Camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11960194-B2
Application number	US-202218063682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2022
Priority date	Dec 14, 2021
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

A camera includes a viewfinder portion causing a frontward field of view to be visible through a viewfinder, and a drive lever rotatable about a shaft. An operation cylinder operable to extend and contract an extendable unit includes a guide surface extending in a circumferential direction and a recess adjacent to the guide surface. The drive lever includes an actuation portion that comes in contact with the guide surface of the operation cylinder. The camera further includes an urging member urging the actuation portion in the drive lever, a prism that changes a direction of a field of view visible through the viewfinder portion, and a prism guide lever rotatable about a shaft. The prism guide lever includes a prism holder holding the prism, and a follower gear meshing with a drive gear in the drive lever. The prism holder is placeable into the viewfinder portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera, comprising:
a housing having a front surface with a viewfinder;
a frame accommodated in the housing;
a lens barrel accommodating at least one lens, the lens barrel including
a stationary cylinder including a base fastened to the frame and a cylindrical wall extending in an axial direction from the base,
an extendable unit located radially inward from the cylindrical wall of the stationary cylinder, the extendable unit being extendable in the axial direction, and
an operation cylinder rotatable relative to the stationary cylinder without moving in the axial direction to extend and contract the extendable unit, the operation cylinder including a guide surface extending in a circumferential direction and a lever drive adjacent to the guide surface in the circumferential direction, the lever drive having an outer diameter different from an outer diameter of the guide surface;

a viewfinder portion causing a frontward field of view to be visible through the viewfinder in the housing;
a drive lever rotatable about a first shaft, the drive lever including
an actuation portion configured to come in contact with the guide surface of the operation cylinder, and
a drive gear including a plurality of teeth;

an urging member urging the actuation portion in the drive lever toward the guide surface of the operation cylinder;
a prism configured to change a direction of a field of view visible through the viewfinder portion; and
a prism guide lever rotatable about a second shaft, the prism guide lever including
a prism holder holding the prism, the prism holder being placeable into the viewfinder portion, and
a follower gear including a plurality of teeth meshing with the plurality of teeth in the drive gear in the drive lever.

2. The camera according to claim 1 , wherein
the lever drive in the operation cylinder is a recess adjacent to the guide surface.

3. The camera according to claim 1 , wherein
the prism includes
a first lens surface,
a peripheral edge located outward from the first lens surface,
at least one boss extending in a first direction from the peripheral edge,
a second lens surface opposite to the first lens surface in the first direction, and
at least one projection protruding in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and in the first direction from the peripheral edge,

the prism holder in the prism guide lever includes
a side wall surrounding the prism, and
a facing portion extending inward from the side wall and facing the peripheral edge of the prism,

the facing portion in the prism holder has at least one insertion hole to receive the at least one boss in the prism, and
the facing portion and the side wall of the prism holder have an engagement hole engaged with the at least one projection in the prism.

4. The camera according to claim 3 , wherein
the at least one boss in the prism includes a pair of bosses located on both sides of the first lens surface in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and to the second direction.

5. The camera according to claim 4 , wherein
the peripheral edge of the prism includes an extension being a portion with a width enlarged in the third direction, and
the pair of bosses are located on the extension in the peripheral edge.

6. The camera according to claim 3 , wherein
the at least one projection in the prism includes a plurality of projections adjacent to each other.

7. The camera according to claim 3 , wherein
the peripheral edge and the first lens surface of the prism have a step between the peripheral edge and the first lens surface.

Assignees

• Nidec Copal Corp

Inventors

• MURAMATSU Mami

Classifications

• G03B17/12 Primary

  with means for supporting objectives, supplementary lenses, filters, masks, or turrets · CPC title

• G03B5/00

  Adjustment of optical system relative to image or object surface other than for focusing · CPC title

• G03B13/10

  adjusting viewfinders field · CPC title

• G03B13/14

  to compensate for parallax due to short range · CPC title

• G03B17/04

  collapsible, foldable or extensible, e.g. book type · CPC title