Abstract: A mirror drive device capable of achieving high responsiveness and driving stability, and suppressing mirror bounce. The mirror drive device includes a mirror box. A main mirror holder has a main mirror rotating shaft rotatably supported by the mirror box, and rotatably holds a main mirror between a mirror-down position and a mirror-up position, A sub mirror holder has a sub mirror rotating shaft rotatably supported by the mirror box, and rotatably holds a sub mirror between a mirror-down position and a mirror-up position. The main mirror holder and the sub mirror holder are connected by at least one connecting member. A drive member is engaged with the connecting member, and is driven for rotation by a motor. The sub mirror holder is directly driven by the drive member, and the main mirror holder is driven by the drive member via the connecting member.

Abstract: There are provided a blade drive device and an optical instrument.

Abstract: A focal plane shutter includes: a board including an opening; a leading shutter and a trailing shutter opening and closing the opening; first and second biasing members respectively biasing the leading shutter and the trailing shutter to move away from the opening; a first actuator causing the leading shutter to move from a position to close the opening to a position to recede from the opening while the leading shutter is assisted by a biasing force of the first biasing member in an exposure operation; and a second actuator causing the trailing shutter to move from a position to recede from the opening to a position to close the opening against a biasing force of the second biasing member in the exposure operation, wherein drive torque of the first actuator is smaller than that of the second actuator.

Abstract: A focal-plane shutter includes: a mechanical portion including: a board including an opening; and a leading blade and a trailing blade capable of opening and closing the opening; and a leading blade actuator and a trailing blade actuator respectively driving the leading blade and the trailing blade, and respectively including a leading blade coil and a trailing blade coil, wherein a current value flowing through at least one of the leading blade coil and the trailing blade coil is adjusted such that one of variations in a leading blade run-up period and a trailing blade run-up period depending on a temperature change corresponds to the other one.

Abstract: An image pickup device includes: an image pickup element; a control portion sequentially resetting charge stored in the image pickup element for every pixel line in a predetermined direction such that an electronic leading blade moves in a simulated manner; and a focal plane shutter.

Abstract: In a camera, a first cam is rotated to assume a rotational phase at which drive of a first shutter blade set with a first drive force is not hindered and a second drive force charge cam face in contact with a second charge member charges a second drive force as a rotating shaft is caused to rotate to a first rotational phase. A second drive force charge cam in contact with the second charge member sustains a second drive force charging state period in which the shaft in the first rotational phase rotates to a second rotational phase. A first drive force charge cam face in contact with the first charge member charges the first drive force and the second cam face in contact with the second charge member charges the second drive force as the shaft rotates from the first rotational phase to the second rotational phase.

Abstract: A focal plane shutter for cameras includes: a shutter blade assembly; an electromagnet assembly; driving means that includes a mounting member mounted with an iron scrap member that cooperates with an iron core member of the electromagnet assembly; and a setting member that operates the driving means to a set position. The iron scrap member includes a shaft fitted in a mounting hole of the mounting member, an iron scrap portion provided at one end of the shaft and brought into contact with the iron core member, and a removal preventing flange provided at the other end of the shaft, a collar member is fitted to the shaft between the mounting hole and the flange, an edge of the mounting hole is formed to have an arcuate surface protruding toward the collar member, and the collar member is formed to have, on the edge side, an arcuate surface protruding toward the flange and substantially perpendicular to the arcuate surface.

Abstract: In a camera, the first cam is rotated to assume a rotational phase at which drive of the first shutter blade set with the first drive force is not hindered and the second drive force charge cam face in contact with the second charge member charges the second drive force as the rotating shaft is caused to rotate to a first rotational phase. The second drive force charge cam in contact with the second charge member sustains a second drive force charging state during a transition period in which the rotating shaft in the first rotational phase rotates to a second rotational phase. The first drive force charge cam face in contact with the first charge member charges the first drive force and the second drive force charge cam face in contact with the second charge member charges the second drive force as the rotating shaft is caused to rotate from the first rotational phase to the second rotational phase.

Abstract: A focal plane shutter for cameras includes: a shutter blade assembly; an electromagnet assembly; driving means that includes a mounting member mounted with an iron scrap member that cooperates with an iron core member of the electromagnet assembly; and a setting member that operates the driving means to a set position. The iron scrap member includes a shaft fitted in a mounting hole of the mounting member, an iron scrap portion provided at one end of the shaft and brought into contact with the iron core member, and a removal preventing flange provided at the other end of the shaft, a collar member is fitted to the shaft between the mounting hole and the flange, an edge of the mounting hole is formed to have an arcuate surface protruding toward the collar member, and the collar member is formed to have, on the edge side, an arcuate surface protruding toward the flange and substantially perpendicular to the arcuate surface.

Abstract: A focal plane shutter for cameras includes: a shutter blade assembly; an electromagnet assembly; driving means that includes a mounting member mounted with an iron scrap member that cooperates with an iron core member of the electromagnet assembly; and a setting member that operates the driving means to a set position. The iron scrap member includes a shaft fitted in a mounting hole of the mounting member, an iron scrap portion provided at one end of the shaft and brought into contact with the iron core member, and a removal preventing flange provided at the other end of the shaft, a collar member is fitted to the shaft between the mounting hole and the flange, an edge of the mounting hole is formed to have an arcuate surface protruding toward the collar member, and the collar member is formed to have, on the edge side, an arcuate surface protruding toward the flange and substantially perpendicular to the arcuate surface.

Abstract: In a camera, the first cam is rotated to assume a rotational phase at which drive of the first shutter blade set with the first drive force is not hindered and the second drive force charge cam face in contact with the second charge member charges the second drive force as the rotating shaft is caused to rotate to a first rotational phase. The second drive force charge cam in contact with the second charge member sustains a second drive force charging state during a transition period in which the rotating shaft in the first rotational phase rotates to a second rotational phase. The first drive force charge cam face in contact with the first charge member charges the first drive force and the second drive force charge cam face in contact with the second charge member charges the second drive force as the rotating shaft is caused to rotate from the first rotational phase to the second rotational phase.

Abstract: An electromagnetic actuator includes a rotor rotatable within a predetermined angular range, a magnetizing coil, and a yoke having an arcuate surface facing the rotor, and first and second magnetic-pole parts that have mutually different magnetic poles upon energizing the coil. The rotor includes a magnetized rotor part defining the outer peripheral surface of the rotor and magnetized to have different magnetic poles, a non-magnetized driving pin rotatable with the magnetized rotor part, and a protrusion part protruding radially from the rotor and facing the first or second magnetic-pole part while being magnetized to have the same magnetic pole as the outer peripheral surface of the rotor. The surface of the rotor that faces the yoke and that exerts a magnetic action is increased due to the inclusion of the protrusion part, and hence a desired maintaining force and driving torque can be obtained.

Abstract: A shutter device, which is capable of achieving power-saving when holding a shutter opening in an open state for a long time by mechanically inhibiting an operation of a second light shielding plate in a direction to close the shutter opening, is provided. The shutter device has a second light shielding plate locking member 37 displaceable to a locking position to inhibit a shutter opening closing operation of the second light shielding plates 10 to 13 and an unlocking position to allow the shutter opening closing operation of the second light shielding plates. The second light shielding plate locking member displaces to the locking position at a point of time when first light shielding plates 2 to 5 fully open the shutter opening, and displaces to the unlocking position immediately before the second light shielding plates start running.

Abstract: A shutter device includes a first light-blocking unit; a second light-blocking unit; a supporting member; and a charging member. The shutter device has a simple structure that does not require a designated interlocking mechanism between the shutter device and an external unit, and that allows the second light-blocking unit to be maintained in a state where a shutter aperture portion is open without having to hold the second light-blocking unit electrically. The supporting member is protrudable into a movement path of the second light-blocking unit to maintain the second light-blocking unit in a state where the shutter aperture portion is open. The supporting member protrudes into or recedes from the movement path of the second light-blocking unit in response to a movement of the charging member, which is provided for charging the first and second light-blocking units.

Abstract: A focal-plane shutter for digital still cameras includes a first blade covering an exposure aperture only immediately before an exposure operation is performed; a driving member for the first blade having an iron piece member, actuated in an exposure operation; an electromagnet for the first blade for attracting and retaining the iron piece member of the driving member for the first blade and actuating the driving member for the first blade; a cocking member for the first blade, actuating the driving member for the first blade when actuated from the initial position to the cocked position and actuated from the cocked position to the initial position only immediately after the current is supplied to the electromagnet for the first blade; a second blade covering the exposure aperture when the power is turned off and immediately after the exposure operation is completed; a driving member for the second blade having an iron piece member, actuated in the exposure operation; an electromagnet for the second blade fo

Abstract: A shutter for a photographic camera, having a first and a second pretensioned shutter curtain which are respectively retained in the tensioned state by a first and a second pivotably mounted retaining latch (7, 11) in interaction with a first and second curtain latch (3, 4), the first retaining latch (7) being coupled to a camera release for enabling release of the first curtain, and the second retaining latch (11) being coupled to a release device, which is controlled as a function of the release of the first curtain, for enabling release of the second curtain, wherein the first and second retaining latches (7, 11) are respectively assigned first and second movement-releasing active surfaces (9, 10; 13, 14) which are each coupled either to a mechanically controlled or an electronically controlled curtain-release enabling arrangement.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for preventing the deviation of a focal plane shutter are disclosed. The apparatus has a back cover switch, a control unit and a shutter driver. The apparatus and method prevents the deviation of the focal plane shutter blade by opening the focal plane shutter when a back cover opens. The focal plane shutter is restored to an initial focal plane shutter state after the back cover is closed.

Abstract: A shutter device having a first light blocking structure arranged to initiate an exposure and a second light blocking structure arranged to terminate the exposure, includes a first energy storage element arranged to store electric energy for causing the first light blocking structure to start operating, a second energy storage element arranged to store electric energy for causing the second light blocking structure to start operating, and a charging control circuit arranged to effect control of charging of the first energy storage element and the second energy storage element, wherein the charging control circuit varies the control of charging in accordance with a set exposure time.