Patents Represented by Law Firm Shapiro & Shapiro
  • Patent number: 5770899
    Abstract: A linear motor has two relatively members moveable a coil mounted to one of the two members, a magnet mounted to the other of the two members, a circulating pump for circulating a cooling medium via a circulating pipe in an outer tube surrounding the coil, a pressure detecting device for detecting the pressure of the cooling medium, and a control system for controlling the operation of the circulating pump based on the detected pressure value from the pressure detecting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Yutaka Hayashi
  • Patent number: 5771404
    Abstract: A shake preventing apparatus in a camera, comprises a shake detecting device for detecting an amount of shake upon small motion of the camera, a shake correcting device for correction-driving a photo taking optical system in a direction to keep an image on a plane of a film unshaken, based on the amount of shake detected by the shake detecting device, a shake correction limit determining device for determining a shake correction limit amount which is a limit for the shake correcting device to correct the shake, and a shutter controlling device for controlling a shutter to close when the amount of shake detected by the shake detecting device exceeds the shake correction limit amount determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Katayama, Tadao Kai
  • Patent number: 5767609
    Abstract: A driving device for an ultrasonic motor has a limit detecting circuit for detecting that the drive voltage for the ultrasonic motor has reached a limit, and, in response, a drive voltage limiting circuit controls the drive voltage so as not to go beyond the limit value. Such control is conducted on the voltage or frequency of a signal for driving the ultrasonic motor. In another aspect of the invention, a drive state detecting circuit detects the drive state of the ultrasonic motor, and a drive frequency (or voltage) setting circuit controls the frequency (or voltage) of a signal for driving the ultrasonic motor so as to attain the maximum efficiency in the motor, based on the output of the drive state detecting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Ryoichi Suganuma
  • Patent number: 5768646
    Abstract: A camera capable of automatic film rewinding into the magazine, comprises an information recording device for recording at least information on use in an information recording portion formed at a pre-determined position of the magazine loaded in the magazine chamber of the camera, an information detecting device capable of detecting recorded information of the magazine when it is loaded, a prohibition device for prohibiting the photographing operation in response to a detection signal corresponding to information, indicating that all the film is already used, detected by the information detecting device and a control device for controlling the information recording device, information detecting device and prohibition device in such a manner that the detection by the information detecting device is conducted prior to the recording of information of use by the information recording device, and that the photographing operation is prohibited in response to the detection of information indicating that all the film
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Hideya Inoue
  • Patent number: 5764571
    Abstract: An electrically alterable, non-volatile multi-bit memory cell has K.sup.n predetermined memory states (K.sup.n >2), where K is a base of a predetermined number system and n is a number of bits stored per cell. Programming of the cell is verified by selecting a reference signal corresponding to the information to be stored and comparing a signal of the cell with the selected reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: BTG USA Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald J. Banks
  • Patent number: 5763981
    Abstract: A vibration actuator comprises a rod-shaped vibration element including an elastic unit having plural elastic members and an electromechanical converting device with portions mounted between mutually adjacent ones of the elastic members and adapted to generate mutually different plural vibrations and a relative movement member contacting an end face of the vibration element and adapted to effect a movement relative to the vibration element. The vibration element is so formed that the cross section thereof perpendicular to the axis thereof varies along the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Okazaki, Isao Sugaya, Takatoshi Ashizawa
  • Patent number: 5765045
    Abstract: A camera includes a photo-taking lens, an automatic focus adjusting device for effecting the automatic focus adjustment of the photo-taking lens, an eye-gaze detecting device for detecting the photographer's eye-gaze position in a finder field corresponding to a photographing picture plane, and producing an eye-gaze detection signal corresponding to the eye-gaze position, a focus adjustment signal producing device for outputting a plurality of focus adjustment signals corresponding to a plurality of detection areas in the photographing picture plane, and a control signal producing device for producing a control signal for controlling the automatic focus adjusting means, on the basis of the eye-gaze detection signal and the focus adjustment signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Tadao Takagi, Shigemasa Sato
  • Patent number: 5764426
    Abstract: A variable focal length optical system includes, in the following order from an object side, a first lens unit having a negative refractive power and a second lens unit having a positive refractive power, wherein the focal length of an entire lens system changes when a distance between the first lens unit and the second lens unit is changed, and the following condition is satisfied:0.3<f2/.vertline.f1.vertline.<0.5where f1 is the focal length of the first lens unit, and f2 is the focal length of the second lens unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Motoyuki Ohtake
  • Patent number: 5764423
    Abstract: In a zoom lens system in which the movement locus of a focusing lens unit is defined by synthesizing a focus cam and a zoom compensation cam, when the sensitivity of movement of an image point in association with the movement, in the direction of the optical axis, of the focusing lens unit in a closest in-focus state is larger than that in an infinity in-focus state, the ratio of the amount of rotation for focusing upon focusing from the infinity position to the closest distance position to the amount of rotation for zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end in the focus cam is set to fall within a predetermined range, so that the sensitivity of movement of an image point in association with the movement, in the direction of rotation, of the focusing lens unit satisfies a specific condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyotaka Inadome
  • Patent number: 5764425
    Abstract: A telephoto lens includes, in the following order from the object side, a positive cemented lens component composed of a biconvex lens and a biconcave lens and having a meniscus shape as a whole with the convex side facing the object side, and a negative meniscus lens component with the convex side facing the image side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Koichi Ohshita
  • Patent number: 5760958
    Abstract: A zoom lens with antivibration function is provided, in the order from the object side, with a first lens group of a positive refractive power and a second lens group of a negative refractive power, which both axially move toward the object side with a reduction in the gap therebetween in the zooming operation from the wide angle end to the telephoto end. The focusing operation from a larger object distance to a smaller object distance is achieved by an axial movement of the second lens group while the first lens group remains still, while the blur in the taken image resulting from vibration is compensated by a movement of the first lens group in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Shibayama
  • Patent number: 5760971
    Abstract: A zoom lens system in which a movement locus of a focusing lens unit is defined by synthesizing a focus cam and a zoom compensation cam so as to achieve an in-focus state by a substantially constant amount of rotation for an identical object distance independently of a zooming state. In zooming, an amount of movement of the focusing lens unit is defined by a combination of the focus cam and the zoom compensation cam. An amount of movement of a non-focusing lens unit is defined by a combination of a zoom cam and the zoom compensation cam. In focusing, the amount of movement of the focusing lens unit is defined by the focus cam. The zoom lens system satisfies specified formulas so that the number of data of specific coefficients required for auto-focusing can be reduced, and an error upon calculation of the lens driving amount of the focusing lens unit using stored specific coefficients in correspondence with a detected defocus amount can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyotaka Inadome
  • Patent number: 5760957
    Abstract: A zoom lens having the vibration-reduction function includes, in succession from the object side, a first lens unit having positive refractive power, a second lens unit having negative refractive power, a third lens unit having negative refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having positive refractive power. The fourth lens unit includes, in succession from the object side, a front group having positive refractive power and a rear group having positive refractive power. During the focal-length change from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, the spacing between the first lens unit and the second lens unit is increased, the spacing between the second lens unit and the third lens unit and the spacing between the third lens unit and the fourth lens unit are non-linearly varied. At least one of the third lens unit and the front group in the fourth lens unit is provided for movement in a direction substantially orthogonal to the optical axis thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Kenzaburo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5760528
    Abstract: An ultrasonic actuator is capable of moving one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally on a flat plane, and can easily be assembled in a cylindrical portion such as a lens barrel of a camera. This ultrasonic actuator comprises a frame-like elastic member having an outer form in a regular square, and electro-mechanical converting elements which are joined to frame side portions of the elastic member for generating vibrations in a longitudinal vibration mode and a bending vibration mode in response to a drive signal so as to generate elliptic motion at predetermined positions in the frame side portions by a synthetic motion of the above-mentioned vibrations. The ultrasonic actuator can translate one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally on the flat plane upon application of a driving voltage onto each group of the opposed electro-mechanical converting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiro Tomikawa
  • Patent number: 5760881
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus, having an illumination optical system for radiating a light beam from a light source to a pattern area of a mask for transferring the image of the pattern area onto a photosensitive substrate by the light beam passing through the mask, is provided with plural sets of a first reference mark and a second reference mark arranged on the mask and the photosensitive substrate at positions corresponding to each other, and a light-shielding device for shielding the light beams radiated toward the second reference marks, whereby it is possible to re-use the second reference marks in a post-process by preventing the first reference marks on the mask from being superposed on the second reference marks on the photosensitive substrate or from being transferred onto a part near the second reference marks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Miyazaki, Kei Nara, Hiroshi Shirasu, Tsuyoshi Narabe
  • Patent number: 5758755
    Abstract: A sprag type one-way clutch comprises an outer race having an inner peripheral raceway surface and an inner race disposed within the outer race and having an annular outer peripheral raceway surface, the outer race and the inner race being radially spaced apart from each other and concentrically disposed for relative rotation, a plurality of sprags disposed between the outer race and inner race for transmitting a torque between the outer peripheral raceway surface and the inner peripheral raceway surface, an annular retainer retaining the sprags, and a spring member holding the sprags between itself and the retainer and biasing the sprags in a meshing direction, and is characterized in that the retainer is provided with a cylinder portion having a radially extending window portion, the sprags are fitted in the window portion for pivotal movement, and the spring member is guided in a substantially circular form by the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: NSK-Warner K.K.
    Inventor: Kozaburo Igari
  • Patent number: 5758201
    Abstract: A camera having a line of sight detecting device, includes a line of sight detection portion for detecting the line of sight position of a photographer, a portion of selection of a line of sight mode for selecting one of a single mode for locking a line of sight position obtained when a plurality of previous detection results of the line of sight detection portion satisfy a predetermined eye-gazing condition and a continuous mode for renewing the line of sight position on the basis of the latest line of sight position from the line of sight detection portion, a control mode setting portion for selecting a control mode for setting a camera phototaking condition, and a phototaking control for setting the camera phototaking condition in accordance with the line of sight position of the photographer when the control mode is selected, wherein when the control mode is selected by the control mode setting portion, the continuous mode is selected by the portion of selection of a line of sight mode, and the camera pho
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimi Watanabe, Isao Kishikawa, Yosuke Kusaka, Shigemasa Sato, Masao Owashi, Kenji Tazaki, Fumio Suzuki, Hiroyuki Iwasaki, Tsutomu Narisawa
  • Patent number: 5758211
    Abstract: A camera is provided in which the body is downsized as far as possible and which enables the incorporation of a large capacity power supply battery to be accomplished efficiently and compactly. A space portion in the camera body which is surrounded by a cartridge chamber, a film take-up spool chamber and a photographing optical path chamber between a photo-taking lens and an aperture portion is used as a power supply battery chamber. A power supply battery substantially equal to the lengthwise direction of a photographing image field is contained in the power supply battery chamber. Capacitors for the light emission of an electronic flash device are disposed in the containing space of the spool chamber in the camera body which is opposite to the cartridge chamber, along a side portion of the spool chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Hidenori Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 5752884
    Abstract: In a lock-up piston and damper device for a torque converter, a divider member is provided between the retainer plate and the lock-up piston for supporting springs of an internal circumference in series with springs of an external circumference, thereby obtaining a large torsion angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: NSK-Warner K.K.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yabe, Shiro Takeuchi
  • Patent number: D394515
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Burns Bros., Inc.
    Inventor: Bruce Burns