Deployment apparatus for cameras and other hand-held devices and deployment method

A camera having a deployable lens barrel, said camera comprising:

• a body;
• a deployable lens barrel mounted to said body and being movable between opposed undeployed and deployed positions;
• a drive unit disposed within said body, said drive unit engaging said lens barrel and being reversibly pivotable about a drive axis from a first end orientation, through a first range of intermediate orientations, then through a second range of intermediate orientations, to a second end orientation;
• an actuator mounted to said body, said actuator being manually switchable in a forward stroke from a primary position to a secondary position and being manually switchable in a rearward stroke from said secondary position to said primary position, said actuator at said forward stroke pivoting said drive unit from said first end orientation to an intermediate orientation in said second range, said actuator at said rearward stroke pivoting said drive unit from said second end orientation to an intermediate orientation in said first range;
• and
• a drive over-center mechanism biasing said drive unit to pivot from said intermediate orientations in said second range toward said second end orientation and from said intermediate orientations in said first range toward said first end orientation.

A hand-held device having a deployable component, said device comprising:

• a body;
• a deployable component mounted to said body, said deployable component being movable between opposed undeployed and deployed positions;
• a drive unit disposed within said body, said drive unit engaging said deployable component and being reversibly pivotable about a drive axis from a first end orientation, through a first range of intermediate orientations, then through a second range of intermediate orientations, to a second end orientation, said drive unit having a drive disk engaging said deployable component and having opposed first and second stops joined to said drive disk;
• an actuator mounted to said body, said actuator being manually switchable in a forward stroke from a primary position to a secondary position and being manually switchable in a rearward stroke from said secondary position to said primary position, said actuator at said forward stroke pivoting said drive unit from said first end orientation to an intermediate orientation in said second range, said actuator at said rearward stroke pivoting said drive unit from said second end orientation to an intermediate orientation in said first range;
• said actuator having grip disposed external to said body and a rib spaced from said grip, said rib having a first face engaging said first stop in said first end orientation and a second face engaging said second stop in said second end orientation and
• a drive over-center mechanism biasing said drive unit to pivot from said intermediate orientations in said second range toward said second end orientation and from said intermediate orientations in said first range toward said first end orientation.

A hand-held device having a deployable component, said device comprising:

• a body;
• a deployable component mounted to said body, said deployable component being movable between opposed undeployed and deployed positions;
• a drive unit disposed within said body, said drive unit engaging said deployable component and being reversibly pivotable about a drive axis from a first end orientation, through a first range of intermediate orientations, then through a second range of intermediate orientations, to a second end orientation;
• an actuator mounted to said body, said actuator being manually switchable in a forward stroke from a primary position to a secondary position and being manually switchable in a rearward stroke from said secondary position to said primary position, said actuator at said forward stroke pivoting said drive unit from said first end orientation to an intermediate orientation in said second range, said actuator at said rearward stroke pivoting said drive unit from said second end orientation to an intermediate orientation in said first range;
• an actuator over-center mechanism biasing said actuator toward said primary position and said secondary position, in alternation, and away from a plurality of middle positions between said primary and secondary positions;
• and
• a drive over-center mechanism biasing said drive unit to pivot from said intermediate orientations in said second range toward said second end orientation and from said intermediate orientations in said first range toward said first end orientation.

A hand-held device comprising:

• a body;
• a deployable component mounted to said body, said deployable component being movable between opposed first and second positions relative to an axis of movement extending through said body, said deployable component having a toothed segment;
• a drive unit disposed within said body, said drive unit being pivotable about a drive axis, said drive unit having a drive disk engaging said deployable component, said drive unit having spaced apart first and second stops joined to said drive disk, said drive unit being reversibly pivotable about said drive axis from a first end orientation, through first and second ranges of intermediate orientations, to a second end orientation;
• an actuator mounted to said body, said actuator selectively moving between primary and secondary positions, said actuator having a rib aligned with said stops, said rib having opposed first and second rib faces, said first rib face engaging said first stop during said moving of said actuator from said primary position to said secondary position, said second rib face engaging said second stop during said moving of said actuator from said secondary position to said primary position;
• a drive over-center mechanism biasing said drive unit to pivot from said intermediate orientations in said second range to said second end orientation and from said intermediate orientations in said first range to said first end orientation.

A method for positioning a deployable component comprising the steps of:

• accepting manual movement of an actuator from a primary position to a secondary position;
• responsive to said movement from said primary to said secondary position, pivoting a drive unit from a first end orientation to one of a second range of intermediate orientations, said drive unit being pivotable from said first end orientation, through a first range and then said second range of intermediate orientations, to a second end orientation;
• then, resiliently pivoting said drive unit from said one of said second range of intermediate orientations to said second end orientation, said resiliently pivoting step including releasing energy stored in a first over-center mechanism;
• charging said first over-center mechanism during said movement of said actuator;
• and
• moving said deployable component with said drive unit, during said pivoting steps.

A deployment apparatus comprising:

• a drive unit being reversibly pivotable about a drive axis from a first end orientation, through a first range of intermediate orientations, then through a second range of intermediate orientations, to a second end orientation;
• an actuator mounted to said body, said actuator being manually switchable, in a forward stroke from a primary position to a secondary position, and, in a rearward stroke from said secondary position to said primary position, said actuator at said forward stroke pivoting said drive unit from said first end orientation to an intermediate orientation in said second range, said actuator at said rearward stroke pivoting said drive unit from said second end orientation to an intermediate orientation in said first range;
• a drive over-center mechanism biasing said drive unit to pivot from said intermediate orientations in said second range toward said second end orientation and from said intermediate orientations in said first range toward said first end orientation;
• and
• an actuator over-center mechanism biasing said actuator toward said primary position and said secondary position, in alternation, and away from a plurality of middle positions between said primary and secondary positions.