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US4739356A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electric connector for camera

Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1987-07-08
•
Granted: 1988-04-19
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Expires: 2007-07-08
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Abstract

Abstract An electric connector for a camera, the camera having a body and an accessory coupled with each other by their mounts of the mating-to-shift type, and electrically connected to each other by contacting of contact groups on the two mounts with each other when the coupling is complete. Each of the electric contact groups includes at least a contact for ground, a contact for signal and a contact for electrical power. The lengths of all the electric contacts on the accessory device in the coupling-up direction are so determined that, as the shifting of the accessory device in mating with the camera body goes on, the contacts for ground come first to contact with each other, then the contacts for signal to contact with each other and then the contacts for electrical power to contact with each other.

Inventors

  • 👤 Shigeo Ogura
  • 👤 Masahiro Takei

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 20:01
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03B; G03B17/00; G03B17/02; G03B17/12; G03B17/14; H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/02; H01R13/22; H01R13/24; H01R13/2407; H01R13/2421

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 147 words
An electric connector for a camera in which the camera body and an accessory device are coupled with each other by their mounts of a mating-to-shift type, and when the coupling is completed, electrical signals are transmitted between them by contacting of electric contact groups arranged at portions of said two mounts with each other, comprising: said electric contact groups each having at least a contact for ground, a contact for signal, and a contact for electrical power; and said contacts each having a predetermined length in the shifting direction in such a manner that when said accessory device is shifted for mating with said camera body, said electric contacts for ground of said contact groups come first to contact with each other, then said electric contacts for signal to contact with each other, and then said electric contacts for electrical power to contact with each other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 147 words
An electric connector for a camera in which the camera body and an accessory device are coupled with each other by their mounts of a mating-to-shift type, and when the coupling is completed, electrical signals are transmitted between them by contacting of electric contact groups arranged at portions of said two mounts with each other, comprising: said electric contact groups each having at least a contact for ground, a contact for signal, and a contact for electrical power; and said contacts each having a predetermined length in the shifting direction in such a manner that when said accessory device is shifted for mating with said camera body, said electric contacts for ground of said contact groups come first to contact with each other, then said electric contacts for signal to contact with each other, and then said electric contacts for electrical power to contact with each other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 25 words
An electric connector according to claim 1, wherein as said accessory device an interchangeable lens having an optical axis and a built-in microcomputer is used.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 29 words
An electric connector according to claim 2, wherein said shifting of said interchangeable lens in mating with said camera body is performed by relative rotation about the optical axis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 73 words
An electric connector according to claim 1, wherein said camera body is provided with a detection switch for detecting a coupling state at a time when the shifting of said accessory device in mating with said camera body is almost complete, and with a control circuit responsive to the detection output of said switch which represents the coupling state for supplying electrical power to said contact for electrical power on said camera body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 130 words
An electric connector for an accessory device, said device having a mount to be coupled with a mount on a camera body, in which electrical signals are transmitted between said device and said camera body by contacting of electric contact groups arranged at portions of said two mounts with each other when the coupling is complete, comprising: said electric contact groups each having at least a contact for ground, a contact for signal and a contact for electrical power; wherein the lengths in the coupling-up direction of all said electric contacts being so determined that when said accessory device is being coupled with said camera body, said contact for ground comes first to contact, then said contact for signal to contact and then said contact for electrical power to contact.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 130 words
An electric connector for an accessory device, said device having a mount to be coupled with a mount on a camera body, in which electrical signals are transmitted between said device and said camera body by contacting of electric contact groups arranged at portions of said two mounts with each other when the coupling is complete, comprising: said electric contact groups each having at least a contact for ground, a contact for signal and a contact for electrical power; wherein the lengths in the coupling-up direction of all said electric contacts being so determined that when said accessory device is being coupled with said camera body, said contact for ground comes first to contact, then said contact for signal to contact and then said contact for electrical power to contact.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 25 words
An electric connector according to claim 5, wherein as said accessory device an interchangeable lens having an optical axis and a built-in microcomputer is used.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 29 words
An electric connector according to claim 6, wherein said shifting of said interchangeable lens in mating with said camera body is performed by relative rotation about the optical axis.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4464034A Cited
US4637704A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-04-19 1991-10-19 1992-04-19 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-04-19 1995-10-19 1996-04-19 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-04-19 1999-10-19 2000-04-19 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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