Blade operating device and blade operating method
AssigneeNidec Copal Corporation
InventorsKenzo Imai, Nobuaki Watanabe, Daisuke Kakemizu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A technique prevents leakage of private images and/or images unintended by a user from an imaging device connected to a network, without a troublesome manual operation of opening and closing a cover. A blade operating device includes a blade that opens and closes an optical path of an imaging device connectable to a network, a blade driver that opens and closes the blade, and a controller that controls the blade driver. The controller controls the blade driver to close the blade when the imaging device is turned off.
Claims17
A blade operating device, comprising:
- a blade configured to open and close an optical path of an imaging device connectable to a network;
- a single spring configured to retain the blade in an open position and in a closed position;
- a blade driver configured to open and close the blade;
- and
- a controller configured to control the blade driver,
- wherein the controller controls the blade driver to close the blade when the imaging device is turned off,
- wherein the blade driver includes:
- a motor drivable in response to a signal from the controller, and
- a slide mechanism slidable to slide the blade in response to rotation of the motor, wherein the slide mechanism further includes:
- a gear train rotatable by the motor, and a slide gear member slidable in mesh with a rotating gear in the gear train, wherein
- the slide gear member is urged by the single spring in a direction of a closing operation of the blade when the motor is nonenergized, and the slide gear member is urged by the single spring in a direction of an opening operation of the blade when the slide gear member is slid away by a predetermined distance from a position of an end of the slide gear member at which the blade is closed;
- and
- a spring attachment member attached to the slide gear member, wherein a first end of the single spring is attached to the spring attachment member, and
- a gear support configured to support the gear train, wherein a second end of the single spring, opposite the first end, is attached to the gear support.
A blade operating method for opening and closing a blade for opening and closing an optical path of an imaging device connectable to a network, the method comprising:
- closing the blade when the imaging device is turned off, wherein a single spring retains the blade in an open position and in a closed position, and closing the blade includes:
- selectively rotating a motor, and
- sliding a slide mechanism to slide the blade in response to rotation of the motor, wherein the slide mechanism further includes a gear train, supported by a gear support, rotatable by the motor, and a slide gear member slidable in mesh with a rotating gear in the gear train, wherein a first end of the single spring is attached to a spring attachment member which is attached to the slide gear member, and a second end of the single spring, opposite the first end, is attached to the gear support, wherein
- urging, by the single spring, in a direction of a closing operation of the blade when the motor is nonenergized, and
- urging, by the single spring, in a direction of an opening operation of the blade when the slide gear member is slid away by a predetermined distance from a position of an end of the slide gear member at which the blade is closed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.