Shutter mechanism of a camera

Claim 2

A shutter mechanism of a camera including: (1) opening means movable between a light-intercepting position in which it shields a shutter aperture from light and a non-light-intercepting position in which it does not shield the shutter aperture from light; (2) closing means movable between a light-intercepting position in which it shields the shutter aperture from light and a non-light-intercepting position in which it does not shield the shutter aperture from light; (3) first spring means for biasing said opening means so that said opening means is moved from said light-intercepting position to said non-light-intercepting position; (4) second spring means for biasing said closing means so that said closing means is moved from said non-light-intercepting position to said light-intercepting position; (5) electrical driving means; (6) first charge means receiving the drive force of said driving means for moving said opening means from said non-light-intercepting position to said light-intercepting position or the vicinity thereof and charging said first spring means immediately after said closing means has reached said light-intercepting position from said non-light-intercepting position; (7) second charge means receiving the drive force of said driving means for moving said closing means from said light-intercepting position to said non-light-intercepting position and charging said second spring means, in response to a shutter release operation; (8) means for permitting said first spring means to drive said opening means from said light-intercepting position to said non-light-intercepting position after the movement of said closing means to said non-light-intercepting position by said second charge means, thereby starting exposure; and (9) means for permitting said second spring means to drive said closing means from said non-light-intercepting position to said light-intercepting position in a predetermined time after the starting said exposure, thereby terminating the exposure.

Claim 3

A shutter mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said first charge means charges said first spring means simultaneously with the movement of said opening means, and said second charge means charges said second spring means simultaneously with the movement of said closing means.

Claim 4

A shutter mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said driving means is an electric motor, said first charge means effects said movement of said opening means and said charging of said first spring means according to the revolution of said motor in one direction, and said second charge means effects said movement of said closing means and said charging of said second spring means according to the revolution of said motor in the opposite direction.

Claim 5

A shutter mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said first charge means brings said opening means to the vicinity of said light-intercepting position in which said opening means shields most of the shutter aperture from light but does not shield the remainder of the shutter aperture from light, and said second charge means moves said opening means from said vicinity to said light-intercepting position while it moves said closing means from said light-intercepting position to said non-light-intercepting position.

Claim 6

A shutter mechanism according to claim 1 further comprising locking member including a first and a second engaging portions, said first engaging portion being engaged with said opening means to lock it at said vicinity of said light-intercepting position, said second engaging portion being engaged with said opening means to lock it at said light-intercepting position.

Claim 7

A shutter mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said driving means is a reversible motor, and said shutter mechanism includes: (a) first transmission means provided between said motor and said second charge means to transmit only the revolution of said motor in one direction to said second charge means; and (b) second transmission means provided between said motor and said first charge means to transmit the revolutions of said motor in both directions to said first charge means.

Claim 8

A camera including: (1) an electric motor; (2) a shutter mechanism for opening and closing a shutter aperture to thereby control the exposure of a film, said shutter mechanism including: (a) opening means movable between a light-intercepting position in which it shields said aperture from light and a non-light-intercepting position in which it does not shield said aperture from light, said opening means being moved from said non-light-intercepting position to said light-intercepting position by the drive force of said motor; (b) closing means movable between a light-intercepting position in which it shields said aperture from light and a non-light-intercepting position in which it does not shield said aperture from light, said closing means being moved from said light-intercepting position to said non-light-intercepting position by the drive force of said motor; (c) first spring means charged by said motor, said first spring means moving said opening means from said light-intercepting position to said non-light-intercepting position by the biasing force thereof; and (d) second spring means charged by said motor, said second spring means moving said closing means from said non-light-intercepting position to said light-intercepting position by the biasing force thereof; (3) film transport means for moving the film by an amount corresponding to one frame by the drive force of said motor; and (4) control means for operating said motor in response to a shutter release operation to effect the charging of said second spring means and the movement of said closing means to said non-light-intercepting position, thereafter permitting the movement of said opening means to said non-light-intercepting position by the biasing force of said first spring means, permitting the movement of said closing means to said light-intercepting position by the biasing force of said second spring means after a predetermined exposure time, thereafter operating said motor to effect the charging of said first spring means and the movement of said opening means to said light-intercepting position, and thereafter permitting the operation of said film transport means by said motor.

Claim 9

A camera including: (1) an electric motor; (2) a shutter mechanism for opening and closing a shutter aperture to thereby control the exposure of a film, said shutter mechanism including: (a) opening means movable between a light-intercepting position in which it shields said aperture from light and a non-light-intercepting position in which it does not shield said aperture from light, said opening means being moved from said non-light-intercepting position to said light-intercepting position by the drive force of said motor; (b) closing means movable between a light-intercepting position in which it shields said aperture from light and a non-light-intercepting position in which it does not shield said aperture from light, said closing means being moved from said light-intercepting position to said non-light-intercepting position by the drive force of said motor; (c) first spring means charged by said motor, said first spring means moving said opening means from said light-intercepting position to said non-light-intercepting position by the biasing force thereof; and (d) second spring means charged by said motor, said second spring means moving said closing means from said non-light-intercepting position to said light-intercepting position by the biasing force thereof; (3) film transport means for moving the film by an amount corresponding to one frame by the drive force of said motor; and (4) control means for operating said motor in response to a shutter release operation to effect the charging of said second spring means and the movement of said closing means to said non-light-intercepting position, thereafter permitting the movement of said opening means to said non-light-intercepting position by the biasing force of said first spring means, permitting the movement of said closing means to said light-intercepting position by the biasing force of said second spring means after a predetermined exposure time, thereafter operating said motor to effect the charging of said first spring means and the movement of said opening means to said light-intercepting position, and thereafter permitting the operation of said film transport means by said motor.

Claim 10

A shutter mechanism for a camera comprising: (1) opening means movable between a light-intercepting position in which it shields a shutter aperture from light and a non-intercepting position in which it does not shield said aperture from light; (2) closing means movable between a light-intercepting position in which it shields said aperture from light and a non-shielding position in which it does not shield said aperture from light; (3) an electric motor for moving said opening means from said non-intercepting position to said light-interception position immediately after closing means has reached said light-intercepting position from said non-intercepting position and for moving said closing means from said light-intercepting position to said non-intercepting position in response to a shutter release operation; (4) first spring means charged by said motor, said first spring means moving said opening means from said light-intercepting position to said non-intercepting position by the biasing force thereof immediately after movement of said closing means to said non-intercepting position by said motor; (5) second spring means charged by said motor, said second spring means moving said closing means from said non-intercepting position to said light-intercepting position by the biasing force thereof after movement of said opening means to said non-intercepting position.

Claim 11

A shutter mechanism for a camera comprising: (1) opening means movable between a light-intercepting position in which it shields a shutter aperture from light and a non-intercepting position in which it does not shield said aperture from light; (2) closing means movable between a light-intercepting position in which it shields said aperture from light and a non-shielding position in which it does not shield said aperture from light; (3) an electric motor for moving said opening means from said non-intercepting position to said light-interception position immediately after closing means has reached said light-intercepting position from said non-intercepting position and for moving said closing means from said light-intercepting position to said non-intercepting position in response to a shutter release operation; (4) first spring means charged by said motor, said first spring means moving said opening means from said light-intercepting position to said non-intercepting position by the biasing force thereof immediately after movement of said closing means to said non-intercepting position by said motor; (5) second spring means charged by said motor, said second spring means moving said closing means from said non-intercepting position to said light-intercepting position by the biasing force thereof after movement of said opening means to said non-intercepting position.

Claim 12

A shutter mechanism in a camera comprising: (1) opening means for opening a shutter aperture when it is moved from an initial position; (2) closing means for closing said shutter aperture when it is moved from an initial position; (3) electromagnet means (727) for producing attracting force; (4) armature member (724) including an armature (725), said armature member being movable between an attraction position in which said armature can be attracted to said electromagnet means and a non-attraction position in which said armature cannot be attracted to said electromagnet means; (5) a first spring (726) for urging said armature member toward said non-attraction position; (6) locking member (700) movable between a lock position for locking one of said opening and said closing means at its initial position and a release position for releasing said locking, said locking member and said armature member being so interlocked each other that movement of said locking member toward said lock position causes movement of said armature member toward said attraction position and that movement of said armature member toward said non-attraction position causes movement of said locking member toward said release position; (7) charging member (720, 721, 722) movable between a charging position and a non-charging position; (8) a second spring (723) connected between said locking member and said charging member, said second spring being charged by movement of said charging member to said charging position to urge both said locking member toward said locking position and said charging member toward said non-charging position, said second spring which is charged producing greater force than that said first spring; (9) a retaining member (716) for moving said charging member to said charging position to charge said second spring and retaining said charging member at said charging position against the force of said second spring; said movement of said charging member causing said locking member to be moved toward said locking position through said second spring to thereby move said armature member toward said attraction position against the first spring, said retaining member permitting movement of said charging member to said non-charging position by the force of said second spring in response to a shutter release operation, said movement of said charging member to said non-charging position permitting said armature member to be moved to said non-attraction position by the force of said first spring upon extinction of said attracting force to thereby move said locking member to said release position.

Claim 13

A shutter mechanism in a camera comprising: (1) opening means for opening a shutter aperture when it is moved from an initial position; (2) closing means for closing said shutter aperture when it is moved from an initial position; (3) electromagnet means (727) for producing attracting force; (4) armature member (724) including an armature (725), said armature member being movable between an attraction position in which said armature can be attracted to said electromagnet means and a non-attraction position in which said armature cannot be attracted to said electromagnet means; (5) a first spring (726) for urging said armature member toward said non-attraction position; (6) locking member (700) movable between a lock position for locking one of said opening and said closing means at its initial position and a release position for releasing said locking, said locking member and said armature member being so interlocked each other that movement of said locking member toward said lock position causes movement of said armature member toward said attraction position and that movement of said armature member toward said non-attraction position causes movement of said locking member toward said release position; (7) charging member (720, 721, 722) movable between a charging position and a non-charging position; (8) a second spring (723) connected between said locking member and said charging member, said second spring being charged by movement of said charging member to said charging position to urge both said locking member toward said locking position and said charging member toward said non-charging position, said second spring which is charged producing greater force than that said first spring; (9) a retaining member (716) for moving said charging member to said charging position to charge said second spring and retaining said charging member at said charging position against the force of said second spring; said movement of said charging member causing said locking member to be moved toward said locking position through said second spring to thereby move said armature member toward said attraction position against the first spring, said retaining member permitting movement of said charging member to said non-charging position by the force of said second spring in response to a shutter release operation, said movement of said charging member to said non-charging position permitting said armature member to be moved to said non-attraction position by the force of said first spring upon extinction of said attracting force to thereby move said locking member to said release position.