Mechanism for indicating condition of operability of an electrically controlled camera shutter

Claim 2

In a camera including a shutter and an electric exposure control network and a shutter opening and closing mechanism, a solenoid including an armature moveable to a released retracted position and to an advanced and retained position by a predetermined energization of said solenoid to releasably lock said shutter closing mechansim, a shutter opening release member, motion transmission means for actuating said shutter opening mechanism to open said shutter in response to the advance of said shutter release member, and means responsive to the retained advanced position and the release of said armature by said solenoid for enabling and disabling respectively said motion transmission means to respectively permit and prevent the opening of said shutter with the advance of said shutter release member.

Claim 3

The camera of claim 1, wherein said shutter opening mechanism includes a laTching member moveable between shutter opening lock and unlock positions, and said motion transmission means comprises a motion transmission member moveable between an enabled position transmitting motion from said shutter release member to said latching member, and a disabled non-transmitting position in response to the advance and release of said armature respectively.

Claim 4

The camera of claim 2, wherein said motion transmission member comprises a lever pivoted for swinging about a point between the ends thereof, the ends of said lever registering with said shutter release member and said latch member.

Claim 5

The camera of claim 3, said enabling and disabling means comprising means for moving said pivot point in response to the advance and retraction of said armature.

Claim 6

The camera of claim 3, wherein said enabling and disabling means comprises a slide member supporting said lever, and a second lever swingable between the ends thereof and pivoted at a first end to said slide member and having its opposite end engaging said armature.

Claim 7

The camera of claim 2 wherein said camera is a single lens reflex camera including a mirror swingable between an advanced viewing position and a retracted picture taking position, said latching member releasably locking said mirror in its retracted position locking said shutter in its closed cocked position.

Claim 8

The camera of claim 1 including a voltage discriminating circuit having an output connected to said solenoid and an input controlled by said exposure control network.

Claim 9

A safety device against a disorder of a power source in a photographic camera having an electric shutter wherein demagnetization of an electromagnet is utilized for starting of shutter closure or exposure time control, comprising a member for shutter release arranged so that a circuit of the electromagnet is closed at an early stage of shutter release operation, a member associated with shutter release adapted to be activated by said shutter release member for removal of locking effect upon the shutter or the mirror, and a member engaged with a moveable piece of the electromagnet for exposure time control, said last mentioned member having a rotatable shaft of said member associated with shutter release mounted thereon, in such a manner that said rotatable shaft of the member associated with shutter release is prevented against rotation and the shutter release is effected when the electromagnet normally operates and the moveable piece is held while said rotatable shaft of the member associated with shutter release is rotated and no shutter release may occur when said moveable piece is in moveable condition without being attracted by the electromagnet due to factors such as disorder of the power source since the locking effect upon the shutter or the mirror is relatively high.

Claim 10

A safety device against a disorder of a power source in a photographic camera having an electric shutter wherein demagnetization of an electromagnet is utilized for starting of shutter closure or exposure time control, comprising a member for shutter release arranged so that a circuit of the electromagnet is closed at an early stage of shutter release operation, a member associated with shutter release adapted to be activated by said shutter release member for removal of locking effect upon the shutter or the mirror, and a member engaged with a moveable piece of the electromagnet for exposure time control, said last mentioned member having a rotatable shaft of said member associated with shutter release mounted thereon, in such a manner that said rotatable shaft of the member associated with shutter release is prevented against rotation and the shutter release is effected when the electromagnet normally operates and the moveable piece is held while said rotatable shaft of the member associated with shutter release is rotated and no shutter release may occur when said moveable piece is in moveable condition without being attracted by the electromagnet due to factors such as disorder of the power source since the locking effect upon the shutter or the mirror is relatively high.

Claim 11

A safety device against a disorder of a power source in a photographic camera having an electric shutter according to claim 8, further includng a voltage discriminating circuit inserted into an electric circuit for energization of the electromagnet, such that said electromagnet cannot attract the moveable piece at the voltage of energization lower than the level necessary for exposure time control and any operation of shutter release cannot release the shutter.