Camera and mechanical timer mechanism
US5926660A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 30, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jul 20, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 30, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03B17/40
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A camera includes a camera body, a shutter release, a timer, and a timer release arm. The shutter release is disposed in the camera body and is movable from a stopped position to a released position. The shutter release is biased toward the released position. The mechanical timer includes: a spring, a winder, a gear train, an escapement, and a linkage. The winder is mechanically connected to the spring and is movable into a wound position to load the spring. The gear train includes input, output, and intermediate gear units. The input gear unit is driven by the spring. The intermediate gear unit is disposed in mechanical sequence between the input and output gear units. The intermediate gear unit has a lower mechanical advantage in the sequence, relative to the input and output gear units. The escapement is driven by the output gear unit. The linkage is coupled to the gear train for movement with the gear train between start an end configurations. The linkage has a stop disposed to arrest the shutter release when the linkage is in the start configuration and the shutter release is in the stopped position. The stop is free of the shutter release when the linkage is in the end config…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.