Interchangeable lens assembly for a camera

An interchangeable lens assembly for a camera including an exposure control mechanism, a driving signal member and an exposure control signal transmitting member comprising:

• coupling means adapted to engage complementary coupling means on said camera for mounting said lens assembly on said camera;
• diaphragm means for controlling the quantity of light passing through said lens assembly;
• driving signal transmitting means including position changing means for changing the relative positions between said driving signal transmitting means and said driving signal member;
• and
• exposure control signal transmitting means disposed to operatively connect with said exposure control signal transmitting member, said exposure control signal transmitting means operating to transmit an exposure control signal between said lens assembly and said exposure control mechanism.

An interchangeable lens assembly for a camera comprising:

• a diaphragm mechanism;
• an aperture value signal transmitting member adapted to transmit aperture value signals between said lens assembly and said camera for controlling said diaphragm mechanism, said aperture value signal transmitting member being adapted to extend from said lens assembly into said camera into operative engagement with an aperture value control member in said camera;
• a diaphragm drive transmission member adapted to extend from said lens assembly into said camera into operative engagement with a diaphragm driving member in said camera to transmit a diaphragm actuating force from said camera to said diaphragm mechanism;
• and
• means on at least one of said aperture value signal transmitting member and said diaphragm drive transmitting member operative to enable said one member to have the end thereof extending into said camera retracted away from said camera when said lens assembly is being mounted on said camera in order thereby to avoid interference with the movement of said one member during mounting of said lens assembly, said one member being spring biased in a direction away from said retracted position.

An interchangeable lens assembly for a camera including an exposure control mechanism and driving signal transmitting means comprising:

• coupling means adapted to engage complementary coupling means on said camera for mounting said lens assembly on said camera;
• exposure control means for determining the quantity of exposure light passing through said lens assembly;
• position defining means operative in cooperation with complementary position defining means on said camera for restraining said lens assembly from rotational movement relative to said camera during mounting and dismounting thereof, said lens assembly including a reference surface brought into engagement with a complementary surface on said camera during mounting of said lens assembly, with said position defining means having a head portion thereof arranged to protrude from said reference surface of said lens assembly and into engagement with said complementary position defining means on said camera;
• and exposure control mode changing means for changing the operating mode of said lens assembly between an automatic exposure control mode and a manual exposure control mode, said exposure control mode changing means having a head portion, said head portion operating to protrude from said reference surface for transmitting a control mode change signal to said camera, said head portion of said control mode changing means being operated by said operation means, said exposure control mode changing means further comprising contraction means for contracting said head portion of said control mode changing means by said operation means.

An interchangeable lens assembly for a camera including an exposure control mechanism, driving signal transmitting means and exposure signal transmitting means comprising:

• coupling means adapted to engage complementary coupling means on said camera for mounting said lens assembly on said camera;
• exposure control means for determining the quantity of exposure light passing through said lens assembly;
• first signal transmitting means for transmitting a driving signal from said camera to said lens assembly;
• second signal transmitting means for transmitting exposure control signals between said lens assembly and said camera;
• position defining means including a position defining member for locking said lens assembly in position on said camera, said position defining means being urged in the direction of the optical axis of said lens assembly by an urging member and having an unlocking operation member for releasing said lens assembly;
• and
• exposure control mode changing means for changing the operating mode of said lens assembly between an automatic exposure control mode and a manual exposure control mode, said exposure control mode changing means having a transmitting member for transmitting a control mode change signal between said lens assembly and said camera, said exposure control mode changing means including contraction means for contracting said transmission member.

An interchangeable lens assembly for a camera comprising:

• coupling means adapted to engage complementary coupling means on said camera for mounting said lens assembly on said camera;
• exposure control mode changing means for changing the operation mode of said lens assembly between an automatic exposure control mode and a manual exposure control mode, said exposure control changing means having a transmitting member, said transmitting member operating to protrude from a reference surface of said lens assembly for transmitting a control mode change signal to said camera;
• position defining means operative in cooperation with complementary position defining means on said camera for restraining said lens assembly from rotational movement relative to said camera during mounting thereof, with said position defining means having a head portion thereof arranged to protrude from said reference surface of said lens assembly and into engagement with said complementary position defining means on said camera;
• and
• operation means to draw said head portion and said transmitting member back away from protrusion from said reference surface.