Camera shutter assembly having casing walls for guiding a shutter and method for producing same
View Patent ↗A shutter assembly has an actuator for applying a whip action on a shutter wing for blocking or exposing an aperture. The shutter wing has a first blade fixedly connected to the actuator and a second blade movably connected to the first blade. When the shutter wing is in the closed position, the blades form a folded shape with a waist section large enough to cover the entire aperture. When the shutter wing is in the open position, the blades form an extended shape having a narrower waist section. The blades can be connected to each other by a hinge or a wire. Two shutter wings located on opposite sides of the aperture can be used to create a gap therebetween to control the exposure in a camera. As the shutter wings move from one side to another, the gap acts like a moving slit across the aperture.
1. A method for controlling exposure in a camera having aperture, comprising:
providing a casing having casing walls;
providing a first shutter blade having a first end and a second end, the first end connected to an actuator for rotational movement between a first position and a second position;
rotatably connecting a second shutter blade to the second end of the first shutter blade, wherein
when the first shutter blade is located in the first position, the first and second shutter blades form a folded shape over the aperture, and
when the first shutter blade is located in the second position, both the first and second shutter blades are located away from the aperture and the first and second shutter blades form an extended shape with a reduced waist section,
when the first shutter blade moves between the first position and the second position, the casing walls guide the second shutter blade.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first shutter blade has a first end and a second end, the second end movably connected to the second shutter blade, said method further comprising:
fixedly connecting the first end of the first shutter blade to an actuator for moving the shutter between the first and the second positions.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second shutter blade is connected to the first shutter blade via a hinge.
4. The shutter of claim 1 , wherein the second shutter blade is connected to the first shutter blade by a wire.
5. A shutter assembly, comprising:
a casing having an aperture and casing walls;
a shutter disposed adjacent to the aperture, said shutter comprising:
a first shutter blade, and
a second shutter blade rotatably connected to the first shutter blade, wherein the casing walls are configured to guide the shutter between a first position blocking the aperture and a second position exposing the aperture, and wherein
when the shutter is located in the first position, the first shutter blade and the second shutter blade form a folded shape with a waist section larger than the aperture, and
when the shutter is located in the second position, the first shutter blade and the second shutter blade form an extended shape with a reduced waist section.
6. The shutter assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first shutter blade has a first end and a second end, said shutter assembly further comprising:
an actuator mounted on the casing, wherein the first end is adapted for connecting to the actuator to allow the shutter to move between the first and the second positions, and the second end is movably connected to the second shutter blade.
7. The shutter assembly of claim 5 , wherein the second shutter blade is connected to the first shutter blade via a hinge.
8. The shutter assembly of claim 5 , wherein the second shutter blade is connected to the first shutter blade by a wire.
9. The shutter assembly of claim 6 , wherein the actuator has a shaft mounted through a surface of the casing, and the first end of the first shutter blade is fixedly attached to the shaft for rotation.
10. The shutter assembly of claim 9 , wherein the aperture is provided on the casing surface.
11. The shutter assembly of claim 9 , wherein
the casing surface has a first side and an opposing second side;
the aperture is provided on the casing surface between the first side and the second side, and
the shutter is located on the first side when the shutter is located in the first position and wherein the actuator is adapted for moving the shutter from the first side toward the second side to the second position, said shutter assembly further comprising:
a second shutter disposed on the second side, the second shutter comprising:
a third shutter blade rotatably connected to a second actuator, and
a fourth shutter blade rotatably connected to the third shutter blade, wherein the second shutter is operable between a third position blocking the aperture and a fourth position exposing the aperture, and wherein
when the second shutter is located in the third position, the third shutter blade and the fourth shutter blade form a folded shape with a waist section larger than the aperture;
when the second shutter is located in the fourth position, the third shutter blade and the fourth shutter blade form an extended shape with a reduced waist section; and
the second shutter is located on the second side when the second shutter is located in the fourth position and the second actuator is adapted for moving the second shutter from the second side toward the first side to the third position.
12. The shutter assembly of claim 11 , wherein only one of the first and second shutters is adapted to block the aperture at a time.
13. The shutter assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first and second shutters are adapted to move between the first side and the second side in a moving direction, forming a gap between the first and second shutters.
14. The shutter assembly of claim 13 , wherein the first and second actuators are adapted for moving the first and second shutters independently in a coordinated fashion so as to adjust the gap between the first and second shutters.
15. A shutter assembly as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the casing walls are configured to guide the second shutter blade, when the shutter moves from the first position to the second position, such that the first and second shutter blades change forming the folded shape to forming the extended shape.
16. A shutter assembly as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the casing walls are configured to guide the second shutter blade, when the shutter moves from second position to the first position, such that the first and second shutter blades change from forming the extended shape to forming the folded shape.
17. A mobile phone comprising an imaging device having a shutter assembly according to claim 5 .
18. A device comprising:
an imaging sensor;
a casing having an aperture and casing walls;
an optical unit for forming an image on the imaging sensor with light through the aperture; and
a shutter disposed adjacent to the aperture, said shutter comprising:
a first shutter blade, and
a second shutter blade rotatably connected to the first shutter blade, wherein the casing walls are configured to guide the shutter between a first position blocking the aperture and a second position exposing the aperture, and wherein
when the shutter is located in the first position, the first shutter blade and the second shutter blade form a folded shape with a waist section larger than the aperture, and
when the shutter is located in the second position, the first shutter blade and the second shutter blade form an extended shape with a reduced waist section.
19. A device as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the casing walls are configured to guide the second shutter blade, when the shutter moves from the first position to the second position, such that the first and second shutter blades change forming the folded shape to forming the extended shape.
20. A device as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the casing walls are configured to guide the second shutter blade, when the shutter moves from second position to the first position, such that the first and second shutter blades change from forming the extended shape to forming the folded shape.