Shutter Mechanism Curved Arm Design for Release Lag Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing shutter devices in electronic cameras experience increased release time lag due to the sequential shifting of the front and rear curtain light-shielding blades, with no prior configuration effectively reducing this lag.

Innovation Solution

A shutter device design featuring a front curtain light-shielding blade that moves from a first to a second position outside the opening, utilizing a parallel link mechanism with a curved front curtain driven arm to prevent interference and allow storage of blades in the first withdrawn position until photographing starts, minimizing the need for blade shifting at the beginning of exposure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the front curtain light-shielding blade is shifted from the first position to the second position to shield the opening before exposure, then the image sensor can be reset properly, but the release time lag increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage sensor reset reliabilityVSAvoidrelease time lag

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The front curtain light-shielding blade is stored in the first withdrawn position before exposure, where it is already in place to immediately shield the opening when needed. This preliminary positioning eliminates the need for time-consuming blade shifting operations during the exposure sequence, thereby reducing release time lag while ensuring reliable image sensor reset.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of the conventional approach where blades are positioned to cover the opening during exposure, this invention inverts the approach by storing both curtains in withdrawn positions (first positions) before exposure. The blades then move to shield the opening only when required, reversing the traditional sequence and eliminating unnecessary pre-positioning time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Manufacturing precision

If the front and rear curtain light-shielding blades are shifted sequentially with time difference to expose the image sensor, then proper exposure control is achieved, but the release time lag is increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexposure timing precisionVSAvoidrelease time lag

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Both the front curtain and rear curtain light-shielding blades are stored in their first withdrawn positions before exposure begins. This preliminary positioning ensures that both blades are ready to execute their exposure sequence immediately when triggered, eliminating any delay associated with blade repositioning and maintaining precise exposure timing control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The shutter mechanism employs a dynamic design where the front curtain and rear curtain blades can independently and rapidly transition between withdrawn and shielding positions. This dynamic capability allows for precise control of the exposure sequence with minimal transition time, reducing release time lag while maintaining exposure precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of manufacture

If the front curtain driven arm is made straight to simplify the mechanism, then manufacturing is easier, but interference occurs between the front curtain driven arm and the rear curtain driving pin

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanism manufacturing simplicityVSAvoidmechanical interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The front curtain driven arm is designed with a curved configuration instead of a straight shape. This curvature allows the arm to navigate around the rear curtain driving pin, eliminating mechanical interference between these components. The curved design maintains the functional requirements of the shutter mechanism while avoiding collision with adjacent moving parts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The front curtain driven arm is positioned and oriented in a different spatial dimension relative to the rear curtain driving pin. By changing the spatial arrangement and using a curved path, the design allows both components to coexist and move without interference, effectively utilizing three-dimensional space to resolve the conflict between manufacturing simplicity and mechanical interference avoidance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS9995989B2Shutter device and image-capturing apparatus

Publication Date: 2018.06.12 NIKON CORP

AI summary

A shutter device includes: a substrate having an opening; a first light-shielding member that moves from a first position outside the opening of the substrate to a second position outside the opening to shield the opening, the second position being different from the first position; a second light-shielding member that partly shields the opening while moving from the first position to the second position; a first moving member that has a protrusion moving along a hole provided in the substrate to move the first light-shielding member; a second moving member that is coupled to the second light-shielding member and moves together with the second light-shielding member; and a third moving member, located outside a movement range of the protrusion during the second light-shielding member being located in the first position, that is coupled to the second light-shielding member and moves together with the second light-shielding member.