JPH0672992B2 - Camera built-in flash device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a built-in flash built in a camera, and more particularly to a built-in flash device that can be moved between a storage position and a light emitting position and whose irradiation angle can be adjusted. .

"Prior Art and Its Problems" The built-in flash of a camera is known as a fixed type and a retractable type. Among them, the conventional retractable type only emits light at the projecting position and cannot change the irradiation angle. Further, in the conventional device, the flash unit, which is urged to move in the protruding direction by the spring means, is held in the storage position by the locking means, and when used, the locking by the locking means is released to move to the protruding position. It was For this reason, shocks when protruding are inevitable,
Moreover, it was difficult to obtain a high-class feeling in operation. It is undeniable that shocks adversely affect cameras, which are precision machines.

“Object of the Invention” In view of the above-mentioned problem awareness of the conventional built-in flash, an object of the present invention is to provide a storage type device capable of changing an irradiation angle. Another object of the present invention is to obtain a built-in flash that can move the flash unit to the projecting position and the light emitting position without causing a shock and has a high-class operation or operation.

[Outline of the Invention] The present invention relates to a flash unit that can be moved between a storage position in which a light emitting surface faces downward and a light emitting position in which a light emitting surface faces a subject, and which is supported on the upper part of a camera so as to be movable back and forth;
A condensing lens body configured separately from the flash unit and capable of moving forward and backward on the front surface of the light emitting surface of the flash unit;
An electric drive source for moving the flash unit back and forth; moving the flash unit from the storage position to the light emitting position in a first movement section from the front to the rear, and in a second movement section following the first movement section. Is a posture control means of the flash unit that is moved while being held at the light emitting position; and, using the moving force of the flash unit as a driving force, the condensing lens body in the first movement section of the flash unit is in front of the light emitting surface of the flash unit. And a posture control means for the condenser lens body for holding the condenser lens body at the front position of the light emitting surface of the flash unit in the second movement section.

"Examples of the Invention" The present invention will be described below with reference to illustrated examples. A decoration plate 11 is provided above the single-lens reflex camera. The decoration plate 11 is located above the pentaprism 12 and a flash unit storage chamber 13 is provided therein. A ground plate 14 is horizontally fixed to the rear portion of the flash unit storage chamber 13, and slide plates 15 and 15 are provided on the left and right of the ground plate 14 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. This slide plate 15
The guide mechanism comprises a guide pin 16 fixed on the main plate 14 at different positions in the front and rear, and a long hole 17 formed in the slide plate 15 into which the guide pin 16 is fitted.

Racks 18 are formed on the left and right slide plates 15 so as to face each other.
Gears 19 having the same number of teeth, which are rotatably supported on the upper side, are meshed with each other. The two gears 19 mesh with each other, and one of them is rotationally driven by an electric motor (electric drive source) 21 via a reduction gear train 20. Therefore, when the electric motor 21 is driven to rotate forward and backward, the left and right slide plates are driven.
15 moves forward and backward in the same direction.

An upper bent edge 22 is formed on each of the left and right slide plates 15, and a flash unit 24 is rotatably supported by a shaft 23 between the upper bent edges 22. This flash unit 24 does not include a condenser lens body, its front surface serves as a light emitting surface 25, and inside thereof, a light emitting tube 26 and a reflecting shade 27 are provided.
Well known flash elements such as

A cam plate 28 is formed on the left and right sides of the base plate 14 by bending upward, and a cam hole 29 for controlling the attitude of the flash unit 24 is formed in the cam plate 28. That is, the cam hole 29 is for fitting the pin 30 projecting to the side surface of the flash unit 24, and the horizontal storage cam part 29a and the projecting cam part 29b, and the inclined cam part 2 connecting these both cam parts.
It has 9c. When the pin 30 is engaged with the storage cam portion 29a, the flash unit 24 is in a storage position in which the light emitting surface 25 faces downward and is stored in the flash storage chamber 13, and the pin 30 is attached to the protruding cam portion 29b. When engaged, the emitting surface 25
Rotates about an axis 23 and projects from the flash storage chamber 13, and its light emitting surface 25 faces the subject.

The Fresnel lens plate (condensing lens body) 32, which should be located on the front surface of the light emitting surface 25 of the flash unit 24, has a swing arm 33 extending rearward from the left and right thereof, and the rear end portion of the swing arm 33. A fulcrum pin 35 rotatably supported in a fulcrum hole 34 on the side wall of the flash storage chamber 13 is projectingly provided. The swing arm 33 of the Fresnel lens plate 32 has an interlocking elongated hole.
36 is punched, and an interlocking pin 38 protruding from the side surface of the flash unit 24 is fitted into the interlocking long hole 36. The interlocking slot 36 and the interlocking pin 38 position the Fresnel lens plate 32 parallel to the front surface of the light emitting surface 25 of the flash unit 24 when the flash unit 24 is in the storage position, and move the flash unit 24 to the projecting position (light emitting position). Then, in conjunction with this, the Fresnel lens plate 32 is formed so as to be parallel to the front surface of the light emitting surface 25.

The built-in flash constructed as described above operates as follows. When the electric motor 21 rotates the gear 19 which directly interlocks with the electric motor 21 in the storage state shown in FIGS. The left and right slide plates 15 move rearward due to the meshing relationship. Then, on the upper bent edge 22 of the slide plate 15,
The flash unit 24, which is rotatably supported via the shaft 23, also moves rearward. Then, the storage cam portion of the cam hole 29
The pin 30 of the flash unit 24 engaged with 29a is
By changing the engaging position of the inclined cam portion 29c, as a result, the flash unit 24 rotates about the shaft 23, and its light emitting surface.
Start turning 25 upwards. And the pin 30 is the protruding cam portion 29b.
When it is engaged with, the light emitting surface 25 is correctly oriented toward the subject.

Also, when the flash unit 24 rotates upward, the interlocking pin 38 planted on the side surface of the flash unit 24 rises upward.
Fresnel lens plate engaging 38 with interlocking slot 36
32 also pivots upward around the fulcrum pin 35,
Located in front of 25. Therefore, preparation for flash emission is completed.

When the slide plate 15 is further retracted from this state, the pin 30 of the flash unit 24 moves inside the protruding cam portion 29b, and the interlocking pin 38 moves into the interlocking elongated hole 36. Therefore, the distance 1 between the light emitting surface 25 and the Fresnel lens plate 32 changes.
When this distance 1 changes, the irradiation angle of the flash light emitted from the Fresnel lens plate 32 changes. That is, the light emitting surface
The farther 25 is from the Fresnel lens plate 32, the narrower the flash irradiation angle becomes, and the more suitable the irradiation angle is for a telephoto lens. Conversely, when the light emitting surface 25 is close to the Fresnel lens plate 32, an irradiation angle suitable for a wide-angle lens can be obtained.

Then, when the electric motor 21 is reversed, this time the slide plate
Since 15 moves forward, the flash unit 24 and the Fresnel lens plate 32 face downward, contrary to the above operation, and finally return to the stored state of FIG.

On / off and forward / reverse rotation control of the electric motor 21 for moving the flash unit 24 from the housed position to the projecting position can be performed by providing a flash dedicated switch, for example. Alternatively, the detector of the brightness of the subject and the release button may be interlocked with each other so that when the brightness is equal to or lower than a certain value, the release button is pushed halfway down to project. The distance l between the light emitting surface 25 and the Fresnel lens plate 32 at the light emitting position can be set by, for example, manually operating the focal length setting member, or if the focal length information of the lens can be obtained electrically or mechanically. The position of the slide plate 15 due to the rotation of the electric motor 21 may be controlled according to the information.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the flash unit can be reliably switched between the storage position and the light emitting position by interlocking with the simple forward and backward movement operation thereof. The irradiation angle can be changed according to the focal length of the lens. Further, since the flash unit and the condenser lens body are driven by the electric motor, it is possible to eliminate a shock when moving the flash unit and the condensing lens body to the storage position and the light emitting position, and to give a feeling of high quality in operation and operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a built-in flash device for a camera according to the present invention. FIGS. 1 and 2 are sectional views of a flash unit at a light emitting position and a storage position, respectively.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the main part. 11 …… Decorative plate, 12 …… Penta prism, 13 …… Flash storage room, 14 …… Base plate, 15 …… Slide plate, 16 …… Guide pin, 17 …… Long hole, 18 …… Rack, 19… … Gear, 21…
… Electric motor (electric drive source), 23 …… Axis, 24 …… Flash unit, 25 …… Light emitting surface, 28 …… Cam plate, 29a ……
Storage cam part, 29b …… Projecting cam part, 29c …… Inclined cam part,
30 …… pin, 32 …… Fresnel lens plate (condensing lens body), 33 …… swing arm, 34 …… fulcrum hole, 35 …… fulcrum pin, 36 …… interlocking slot, 38 …… interlocking pin.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A flash unit movably supported between a storage position in which a light emitting surface faces downward and a light emitting position in which a light emitting surface faces a subject, and which is supported on the upper part of a camera so as to be movable back and forth; A separate condensing lens body that can move forward and backward to the front surface of the light emitting surface of the flash unit; an electric drive source that moves the flash unit back and forth; and the storage of the flash unit in a first movement section from the front to the rear thereof. From the position to the light emitting position, and in the second moving section following the first moving section, the attitude control means of the flash unit for holding and holding the light emitting position; and the moving force of the flash unit as the driving force. In the first movement section of the flash unit, a condenser lens body is provided on the front surface of the flash unit light emitting surface. A built-in flash device for a camera, comprising: attitude control means of the condenser lens body that is advanced and holds the condenser lens body at the front position of the flash unit light emitting surface in the second movement section.