JPS6191637A - Motor-driven winding-up device for camera with battery warning function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To check whether or not a battery has enough capacity for winding during winding-up operation and generate a warning by comparing a signal for detecting a count number required for the film winding-up operation with a signal of reference time by a comparing part. CONSTITUTION:A motor M which winds up a film begins to rotate with the driving signal (a) of a motor driving signal generation part B2. A rotation time detection part B7 inputs the signal (a) and a stop signal (d) from a stop signal generating part B5; the signal (a) indicates the start of the rotation of the motor and the signal (d) indicates the completion of the winding-up operation. Then, a necessary time value signal (e) based upon the count value between both signals is outputted to the comparing circuit B8. The reference time of winding-up operation is inputted from a reference time generating part and compared by the comparing part; when the value of the signal (e) is larger, a decision on a drop in the voltage of the battery is made and its warning is displayed on a display part B11. Therefore, the battery voltage is checked accurately during winding-up operation, a confusing display resulting from a temporary voltage drop is eliminated, and automatic detection is performed on every winding-up operation, so trouble is eliminated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Technical Field The present invention relates to an electric winding device for a camera that has a function to warn of a decrease in battery voltage (or power), and more specifically, to It has a built-in motor that rotates when it receives a winding start signal from the camera, and the rotational force of the motor is transmitted to the camera's winding mechanism via a coupling means to wind the film. The present invention relates to an electric camera winding device which is equipped with a battery warning function.

(b) Prior art In general, electric hoisting devices (hereinafter referred to as hoisting devices) are:
The camera and winding device can now be attached by screwing a tightening screw with the same external thread as the tripod screw into the tripod screw hole provided on the bottom of the camera from the winding device side and tightening. There is. With this attachment, the driving coupler on the winding device side and the driven coupler on the camera side are engaged, and an electrical connection is made between the winding device and the camera, so that, for example, film winding can be started from the camera side. A signal (exposure operation end signal), a film winding completion signal, etc. are transmitted to control the start and stop of the motor of the winding device.

By the way, in this type of winding device equipped with a motor that serves as a driving source for operations such as winding the film (rewinding the film in some cases) and charging the shutter, the battery voltage is consumed.

If the value falls below a predetermined value due to functional deterioration at low temperatures, normal winding operation becomes impossible. For example, the winding of the film may be stopped midway, making it impossible to release the shirt, resulting in the inconvenience of missing a valuable photographic opportunity. Furthermore, although the winding device is generally capable of continuous photographing, a drop in battery voltage causes the rotational speed of the motor to decrease, resulting in the inconvenience that a predetermined number of photographs cannot be taken within a predetermined time.

As a method of checking battery voltage for cameras,
Conventionally, a battery voltage determination circuit, a display element, a battery check switch, etc. are provided, and the battery check switch is closed either by independent operation or, in the case of a camera, in conjunction with the shutter release operation, and the determination is made by closing the battery check switch in conjunction with the shutter release operation. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A battery check device is widely used, which is configured so that the battery voltage before operation of a camera or the like (before photographing) can be checked in advance by displaying a response of a display element based on a circuit.

In this way, in the case of a method that checks in advance before operating a camera, etc., there is a problem that even if the voltage is higher than the reference value before operation, it is not possible to know that the voltage has fallen below the reference value during operation. be. In order to deal with this problem, there is a system in which a battery check can be performed even while the camera shutter is operating, but when this system is applied to a winding device, the following problem occurs. In other words, since the film winding device uses a motor to wind the film, charge the shutter, raise and lower the movable reflector, etc., the battery voltage temporarily drops due to rush current when the motor starts rotating. The battery check display temporarily disappears or is displayed incorrectly. In other words, even though the battery has sufficient capacity, the battery check device displays a misleading display due to a temporary voltage drop due to the causes mentioned above, which not only confuses the user, but also makes it difficult to replace the battery. There is also a possibility that batteries that are still usable may be discarded.

<c> Purpose The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to determine whether or not the battery has enough power to wind the film when the built-in motor operates to wind the film. This eliminates misleading indications due to temporary voltage drops, which can be a problem in that case, and properly determines when the battery power falls below the limit necessary to advance the film. An object of the present invention is to provide an electric winding device for a camera that has a battery warning function that can warn that the battery voltage has decreased.

(d) (Ministry) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a system in which, when the camera is attached to the camera, a winding start signal is generated from the camera, and the winding starts rotating in response to the engagement of battery power. In the electric winding device for a camera, the rotating member is rotationally driven by the motor. rotation time detection means for detecting the time required for the film to rotate by a predetermined angle and outputting a corresponding required time value signal; a reference time generating means for determining the time required for the member to rotate by the predetermined angle as a scheduled time and generating a reference value signal corresponding to the scheduled time; and a reference time generating means for generating a reference value signal corresponding to the scheduled time; a comparison means for outputting a battery voltage drop signal when the voltage exceeds a predetermined value; and a display means for warning that the battery power has fallen below a predetermined value when receiving the battery voltage drop signal from the comparison means. It is characterized by the following:

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view mainly showing the jN configuration of an embodiment of the hoisting drive force transmission system of the hoisting device according to the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a drive coupler as a rotational force coupling means, and when a winding device is attached to the bottom of the camera, a driven coupler (not shown) drives the film winding mechanism, shutter charging mechanism, etc. on the camera side. ) is bitten (or engaged) with the nail 1a. Reference numeral 2 designates a rotating shaft of the drive coupler 1, on one end of which the drive coupler I is screwed, and on the other end a semicircular gear 3 is fixed.

The amount of rotation of the rotating shaft 2 is limited by a stopper pin 4 implanted in the rotation range of the semicircular gear 3. Reference numeral 5 denotes a return spring that is wound around the rotating shaft 2, and has one end hung on a pin 6 and the other end fixed to the rotating shaft 2 side. The arrow direction of the rotating shaft 2 shown in the figure indicates the winding direction of the film, and the return spring 5 is charged when the rotating shaft 2 is rotated in the direction of the arrow. The rotating shaft 2 is rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow, and a part of the semicircular gear 3 is brought into contact with the stopper pin 4. A gear 7 is meshed with the semicircular gear 3, and is integrally formed at the intermediate portion of the cylindrical boss portion 8. A rotating shaft 9 is located at the center of the boss portion 8.
is loosely fitted. A sun gear 10 is fixed to a rotating shaft 9 that passes through the boss portion 8 and projects above the boss portion 8, and a planetary gear 11 is meshed with the sun gear 10. Reference numeral 13 denotes a connecting plate, one end of which is rotatably fitted with the rotating shaft 9 of the sun gear 10 with some frictional force, and the planetary gear 1 is connected to the other end of the connecting plate.
1 shaft 12 is attached, and the planetary gear 11 is configured to rotate around the sun gear 10 by a predetermined angle as the sun gear 10 rotates. 14 is a clutch upper plate that is integrally fitted and fixed to the lower part of the boss portion 8;
is a clutch lower plate provided parallel to the lower side of this clutch upper plate 14. The clutch upper plate 14 and the clutch lower plate 15 are pivotally connected to each other by a common shaft 16 implanted on the clutch lower plate 15 so as to be rotatable by a predetermined angle. A clutch spring 17 is wound around the lower boss portion 8 of the gear 7, and one end of the clutch spring 17 is connected to a pin 18 implanted on the clutch upper plate 14.
The other end is hooked to a pin 19 planted on the clutch lower plate 15.

The clutch spring 17 subdivides the clutch lower plate 15 from the clutch upper plate 14 in the clockwise direction in the figure with the common shaft 16 as the center of rotation. Further, a rotation limiting pin 20 is implanted on the clutch lower plate 15, and this rotation limiting pin 20 is formed on the clutch upper plate 14 and has a protrusion 14a formed at a predetermined interval. Alternatively, by colliding with 14b, the amount of rotation of the clutch lower plate 15 relative to the clutch upper plate 14 is regulated. Reference numeral 21 denotes a roller inserted into a socket 22 planted on the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the clutch lower plate 15. Reference numeral 23 denotes a plate-shaped cam that is inserted through and fixed to the rotating shaft 9, and the rollers 21 of the clutch lower plate 15 are pressed against the cam surface 23a of the outer periphery of the cam 23 in such a direction that they are always in contact with the cam surface 23a. A portion of this cam surface 23a protrudes in the radial direction, and the curvature is compared so that it is continuous with a gentle slope 23b whose curvature gradually increases as the cam 23 rotates in one direction (in this case, reverse rotation). It has a steep slope 23c that rapidly decreases,
The roller 21 slides or rolls on such a cam surface 23a. 24 is a large gear that is fitted and fixed to the rotating shaft 9 from below the cam 23, and 25 is a small gear meshed with this large gear.

26 is a rotating shaft fixed to the small gear 25, and is connected to the drive shaft of the motor via a speed reduction mechanism (not shown). 27 is a position detection board that is disposed on the fixed member below the large gear 24 and detects the rotational position of the large gear 24;
On the position detecting board 27, conductive patterns 28a, 28b, and 28c concentric with the large gear 24 are formed as shown. Two forked brushes 29a and 29b are disposed on the lower surface side of the large gear 24 as a rotating member that is rotationally driven by a motor. The brush 29b is always in sliding contact with the conductive pattern 28c.

Next, the operation of the hoisting drive force transmission system configured as described above will be explained.

First, when the motor control circuit, which will be described later, is set to normal rotation mode and the motor is driven in the winding direction from the state shown in FIG.
5 rotates. A large gear 24 is meshed with the small gear 25, and the rotation of the small gear 25 is decelerated and the cam 23 integrated with the large gear 24 is rotated. The cam 23 suppresses the roller 21 by a steep slope 23c of the cam surface 23a, and rotates the clutch lower plate 15 clockwise. Accordingly, the common shaft 1 where the clutch upper plate 14 is connected to the clutch lower plate 15
6 and the rotation limiting pin 20 in contact with the protruding portion 14a, the gear 7 is rotated clockwise, and therefore the gear 7 integrated with the clutch lower plate 14 also rotates. When gear 7 rotates clockwise,
The semicircular gear 3 meshed with the gear 7 rotates counterclockwise to rotate the drive coupler l. The driving coupler 1 drives the subblock 1 to winding mechanism such as a film take-up spool and a shutter charging mechanism through a driven coupler provided on the camera side (not shown) to wind the film and charge the shutter. At the point when the film has been wound by the length of the film, on the camera side, for example, rotation of the sprocket in the winding direction is forcibly prevented. Then, when the motor attempts to further rotate the rotating shaft 2, the rollers 21 overcome the force of the clutch spring 17 and climb over the steep slope 23c of the cam 23. When the roller 21 climbs over the steep slope 23c, the clutch lower plate 15 no longer receives the driving force of the motor, so the rotation shaft 2 is rotated clockwise by the return spring 5 that was stored during film winding, and the semicircular gear 3 The end of the stopper pin 4 comes into contact with the stopper pin 4 (the second
condition shown). At this time, the rotation of the motor is controlled by the large gear 24.
A brush 29a disposed at the bottom of the brush 29a.

For example, when the brush 29a and the conductive pattern 28a are in contact, the motor is driven, and when the brush 29a and the conductive pattern 28b are in contact, a motor stop signal is issued. More than,
This is a description of the configuration and operation of the electric hoisting device, centering on the hoisting drive force transmission system that reduces the rotation of the motor and transmits the rotational force to the drive coupler, which is the rotational force coupling means.

Next, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the basic implantation of one embodiment of the present invention. Also, Figure 3.

2 shows a timing chart of signals a to e output from each section in the same embodiment.

On the camera side in FIG. 1, the front curtain of the shutter first moves by shutter release, and then, after a proper exposure time has elapsed, the rear curtain of the shutter stops running, thereby completing the film exposure operation. When this exposure operation is completed, a winding start signal of L (low level) is output from the winding start signal generating section B1 to the winding device side via a common contact S with the winding device. On the other hand, on the winding device side, the motor drive signal generating section B2 receives the L winding start signal and outputs the H (high level) motor drive signal a to the motor drive section B3. At this time, the motor drive unit B3 supplies a motor forward rotation signal of H to the motor M,
The forward rotation of the motor M is started. When the motor M rotates, the brush 29b shown in the second figure slides on the conductive pattern 28c, and although the brush 29a is initially on the conductive pattern 28b, it soon begins to slide with the conductive pattern 28a. These brushes 29a, 29b and conductive patterns 28a-28
c is set corresponding to the film winding angle and constitutes one-rotation position detecting means (position detecting section B4 shown in FIG. 1). That is, when the brush 29a comes into contact with the conductive pattern 28a due to the rotation of the motor M, a rotational position signal C of H is output from the rotational position detection section B4 to the stop signal generation section B5.
However, since the stop signal generating section B5 does not output the down edge stop signal d to the motor drive signal generating section B2, the rotation of the motor M is continued. At this time, in FIG. 2, the roller 21 is suppressed by the steep slope 23c of the cam 23, causing both the lower clutch plate 15 and the upper clutch plate 14 to rotate, and this rotation causes the drive coupler 1 to rotate.
rotates and winding of the film begins.

Next, when the winding of the film is completed, the brush 29a comes into contact with the conductive pattern 28b, and the rotational position signal C from the rotational position detection section B4 becomes L, which causes it to stop (as it is given to the H signal generation section B5, it stops). The signal generating section B5 outputs the stop signal d to the motor drive (R number generating section B2) and simultaneously outputs it to the brake signal generating section B6.

As a result, the motor drive signal a from the motor drive signal generating section B2 and the motor normal rotation signal from the motor drive section B3 are L, that is, the power supply to the motor M is cut off. However, since the motor M tries to rotate further due to inertia, the contact position of the roller 21 changes from the steep slope 23c of the cam 23 to the gentle slope (downward slope in the rotation direction in this case) 23b side, and the cam 23 rotates further. be done.

Since the roller 21 is not loaded at the part where it contacts the gentle slope 23b of the cam 23, the clutch lower plate 15, the clutch upper plate 14, the gear 7, the semicircular gear 3, and the rotating shaft 2, to which the roller 21 is attached, The return spring 5 reverses the semicircular gear 3 to the position where it contacts the stopper pin 4 (starting position) and stops. Furthermore, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the stop signal d changes from H to L, the brake signal generator B6 applies a brake signal of I to the base of the transistor Tr via the resistor R to turn on the transistor Tr. Since the collector and emitter of this transistor Tr are connected to both poles of the motor M,
is shunted and the brakes are forcibly applied to stop the vehicle. Then, when the motor M stops, the brush 29a is in contact with the conductive pattern 28b, and the cam 23 has a steeply inclined surface 23c on the roller so that the next winding can be carried out without delay from the start of the motor M. It is stopped at a position close to 21.

On the other hand, the rotation time detecting section B7 is composed of, for example, a digital counter, and the rotation time detecting section B7 is composed of, for example, a digital counter, and the rotation time detecting section B7 is composed of a digital counter.
Time counting (for example, clock pulse counting) is started from the time when the motor drive signal a changes from the start of rotation of the motor M, and the stop signal from the stop signal generator B5 changes from l-1 to L. The time count ends when the signal d is received, that is, when the winding of the film is completed. It outputs a required time value signal e corresponding to the time t required for the cam 23 or large gear 24) to rotate by a predetermined angle (in this case, an angle approximately corresponding to film winding). This required time value signal e is applied to one input terminal of the comparator B8. The other input terminal of this comparison section B8 receives the output signal from the reference time generation section B9, that is, assuming that the minimum necessary power for film winding remains in the battery (not shown). , the time required for the rotating members (in this case, the brushes 29a and 29b) to rotate through the predetermined angle (in this case, the angle at which the rotating member rotates from the start of the motor M until the film winding is completed) is determined in advance; A reference value signal corresponding to scheduled time T+ (hereinafter referred to as scheduled time of cylinder 1) is input. Further, when receiving the test start signal from the test start signal generation unit BIO, the reference time generation unit B9 responds to the scheduled time T2 (hereinafter referred to as the scheduled time of cylinder 2) which is shorter than the first scheduled time T1. The signal is output to comparison section B8. Incidentally, this test start signal generating section BIO is composed of a test switch member used when checking the battery without attaching the winding device to the camera, and the test start signal causes the motor drive signal generating section B2 to drive the motor. The motor drive signal a is output to part B3 and the motor M is rotated. In this case, since the load of charging the shutter mechanism and movable mirror mechanism on the camera side and winding the film is not applied to the motor M, the second scheduled time T2 is less loaded than the first scheduled time T+ and the winding speed is increased. It is set shorter as it increases. Comparison section B8 is
The required time value corresponding to the time t from the rotation time detection section B7 is set to the first reference value or the second reference corresponding to the first scheduled time T1 or the second scheduled time T2 from the reference time generating section B9. When the voltage exceeds the first reference value or the second reference value, the battery voltage drop signal is displayed on the display section Bl.
Output to l. When the display unit BIO receives the battery voltage drop signal from the comparison unit B7, it displays a message indicating that the battery voltage has dropped below the required voltage using a liquid crystal, a light emitting element such as a light emitting diode, or a sounding element such as a piezoelectric buzzer via a driver circuit. Displays a warning for a certain period of time. The display method is
For example, if the time t required for the motor M to wind up the film is longer than the first or second scheduled time T1 or T2, it is determined that the battery voltage is lower than the required value, and the light emitting diode, etc. Performs a blinking display.

According to the embodiment constructed and operated as described above, the following advantages can be obtained.

That is, the brush 29 rotationally driven by the motor M
Only the time t required for the large gear 24 to which gears a and 29b are attached to rotate over a predetermined angular range from the start of rotation of the motor M to the completion of film winding by the winding device and the minimum amount of power remaining for film winding is required. Since this method compares the scheduled time T+ or T2 when it is assumed that the motor M rotates in the same way with a battery that is not loaded, it is possible to accurately check the battery voltage (or power) under the actual load condition. Even if the rush current voltage drops temporarily at the start of rotation or when a sudden load is applied, there is no risk that the battery capacity will be immediately determined to be insufficient and an incorrect display will be given.

Therefore, it is possible to completely eliminate the situation where batteries that can still be used are discarded due to incorrect display as in conventional devices. When checking the battery, the battery is automatically checked every time the film is wound without manually operating a check button or the like, so it is possible to eliminate the need to forget to perform a check operation or to avoid troublesome operations.

Furthermore, as can be seen from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and the block diagram and timing chart shown in FIG. 3, each block is processed only with H or L digital signals, in other words.

Since all circuits can be configured with digital circuits, circuit configuration and adjustment are easy and accurate battery checks can be performed.

Also, if the winding device is not attached to the camera,
By applying the test start signal from the test start signal generation section B9 to the motor drive signal generation section B2,
While driving the motor M, the time required during the winding operation of the rotating member rotationally driven by the motor M is detected, and similarly, the time required and the second scheduled time T2, which is shorter than the first scheduled time T1, are calculated. Through the comparison, it can be determined by the display means whether or not more than a predetermined amount of power remains in the battery. In this case, the reference time generating section B9 supplies a reference value signal corresponding to the second scheduled time T2 to the comparing section using the test start signal, and loads (torque required for film winding, shutter charging, etc.) to drive the camera side. Since the reference value is changed by the amount that is reduced, it is possible to check the battery even with the winding device alone, and therefore the film winding operation can be performed without actually shooting (winding the film involves shooting the film). It is possible to predict whether or not this can be done properly.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, as explained in the embodiment, the motor drive signal a and the stop signal d are input to the rotation time detection section B7, but the rotation position signal C output from the rotation position detection section B4 is inputted to the rotation time detection section B7. The up edge and down edge may be processed and input as appropriate. The shape of the conductive pattern constituting the rotational position detection section B4 is as follows.
It is not limited to a pattern that is output continuously for a certain period of time like the rotational position signal C shown in the figure, but it may also be a pattern that repeats on/off in short cycles, and it is not limited to a combination of a brush and a conductive pattern. It is also possible to replace it with a combination of a rotating slit disk and a projector/receiver, a combination of a magnet and a magnetically sensitive element, etc.

Further, the timing of the signal input to the rotation time detection section B7 does not necessarily have to be as in the embodiment. For example, the timing when the motor M starts to start and becomes a steady transmission, and the timing when the film is wound. An arbitrary point in time before completion may be detected by the rotation position detection section B4, and the signal may be processed as appropriate and applied to the rotation time detection section B7.

Further, the switch member constituting the test start signal generating section B9 is exposed to the outside and operable when the winding device is not attached to the camera, and is hidden by the camera when the device is attached to the camera. It is desirable to configure the device so that it cannot be operated.

With this configuration, the battery can be checked more reliably without erroneous operation.
The mode of displaying ll can be configured such that a light emitting element or a sounding element is driven when the battery power drops below a predetermined value, or it can be configured to actively display an appropriate display when the battery power is above a predetermined value. You can do it like this.

(e) Effects As is clear from the detailed description above, according to the present invention, it is possible to check whether or not the battery has enough power to wind the film during the film winding operation, that is, when an actual load is applied. In addition to completely eliminating misleading indications caused by temporary voltage drops that would otherwise be a problem, it also allows you to check the battery power when it falls below the limit necessary to advance the film. It is possible to provide an electric winding device for a camera that has a battery warning function that can appropriately determine and warn that the battery voltage has decreased.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view mainly showing one configuration of an embodiment of the hoisting drive power transmission system applied to the present invention, and FIG.
This is a timing chart I of each signal in the block diagram of FIG. 1. 1... Drive coupler, 3.7, 10, 11. ．． 24, 25, old... gear, 14
．． 15...Clutch plate, 21...Colo, 23...
Cam, 27...position detection board, 28a-28c, old...conductive pattern, 29a, 29b
......Brush, M...Motor, B1...Hoisting start (No. 3 generation section. B2...Motor drive signal generation section. B3... ...Motor drive section, B4...Rotational position detection section, B5...Stop signal generation section, B6...
Brake signal generation section, B7...Rotation time detection section, B8...Comparison section, B9...Basic time saving generation section, BIO...Test start signal Occurrence part, Bll
...Display section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) When the camera is attached to the camera and receives a winding start signal issued from the camera side, a motor is built in that rotates when supplied with battery power. In an electric camera winding device that winds the film by transmitting the information to a winding mechanism on the side, the time required for a rotating member driven by the motor to rotate by a predetermined angle is detected, and the time required corresponding to the time required for the rotating member to be rotated by the motor is detected. a rotation time detection means for outputting a value signal, and a time required for the rotary member to rotate by the predetermined angle when a predetermined amount of power necessary for film winding is left in the battery as a scheduled time. a reference time generating means for generating a reference value signal corresponding to the reference value; and a comparison means for comparing the required time value of the rotation time detecting means with the reference value and outputting a battery voltage drop signal when the time value exceeds the reference value; An electric winder for a camera having a battery alarm function, further comprising display means for warning that the battery power has fallen below a predetermined value when receiving the battery voltage drop signal from the comparison means. Device.