Camera with motorized film advancement
AssigneeFoster Assets Group
InventorYet Chan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A camera (2) has a main body (4) defining a pair of film chambers on opposite sides of an exposure opening (18) comprising a first chamber (14) for receiving a film cassette having a central spool to which film is secured and a second chamber (16) for receiving a second film container into which film is pre-wound prior to use, a drive shaft having an end which extends into the first chamber (14) for engaging the spool, an electric motor (30) disposed between the chambers operably connected to the drive shaft to drive the shaft in one direction, and a shutter mechanism with a shutter release assembly operably connected to the motor control.
Claims14
A camera comprising:
- a main body defining a pair of film chambers on opposite sides of an exposure opening comprising a first chamber for receiving a film cassette having a central spool to which film is secured and a second chamber for receiving a second film container into which film is pre-wound prior to use,
- a drive shaft having an end which extends into the first chamber for engaging the spool,
- a shutter mechanism including a movable shutter blade,
- a shutter release assembly having a user-accessible shutter button and shutter release lever having a primed position from which depression of the shutter button acts to cause shutter release lever to strike the shutter blade and moving to a discharged position, the shutter button being depressible against the action of resilient means,
- a motorized film advance assembly comprising a motor operatively connected to the drive shaft to drive the drive shaft in one direction and activated on closing of a contact pair,
- wherein the contact pair comprises a first spring contact acted on by said shutter button and a second spring contact bent away from the first spring contact and maintained spaced therefrom by the shutter release lever in the primed position, the first spring contact being bendable away from the second spring contact through depression of the shutter button and returning through its resilience, the shutter button also acting to displace the shutter release lever to the discharged position whereby the second spring contact moves towards the first, spring contact, the spring contacts touching after depression and subsequent release of the shutter button, activating the film advance motor.
A camera comprising a main body defining a pair of film chambers on opposite sides of an exposure opening comprising a first chamber for receiving a film cassette having a central spool to which film is secured and a second chamber for containing film pre-wound therein prior to use, and a rear cover removable from the main body to expose the film chambers, and rotatably mounted film counter operably connected to drive means which, in use, engage the film whereby the film counter is rotatably driven on film advancement, the film counter comprising a circular member with peripheral teeth and including a spring to urge the film counter towards a re-set position, the film advancement rotating the film counter against the action of the spring, and wherein ratchet means engage the film counter to ensure its rotation in one direction only on film advancement, the ratchet means comprising a resilient member extending from the rear cover and urged against the counter wheel, whereby on opening of the rear cover the ratchet means is disengaged allowing a counter wheel to rotate under the action of its spring to its re-set position.
A camera comprising:
- a main body defining a pair of film chambers on opposite sides of an exposure opening comprising a first chamber for receiving a film cassette having a central spool to which film is secured and a second chamber for receiving a second film container into which film is pre-wound prior to use,
- a drive shaft having an end which extends into the first chamber for engaging the spool,
- an electric motor operably connected to the drive shaft to drive the drive shaft in one direction,
- a shutter mechanism including a movable shutter blade,
- a shutter release assembly having a user-accessible shutter button which acts on a shutter release lever which in turn acts on the shutter blade, and having a primed position wherein depression of the shutter button activates the shutter and a discharged position,
- motor control switch means comprising first and second spring contacts, the second contact overlying the first spring contact and being spaced therefrom in the primed position, the shutter release lever being arranged to be depressible through the action of the shutter button against the action of a return spring, and to return to an upward position on return to the primed position, the shutter button also acting on the first spring contact to depress this on depression of the shutter button, and the second spring contact being downwardly biased and abutting the shutter release lever in the primed position, whereby electrical contact is made after depression and subsequent release of the shutter button.
A camera comprising:
- a main body defining a pair of film chambers on opposite sides of an exposure opening comprising a first chamber for receiving a film cassette having a central spool to which film is secured and a second chamber for receiving a second film container into which film is pre-wound prior to use;
- a drive shaft having an end which extends into the first chamber for engaging the spool;
- a shutter mechanism with a movable shutter blade;
- a shutter release assembly having a user accessible shutter button and shutter release lever, the shutter release lever being mounted for both pivoting movement wherein an end of the lever strikes the shutter blade, and displacement in a direction generally parallel to the axis of pivoting on movement from a primed to discharged position, the shutter button being depressible against the action of resilient means;
- a motorized film advance assembly comprising a motor operatively connected to the drive shaft to drive the drive shaft in one direction and activated on closing of a contact pair;
- wherein the contact pair comprises a first spring contact acted on by said shutter button and a second spring contact which overlies the first spring contact bent away from the first spring contact and maintained spaced therefrom by the shutter release lever in the primed position, the first spring contact being bendable away from the second spring contact through depression of the shutter button, the shutter button also acting to displace the shutter release lever to the discharged position whereby the second spring contact moves towards the first, spring contact, the spring contacts touching after depression and subsequent release of the shutter button, activating the film advance motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.