Patents by Inventor Masaaki Chikasaki

Masaaki Chikasaki has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6157787
    Abstract: In a mechanism for feeding a film, used in a camera, etc., in which a film having one perforation formed at a specified position relative to each frame or a film having a plurality of perforations formed at specified positions relative to each frame with unequal intervals therebetween as a whole is used, a sprocket 13 is employed for controlling to forward the film frame by frame. The sprocket is locked by a lever before an initial forwarding of thefilm is carried out, and it is unlocked from the lever when the film is forwarded to move the lever, so that the relationship of engagement between a tooth of the sprocket and the perforations of the film is ensured to be constant and synchronous during the initial feeding of the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Nobuya Miki, Masaaki Chikasaki, Yeou-Fu Hung, Shih-Yuan Chen
  • Patent number: 5923912
    Abstract: A perforation detection device of a contact piece type to be built into a camera. A detection section of a first contact piece arranged on the rear surface side of a path in which the perforations of a film advance in a film feeding stage is constructed of a metal ball which is a separate member from that of the first contact piece. This metal ball comes in pressure contact with a second contact piece arranged on the front surface side of the film as the perforations pass. When the metal ball faces a perforation of the film, this metal ball comes in contact with both the first and the second contact pieces to provide a continuity between the first and second contact pieces, so that the position of the perforation is detected. In the film feeding stage, the metal ball comes in rolling contact with the film surface. The contact pieces have a very small resistance to the film feed, and it is scarcely possible that the film will be injured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Nobuya Miki, Masaaki Chikasaki, Shih-Yuan Chen, Ming-Chien Chen, Chi-Jung Tso
  • Patent number: 5497212
    Abstract: A camera using a film cartridge in which whether the film is exposed or unexposed can be distinguished by the phase of rotation of a shaft to rewinding a film, wherein said camera comprising: a film chamber to receive the film cartridge, a lid of the film chamber to capable of receiving the film cartridge in the film chamber when the lid is opened, a driving member which is connected with the shaft of the film cartridge and for driving the shaft, and a block member for blocking opening of the lid of the film chamber when the driving member is not the phase of rotation corresponding to the phase of rotation of the shaft in which the film is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunio Kawamura, Hiroyuki Okada, Sadafusa Tsuji, Masaaki Chikasaki, Michihiro Iwata, Shuji Izumi
  • Patent number: 5483310
    Abstract: A film cartridge includes a rewinding shaft for rewinding a film, a case having a film exit/entrance and accommodating the film rewound by the shaft therearound in a light-intercepted condition, and a locking mechanism for locking the leading portion of the film in the film exit/entrance in the vicinity thereof, so that the film does not get out of the cartridge more than a predetermined amount or get out of the exit/entrance carelessly. The shaft or a film feeding-out member in the cartridge is set in a predetermined position, so that the shaft or the member is immediately and smoothly connected with a corresponding member of a camera for accommodating the cartridge. A camera accommodates the cartridge to take the advantage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1996
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Tanii, Takahisa Shimada, Masaaki Chikasaki, Sadafusa Tsuji, Yoshinobu Kudo
  • Patent number: 5410380
    Abstract: A film feeding apparatus of a camera using a film having two perforations in each frame. A perforation detecting lever has claws spaced at a predetermined distance apart from each other so that the distance therebetween is equal to the distance between the two perforations which are adjacent to each other across the boundary between frames. The perforation detecting lever engages the perforations and disengages therefrom in unison with an operation for feeding one frame to be performed after the proceeding frame is exposed to light. As a result, film feeding is allowed to proceed until both claws simultaneously engage two respective perforations in the film which occurs after the film has advanced one frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunio Kawamura, Yasuo Hawai, Sadafusa Tsuji, Shuji Izumi, Masaaki Chikasaki, Michihiro Iwata, Hiroyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 5382992
    Abstract: A camera which includes a film cartridge whose spool is adapted to be set in different rotational positions with respect to a film cartridge main body between unused state and used state of the film cartridge, and a camera body having a film cartridge accommodating portion, and is arranged to show that the film cartridge is in the used state when the used film cartridge is inserted in the accommodating portion of the camera body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunio Kawamura, Shuji Izumi, Hiroyuki Okada, Masaaki Chikasaki, Michihiro Iwata, Sadafusa Tsuji
  • Patent number: 5357302
    Abstract: A film feeding apparatus of a camera using a film having two perforations in each frame. A perforation detecting lever has claws spaced at a predetermined distance apart from each other so that the distance therebetween is equal to the distance between the two perforations which are adjacent to each other across the boundary between frames. The perforation detecting lever engages the perforations and disengages therefrom in unison with an operation for feeding one frame to be performed after the proceeding frame is exposed to light. As a result, film feeding is allowed to proceed until both claws simultaneously engage two respective perforations in the film which occurs after the film has advanced one frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunio Kawamura, Yasuo Hawai, Sadafusa Tsuji, Shuji Izumi, Masaaki Chikasaki, Michihiro Iwata, Hiroyuki Okada
  • Patent number: 5307099
    Abstract: A camera which includes a film cartridge whose spool is adapted to be set in different rotational positions with respect to a film cartridge main body between unused state and used state of the film cartridge, and a camera body having a film cartridge accommodating portion, and is arranged to show that the film cartridge is in the used state when the used film cartridge is inserted in the accommodating portion of the camera body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1994
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kunio Kawamura, Shuji Izumi, Hiroyuki Okada, Masaaki Chikasaki, Michihiro Iwata, Sadafusa Tsuji
  • Patent number: 5307101
    Abstract: A camera using a film cartridge having a shaft for winding a film and intercepting light, includes: a cartridge chamber for accommodating the film cartridge; a driving unit; a driving source for generating force for driving the driving unit; a transmitting device; and a limiting device. The driving member engages the shaft of the film cartridge accommodated in the cartridge chamber, and rotates the shaft in the film unwinding direction to remove the film from the film cartridge. The transmitting device is provided between the driving source and the driving unit, and transmits the force generated by the driving source to the driving unit. The limiting device is provided in the transmitting device, and limits the force to be transmitted to the driving unit so as to feed the film in the film unwinding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1994
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Tanii, Masaaki Chikasaki, Nobuya Miki, Akira Yamanaka, Ikushi Nakamura, Masayoshi Horikawa
  • Patent number: 5255034
    Abstract: A camera according to the present invention is a camera which feeds a film from a film feed opening of a patrone chamber and it includes a film feeder for feeding the film drawn from the film feed opening to a spool chamber through a film exposure portion, a detector for detecting whether or not the fed film passes through the film exposure portion, and a controller for controlling operation of the film feeder in response to an output of the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1993
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahisa Shimada, Junichi Tanii, Ikushi Nakamura, Masaaki Chikasaki, Sadafusa Tsuji
  • Patent number: 5220371
    Abstract: A film cartridge includes a rewinding shaft for rewinding a film, a case having a film exit/entrance and accommodating the film rewound by the shaft therearound in a light-intercepted condition, and a locking mechanism for locking the leading portion of the film in the film exit/entrance in the vicinity thereof, so that the film does not get out of the cartridge more than a predetermined amount or get out of the exit/entrance carelessly. The shaft or a film feeding-out member in the cartridge is set in a predetermined position, so that the shaft or the member is immediately and smoothly connected with a corresponding member of a camera for accommodating the cartridge. A camera accommodates the cartridge to take the advantage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Tanii, Takahisa Shimada, Masaaki Chikasaki, Sadafusa Tsuji, Yoshinobu Kudo
  • Patent number: RE36184
    Abstract: A camera according to the present invention is a camera which feeds a film from a film feed opening of a patrone chamber and it includes a film feeder for feeding the film drawn from the film feed opening to a spool chamber through a film exposure portion, a detector for detecting whether or not the fed film passes through the film exposure portion, and a controller for controlling operation of the film feeder in response to an output of the detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahisa Shimada, Junichi Tanii, Ikushi Nakamura, Masaaki Chikasaki, Sadafusa Tsuji