US 12,604,078 B2Granted

Camera

AssigneesNidec Precision Corporation, FUJIFILM Corporation

InventorsKoichi Hirabayashi, Hisashi Tasaka

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A camera includes a counter rotatable about a support shaft, a spring that urges the counter in a first rotation direction, a rotary member and a drive cam that rotate the counter in a direction opposite to the first rotation direction, a stopper rotatable about the support shaft, and a spring that urges the stopper in a second rotation direction. The counter includes an outer circumferential surface that changes an indication in a circumferential direction, and a first engagement portion including a plurality of projections. The stopper includes contact tabs that receive a force acting in a direction opposite to the second rotation direction from at least one of a film pack or a door, and an engagement tab engageable with one of the projections on the first engagement portion on the counter to restrict rotation of the counter in the first rotation direction.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A camera, comprising:

a housing including a door to open and close an opening for placing and removing a photographic film pack to be loaded inside;
a frame accommodated in the housing;
a counter rotatable about a first support shaft on the frame, the counter including a display surface configured to change an indication in a circumferential direction, and
a first engagement portion including a plurality of first projections aligned in the circumferential direction;
a first urging member configured to urge the counter in a first rotation direction about the first support shaft;
a drive configured to rotate the counter in a direction opposite to the first rotation direction;
a stopper rotatable about a second support shaft on the frame;
and
a second urging member configured to urge the stopper in a second rotation direction about the second support shaft,
the stopper including
a force receiver configured to receive a force acting in a direction opposite to the second rotation direction from at least one of the photographic film pack loaded inside the housing or the door closing the opening, and
an engagement tab engageable with one of the plurality of first projections on the first engagement portion on the counter under a force received by the force receiver to restrict rotation of the counter in the first rotation direction,
the force receiver includes:
a first contactor pushable by the photographic film pack in a first direction, wherein the first contactor extends from a connection portion in a second direction to contact the photographic film pack, and the first contactor comprises a surface parallel to the photographic film pack, and
a second contactor pushable by the door in the first direction, wherein the second contactor extends from an arm portion in the second direction to contact the door, and the second contactor comprises a surface parallel to the door, and
the one of the plurality of first projections is configured to force the engagement tab in the first direction.

13 more elements

A camera, comprising:

a housing including a door to open and close an opening for placing and removing a photographic film pack to be loaded inside;
a frame accommodated in the housing;
a counter rotatable about a first support shaft on the frame, the counter including a display surface configured to change an indication in a circumferential direction, and
a first engagement portion including a plurality of first projections aligned in the circumferential direction;
a first urging member configured to urge the counter in a first rotation direction about the first support shaft;
a drive configured to rotate the counter in a direction opposite to the first rotation direction;
a stopper rotatable about a second support shaft on the frame;
and
a second urging member configured to urge the stopper in a second rotation direction about the second support shaft,
the stopper including
a force receiver configured to receive a force acting in a direction opposite to the second rotation direction from at least one of the photographic film pack loaded inside the housing or the door closing the opening, and
an engagement tab engageable with one of the plurality of first projections on the first engagement portion on the counter under a force received by the force receiver to restrict rotation of the counter in the first rotation direction, wherein
the counter further includes a second engagement portion including a plurality of second projections aligned in the circumferential direction, and
the drive includes
a rotary member rotatable about a third support shaft on the frame, and including a drive gear extending in a circumferential direction, and
a drive cam rotatable about a fourth support shaft on the frame, the dive cam including
a gear portion meshing with the drive gear in the rotary member, and
a cam portion engageable with the second engagement portion on the counter to rotate the counter in the direction opposite to the first rotation direction.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/439,674Filed 12 Feb 2024
Priority: JP 2023-02195815 Feb 2023
Published: US 2024/0276092 A115 Aug 2024
Granted: 14 Apr 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G03B 1/00
Film strip handling
H04N 23/60
Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof: control of cameras or camera modules
G03B 17/36
Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor: counting number of exposures
G03B 17/42
Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor: interlocking between shutter operation and advance of film or change of plate or cut-film