unit at a predetermined position in a lower portion of said housing; a reflective focusing screen, movably mounted within said housing so as to protect said film unit from exposure while said objective lens is focused by forming a primary image of a subject on said focusing screen; and a reflex mirror in said housing, oriented to reflect said primary image from said objective lens downward onto said focusing screen and from said focusing screen to an area proximate said objective lens, the improvement comprising: window means, in an upper wall of said housing, for permitting an observer to view into said reflex camera; lens means, situate inside said housing, at said area proximate said objective lens and below the path of light refracted by said objective lens, for receiving light from said focusing screen via reflection from said reflex mirror, and for forming a secondary image of said focusing screen and said primary image thereon; means, situate between said lens means and said forward wall, for reflecting said secondary image toward said window means; eye lens means, proximate said window means, for magnifying said secondary image.

Claim 17

The improved reflex camera described in claim 13, further comprising: an optic axis for each of said objective lens, said lens means and said eye lens means, wherein said optic axis of said lens means is parallel to said optic axis of said objective lens and it is at an acute angle with respect to the path of light entering said lens means, and wherein said optic axis of said eye lens means is at said acute angle with respect to said path of light where it enters said eye lens means.

Claim 18

In a reflex camera of the type having a housing; an objective lens in a forward wall of said housing; means for locating a photosensitive film unit at a predetermined position in a lower portion of said housing; a reflective focusing screen, movably mounted within said housing so as to protect said film unit from exposure while said objective lens is focused by forming a primary image of a subject on said focusing screen; and a reflex mirror in said housing, oriented to reflect said primary image from said objective lens downward onto said focusing screen and from said focusing screen to an area proximate said objective lens, the improvement comprising: window means in an upper wall of said housing; first reflecting means, situate inside said housing at an area proximate said objective lens and below the path of light refracted by said objective lens, for directing light emanating from said primary image and reaching said first reflecting means via reflection from said reflex mirror toward said window means; lens means, inside said housing, between said window means and said first reflecting means, for receiving light from said focusing screen via successive reflections from said reflex mirror and said first reflecting means and for forming a secondary image of said focusing screen and said primary image formed thereon; second reflecting means, situate outside said houisng at said window means, for turning the light forming said secondary image toward the rear of said housing in a direction generally parallel to the optic axis of said objective lens; eye lens means, rearward of said second reflecting means, for magnifying said secondary image.

Claim 19

In a reflex camera of the type having a housing; an objective lens in a forward wall of said housing; means for locating a photosensitive film unit at a predetermined position in a lower portion of said housing; a reflective focusing screen, movably mounted within said housing so as to protect said film unit from exposure while said objective lens is focused by forming a primary image of a subject on said focusing screen; and a reflex mirror in said housing, oriented to reflect said primary image from said objective lens downward onto said focusing screen and from said focusing screen to an area proximate said objective lens, the improvement comprising: window means in an upper wall of said housing; first reflecting means, situate inside said housing at an area proximate said objective lens and below the path of light refracted by said objective lens, for directing light emanating from said primary image and reaching said first reflecting means via reflection from said reflex mirror toward said window means; lens means, inside said housing, between said window means and said first reflecting means, for receiving light from said focusing screen via successive reflections from said reflex mirror and said first reflecting means and for forming a secondary image of said focusing screen and said primary image formed thereon; second reflecting means, situate outside said houisng at said window means, for turning the light forming said secondary image toward the rear of said housing in a direction generally parallel to the optic axis of said objective lens; eye lens means, rearward of said second reflecting means, for magnifying said secondary image.

Claim 20

The improved reflex camera described in claim 15, further comprising a field lens, situate between said second reflecting means and said eye lens.

Claim 21

The improved reflex camera described in claim 16, wherein said second reflecting means consists of a penta-prism and further comprising a cover over said penta-prism, said field lens and said eye lens to exclude light therefrom except for that light emerging froM said window means.

Claim 22

A reflex camera comprising: an objective lens; an eye lens; means, defining an optical path between said objective lens and said eye lens at least one portion of said optical path lying within the angular field of said objective lens and other portions of said optical path lying outside the angular field of said objective lens, said optical path defining means including a reflective focusing screen positioned at a focal plane of said objective lens, a first mirror disposed to first reflect a primary real image formed by said objective lens onto said reflective focusing screen and to subsequently reflect said primary real image as it emanates from said reflective focusing screen along said optical path towards a position proximate said objective lens along said other portions of said optical path, and a second mirror disposed at said position proximate said objective lens and lens means disposed at a position along said other portions of said optical path and operative to form a secondary real image of said reflective focusing screen and said primary real image formed on said reflective focusing screen, said secondary real image so formed being adapted for viewing through said eye lens.

Claim 23

A reflex camera comprising: an objective lens; an eye lens; means, defining an optical path between said objective lens and said eye lens at least one portion of said optical path lying within the angular field of said objective lens and other portions of said optical path lying outside the angular field of said objective lens, said optical path defining means including a reflective focusing screen positioned at a focal plane of said objective lens, a first mirror disposed to first reflect a primary real image formed by said objective lens onto said reflective focusing screen and to subsequently reflect said primary real image as it emanates from said reflective focusing screen along said optical path towards a position proximate said objective lens along said other portions of said optical path, and a second mirror disposed at said position proximate said objective lens and lens means disposed at a position along said other portions of said optical path and operative to form a secondary real image of said reflective focusing screen and said primary real image formed on said reflective focusing screen, said secondary real image so formed being adapted for viewing through said eye lens.

Claim 24

A reflex camera comprising: a first wall; means for positioning at least one film unit within said camera so as to extend along a portion of said first wall; a forward wall; an objective lens mounted in said forward wall; a reflective focusing screen positioned to overlie such film unit, when such film unit is disposed within said positioning means, at a focal plane of said objective lens; a rear wall; a first mirror attached to said rear wall so as to be canted over said reflective focusing screen; another wall extending between said forward and rear walls on the opposite side of said objective lens from said first wall, said other wall having discrete light transmissive means positioned at a selective location thereon; a second mirror situate adjacent said objective lens and lying substantially outside the angular field of said objective lens; and an eye lens operatively associated with said light transmissive means, said first mirror, said reflective focusing screen, and said second mirror being further arranged within said camera to define an optical path within said camera so that light rays entering said camera through said objective lens are sequentially reflected by said first mirror onto said reflective focusing screen, reflected by said reflective focusing screen back onto said first mirror, reflected by said first mirror onto said second mirror and reflected by said second mirror through said light transmissive means of said other wall.

Claim 25

A reflex camera comprising: a first wall; means for positioning at least one film unit within said camera so as to extend along a portion of said first wall; a forward wall; an objective lens mounted in said forward wall; a reflective focusing screen positioned to overlie such film unit, when such film unit is disposed within said positioning means, at a focal plane of said objective lens; a rear wall; a first mirror attached to said rear wall so as to be canted over said reflective focusing screen; another wall extending between said forward and rear walls on the opposite side of said objective lens from said first wall, said other wall having discrete light transmissive means positioned at a selective location thereon; a second mirror situate adjacent said objective lens and lying substantially outside the angular field of said objective lens; and an eye lens operatively associated with said light transmissive means, said first mirror, said reflective focusing screen, and said second mirror being further arranged within said camera to define an optical path within said camera so that light rays entering said camera through said objective lens are sequentially reflected by said first mirror onto said reflective focusing screen, reflected by said reflective focusing screen back onto said first mirror, reflected by said first mirror onto said second mirror and reflected by said second mirror through said light transmissive means of said other wall.

Claim 26

The reflex camera of claim 19, additionally including means, lying substantially outside the angular field of said objective lens, for forming an intermediate real image of said reflective focusing screen and any image formed thereon by said objective lens that said eye lens will magnify positioned along said optical path.

Claim 27

The reflex camera of claim 19, wherein said second mirror is positioned on the opposite side of said objective lens from said other wall.