GB2118314A - Disc camera - Google Patents

Abstract

A disc camera has a hand grip 8 which is retractable to cover shutter button 10 and power switch button 11 at the back of the camera and a flash window (9, Fig 3) at the front of the camera. Eye piece 6 and film loading check window 7 at the back of the camera and the objective (4, Fig 3) and viewfinder (5) at the front of the camera remain uncovered.The grip may be slidable (as shown) or pivotable (Fig 8). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Disc camera This invention relates to cameras.

There has recently been developed a so-called disc camera in which a disc provided with film is rotated within a camera body. Namely, a plurality of film frames are circumferentially arranged at regular intervals along the periphery of the disc and such disc is packed in a standardized cartridge. Upon loading into the camera body, the cartridge is relieved of its light-sealed state and a predetermined frame offilm is reliably aligned with an objective system sothatthe camera is ready for a first photographing operation in response to a shutter release. In this camera, the disc is automatically rotated immediately after each shutter release until the subsequent film frame comes in alignment with the objective system.

Such camera as mentioned above is one example of so-called disc cameras in the prior art, which have been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent No.

4,194,822 and U.S. Patent No. 4,202,614.

The most importantfeatures ofthe disc camera lie in the flat configuration of extremely small thickness and the construction which is optimally suitable for a compact and lightweight camera. Accordingly, such camera is very handyto carry, use and store. It is actually possible to make such a camera sufficiently compact and lightweight, for example, to be carried in a shirt pocket.

However, it is not long since this camera was developed and there are many practical problems to be solved. Of these, some important problems will be enumerated beiow.

(1 )The shutter button comprises an electric switch and has the advantage of being operable with only a slight stroke and light force of depression. However, there is a danger that an erroneous operation may occur. Specifically, the shutter button may be uninten tionaily depressed to actuate the shutter before the user is ready to take a photograph or during storage in a pocket of his or her clothing. Furthermore, in the case of a camera with a built-in flash device, particular ly ofthetype where the flash tube is automatically discharged in response to the shutter release when the luminance of an object to be photographed is lower than a predetermined level, said erroneous operation ofthe shutter button results in not only shutter release but also flash tube discharge, some- times in the pocket.

(2) The disc camera is generallyflat in conformity with the disc to be loaded thereinto and has a thin rectangular shape as seen from the front side. The objective and the flash window ofthe flash discharge device are both arranged on the front side at the right and upper left, respectively, also as seen from the front side. From the viewpoint of construction, therefore, it is difficult in many cases to arrange the shutter button on the upper side of the camera at the left as seen from the front and provision ofthe shutter button on the rear side of the camera would cause erroneous operation since a camera of this type is commonly placed on a table orthe like, front side up. In consequence, itis general to arrangethe shutter button on the upper side approximately in the middle.

However, provision of the shutter button at such a position is not preferable for operation thereof.

(3)The disc camera has a thin and flat configuration as has already been pointed out and is rather unstable when held in the hands for shutter release as all the other miniature cameras have usually been. Namely, the disc camera also is susceptible to movement of the hands when taking a picture.

(4) The disc camera is flatly shaped, so that the viewfinder window and the flash window arranged on the front side are apt to come into contact with other objects and thereby to be scratched or broken. This may often occur when the camera is carried in the user's pockettogetherwith other articles.

The present invention provides a disc camera adapted to receive a disc and to successively expose a plurality offilm frames circumferentially arranged along the periphery of said disc in response to shutter releases, said disc camera comprising a camera body having a shutter button, and a retractable grip adapted to coverthe shutter button when retracted but to allow the shutter button to be operated when extended. This helps to prevent erroneous operation of the shutter button during conveyance, storage or the like.

In the case of a camera with built-in flash device, said grip may be adapted to cover the flash window as weil as the shutter button when the grip is fully retracted so that there may occur neither scratch nor breakageoftheflashwindowduetocontactwith any other objects.

Embodiments ofthe present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. lisa front view of a first disc camera embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a rearview of said camera; Fig. 3 is afrontviewsimilarto Fig. 1 butwith a grip detached; Figs. 4(a) to 4(c) are front, right hand side and plan viewsofthe grip; Fig. 5 is a pian view of said camera; Fig. 6 is a rearview of said camera with the grip stretched out; Fig. 7 is a section taken along a line A-A in Fig. 6 schematically showing the inner construction on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 8 is a rear view of a second disc camera embodying the present invention, with a pivotally mounted grip.

Referring to these figures, reference numeral 1 designates a camera body in the shape of a flat rectangie having a small depth as seen from the front side, reference numeral 2 designates a rear lid and reference numeral 3 designates a knob with which said rear lid may be opened. The rear lid 2 is opened by slidably moving it with said knob 3 to the right as seen in Fig. 1 ,to load a cartridge intothecamera body 1.

Upon closure of the rear lid 2,the cartridge is partially opened and a predetermined frame of film is brought into alignment with the objective system in preparation for exposure. Reference numeral 4 designates an objective, reference numeral 5 designates a viewfinderwindow, reference numeral 6 designates an eyepiece, reference numeral 7 designates a film loading check-up window and reference numeral 8 designates a grip.

The grip 8 is retractably mounted on the camera body 1 and is stretched out downward relative to the camera body 1 in preparation for use ofthe camera.

This grip 8 is substantiallysquare U-shaped in cross-section so asto engage over the camera body 1 along one side thereof, and is provided along its upper edgewith guide ridges 8a, 8b.

These guide ridges 8a, 8b are associated with guide grooves 1 a, 1 bvertically formed in the front side and the rear side ofthe camera body 1, which extend furtherthan said guide ridges 8a, 8b, respectively. The guide ridge 8a is engaged in the guide groove 1 a whizz the guide ridge 8b is engaged in the guide groove 1 b and the grip 8 moves only in the vertical direct:on, controlled bythese guide members. The guide grooves 1 a, 1 b terminate at a level slightly above the bottom of the camera body 1 and serve as stops adapted to limit the extent to which the grip 8 can be stretched out.To engage the grip 8 over the camera bodyl,thespacedefined between the guide ridges 83 and 8b may be slightlywidened and thereby the guide ridges 8a, 8b may be engaged in the guide grooves Ia, 1 b, respectively.

If desired, it is possible to arrange so that grooves similarto said guide grooves la, ib are formed in the inner surface of the grip 8while ridges similarto said guide ridges 8a, 8b are formed on the camera body 1.

Reference numeral 9 designates aflash window of the flash device incorporated into the camera, located on the front side adjacenttheupper left corner as seen from the front side, and reference numerals 10, 11 designate a shutter button and a source switch button associated with the flash device. The flash window 9, the shutter button 10 and the source switch button 11 are adapted to be covered bythe grip 8 when the latter is fully retracted.

Said shutter button 10 is of push button type and, upon depression ofthis button 10,a predetermined electric circuit is closed to actuate the shutter. Said source switch button 11 is of slide type and charging of the flash device is triggered by slidably displacing this button 11 downward.

In the disc camera as has been described hereinabove, unintentional depression of the shutter button 10 and unintentional flash discharge can be avoided during conveyance ofthe camera, since then the flash window 9, the shutter button 10 and the source switch button 11 are reliably covered by the grip 8 fully retracted to the position as shown by Figs. 1 and 2.

When the grip 8 is stretched outto the position as shown by Fig. 6, the flash window 9, the shutter button 10 and the source switch button 11 are exposed. In this position, the grip 8 may be held in the hand to stabilize the camera even atthe moment ofthe shutter release.

The shutter button 10 is located adjacentthe hand holding said grip 8 and, therefore, can be easily operated.

Fig. 8 is a rear view showing the second embodiment of the present invention, in which the grip is pivotally mounted on the camera body. In this embodiment also, the grip 12 is substantially Ushaped in cross-section as in the previous embodi ment but rotationally mounted by means of a pivot 13 on the camera body 1.

The grip 12 is adapted to engage over the camera body 1 along one side thereof as indicated buy a two-dot chain line and to cover the flash window 9, the shutter button 10 and the source switch button 11 when the grip 12 is fully retracted. The grip 12 may be swung outto the position as shown in solid lines in the direction as indicated by an arrow to expose the flash window 9, the shutter button 10 and the source switch button 11.

Apart fro said grip 12 and the portion ofthe camera body that is engaged with said grip 12, the second embodiment is identical to the first embodiment as shown by Figs. 1 and 2. It is possible in this embodimentto provide the pivot 13 on the inner side of the grip 12 instead of on the camera body, so that this pivot 13 inwardly projects and engages a corresponding recess formed in the camera body 1.

The present invention as exemplified above, may be easily and effectively applied also to a disc camera withoutaflash device incorporated therein and, as shown bytwo-cut chain line in Fig. 3, the shutter button 10 may be located a little more toward one side of the camera body 1.

Although the portion of the camera body 1 over which the grip 8 is engaged is shown thinnerthan the rest ofthe body in the embodiments as have been described hereinabove, itis obviously possibleforthe camera body 1 to have a uniform thickness over its whole width andcorrespondinglyforthegrip engaged overthe camera body along one side thereof to protrude to a greater or lesser degree above the surface ofthe camera body. Furthermore, the shutter button 10 and the source switch button 11 may if desired protrude to a greater or lesser degree above the surface of the camera body, to the extent that the grip 8 is provided on its inner side with corresponding grooves or the like, although it is preferable that said buttons 10, 11 are arranged not to protrude above said surface ofthe camera body as in the embodiments shown.

As aforementioned, the present disc cameras comprise shutter buttons located adjacent one side ofthe camera body and a retractable grip adapted to cover said shutter button when said grip is fully retracted.

Accordingly, the grip may be keptfully retracted when the camera is not used to prevent the shutter button from being unintentionally depressed and thereby to avoid a careless shutter release and/orflash discharge. For an actual shutter release, the grip may be stretched or swung out and held in the hand to avoid the movement ofthe camera at the moment ofthe shutter release which has usually been inevitable in miniature cameras in general, since the grip permits the camera to be reliably held immobile and the location oftheshutter button adjacent the hand holding the grip facilitates operation of said shutter button. In the case of a camera with a built-in flash device, scratching or breakage oftheflash window is effectively avoided since the flash window can be covered by the grip when the latter is fully retracted.

Claims (7)

1. A disc camera adapted to receive a disc and to successively expose a plurality offllm frames circumferentially arranged along the periphery of said disc in response to shutter releases, said disc camera comprising a camera body having a shutter button, and a retractable grip adapted to cover the shutter button when retracted butto allow the sh utter button to be operated when extended.

2 Adise camera according to claim 1 having a flash windowforflashlight photography, said grip being adapted to cover said flash window as well as said shutter button when retracted but allowing the flash windowto be utilized when extended.

3. Adisccamera according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said shutter button, said grip and any flash window are located adjacent one side ofthe camera body.

4. A disc camera according to claim 3 wherein the grip is U-shaped in cross-section and engages over the edge of the camera body along said one side when in the retracted condition.

5. Adise camera according to any one ofthe preceding claims wherein the grip is attached to the camera body in a slidably retractable manner.

6. A disc camera according to any one of claims 1 to 4wherein the grip is attached to the camera body in a pivotally retractable manner.

7. A disc camera substantially as any described herein with referenceto the accompanying drawings.