Electronically controlled shutter mechanism for a camera

Claim 2

An electronic shutter for a camera comprising: an electromagnet to be energized and deenergized under the control of an exposure time control electric circuit, an attractable piece attractable and holdable to the electromagnet with its magnetic force when the electromagnet is energized, a shutter sector movably supported by a fixed member away from a shutter opening and biased to close the shutter opening normally, the sector fixedly supporting one of the electromagnet and the attractable piece, and a shutter operating member movably supported by a fixed member away from the shutter opening and so biased as to be movable in a shutter opening direction upon shutter tripping action, the operating member being movable in a shutter closing direction by shutter cocking action and retainable in its cocked position, the operating member fixedly supporting the other of the electromagnet and the attractable piece to position the attracting surface of the electromagnet and the attractable piece in face-to-face contact with or in proximity to each other when in its cocked position, the operating member being movable to open the shutter upon shutter tripping action by accompanying the sector by means of the electromagnet and the attractable piece subject to energization of the electromagnet and to release the sector into shutter closing movement upon deenergization of the electromagnet.

Claim 3

The electronic shutter as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shutter sector and the shutter operating member are pivotally mounted on the same fixed member and biased in opposite directions to each other.

Claim 4

The electronic shutter as set forth in claim 1 wherein the attractable piece is formed integrally with the shutter sector.

Claim 5

The electronic shutter as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shutter sector comprises at least two blades associated with each other for synchronized movement and braking means acts on the shutter operating member to slow down thE shutter opening movement thereof.

Claim 6

The electronic shutter as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: an opening bound preventing member engageable with the shutter operating member at the almost final stage of its shutter opening movement to brake the operating member to a stop, and a closing bound preventing member engageable with the shutter sector at the almost final stage of its shutter closing movement to brake the sector to a stop.

Claim 7

The electronic shutter as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: an opening bound preventing member engageable with the shutter operating member at the almost final stage of its movement in the shutter opening direction and biased to apply a braking force on the operating member against its rotational torque, the bound preventing member having an indicating portion for visibly indicating that the shutter has not been cocked and being movable with the operating member upon shutter cocking action to retract the indicating portion from a visible position, the bound preventing member further movable with the operating member upon shutter tripping action to advance the indicating portion to the visible position, a closing bound preventing member engageable with the shutter sector at the almost final stage of its shutter closing movement and biased to apply a braking force on the sector against its rotational torque, the closing bound preventing member having an indicating portion for visibly indicating that the shutter sector has been tripped upon shutter tripping action, the closing bound preventing member being movable to advance the indicating portion to a visible position when the shutter is opened and to retract the indicating portion from the visible position when the shutter is closed, and an alarm indicating member biased to move with the closing bound preventing member and having an indicating portion for visibly indicating that the shutter is inoperable due to the exhaustion of power source battery, the alarm indicating member being movable with the closing bound preventing member to bring the alarm indicating portion into and out of the path of movement of the opening bound preventing member, the alarm indicating member being movable with the opening bound preventing member to advance the alarm indicating portion to a visible position when it is detected that the shutter sector is inoperable upon shutter tripping action and to retract the alarm indicating portion from the visible position.

Claim 8

The electronic shutter as set forth in claim 6 wherein the indicating portions are movable into and out of the finder field of the camera.