Photographic camera

Abstract

A photographic camera having a photographic lens system freely settable to various focal lengths, an openable and closable lens cover disposed in front of the photographic lens system, an opening and closing mechanism for the lens cover, a motor for providing kinetic energy for the focal length changeover operations of the photographic lens system and also for the opening and closing operations of the lens cover, and a drivable cylinder capable of transmitting the kinetic energy from the motor to the photographic lens system and to the opening and closing mechanism in the form of a mechanical displacement. The opening and closing mechanism opens the lens cover by utilizing a mechanical displacement from a home position to an intermediate position of the drivable cylinder and closes the same by utilizing a mechanical displacement from the intermediate position to the home position of the drivable cylinder, and further changes over a focal position by utilizing mechanical displacements reversibly between the intermediate position and an end position of the drivable cylinder.

What is claimed is: .[.1. A photographic camera comprising: 
     
        .[.     A photographic camera, as defied in claim 7, wherein said lens system is so arranged that its focal length is mutually changed over between a predetermined shorter focal length and a predetermined longer focal length..]. .[.13. A photographic camera, as defined in claim 7, wherein said lens system is so arranged that its focal length is varied continuously..]. .[.14. A photographic camera comprising: a photographic lens system;   means for changing over the total focal length of said lens system;   1ens cover means movable between positions for covering and uncovering a front face of said lens system;   motor means for providing kinetic energy; and   1inking means capable of transmitting the kinetic energy from said motor means to said lens cover means for moving said lens cover means into said uncovering position in response to a mechanical displacement from a home position to an intermediate position of said linking means and for moving said lens cover means into said covering position in response to a mechanical displacement from said intermediate position to said home position of said linking means, and capable of transmitting the kinetic energy from said motor to said changing over means in response to a mechanical displacement between said intermediate position and an end   
     
     
        position of said linking means..]. .Iadd.15.  A photographic camera comprising: a photographic lens system freely settable to various focal lengths;   an openable and closable lens cover disposed in front of said photographic lens system;   opening and closing means for said lens cover;   motor means for providing kinetic energy for the focal length changeover operations of said photographic lens system and also for the opening and closing operations of said lens cover;   1inking means capable of transmitting the kinetic energy from said motor means to said photographic lens system and to said opening and closing means in the form of mechanical displacement, said motor means displacing said linking means linearly in the direction of the optical axis of the lens system, wherein said opening and closing means operates: to open said lens cover by utilizing a mechanical displacement from a home position to an intermediate position of said linking means, and   to close said lens cover by utilizing a mechanical displacement from the intermediate position to the home position of said linking means, and wherein said linking means operates:     to change over a focal position by utilizing mechanical displacements reversibly between the intermediate position and an end position of said linking means; and     contact means for causing said opening and closing means to open the lens cover when the linking means moves from the home position to the intermediate position and for causing the opening and closing means to close the lens cover when the linking means moves from the intermediate position to the home position, wherein the position of said contact means is substantially fixed in a direction transverse to the optical axis of   
     
     
        the lens system. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16.  The photographic camera according to claim 15, wherein said linking means includes a cylinder having at least one rack extending axially along an outer peripheral surface thereof. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. The photographic camera according to claim 16, including a reduction gear train that operatively connects the motor means to the rack to thereby cause the cylinder to move axially in the direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens system. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. The photographic camera according to claim 16, wherein said contact means includes an operative pin connected to and extending inwardly from an inner surface of the cylinder. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. The photographic camera according to claim 18, wherein said opening and closing means includes a cover opening ring positioned in a front portion of a lens barrel, said lens barrel being slidably positioned in the cylinder and said cover opening ring having a cover opening lever extending therefrom. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20. The photographic camera according to claim 19, including means connected to the cover opening ring for biasing the cover opening ring in a first rotational direction, said cover opening lever having a free end remote from the cover opening ring that is inclined. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. The photographic camera according to claim 20, wherein said cover opening ring includes two generally oppositely positioned cam grooves formed in the outer periphery thereof, each of said cam grooves gradually departing from a rotational center of the cover opening ring in said first direction and each of said cam grooves opening to the periphery of the cover opening ring. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. The photographic camera according to claim 21, wherein said lens cover includes two cover elements rotatably mounted in the front portion of the lens barrel so as to be rotatable about respective rotation axes, each of said cover elements having a cover opening pin extending therefrom that engages one of the cam grooves formed in the cover opening ring so that movement of the cylinder from the home position to the intermediate position causes said operative pin to move axially and engage the inclined end of the cover opening lever to thereby cause the cover opening lever and the cover opening ring to rotate in a direction opposite to said first direction whereby said two cover elements are caused to rotate about their respective rotation axes away from one another in response to camming action of the cam grooves with respect to 
     
     
        the cover opening pins. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23.  The photographic camera according to claim 15, wherein said lens cover is mounted in a front portion of a lens barrel and including a cylinder in which is slidably positioned the lens barrel, said lens barrel having grooves formed in an outer peripheral surface thereof and extending in a direction substantially parallel to the optical axis, said cylinder having guide pins extending from an inner surface thereof, said guide pins engaging the grooves formed in the outer peripheral surface of the lens barrel. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. The photographic camera according to claim 23, wherein said lens barrel has a flange extending outwardly therefrom and said cylinder has a flange extending outwardly therefrom, and including means interposed between the flange on the cylinder and the flange on the lens barrel for urging the lens barrel and the cylinder away from one another. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. The photographic camera according to claim 15, wherein said lens cover includes two rotatably mounted cover elements which are rotatable about respective mounting shafts, each of said cover elements having a cover opening pin extending therefrom that is adapted to be engaged by said opening and closing means to pivot the two cover elements away from one another and about their respective mounting shafts to 
     
     
        thereby open the lens cover. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26.  The photographic camera according to claim 25, wherein said opening and closing means includes a cover opening ring positioned in a front portion of a lens barrel, said cover opening ring having a cover opening lever extending therefrom. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The photographic camera according to claim 26, and including means connected to the cover opening ring for biasing the cover opening ring in a first rotational direction, said cover opening lever having a free end remote from the cover opening ring that is inclined. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. The photographic camera according to claim 27, wherein said cover opening ring includes two generally oppositely positioned cam grooves formed in the outer periphery thereof, each of said cam grooves gradually departing from a rotational center of the cover opening ring in said first direction and each of said cam grooves opening to the periphery of the cover opening ring, said cam grooves being adapted to be engaged by one of the cover opening pins. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29. The photographic camera according to claim 15, wherein said opening and closing means includes a cover opening ring positioned in a front portion of a lens barrel and a cover opening lever extending rearward from the cover opening ring. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. The photographic camera according to claim 29, wherein said contact means includes a pin and said cover opening lever has a free end remote from the cover opening ring that is inclined for contacting said pin. .Iaddend. .Iadd.31. The photographic camera according to claim 30, including biasing means for biasing said cover opening lever in a first direction, said inclined end of said cover opening lever being inclined in a direction for contacting said pin and for moving said cover opening lever in opposition to said first direction. .Iaddend.