Totally opened F. value information input system of lens for a camera with interchangeable lenses

A camera system comprising in combination:

• (A) a camera body, and
• (B) an interchangeable photo-taking lens assembly being mountable on said camera body by linear operation substantially parallel to an optical axis thereof, said linear operation being without rotating motion of the taking lens,
• said camera body comprising:
• a lens mount portion for mounting said taking lens assembly, lens mounting means adapted for fixedly securing the taking lens assembly to the camera body, exposure operation circuit means for operating exposure values of the camera system, and means for receiving a coded mechanical digital information of said n bits corresponding to the full open F value of the taking lens assembly and for converting said mechanical digital information into the coded electrical digital information of said n bits, said receiving and converting means being fixedly disposed at said lens mount portion of the camera body and having n switch members so as to provide the full open F value information of the taking lens assembly as the coded electrical digital information of said n bits when actuated by mechanical means for providing said full open F value information as the coded mechanical digital information of said n bits, said electrical digital information being supplied to said circuit means;
• and
• said taking lens assembly comprising:
• a non-rotatable portion for being coupled with said lens mount portion of the camera body, a clamping means rotatable with respect to said non-rotatable portion, said clamping means being engageable with said lens mounting means of the camera body to secure fixedly the taking lens assembly to the camera body, said taking lens assembly being fixedly attachable to the camera body by rotating said clamping means with respect to said non-rotatable portion and engaging the same with said lens mounting means of the camera body at a state wherein the non-rotatable portion is coupled with said lens mount portion of the camera body by a linear operation substantially parallel to an optical axis of the lens assembly with no rotational motion, and mechanical means for providing the full open F value information of the taking lens assembly to said receiving and converting means as the coded mechanical digital information of said n bits, said mechanical providing means being fixedly disposed on said non-rotatable portion of the taking lens assembly and having K mechanical signal members, wherein K represents an integer from 0 to n, to determine the ON-OFF condition of each of said n switch members on the camera body side according to said full open F value of the taking lens assembly, said mechanical signal members having n setting positions each respectively corresponding to each of said n switch members on the camera body side and being able to provide 2.sup.n different mechanical digital information by combination of said respective number (K) of the signal members being disposed and their positions, and being adapted to actuate said switch members according to the full open F value of the taking lens assembly when the taking lens is attached to the camera body;
• whereby the full open F value information of the taking lens assembly is provided to the camera body as coded electrical digital information of n bits through the actuation of said receiving and converting means on the camera body side by said providing means on the taking lens assembly side at the time of attaching of the taking lens assembly to the camera body.

An interchangeable photo-taking lens for use with a camera body,

• said camera body comprising:
• a lens mount portion for mounting said taking lens assembly,
• lens mounting means adapted for fixedly securing the taking lens assembly to the camera body, and
• means for receiving a coded mechanical digital information of said n bits corresponding to the full open F value of the taking lens assembly and for converting said mechanical digital information into the coded electrical digital information of said n bits, said receiving and converting means being fixedly disposed at said lens mount portion of the camera body and having n switch members so as to provide the full open F value information of the taking lens assembly as the coded electrical digital information of said n bits when actuated by mechanical means for providing said full open F value information as the coded mechanical digital information of said n bits,
• said taking lens assembly comprising:
• a non-rotatable portion for being coupled with said lens mounting portion of the camera body, a clamping means rotatable with respect to said non-rotatable portion, said clamping means being engageable with said lens mounting means of the camera body to secure fixedly the taking lens assembly to the camera body, said taking lens assembly being fixedly attachable to the camera body by rotating said clamping means with respect to said non-rotatable portion and engaging the same with said lens mounting means of the camera body at a state wherein the non-rotatable portion is coupled with said lens mount portion of the camera body by a linear operation substantially parallel to an optical axis of the lens assembly with no rotational motion, and mechanical means for providing the full open F value information of the taking lens assembly to said receiving and converting means as the coded mechanical digital information of said n bits, said mechanical providing means being fixedly disposed on said non-rotatable portion and including K mechanical signal members, wherein K represents an integer from 0 to n, to determine the ON-OFF condition of each of said n switch members on the camera body side according to said full open F value of the taking lens assembly, said mechanical signal members having n setting portions on the camera body side and being able to provide 2.sup.n different mechanical digital information by combination of said respective number (K) of the signal members being provided and their positions, and being fixedly adapted to actuate said switch members according to the full open F value of the taking lens assembly when the taking lens assembly is attached to the camera body.

An interchangeable photo-taking lens assembly for use with a camera body,

• said camera body comprising:
• a lens mount portion for mounting said taking lens assembly,
• lens mounting means adapted for fixedly securing the taking lens assembly to the camera body,
• exposure operation circuit means for operating exposure values, and
• means for receiving a coded mechanical digital information of said n bits corresponding to the full open F value of the taking lens assembly and for converting said mechanical digital information into the coded electrical digital information of said n bits, said receiving and converting means being fixedly disposed at said lens mount portion of the camera body and having n switch members so as to provide the full open F value information of the taking lens assembly as the coded electrical digital information of said n bits when actuated by mechanical means for providing said full open F value information as the coded mechanical digital information of said n bits;
• said taking lens assembly comprising:
• a non-rotatable portion for being coupled with said lens mounting portion of the camera body, a clamping means rotatable with respect to said non-rotatable portion, said clamping means being engageable with said lens mounting means of the camera body to secure fixedly the taking lens assembly to the camera body, said taking lens assembly being fixedly attachable to the camera body by rotating said clamping means with respect to said non-rotatable portion and engaging the same with said lens mounting means of the camera body at a state wherein the non-rotatable portion is coupled with said lens mount portion of the camera body by a linear operation substantially parallel to an optical axis of the lens assembly with no rotational motion;
• and
• mechanical means for providing the full open F value information of the taking lens assembly to said receiving and converting means as the coded mechanical digital information of said n bits, said mechanical providing means being fixedly disposed on said non-rotatable portion of the taking lens assembly and including K mechanical signal members, wherein K represents an integer from 0 to n, to determine the ON-OFF condition of each of said n switch members on the camera body side according to said full open F value of the taking lens assembly, said mechanical signal members having n setting positions and being able to provide 2.sup.n different mechanical digital information by combination of said respective number (K) of the signal members being provided and their positions, and being adapted to actuate said switch members according to the full open F value of the taking lens assembly when taking the lens assembly is attached to the camera body.

In a camera system comprising a camera body and an interchangeable photo-taking lens assembly, said camera body having a lens mount portion for mounting said taking lens assembly and lens mounting means adapted here for fixedly securing taking lens assembly to the camera body, and said taking lens assembly having a non-rotatable portion for being coupled with said lens mount portion of the camera body, a clamping means rotatable with respect to said non-rotatable portion, said clamping means being engageable with said lens mounting means to secure the taking lens assembly fixedly to the camera body, and said taking lens assembly being fixedly attachable to the camera body by rotating said clamping means with respect to said non-rotatable portion and engaging the same with said lens mounting means of the camera body at a state wherein the non-rotatable portion is coupled with said lens mount portion of the camera body by a linear operation substantially parallel to an optical axis of the lens assembly with no rotational motion;

• a system for providing a fixed specific information of the taking lens assembly to the camera body as a coded electrical digital information of n bits, said system comprising:
• means for receiving a coded mechanical digital information of said n bits corresponding to a fixed specific information of the taking lens assembly and for converting said mechanical digital information into the coded electrical digital information of said n bits, said receiving and converting means means being fixedly disposed at said lens mount portion of the camera body and having n switch members so as to provide a fixed specific information of the taking lens assembly as the coded electrical digital information of said n bits when actuated by mechanical means for providing said fixed specific information as the coded mechanical digital information of said n bits;
• and
• mechanical means for providing a fixed specific information of the taking lens assembly to said receiving and converting means as the coded mechanical digital information of said n bits, said mechanical providing means being fixedly disposed on said non-rotatable portion of the taking lens assembly and having K mechanical signal members, wherein K represents an integer from 0 to n, to determine the ON-OFF condition of each of said n switch members on the camera body side according to said fixed specific information of the taking lens assembly, said mechanical signal members having n setting positions each respectively corresponding to each of said n switch members on the camra body side and being able to provide 2.sup.n different mechanical digital information by combination of said respective number (K) of the signal members being disposed and their positions, and being adapted to actuate said switch members according to a fixed specific information of the taking lens assembly when the taking lens assembly is attached to the camera body;
• whereby a fixed specific information of the taking lens assembly is provided to the camera body as coded electrical digital information of n bits through the actuation of said receiving and converting means on the camera body side by said providing means on the taking lens assembly side at the time of attaching of the taking lens assembly to the camera body.