Photography – With object illumination for exposure – Variable illumination angle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-13
2001-11-06
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
With object illumination for exposure
Variable illumination angle
C396S177000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314244
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a camera with an electronic flash assembly. More particularly, this invention relates to a camera with a retractable electronic flash assembly, which is movable to an inactive position and an active position and whose flashtube is movable forward and backward to change an illumination angle.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 10-104696 discloses a camera with a retractable electronic flash assembly. The flash assembly is driven in association with a retraction, a projection and a zooming of a taking-lens barrel of the camera. When the taking-lens barrel is retracted, that is when a power supply of the camera is OFF, the flash assembly is stored in an inactive position in a camera body. When the power supply is turned ON and the taking-lens barrel is protruded to an initial position, the flash assembly is moved to an active position over the camera body. In association with the zooming of the taking-lens barrel, a flashtube in the flash assembly is moved forward and backward so that an illumination angle is changed in accordance with a zooming position.
The conventional moving mechanism of the flash assembly and the flashtube comprises a drive cam, a cam following lever, a slide plate, a drive lever, a drive spring and a connecting rod. The drive cam is connected to an output shaft of a drive motor through a gear train. When the drive cam is rotated by a driving force of the drive motor, the cam following lever is moved to follow a cam face of the drive cam. Then, the flash assembly is moved to a predetermined position and the flashtube is moved to a predetermined illumination angle position by actions of the slide plate, the drive lever, the drive spring, the connecting rod and so on, which are connected to the cam following lever. The conventional moving mechanism of the flash assembly and the flashtube is thus complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a camera with a retractable electronic flash assembly that is movable between an inactive position and an active position and has a flashtube that is movable forward and backward to change an illumination angle, and that is able to move the flash assembly and the flashtube by a simple moving mechanism.
The above object can be accomplished by providing a camera, comprising: a camera body; a flash assembly which is movable between an inactive position where the flash assembly is stored in the camera body and an active position where the flash assembly is protruded from the camera body; a flashtube arranged in the flash assembly movably forward and backward to change an illumination angle; and a flash assembly moving mechanism including a cam member having a first cam face for moving the flash assembly and a second cam face for moving the flashtube, wherein the flash assembly is moved while being guided by the first cam face when the cam member moves within a first moving range, and the flashtube is moved while being guided by the second cam face when the cam member moves within a second moving range beyond the first moving range.
According to the present invention, the camera is provided with the cam member that has the first cam face for moving the flash assembly and the second cam face for moving the flashtube. The flash assembly is moved while being guided by the first cam face when the cam member moves within the first moving range, and the flashtube is moved while being guided by the second cam face when the cam member moves within the second moving range beyond the first moving range. Thus, the flash assembly and the flashtube can be moved by a first and a second moving actions of one cam member, and therefore the flash assembly and the flashtube can be moved by the simple moving mechanism.
The above object can be accomplished by providing a camera, comprising: a camera body; a flash assembly which is movable between an inactive position where the flash assembly is stored in the camera body and an active position where the flash assembly is protruded from the camera body; a flashtube arranged in the flash assembly movably forward and backward to change an illumination angle; a first moving member arranged in the camera body movably in a predetermined direction, the first moving member moving the flash assembly when the first moving member moves within a first moving range; a cam mechanism operatively connecting the first moving member and a second moving member; and the second moving member which moves the flashtube by being moved in association with the first moving member by the cam mechanism when the first moving member moves within a second moving range beyond the first moving range.
According to the present invention, the first moving member for moving the flash assembly and the second moving member for moving the flashtube are connected to each other through the cam mechanism, and the first moving member moves the flash assembly when the first moving member moves within the first moving range, and the second moving member moves the flashtube by being moved in association with the first moving member by the cam mechanism when the first moving member moves within the second moving range beyond the first moving range. The cam mechanism that moves the second moving member in association with the first moving member is thus adopted, and the structure of the moving mechanism is thereby simpler than that of a mechanism that separately moves the first moving member and the second moving member. Moreover, the action timing of the second moving member with respect to the first moving member is set easily since the second moving member is moved in association with the first moving member by the cam mechanism.
The above object can be accomplished by providing a camera, comprising: a camera body; a flash assembly which is movable between an inactive position where the flash assembly is stored in the camera body and an active position where the flash assembly is protruded from the camera body; a flashtube arranged in the flash assembly movably forward and backward to change an illumination angle; a cam member arranged in the camera body movably in a predetermined direction, the cam member having a first cam face for moving the flash assembly and a second cam face for moving the flashtube; a cam moving member which moves the cam member in the predetermined direction; a flash assembly moving member having a first cam follower to contact with the first cam face of the cam member and a force transmitting member to transmit a force to the flash assembly, the flash assembly moving member moving the flash assembly through the force transmitting member when the cam member is moved in a first moving range and the first cam follower is moved in association with the cam member while being guided by the first cam face; and a flashtube moving member having a second cam follower to contact with the second cam face of the cam member, the flashtube moving member operatively connecting with the flashtube, the second cam follower being supported movably forward and backward by a supporting member, the flashtube moving member moving the flashtube when the cam member is moved within a second moving range beyond the first moving range and the second cam follower is moved in association with the cam member while being guided by the second cam face and the supporting member.
According to the present invention, the moving mechanism of the flash assembly and the flashtube comprises the cam member, the cam moving member, the flash assembly moving member and the flashtube moving member to reduce the number of the parts, and thus the structure of the moving mechanism can be simplified. When the power supply of the camera is turned ON, the cam moving member moves by a predetermined amount to move the cam member within the first moving range, the first cam follower of the flash assembly moving member is moved while being guided by the first cam face in association with the cam
Kobayashi Hideo
Manabe Mitsuo
Nagata Kazuaki
Yamane Kenji
Blackman Rochelle
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Gray David M.
Young & Thompson
LandOfFree
Camera with retractable flash assembly does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Camera with retractable flash assembly, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Camera with retractable flash assembly will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2607914