Diopter control apparatus in a zoom camera

Claim 2

A diopter control apparatus in a camera having a variable finder optical system in which a zooming operation is achieved by varying a distance between at least two variable power lenses, said diopter control apparatus comprising: a diopter correcting lens supported to move in an optical axis direction of said variable finder optical system to correct a diopter of said variable finder optical system; a lens driving mechanism driven to move at least one of said lenses of said variable power lenses of said variable finder optical system in said optical axis direction; and a switching mechanism associated with said lens driving mechanism and said diopter correcting lens, said switching mechanism having a first state and a second state, said first state being a state in which a motive force of said lens driving mechanism is not transmitted to said diopter correcting lens, so that said variable power lenses of said variable finder optical system moves while said diopter correcting lens does not move, said second state being a state in which said motive force of said lens driving mechanism is transmitted to said diopter correcting lens, so that said variable power lenses of said variable finder optical system and said diopter correcting lens move together.

Claim 3

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a variable photographing optical system whose focal length is varied in synchronization with said zooming of said variable finder optical system when a lens of said variable photographing optical system is moved in the optical axis direction by a motor.

Claim 4

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said variable finder optical system is a real image type finder in which a real image of an object to be photographed is formed by an objective lens system.

Claim 5

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lens driving mechanism comprises a motor and a cam plate which is provided with a cam to move said at least one of said lenses of said variable finder optical system in the optical axis direction, said cam plate being moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis by said motor.

Claim 6

A diopter control apparatus in a camera having a variable finder optical system in which a zooming operation is achieved by varying a distance between at least two lenses, said diopter control apparatus comprising: a diopter correcting lens which is supported to move in an optical axis direction of said variable finder optical system to correct a diopter of said variable finder optical system; a lens driving mechanism which is driven to move at least one of said lenses of said variable finder optical system in said optical axis direction to perform said zooming operation; a transmission mechanism which transmits a motive force of said lens driving mechanism to said diopter correcting lens to move said diopter correcting lens in the optical axis direction; and switching means for selectively switching said transmission of said motive force by said transmission mechanism to move said diopter correcting lens in accordance with an external operation, wherein said lens driving mechanism comprises a motor and a cam plate which is provided with a cam to move said at least one of said lenses of said variable finder optical system in the optical axis direction, said cam plate being moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis by said motor, said transmission mechanism comprising a lever rotatably supported by a pivot shaft and which is provided with a first arm extending adjacent to a surface of said cam plate and a second arm connected to said diopter correcting lens, a friction member being provided on said first arm.

Claim 7

A diopter control apparatus in a camera having a variable finder optical system in which a zooming operation is achieved by varying a distance between at least two lenses, said diopter control apparatus comprising: a diopter correcting lens which is supported to move in an optical axis direction of said variable finder optical system to correct a diopter of said variable finder optical system; a lens driving mechanism which is driven to move at least one of said lenses of said variable finder optical system in said optical axis direction to perform said zooming operation; a transmission mechanism which transmits a motive force of said lens driving mechanism to said diopter correcting lens to move said diopter correcting lens in the optical axis direction; and switching means for selectively switching said transmission of said motive force by said transmission mechanism to move said diopter correcting lens in accordance with an external operation, wherein said lens driving mechanism comprises a motor and a cam plate which is provided with a cam to move said at least one of said lenses of said variable finder optical system in the optical axis direction, said cam plate being moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis by said motor, said transmission mechanism comprising a lever rotatably supported by a pivot shaft and which is provided with a first arm extending adjacent to a surface of said cam plate and a second arm connected to said diopter correcting lens, a friction member being provided on said first arm.

Claim 8

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said switching means moves said first arm away from or toward said cam plate to thereby selectively bring said friction member into contact with said cam plate, so that when said friction member is brought into contact with said cam plate by said switching means, said movement of said cam plate causes said lever to rotate to thereby move said diopter correcting lens in the optical axis direction.

Claim 9

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said switching means depresses said first arm at a position away from said pivot shaft to elastically deform said first arm to thereby bring said friction member provided on said first arm into contact with said cam plate.

Claim 10

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first arm is provided with an arched portion whose center of arc is located along an axis of said pivot shaft and which is depressed by said switching means.

Claim 11

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said switching means comprises a shaft portion which depresses said arched portion of said first arm, and an operating portion which is connected to one end of said shaft portion and which is located outside of said camera.

Claim 12

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising restricting means for restricting an angular displacement of said lever when said transmission of said movement of said cam plate to said lever is interrupted by said switching means.

Claim 13

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lens driving mechanism comprises a motor and a movable member which is moved in a predetermined direction by said motor and said transmission mechanism comprises converting means for transmitting movement of said movable member to said diopter correcting lens to move said diopter correcting lens in the optical axis direction.

Claim 14

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined direction a direction perpendicular to the optical axis.

Claim 15

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said movable member comprises a plate which is moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis by said motor.

Claim 16

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said diopter correcting lens comprises an eyepiece lens of said variable finder optical system.

Claim 17

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switching means comprises a switching button supported by said camera, said switching button being movable between an operative position that causes said motive force to be transmitted to said diopter correcting lens by said transmission mechanism, and an inoperative position at which said motive force is not transmitted to said diopter correcting lens by said transmission mechanism.

Claim 18

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said external operation comprises manual movement of said switching button to said operative position.

Claim 19

A diopter adjusting apparatus for a camera having a variable photographing optical system that is driven by a driving source to perform a zooming operation and a variable finder optical system that is driven in accordance with the zooming operation of said variable photographing optical system, said diopter adjusting apparatus comprising: a diopter correcting lens that corrects a diopter of said variable finder optical system; and a switching mechanism associated with said variable finder optical system and said diopter correcting lens, said switching mechanism being manually and selectively actuated between a first state, in which said diopter correcting lens is not driven by said driving source while said variable finder optical system is driven by said driving source, and a second state, in which said diopter correcting lens is driven together with said variable finder optical system by said driving source.

Claim 20

A diopter adjusting apparatus for a camera having a variable photographing optical system that is driven by a driving source to perform a zooming operation and a variable finder optical system that is driven in accordance with the zooming operation of said variable photographing optical system, said diopter adjusting apparatus comprising: a diopter correcting lens that corrects a diopter of said variable finder optical system; and a switching mechanism associated with said variable finder optical system and said diopter correcting lens, said switching mechanism being manually and selectively actuated between a first state, in which said diopter correcting lens is not driven by said driving source while said variable finder optical system is driven by said driving source, and a second state, in which said diopter correcting lens is driven together with said variable finder optical system by said driving source.

Claim 21

A diopter control apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said diopter correcting lens comprises an eyepiece lens of said variable finder optical system.

Claim 22

A camera, comprising: a variable finder optical system including a plurality of lenses, at least one of said lenses being driven by a driving source to vary a focal length of said variable finder optical system in accordance with operation of a zoom lever; and a diopter adjusting device for correcting a diopter of said variable finder optical system during a driving operation of said at least one of said lenses of said variable finder optical system, said diopter adjusting device transmitting a motive force of said driving source to move a diopter correcting lens to correct the diopter of said variable finder optical system, said diopter adjusting device comprising a switching member that is manually switchable to an operative position, whereby a diopter of said variable finder optical system is adjusted by said diopter adjusting device in response to manually switching said switching member to said operative position and operating said zoom lever, while said diopter adjusting device does not correct said diopter of said variable finder optical system during said driving operation when said switch member is in said inoperative position.

Claim 23

A camera, comprising: a variable finder optical system including a plurality of lenses, at least one of said lenses being driven by a driving source to vary a focal length of said variable finder optical system in accordance with operation of a zoom lever; and a diopter adjusting device for correcting a diopter of said variable finder optical system during a driving operation of said at least one of said lenses of said variable finder optical system, said diopter adjusting device transmitting a motive force of said driving source to move a diopter correcting lens to correct the diopter of said variable finder optical system, said diopter adjusting device comprising a switching member that is manually switchable to an operative position, whereby a diopter of said variable finder optical system is adjusted by said diopter adjusting device in response to manually switching said switching member to said operative position and operating said zoom lever, while said diopter adjusting device does not correct said diopter of said variable finder optical system during said driving operation when said switch member is in said inoperative position.

Claim 24

A camera according to claim 19, wherein said diopter correcting lens comprises an eyepiece lens of said variable finder optical system.