Abstract: A caulking pin joint for use with a light shielding blade in a shutter or aperture mechanism of a camera. The caulking pin has a disc-shaped head, a circular protrusion depending therefrom, and a hollow-circular segment depending from the circular protrusion. The actuation arm of the shutter or aperture rests on the head, while the light shielding blade rests on the circular protrusion. The hollow circular section is then spread outward so as to rotatably secure the actuator arm to the light shielding blade. The interior surface of the hollow circular section is chamfered such that when it is folded over on top of the light shielding blade, it presents only a small smooth protuberance from the light shielding blade. This allows a second light shielding blade to be positioned close to the first light shielding blade without fear of collisions or interference between the blades. The circular protrusion upon which the light shielding blade rests, may be provided with a surface inclined up to and including 15.

Abstract: A shutter operation detection device comprising a light emitting diode and a photo transistor is provided in proximity to the shutter curtains to measure the actual exposure time. The difference between the control exposure time, which is based upon the brightness value of the subject to be photographed and the film sensitivity, and the actual exposure time is determined. The control exposure time for the next session is corrected based upon this difference. The amount of correction for increasing the control exposure time is differentiated from the amount correction for decreasing the control exposure time.

Abstract: A focal plane shutter device is provided in which when a rear shutter diaphragm travels in a first direction to retract from a photographing image plane from a state where the rear shutter diaphragm and a front shutter diaphragm shade the photographing image plane doubly, a balancer (42 and 44) travels in a direction which is substantially opposite to the first direction. When the front shutter diaphragm travels in a second direction opposite to the aforesaid first direction to begin exposure subsequent to the retraction of the rear shutter diaphragm, the aforesaid balancer (42 and 44) travels in a direction substantially opposite to the second direction. Consequently, it is possible to prevent camera blurring due to the traveling of the rear shutter diaphragm and the front shutter diaphragm by one balancer means.

Abstract: A blade type focal plane shutter is designed to decrease the shutter charge energy and to improve the durability of the shutter without decreasing the impact resistance of the main arms of the shutter. The shutter may comprise a shutter base plate having an aperture; shutter blades each composed of a plural number of blade segments and a driving mechanism having main arms and follower arms rotatably connected to the shutter base plate and blade segments as to form a parallel link mechanism, the main arms having pin-receiving holes in which driving pins are engaged respectively. Through the driving pins, the driving mechanism is able to move the blade segments between the aperture opening position in which the blade segments are folded up outside the aperture and the aperture closing position in which the blade segments are expanded to cover the aperture. The follower arms are decreased in rigidity and/or impact resistance or in thickness relative to the main arms.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention, a focal plane shutter of a camera for conducting TTL multi-pattern light adjustment is provided that comprises a plurality of shielding blades for covering an aperture in a developed position. Each of the shielding blades has at least one edge thereof overlapped by one of the shielding blades immediately adjacent thereto in the developed position, the overlapped edge having a predetermined minimum overlap width. Each of the shielding blades has the lens-side surface thereof formed to be light-reflective having a rate of diffused reflection. The rate of diffused reflection is set within a range according to the predetermined minimum overlap width, such that TTL multi-pattern exposure is enabled and light leakage between the shielding blades does not occur.

Abstract: The present invention aims at improving the durability of a very high-speed shutter exceeding 1/8000 sec and further attaining a very high shutter speed even with sectors composed of a material exhibiting a low rigidity. For this purpose, a focal plane shutter device comprises: first and second blinds each constructed of a plurality of sectors; and a light shielding plate having an opening and an intermediate plate disposed between the first blind and the second blind. The first and second blinds are run in the facial direction of the light shielding plate so as to cover and expose the opening. The light shielding plate and the intermediate plate are bonded, or a shock absorbing member is interposed between these two plates.

Abstract: A camera having a mechanism to determine the precise times at which a shutter or shutter blinds open or close an aperture. The camera measures the actual time in which shutter blinds pass over the aperture by utilizing a projection unit, positioned on one side of the shutter, to project a signal towards the aperture. A signal receiving unit is placed on the other side of the shutter and receives the signal. The output of the signal receiving unit changes depending on whether the signal projected by the projection unit is blocked by the shutter (when the shutter is closed) or whether the projected signal passes through the aperture. The projection unit and the receiving unit can also be placed on the same side of the shutter, with a reflecting unit placed on the other side of the shutter, with the shutter blinds having a different reflectivity than the reflecting unit. When the shutter blinds are closed, the projected signal is reflected off the shutter blinds and received by the receiving unit.

Abstract: Disclosed in a lens installing/removing apparatus for installing and removing a photographing lens including at least impingement surfaces and bayonet pawls or threads to and from a camera body, the apparatus comprising: a fixed mount unit, having an impingement surface which impinges on the impingement surface of the photographing lens, for placing the photographing lens in a predetermined position in the optical axis direction with respect to the camera body; a movable mount unit, so supported inwardly of the fixed mount unit as to be rotatable about the optical axis and having bayonet pawls or threads which engage with the bayonet pawls or the threads, for taking an installing position to install the photographing lens in the camera body and a removing position to remove the photographing lens from the camera body; and a driving means for rotationally driving the movable mount unit.

Abstract: A camera shutter device having a charging rotation axis mounted to the camera body rather than mounted to the shutter base. A charging force of a shutter charging mechanism is transmitted through a linkage lever rotatably supported by to charging rotation axis on the shutter base to a shutter mechanism, wherein leading blades and trailing blades are charged by the charging force. The charging rotation axis is positioned outside an operation area of the leading and trailing blades and is connected to a camera body so as to be unable to move in any plane directions of the shutter base, whereby the charging force is not directly applied to the shutter base but to the camera body so that the shutter base is prevented from being deformed.

Abstract: There is disclosed a driving device for piezoelectric actuator, in which a voltage is applied to a piezoelectric actuator to generate a mechanical deformation therein, thus actuating a mechanical system. In an aspect, the piezoelectric actuator is at first given a voltage of inverse polarity, for generating a displacement in an opposite direction, and then given a voltage of forward polarity, for generating a displacement in the normal functioning direction, thereby actuating the mechanical system. Displacement and acceleration become larger, as the displacement of the actuator takes place from a position in the inverse direction. In another aspect, the electrical insulation state of the piezoelectric actuator is detected, and, if deteriorated, the destruction of insulation is prevented by an alarm generation and/or inhibition of voltage application. In an embodiment, the insulation state is identified from the ambient humidity of the actuator.

Abstract: The present invention aims at improving the durability of a very high-speed shutter exceeding 1/8000 sec and further attaining a very high shutter speed even with sectors composed of a material exhibiting a low rigidity. For this purpose, a focal plane shutter device comprises: first and second blinds each constructed of a plurality of sectors; and a light shielding plate having an opening and an intermediate plate disposed between the first blind and the second blind. The first and second blinds are run in the facial direction of the light shielding plate so as to cover and expose the opening. The light shielding plate and the intermediate plate are bonded, or a shock absorbing member is interposed between these two plates.

Abstract: In the focal plane shutter having front and rear curtains disposed between lens and film on the camera, each of the front and rear curtains has a plurality of divided blades, and the shutter performs exposure to the film by forming a slit of a predetermined width between edge surfaces opposed to each other of the front and rear curtains, each of the divided blades comprises a light-reflective lens-side surface and a light-reflective slit-side edge surface having respective predetermined rates of diffused reflection. The lens-side surface is formed to have a rate of diffused reflection in a range of 7 to 30% within the region of visible light, as the predetermined rate of diffused reflection. The slit-side edge surface is formed to have a low rate of diffused reflection of not greater than 15% within the region of visible light, as the predetermined rate of diffused reflection.

Abstract: A focal plane shutter for camera comprises an opening blade group and a closing blade group, an opening blade-driving member and a closing blade-driving member, an exposure operation means for moving said blade-driving members for exposure operation, a braking member for changing the position from an initial position while absorbing the kinetic energy of the moving closing blade-driving member and resetting means for moving the blade-driving members and the braking member after completing the exposure operation.