Patents Assigned to Copal Company Limited
  • Blade type focal plane shutter
    Patent number: 4227793
    Abstract: A blade type focal plane shutter comprising a plurality of auxiliary shutter blades rotatably supported on a common shaft and movable between an unfolded position and a folded position, a main shutter blade for forming an exposure slit and a blade supporting arm serving also as a covering member so that the entire shutter may be made small and may be manufactured at a low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1978
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventor: Kiyoyuki Arai
  • Cocking mechanism for electric shutters
    Patent number: 4225221
    Abstract: A cocking mechanism for electric focal plane shutters arranged so that, in order to simplify the cocking mechanism, while a shutter opening controlling armature lever is brought to the cocked position from the uncocked position, a shutter closing controlling armature lever may be brought to the cocked position from the uncocked position by the shutter opening controlling armature lever and, when the shutter opening controlling lever is locked in the cocked position, the shutter closing controlling armature lever may be held in the cocked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 30, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventors: Toshihisa Saito, Nobuyoshi Inoue
  • Electric shutter for cameras
    Patent number: 4222652
    Abstract: An electric shutter for cameras wherein a shutter closing motion can be started by a manual operation from outside the camera body even when the automatic closing motion of the shutter can be no longer made due to the consumption of the current source battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventor: Yasuo Ishiguro
  • Focal plane shutter
    Patent number: 4220409
    Abstract: In each of the opening group and the closing group of shutter blades, there is a main blade and two auxiliary blades. When developing from a folded condition the blades of each group go from a more overlapped to a less overlapped condition. Although the same two springs may provide all three of the blades of a group with motive force for moving from the cocked to the uncocked condition, the two auxiliary blades have a driving force transmitter that is independently movable to a limited degree relative to the driving force transmitter for the main blade of the same group, one of the springs directly transmits force for moving the main blade and the other spring directly transmits force for moving the auxiliary blades.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventor: Nobuyoshi Inoue
  • Paper cutting and perforated line forming device of printer
    Patent number: 4211498
    Abstract: The paper cutting and perforated line forming device of a printer including a slide plate pivoted to the machine frame of the printer for reciprocal movement. The paper cutting and perforrated line forming device comprises a spring-loaded paper cutting lever device pivoted to the printer machine frame and connected to the printer cutting device for moving the cutting device to the operative position when rocked against the spring load, a slide plate connection lever connected to the paper cutting lever device for rocking the lever device by the movement of the slide plate in one direction, a slide plate connection lever operation member to be operated by an electromagnetic device, a switching lever movable into and out of the operation path of at least one of the paper cutting device and paper cutting lever device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1979
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventors: Munetaka Shimizu, Yoshimasa Takeda
  • Device for automatically controlling diaphragm aperture
    Patent number: 4210393
    Abstract: An automatic diaphragm aperture controlling device which includes an exposure information pulse generation circuit to generate a pulse in a number corresponding to an aperture value to be controlled, the obtained pulses being based on exposure informations such as a scene brightness or the like. A counter circuit is provided for counting the output of the exposure information pulse generation circuit, together with an aperture value pulse generation circuit for generating pulses in a number corresponding to an aperture value of a diaphragm stopped down in association with a diaphragm drive, and diaphragm fixing means for fixing the diaphragm aperture which fixing means is actuated when an aperture value pulse number is coincident with an exposure information pulse number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventors: Yasuo Ishiguro, Kenji Wakazono, Toshihisa Saito
  • Exposure controlling circuit for electric shutter
    Patent number: 4200375
    Abstract: An exposure controlling circuit for electric shutters comprising a timer circuit which can determine a proper exposure time in response to the brightness of an object to be photographed and another time circuit which can determine the specific shortest exposure time in order to regulate the exposure time to be determined by the brightness of the object to be photographed to be less than the shortest exposure time obtainable by the inherent performance of the shutter mechanism to be used, whereby when the states of the above mentioned two time circuit started to act simultaneously in relation to the shutter release operation are reversed to each other, the shutter is closed. The above mentioned specific shortest exposure time can be selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventors: Yasuo Ishiguro, Kenji Wakazono, Toshihisa Saito
  • Timer mechanism
    Patent number: 4197436
    Abstract: A timer mechanism for a clock which has a manually settable rotatable timer drum. A pair of complementarily arranged semicircular contacts which are electrically insulated from each other are adapted to actuate the timer when electrically connected to each other. Two contact fingers are provided which are urged into contact with the respective semicircular stationary contacts. A timer cam between the timer drum and a projecting lug associated with one of the contact fingers for prevention thereof from contacting one of the semicircular contacts and thereby render the timer inoperative. A flange with a cutout is provided on the timer cam which permits the one of the contact fingers to contact the semicircular stationary contact and thereby actuate the timer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventors: Tadashi Ishikawa, Kiyoyuki Arai
  • Shutter for cameras
    Patent number: 4196996
    Abstract: A shutter for cameras comprising a control cam, a starting lever to be used to release the control cam in the cocked state and bring a gear governor into an operatable state, a governor lever engageable with the control cam to operate the gear governor and a stopper capable of absorbing the inertia force of the governor lever to stop the motion of the governor lever, so that the gear governor for controlling the shutter speed may always operate positively over a long period and the operating sound of the shutter may be made low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Inoue, Osamu Ooba
  • Digital shutter control circuit
    Patent number: 4193673
    Abstract: The digital shutter control circuit comprises a reference clock pulse generating circuit, a binary counter circuit having a plurality of output stages each issuing, upon counting the pulses from the reference pulse generating circuit, output signals corresponding to the exposure time to be set in the shutter in terms of 2.sup.n where n is an integer and a selector circuit connected to the shutter closing means and selectively connectable to any of the output stages. The binary counter circuit is actuated simultaneously with the actuation of the shutter opening means for opening the shutter so that the shutter closing means is actuated when the output signal is issued from the output stage to which the selector circuit is connected thereby closing the shutter to provide the selected shutter speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventors: Yasuo Ishiguro, Kenji Wakazono, Toshihisa Saito
  • Electroflash controlling circuit including a delay circuit for electrically controlled focal plane shutters
    Patent number: 4192595
    Abstract: An electroflash controlling circuit wherein, in order to make the fully open time of a shutter and the flashing time of a flash accurately coincide with each other, a delaying circuit operated by an electric signal for starting a shutter blade opening motion or an electric signal for starting a shutter blade closing motion is provided so that a flashing circuit may be triggered after the lapse of a delay time made by the delaying circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Wakazono, Yasuo Ishiguro, Toshihisa Saito
  • Printer having swingable printing character supporting endless belts
    Patent number: 4191104
    Abstract: A printer having a plurality of swingable and rotatable printing character bearing endless belts each of which is stretched around a pair of rotatable wheels, one of which is adapted to be swung into contact with a platen. The other wheel is adapted to be driven by a driving shaft to select the character to be printed. The belts are selectively swung in response to a signal from a control circuit to abut the characters selected against the platen onto a paper therebetween, and the belts are also selectively moved by the other wheels in response to electrical signals which drive a drive shaft which drives the other wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Okabe
  • Driving circuit for camera shutters
    Patent number: 4190344
    Abstract: A shutter driving circuit including a voltage judging circuit and indicating circuit in order to always properly make shutter opening and closing operations, whereby an electric current is prevented from flowing to driving coils and such state can be indicated by the indicating circuit when the voltage of a current source for feeding a current to a pair of driving coils to be made to make opening and closing motions of the shutter by the voltage judging circuit is below a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventors: Yasuo Ishiguro, Kenji Wakazono
  • Switch means for journal paper feeding and receipt paper feeding control circuit
    Patent number: 4188138
    Abstract: The printer includes at least a receipt paper feeding and printing mechanism and a journal paper feeding and printing mechanism each operated in synchronism by a control circuit. A mechanical switching means is provided in either one of the receipt and journal paper feeding and printing mechanism adapted to be operated for rendering it to be inoperative and a switch is provided connecting the one of the receipt and journal paper feeding and printing mechanism to the control circuit. The switch is operatively coupled with the switching means so that, when the one of the receipt and journal paper feeding and printing mechanisms is rendered to be inoperative by the switching means, the switch is opened so as to electrically disconnect the one of the receipt and journal paper feeding and printing mechanism from the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventor: Masao Yamazaki
  • Time indicating device for electronic digital type car clocks
    Patent number: 4184318
    Abstract: A time indicating device for electronic digital type car clocks utilizing a battery of an automobile as a current source and provided with a time counting part and a time indicating part, wherein, in order to reduce the power consumption, the time indicating part is driven by a pulse obtained by reducing the voltage of an output from an oscillating circuit in the time counting part or an independent oscillating circuit through a transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 22, 1980
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Tsuchiya
  • Cassette tape recorder
    Patent number: 4178616
    Abstract: A cassette tape recorder capable of manually switching the operation thereof to any one of a stop, a reproducing, a quick winding or a quick rewinding position.A swingable switching lever is coupled with an actuating lever, and a frictional driving wheel integral with a driving shaft mounted on the free end of the actuating lever. An idler friction wheel is located at a position opposite to a frictionally driven wheel with respect to the driving shaft. Either the driving shaft or the frictional driving wheel is held disengaged from the frictionally driven wheel or the idler friction wheel when the actuating lever is at the stop position. When the actuating lever is switched to the reproducing position, the switching lever urges the driving shaft to compressively contact with the frictionally driven wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1978
    Date of Patent: December 11, 1979
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventor: Kazumi Fukawa
  • Device for intermittently driving printing rings in a printer
    Patent number: 4176599
    Abstract: The printer has a plurality of printing rings each rotatably supported by a swingable layer pivoted about a pivot axis so as to be swung in an arcuate path around the pivot axis while it is rotated by a driving source about its own axis so that the printing rings are selectively swung toward and against a platen upon receipt of printing character selection command from the control circuit of the printer so as to print onto a paper held therebetween when the selected one of the characters on the respective printing ring is brought to a position for the printing during the rotation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1977
    Date of Patent: December 4, 1979
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Okabe
  • Device for correcting time indication and the like in an electronic clock
    Patent number: 4175376
    Abstract: An electronic clock having a clock circuit in which reference clock pulses are frequency divided so as to be applied to a time indicating device for stepwise switching the time indication therein one by one unit of time for indicating the time, and the time indication is corrected stepwise one by one unit of time in timed relationship to the reference clock pulses by applying time correction pulses to the clock circuit until the correction of time is achieved. The device for correcting the time indication comprises a time correction signal generating circuit capable of applying time correction pulses of variable frequency to the clock circuit in timed relationship to the reference clock pulses so that the speed of the stepwise correction of time can be arbitrarily adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1979
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventors: Sukehiro Hasebe, Masanao Oyamada
  • X-Class synchronization contact means for electric shutters
    Patent number: 4174897
    Abstract: An X-class synchronization contact means for electric camera shutters has a switch which is closed by a shutter opening release stroke or by initial motion of a shutter opening operation. The switch is connected to a flash synchronization contact in order to prevent accidental ignition of a flashing means either in the initial step of a camera shutter release operation or in an exposure warning step accompanying the camera shutter release.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1977
    Date of Patent: November 20, 1979
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventor: Kunio Matsumoto
  • Paper feeding mechanism in a printer
    Patent number: 4173420
    Abstract: The paper feeding mechanism in a printer has a paper feeding roller and a pressure roller cooperating with the paper feeding roller so as to feed a paper sandwiched therebetween for the printing operation of the paper, and the pressure roller is mounted on a resiliently energized swingable lever so that the pressure roller is releasably urged against the paper feeding roller for feeding the paper. The paper feeding mechanism further comprises a paper arresting member adapted to disengageably contact with and arrest the paper when actuated, an actuating lever coupled with swingable lever as well as the paper arresting member and a driving solenoid provided with a plunger actuated thereby and coupled with the actuating lever.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1979
    Assignee: Copal Company Limited
    Inventor: Katsuhiko Okabe