Camera shutter arrangements and camera arrangements including camera shutter arrangements

1. A camera shutter arrangement comprising:

a motor;

a pinion gear operatively coupled to the motor;

an integral paddle-gear member comprising a paddle portion and a gear portion that extends from the paddle portion and that meshes with the pinion gear to move the paddle portion between a first position and a second position when the motor is energized; and

a housing coupled to or enclosing at least a portion of the motor,

wherein the housing has a cavity formed therethrough and the integral paddle-gear member has an elongated projection that extends generally transverse to the paddle portion, and the elongated projection is disposed in the cavity with the paddle portion and the gear portion disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the housing.

2. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the integral paddle-gear member is a monolithic structure.

3. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the integral paddle-gear member is operatively coupled to the housing.

4. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 3 , further comprising a motor shaft having a proximal end portion operatively coupled to the motor and a distal end portion operatively coupled to the pinion gear to drive the pinion gear when the motor is energized.

5. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the pinion gear is friction fit or press-fit to the distal end portion of the motor shaft.

6. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the housing has a channel formed therethrough and the motor shaft is disposed through the channel to position the pinion gear adjacent to the outer surface of the housing.

7. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 6 , wherein the channel has a longitudinal channel axis and the cavity has a longitudinal cavity axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal channel axis.

8. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 6 , wherein the elongated projection defines a first axis of rotation for the paddle portion and the motor shaft defines a second axis of rotation for the pinion gear, and wherein the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation are substantially parallel.

9. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the paddle portion and the gear portion are substantially planar.

10. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the elongated projection comprises a snapfit arrangement that engages the housing adjacent to the cavity.

11. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a spring disposed in the cavity and operatively coupled to the housing and the integral paddle-gear member to bias the paddle portion to the first position or the second position.

12. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the first position is a blocking position for blocking incoming light with the paddle portion to a sensor of a camera arrangement and the second position is a non-blocking position that allows the incoming light to pass to the sensor, and wherein the spring biases the paddle portion to the non-blocking position.

13. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 11 , wherein the spring has a first end portion and a second end portion that is opposite the first end portion, and wherein the first end portion engages a wall of the cavity and the second end portion engages the paddle portion.

14. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 13 , wherein the paddle portion has a slot formed therethrough and the second end portion of the spring is disposed in the slot.

15. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the housing has a substantially planar outer surface portion and a raised outer portion that extends from the substantially planar outer surface portion and that surrounds the cavity adjacent to an interface between the elongated projection and the paddle portion.

16. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 15 , wherein the raised outer portion comprises a first stop and a second stop that is spaced apart from the first stop, and wherein the first and second stops are positioned for interfacing with the integral paddle-gear member to limit movement of the paddle portion beyond the first position and the second position, respectively.

17. The camera shutter arrangement of claim 16 , wherein the first and second stops are positioned for interfacing directly with the gear portion to limit movement of the paddle portion beyond the first position and the second position, respectively.

18. A camera arrangement comprising:

a sensor;

an optical arrangement adapted to focus incoming light onto the sensor; and

a camera shutter arrangement for controlling exposure of the sensor to the incoming light, the camera shutter arrangement comprising:

a motor;

a pinion gear operatively coupled to the motor;

an integral paddle-gear member comprising a paddle portion and a gear portion that extends from the paddle portion and that meshes with the pinion gear to move the paddle portion between a blocking position and a non-blocking position when the motor is energized, wherein in the blocking position the paddle portion blocks the incoming light to the sensor and in the non-blocking position the paddle portion allows the incoming light to pass to the sensor; and

a housing coupled to or enclosing at least a portion of the motor,

wherein the housing has a cavity formed therethrough and the integral paddle-gear member has an elongated projection that extends generally transverse to the paddle portion, and the elongated projection is disposed in the cavity with the paddle portion and the gear portion disposed adjacent to an outer surface of the housing.

19. A camera shutter arrangement comprising:

a motor;

a pinion gear operatively coupled to the motor;

an integral paddle-gear member comprising a paddle portion and a gear portion that extends from the paddle portion and that meshes with the pinion gear to move the paddle portion between a first position and a second position when the motor is energized;

a housing coupled to or enclosing at least a portion of the motor; and

a motor shaft having a proximal end portion operatively coupled to the motor and a distal end portion operatively coupled to the pinion gear to drive the pinion gear when the motor is energized;

wherein the housing has a channel formed therethrough and the motor shaft is disposed through the channel to position the pinion gear adjacent to an outer surface of the housing, and

wherein the housing has a cavity formed therethrough and the integral paddle-gear member has an elongated projection that extends generally transverse to the paddle portion and that is disposed in the cavity with the paddle portion and the gear portion disposed adjacent to the outer surface of the housing.