Exposure control system with inertial characteristic

Claim 2

Apparatus for a camera of the type defining a film plane and including a housing and an objective lens mounted on the housing, said apparatus comprising: blade means; means for selectively moving said blade means between a first arrangement wherein said blade means precludes scene light from reaching the film plane and a second arrangement wherein said blade means defines a maximum aperture size through which scene light may reach the film plane, said blade means serving to define a range of progressive increasing sized apertures as it moves from its said first arrangement to its said second arrangement and including a displaceably mounted member arranged to be displaced in a first direction as said moving means moves said blade means from its said first arrangement to its said second arrangement and to be displaced in a second direction as said moving means moves said blade means from its said second arrangement to its said first arrangement; and means for presenting a relatively high inerial characteristic to said moving means as said moving means moves said blade means from its said first arrangement toward its said second arrangement to impart a slower aperture opening movement to said blade means than would otherwise occur and for automatically presenting a relatively low inertial characteristic to said moving means as said moving means moves said blade means away from its said second arrangement towards its said first arrangement to permit an aperture closing movement of said blade means substantially uninhibited by said high inertial characteristic, said inertial characteristic presenting means including an inertial member mounted for displacement in correspondence with said displaceably mounted member and a first spring directly connecting said inertial member and said displaceably mounted member, said displaceably mounted member drivingly engaging said inertial member as it moves in said first direction and said spring permitting said displaceably mounted member to move away from said inertial member as said displaceably mounted member moves in said second direction while subsequently causing said inertial member to move into contact with said displaceably mounted member so that said inertial characteristic presenting means operates to automatically present said relatively high inertial characteristic to said moving means whenever said moving means is again caused to move said blade means from its said first arrangement to its said second arrangement.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said blade means includes at least two blade elements movable along a predetermined path and said displaceably mounted member interconnects at least two of said blade elements for movement in correspondence with each other, said displaceably mounted member being disposed for rotation relative to the housing about a select axis substantially perpendicular to said predetermined path and wherein said inertial member is also disposed for rotation about said select axis in a manner whereby rotation of said displaceably mounted member in a direction operating to move said blade elements from said first arrangement toward said second arrangement in the direction of progressively increasing sized apertures operates to simultaneously engage said inertial member at an initial position and to rotate said inertial member from said initial position about said select axis whereupon subsequent rotation of said displaceably mounted member in the opposing direction to move said blade elements back toward said first arrangement operates to simultaneously disengage said displaceably mounted member from said inertial member so that said inertial member can be rotated back to its initial position by said spring means.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said displaceably mounted member connects at the opposing ends thereof to respective blade elements and said inertial member includes a portion thereof in overlapping relation with respect to the locus of travel through which said displaceably mounted member rotates so as to be engaged and rotated by said displaceably mounted member upon rotation thereof in a direction operating to move said blade elements from said first arrangement toward said second arrangement whereas rotation of said displaceably mounted member in the opposing direction to move said blade elements toward said first arrangement operates to disengage said inertial member from said overlapping portion of said displaceably mounted manner.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2 in which the blade means comprise two blade elements having respective apertures therethrough wherein said apertures may be simultaneously moved over the objective lens by said moving means to define said range of progressively increasing sized apertures as said blade elements are moved from said first arrangement toward said second arrangement.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for selectively moving said blade means include a second spring in driving connection to said displaceably mounted member so as to urge said displaceably mounted member in said first direction together with an electromagnetic device selectively operable to drive said displaceably mounted member in the second direction against the bias of said second spring.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 1 whereby the return movement of said displaceably mounted member in said second direction operates to increase the force of said first spring until the inertia of said inertial member is overcome so as to permit said first spring to return said inertial member to its initial position subsequent to said first member returning to its position corresponding with said first arrangement in said blade means.

Claim 8

Apparatus for a camera of the type defining a film plane and including a housing and an objective lens mounted on the housing, said apparatus comprising: blade means including at least two blade elements; means for selectively moving said blade means between a first arrangement wherein said blade means precludes scene light from reaching the film plane and a second arrangement wherein said blade means defines a maximum aperture size through which scene light may reach the film plane, said moving means including a beam member pivotally connecting said blade elements at respective spaced apart points thereon together with means for pivotally connecting said beam member with respect to the housing at a pivot point on said member intermediate said spaced apart points of pivotal connection to said blade elements so that pivotal movement of said blade member about its point of pivotal connection with respect to the housing operates to drive said blade members in generally opposing directions to define a range of progressively increasing sized apertures as said blades move from said first arrangement to said second arrangement; and means for presenting a relatively high inertial characteristic to said moving means as said moving means moves said blade means from its said first arrangement towards its said second arrangement to impart a slower aperture opening movement to said blade means than would otherwise occur and for automatically presenting a relatively low inertial characteristic to said moving means as said moving means moves said blade means away from its said second arrangement toward its said first arrangement to permit an aperture closing movement of said blade means substantially uninhibited by said high inertial characteristic, said inertial characteristic presenting means including an inertia member having at least some portion thereof disposed in intercepting relation with respect to the path of pivotal movement of said beam member together with means for mounting said inertia member to accommodate displacement thereof in correspondence with said pivoting movement of said beam member from a select position with respect to the housing so that said beam member engages said inertia member at said select position as said beam member moves said blade means from its said first arrangement towards its said second arrangement and automatically withdraws from engagement with said inertia member as it moves said blade means away from its said second arrangement towards its said first arrangement, said inertial characteristic presenting means additionally including resilient means for automatically returning said inertia member to its said select position to accommodate the presentation of said relatively high inertial characteristic to said moving means whenever said moving means is again caused to move said blade means from its said first arrangement to its said second arrangement.

Claim 9

Apparatus for a camera of the type defining a film plane and including a housing and an objective lens mounted on the housing, said apparatus comprising: blade means including at least two blade elements; means for selectively moving said blade means between a first arrangement wherein said blade means precludes scene light from reaching the film plane and a second arrangement wherein said blade means defines a maximum aperture size through which scene light may reach the film plane, said moving means including a beam member pivotally connecting said blade elements at respective spaced apart points thereon together with means for pivotally connecting said beam member with respect to the housing at a pivot point on said member intermediate said spaced apart points of pivotal connection to said blade elements so that pivotal movement of said blade member about its point of pivotal connection with respect to the housing operates to drive said blade members in generally opposing directions to define a range of progressively increasing sized apertures as said blades move from said first arrangement to said second arrangement; and means for presenting a relatively high inertial characteristic to said moving means as said moving means moves said blade means from its said first arrangement towards its said second arrangement to impart a slower aperture opening movement to said blade means than would otherwise occur and for automatically presenting a relatively low inertial characteristic to said moving means as said moving means moves said blade means away from its said second arrangement toward its said first arrangement to permit an aperture closing movement of said blade means substantially uninhibited by said high inertial characteristic, said inertial characteristic presenting means including an inertia member having at least some portion thereof disposed in intercepting relation with respect to the path of pivotal movement of said beam member together with means for mounting said inertia member to accommodate displacement thereof in correspondence with said pivoting movement of said beam member from a select position with respect to the housing so that said beam member engages said inertia member at said select position as said beam member moves said blade means from its said first arrangement towards its said second arrangement and automatically withdraws from engagement with said inertia member as it moves said blade means away from its said second arrangement towards its said first arrangement, said inertial characteristic presenting means additionally including resilient means for automatically returning said inertia member to its said select position to accommodate the presentation of said relatively high inertial characteristic to said moving means whenever said moving means is again caused to move said blade means from its said first arrangement to its said second arrangement.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said pivotal movement of said beam member defines a plane substantially parallel with respect to the plane defined by said inertia member displacement to define a compact arrangement.

Claim 11

Apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for mounting said inertia member includes pivot means for mounting said inertia member for pivotal movement about a point coaxial with said point of beam member pivoting.