JP3461213B2 - Camera with built-in strobe - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera incorporating a movable strobe device. 2. Description of the Related Art In today's cameras, not only lens shutter cameras but also single-lens reflex cameras having a built-in flash device have become popular. However, when a strobe device is built into a camera, the size of the camera body tends to be increased first, so that efforts must be made to make the camera body as compact as possible. As a result, the built-in strobe light emitting unit approaches the photographing optical axis of the camera. However, it is desirable that the strobe light emitting unit is located as far away from the photographing optical axis as possible. This is because if the strobe light-emitting part is extremely close to the optical axis of the image, the shadow will appear unnatural, and the eyes of the subject or organism will be photographed as red spots, which may cause adverse effects such as red eye phenomenon. Because it is easy. Therefore, in a single-lens reflex camera with a built-in strobe, a strobe light emitting portion is usually mounted directly above a pentaprism, and the strobe light emitting portion is configured to move up and down between a storage standby position and a light emitting position. There are many things. According to this configuration, the strobe light emitting portion is normally located at the storage standby position, which contributes to the compact portability of the camera, and can stand by at the light emitting position further away from the photographing optical axis only during strobe shooting, which is extremely effective. Configuration.
In this case, an arm portion for supporting the strobe light emitting portion is provided along both slopes with the pentaprism ridge line interposed therebetween, and the strobe light emitting portion is moved between the storage standby position and the light emitting position by a rotational movement about the support shaft of this arm. Is generally up and down. This up / down operation automatically pops up when the camera determines that strobe light emission is necessary,
This is performed manually when the photographer determines that strobe light emission is necessary or intentional. The mechanism by which these pop-ups and pop-downs are performed automatically or manually is performed via a drive unit connected to a motor, or a mechanism for releasing a tension member by energizing a magnet.
A variety of inventions have been made and are already spreading as products. In some cases, the pop-up automatically pops down after the flash shooting and when the camera is turned off. The automatic determination of the necessity of strobe light emission is controlled by various algorithms, and many of them are commercialized. [0006] In many cases, the electric mounting form in such a configuration is such that only a xenon tube and a trigger coil are mounted in the strobe light emitting section, and a control circuit is mounted on the camera body side. With this configuration, electrical connection between the strobe light emitting unit and the control circuit in the camera body is easy, and only about four lead wires are required. Hereinafter, a conventional example in which a xenon tube and a trigger coil are mounted in a strobe light emitting section will be described. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a conventional strobe light-emitting unit is at a storage standby position, and FIG. Reference numeral 1 denotes a strobe light emitting unit, and reference numeral 2 denotes an upper cover of the camera body. The strobe light emitting unit 1 is connected to a support shaft 4 by a left arm 3 and is supported by the upper lid 2. The strobe light emitting unit 1 is rotated by the support shaft 4 as a center of rotation, and the storage standby position shown in FIG. Up and down operation can be performed. Reference numeral 17 denotes a guide groove formed in accordance with the rotation trajectory of the strobe light emitting unit 1 and is provided inside the left arm 3, and reference numeral 18 denotes a guide pin provided on the upper cover. The guide pin 18 controls the rotation locus and guide groove 17.
And restricts the pop-up position of the strobe light emitting unit 1. 6 is a xenon tube, 7 is a flash reflector,
Although not shown in the figure, the trigger coil is installed on the right arm side of the strobe light emitting section. The four control signals for the xenon tube 6 and the trigger coil (not shown) are connected to a lead wire group 22.
Is connected to a control circuit (not shown) in the camera body, and a light emission trigger signal generated by a trigger coil (not shown) is directly connected to the flash reflector 7. Reference numeral 31 denotes a lead wire drawing hole provided in the side wall of the left arm 3 near the fixed shaft 4, and reference numeral 32 denotes a lead wire entry hole provided in the side wall of the upper lid 2. When the strobe light emitting portion 1 is at the storage standby position, the lead wire intrusion hole 32 is located near the upper end of the lead wire drawing hole 31 and the strobe light emitting portion 1 is in the light emitting position when the strobe light emitting portion 1 is at the storage standby position. As shown in FIG. 5, the lead wire entry hole 32 is near the lower end of the lead wire outlet hole 31 and is always in the range of the lead wire outlet hole 31 not only in the up / down state of the strobe light emitting unit 1. The fan-shaped long hole shape is set. Reference numeral 33 denotes an accessory shoe for attaching another accessory such as a strobe, and reference numeral 34 denotes a washer provided inside the upper cover 2 for fixing the accessory shoe 33 with the upper cover 2 interposed therebetween. Here, the lead wire entry hole 32 opened on the side wall of the upper lid 2 must be opened at a position where it does not interfere with the washer 34. The four lead wire groups 22 pass through the inside of the left arm 3, and extend from the lead wire drawing hole 31 to the lead wire entry hole 32.
Penetrates into the upper lid 2 through the camera and is connected to a control circuit (not shown) in the camera body. [0014] With the advancement of functions of cameras, cameras equipped with a red-eye reduction function and a strobe zoom function as additional functions accompanying the strobe are becoming widespread. Although various layouts of these additional functions are conceivable in the camera body, there is a strong demand that the additional functions be built into the strobe light emitting unit to form one unit. This is because it is easy to handle as a single unit with the specifications "built-in strobe", which is advantageous for developing camera versions and developing improved successors. With such a configuration, the number of electrical connections between the strobe light-emitting unit and the control circuit in the camera body will increase dramatically. For example, when a lamp is mounted as a red-eye reduction function, two signals are required for lighting the lamp, and when a strobe zoom signal is picked up, a signal is required at least for a zoom position.
In addition, since a pop-up position detection switch for detecting whether the strobe light emitting portion is at the proper light emitting position can be summarized by the specification "built-in strobe", it is desirable to unitize the strobe light emitting portion if possible. However, according to the above-mentioned conventional example, the lead wire penetration hole 32
Needs to be further enlarged, and the lead wire lead-out hole of the left arm 3 needs to be enlarged accordingly. Further, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 62-193230, a method is known in which a lead wire is passed through a rotating shaft of an arm of a rotating strobe light emitting unit. However, according to this method, a bearing having a hole made of metal or the like is required on the rotating shaft, which is expensive and complicated. According to the present invention, there is provided a movable portion including a strobe light emitting portion, and the movable portion is supported rotatably about a predetermined axis of a camera body. A support shaft that enables the strobe light-emitting portion of the movable portion to move from a storage standby position to a desired light-emitting position by rotation about the center, an electric mounting component mounted in the movable portion, and The control circuit mounted on the, a lead wire or a flexible printed circuit board for electrically connecting the electric mounting component and the control circuit, and in a substantially downward direction near the axis, the center of the axis A first opening provided in the convex R-shaped outer portion of the movable portion; and a second opening provided substantially in the camera body side in proximity to the first opening and close to the convex R-shaped outer portion. And the opening or the lead wire or the front The flexible printed circuit board is configured to intrude into the camera body from the movable section via the first opening through the second opening, and
The end wall is positioned such that the strobe light-emitting portion is in front of the storage standby position.
While moving to the desired light emitting position, the outside of the second opening
It is provided at a position that does not contact a member that forms the circumference . FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 show an embodiment of the present invention.
In this embodiment, a xenon tube, a trigger coil, a red-eye reduction lamp, and a pop-up position detection switch are mounted on the strobe light emitting section. FIG. 1 is a top view showing the inside of the strobe light-emitting unit and the upper part of the upper lid of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA showing the strobe light-emitting unit in a storage standby position, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA showing a state where a part is at a light emitting position. Reference numeral 1 denotes an electronic flash unit, and reference numeral 2 denotes an upper cover of the camera body. The strobe light emitting unit 1 has a left arm 3a and a right arm 3b, both arms are connected to a support shaft 4 and supported by the upper lid 2, and the storage standby shown in FIG. The up-down operation can be performed between the position and the light emitting position shown in FIG. Numeral 5 denotes a spring, in which the strobe light emitting unit 1 in FIG. 2 is in the storage direction at the storage standby position, in the light emitting position in FIG.
Energize in both directions. 6 is a xenon tube, 7 is a flash reflector,
8 is a trigger coil. Reference numeral 9 denotes a red-eye alleviating lamp unit, which comprises a lamp and a reflector cap-shaped socket for irradiating lamp light forward. The strobe reflection shade 7 and the red-eye reduction lamp unit 9 are arranged side by side and are closely fixed to the strobe panel 10. Reference numeral 11 denotes a pop-up position detection switch which is arranged in the left arm 3a. In FIG. 2, since the strobe light emitting unit 1 is at the storage standby position, the switch is open. The pop-up position detection switch detects that the strobe light-emitting unit 1 is at the proper light-emitting position, and permits the strobe to emit light. If no signal is received from the switch, the camera determines that the camera is abnormal and displays a warning. Reference numeral 12 denotes a pentaprism, and the positional relationship between the strobe light emitting unit 1 and the upper lid 2 is as shown in the figure.
Reference numeral 13 denotes an opening provided on the outer surface R of the left arm 3a centered on the support shaft 4 and has a range from the front end wall 14 to the rear end wall 15. Reference numeral 16 denotes an opening provided on the R surface of the upper cover 2 near the outer shape R surface of the left arm 3a with the support shaft 4 as a center. The opening 16 is located at a position facing the opening 13 of the left arm 3a. Is surrounded by a bank 16a. Ribbed bank 16
a enters the opening 13 of the left arm 3a,
The front end wall 14 and the rear end wall 15 are set so that the opening 13 does not hit the rib-shaped bank 16a of the opening 16 even when the strobe light emitting unit 1 rotates from the storage standby position to the light emitting position.
Reference numeral 17 denotes a guide groove formed in accordance with the rotation trajectory of the strobe light emitting unit 1 and is provided inside the left arm 3a.
8 is a guide pin provided on the upper lid. A lead wire 20 connects a trigger signal generated by the trigger coil 8 to a flash reflector. Reference numeral 21 denotes a group of eight lead wires extending from the xenon tube 6, the trigger coil 8, the red-eye alleviating lamp 9, and the pop-up position detection switch 11, and passes through the inside of the left arm 3a, and extends from the opening 13 to the opening 16 of the upper lid 2. And is connected to a substrate (not shown) in the camera body. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the strobe light emitting unit 1 is automatically or manually raised to a regular light emitting position. At this time, as described above, the right and left arms 3a and 3b pop up due to the rotational movement about the support shaft 4.
The guide pin 18 regulates the pop-up position of the strobe light emitting unit 1 by contacting the lower end 17a of the guide groove 17 together with the regulation of the rotation locus. At this time, the pop-up position detecting switch 11 has a structure in which the pop-up completion signal is output when the leaf switch is turned on by contacting the guide pin 18. According to the present invention, even if the number of mounted lead wires and the like increases due to the increase in the additional functions of the strobe light accompanying the sophistication of the camera, the camera is not enlarged and has a simple configuration. It is possible to connect a movable section having a strobe light emitting section to the camera body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top view showing the inside of a strobe light emitting unit and an upper lid upper part of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a strobe light emitting unit is at a storage standby position. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a strobe light emitting unit is at a light emitting position. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a strobe light emitting unit according to a conventional example is at a storage standby position. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a strobe light emitting unit according to a conventional example is at a light emitting position. [Description of Signs] 1 Strobe light emitting unit 2 Upper lid 3a Left arm 3b Right arm 4 Support shaft 5 Spring 6 Xenon tube 7 Strobe reflector 8 Trigger coil 9 Red-eye reduction lamp unit 10 Strobe panel 11 Pop-up position detection switch 12 Penta prism 13 Left Arm opening 14 Front wall 15 Rear end wall 16 Upper lid opening 17 Guide groove 18 Guide pin 20, 21, 22 Lead wire 31 Lead wire drawing hole 32 Lead wire entry hole 33 Accessory shoe 34 Washer

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-5-2213 (JP, A) JP-A-3-105830 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03B 15/05

Claims (1)

(57) [Claim 1] A movable section including a strobe light emitting section, and the movable section is supported rotatably about a predetermined axis of a camera body, and is rotated about the axis. A support shaft that allows the strobe light-emitting portion of the movable portion to move from a storage standby position to a desired light-emitting position by movement, an electric component mounted in the movable portion, and a component mounted in the camera body. A control circuit, a lead wire or a flexible printed circuit board for electrically connecting the electric mounting component and the control circuit, and a projection of the movable portion about the axis in a substantially downward direction near the axis. A first opening provided in the R-shaped outer portion,
A second opening provided in the camera body side in a substantially upward direction in proximity to the first opening and close to the convex R-shaped outer portion, wherein the lead wire or the flexible printed board is So as to intrude into the camera body from the movable part through the second opening from the first opening ,
The end wall of the first opening is provided with the strobe light emitting portion.
Before moving from the storage standby position to the desired light emitting position,
A position that does not contact the member that forms the outer periphery of the second opening
A camera with a built-in flash.