Abstract: A light-shielding blade material is provided that contributes to increased focal plane shutter speeds. A focal plane shutter has a front blade group and a rear blade group, each being composed of a plurality of light-shielding blades. At least one of these light-shielding blades is made of a Be—Al alloy material containing 40% by weight or more of Be, and has a thickness of 40 to 150 microns. This light-shielding blade is light in weight and high in stiffness, thereby significantly contributing the increased focal plane shutter speeds.

Abstract: A motor with a lead screw is provided with a pre-load generating member for canceling backlash in the axial direction, and the lead screw formed with a feed screw groove portion serves as the output shaft of the motor. The pre-load generating mechanism is constituted by a blind hole, a biasing member, and a movable member. The blind hole is formed concentrically in one end of the lead screw. The biasing member is inserted in the blind hole and has a stroke sufficient to generate a biasing force. The movable member is inserted in the blind hole next to the biasing member to receive the biasing force, and is held to be movable in the axial direction in the blind hole. Hence, the motor with a lead screw can be made short in the axial direction. The biasing member is set to have a sufficiently long stroke so that the stability of the pre-load generating member is maintained high, thereby eliminating backlash in the axial direction.

Abstract: A mechanism prevents uneven take-up of a tape on a take-up reel. This mechanism includes a roller guide having a first flange for guiding a first edge of the tape so as to position the tape in a direction perpendicular to a transport direction of the tape, and an arm roller which pushes against a part in a vicinity of a second edge of the tape which is taken up on the take-up reel, where the second edge is opposite to the first edge.

Abstract: A light-shielding blade for use in cameras utilizes a film of para-type aromatic polyamide for its base material. The light-shielding blade has a single-layer structure using an aramid film as its blade material. The film is added with carbon black at a ratio of 2 to 10 percent by weight relative to a total weight of the blade material. Alternatively, the light-shielding blade has a laminated structure with a plurality of aramid films stacked each other and having a thickness of 2 to 30 microns each, a total thickness being set to a range of 50 to 200 microns.

Abstract: A photographic developing/printing apparatus has analog and digital exposure units arranged midway along the convey path for printing paper to obtain a silver halide photographs upon analog exposure and digital exposure.

Abstract: A disk apparatus in which the thickness is suppressed. A recording/reproducing medium containing a disk rotatably in a hard case is moved substantially in a horizontal direction through an opening of the base of the disk apparatus for insertion and ejection operations of the recording/reproducing medium and recording/reproducing operation.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide an inexpensive and high-quality fluid bearing which improves the workability in assembly or coupling of a shaft and a rotator. In order to achieve this object, a fluid bearing according to the invention includes a rotating shaft, a bearing member for rotatably supporting the rotating shaft, and first and second fluid film formation mechanisms arranged at positions near a central portion of the rotating shaft along its longitudinal direction. The first fluid film formation mechanism forms a fluid film between the rotating shaft and the bearing member while the rotating shaft rotates in a first direction. The second fluid film formation mechanism forms a fluid film between the rotating shaft and the bearing member while the rotating shaft rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Abstract: A plurality of sign display units are arranged adjacent to each other along at least one surface in order to form a convex or concave arc curved surface curved with a predetermined radius. In each sign display unit, light-emitting elements are arranged in a dot matrix so as to be able to display a kanji character, a high-quality alpha-numeric character close to a printing type, or an image, thus displaying desired sign information. The sign display unit provides good readability while its visual field angle is increased without degrading the display quality.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a surface emission apparatus for causing light, emitting from a light source arranged to a side of a light-emitting surface thereof, to emerge from the light-emitting surface. The surface emission apparatus includes a transparent light-guide plate in which reflecting shape portions formed with small projecting or concaving portions are arranged on its bottom surface portion opposing the light-emitting surface such that a density of the projecting or concaving portions is gradually increased in accordance with a distance from the light source. Light incident from the light source is reflected by the reflecting shape portions and emerges from the light-emitting surface. Since light emerging from the light source is reflected toward the light-emitting surface in accordance with the density of the reflecting shape portions, uniform light emission can be obtained throughout the entire light-emitting surface.

Abstract: A disk apparatus in which the thickness is suppressed. A recording/reproducing medium containing a disk rotatably in a hard case is moved substantially in a horizontal direction through an opening of the base of the disk apparatus for insertion and ejection operations of the recording/reproducing medium and recording/reproducing operation.

Abstract: An absolute encoder is provided with a movable member, which may be a disc, a photodetector and a processing circuit. The movable member has a plurality of tracks T arranged from higher to lower orders, each track having a bright and dark pattern. The photodetectors A1-A4 receive a light through the bright and dark patterns to output triangular detection signals A1-A4 associated with the track T. The processing circuit processes the detection signals A1-A4 to produce bit signals P1-P3 which indicate a position of the movable member. The processing circuit is provided with an input unit 1, a comparator unit 2 and a logic unit 3. The input unit 1 receives the detection signals A1-A4 for producing a plurality of triangular wave signals having the same period but different phases. The comparator unit 2 comparatively processes the triangular wave signals with each other to produce a plurality of rectangular wave signals having different phases.

Abstract: In a film feeder for use in an automatic developing machine, a cutter control circuit actuates a cutter using electrical energy from a utility power source and electrical energy stored in a capacitor if a film end sensor detects the tail end of a film during normal feeding conditions. In the event that the film end sensor detects the tail end of the film in the event of a power failure, the cutter control circuit actuates the cutter using the electrical energy stored in the capacitor. This makes it possible to actuate the cutter even in the event of a power failure as well as to reduce the capacitance of the utility power source to a small level.

Abstract: A position sensor for detecting a position by comparing a detected level with a threshold level. This operation is performed without being affected by the characteristics intrinsic to the used sensor means or by power supply variations. Furthermore, the operation is not varied even if the sensor means ages. The sensor means is caused to shift from a first operating state to an unoperated state and then to a second operating state according to operation of an object whose position should be detected. The level of the output from the sensor means is compared with a threshold level. Thus, the timing at which the sensor means shifts from the unoperated state to the second operating state is detected. The output level detected when the sensor means is in the first state is stored in a capacitor and divided by resistors to obtain the threshold level.

Abstract: The optical displacement detecting device utilizes an encoder plate 2 mounted displaceably along a given first plane and having thereon a periodic slit pattern 1. A light source 4 is disposed behind the encoder plate 2 to illuminate the slit pattern 1 to form a primary fringe image 3 shifting along the first plane. A lens member 6 is utilized to project the primary fringe image 3 by a given magnification to form a secondary enlarged fringe image 5 shifting along a given second plane. A light receiving unit 8 is fixed in the secondary plane to optically detect the shifting secondary enlarged fringe image 5 through a periodic mask pattern to thereby output an electric signal 7 indicative of a displacement of the encoder plate 2.

Abstract: An annular resistor member having two non-contact ends is overlaid and adhered on the surface of a base, and a rotational shaft located at the central portion of the resistor member is pivotally axially supported via a bearing. A bent electrode arm is fitted on the rotational shaft, and is connected to an output terminal via the rotational shaft or a connection means. A movable electrode, which opposes to the resistor member via a gap, is integrally formed on the end portion of the electrode arm, and a capacitor is formed between the movable electrode and the resistor member. In the above structure, when an AC power supply is flowed across the two ends of the resistor member, the capacitor is formed between the movable electrode and the resistor member, and an attenuated voltage is generated on the movable electrode.

Abstract: A focal plane shutter for use in a photographic camera in which a shutter base plate is made of a synthetic resin material and a metallic supporting plate is mounted on a front surface of the shutter base plate. Shafts pivoting levers for driving a leading blade group and trailing blade group are fixed to a front surface of the metallic supporting plate, whereas shafts pivoting arms for driving the leading blade group and the trailing blade group are fixed to a rear surface of the supporting plate. The shafts pivoting the driving arms and supporting arms protrude from a rear surface of the shutter base plate.

Abstract: A printing apparatus prevents forgery and alteration through lamination formed on a print surface of a medium in a simple structure, and improves the design effect. In the printing apparatus, a print pattern of one frame is stored in a memory component, on a film sheet F with a thermal transfer head, and a printing medium 37 is coated with the film sheet.

Abstract: A shutter blades opening and closing lever is biased by a spring in a direction to open shutter blades. A pin made of a soft magnetic material is built in a motor which consists of a stator having a coil wound therearound and a magnet rotor. An operation to open the shutter blades opening and closing lever is performed by the spring, whereas another operation to close the shutter blades opening and closing lever is performed by a driving pin which is integrated with the magnet rotor. In a condition where the shutter blades are closed, the shutter blades opening and closing lever is kept at a standard position thereof, against resilience of the spring, by utilizing a magnetic attractive force exerted between the pin made of the soft magnetic material and the magnet rotor.

Abstract: An opening/closing door mechanism including an apparatus having predetermined recording and/or reproducing means for moving a cartridge having a predetermined shape in a substantially parallel state to perform insertion and ejection of the cartridge through an insertion/ejection opening in order to perform a recording and/or reproducing operation with respect to a medium incorporated in the cartridge, a panel main body having an opening portion arranged near the insertion/ejection opening to guide the cartridge so as to allow the cartridge to move, a first door including a pivot support portion having one end pivotally supported at one edge portion of the opening portion in a longitudinal direction thereof, and a lock portion, arranged near the pivot support portion, a first biasing spring for biasing the first door toward the front surface of the panel main body to cover the opening portion, a second door including a pivot support portion having one end pivotally supported near the edge portion and a locking