Camera Back

Reference is made to commonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 08/878,837, entitled CAMERA BACK and filed Jun. 20, 1997 in the names of Robert J. Stanchus and William B. Salvas.

The invention relates generally to the field of photography, and in particular to a camera back.

It is generally known for a camera back to include a light emitting device for recording information on a filmstrip in conjunction with picture-taking, and a film support for ensuring the shape of the filmstrip when information is recorded on the filmstrip. As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,388 issued Nov. 30, 1982 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,266 issued May 14, 1996, a flat resiliently suspended film pressure or a flat fixidly suspended film guide plate has recording openings through which information from a light emitting device is recorded on a filmstrip in conjunction with picture-taking. A battery for the light emitting device is separately located.

Economy of space is a consideration in designing the camera back.

The cross-referenced application discloses a camera back comprising a light emitting device for recording information on a filmstrip in conjunction with picture-taking, and a film support for ensuring the shape of the filmstrip when information is recorded on the filmstrip. The film support has a plurality of parallel curved film ribs integral with the camera back for shaping the filmstrip in a curve. A recording opening is formed in the camera back adjacent one of the curved film ribs. The light emitting device has a flat light emitting face positioned over the recording opening at an acute angle with respect to the one film rib.

According to the invention, a camera back comprising a film support for ensuring the shape of a filmstrip, is characterized in that:

an opening for a battery is formed in the film support; and

a door for closing the opening is configured to provide a film-supporting extension of the film support when said door is closed.

More specifically, a camera back comprising a film support for ensuring the shape of a filmstrip, is characterized in that:

the film support has a plurality of parallel film shaping ribs integral with the camera back;

an opening for a battery is formed in the camera back to be located across at least some of the film ribs; and

a door for closing the opening has integral rib-extensions that are longitudinally aligned with the film ribs across which the opening is located, to provide respective continuations of those film ribs.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a camera back pursuant to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of the camera back.

The invention is disclosed as being embodied preferably in a camera. Because the features of a camera are generally known, the description which follows is directed in particular only to those elements forming part of or cooperating directly with the disclosed embodiment. It is to be understood, however, that other elements may take various forms known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a camera back 10 which is part of a photographic camera, not shown. The camera back 10 includes a camera back cover 12 and a dateback cover 14 screw-connected together. The camera back cover 12 has seven parallel curved film ribs 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28, integral with the camera back cover, for shaping a filmstrip 30 in a slight curve within the photographic camera. The camera back cover 12 is curved substantially similarly to the curvature of the curved film ribs 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28. A film cartridge viewing window 32 is formed in the camera back cover 12 proximate one end 34 of the camera back cover.

A commercially available dateback module 36, known as the Seiko-Epson Model 300C Dateback Module, is secured between the camera back cover 12 and the dateback cover 14, primarily within a rectangular nest 38 in the dateback cover. See FIG. 1. The dateback module 36 has an eye-readable LCD 40, which can be seen through an LCD viewing window 42 in the dateback cover 14, and a backlit LCD 44, which is located at a film recording opening 46 in the camera back cover 12. The eye-readable LCD 40 and the backlit LCD 44 are capable of individually providing an indication of the date of picture-taking or other information for each exposure made in the photographic camera. An elastomeric key pad 48, which is coupled to the dateback module 36, has three date-setting push buttons 50 that project into respective holes 52 in the dateback cover 14. The film recording opening 46 is formed in the camera back cover 12 adjacent one side of the curved film rib 18, and it extends or cuts partially into that side of the film rib.

The backlit LCD 44 has a flat light emitting face 54 that is positioned over the film recording opening 46 at an acute angle 56 with respect to the film rib 18. See FIG. 2. The flat light emitting face 54 extends non-tangentially with respect to the film rib 18, but alternatively it can extend tangentially with respect to the film rib. The backlit LCD 44 is activated when a camera shutter is opened, in order to record the date of picture-taking on the filmstrip 30.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flat light emitting face 54 and the film recording opening 46 have a common centerline 58, and the curved film rib 18 (as well as the other film ribs 16, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28) has a radius of curvature 60 with a centerpoint of curvature 62 that extends in a plane 64 perpendicular to the common centerline. The centerpoint of curvature 62 is located on the optical axis 66 of a camera taking lens. The optical axis 66 extends parallel to the common centerline 58. Preferably, the radius of curvature 60 is more than ten times greater than the distance 68 within the plane 64 between the centerpoint of curvature 62 and the common centerline 58. Moreover, the distance 68 within the plane 64 between the centerpoint of curvature 62 and the common centerline 58 is more than eight times the distance 70 along the common centerline between the flat light emitting face 54 and the filmstrip 30.

A round opening 72 for receiving a round battery 74 is formed in the camera back cover 12. See FIG. 1. The round opening 72 is located across the three curved film ribs 18, 20 and 22, and is open to a round nest 76 in the dateback cover 14 for holding the battery 74. A door 78 for closing the round opening 72 has three integral parallel curved rib-extensions 80, 82 and 84 that are longitudinally aligned with the film ribs 18, 20 and 22 when the door is closed, to provide respective continuations of those film ribs. An electrically conductive contact 86, secured to the door 78, has one end 88 in touch with a negative side 90 of the battery 74 and another end 92 in touch with one leg 94 of an electrically conductive contact 96, secured to the dateback cover 14. Another leg 98 of the contact 96 is in touch with a positive side 100 of the battery 74, and three prongs 102 of the contact are connected to the dateback module 36. A pair of synchronization pins 104 of the contact 96 are adapted to be shorted when the camera shutter is opened, in order to activate the backlit LCD 44.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

10. camera back

12. camera back cover

14. dateback cover

16. film rib

18. film rib

20. film rib

22. film rib

24. film rib

26. film rib

28. film rib

30. filmstrip

32. film cartridge viewing window

34. end of camera back cover 12

36. dateback module

38. nest

40. eye-readable LCD

42. LCD viewing window

44. backlit LCD

46. film recording opening

48. elastomeric key pad

50. date-setting push buttons

52. holes

54. flat light emitting face

56. acute angle

58. common centerline

60. radius of curvature

62. center of curvature

64. plane

66. optical axis

68. distance

70. distance

72. round opening

74. battery

76. nest

78. door

80. rib-extension

82. rib-extension

84. rib-extension

86. contact

88. one end

90. negative side

92. another end

94. one leg

96. contact

98. another leg

100. positive side

102. three prongs

104. two synchronization pins