Driving apparatus in a camera

Claim 2

A single lens reflex camera having a reflecting mirror which moves during operation from a position across the light path of a light beam travelling toward a film surface past the stop of a phototaking lens to a position retracted from said light path, an apparatus for driving the stop of said phototaking lens for the control of said stop to a predetermined aperture value and for the control of the movement of said reflecting mirror and means for causing exposure of the film surface to the light beam passing the stop, said apparatus comprising: (a) stop-down operating means capable of being coupled to said stop and displaceable between a first position for providing a maximum aperture opening to said stop and a second position for providing a minimum aperture opening to said stop; (b) moving means having a first moving area capable of moving forward while imparting displacement from said first position to said second position to said stop-down operating means and moving backward while imparting displacement from said second position to said first position to said stop-down operating means, having a second moving area continuous with said first moving area and being capable of moving while maintaining said stop-down operating means in said second position; and (c) drive means for driving said moving means forward in said first moving area before the exposure of light to said film surface and subsequently driving said moving means into said second moving area, said drive means including means for retracting said reflecting mirror into said retracted position while said moving means is in said second moving area.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive means drives said moving means in said second moving area after completion of the exposure of light to said film surface and subsequently drives said moving means backward in said first moving area and further comprises means for returning said reflecting mirror into said light path while said moving means is in said second moving area.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive means includes timing adjusting means for moving said moving means in said second moving area after at least the time required for said stop to vary from the maximum aperture opening to the minimum aperture opening has elapsed after the forward movement in said first moving area.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said timing adjusting means includes timer means adapted to start a time counting operation upon completion of the forward movement in said first moving area and to enable movement of said moving means in said second moving area after lapse of a predetermined time.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 3, further including means for restraining the displacement of said stop-down operating means when said stop has assumed said predetermined aperture value and wherein said stop-down operating means includes a first member capable of being displaced over a predetermined stroke in response to said moving means, a second member displaceable between said first position and said second position in response to said first member, and means for adjusting the speed of displacement of said first member so that the displacement of said first member over said predetermined stroke is accomplished within said required time, said restraining means being capable of restraining the displacement of said second member, and said timing adjusting means being responsive to said first member.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said timing adjusting means includes means for stopping the driving of said moving means by said drive means upon completion of the forward movement of said moving means in said first moving area, and means for releasing said stoppage in response to said first member.

Claim 8

In a camera, an apparatus for driving the stop of a phototaking lens for the control of the stop to a predetermined aperture value in conjunction with the exposure of a film surface within the camera to a light beam passing the stop of the lens, said apparatus including: (a) stop-down operating means capable of being coupled to said stop device and displaceable between a first position for providing a maximum aperture opening to said stop and a second position for providing a minimum aperture opening to said stop; (b) moving means having a first moving area capable of moving forward while imparting displacement from said first position to said second position to said stop-down operating means and moving backward while imparting displacement from said second position to said first position to said stop-down operating means, having a second moving area continuous with said first moving area and being capable of moving forward and backward while maintaining said stop-down operating means in said second position; (c) means for restraining the displacement of said stop-down operating means when the stop of said phototaking lens, which varies in response to the displacement of said stop-down operating means from said first position to said second position, has assumed said predetermined aperture value; (d) release means operable to release said restraining means; and (e) drive means for driving said moving means forward in said first moving area and said second moving area before the exposure to light of said film surface and driving said moving means backward in said second moving area and said first moving area after completion of said exposure, said drive means including means for operating said release means during the backward movement of said moving means in said second moving area.

Claim 9

In a camera, an apparatus for driving the stop of a phototaking lens for the control of the stop to a predetermined aperture value in conjunction with the exposure of a film surface within the camera to a light beam passing the stop of the lens, said apparatus including: (a) stop-down operating means capable of being coupled to said stop device and displaceable between a first position for providing a maximum aperture opening to said stop and a second position for providing a minimum aperture opening to said stop; (b) moving means having a first moving area capable of moving forward while imparting displacement from said first position to said second position to said stop-down operating means and moving backward while imparting displacement from said second position to said first position to said stop-down operating means, having a second moving area continuous with said first moving area and being capable of moving forward and backward while maintaining said stop-down operating means in said second position; (c) means for restraining the displacement of said stop-down operating means when the stop of said phototaking lens, which varies in response to the displacement of said stop-down operating means from said first position to said second position, has assumed said predetermined aperture value; (d) release means operable to release said restraining means; and (e) drive means for driving said moving means forward in said first moving area and said second moving area before the exposure to light of said film surface and driving said moving means backward in said second moving area and said first moving area after completion of said exposure, said drive means including means for operating said release means during the backward movement of said moving means in said second moving area.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said release means includes a member displaced from an initial position to an operative position by said drive means to release said restraint, and means for biasing said member to said initial position.

Claim 11

A camera containing film and having a phototaking lens with a stop therein, capable of driving a film feed device for feeding one frame of said film after exposure of said film to a light beam which has passed through the stop of the phototaking lens and of controlling said stop to a predetermined aperture value in connection with making said exposure, said camera comprising: (a) stop-down operating means capable of being coupled to said stop device and displaceable between a first position for providing a maximum aperture opening to said stop and a second position for providing a minimum aperture opening to said stop; (b) rotative driving means having a rotating shaft and control means operatively engaged therewith for causing said rotative driving means to effect a first rotation of said rotating shaft in one direction before said exposure, a second rotation of said rotating shaft in the other direction in response to completion of said exposure, and a third rotation of said rotating shaft in said other direction subsequent to said second rotation; (c) moving means for enabling the displacement of said stop-down operating means from said first position to said second position in response to the first rotation of said rotating shaft and enabling the displacement of said stop-down operating means from said second position to said first position in response to said second rotation of said rotating shaft; and (d) coupling means for enabling the feeding of said film by said feeding device in response to the third rotation of said rotating shaft, said coupling means including means for making said feeding device independent of the first and second rotations of said rotating shaft.

Claim 12

A camera containing film and having a phototaking lens with a stop therein, capable of driving a film feed device for feeding one frame of said film after exposure of said film to a light beam which has passed through the stop of the phototaking lens and of controlling said stop to a predetermined aperture value in connection with making said exposure, said camera comprising: (a) stop-down operating means capable of being coupled to said stop device and displaceable between a first position for providing a maximum aperture opening to said stop and a second position for providing a minimum aperture opening to said stop; (b) rotative driving means having a rotating shaft and control means operatively engaged therewith for causing said rotative driving means to effect a first rotation of said rotating shaft in one direction before said exposure, a second rotation of said rotating shaft in the other direction in response to completion of said exposure, and a third rotation of said rotating shaft in said other direction subsequent to said second rotation; (c) moving means for enabling the displacement of said stop-down operating means from said first position to said second position in response to the first rotation of said rotating shaft and enabling the displacement of said stop-down operating means from said second position to said first position in response to said second rotation of said rotating shaft; and (d) coupling means for enabling the feeding of said film by said feeding device in response to the third rotation of said rotating shaft, said coupling means including means for making said feeding device independent of the first and second rotations of said rotating shaft.

Claim 13

A camera having a displacing means operatively connected with automatic aperture controlling means and stop and mirror driving means therein which is displaced from a first position in which potential energy is stored to a second position in which in which the potential energy has been discharged, and having a means for holding the displacing means in the first position, in which in association with exposure of film in the camera to light passing through a lens on the camera the displacing means is operated by a device comprising: moving means moving forward before exposure of a film and moving backward after the exposure wherein the moving means, upon the forward movement acts upon the holding means to release the displacing means from the holding means, and said moving means, upon the rearward movement, acts upon the displacing means to displace the displacing means to the first position while giving potential energy to the displacing means.

Claim 14

A camera having a displacing means operatively connected with automatic aperture controlling means and stop and mirror driving means therein which is displaced from a first position in which potential energy is stored to a second position in which in which the potential energy has been discharged, and having a means for holding the displacing means in the first position, in which in association with exposure of film in the camera to light passing through a lens on the camera the displacing means is operated by a device comprising: moving means moving forward before exposure of a film and moving backward after the exposure wherein the moving means, upon the forward movement acts upon the holding means to release the displacing means from the holding means, and said moving means, upon the rearward movement, acts upon the displacing means to displace the displacing means to the first position while giving potential energy to the displacing means.

Claim 15

A camera according to claim 10, wherein said moving means includes cam means engaged with the displacing means, said cam means moving forward further after the displacing means has been released, thereby allowing the displacement of the displacing means from said first position to said second position.

Claim 16

A camera according to claim 10, wherein said holding means includes a first member for holding the displacing means, a second member adapted for displacement in a first direction and a second direction in response to the forward and and the rearward movements of a the moving means respectively and means for interlocking said second member with said first member, said interlocking means including means for displacing said first member in association with the displacement of said second member in said first direction and for displacing said first member independently from the displacement of the second member in said second direction.