Patents by Inventor Tomihiro Wakayama
Tomihiro Wakayama 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).
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Patent number: 11921405Abstract: A camera can perform two different photographing operations with a lens at different positions without vignetting while preventing entry of light and dust. A camera includes a frame including a film compartment to contain a photographic film and a barrel extending from the film compartment in an optical axis direction, and a lens barrel movable in the barrel in X-direction. The lens barrel includes cylinders movable frontward relative to the barrel, and a cylinder movable frontward relative to the cylinder. The camera includes a rear bellows connecting the frame and the cylinder, and a front bellows connecting the cylinder and the cylinder. In a first photographing state in which the cylinders extend frontward relative to the barrel and the cylinder is accommodated inside the cylinder, the rear bellows is expanded and the front bellows is partially contracted. In a second photographing state, the cylinder extends frontward relative to the cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2020Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignees: NIDEC COPAL CORPORATION, FUJIFILM CORPORATIONInventors: Tomihiro Wakayama, Yuichi Ozawa, Yoshiki Murayama, Takehisa Kirihara, Hisashi Tasaka
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Patent number: 11860514Abstract: A camera can perform two different photographing operations with a lens at different positions without vignetting while preventing entry of light and dust. A camera includes a frame including a film compartment to contain a photographic film and a barrel extending from the film compartment in an optical axis direction, and a lens barrel movable in the barrel in X-direction. The lens barrel includes cylinders movable frontward relative to the barrel, and a cylinder movable frontward relative to the cylinder. The camera includes a rear bellows connecting the frame and the cylinder, and a front bellows connecting the cylinder and the cylinder. In a first photographing state in which the cylinders extend frontward relative to the barrel and the cylinder is accommodated inside the cylinder, the rear bellows is expanded and the front bellows is partially contracted. In a second photographing state, the cylinder extends frontward relative to the cylinder.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2020Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignees: NIDEC COPAL CORPORATION, FUJIFILM CORPORATIONInventors: Tomihiro Wakayama, Yuichi Ozawa, Yoshiki Murayama, Takehisa Kirihara, Hisashi Tasaka
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Publication number: 20230037456Abstract: A camera can perform two different photographing operations with a lens at different positions without vignetting while preventing entry of light and dust. A camera includes a frame including a film compartment to contain a photographic film and a barrel extending from the film compartment in an optical axis direction, and a lens barrel movable in the barrel in X-direction. The lens barrel includes cylinders movable frontward relative to the barrel, and a cylinder movable frontward relative to the cylinder. The camera includes a rear bellows connecting the frame and the cylinder, and a front bellows connecting the cylinder and the cylinder. In a first photographing state in which the cylinders extend frontward relative to the barrel and the cylinder is accommodated inside the cylinder, the rear bellows is expanded and the front bellows is partially contracted. In a second photographing state, the cylinder extends frontward relative to the cylinder.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2020Publication date: February 9, 2023Inventors: Tomihiro WAKAYAMA, Yuichi OZAWA, Yoshiki MURAYAMA, Takehisa KIRIHARA, Hisashi TASAKA
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Publication number: 20230039332Abstract: A camera prevents a lens barrel from extending accidentally upon receiving, for example, an external impact. A camera includes a barrel having a guide groove extending in X-direction, a lens barrel including an engagement protrusion protruding radially outward and engaged with the guide groove on the barrel, a switch spring extending between a spring engagement portion and the engagement protrusion, a drive lever rotatable about a lever shaft, a stopper rotatable about a stopper shaft in the drive lever, and a stopper urging spring urging the stopper. The drive lever includes a pusher that pushes the engagement protrusion in the positive X-direction and a rotation restrictor that restricts rotation of the stopper. The stopper includes a restraint portion that is to be on a path of the engagement protrusion to restrain movement of the engagement protrusion in the positive X-direction when the drive lever is at an initial position.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2020Publication date: February 9, 2023Inventors: Tomihiro WAKAYAMA, Hisashi TASAKA
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Patent number: 10508743Abstract: The flow rate controlling device according to the present invention comprises: a base that has an opening portion a ring member that is provided encompassing the opening portion and that can rotate around the opening portion a motor for rotating the ring member, and a plurality of blade members that are supported on the base to the outside of the opening portion in the radial direction, and that can rotate around rotary shafts that are parallel to the axis of the opening portion, wherein: groove portions are formed in the ring member; protruding portions that can slide within the groove portions are formed on the blade members; and the motor rotates the ring member to slide the protruding portions within the groove portions to rotate the plurality of blade members to open and close the opening portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2015Date of Patent: December 17, 2019Assignee: Nidec Copal CorporationInventors: Tomihiro Wakayama, Tomonori Shinozaki, Kenichi Watabe
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Publication number: 20170211707Abstract: The flow rate controlling device according to the present invention comprises: a base that has an opening portion a ring member that is provided encompassing the opening portion and that can rotate around the opening portion a motor for rotating the ring member, and a plurality of blade members that are supported on the base to the outside of the opening portion in the radial direction, and that can rotate around rotary shafts that are parallel to the axis of the opening portion, wherein: groove portions are formed in the ring member; protruding portions that can slide within the groove portions are formed on the blade members; and the motor rotates the ring member to slide the protruding portions within the groove portions to rotate the plurality of blade members to open and close the opening portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2015Publication date: July 27, 2017Applicant: Nidec Copal CorporationInventors: Tomihiro WAKAYAMA, Tomonori SHINOZAKI, Kenichi WATABE
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Patent number: 8503118Abstract: In a lens driving device, a rack gear portion is used as a gear portion so that the gear portion can be disengaged from the terminal end of the lead screw in the radial direction. To efficiently utilize a guide shaft formed with high precision, the guide shaft extends through a spring supporting frame of a lens holder that holds a lens, a movable member having the rack gear portion that meshes with the lead screw, whereby the movable member and the lens holder are linearly guided along the guide shaft, and the guide shaft also serves as the rotation axis of the movable member. A compression coil spring is wound around the guide shaft, and the rack gear portion is pressed against the lead screw by using the compression coil spring.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2011Date of Patent: August 6, 2013Assignee: Nidec Copal CorporationInventors: Tomihiro Wakayama, Takatoshi Kanemura
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Publication number: 20120050893Abstract: In a lens driving device, a rack gear portion is used as a gear portion so that the gear portion can be disengaged from the terminal end of the lead screw in the radial direction. To efficiently utilize a guide shaft formed with high precision, the guide shaft extends through a spring supporting frame of a lens holder that holds a lens, a movable member having the rack gear portion that meshes with the lead screw, whereby the movable member and the lens holder are linearly guided along the guide shaft, and the guide shaft also serves as the rotation axis of the movable member. A compression coil spring is wound around the guide shaft, and the rack gear portion is pressed against the lead screw by using the compression coil spring.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2011Publication date: March 1, 2012Applicant: NIDEC COPAL CORPORATIONInventors: Tomihiro WAKAYAMA, Takatoshi KANEMURA
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Patent number: 7868520Abstract: A driving apparatus includes a piezoelectric element which expands and contracts when a voltage is applied thereto, a driving shaft fixed to one end of the piezoelectric element in an expanding-and-contracting direction, a friction part frictionally engaged with the driving shaft, a lens holder moved along a direction of an optical axis of a lens, and a direction-changing unit which reciprocates the lens holder in the front-rear direction along the optical axis. The direction-changing unit includes a translation cam mechanism including a moving member and a moved member, and converts a linear movement along the expanding-and-contracting direction into a linear movement along the direction of the optical axis.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2008Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Nidec Copal CorporationInventors: Tomihiro Wakayama, Chiharu Katagiri
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Patent number: 7808729Abstract: A driving device includes a piezoelectric element that expands and contracts by the application of voltage, a driving shaft fixed to one end of the piezoelectric element in a direction of the optical axis, a lens holder fixed to the other end of the piezoelectric element in the direction of the optical axis, a friction portion frictionally engaged with the driving shaft, and a base that supports the driving shaft such that the driving shaft is capable of moving along the optical axis. The friction portion includes a receiving portion and a leaf spring that are arranged in a manner such that the driving shaft extending along the optical axis is clamped therebetween in the radial direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2008Date of Patent: October 5, 2010Assignee: Nidec Copal CorporationInventors: Tomihiro Wakayama, Chiraru Katagiri
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Publication number: 20090140607Abstract: A driving apparatus includes a piezoelectric element which expands and contracts when a voltage is applied thereto, a driving shaft fixed to one end of the piezoelectric element in an expanding-and-contracting direction, a friction part frictionally engaged with the driving shaft, a lens holder moved along a direction of an optical axis of a lens, and a direction-changing unit which reciprocates the lens holder in the front-rear direction along the optical axis. The direction-changing unit includes a translation cam mechanism including a moving member and a moved member, and converts a linear movement along the expanding-and-contracting direction into a linear movement along the direction of the optical axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2008Publication date: June 4, 2009Applicant: NIDEC COPAL CORPORATIONInventors: Tomihiro Wakayama, Chiharu Katagiri
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Publication number: 20090128933Abstract: A driving device includes a piezoelectric element that expands and contracts by the application of voltage, a driving shaft fixed to one end of the piezoelectric element in a direction of the optical axis, a lens holder fixed to the other end of the piezoelectric element in the direction of the optical axis, a friction portion frictionally engaged with the driving shaft, and a base that supports the driving shaft such that the driving shaft is capable of moving along the optical axis. The friction portion includes a receiving portion and a leaf spring that are arranged in a manner such that the driving shaft extending along the optical axis is clamped therebetween in the radial direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2008Publication date: May 21, 2009Inventors: Tomihiro Wakayama, Chiraru Katagiri