Abstract: A drive mechanism includes a first transmission mechanism that transmits a driving force of a drive unit to a first rotary member to rotate the first rotary member; a second transmission mechanism including a first drive path along which the second transmission mechanism transmits the driving force to a second rotary member through a first gear train to rotate the second rotary member, and a second drive path along which the second transmission mechanism transmits the driving force to the second rotary member through a second gear train to rotate the second rotary member, the second gear train having a gear ratio that differs from a gear ratio of the first gear train; and a switching mechanism that is operated by the driving force and switches the second transmission mechanism between the first drive path and the second drive path.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying a deflection power for use in a display and a control method thereof. The apparatus includes a high voltage outputting portion having a first coil connected to a rectifier and a second coil, coupled with the first coil, which outputs an induced voltage, a first switch installed between the rectifier and the first coil, for controlling a power supply, a second switch installed on a path formed from the first switch, the first coil, and the rectifier, for controlling the power supply, and a deflection electric current generator connected in parallel with the second switch, the deflection electric current generator having a series-connected deflection coil and capacitor.

Abstract: A camera film feed device is provided for enabling freely loadable placement of a film magazine which has a takeup shaft on which a film is wound and which has a film leader protruding from a film feeding opening. The camera film feed device includes a magazine chamber into which the film magazine is loaded, a fork which joins in mating fashion with the takeup shaft of the film magazine loaded into the magazine chamber, a takeup spool which is positioned on a side of a photographing aperture opposite the magazine chamber and which takes up the film, a sprocket which is positioned between the magazine chamber and the takeup spool, and a control circuit which controls the operations of the fork, takeup spool and sprocket.

Abstract: A data reading apparatus adapted for a film cartridge having a data recording part provided on a predetermined moving member includes a first data reading device which reads data from the data recording part moving, a second data reading device which reads data from the data recording part moving and which is disposed at a position different from that of the first data reading device with respect to a moving direction of the data recording part, and a data obtaining circuit which makes a comparison between data read by the first data reading device, and data read by the second data reading device and obtains, on the basis of a result of the comparison, data corresponding to data recorded on the data recording part, if the data read by the first and second data reading devices are identical.

Abstract: This camera feed device is a camera film feed device enabling the freely loadable placement of a film magazine having a takeup shaft on which is wound film and in which the film leader protrudes from a film feeding opening; comprising a magazine chamber into which the film magazine is loaded, a fork which joins in mating fashion with the takeup shaft of the film magazine loaded into this magazine chamber, a takeup spool, on the other side of the photographing aperture opposite the magazine chamber, which takes up the film, and a control circuit which controls the operations of the fork, takeup spool and sprocket; and in which this control circuit starts an operation by the fork to rewind the film into the film magazine when the film magazine is loaded into the magazine chamber, stops the rewind operation when the film is rewound to a prescribed position, and then starts an operation by the sprocket to feed the film toward the takeup spool.

Abstract: A manual-wind camera having a wind lever in which a film having no sprocket holes is loaded, the film being wound on a take-up spool, frame by frame, by manually operating the wind lever, includes a pulse generator which generates pulses in accordance with movement of the film wound by the wind lever; a rear-cover state detector which detects whether a rear cover of the camera is open or closed; and a control device. The control device determines whether the film is loaded into the camera in accordance with pulses generated by the control device when the wind lever is fully turned from an initial operational position to a maximum operational position thereof.

Abstract: A film cartridge loader for a camera includes a film cartridge chamber having an opening into which a film cartridge can be loaded, a film cartridge chamber lid, a lid locking unit, a lid close detecting unit, an ejecting unit, a film cartridge interceptive door opening/closing unit, a moving unit, a movement detecting unit, a driving source, and a driving control unit. The film cartridge chamber lid is movable for opening or closing the cartridge chamber opening. The lid locking unit locks the film cartridge chamber lid in a closed state. The lid close detecting unit detects that the film cartridge chamber lid is locked by the lid locking unit. The ejecting unit ejects the film cartridge from the film cartridge chamber. The film cartridge interceptive door opening/closing unit opens or closes the interceptive door of the film cartridge. The moving unit moves the ejecting unit responsively to opening actions performed by the film cartridge interceptive door opening/closing unit.

Abstract: A camera for thrusting a film from a film cartridge by rotationally driving a spool in the film cartridge has a measuring construction for measuring the amount of the film thrust from the film cartridge, a sensing construction for sensing the position of a leader of the film thrust from the film cartridge, and a determining circuit for determining whether the film is moving properly, based on the measured thrust amount of the film and the sensed position of the leader of the film.

Abstract: A camera which determines whether a film cartridge loaded in the camera is a partial cartridge, containing photographic film having an exposed frame and an unexposed frame, or not, and feeds the photographic film from the loaded film cartridge up to a first unexposed frame if determining that the loaded film cartridge is a partial cartridge, the camera includes a first battery checking unit defined by a first determination means for determining whether voltage of a battery in the camera is more than a first threshold level, and first prohibiting means for prohibiting photographing if the loaded film cartridge is not determined as being the partial cartridge and determining, the first determination means determines that the voltage of the battery is less than the first threshold level.

Abstract: An apparatus capable of using a film cartridge in a manner that a lead portion of a film contained in the cartridge is fed out therefrom by the film thrusting, wherein a controller judges that an initial loading is not executed normally when a perforation is not detected although a fed film amount on an initial loading reaches a first predetermined amount, and stops a detector from detecting a perforation until the fed film amount reaches a second predetermined amount which is less than the first. Thus, a detector does not wrongly detect a notch on a film's lead portion as a perforation, and a leading frame is fed normally with a reliable judgment on an initial loading.

Abstract: A photographic film cartridge has a cartridge shell and a spool housed rotatably in the cartridge shell, the spool having a photographic film wound about the spool. A bar code disc is mounted on the cartridge spool, and appears through a window formed in the cartridge shell. The bar code disc is recorded with a bar code representing information describing the photographic film and being comprised by a combination of a plurality of data bars having different optical densities. A bar code sensor measures the optical density of a bar to discriminate between the types of bars. Alternatively, for a bar code formed by two types of bars having different widths, the bar width is detected according to the time period during which the ar code sensor detects the bar. Using a film encoder, a bar-detecting time period to be changed by the film advance speed is corrected. According to a preferred embodiment, a plurality of bars are disposed at an equal interval between adjacent front edges of bars.

Abstract: In a low cost camera, film initialization to a first exposure frame by a time constant controlled drive circuit in which the time constant circuit is reset by a door sensor switch as a consequence of unloading and/or loading of film in the camera. This ensures that newly loaded film will be automatically initialized to the first exposure position without requiring the camera user to remember to actuate a shutter release button multiple times to achieve proper initialization. A film advance sensor switch is further employed to prevent subsequent frame advance if film initialization is for any reason not properly achieved.

Abstract: In a low cost camera, film initialization to a first exposure frame by a time constant controlled drive circuit in which the time constant circuit is reset by a "cartridge present" sensor switch as a consequence of removing a film cartridge from the camera. This ensures that newly loaded film will be automatically initialized to the first exposure position without requiring the camera user to remember to actuate a shutter release button multiple times to achieve proper initialization. A flash charger circuit in the camera is automatically started at the end of frame advance or at the end of film initialization by opening of a film metering sensor switch that allows discharge of a capacitor into the time constant circuit, capacitor discharge generating a starting pulse sent to the charger circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus using a film cartridge in a system that a leading portion of a film contained in a cartridge is thrust to be conveyed from the cartridge, wherein an indicator showing an exposure condition is reset to an original state when an initial loading, which is executed on a film cartridge loading in an apparatus, is not executed normally, and the film is rewound, thus, it indicates "unexposed" when a new film cartridge is loaded. While, when a winding up operation is not executed normally during a photographing, a film is rewound and an indicator showing an exposure condition, is set so as to indicate that the film is exposed. Thus, it prevents from causing a double exposure.

Abstract: A photo film cassette contains a photo film, which is exited from a cassette shell when a spool is rotated in an unwinding direction. A data disk is integrally rotatable with the spool. The spool, if the photo film is unexposed, is stopped in an unexposed position with the bar code portion located in a first opening and with the quiet zone located in a second opening. The spool, if the photo film is partially exposed, all exposed or developed, is stopped in one of other predetermined positions. In a camera at first, a spool drive shaft is set in a reference position. To discern a used status of the cassette, after the camera is loaded with the cassette, the spool drive shaft is rotated in reverse to the unwinding. The spool drive shaft is engaged with the spool being in the initial position, to rotate the spool further. While the spool is rotated, the black and white bars and the quiet zone are detected with two photo sensors respectively through the first and second openings.

Abstract: A film feeder for a camera having: a film feeding mechanism for feeding a film out of a film magazine by rotating a winding shaft, around which the film is wound, in the film magazine via a first speed reducer; and a film winding mechanism which takes up the film by rotating a film winding spool shaft via a second speed reducer; wherein the reduction ratio of the first speed reducer is at least twice as large as the reduction ratio of the second speed reducer.

Abstract: A film movement detecting section detects an amount of movement of a film from a top end of a film cut-out portion by a film movement detecting element. A film position comparing section compares whether the film is moved to a target position of a date imprint, and a light-emitting element of a date imprint section imprints a date onto a surface of the film. A storing section for storing quantity of initial film (non-exposed) feeding stores a quantity of initial film (non-exposed) feeding when the film is mounted. A control section for controlling initial film (non-exposed) feeding controls a film feeding section so as to feed the film. A film driving device drives a shaft of a film cartridge to wind up the film.

Abstract: In a camera of the kind setting information when a film cartridge is stowed in the camera by reading a pattern from a data disk disposed on the film cartridge, an information reading action on the pattern of the data disk is allowed to begin when a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the film cartridge is stowed in the camera, so that the information reading action can be prevented from being performed while the film cartridge is still vibrating due to the stowing action.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a feeder for feeding the film, a detector for detecting perforations formed on the edge of the film, a controller for controlling the feeder based on the output from the detector. In the apparatus, the operation of the detector is inhibited after the beginning of film feeding until the tip of the film has passed in front of the detector to prevent the erroneous detection of the perforations.

Abstract: A camera utilizing an image recording medium cartridge provided with a cover for extracting and introducing an image recording medium comprises operation means for operating the cover of the cartridge loaded in the camera; response means for moving the cover of the cartridge in response to the operation of the operation means; and release means for maintaining the operation means in an operable state but causing the response means not to respond to the operation of the operation means in at least either of a situation where the cover of the cartridge is open and a situation where the image recording medium is extracted from the cartridge, or the camera comprises determination means for determinating, after the power supply is turned on, at least either of state of the cover of the cartridge loaded in the camera prior to the turning-on of the power supply and state of the image recording medium, or the camera comprises determination means for directly determinating state of the cover itself of the cartridge lo

Abstract: A mechanism, for reproducing images of a developed film, which reads film information recorded in a magnetic track formed along a pair of edges extending longitudinally of a leader of the film. The reading of the magnetic track is carried out by pressing a magnetic head against the magnetic track of the film leader at the time of rewinding into a cartridge case the film which is once fed out a predetermined length from the cartridge case. When the film is rewound into the cartridge case at the time of reading the film information, the surface of the film leader is pressed by the magnetic head uniformly because the film leader is tightened even and flat by a tension working between the cartridge case and the magnetic head.

Abstract: A film feeding device for a camera uses first and second electric motors associated with first and second planetary gearing mechanisms, respectively. In one embodiment, the first motor and first planetary gearing mechanism drive a spool shaft of a film cartridge to supply film to a winding spool. The winding spool is driven by the second motor and second planetary gearing mechanism to wind film onto the winding spool, at which time the first motor is stopped and the first planetary gearing mechanism is automatically disconnected from the spool shaft. For rewinding, the second motor is operated in reverse and the second planetary gearing mechanism is automatically disconnected from the winding spool and connected to the spool shaft of the film cartridge.

Abstract: Apparatus for use in an automatic film winding camera for determining, during film loading, the presence of a film leader portion having a notch therein. First and second film perforation sensors positioned apart along a film advancing path of the film in first and second sensor positions are enabled and disabled in a sequence in which the first and second sensors successively detect the advancement of the film's leading edge at the first and the second sensor positions. The first sensor is then enabled for sensing the film perforations when the notch in the film leader portion is positioned between the first and second sensor positions.