Photography – With object illumination for exposure – Having flash built into camera
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-28
2001-10-09
Mahoney, Christopher E. (Department: 2851)
Photography
With object illumination for exposure
Having flash built into camera
C396S542000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301443
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a strobe device in which an essential part is formed by affixing a flash discharge tube and various electronic elements to a substrate material. In particular, the present invention relates to a strobe device suitably internalized in a single-use camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
A strobe device has circumstances where inadequate luminance is provided around an object to be photographed, e.g., at night time or indoors. Strobe devices are frequently found in the form of an accessory or internalized in cameras, as is well-known to those skilled in the art.
Among internalized strobe devices, those which are internalized in single-use cameras typically include: a printed circuit board having a known conductive pattern formed thereon so as to define a predetermined electric circuit, on which a flash discharge tube, a reflector, an optical panel, switch contacts, battery contacts, and various electronic elements are affixed via known attachment means such as screws or soldering.
Specifically, the flash discharge tube and the reflector are incorporated into the optical panel, for example, so that the optical panel having the reflector, and the like, incorporated therein is affixed as an optical member to the printed circuit board via known attachment means such as screws. At this time, the electrodes of tie flash discharge tube are electrically coupled, via soldering, to connection terminals that are affixed on the printed circuit board, for example.
The terminals of various electronic elements requiring electrical connection are electrically and/or mechanically coupled to the printed circuit board by being soldered to copper land portions formed in predetermined portions of the conductive pattern on the printed circuit board.
Thus, a conventional strobe device internalized in a single-use camera includes a substrate defined by a printed circuit board having a conductive pattern thereon (which is usually composed of a copper foil), so that optical members (e.g., an optical panel) and various electronic elements are electrically and/or mechanically coupled to the substrate via known attachment means.
As a result, conventional strobe devices require a step of incorporating and soldering individual elements to the printed circuit board, thereby impeding the production efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A strobe device according to the present invention comprises: a circuit substrate including a plurality of conductive elastic members, the plurality of conductive elastic members including a first portion forming predetermined electric circuitry, and at least one of a second portion functioning as an electrical terminal and a third portion for elastically retaining terminals of electronic elements; and an insulation member integrally internalizing the plurality of conductive elastic members in such a manner that the second portion and the third portion are exposed; and electronic elements and optical elements electrically and/or mechanically coupled to the circuit substrate via the plurality of conductive elastic members and the insulation member.
In one embodiment of the invention, the insulation member comprises a light-transmitting synthetic resin, an optical panel for controlling light emitted from a flash discharge tube being formed in a portion of the insulation member.
Thus, the invention described herein makes possible the advantages of (1) providing a strobe device, in particular a strobe device suitably for being internalized in a single-use camera, in which the number of separate elements is reduced so that the number of steps required in the production thereof is reduced, hence improving the production efficiency and reducing the production cost; and (2) providing a strobe device including a circuit substrate and various electronic elements and optical elements electrically and/or mechanically coupled to the circuit substrate, where the circuit substrate includes a plurality of conductive elastic members (including circuitry components forming predetermined electric circuitry and other electrically-functioning portions to be electrically connected to external components) which are integrally internalized in an insulation member in such a manner that the electrically-functioning portions are exposed.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures.
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Ando Shinji
Furukawa Syuji
Imagawa Wataru
Mitsui Hajime
Oe Isao
Mahoney Christopher E.
Renner , Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP
West Electric Company Ltd.
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