JP2007279286A - Illuminator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an illuminator prevented from being damaged by a shock or the like in use by arranging its light emitting part just on the optical axis of a lens with easy operation both in horizontal position photography and in vertical position photography. <P>SOLUTION: The illuminator is equipped with: an illuminator main body 2 including a power source 23 and a control circuit 21; and the light emitting part 1 including a light emitting tube 12, and has: a supporting arm 13 including a rotary shaft 14 for rotating the light emitting part 1 on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens of a camera, and coupling the illuminator main body with the light emitting part; a first arrangement decision part for deciding first arrangement where the light emitting part is arranged just on the optical axis of the lens; and a second arrangement decision part for deciding second arrangement where the light emitting part is rotated to be arranged just on the optical axis of the lens. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an illumination device that illuminates a subject of a camera.

In the prior art, both when the photographer holds the camera in the horizontal position and in the vertical position, the light emitting part of the lighting device is arranged directly above the lens optical axis, and the shadow of the subject is the background portion of the subject. The following measures have been taken so that they are not projected on the screen.
That is, a hinge-shaped part is attached to the hot shoe of the camera, and the lighting device is arranged on the hinge-shaped part. At the time of horizontal position shooting (normal shooting), the hot shoe and the light emitting unit of the illumination device are arranged immediately above the lens optical axis in the horizontal position. At the time of vertical position photographing, the light emitting part of the lighting device is arranged immediately above the lens optical axis in the vertical position by rotating the hinge-shaped component 180 degrees (rotating the lighting device 90 degrees) (see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 55-137128

However, the conventional lighting device rotates the entire lighting device, and it is necessary to rotate important components such as a power source and a control circuit included in the lighting device. Therefore, it is not easy to change from horizontal position shooting to vertical position and vice versa.
Further, since the entire weight of the lighting device is applied to the tip of the member that supports the lighting device, a large force acts on the hot shoe and grip of the camera. Therefore, it tends to lead to breakage of a hot shoe or breakage of a rotating shaft such as a grip. Furthermore, a large strength is required for the arm portion that supports the entire lighting device, and there is a risk of damage due to an impact during use.

  The present invention provides an illumination device in which the light emitting unit of the lighting device is arranged immediately above the lens optical axis and is not damaged by an impact during use, regardless of whether the light emitting unit of the lighting device is in horizontal position shooting or vertical position shooting. An object is to provide an apparatus.

  The illuminating device according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating device includes an illuminating device body including a power source and a control circuit, and a light emitting unit including a light emitting element, and the light emitting unit is rotated in a plane perpendicular to the lens optical axis of the camera. A rotation mechanism that includes a support arm that connects the lighting device main body and the light emitting unit, a first arrangement determining unit that determines a first arrangement in which the light emitting unit is disposed immediately above the optical axis of the lens, and rotating the light emitting unit. And a second arrangement determining unit for determining a second arrangement to be arranged immediately above the optical axis of the lens.

The lighting device according to claim 2 is the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the first arrangement and the second arrangement are obtained by rotating the light emitting element 90 degrees in a plane perpendicular to the lens optical axis of the camera. It is characterized by having.
The lighting device according to claim 3 is the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the first arrangement determining unit is a first contact member that makes the support arm and the lighting device main body come into contact with each other. It is a 2nd contact member which contacts a light emission part and an illuminating device main body, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the lighting device according to the first aspect, wherein the main body of the lighting device and the support arm, and the support arm and the light emitting portion are configured to be detachable via the connecting portions, and each connecting portion has the same standard. It is characterized by being.
The lighting device according to claim 5 is the lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the support arm includes a first arm fixed to the lighting device body and a second arm fixed to the light emitting unit. The arm and the second arm are slidable with each other, and the length of the entire support arm can be changed.

  According to the present invention, the light emitting unit of the illuminating device can be disposed directly above the lens optical axis with an easy operation regardless of whether the light emitting unit of the illuminating device is taken horizontally or vertically, and can be damaged by an impact or the like during use. No lighting device can be provided.

Hereinafter, an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings will be described.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, 1 is the light emission part of an illuminating device, 2 is an illuminating device main body, 3 is a camera body. The light emitting unit 1 includes a zoom motor 11 for changing the width of the Fresnel lens and an arc tube 12 made of a xenon tube. The illuminating device main body 2 includes a control circuit 21, a capacitor 22 that accumulates charges for causing the arc tube 12 to emit light, a power source 23, and the like. The camera body 3 includes a control circuit 31 that communicates with the control device 21 in the illumination device body 2 and controls a photometric element (not shown), a distance measuring element (not shown), and the like. The light emitting unit 1 and the illumination device body 2 are electrically connected by a connection cord 15, and the illumination device body 2 and the camera body 3 are electrically connected by a connection cord 16. The connection cord 16 is connected to the hot shoe 32 on the camera body 3 side.

The light emitting unit 1, the illumination device body 2, and the camera body 3 operate in cooperation with each other by the electrical configuration shown in FIG.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the illumination device of the first embodiment as viewed from the back of the camera body 3.
The illuminating device body 2 and the light emitting unit 1 are connected by a support arm 13 and a connection cord 15. The support arm 13 is configured to rotate 180 degrees counterclockwise in the figure around the rotation shaft 14. More specifically, the bent shape of the support arm 13 and the bent shape of the illuminating device main body 2 are formed to coincide with each other, and the rotation of the supporting arm 13 is limited to 180 degrees in the illuminating device main body 2 (for example, FIG. 3). (See (a)). In addition, when the support arm 13 rotates 180 degrees counterclockwise in the figure, the light emitting unit 1 rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise in the figure.

The illumination device body 2 and the camera body 3 are electrically connected via a connection cord 16 and a hot shoe 32.
The illumination device body 2 and the camera body 3 are fixed via an attachment 40. The attachment 40 can adjust the relative distance in the vertical direction between the light emitting unit 1 and the camera body 3 according to the arrangement relationship with the spacer 41. This is because when the camera body 3 is photographed in the vertical position, the light emitting unit 1 is disposed immediately above the optical axis of the lens.

Although not shown, the light emitting unit 1 can be rotated in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (bounce) with the support arm 13 as a reference, as in a general lighting device currently on the market. There may be provided a mechanism.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the support arm 13 when converting from horizontal position shooting to vertical position shooting.

  FIG. 3 shows an example when the lighting device is mounted on the camera body 3 having a low height. In the lateral position shooting shown in FIG. 3A, the light emitting unit 1 is located on the optical axis of the lens 33. At the time of the vertical position shooting shown in FIG. 3B, the light emitting unit 1 and the support arm 13 are rotated around the rotation shaft 14 and are disposed immediately above the optical axis in the vertical position shooting. At this time, the longitudinal direction of the light emitting unit 1 (the light emitting unit 1 has a different aspect ratio) is rotated 90 degrees with respect to the optical axis (the support arm 13 is rotated 180 degrees) compared to the horizontal position. Yes. As described above, regardless of the horizontal position / vertical position of the camera, if the light emitting unit 1 is always directly above the optical axis of the lens 33, a shadow caused by illumination always occurs below the subject, and the screen is not unsightly. In FIG. 3, 24 indicates a contact member.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the contact member 24 and the light emitting unit 1 are in contact with each other when the vertical position photographing state is set. That is, the light emitting unit 1 and the support arm 13 are positioned with respect to the lighting device main body 2 by the rotating shaft 14 and the contact member 24. Thereby, the load applied to the rotating shaft 14 is reduced as compared with the case where the rotating shaft 14 is simply supported, and the risk of breakage when a large force is applied from the outside can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, a member such as rubber is assumed as the contact member 24, but a higher fixing force can be obtained by using a mechanical fixing mechanism such as a latch mechanism.
FIG. 4 shows an example when the lighting device is mounted on the camera body 3 having a high height. Since the position of the spacer 41 is adjusted according to the height of the camera body 3, the center of the optical axis of the lens 33 and the center of the light emitting unit 1 should be matched in both the horizontal position shooting and the vertical position shooting. Can do.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a mechanism in the vicinity of the rotating shaft 14. The rotating shaft 14 is formed with a recess 17a, and a click ball 25 pressed by a spring 26 supported by a foundation 27 is fitted. In a state where the click ball 25 is engaged, the rotating shaft 14 does not rotate easily, and the support arm 13 is in a semi-fixed state.
When a force is applied in the rotation direction of the support arm 13 and the force by which the rotating shaft 14 pushes down the click ball 25 becomes larger than the pressing force of the spring 26, the spring 26 contracts and the click ball 25 retracts, so that the rotating shaft 13 is retracted. It can be rotated. When the support arm 13 is rotated 180 degrees and the click ball 25 is fitted into the concave portion 17b on the opposite side of the rotation shaft 14, the semi-fixed state is again obtained.

The lighting device main body 2 and the support arm 13 are configured to come into contact with each other via a contact member 28. As in the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, positioning by the rotating shaft 14 and the contact member 28 enables stable holding. In this embodiment, a member such as rubber is assumed as the contact member 24, but a higher fixing force can be obtained by using a mechanical fixing mechanism such as a latch mechanism.
(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the light emitting unit 1 is detachable from the lighting device main body 2.

FIG. 6A shows a state in which the support arm 13 is detached from the lighting device main body 2 and the light emitting unit 1. As shown in the drawing, the light emitting unit 1, the support arm 13, and the illumination device main body 2 are configured to be detachable. As the attachment / detachment mechanism, a well-known Arimizo method, bayonet mount method, or the like can be used.
FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the light emitting unit 1 is directly attached to the lighting device main body 2.

According to the second embodiment, the light emitting unit 1 and the lighting device body 2 can be mounted without using the rotating support arm 13. Therefore, it is impossible to cope with the change of the photographing posture, but the mechanical strength is improved.
Further, by providing the attachment / detachment mechanism shown in FIG. 6, the support arm 13 to which the light emitting unit 1 is attached is detached from the lighting device main body 2, and the photographer has the support arm 13 in his / her hand so that the free position can be obtained. It becomes possible to illuminate from. Further, even when the support arm 13 is damaged during use, if the light emitting unit 1 cannot be fixed and cannot be used if it can be fixed to the lighting device body 2, it can be prevented.
(Third embodiment)
FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is an example in which the support arm 13 can be expanded and contracted. A general camera can make the center of the optical axis of the lens coincide with the center of the light emitting unit 1 by adjusting the mounting position of the attachment 40 and the camera body 3 or adjusting the spacer 41. However, particularly when a large camera is used, the light emitting unit 1 is not positioned directly above the optical axis unless the length of the support arm 13 is changed. For this reason, the support arm 13 can be expanded and contracted to be adjustable according to the size of the camera body 3. The support arm 13b is inserted into the support arm 13a, and the position of the light emitting unit 1 can be adjusted by expanding and contracting as necessary.

Note that the support arm 13 a and the support arm 13 b slide with friction enough to withstand the weight of the light emitting unit 1. Further, the support arm 13a and the support arm 13b may be configured to be fixable by a member such as a screw or a click mechanism.
In the above description, the arc tube 12 is used for the light emitting portion, but the present invention is not limited to this, and an LED or the like may be used.
<Additional notes>
As is apparent from the above description, it is possible to provide a lighting device that can be used for various cameras of different sizes, can be arranged with a light emitting unit directly above the optical axis in both horizontal and vertical positions, and can be switched quickly between vertical and horizontal directions. be able to.

In addition, since only the light emitting unit and the support arm are rotated, the moving part is light and easy to operate. At the same time, since the load (force) applied to the rotating member is reduced, the durability can be improved, and the structure can be simplified or reduced in weight.
In addition, by making the light emitting unit and the illuminating device main body separable, it is possible to deal with a wider variety of usage methods, and even if the support arm is broken, it can be handled by operating the light emitting unit by hand. it can.

  The present invention can be widely used industrially in the field of camera lighting devices.

It is a block diagram which shows the electric constitution of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which looked at the illuminating device of 1st Embodiment from the back surface of the camera body. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of a support arm when converting from horizontal position imaging | photography to vertical position imaging | photography. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of a support arm when converting from horizontal position imaging | photography to vertical position imaging | photography. It is explanatory drawing which shows the mechanism of a rotating shaft vicinity. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Light emission part, 2 ... Illuminating device main body, 3 ... Camera body, 12 ... Light-emitting tube, 13, 13a, 13b ... Support arm, 14 ... Rotating shaft, 15, 16 ... Connection cord, 17a, 17b ... Recess, 21, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31 ... Control circuit, 22 ... Capacitor, 23 ... Power supply, 24, 28 ... Contact member, 25 ... Click ball, 26 ... Spring, 32 ... Hot shoe, 33 ... Lens, 40 ... Attachment, 41 ... Spacer

Claims (5)

In a lighting device including a lighting device body including a power source and a control circuit, and a light emitting unit including a light emitting element,
A rotation mechanism that rotates the light emitting unit in a plane perpendicular to the lens optical axis of the camera, and a support arm that connects the lighting device body and the light emitting unit;
A first arrangement determining unit for determining a first arrangement for arranging the light emitting unit immediately above the optical axis of the lens;
An illuminating device comprising: a second arrangement determining unit that determines a second arrangement to be arranged immediately above the optical axis of the lens by rotating the light emitting unit. The lighting device according to claim 1.
The first arrangement and the second arrangement have a relationship obtained by rotating the light emitting element by 90 degrees in a plane perpendicular to the lens optical axis of the camera. The lighting device according to claim 1.
The first arrangement determination unit is a first contact member that abuts the support arm and the lighting device main body,
Said 2nd arrangement | positioning determination part is a 2nd contact member which contacts the said light emission part and the said illuminating device main body, The illuminating device characterized by the above-mentioned. The lighting device according to claim 1.
The lighting device main body and the support arm, and the support arm and the light emitting part are configured to be detachable via a connecting part,
Each linking part has the same standard. The lighting device according to claim 1.
The support arm has a first arm fixed to the lighting device main body and a second arm fixed to the light emitting unit,
The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the first arm and the second arm are slidable with each other, and the length of the entire support arm can be changed.

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