JPH026A - Common driver for shutter blade and objective lens assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To simultaneously drive both of a shutter mechanism and a focusing mechanism by connecting a lens mechanism and a blade mechanism to a common driving link assembly so as to be coupled/uncoupled. CONSTITUTION: The driving link 116 is fixed to a fixing board 108 so as to be reciprocated and coupled with a lens assembly 110 by a gear rack 122 to be engaged with a gear 124. A shutter blade mechanism is fixed to a walking beam member 74 and these members are arranged so as to be coupled/uncoupled by a latch mechanism 132. At the time of photographing, a solenoid 152 is energized by an exposure timing signal and a focus control timing signal and the lens mechanism 110 is driven by the link 116 and moved to a required focus position. In this state, the link 116 is uncoupled and the shutter mechanism is driven to execute exposure.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a common shutter blade and lens focusing drive for photographic cameras, and more particularly to a drive for single lens reflex cameras using scanning blade type shutters.

Photographic devices that use shutter blade mechanisms in general, and scanning blade shutters in particular, as well as lens mechanisms that are automatically focused by a camera-subject distance defined by a rangefinder, are well known in the art.

A camera that uses a lens mechanism and a scanning blade shutter that responds to a subject distance signal determined by a rangefinder is described in, for example, G. La Rocaue, March 11, 1980. No. 4,192,587 entitled "Balanced Fill Flash" by et al.

For convenience, the disclosure of the U. Roku et al. patent is specifically included herein by reference.

The scanning shutter blade mechanism is driven seven times from the hot light blocking position to the maximum aperture forming position and then returned to the S-plane light blocking position one degree during exposure am. Such scanning blade shutter mechanisms generally include a pair of scanning blade shutter elements, each having a main aperture. The shutter blade elements overlap each other in reciprocating motion. This movement drives the main aperture onto phase 1i, creating the effect of increasing and then decreasing the main aperture. The shutter blade mechanism may be permanently activated by a spring and solenoid arrangement as previously shown by U. Rok et al., or e.g.
D. L. Grimes, published on April 20, 1982 (
Microcomputer control including a digitized scanning blade position sensor as shown in U.S. Pat. Always powered by stepper motor
All will be done.

Autofocus cameras of the type described above generally incorporate a motor-driven objective lens mechanism that must be stopped at the appropriate focus position corresponding to a predetermined camera-subject distance. In such cameras, a plurality of lens elements driven by the lens mechanism are arranged to precisely place the lens element at a focal position with respect to a predetermined object distance, such as as shown in the U. It is desirable to include a lens position encoder device that identifies the instantaneous focus position of the lens as it is moved through different focus positions.

In earlier AIi focusing lens cameras that used scanning shutter blades, the objective and shutter blade structures were driven by a common drive that moved the objective and shutter blades sequentially, or by separate shutter blades and lens[! It is driven by a working device. U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,340 to Toyama et al. is an example of such a sequential lens and shutter blade drive, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,199.
No. 244 is an example of a camera that uses separate shutter blades and lens drives. Additionally, an encoder is used to determine the instantaneous focal position of the movable lens element, e.g., as shown in the U.O.R. patent, supra, and the instantaneous blade position of the scanning blade, e.g., as shown in the Grimes patent, supra. When the device is used in such cameras, the prior art teaches the use of separate encoders for each such position sensing function.

Accordingly, one main object of the present invention is to provide a photographic camera capable of driving the movable element of an adjustable focusing lens to a predetermined lens focus position and capable of driving a scanning blade type shutter mechanism during the exposure time. It is to provide a single or common drive.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a common drive system responsive to a rangefinder guidance signal that simultaneously drives both the shutter and focusing mechanisms of a single-lens reflex camera.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable focusing lens.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a single position encoder capable of determining both the instantaneous blade position of a shutter blade mechanism of a camera and the instantaneous focal position of a movable lens element.

Other objects and/or advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent by reference to the preferred embodiments thereof described in detail below.

The present invention provides a single unit capable of actuating the objective lens and shutter or aperture mechanism of an adjustable focus lens camera to a lens focus position corresponding to a predetermined camera-subject distance or other desired focus position, respectively, throughout the exposure time. Or a common drive is provided. The shutter is directly coupled to the common drive and the objective lens mechanism is coupled to the common 111hHM through a drive link assembly. Operation of the common drive first moves the shutter mechanism to its closed, light blocking position and moves the objective lens mechanism coupled thereto by the drive link assembly to a predetermined lens focus position. A drive link assembly (coupled with a device responsive to a signal indicative of the predetermined camera-to-subject distance) includes a drive link assembly (a device coupled to the device responsive to a signal representative of the predetermined camera-to-subject distance) in which the lens mechanism is connected to the predetermined camera-to-subject distance;
When moved to the focal point corresponding to the distance between the subjects,
The drive link is actuated to decouple the objective lens mechanism from the common drive. The common l@ motion subsequently moves the shutter mechanism to its fully closed position before the beginning of film exposure time n. Common li! The drive link assembly connection between the lens mechanism and the objective lens mechanism is restored after the film exposure time, whereby the common drive moves the objective lens mechanism to its initial focal point while moving the shutter to its initial focal position. can be returned to position.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a block diagram 10 of a photographic camera including a preferred embodiment of the combined lens and shutter ffi movement mechanism of the present invention. The camera 10 is of the single-lens reflex type, and the camera has a hub 16 and an opposing focal plane 14.
The housing 12 includes a housing 12 in which the film is supported. A lens assembly or lens mount 18 is placed within the hub 16 and the II 26 is moved from its vertical or viewing position to its horizontal or film exposure position (in phantom view) as functionally shown in FIG. The focal point 11114 is movable in the axial direction 20 to produce a focused image of the subject 22 when the shutter mechanism 24 is activated to produce an exposure time. An example of a single-lens reflex camera of the type described above is U.S. Pat. No. 3,714,879 to Land et al. It is a patent.

The shutter mechanism 24 is controlled by a microcomputer 37 and includes a shutter blade position sensor 36.
It is driven by a shutter/lens driver 30 via a path 32 in response to drive signals from an exposure and focus controller 34 in the loop system. The lens mount 18 is also driven by the shutter/lens drive device f130 via the coupling device 2f38. Combiner 38 is operated between its combined and uncombined states by combiner operator 40 in response to a combiner vase signal from exposure and focus controller 34. Similarly, 1126 is activated by the mirror operator 42 between its viewing and film exposure positions, and the strobe flash 44 is operated by the exposure and focus control device 1.
The light is emitted in response to the mirror position control signal and the flash light emission signal from 34, respectively. The control signals of the combiner operator 40, the mirror operator 42, and the seven rush emission signals from the exposure and focus control device 134 are also under the control of the microcomputer 37.

The microcomputer 37 further responds to multiple inputs.
do. These inputs include a hand start input 46 provided in response to the operator's manual exposure cycle button, and a pre-exposure and exposure FIN scene brightness adjustment input represented by 48; Maguri (H
ugoli et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,626. It is. Micro Combi-1-
The controller 37 stores a plurality of selectable blade trajectory programs as disclosed in Feiner et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,276, and execution of any one trajectory program The distance to the subject determined by the finder and the brightness state within the lens 11 are determined in part automatically by inputs to the microcomputer 37.

The shutter mechanism 24, shown functionally in FIG. 1, is in the form of a scanning shutter blade and is shown in more detail in FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of the scanning blade shutter forming the shutter mechanism 24. Regarding Figure 2,
The shutter mechanism 24 is mounted on the base block 56 mutually! Two overlapping shutters arranged to move
Includes blade elements 52,54. Shutter blade elements 52 and 54 each have a main aperture 5 that admits scene light.
8 and 60, published on March 2, 1976, and included as a special reference in the Water I book by George D.
As disclosed in detail in Ming U.S. Pat. The overall effect is to form a gradual change in the effective aperture opening 62. The effective aperture 62 is varied between a light-blocking position and a non-blocking position for an indeterminate amount of time, and is shown in FIG.
Shown in photo-unblocking position. The main apertures 58.60 are selectively shaped to overlap and form a light entrance exposure aperture 62 in the base block 56, thereby forming said effective aperture 62 of a size that varies as a function of the position of the blade element 52.54. will be distributed.

Pivot pins or studs 64 extending from the base block 56 laterally away from the optical exposure aperture in FIG. are connected in a pivotable and movable manner. The pin 64 may be integrally formed with the base block 56, and the blade elements 52,54 may be secured to the pin 6 by any suitable retaining device.
4 can be held in a bonding relationship. Opposite ends of the blade elements 52 , 54 each include an extension portion 70 that pivotally connects to an opposite end of a walking dome member 74 .
and 72. The walking beam 74 is also integrally constructed with a galvanometer actuator 80 and located at one end of its rotor 78 , and is connected to the actuator 80 .
0 is placed in a fixed position with respect to said base block 56.

In the preferred embodiment, the walking beams 74 are pivotally connected at their distal ends to respective vine blade elements 52.54 by coupling pins 82.84.

Galvanometer actuator 80 provides the driving force necessary to displace scanning shutter blades 52,54 relative to each other and relative to base block 56 over their full aperture-forming operating range. Galvanometer actuator 80 is actually a combination d'Arson-Bart galvanometer and DC motor.

Galvanometer actuator 80 is connected to camera housing 12
It includes a cylindrical permanent magnet 86 made of magnetic segments supported on a cylindrical soft iron support structure placed in a fixed position with respect to (FIG. 1). 0 trochanter 7 with multi-turn coil 88 on top
8 is adapted to rotate within a cylindrical magnet 86 and within the magnetic field of said permanent magnet 86. The rotational force is generated by a multi-turn coil 88 and a rotor 78, the coil 88 having a DC current N of a specific magnitude and direction on the rotor 78 under the control of the microcomputer 37 (FIG. 1). The coil 88 is wound either clockwise or counterclockwise as it is passed through the coil 88 by the exposure and focus control device 34 (FIG. 1). Galvanometer actuator 8
0 has some of the characteristics of an electric motor in that it utilizes the force created by the magnetic field of the current carrying conductor, and also has shutter blade elements 52, 54 between their light blocking and unblocking positions. It has some of the characteristics of a galvanometer in that the rotor does not make one complete revolution when operated to drive a galvanometer.

The shutter blade mechanism 24 includes an analog blade displacement sensing encoder system 36 that continuously monitors the position of the shutter blade elements 52,54 during the exposure time. As shown in Figure 12, the encoder device 3
6 preferably includes laterally extending rectangular and triangular secondary apertures 92.94 formed in and moving with the scanning blades 52.54, respectively. However, the above 2
Other aperture shapes forming sub-apertures may be used. The apertures 92 , 94 collectively form a gradual change in the effective secondary aperture n-port 96 due to simultaneous lateral displacement of the blade element 52 with respect to the blade element 54 .

As shown more clearly in FIG. 3, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG.
It further includes a light emitting diode 98 and a photosensitive diode 100 arranged on opposite sides of the combination (FIG. 4). In this particular arrangement, light emitted by light emitting diode 98 is directed by reflector 102 and lens 104 through effective secondary aperture aperture 096 to photosensitive diode 100 . Light emitting diode 98 is energized prior to the beginning of a film exposure cycle which activates shutter blade mechanism 24. Actuation of the shutter blade 52.54 of said shutter 81m24 by the galvanometer actuator 80 changes the size of the effective secondary aperture opening 96, which in turn is sensed by the charging sensitive surface of the photosensitive diode 100 through the aperture opening 96. Gradually change the amount of light. An electrical signal representing the instantaneous position of the shutter blade element 52,54 in the form of a current is transmitted to a photosensitive diode 100.
The diode 10 corresponds to the amount of light sensed by the diode 10.
Created by 0. This shutter blade position signal is then sent to the shutter blade position W15I encoder 3.
6 via path 106 to exposure and focus M*@ station 34 (FIG. 1).

As shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the lens mounting plate 108 includes a galvanometer actuator 80, a walking beam 74,
and is placed in a fixed position with respect to the camera housing 12 (FIG. 1-) immediately in front of the shutter blades 52, 54. An adjustable focusing lens assembly 110 is placed in a fixed position above the lens plate 108. The lens assembly 100 is connected to the optical axis 1 by a conventional cam ring.
including a front lens element 112 movable along 14;
In this case, it is the image plane 14 (
8 at various locations within the range of the subject distance in Figure 1).
It functions to focus the image of the subject being photographed.

The drive link 116 has a pin 1 extending from the drive link 116 for reciprocating motion with respect to the mounting plate 108.
18A and 118B and through transversely extending elongated slots 120A and 120B, respectively. Drive link 1
A portion of the lower edge of 16 is connected to the smaller tooth 'L' of a combination gear 126 rotatably placed on the lens mounting plate 108.
A gear rack 122 is formed which meshes with J124. The larger gear 128 of the combination gear 126
is in turn engaged with a gear 130 formed around a conventional lens element movement cam ring 131 of lens assembly 110. Latch 132 is mounted at the end of drive link 116 remote from gear rack 122 for rotation about latch axis 134 . latch 132
has a bifurcation or fog slot 136 at one end and a lever foot 138 at the other end. Resisting one rotation of latch 132 about latch axis 134 in direction 140 (
A spring (not shown) is provided, i.e. providing a deflecting force thereon.

Pin 14 exiting from the upper end of walking beam member 74
2 crosses the *ttbt, clearance slot 144 in the mounting plate 108, where it makes a 1111 curved movement. The pin 142 mates with the open slot 136 of the latch 132 and pivots thereon when the walking beam member 74 is attached to the drive link 116 through the latch 132. If latch 132 is rotated in direction 140, slot 136 disengages walking beam pin 142. With slot 136 so removed, further rotational movement of walking beam member 74 is not transmitted to drive link 116 or lens assembly 11 coupled thereto.
0 front lens element 112 as well. Also, if walking beam member 74 is coupled from latch 132 and subsequently moved relative to said latch 132, pin 142 will move out of alignment with said slot 136. FIG. 5C, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line 815-5 in FIG. 4, illustrates such motion. As shown in FIG. 5C, the walking beam 74
The pin 142 emerging from the latch slot 136 moves laterally from the latch slot 136, and the latch 132 is now in its unlatched state, returning the deflection spring force to its initial rotational position and its walking relative to the drive link 116.・What?
The diaper 4 is returned to the rotational position that occurs when it is in the latched state. The latch 132 and walking beam 7
4 is again created in the following manner as further shown in FIGS. 58 and 5C.

i5Arj! Like J, FIGS. 58 and 5C are cross-sectional views taken along line 115-5 of FIG. - In Figure 5B, galvanometer actuator 80 (Figure 4);
First, the pin 14 comes out from the walking beam member 74.
2 towards latch 132. Pin 142 is then driven into camming surface 146 of latch 132, thereby camming a portion of slot 136 of latch 132 outwardly in direction 148 away from mounting plate 108. pin 14
2 continues to move toward latch 132, it eventually becomes aligned with its slot portion 136 as shown in FIG. do not have)
, thereby mechanically coupling the walking beam member 74 to the drive link 116 .

As shown in FIG. 4, an electrically actuated solenoid 152 is fixedly mounted to the lens mounting plate 108, and a pivot link 154 is rotatably mounted to the mounting plate 108 by a pin 156. In addition, [shaped sliding link 158 exits the mounting plate 108 and passes through vertically spanning S-long sliding link slots 162A and 162B, respectively, to pins 160A and 160B for reciprocating vertical movement with respect to the mounting plate 108.
It is attached to the mounting plate 108 by. A pin 164 exiting from one end of the pivot link 154 mates with a slot 166 in a solenoid armature 168 to create a pivot movement therein, and the pivot link 1
The other end of 54 is successively connected to the slide by pin 169.
A pivot U is attached to the lower end of the link 158. An arm 170 of the sliding link 158 at the upper end of the link 158 is attached to the lever foot 138 of the latch 132.
sliding contact with the bottom of the part.

Link arm 170 II always engages sliding link 1 when drive link 116 moves within slots 120A and 120B with respect to said sliding link 158.
58 and latch arm 138. When electric solenoid 152 is energized, armature portion 168 is electromagnetically attracted downwardly, causing pivot link 154 to rotate about pin 156, thereby causing link 158 to move upwardly on support pins 160A, 160B. made to slip. This upward movement of the slide link 158 is directed to the lever arm 1 via the link foot 170.
38 , latch 132 is rotated in direction 140 , thereby decoupling drive link 116 from walking beam member 74 .

5 is a timeline showing the operating order of a standard combination lens and shutter drive with respect to FIGS. FIG. 6 will now be explained in detail. Before starting a standard exposure sequence using the combined lens and shutter drive of the present invention, it should be noted that the shutter mechanism 24 is in its exact position and the walking beam member 74 is connected via the latch 132. It is mechanically coupled to the drive link 116 and that the mirror 26 is in its viewing or blocking position which eliminates any and all scene light reaching the image plane 14.

The lens focusing and film exposure sequence is initiated by operator actuation of hand IJ initiator 46. Manual start equipment! ! Actuation of 46 causes the initial scene brightness condition to be determined by the scene brightness condition determining device 48 and causes the range finder 50 to ultrasonically produce an electrical signal representative of the object distance. As shown in the time line of FIG. 6, the exposure and focus lllIg device 134 is
In response to the MIIl of the microcomputer 37, the prosecutor's office
The front lens element 112 is attached to the illumination actuator 80.
l! 11 link 116 to the focal position determined by the range finder 50;
Generates a lens drive signal. The focal position of lens element 112 is such that blade 52.54 is located at walking beam member 74 and jl! Since it is directly connected to the lens element 112 via the link 116, it is equipped with a shutter blade and encoder! ! 36.

When the lens element 112 of the lens assembly 110 is driven by the galvanometer actuator 80 to the desired focus position just before t2, the solenoid 152 is energized at t2 by the exposure and focus 11111i1f34 to cause the solenoid connector 168 to Downward movement is pivot link 15
4 around pin 156 and move slide link 158 vertically above pins 160A and 160B. The upward movement of the slide link 158 is latched by the arm 170 of the slide link 158.
is transferred to arm 138 of latch 132, thereby
is rotated in the direction 140 &-@ by such slide link 158 'Nlil+', the latch 1
32 is rotated away from walking dome 74. When the latch 132 is released from the drive link 116, the galvanometer actuator 80, moving in the same direction, drives the shutter 8m24 at 13 to its exact same position. It should be noted that the forward section a signal to the galvanometer 80 is interrupted just before t2 or when the lens element 112 reaches the desired focal position WI &: and the walking beam 74 is removed from the drive link 116. Interrupted during decoupling lII.

1126 is the operator 42 and the microcomputer υ
mat3 by control exposure and focus 11m device 34
and t4 to its unblocking position. The shutter mechanism 24, which governs the exposure time, controls the blade aperture size vs. time stored within the microcomputer 37, including the firing of the strobe flash 44 on the S side W11a4 if the sensed lighting conditions require it. It is started at 15 and terminated at t6 by the exposure and focus control device 34 in correspondence with the trajectory program.

Enable 26 is then moved back to its scene light blocking position ffi at the gates 17 and t8, and the combination operator 40
8 by deenergizing the solenoid 152. Furthermore, at t8, the reverse shutter/lens 1@- signal is also microcomputer controlled exposure and focus M@@11
34, whereby the galvanometer actuator 80 is connected to the shutter blade 52.34 in the shutter mechanism.
54 to its open or optical unblocking position.

As galvanometer actuator 80 continues to move the shutter mechanism to its full scene light unblocking position, pin 14 emerges from galvanometer coupling walking beam 74.
2 mates with the camming surface 142 (FIG. 58) of the latch 132 so that the slot 136 created therein pivots outwardly in a direction 148 away from the lens mounting plate 108. When the pins 142 move in the same direction, the decoy t
, the pin 142 is moved into alignment with and overlapping the latch slot 136. When this occurs, the slot end of latch 136 pivots inwardly in direction 150 under the force of a deflection spring (not shown) of latch 132 as walking beam 142 enters slot 136. Ru. At this point, drive link 116 and movable lens element 112 are once again connected to galvanometer actuator 8 via latch 132.
It becomes mechanically coupled to 0. Galvanometer actuator 80 continues to drive shutter mechanism 24 to its exact same position while simultaneously driving the now coupled movable lens element 112 to its initial focus position. At the time. , the shutter mechanism 24 is moved to its exact same position, the movable lens element 112 is moved to its initial focus position, and the shutter/lens ll! from the microcomputer-controlled exposure and focus control system 34 is moved. The motion signal is terminated.

As mentioned above, the blade element of the shutter mechanism is
! A single actuator (galvanometer actuator) is used to simultaneously drive the movable elements of the variable focus lens to the desired focus position, while the shutter blade actuates only a small number of cycles. It should also be noted that, with the exception of pin 142 extending from walking dome 74, movable cord 112 of lens assembly 110
and all of the devices coupling the lens elements to the walking beam 74 are decoupled from the walking beam 74 before the start of the imagewise exposure time. Thus, by decoupling the steel rope 112 from the walking beam 74, the inertial loading of the galvanometer actuator 80 may otherwise change the programmed aperture size versus time scanning blade penetration. is thereby excluded.

From the above description of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention.

The embodiments disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes only;
It is not to be seen as the only embodiment encompassing the invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a photographic camera embodying the combined lens and shutter drive system of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the scanning shutter blade and associated drive system of the present invention. Front view of the l1m structure; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 shows portions thereof removed to reveal structures that would otherwise be hidden. Lenses of the present invention and related lenses! The perspective views of the IA movement mechanism, FIG. 58, FIG. 58, and FIG. 5C are line 5-5 of FIG.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along FIG. 1 to 5Fj
! 1 is a timeline showing the standard operating sequence of various lens and shutter drive related elements in cameras up to J. Explanation of symbols: 10-Camera: 14-Focal plane: 22-Subject = 24-Shutter: 2 Row mirror: 30-Shutter/lens drive system M: 34-Exposure and focus shooting ▽Ij system M: 36-Shutter blade Position encoder = 38 - Coupling device: 40 - Coupling operator: 42 - Reading operator: 44 - Strobe flash: 37 - Microcomputer: 4-row manual starting device: 48 - Scene brightness status determining device: 5.0 - Range finder

Claims (16)

[Claims] (1) a device for forming a focal plane, and an adjustable focusing lens that directs scene light along a given path to said focal plane, the object being placed at various positions within said focal plane within a range of subject distances; a blade mechanism, the lens having a movable element positioned to move over a given working range to adjust the lens to focus an image of Apparatus for mounting the blade mechanism for movement between a blocking arrangement and an unblocking arrangement for preventing transmission into a focal plane, the blade arrangement including at least one blade portion movable during movement of the plate arrangement. means for attaching a blade mechanism; means for detecting each progressive position of said one blade portion and obtaining an electrical signal representative of each such progressive blade position; a drive device operable to move the blade mechanism between the blocking arrangement and the unblocking arrangement; and a drive device operable to move the blade mechanism between the blocking arrangement and the unblocking arrangement; a light blocking member operable between a light blocking position and an unblocking position to separately control scene light directed to the focal plane; and a drive link assembly coupling the movable lens element to the blade mechanism. the drive link assembly operable between a first arrangement in which the lens element is decoupled from the blade mechanism and a second arrangement in which the lens element is coupled to the blade mechanism; The mechanism is first moved into its blocking arrangement in preparation for exposure, then the blade mechanism is moved into its unblocking arrangement and back again to define the exposure time while scene light is directed to the focal plane. an energizable control device for actuating the drive device to cause the subject distance signal and the light blocking member to finally actuate the light blocking member from its light blocking position to its light unblocking position following the exposure time; the drive link assembly during an initial movement of the blade mechanism to decouple the lens element from the blade mechanism when the lens element is placed in a focus position related to a particular object distance in response to a blade position signal; the drive to actuate the light blocking member to the light blocking position and move the blade mechanism to the unblocking position in response to a signal indicating the end of an exposure time; said control device having means for actuating said drive link assembly to said second arrangement thereof coupling said lens element to said blade mechanism to return said movable lens element to its initial position; A photographic camera comprising: (2) the blade mechanism includes a pair of scanning blade shutter elements placed in mutually reciprocating overlapping relationship, each element having a primary aperture therethrough, and the reciprocating movement being incrementally increased; 2. The invention of claim 1, further comprising forming a tapered effective primary aperture to provide an exposure time. (3) The control device controls the desired blade mechanism aperture.
a device for generating an electromagnetic force that induces a current corresponding to a size versus time trajectory curve, and the drive device is a pair of spaced apart permanent magnets of opposite polarity;
the magnet, between which a magnetic field of a predetermined strength is created; a rotor coupled to the blade mechanism; an electric wire coupled to the control device and supported for limited rotation within the magnetic field in response to the current; 2. The invention according to claim 1, further comprising: a rotor having a coil. (4) the device for detecting each progressive position of the one blade includes an encoder aperture positioned to move along a predetermined path in response to movement of the one blade; , an output signal representative of the progressive position of the one blade as the encoder aperture moves along the predetermined path and light emitted by a light emitting device is transmitted through the encoder aperture to a photosensitive device; 2. The invention of claim 1, further comprising: said light emitting device and said photosensitive device spaced apart on opposite sides of said encoder aperture travel path for supplying said encoder aperture. (5) said blade mechanism having a pair of shutter blades, each such blade corresponding to its associated shutter blade extending along a predetermined path in overlapping relationship between said light emitting device and said photosensitive device; an encoder aperture positioned for movement between said shutter blades to grade the amount of light transmitted therebetween, thereby providing an output signal indicative of the relative position of said shutter blades; Invention according to item 4. (6) The invention according to claim 1, wherein the device for generating a subject distance signal representing a subject distance is an ultrasonic range finder. (7) The light blocking member has a light blocking position where it reflects an image of the scene to be photographed for scene composition and focusing purposes, and a reflecting position where it can direct scene light between the lens and the focal plane. The invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the mirror is operable between . (8) said control device includes a device for obtaining electrical signals representative of scene lighting conditions, a device for storing a plurality of different trajectory signal programs defining corresponding blade trajectory curves suitable for different photographic conditions, and responsive to the program of trajectory signals; an apparatus for operating the blade mechanism drive in such a manner that the operation of the coupled blade mechanism is characterized by an aperture size versus time trajectory curve defined by the program of trajectory signals; 2. An apparatus for selecting an appropriate trajectory signal program from said storage device and providing a correlated program of trajectory signals to said blade mechanism drive in response to a lighting condition signal. The invention described. (9) The drive link assembly includes a rotatably mounted combination gear having large and small diameter gear portions, and an edge in the form of a rack gear where the teeth of the gear mesh with the small diameter gear portion of the combination gear. a lens mount for supporting and movably focusing the movable lens element, with gear teeth formed around the periphery, the gear teeth having a diameter of a pin member coupled to the drive member; a pin member coupled to the drive member; and a pin member coupled to the drive member; a latch assembly coupling the drive device to the elongate member, the latch assembly including a latch member pivotally mounted to an end portion of the elongate member having a recess for receiving the pin member; a decoupling condition coupled to the latch member such that the pin member is prevented from entering a recess in the latch member; 2. The invention of claim 1, further comprising: an electrical solenoid operable between a coupling condition and a coupling condition coupled to the elongated member. (10) The invention according to claim 1, wherein the photographic camera is a single-lens reflex camera. (11) a device for forming a focal plane; and an adjustable lens for directing scene light into said focal plane along a given path, said focal plane of a subject at a position determined in accordance with a subject distance signal; an adjustable lens including a movable element movable over a given working range to adjust the lens to focus an image; and a selective passageway to facilitate control of passage of scene light to the focal plane. an exposure control mechanism including at least one blade member movable across the movable lens element; a drive operable to move the blade member along a selected path thereof; and a drive mechanism operable to move the blade member along a selected path thereof; a coupling device coupled to and moving therewith and operable to decouple the lens element from the blade member in response to a second signal; coupling the lens element to the blade member; a device for generating the first signal for moving the blade member along the selected path thereof for movement with the lens element; and a device responsive to the object distance signal; producing the second signal that decouples the lens element from the blade member when the lens element is moved to a suitable position for imaging an object located at a distance represented by the object distance signal; A photographic camera comprising: a device; (12) comprising a device for detecting gradual movement of the blade element and thereby obtaining a blade position signal, the device responsive to the object distance signal being responsive to the blade position signal to obtain a blade position signal; 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising an apparatus for generating the second signal to decouple the lens element when the object distance signal represents sufficient blade movement to move the lens element to its proper position. The invention described. (13) the object distance signal determines the movement of the blade element necessary to move the lens element to the appropriate position according to the object distance, and the device responsive to the object distance signal is selected by the object distance signal; 13. The invention of claim 12, further comprising an apparatus for generating said second signal for decoupling said lens element from said blade element in response to said blade position signal. (14) the blade member is operable to move the blade member from an initial position to a final position and subsequently return to the initial position; The second signal is applied before the blade member is moved from its initial position to displace the lens element from its initial position, and the second signal is applied before the blade member moves from its final position to release the lens element in the focal position. position, and thereafter the first signal is applied while the blade member returns to its initial position so as to return the lens element to its initial position. The invention according to claim 13. (15) an exposure mechanism including a blade member for moving the camera exposure path from an initial position to a final position and back to the initial position; a photographic method for use with a photographic device having an adjustable focusing lens including a lens element movably positioned to form an image of a subject at a distance, the blade element being in its initial position; coupling the lens element to the blade member so that the lens element is in an initial position; moving the blade member to its final position; and focusing the subject at the focal plane of the camera. decoupling the lens element from the blade member during its movement due to the distance of the object from the camera so as to place the lens element in a position to be imaged; and decoupling the lens element in anticipation of subsequent movement of the blade member. rejoining the lens element to the blade member as the blade member is returned to its initial position so as to return the lens element to its initial position. (16) The camera is a single-lens reflex camera, and the camera is operated between an observation mode in which a movable reflective member blocks a photographing path and an exposure mode in which the reflective member is unblocked from the exposure path. and the initial position of the blade member is a fully open position of the exposure mechanism utilized for viewing in a viewing mode of the camera, and the recombination step comprises: coupling the lens element to the blade member as the blade member is moved to its initial position for observation purposes, and the decoupling step includes the step of 16. The method of claim 15, including decoupling the lens element from the blade member as the blade member is moved to its final position.