Did You Know...
...that several people are credited with the invention of the flush toilet? Most people have heard of Thomas Crapper (1837-1910), the sanitary engineer who invented the valve-and-siphon arrangement that made the modern toilet possible. Another claimant to "the throne" was British inventor Alexander Cumming who patented a toilet in 1775. Then there's a nameless Minoan (a native of ancient Crete) who lived 4,000 years ago who supposedly was ahead of his time and created the first flush toilet!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8100593 | Speed reducing mechanism, drive device, and optical instrument A speed reducing mechanism includes: a driven member; and a decelerating member transmitting a drive force from an actuator to the driven member. The driven member includes an engagement pin. The decelerating member includes: a teeth portion engaging a rotor pinion ... | 01/24/2012 |
| 7722265 | Shutter device and image pickup apparatus A shutter device makes it possible to restrict bounding of a shutter blade using a shock-absorbing member when movement of the shutter blade is completed. In addition, the shutter device makes it possible to reduce production of dust that is produced when the shock-... | 05/25/2010 |
| 7699544 | Focal plane shutter for cameras A shutter base plate is made of synthetic resin and is configured with one overhang section on the blade-chamber-side surface at one end of an arcuate slot and the other overhang section on the blade-chamber-outside surface. A shock absorbing member made from elasti... | 04/20/2010 |
| 7614806 | Damping system for mechanical shutter A damping system for an electromagnetically operable rotary shutter includes a damper for arresting the motion of a pivotally supported shutter actuating drive arm. The damper has a first portion composed of an ultrahigh density polyethylene and a second portion com... | 11/10/2009 |
| 7367721 | Bi-stable mechanical photographic shutter An electromagnetically operable rotary shutter is rendered bi-stable by the use of two linear electric motors, one to open the shutter and a second to close the shutter together with a latch that holds the shutter in either an open or a closed position in the absenc... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7290947 | Light controller and image pickup device including the same A light controller includes a substrate having an optical path opening, a blade unit with a blade mounted on the substrate for opening and closing the optical path opening, a driver unit for driving the blade, and a stopper unit for restricting a movement of the bla... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7168865 | Preventing shutter-rebound in camera A normally closed shutter in a camera has at least one blade that is moved to open and close the shutter. A movable blade-driver in the camera has a supporting connection with a fixed support to support the blade-driver for movement, and has a driving connection wit... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7025513 | Optical apparatus, shutter device, and camera A shutter/filter unit as an optical apparatus includes a shutter actuator, a filter actuator, a shutter drive ring, two shutter blades, and one ND filter, which are connected to a driving source body in series. The shutter blades are rotationally driven via the shut... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6798983 | Shutter device of lens-fitted photo film unit A shutter device has a shutter drive lever striking a shutter blade to expose an exposure opening, a mooring lever, a cam, and a speed governor. The speed governor includes an escapement wheel with integrally formed two gear wheels, an anchor, and a movable mounting... | 09/28/2004 |
| 6652165 | Damping system for mechanical shutter A damping system for an electromagnetically operable shutter includes a detent for arresting the motion of a pivotally supported shutter actuating drive arm. The detent has damper portions that are fixed to the pivotally supported drive arm and bumper por... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6491450 | Shutter for a camera To prevent rebounding motion of sectors caused in stopping the sectors and achieve small-sized formation of a shutter, there is provided a shutter for a camera including sectors for opening and closing a shutter opening by reciprocal and pivotal movement,... | 12/10/2002 |
| 6074106 | Camera with blocking device to prevent accidental shutter opening due to mechanical shock such as when camera jarred or drop A camera comprising an aperture through which ambient light is passed to cause a film exposure, a shutter blade pivotable open to uncover the aperture to permit ambient light to pass through the aperture and pivotable closed to re-cover the aperture and s... | 06/13/2000 |
| 6068412 | Shutter mechanism prevents accidental shutter opening due to physical shock A shutter mechanism comprising an aperture through which ambient light is passed to cause a film exposure, a pair of shutter blades supported for pivotal opening movement in opposite opening directions away from one another to uncover the aperture to perm... | 05/30/2000 |
| 5758219 | Brake apparatus of reciprocally rotating member and mirror braking apparatus in single lens reflex camera A brake apparatus includes a reciprocally rotating member which reciprocally rotates by an angular displacement smaller than 360°. Two cam surfaces of different shapes are formed on the reciprocally rotating member. A brake drum rotates in association wi... | 05/26/1998 |
| 5594521 | Brake apparatus for a shutter In order to provide a durable and strong brake apparatus for a shutter, provision is made of a first shaft, a first brake mechanism rotatably fitted on the first shaft, a second shaft disposed at a predetermined distance from the first shaft, a second bra... | 01/14/1997 |
| 5532787 | Photographic printing shutter A photographic printing shutter includes a pair of semicircular shutter bodies for cutting off printing light or allowing it to pass, at least one pair of rotatable shafts disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the printing light with the axis the... | 07/02/1996 |
| 5502524 | Aperture/shutter mechanism with damping member An aperture/shutter mechanism includes one or more shutter blades moveable to various aperture openings between a fully open and closed position. At least one damping member has a damping surface in continuous frictional contact with at least a portion of... | 03/26/1996 |
| 5365298 | Camera shutter with oscillation damping A camera including a combined shutter and adjustable aperture is characterized by resilient means for uniformly dampening oscillations during operation. The combined shutter and aperture includes a stepper motor that drives a plurality of blades between a... | 11/15/1994 |
| 4942415 | Shutter for a photogrammetric camera The invention is directed to a shutter wherein the rotary discs thereof are accelerated out of a standstill start position for each exposure operation and are again brought to standstill at the end of the exposure operation. The start position is computed... | 07/17/1990 |
| 4650306 | Electromagnetically releasable shutter for a camera An electromagnetically releasable shutter for a camera comprises an electromagnet (8) which is energized upon the execution of shutter releasing operation and de-energized after an exposure time corresponding to the brightness of the object has elapsed si... | 03/17/1987 |
| 4549800 | Compact automatic focusing lens shutter type camera A compact 35 mm, automatic focusing camera of the lens shutter type includes a camera body having a camera obscura with a fast opening cartridge receiving and spool accommodating chambers on respective opposite sides of and extending above the camera obsc... | 10/29/1985 |
| 4493544 | Focal-plane shutter A focal-plane shutter for a camera comprises a pair of apertured base plates disposed parallel to each other with a predetermined spacing therebetween to form an aperture for exposure, and light-shielding blades mounted between the base plates at a normal... | 01/15/1985 |
| 4480900 | Camera shutter with a pair of sector drive rings A plurality of sectors start opening in response to operation of a sector opening drive ring, and upon elaspe of a predetermined interval of time to provide a desired exposure time, a sector closing drive ring is released to permit the sectors to start op... | 11/06/1984 |
| 4458998 | Mechanical shock absorbing device of a camera In a camera having a moving body provided with an optical element which is movable over a predetermined distance in a predetermined direction in connection with a photographing operation, a shock absorbing device acting on a shock resulting from the movem... | 07/10/1984 |
| 4417797 | Variable force electromagnetic shutter In the disclosed focal plane shutter, desired travelling characteristics of shutter curtains are obtained by adjusting the distribution of magnetic flux density between the permanent magnet and the coil which constitute an electromagnetic drive source. Pr... | 11/29/1983 |
| 4408857 | Method and circuit for controlling an electromagnetic actuator in photographic apparatus An improved control circuit for an electromagnetic actuator of the type having an armature mounted for movement in a magnetic field, and means connected to the armature for urging the armature toward a rest position. The circuit applies an electrical puls... | 10/11/1983 |
| 4334747 | Device for preventing spring-back of shutter blade A device for preventing spring-back of the shutter blade of a camera wherein a plate spring projecting into the moving field of a shutter operation is provided with the motion of the shutter operation member being braked at its end phase by the plate spri... | 06/15/1982 |
| 4290682 | Electromagnetically operated shutter In the slit shutter disclosed, an actuator transmits the rotational force of an electromagnetic drive arrangement to move shutter blades through opening and closing cycles. A spring arrangement for engaging the actuating means serves to aid the shutter mo... | 09/22/1981 |
| 4245904 | SLR Mirror and shutter rebound prevention mechanism A mirror and shutter rebound preventing mechanism in a lens shutter type single-lens reflex camera having a shutter release lever for preliminarily closing a shutter. A shutter blade release ring with a release ring pin follows the shutter release lever a... | 01/20/1981 |
| 4179201 | Lens stop braking in automatic exposure cameras of stop value control type An automatic exposure camera of the stop value control type is provided with lens stop braking to improve the accuracy of the lens stopping operation while at the same time maintaining a high operating speed. A brake magnet mechanism is provided for decel... | 12/18/1979 |
| 4149785 | Diaphragm-type exposure control system having braking arrangement An exposure control operation involving diaphragm adjustment is performed in first and second phases. During the first phase, a drag mechanism controls the rate of change of diaphragm value. During the second phase, a braking mechanism cooperates with the... | 04/17/1979 |
| 4139290 | Lens stop auxiliary brake control device in automatic exposure camera of the lens stop value control type An auxiliary brake control device for use in an automatic exposure camera of the lens stop value control type permits the lens stop operation to be controlled with high accuracy without substantially increasing the lens stop operation time. The auxiliary ... | 02/13/1979 |
| 4114175 | Shutter mechanism The shutter mechanism includes an aperture-unblocking member mounted for movement between an unactivated aperture-blocking position and an activated aperture-unblocking position. A cocked drive mechanism is coupled to the aperture-unblocking member and is... | 09/12/1978 |
| 4057812 | Camera shutter having an electronic timing device A camera shutter that has an electronic timing device and a photo-electric resistor and associated capacitor timing circuit; a charge starting contact is actuatable to commence the timing circuit action, and an electro-magnetically actuated locking device... | 11/08/1977 |
| 3982256 | Rotary shutter blade mechanism for cameras Rotary shutter blade mechanism includes at least a shutter blade which rotates always in one direction. The driving energy of the shutter blade is recovered by a driving spring in the course of deceleration of the blade. An auxiliary actuating means is ad... | 09/21/1976 |
| 3956761 | Shutter device for a photographic camera A shutter device for a photographic camera has a pair of shutter blade members movable between first and second rest positions for opening or closing the camera aperture, including drive devices associated with the blade members for moving them in the sam... | 05/11/1976 |
| 3953871 | Precision light exposure timing and shutter mechanism for a wide range of exposure durations A mechanism which can be utilized to drive a rotating sector disc type light shutter with a high degree of precision, so as to control light exposures that are made through a stationary aperture. Unlike the prior art, this inventive mechanism can be used ... | 04/27/1976 |
| 3946413 | Shutter blade rebound preventive device for camera shutter A camera shutter having a plurality of shutter blades operable from a shutter-closing operative position to a shutter-opening operative position and back to the shutter-closing operative position. An opening driving lever and a closing driving lever are p... | 03/23/1976 |
