Camera

Details Camera Camera

1999-11-12

2001-04-24

Perkey, W.B (Department: 2851)

Photography

With object illumination for exposure

Having flash built into camera

C396S349000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06222997

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera having an electronic flash device, and more particularly to a camera arranged such that an electronic flash device moves to a light emission position at the time of photo-taking and to a stowage position at the time of non-photo-taking in association with drawing-out and drawing-in of a movable lens barrel.
2. Description of Related Art
Compact cameras each having a built-in electronic flash device (hereinafter referred to as the flash device) are arranged to mechanically pop up the flash device in such a direction as to move the flash device away from the optical axis of a photo-taking lens, or to rotate and lift up the flash device in a retractable manner, for the purpose of avoiding a red-eye phenomenon. Some of these cameras are arranged to move a lens barrel from a non-photo-taking position to a photo-taking position. In the case of such a camera, the flash device is stowed when the lens barrel is in the non-photo-taking position, and the flash device is moved to a light emission position when the camera is in the photo-taking position. In other words, the camera is arranged to have a retractable flash device interlocked with a movable lens barrel. Hereinafter, the camera of this type is called a movable-lens-barrel interlocked type camera.
The movable-lens-barrel interlocked type camera obviates the necessity of having an actuator for moving the flash device. The flash device can be automatically moved, in association with the movement of the lens barrel, from the light emission position to the stowage position simply by an on-off operation on a main switch of the camera. This flash device arrangement is suited to compact cameras for which reduction in size is mandatory.
Examples of the movable-lens-barrel interlocked type camera have been disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications No. HEI 8-110552 and No. HEI 9-105982 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,003). The camera of this type is arranged to urge the flash device with a spring toward the stowage position. The camera is thus arranged to have the flash device moved against the urging force of the spring by the movement of the movable lens barrel from the non-photo-taking position to the photo-taking position. In some of the cameras of this type, the flash device is arranged to be conversely moved. In other words, the flash device is arranged to be urged by a spring toward the light emission position and to move against the urging force toward the stowage position when the lens barrel is moved from the photo-taking position to the non-photo-taking position.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a camera comprising a lens barrel arranged to be movable between a non-photo-taking position and a photo-taking position, a flash device arranged to be movable between a stowage position and a usage position, an interlocking mechanism arranged to move the flash device from the stowage position to the usage position in association with movement of the lens barrel from the non-photo-taking position to the photo-taking position and to move the flash device from the usage position to the stowage position in association with movement of the lens barrel from the photo-taking position to the non-photo-taking position, and a toggle spring arranged to give the flash device an urging force toward the stowage position when the flash device is located in the vicinity of the stowage position and to give the flash device an urging force toward the usage position when the flash device is located in the vicinity of the usage position, so that the flash device can be held without fail either in the stowage position or in the usage position.
The above and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5749003 (1998-05-01), Tanabe

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