Abstract: A camera according to the present invention prevents distance measurement errors in remote control shots under high luminance and those in which the distance of a background between right and left objects is measured, by projecting a remote control signal including a ranging signal in a form of infrared beam from a transmitter. The ranging signal, within the remote control signal, includes multiple pulses with different pulse widths, and each pulse width is set so that the number of pulses received by the receiving circuit becomes fewer accordingly as the distance between the transmitter and a receiver provided in the camera becomes larger. When the receiver receives a ranging signal from the transmitter, a distance recognizing unit counts a pulse number of the ranging signal received by the receiver, and recognizes the distance to the transmitter, namely the object, from the relationship of received pulse numbers and distance stored in a memory unit.

Abstract: A camera includes a lens barrel which can be retracted into a camera body, and a lens barrel storage control apparatus. The lens barrel has a front lens group mounted in a front end portion thereof and a rear lens group movably disposed therein. The lens barrel storage control apparatus, first, controls a stepping motor for driving the rear lens group to locate the rear lens group at a standby position in the barrel, and then controls a DC motor for driving the lens barrel to retract the lens barrel into the camera body while keeping the rear lens group at the standby position. Also, when it is detected that the rear lens group is not located at the standby position, the control apparatus controls the DC motor to locate the lens barrel at a suitable position within a range where the lens barrel can be set in a photographable state.

Abstract: A camera having a zoom system which comprises a front lens group driven by a DC motor and a rear lens group driven by a stepping motor includes a motor control apparatus for controlling the DC motor and the stepping motor. The motor control apparatus voltage measuring means for measuring a voltage of a power source for driving the DC motor and the stepping motor, decision means for deciding as to whether the voltage is more than a predetermined value, means for simultaneously driving the DC motor and the stepping motor, if a decision is made that the voltage is more than the predetermined value, and means for driving only the DC motor and thereafter driving only the stepping motor, if the voltage is not more than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A data writing/reading device of a camera, in case it has become impossible to write data correctly to certain memory area of an E.sup.2 PROM because of frequent rewritings, can write data to other memory areas of the E.sup.2 PROM, and read out the data. Write requiring data to the E.sup.2 PROM is written to a first predetermined address of the E.sup.2 PROM, and read out immediately after writing. If the write requiring data and the read data are non-coincident, an address which is different from the preceding address is designated, and writing and reading are repeated until the write requiring data and read data become coincident. When the write requiring data and the read data agree with each other, writing to the E.sup.2 PROM is finished. And, an address on which data which agrees with the write requiring data is written, as data, to a second predetermined address of the E.sup.2 PROM which does not overlap with addresses used for writing write requiring data.

Abstract: A pre-winding control device of a camera which continues pre-winding from where it left off after a power failure interruption and battery replacement. When a patrone is loaded in the camera, the total number exposures is read from the patrone and the read number of written to an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory E.sup.2 PROM. Subsequently, pre-winding for winding the film from the patrone to a spool is started. For every frame of film wound to the spool, the number of unexposed frames in the patrone is counted down and written to the E.sup.2 PROM. When pre-winding is interrupted due to battery replacement, pre-winding is continued based on the number of unexposed frames stored in non-volatile E.sup.2 PROM.

Abstract: A camara control device continues a pre-winding or a first frame setting when a pre-winding or a first frame setting is stopped in the middle because a battery of the camera is taken out or because of exhaustion of the battery and after that another battery is loaded. The camera control device writes a pre-wind signal to an electrically rewritable non-volatile memory E.sup.2 PROM when a pre-winding is started and erases the pre-wind signal in the E.sup.2 PROM when the pre-winding is finished, and writes a first frame set signal to the E.sup.2 PROM when a first frame setting is started and erases the first frame set signal in the E.sup.2 PROM when the first frame setting is finished. If the pre-winding or the first frame setting is stopped in the middle, the pre-wind signal or the first frame set signal in the E.sup.2 PROM is not erased.

Abstract: An exposure compensation device of a camera used jointly with an electronic flash has a plurality of exposure compensation modes and electronic flash modes preset to each of the exposure compensation modes. In each exposure compensation mode, a compensation value for compensating an exposure value and an electronic flashing point is set. When an exposure compensation mode is requested by an external operation, the exposure compensation device selects a required exposure compensation mode based on results of light measurement and distance measurement, compensates an exposure value and an electronic flashing point corresponding to the results of light measurement and distance measurement by means of the compensation value of the selected exposure compensation mode, and sets an electronic flash mode corresponding to the selected exposure compensation mode.

Abstract: A self-photographing method for an autofocus camera, wherein, upon depression of a shutter release button, the subject distance data are detected a plurality of times at periodic intervals, and a predetermined exposure operation, that is, an actual shutter release operation is automatically executed using the autofocus system when the detected subject distance data have changed from each other. The distance data are repeatedly detected and compared with each other until these distance data differ from each other. If the distance data have been equal for a predetermined time interval from the shutter release button depression, then the actual shutter release operation is executed, or is called off and the self-photographing is terminated. It is preferred that the detected change of distance be a decrease of distance, indicating that the photographer has stepped into the picture, whereupon the measured distance becomes his distance in place of the background distance.

Abstract: A pre-winding control device of a camera includes a sensor for detecting a predetermined length of a flimstrip, a film drive device for pre-winding the film strip before exposures and for rewinding the film strip after exposures, and a pulse generator for generating pulses, one for every advancement of a predetermined length of the film strip. The control device is characterized by a detector for detecting time intervals at which the pulses are generated, a time interval setting circuit for setting an interruption time interval based on the time intervals for which the film drive device is allowed to be left interrupted, and a disabling circuit for disabling the film drive device when the sensor detects no pulse for at least the interruption time interval. The interruption time interval is given as an average of a predetermined number of the time intervals multiplied by a coefficient between 2 and 5.

Abstract: A self-timing shutter release control device comprises a self-timing shutter release setting device for setting the number of repetitions of self-timing shutter releases, a controller for continuously repeatedly operating a shutter drive system and a power-driven film advancing system in accordance with the number of repetitions of shutter releases set by the setting device, and a display controller for displaying the set number on a display member. The self-timing shutter setting device includes an externally operable member which is operated as many times as the desired number of repetitions of self-timing shutter releases to set the number of repetitions of self-timing shutter releases in the self-timing shutter release setting device.

Abstract: A camera of a preliminary winding type in which a film in a patrone is previously taken out from the patrone to roll it round a spool and, each time one frame photographing is completed, the film is rewound into the patrone by one frame in photographing. The camera comprises a motor, a preliminary winding mechanism, a frame-by-frame rewinding mechanism, a focal length varying mechanism, first and second planetary clutch mechanisms, and an engagement mechanism for locking the first planetary clutch mechanism, and is capable of switching the power transmission to the preliminary winding, frame-by-frame rewinding and focal length varying mechanisms by changing the direction of rotation of the motor.

Abstract: In a copying machine in which the distance of projection scanning is varied by relative movement between the copy board and the optical system in accordance with the size of the original, indices are provided on the copy board for positioning the original so that the shorter side of the original always corresponds to the direction of scanning. This unification of original placement results not only in a shortening in the distance of the projection scanning but an increase in copying speed.

Abstract: A pump for supplying kerosene to a combustion apparatus having means for giving a drive force for producing relative rotation between a housing and a shaft, at least one shallow groove formed in one of the surface of the shaft and the surface of the housing movable relative to the shaft surface, and an inlet bore and an outlet bore for the kerosene to be forced forward by the groove. The pump is characterized in that the groove has a depth ho defined by0.00558q.mu.<ho<250.mu.wherein q is the heat output of the combustion apparatus in kcal/h.

Abstract: A toner transporting device for an electrophotographic copying apparatus includes a transporter for carrying toner to and into a chamber through a first opening therein, a second opening in the chamber through which toner in the chamber is moved out of the same in a different direction, and an elastic plate mounted at one of its ends for rotation within the chamber such that its opposite tip end is maintained in contact with the interior wall of the chamber except at the second chamber opening so as to move toner from the first to and through the second chamber opening.

Abstract: In a transfer type electrophotographic copying apparatus having a rotatable photosensitive drum for receiving an electrostatic latent image of an original and a heating device comprising a heating roller and a pressure-contact roller rotatable in a condition of pressure-contact with the heating roller for fixing a toner image of the original on a transfer paper moved along a path including a position of image transfer contact with the drum and then between the rollers, the distance from the contact position of the transfer paper with the drum to the pressure-contact point of the heating and pressure-contact rollers being less than the length of the transfer paper as measured in the direction of movement of the paper along the path.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling the density of a reproduced image of an original to be copied in an electrophotographic copying machine by maintaining a fixed, predetermined image-developing bias voltage during development of a reference patch image and controlling the bias voltage in response to settings of image density selectors during the development of the original image.

Abstract: In a transfer type electrophotographic copying machine, the amount of supplied toner is controlled in accordancw with the voltage developed by the reflection of light from an indexing image developed on the photosensitive member before or behind the transferred developed image; the same reflected light also detects the presence of an unseparated transfer sheet to stop the machine.

Abstract: A drum cleaning apparatus for an electrophotographic copying machine includes a toner image forming drum rotatable about a horizontal axis, a blade for scraping off toner particles deposited on the cylindrical outer surface of the drum, an inclined toner particle guide plate having an upper edge bearing on the outer surface of the drum upstream of the scraping blade as viewed in the rotating direction of the drum and a lower edge positioned at an opening of a toner collecting container, a holding structure for supporting the toner guide plate and mounted swingably on a shaft with play, the shaft extending in parallel with the axis of said drum. Feeble and periodical shocks are applied to the toner guide plate by way of the supporting shaft thereby to promote the sliding down of the toner particles on and along the guide plate into the collecting container to prevent accumulation of the particles on the plate.

Abstract: A drum cleaning blade for a image transfer type of copying machine which has a rotatable drum provided thereon with a photo-sensitive cylindrical layer in which an electrostatic latent image of an original to be copied is produced and developed by a toner powder. The blade comprises a main sheet-like center portion having a straight lower edge and a pair of side portions from which triangular projections extend forwardly, respectively. The inner edges of the triangular projections are slanted outwardly.The side portions in which the triangular projections are formed are separated from the main portion through cuts.The lower edge as well as the slanted inner edges of the triangular projections are caused to bear on the outer cylindrical surface of the drum thereby to scrape off the toner particles remaining as deposited on the drum surface after the transfer processing of the toner image to a transfer sheet.

Abstract: For removing toner from a photosensitive drum roll for electrophotography, a blade contacts the surface of the drum roll at a location where said surface is moving upwardly, to scrape residual toner therefrom. A resilient transfer roll, spaced below the blade, carries away toner that falls from the drum roll. The transfer roll is directly rotatably driven by the drum roll. One of the rolls has enlarged diameter end portions for driving contact between the rolls at zones outside the image area of the drum roll. The resilient transfer roll is urged toward the drum roll under a biasing force that radially compresses its end portions to maintain it either in merely line contact with the image area of the drum roll or spaced from that area by a distance less than the diameter of toner particles.