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US 4,286,853 AGranted
Microfiche camera having motor control system
AssigneePolaroid Corporation
InventorPhilip R. Norris
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-developing microfiche camera for exposing a plurality of micro-image areas arranged in rows and columns on a single card-like film unit. The camera includes a system for controlling operation of an electrical motor in an exposure cycle mode during which the motor drives a barrel cam through a rotational increment to operate the shutter and index the objective lens, and in a reset cycle mode during which the motor advances the barrel cam through as many rotational increments as necessary to return the lens and barrel cam to a predetermined starting position. A shutter latching device is provided to disenable shutter operation during each reset cycle.
Claims14
A camera for exposing a plurality of image areas on a single card-like film unit, said camera comprising:
- means for supporting such a film unit at a film plane for longitudinal movement;
- means for defining a laterally extending row of a plurality of image areas on a portion of the film unit supported at said film plane;
- an image forming lens;
- a carriage supporting said lens for incremental movement in linear passes along said row during which said lens is successively located in imaging relation with each of said image areas;
- a barrel cam advanceable in predetermined rotational increments for incrementally moving said lens, said barrel cam being configured to move said lens in one direction from a starting position to a terminal position during one linear pass and to move said lens in the opposite direction back to said starting position during the next linear pass;
- exposure means, including a shutter, operable for controlling the passage of image forming light through said lens to a corresponding one of said image areas;
- means on said barrel cam for normally operating said shutter each time said barrel cam is advanced through one of said rotational increments;
- film advancing means for incrementally advancing the film unit longitudinally after each linear pass to present the next portion of the film unit in registration with said image area defining means;
- means, including an energizable electrical motor, for rotatably driving said barrel cam;
- means for controlling operation of said motor, said motor control means being operable in an exposure cycle mode to effect advancement of said barrel cam through one rotational increment, and in a reset cycle mode to continuously advance said barrel to return said lens to said starting position;
- and
- means for disenabling operation of said shutter by said shutter operating means on said barrel cam during each reset cycle and for enabling such shutter operation during each exposure cycle.
9 more elements
A camera for exposing a plurality of image areas on a single card-like film unit, said camera comprising:
- means for supporting such a film unit at a film plane for longitudinal movement;
- means for defining a laterally extending row of a plurality of image areas on a portion of the film unit supported at said film plane;
- an image forming lens;
- a carriage supporting said lens for incremental movement in linear passes along said row during which said lens is successively located in imaging relation with each of said image areas;
- a barrel cam advanceable in predetermined rotational increments for incrementally moving said lens, said barrel cam being configured to move said lens in one direction from a starting position to a terminal position during one linear pass and to move said lens in the opposite direction back to said starting position during the next linear pass;
- exposure means operable in response to advancement of said barrel cam for controlling passage of image forming light through said lens to a corresponding one of said image areas to effect exposure thereof;
- film advancing means for incrementally advancing the film unit longitudinally after each linear pass to present the next portion of the film unit in registration with said image area defining means;
- means, including an energizable electrical motor, for rotatably driving said barrel cam;
- and
- means, including a motor control circuit, for controlling operation of said motor in both an exposure cycle and reset cycle mode, said control circuit including a first switching arrangement operable for energizing said motor to effect advancement of sad barrel cam through one rotational increment and a second switching arrangement operable in the reset cycle mode for energizing said motor to continuously advance said barrel cam through as many rotational increments as necessary to return said lens to said starting position and for transferring control of said motor to said first switching arrangement as said barrel cam is advanced through the last necessary rotational increment so that said first switching arrangement automatically deenergizes said motor to terminate barrel cam advancement at the end of said last rotational increment.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.