JP2003043557A - Stroboscope device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stroboscope device by which parallax is prevented by eliminating the insufficient light quantity of an object at a close range without causing the increase of a size and the change of an appearance shape. SOLUTION: In the stroboscope device provided with a flash discharge tube emitting flash light, a reflector into which the flash discharge tube is innerly inserted and an optical panel arranged on the front face of the reflector, the reflector is arranged so as to be inclined in a direction around the axis of the flash discharge tube so that the peak position of the relative intensity of a luminous flux is deflected in a direction different from the front face direction of the stroboscope device, and the back face of the optical panel is inclined nearly orthogonally to the luminous flux axis of the reflector, and a diffusion face having the diffusion action of light is formed on the back face, while a Fresnel lens is formed so that its center is nearly aligned with the luminous flux axis of the reflector on the front face of the optical panel.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is useful as an artificial illumination source when taking a picture using a camera (image pickup device) equipped with a silver salt film, a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a photosensitizer such as a CMOS sensor. Strobe device using a flash discharge tube as a light source.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Analog cameras that have been known for a long time,
A well-known digital camera using a CCD or CMOS sensor as a photosensitizer, or a so-called disposable camera in which a simple lens unit is incorporated in a container containing a film, often has a built-in strobe device. These strobe devices include, for example, a glass flash discharge tube in which Xe gas is sealed, an aluminum reflecting umbrella in which the flash discharging tube is inserted, and a transparent or transparent material provided on the front surface of the reflecting umbrella. A semitransparent flat plate-shaped optical panel is provided, and the luminous flux directly emitted by the flash discharge tube and the luminous flux reflected by the reflector are radiated toward the subject through the optical panel.

In these strobe devices, the luminous flux axis of the reflector is aligned with the front direction of the strobe device, and the flat optical panel is arranged so as to be substantially orthogonal to the luminous flux axis of the reflector, and the relative intensity of the luminous flux is set. Is generally configured so that the peak position thereof is substantially in the front direction of the strobe device.

[0004]

However, in the strobe device having the conventional structure, when a subject at a close range is photographed, the peak position of the relative intensity of the light flux is located farther than the subject. "Parallax" occurs. Such a problem becomes extremely remarkable in a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone having a built-in digital camera for the purpose of photographing a subject (for example, an owner) at a close range.

As a countermeasure against this, it is not unthinkable to adopt a strobe device in which the light emitting portion is swingable so that the irradiation direction of the light flux can be arbitrarily changed within a predetermined range. In this case, however, the strobe device is used. Alternatively, the size of the image pickup apparatus equipped with it is increased.

Alternatively, it is conceivable to arrange the reflector and the optical panel with respect to the front direction of the strobe device, but in this case, the exterior member (housing) of the strobe device is accommodated in correspondence with the inclination of the optical panel. It is necessary to change the shape, and in some cases, such a configuration cannot be adopted due to design and manufacturing cost reasons.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above conventional problems, and prevents parallax by eliminating a shortage of the light amount of a subject at a close range without increasing the size and changing the external shape. An object of the present invention is to provide a strobe device capable of performing the above.

[0008]

The strobe device according to the present invention has been made to solve the above problems.
A light flux emitted directly by the flash discharge tube, comprising: a flash discharge tube for emitting flash light; a reflector for inserting the flash discharge tube; and an optical panel arranged in front of the reflector. Also, in a strobe device that irradiates a light beam reflected by a reflecting umbrella toward an object through an optical panel, the reflecting umbrella is flashed so that the peak position of the relative intensity of the luminous flux is deflected in a direction different from the front direction of the strobe device. The optical panel is tilted in the direction around the axis of the optical panel, the back surface of the optical panel is an inclined surface that is substantially orthogonal to the luminous flux axis of the reflector, and the back surface is formed with a diffusing surface having a light diffusing action. A Fresnel lens is formed on the front surface of the optical disc with its center substantially aligned with the luminous flux axis of the reflector.

According to the strobe device having the above structure,
The light beam directly emitted by the flash discharge tube and the light beam reflected by the reflecting umbrella are diffused on the back surface of the optical panel and then irradiated on the front surface of the optical panel in a condensed state.

At this time, since the light flux is emitted in a direction inclined with respect to the front direction of the strobe device, by directing this toward the optical axis side of the image pickup device, it becomes a region at a relatively close range of the image pickup device. The peak position of the relative intensity of the light flux coincides with each other, and the necessary amount of light for the subject in this area is secured.

Moreover, since the front surface of the optical panel is a surface that is substantially orthogonal to the front direction of the strobe device, the front surface of the strobe device can be made to have a flat appearance, which is used in the conventional strobe device. It is also possible to use the existing exterior member (housing) as it is.

The strobe device according to the present invention comprises, as in claim 2, a concave cylindrical lens whose diffusion surface is formed along the longitudinal direction of the flash discharge tube.
It is possible to adopt a configuration having a light diffusion action in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.

According to the strobe device having the above structure,
The light beam directly emitted by the flash discharge tube and the light beam reflected by the reflector are diffused on the back surface of the optical panel in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the flash discharge tube, and then collected and irradiated on the front surface of the optical panel. Therefore, it has the same operation as that of the strobe device according to claim 1 described above.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The strobe device 1 according to this embodiment includes a substantially box-shaped housing 2 which is a resin molded product, an optical panel 3 made of a transparent resin as a light emitting surface and a plug 4, and a CCD or CMOS sensor as a photosensitizer. It is removably attached to an earphone jack a of a mobile phone terminal A incorporating a well-known digital camera using the above, and emits light when it receives power supply and an imaging start signal from the mobile phone terminal A.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the strobe device includes a printed circuit board (not shown), a frame body 5 attached to the printed circuit board, a reflector 6 formed by appropriately bending an aluminum cutting plate, and a straight board. It further comprises a tubular flash discharge tube 7 and a trigger electrode 8 in which a sheet of copper plate is curved in an arc shape corresponding to the reflector.

A circuit pattern for causing the flash discharge tube 7 to emit light is printed on the printed circuit board, and various lead wires for the plug 4, the flash discharge tube 7, and the trigger electrode 8 and circuit elements are shown as circuit components. Although not installed, the main capacitor, trigger capacitor, etc. are soldered to the printed circuit board to form a strobe circuit.

The holding frame 5 is a substantially rectangular optical panel 3.
Corresponding to, the base portion 5 formed into a substantially rectangular and flat plate shape
a, an opening 5b formed in a substantially rectangular shape in the central portion of the base 5a corresponding to the front open portion (projection passage portion) of the reflecting umbrella 6, and projecting forward from three sides of the base 5a. Surrounding wall 5
c, a pair of legs 5d, 5d protruding rearward from both side edges of the base 5a, and a pair protruding upward and rearward from the base 5a so as to pass through positions near both ends of the opening 5b. Is a resin molded product integrally formed with the holding pieces 5f, 5f and the locking pieces 5e, 5e protrudingly provided at two upper and lower positions of the opening 5b.

The opening 5b has an annular rib protruding from the front side of the base 5a. The lower the rib (one side in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction), the lower (upper side (the other side). ) Is so high) that the end face of the rib is
It has a shape inclined with respect to the surface of the housing 2.

The inner shape of the peripheral wall portion 5c is the optical panel 3
The outer shape of the optical panel 3 is substantially the same as the outer shape of the optical panel 3, and the height thereof is substantially the same as the thickness of the optical panel 3.
By being fitted in c, it is detachably attached to the frame body 5.

Accordingly, at the position on the rear surface of the optical panel 3 facing the opening 5b of the frame body 5, a concave cylindrical shape having a light diffusing action in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the flash discharge tube. While the diffusing surface 3a made of a lens is formed, on the front surface of the optical panel 3 at a position facing the opening 5b of the frame body 5, a light collecting surface 3b made of a Fresnel lens having a light collecting function. Are formed.

The optical panel 3 is attached to the opening 2a of the housing 2.
The diffusion surface 3a is attached to the opening 5 of the frame 2
The light collecting surface 3b is parallel to the surface of the housing 2 while being inclined with respect to the surface of the housing 2 corresponding to the inclination angle of the rib end surface of b.

The reflector 6 is made by cutting one thin glittering aluminum plate into a predetermined shape, bending it into a substantially U shape, and further bending the ends thereof inward. The concave surface portion and the pair of side surface portions 6b, 6b, and the inner surface thereof serves as a reflecting surface that reflects the strobe light.

Openings 6c, 6c slightly larger than the outer diameter of the flash discharge tube 7 are formed in the pair of side surfaces 6b, 6b, and the flash discharge tube 7 is inserted through one opening 6c, The other end of the flash discharge tube 7 is exposed through the opening 6c.

Square notches 6a are formed at two upper and lower positions of the reflector 6.

The cutouts 6a are provided corresponding to the locking pieces 5e of the frame body 5, and inside the cutouts 6a in the state where the reflector 6 is fitted into the opening 5b of the frame body 5. Locking piece 5e
And the two are claw-coupled to each other, whereby the reflector 6 is fixed to the opening 5b of the frame body 5 in an elastically contacting state.

At this time, the four edge portions of the reflector 6 are set substantially flush with the end faces of the ribs of the opening 5b, and as a result, the reflector 6 has an inclination angle of the end face of the rib (optical panel 3). Corresponding to the inclination angle of the diffusing surface 3a) of the housing 2 is inclined with respect to the normal L1 (front direction of the strobe device 1) orthogonal to the surface of the housing 2.

That is, the end surface of the opening 5b of the frame body 5, the diffusion surface 3a of the optical panel 3 and the open surface of the reflector 6 are substantially aligned with each other, and the flash discharge tube 7 of the flash discharge tube 7 is inserted through the optical panel 3. The light is emitted in an oblique direction of the strobe device 1.

Therefore, the center of the light-collecting surface 3b (the center of the circle of the Fresnel lens) corresponds to the normal line L1 in response to the deviation of the optical axis.
It is set at a position deviated from.

In the flash discharge tube 7, main electrodes 7a, 7a made of metal rods are sealed at respective ends of a straight glass bulb, and a part of the main electrode 7a is projected to the outside along the axial direction. Consist of the composition.

In the flash discharge tube 7, one main electrode 7a is connected to a lead wire 11 connected to a main capacitor, and the other main electrode 7a is connected to a lead wire 11 directly connected to ground, for example. ing.

The holding pieces 5f and 5f of the frame body 5 are for preventing the reflecting umbrella from coming out backward by surrounding both ends in the longitudinal direction of the reflecting umbrella 6 from the rear side. , The concave portion of the reflector 6 is formed in a substantially U-shape that is in contact with both edges of the concave portion and the central portion, and a notch 5g is formed near one side of both corners of the holding piece 5f. Has been done.

Due to the notch 5g, the holding piece 5f has a substantially L-shaped portion which surrounds the concave portion of the reflecting umbrella 6 from one edge portion to the central portion and a portion which surrounds the vicinity of the other edge portion of the concave portion of the reflecting umbrella 6. It is divided into straight parts.

The substantially L-shaped portions are in contact (or close to each other) at two points, one edge and the center of the concave portion of the reflector 6.
On the other hand, the substantially linear portion contacts (or approaches) at one point of the other edge of the concave portion of the reflector 6.

The purpose of the present invention is to firmly hold the reflector 6 and the flash discharge tube 7 on the frame 5 and to pull the flash discharge tube 7 into the reflector 6 so that the trigger electrode 8 can effectively operate. As the rubber bushing 9, which is a belt-shaped elastic member, is used.

The rubber bushing 9 (both ends not shown) is
Both ends are formed with holes that can be inserted into the glass bulb of the flash discharge tube 7, and the rubber bushing 9 is arranged so as to straddle the substantially L-shaped portions of the pair of holding pieces 5f, 5f.
The respective ends of the flash bulb 6 are externally inserted into the glass bulb ends of the flash discharge tube 7 exposed from the side openings 6c, 6c of the reflector 6, and the pulling force of the rubber bushing 9 is utilized to make the flash discharge tube While attracting 7 to the reflector 6, both are fixed to the substantially L-shaped portions of the pair of holding pieces 5f, 5f.

A trigger lead wire 10 is soldered to the trigger electrode 8 interposed between the pair of holding pieces 5f, 5f. As a result, when the trigger voltage is supplied to the trigger electrode 8 while the main capacitor on the printed circuit board is charged by the power supply from the mobile phone terminal A, the trigger voltage is transmitted via the reflector 6 as is well known. Since it is applied to the flash discharge tube 7, the flash discharge tube 7 is excited and consumes the charging energy of the main capacitor to emit light.

At this time, the luminous flux axis L2 of the strobe device 1 is
A normal line L1 orthogonal to the surface of the housing 2 of the strobe device 1
It is inclined with respect to (substantially parallel to the optical axis of the digital camera), and the inclination direction is the direction approaching the optical axis of the digital camera.

Therefore, since the light flux of the strobe device 1 is applied to a region relatively close to the front of the digital camera, a strobe for photographing a subject (for example, the owner of the mobile phone terminal A) at a closer range than a general camera. It is suitable as a device.

The strobe device according to the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, it is not necessary to mount the optical panel 3 on the frame body 5. In short, if the optical panel 3 is mounted on the housing 2 and the optical panel 3 is arranged in front of the open surface of the reflector 6. Good.

Further, from the viewpoint of the holding ability of the reflector, the impact resistance, and the easiness of soldering work of the trigger electrode, the shape of the frame body 5, particularly the shape of the holding piece 5f (including the position of the notch 5g) is selected. , Can be changed arbitrarily.

Further, the strobe device may be either a built-in type or an external type, but when incorporated in a camera or the like, the casing of the camera or the like serves as an exterior member (housing).

[0044]

As described above, in the strobe device according to the present invention, the peak position of the relative intensity of the light beam can be positioned in the relatively short focal length region of the image pickup optical axis by inclining the irradiation direction of the light beam. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the parallax by eliminating the shortage of the light amount of the subject at the shortest distance.

Moreover, since the front surface of the optical panel is a surface which is substantially orthogonal to the front direction of the strobe device, the front surface of the strobe device can be made to have a flat appearance shape, and especially the appearance shape must be changed. Instead, the exterior member used in the conventional strobe device can be used as it is.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a flash device according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a mobile phone terminal.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the main configuration of the strobe device according to the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view of a main part configuration of the flash device of the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the main configuration of the strobe device of the same embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Strobe device 2 housing 3 Optical panel 3a Diffusion surface 3b Focusing surface 5 frame 5b opening 5f holding piece 5g notch 6 reflective umbrella 7 Flash discharge tube 7a Main electrode 8 Trigger electrode 9 rubber bushings L1 normal L2 luminous flux axis

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A flash discharge tube that emits flash light, a reflector that inserts the flash discharge tube, and an optical panel that is arranged in front of the reflector, and the luminous flux and reflection directly emitted by the flash discharge tube. In a strobe device that irradiates a light beam reflected by an umbrella toward an object through an optical panel, the reflector is used as an axis of a flash discharge tube so that the peak position of the relative intensity of the light beam is deflected in a direction different from the front direction of the strobe device. The rear surface of the optical panel is tilted in the direction of rotation, the rear surface of the optical panel is an inclined surface substantially orthogonal to the luminous flux axis of the reflector, and a diffusion surface having a light diffusion action is formed on the rear surface, while the front surface of the optical panel is formed. The strobe device is characterized in that a Fresnel lens is formed with its center substantially aligned with the luminous flux axis of the reflector. 2. The strobe device according to claim 1, wherein the diffusing surface is formed by a concave cylindrical lens formed along the longitudinal direction of the flash discharge tube, and has a light diffusing action in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction.