Driving force transmission mechanism

A camera having a driving force transmission mechanism, comprising:

• a single motor;
• a sun gear rotatable in a forward or a reverse direction by said motor;
• a planetary gear engaging said sun gear;
• a prohibiting means adapted to permit said planetary gear to revolve about said sun gear when said sun gear rotates in a first direction, and to prohibit said planetary gear from rotating when rotation of said motor is switched to an opposite direction;
• and
• a first transmitting gear for transmitting a driving force to a film winding mechanism when coupled to said planetary gear;
• a second transmitting gear for transmitting driving force to a film rewinding mechanism when coupled to said planetary gear;
• a third transmitting gear for transmitting a driving force to an automatic focusing mechanism when coupled to said planetary gear;
• a control means controlling said motor to select one of said first, second and third transmitting gears for engagement with said planetary gear when said sun gear rotates in said one direction in which said planetary gear revolves about said sun gear, and, thereafter, when said sun gear rotates in said opposite direction in which said planetary gear is prohibited from revolving, is adapted to transmit a driving force to said selected transmitting gear.

A method for operating a driving force transmission mechanism for controlling at least two different camera functions comprised of a planetary gear mechanism including a rotatable sun gear and a planetary gear rotatably mounted upon a wheel and engaging said sun gear and revolvable with said wheel about an orbit having a center of rotation coinciding with the center of rotation of said sun gear and being rotatable about a center of rotation of said planetary gear, a motor for rotating said sun gear, and at least two driven gears arranged at spaced intervals about said orbit for selective engagement with said planetary gear, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) operating said motor to rotate said sun gear in a first direction whereby said wheel causes said planetary gear to move along said orbit for sequential engagement with each of said driven gears;
• (b) halting said motor when said planetary gear is in engagement with a selected one of said driven gears;
• (c) rotating said motor in an opposite direction;
• (d) restraining said wheel from moving along said orbit responsive to rotation of said motor in said opposite direction thereby limiting said planetary gear to only rotation about its axis, said rotation of said planetary gear due to rotation of said sun gear being transferred to said selected one of said driven gears engaging said planetary gear to perform a selected one of the camera functions.

A method for operating a driving force transmission mechanism comprised of a planetary gear mechanism including a rotatable sun gear and a pair of planetary gears arranged at spaced intervals about the sun gear and engaging said sun gear and revolvable about a common orbit having a center of rotation coinciding with a center of rotation of said sun gear each planetary gear being rotatable about a center of rotation of each planetary gear, a motor for rotating said sun gear, and a plurality of driven gears arranged at spaced intervals about said orbit for selective engagement with either of said planetary gears, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) operating said motor to rotate said sun gear in a first direction whereby said planetary gears move along said orbit for sequential engagement with each of said driven gears;
• (b) halting said motor when one of said planetary gears is in engagement with a selected one of said driven gears;
• (c) rotating said motor in an opposite direction;
• (d) restraining said planetary gears from moving along said orbit responsive to rotation of said motor in said opposite direction thereby limiting said planetary gears to rotation about their central axes, said rotation of at least one of said planetary gears due to rotation of said sun gear being transferred to a selected driven gear engaging said at least one of said planetary gears.

A method for operating a force transmission mechanism comprised of first and second planetary gear arrangements each being comprised of a sun gear rotatable about a center axis and a planetary gear revolvable about an orbit whose central axis is common with the central axis of its associated sun gear;

• a driven gear selecting member positioned along the orbit of the planetary gear of said first planetary gar arrangement, the planetary gear of said second planetary gear arrangement also being positioned along the orbit of the planetary gear of said first planetary gear arrangement and cooperating with said driven gear for selective engagement with the first planetary gear;
• a plurality of driven gears arranged at spaced intervals along the orbit of said second planetary gear;
• a lever swingably mounted about a stationary pivot point and having a first end for moving said second planetary gear into engagement with a selected one of said plurality of driven gears, said lever having an elongated slot;
• a pin on said gear selecting member displaced from a center of rotation of said gear selecting member for slidably engaging said elongated slot in said lever, said method comprising the steps of:
• (a) operating the motor driving said first sun gear in a first direction to cause said first planetary gear to engage and rotate said gear selecting member whereupon said lever is swung about its pivot to move said second planetary gear into engagement with said selected one of said driven gears;
• (b) stopping said motor when the lever has moved the second planetary gear into engagement with the desired driven gear;
• (c) operating said motor to rotate said first sun gear in a second direction causing said first planetary gear to engage and rotate said second sun gear for transferring driving force to the selected driven gear engaging the second planetary gear.