JPH0550728B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Application of the Invention) The present invention relates to an improvement in a film information reading device for reading film information from a cartridge having an information code section in which information such as film sensitivity and number of films is encoded. .

(Background of the Invention) In recent years, as shown in FIG. 9, a cartridge 2 has been proposed which is provided with an information code section 1 on its outer peripheral surface in which film information such as film sensitivity and number of films is encoded. More specifically, the information code section 1 consists of a conductive section 1a and a non-conductive section 1b, and the combination of these patterns displays each piece of information about the film 3 loaded in the cartridge 2. Therefore, in order to read film information from such a cartridge 2, it is possible to provide a plurality of contact pieces that contact the information code section 1 on the camera side and detect the electrical continuity state. As an example of this, as shown in FIG. 10, a hole 4a is formed at a position (on the main body frame 4) corresponding to the information code section 1 of the cartridge 2, and the contact piece S is inserted into the cartridge chamber 5 through the hole 4a. A device has been proposed in which the film information is read by the contact piece S when the cartridge 2 is loaded into the cartridge chamber 5.
Note that one end of the contact piece S is insert molded into a holding member 6 fixed to the main body frame 4.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the cartridge 2 is of a type in which the diameter d of the middle cylinder part 2b where the information code part 1 is located is almost equal to the diameter D of the cap part 2a (D ≒d) type.

However, in the above-mentioned device, the position of the cartridge in the cartridge chamber 5 is determined by the dimension of the diameter D, and although the dimension of the diameter D is standardized by JIS etc., the dimension of the diameter d is Since there are large variations due to the lack of clear standards, the amount of protrusion of the contact piece S into the cartridge chamber 5 was set to a value large enough to accommodate this variation in dimensions. For this reason, in the case of a type of camera in which it is impossible to move the film rewinding fork out of the cartridge chamber 5, the cartridge 2 must be tilted (swiveled) and loaded into the cartridge chamber 5. There is a risk that the contact piece S may be deformed or damaged, or the information code section 1 may be damaged. Further, since the protruding amount of the contact piece S is large, the cap portion 2a of the cartridge 2 gets caught on the contact piece S, resulting in poor operability. Also,
Even if the camera is capable of retracting the film rewinding fork to the outside of the cartridge chamber 5, the operator may carelessly tilt the cartridge to load it or touch the contact piece S protruding into the cartridge chamber 5 with his or her finger. If this occurs, the contact piece S may be deformed or damaged in the same way.

In addition, conventional methods for detecting that a cartridge has been loaded into the cartridge chamber were developed in 1983.
No. 153538 is proposed. This method takes advantage of the fact that the cartridge itself is made of conductive metal, and a pair of contact terminals that can conduct electricity through the metal part of the cartridge are installed inside the cartridge chamber. When the cartridge is loaded into the cartridge chamber, the coating is peeled off by the edge to establish electrical conduction, and the presence or absence of loading is detected. However, with this conventional method, accurate detection cannot be performed unless the coating on the outer surface is reliably peeled off by the edge when the cartridge is loaded. Further, when using a cartridge with an information code section as shown in FIG. 9, it becomes difficult to employ the above-mentioned conventional method. That is, if the information code portion of the cartridge is scratched by the edge of the contact terminal for detecting whether or not the cartridge is loaded, erroneous detection of film information will occur. Therefore, it is necessary to place the contact terminal at a position separate from the contact piece that comes into contact with the information code section to read the film information, and since a number of contact configurations are provided at separate positions in the cartridge chamber, the cartridge The chamber itself becomes larger, which leads to an increase in the size of the camera. Furthermore, even if the two types of contact configurations are placed at separate locations, if the photographer accidentally contacts the information code section with the contact terminal that detects whether the cartridge is loaded when loading the cartridge, This information code section will be deleted, resulting in erroneous detection.

(Objective of the Invention) The object of the present invention is to simplify the structure and save space, thereby making it possible to avoid increasing the size of the camera and preventing damage to the movable contacts that read film information. Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a film information reading device that can accurately detect loading of a cartridge.

(Characteristics of the Invention) In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 of the present application (hereinafter referred to as the invention of claim 1) has a movable contact that surrounds the movable contact and protrudes into the cartridge chamber. By providing a protective member that is movable forward and backward with respect to the movable contact and by causing the contact end of the movable contact to protrude further into the cartridge chamber than the protective member, when the cartridge is loaded into the cartridge chamber. The movable contact moves more than the protective member, and is provided with a switch means for detecting the movement of the movable contact due to the cartridge being loaded into the cartridge chamber, and the output of the switch means detects the loading of the cartridge. It is characterized by detecting the presence or absence of.

In addition, in order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 2 of the present patent application (hereinafter referred to as the invention of claim 2) is such that the cassette cassette is surrounded by a movable contact that reads film information from an information code section formed on the cassette. A protective member that protrudes into the room and is movable relative to the cartridge chamber and movable with respect to the movable contact, and a switch means that detects movement of the protective member when a cartridge is loaded into the cartridge chamber. , the presence or absence of loading of a cartridge is detected based on the output of the switch means.

(Embodiments of the Invention) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on illustrated embodiments.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams showing an example of a configuration on which the present invention is based. The contact piece 7 is insert-molded in a holding member 9 fixed to the main body case 8, and its cartridge contacting portion 7a can be moved forward and backward into the cartridge chamber 11 through a hole 10a in a protective member 10 made of an insulator. There is. The protective member 10 is rotatable about a shaft 12, and the amount L of its protrusion into the cartridge chamber 11 is restricted by a restricting portion 8a. This protrusion amount L (see FIG. 2a) is set to a value that can accommodate variations in the dimensions (diameter d of the middle cylinder portion) of all cartridges. Also, the hole 10 of the protective member 10
Contact piece 7 protruding from a (patrone contact part 7
The amount of protrusion l (see FIG. 2 a) in a) is such that it can absorb the inclination or positional shift of the cartridge 13 that may occur when the cartridge 13 is loaded into the cartridge chamber 11, and that each contact piece 7 can hold the information. It is set to the minimum value within the range that can ensure reliable contact with the cord part. The tapered portion 10b provided at the lower end (and upper end) of the protective member 10 is formed to prevent the cartridge 13 from getting caught on the protective member 10 when the cartridge is attached or removed. The stopper ST restricts rotation of the protection member 10 in the counterclockwise direction.

When the cartridge 13 is not loaded (normal position), the protection member 10 is biased clockwise by the pretension of the contact piece 7, so as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG.
It protrudes by a predetermined protrusion amount l through the hole 10a. When the cartridge 13 is loaded into the cartridge chamber 11 from which the protective member 10 and the contact piece 7 (patrone contact portion 7a) protrude in this way, the protective member 10 and the contact piece 7 are pressed by the outer peripheral surface of the cartridge 13. Therefore, they each rotate counterclockwise to the position shown in FIG. 2b. The cartridge 13 is pressed in the direction of arrow B by a pressing portion of the back cover (not shown) and is held stably. The amount of protrusion of the contact piece 7 in this state is shown as l = 0, but the counterclockwise rotation of the protection member 10 is in a free state for the stroke until it contacts the stop ST. The piece 7 and the information code section (not shown) of the cartridge 13 are securely in contact with each other. At this time, if the looseness of the protective member 10 becomes a problem, use a weak spring that does not apply excessive pressure to the protective member 10.
It may be configured such that it is biased clockwise.
Also, the contact piece 7 moves approximately in a rotational motion inside the hole 10a of the protection member 10, but in order to ensure smooth operation, the center of rotation of the contact piece 7 should be aligned with the shaft 12 as much as possible. .

It is determined by the protrusion amount (L+l) of each contact piece in FIG. 10 (conventional example) mentioned above, and this protrusion amount (L+l)
However, as is clear from FIGS. 1 and 2, in this configuration example, the protrusion amount L of the protection member 10 is Since the structure is such that the amount of absorption is absorbed by the amount of protrusion l of the contact piece 7, if the patrone 13 or the operator's finger touches the contact piece 7, it will only touch the amount of protrusion l; It becomes possible to prevent deformation or damage.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the second invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the first invention. The cartridge detection switch detects the presence or absence of the cartridge 13, causes the external display of the camera to display the presence of the cartridge, and generates a signal necessary for determining the operating conditions of the camera, etc. The same applies to conventional cartridges that do not have an information code section, and distinguishes between cartridges that have an information code section and other cartridges, and in the case of the latter cartridge, the film sensitivity, number of sheets, latitude range, etc. are set to constant values. This switch is required to set the information code section and to display a warning that the patrone does not have an information code section. In FIG. 3, the protection member 10 is
rotates, and this rotational force is used as a pressing force on one contact piece 14a of the cartridge detection switch 14 to bring it into contact with the other contact piece 14b, making it conductive and detecting the cartridge. . In this way, if the protective member 10 is used both for protecting the contact piece 7 and for cartridge detection, there is no need to newly provide a protruding member for cartridge detection in the cartridge chamber 11.

In FIG. 4, the contact pieces 15a and 15b constituting the cartridge detection switch 15 are insert-molded in the holding member 9, and the contact pieces 1 are inserted into the holding member 9 when the cartridge is loaded.
By rotating 5a, the contact pieces 15a and 15b are brought into contact (see FIG. 4b) to perform cartridge detection. When the cartridge is not loaded, it is in an off state as shown in FIG. 4a. In addition, contact piece 1
5a has exactly the same structure as each contact piece 7 (not shown in FIG. 4), and is arranged, for example, at the lowest position alongside each contact piece 7. The contact piece 15b also serves as a spring that biases the protection member 10 clockwise.

Figures 5a and 5b show other embodiments of the invention in item 1. The protective member 16 fits and holds the number of contact pins 17 necessary for reading information so that they can move forward and backward into the cartridge chamber 11, and the protective member 16 itself can move forward and backward into the main body frame 8 (relative to the cartridge chamber 11). (See Figure 5 a and b).
The contact pin 17 has a head 17a to prevent it from coming off from the protection member 16. The contact pieces 18a and 18b constituting the cartridge detection switch 18 are both insert-molded in the protection member 9 like the respective contact piece springs 19. The difference from those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is that the head 17a of the contact pin 17 is connected to the contact spring 19.
It is constantly pressed and biased (in the protruding direction) to maintain a conductive state. In this embodiment as well, as shown in FIG. 5a, the protrusion amount of the protection member 16 when the cartridge is not loaded is L, and the contact pin
Since the protrusion amount of is set to l,
Deformation or damage to the contact means (contact pin 17 in FIG. 5), which may occur when loading the cartridge, can be prevented.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the invention in item 1, in which the contact pins 17 are each held by a protective member 20 that fits into the cartridge chamber 11 so as to be able to move forward and backward. A number of them are arranged on the main body frame 8 so as to move forward and backward (with respect to the patrone chamber 11). In this case as well, the protective member 2
0 is independent, so contact pin 17 and protective member 2
Even if 0 and 0 are integrally molded, each can move forward and backward independently, and variations in cartridge loading can be absorbed. Therefore, the contact pin 17 in the embodiment shown in FIG.
The protrusion amount is set to a value smaller than the protrusion amount l.
It is also possible to set it to l′. Note that if the protective member 20 and the main body frame 8 are loosely fitted, the contact spring 19 and the contact pin 17 can be spot welded to be integrated (unitized). Furthermore, the contact pin 17 may be eliminated, the tip of the contact spring 19 may be bent to serve as the contact pin 17, and the protection member 20 may be integrally molded directly onto the tip.

FIG. 7 shows another example of the configuration that is the premise of the present invention. The difference from those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is that the protruding amount of the contact piece 7 into the cartridge chamber 11 is reduced to zero (l) by the rising portion 21a of the locking member 21 formed integrally with the holding member 9. = 0) (see Figure 7a). According to such a configuration, the contact piece 7 does not protrude into the cartridge chamber 11 at all when the cartridge is not loaded, so that deformation or damage of the contact piece 7 can be more reliably prevented. . When loading the cartridge,
As shown in FIG. 7B, the protection member 10 is rotated counterclockwise so that the contact piece 7 and the information code portion of the cartridge 13 come into contact with each other, and the film information is read by the contact piece 7. Note that the protection member 10 is always urged clockwise by a spring (not shown). Further, the configuration is such that the amount of protrusion of the contact piece 7 during cartridge loading is l.

In FIGS. 1 to 7, the amount of protrusion of the reading means into the cartridge chamber 11 is restricted by a protection means arranged movably in the cartridge chamber 11 like the contact means, that is, the protection means when the cartridge is not loaded. Since the protruding position of the contact means in this state is not more than a predetermined amount (protrusion amount l) rearward than the protruding position of the contact means, deformation or damage of the contact means can be prevented. Furthermore, since the amount of contact means that can be seen from the cartridge chamber 11 (the amount of protrusion) is very small (or zero), the operator does not feel uncomfortable. Further, since the protection means has almost the same structure as the contact means and is arranged at the same location, it is very advantageous in terms of space.

In addition, since the protective means is formed of an insulator, cameras such as single-lens reflex cameras where the body frame is used as a GND level,
In other words, the apparatus of the present invention can be used even with a camera whose body frame is made of metal. Furthermore, since the operation of the protection means or contact means can be used to control the on/off of the cartridge detection switch, the cartridge chamber 1
There is no need to create a new one within 1. Furthermore, since the upper and lower ends of the protection means are tapered, the smoothness of cartridge loading is not impaired.

(Correspondence between the invention and the embodiments) In FIGS. 1 to 7, the contact piece 7 and the contact pin 17 are the movable contacts of the present invention, and the contact pieces 15a, 15b, 1
8a and 18b are the switch means of the invention of item 1;
4a and 14b respectively correspond to the switch means of the second aspect of the invention.

(Modified Example) In the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the protection members 10, 16, 20 are made to protrude into the cartridge chamber 11 using the contact piece 7, the contact piece spring 19, etc., but for example, as shown in FIG. It is also easy to adopt a structure in which this is performed by the biasing force of a coil spring 23 fitted to a conductive pin 22 integrally formed behind the contact pin 17 as shown in FIG. With this configuration, it becomes more efficient in terms of space, and furthermore, it can be configured as a completely independent unit, which allows for mass production and provides added benefits such as dustproofness. In the figure, 24 is a printed circuit board for transmitting signals from each conductive pin 22 to the camera side, 25a and 25b are cases made of an insulator, and 26 is a screw.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the invention in item 1, loading of the cartridge is detected using the movement of the movable contact that reads film information from the information code section of the cartridge, so the structure is improved. becomes easier,
It takes up less space, and as a result, it is possible to avoid increasing the size of the camera. Furthermore, since the movable contact is protected by the protective member, damage to the movable contact for reading film information can be prevented. The contact end of the movable contact is made to protrude further into the cartridge chamber than the protective member, so that when the cartridge is loaded into the cartridge chamber, the movable contact moves more than the protective member. Although the apparent protrusion amount of the contact point is reduced, the amount of movement when loading the cartridge can be increased, so that detection of cartridge loading can be made extremely accurate.

Further, according to the second aspect of the invention, the loading of the cartridge is detected by using the movement of the protective member that protects the movable contact that reads the film information from the information code section of the cartridge, so the structure is simplified. It takes up less space, and as a result, it is possible to avoid increasing the size of the camera. Furthermore, since the movable contact is protected by the protective member, damage to the movable contact for reading film information can be prevented. Further, since the movement of the protection member is reliably caused by loading the cartridge, it is possible to accurately detect loading of the cartridge.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration on which the present invention is based, Fig. 2a is a horizontal sectional view showing the state when the cartridge is not loaded, and Fig. 2b is a horizontal sectional view showing the state when the cartridge is loaded. A sectional view, FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view showing an embodiment of the invention in Section 2, and FIG. 4a
is a horizontal sectional view showing the embodiment of the first embodiment of the invention when the cartridge is not loaded, FIG. 4b is a horizontal sectional view showing the same when the cartridge is loaded, and FIGS.
b is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the invention in item 1;
Figures a and b are perspective views showing another embodiment of the invention in Item 1, Figures 7a and b are horizontal cross-sectional views showing another example of the configuration that is the premise of the invention, and Figure 8 is a perspective view showing another example of the invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a conventionally proposed cartridge; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an example of a conventional film information reading device; FIG. 11 shows the diameters of various parts of a typical cartridge. FIG. 7... Contact piece, 10... Protective member, 11... Patrone chamber, 12... Shaft, 13... Patrone, 1
4, 15... Patrone detection switch, 16...
Protective member, 17... Contact pin, 18... Patrone detection switch, 19... Contact piece spring, 20... Protective member, 21... Locking member.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Provided to be movable in and out of the patrone chamber,
In a film information reading device equipped with a movable contact that reads film information from an information code section formed on a cartridge, the movable contact surrounds the movable contact and protrudes into the cartridge chamber, is movable toward and away from the cartridge chamber, and is connected to the movable contact. By providing a movable protective member against the protective member, and by causing the contact end of the movable contact to protrude further into the cartridge chamber than the protective member,
When the cartridge is loaded into the cartridge chamber, the movable contact moves more than the protective member, and the movement of the movable contact due to the cartridge being loaded into the cartridge chamber is detected. 1. A film information reading device characterized in that a switch means is provided, and whether or not the cartridge is loaded is detected based on the output of the switch means. 2 It is installed so that it can move forward and backward from the patrone room,
In a film information reading device equipped with a movable contact that reads film information from an information code section formed on a cartridge, the movable contact surrounds the movable contact and protrudes into the cartridge chamber, is movable toward and away from the cartridge chamber, and is connected to the movable contact. a protective member movably provided to the cartridge; and a switch means for detecting movement of the protective member due to the cartridge being loaded into the cartridge chamber, and the loading of the cartridge is controlled by the output of the switch means. 1. A film information reading device characterized by detecting the presence or absence of a film information reader.