JPH03257701A - Flash lamp with flash function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a portable flash lamp with a flash function of a small size and a superior design, which can be easily handled with safety by providing a miniature bulb, a discharge tube, and a flash generating circuit in a space surrounded by a reflecting plate and an outer cylinder. CONSTITUTION:A protective plate 5 is provided with a convex lens 6 in the center thereof and a permeable diffusing plate 7 therearound. A container 16 has therein a flash generating circuit, and a reflecting plate 4 contains therein a xenon discharge tube 19. The container 16 is sealed with the reflecting plate 4 so that safe handling can be realized without any touch to a DC high voltage portion in case of an replacing of a battery. The flash generating circuit comprises a main capacitor 20, a step-up transformer 21, a trigger switch 18, and a neon tube 22. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a portable flash lamp with a flash function of a small size and a superior design, which can be easily handled with safety.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flashlight equipped with a flash function similar to a camera strobe.

<Prior Art> Flashlights have a long history, and as a result of market selection, they have become perfected with a harmonious combination of function and design. Therefore,
Even the slightest technical ingenuity is ignored and considered to be different.
It can be said that the range of equality is narrow.

Typically, a flashlight consists of a few batteries, a miniature light bulb, a reflector, a tube, and some wiring.

In recent years, the focus has been on design, but in terms of functionality, there is also a trend towards larger sizes to increase illuminance and waterproofing to prevent corrosion.

-Flashlights are used as an aid for walking at night and as a night watch tool. However, in addition to being used as a nighttime light, flashlights are often used in other ways.

For example, people may wave a flashlight around to give a signal to someone far away, or they may blind people to repel molesters or wild dogs.

Furthermore, considering the need for insufficient illuminance, which is a factor in the increase in size, there may be cases where it is desirable to illuminate brightly, even if only for a moment, to confirm its true identity.

Therefore, as a way to fully resolve these demands,
It is conceivable to install a separate simple light source.

The present invention employs a strobe light to achieve this purpose.

Well, strobes have a long history. Since the late 1960s, cameras have been equipped with built-in strobes, which have led to increased brightness and miniaturization, leading to significant cost reductions.

Although it is still a long way off until auto-exposure control strobes are installed, the popularity of small clip-on strobes is remarkable.

Applications are also diversifying, not only for use in disposable cameras, but also for decorative excite lights and intrusion lights at airports.

The present invention considers the above-mentioned flashlight as this application and attempts to add a flash function.

However, there are many technical problems and challenges.

First, there is the question of whether the strobe circuit can be made smaller and whether it can truly be mounted inside a flashlight. As mentioned above, some disposable cameras with built-in strobes are very compact and operate on batteries.

In terms of implementation, the main capacitor is the largest component, and its total volume is only the size of one single dry cell battery.

So this problem is not a big problem.

Second, since two light sources are housed in a space surrounded by a glass or lens surface and a reflector, there is the problem of how to arrange them in a technically advantageous manner.

This is because, depending on the arrangement, one light source may be in the shadow of the other light source, preventing effective use of the emitted light.

The third problem arises from the fact that the miniature light bulbs and strobe discharges have different uses. That is, in the case of a miniature light bulb, it is necessary to irradiate a target object with focused light as a flashlight, whereas with a strobe it is necessary to irradiate a wide range of light all around the object.

Therefore, a structure that balances the two is required.

The fourth problem is ensuring insulation and safety.

Strobes are flashlights that use high DC voltage, so it is necessary to ensure reliable insulation to prevent leakage of the high voltage current. At the same time, sufficient safety must be achieved from a technological perspective so that users can handle the product with peace of mind.

Fifth, the question is whether it is possible to incorporate a strobe light without sacrificing the complete functionality and design of conventional flashlights.

For example, flashlights are usually cylindrical in shape for ease of handling, but having a built-in strobe light should not negate this advantage.

<Object of the Invention> The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and provides a flashlight that is small, portable, easy to handle, safe, and has an excellent design without impairing the original function of a flashlight. The purpose is to provide a flashlight with functions.

<Embodiment of the Invention> An actual wiring diagram of a first embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1(a).

In FIG. 1(a), 1-1 is a vinyl chloride container for a flashlight, which is integrally molded into a cylindrical shape. 1-2
is a single type dry cell battery, and two 1.5-inch batteries are connected in series to provide a 3V power source. 1-3 is a miniature light bulb, which is designed for 2.5V in consideration of the lifespan of the dry battery.

Reference numeral 1-4 denotes a conical reflecting plate made of aluminum, which has a locally parabolic shape, and has the function of reflecting the light rays going to the side of the miniature light bulb and emitting parallel light rays.

Reference numeral 1-5 denotes a transparent plastic protection plate unique to the present invention, in which a convex lens 1-6 is formed in the center and a transmission type diffuser plate 1-7 is formed around the periphery.

Reference numeral 1-8 denotes a circular lid with a groove cut therein, and the entire flashlight is made into an airtight structure by means of a rubber ring 1-9 and a cylinder 1-1. This is to ensure waterproofness.

1-1O is! A helical spring made of IiI that comes into contact with the negative electrode of a dry battery and becomes part of the electrical wiring.

1-11 is a hole for hanging a flashlight. 1-
A linear steel plate 12 is electrically connected to the copper spring 1-10, and the other end is connected to the power switch 1-13.

When the front part of the power switch 1-13 expands due to the elasticity of the metal plate 1-14, the rear part of the power switch 1-13 is depressed and turns off.
In the opposite case, it is a mechanical switch that comes into contact with the copper plate 1-15 and turns on.

Further, the copper plate 1-15 is in electrical contact with the aluminum reflective plate 1-4.

Reference numeral 1-16 denotes a plastic container enclosing the flash generating circuit of the present invention, the entrance of which is covered with a reflector plate 1-4 and sealed with adhesive.

A circular metal plate electrode 1-17 is formed at the bottom of the container 1-16, and is in electrical contact with the anode of the dry battery 1-2, and is also electrically connected to the anode side of the miniature light bulb 1-3. ing.

The cathode side of the small light bulb 1-3 is in electrical contact with the aluminum reflector 1-4. Then, turn on the power switch 1-13.
Then, the anode of the dry battery 1-2 #the middle reflector 1 on the anode side of the miniature light bulb 1-3
-4 Middle copper plate 1-15:> Power switch 1-13:> Steel plate 1-12 Middle spring 1-10
It is electrically connected to the cathode of the medium dry battery 1-2 to form a closed circuit, and the miniature light bulb 1-3 lights up.

Reflector plate 1-4, copper plate 1-15, electrode plate 1-17, anode of dry battery 1-2, cathode of dry battery 1-2, and copper spring 1-1
0 are simply in electrical contact with each other, so they are likely to be electrically disconnected.

Therefore, it is necessary to sufficiently screw in Ml-8 to press the contact portion.

Conversely, if you remove Ml-8, trigger switch 1-18
By pushing in, the container 1-16 and the subsequent dry battery 1-2 can be taken out from the entrance of the sealed container 1-1, and therefore the dry battery can be easily replaced.

The main parts of the present invention are the flash generating circuit inside the container 1-16 and the xenon discharge tube 1-19 inside the reflector 1-4, and the reflector 1-4 is sealed with the container 1-16 as described above. Therefore, when replacing the battery, you can safely handle it without touching the DC high voltage part.

Now, xenon discharge tubes are widely used as light sources for photographic flashes. This is because the discharge spectrum of xenon gas covers a wide frequency range, making it a white light source, so natural lighting can be expected.

In the present invention, charging automatically starts when the power switch 1-13 is turned on, and after charging, the trigger switch 1-1
When 8 is pressed, the discharge tube 1-19 emits light.

In FIG. 1(a), only the larger components of the flash generation circuit built into the container 1-16 are shown. Figure 1 (a
), 1-20 is the main capacitor, 1-21 is a step-up transformer, 1-18 is a trigger switch, and 1-22 is a neon tube.

The trigger switch 1-18 has the function of shorting only the moment it is pressed with a finger, and automatically returning to open when the finger is released.

1-29 is a printed circuit board on which most of the parts of the flash generation circuit are mounted. In the present invention, the printed circuit board is cut into a circular shape and fixed to the bottom of the container 1-16.

The container 1-1 of the flashlight is made so that the part where the switch is located is occluded, its thickness is made thin, and it is molded into a horizontal path that easily dents when pressed with a finger and returns to its original state with elasticity when the finger is removed. Container 1-1
The transparent screw 1-23 fixed on a part of the neon tube 1-22
This is a window for observing the emitted light from the outside.

FIG. 1(b) is an actual wiring diagram of the flashlight according to the first embodiment of the present invention seen from the front, and the front protection plate 1-5 is omitted.

In FIG. 1(b), 1-3 is a miniature light bulb, and 1-19 is a xenon discharge tube of the present invention. The xenon discharge tube 1-19 is for low pressure discharge, and in the present invention has an annular shape.

On the other hand, most of the camera-built-in strobes that have become popular in recent years have a cylindrical shape. The technical reason for making this annular shape will be described later.

Further, 1-4 is a reflector, and 1-24 is a trigger coil, which is wound several times around a part of the xenon discharge tube 1-19. 1-
25.1-26.1-27 are electrode terminals, respectively.

The end 1-28 of the xenon discharge tube is a metal cylinder and is electrically connected to the electrodes 1-26.1-27. Therefore, the discharge tube itself can be removed and replaced. Most of all, the discharge tube itself usually has a service life of tens of thousands of times, so there is almost no need to replace it.

Note that the metal fil-28 is connected to an anode or a cathode inside the xenon discharge tube 1-19, respectively. Electrode terminal 1-25.1-26.1-27 is a through terminal,
It is insulated from the reflection plate 1-4 and connected to the wiring of the flash generation circuit.

It is desirable to cover the DC high voltage side of the through terminal with transparent vinyl.

FIG. 2 is an electrical circuit wiring diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Since most of these are known techniques, I will only give an overview.

The lighting circuit of the miniature light bulb 2-31 is simple and consists of a series connection of an Il source switch 1-32 and a battery 1-30. All others are flash generation circuits.

The flash generation circuit consists of an oscillation section, a high voltage rectification section, and a main capacitor 2.
-38. It consists of a xenon discharge tube 2-45 and a trigger circuit.

The oscillation part is a low frequency low voltage NPN I-transistor 2-33
-6 only by transformer 2-34 and base resistor 2-
35 generates a ringing choke oscillation.

The square wave DC high voltage generated on the secondary side of the transformer 2-34 is rectified by the diode 2-36, and further rectified by the diode 2-3.
7 to charge the main capacitor 2-38.

If a switch is newly inserted into the base of the transistor 2-33, it can be used as a charging switch like a camera to save power.

However, in the present invention, the number of switches is reduced as much as possible,
It was designed so as not to compromise the simplicity of the flashlight. Therefore, when the power switch 2-32 is turned on, charging automatically starts.

However, when the main capacitor 2-38 is sufficiently charged, the transformer 2-34 becomes saturated and the base current also decreases.
Current consumption does not increase unnecessarily.

Resistor 2-39 is a high resistance, and power switch 2-32
The function is to discharge the charge remaining in the main capacitor 2-38 after the main capacitor 2-38 is turned off over a long period of time.

A resistor 2-40 is connected in series with the neon tube 2-41 to determine the lighting voltage of the neon tube.

Usually, the neon tube is selected to have a voltage of about 85% of the maximum voltage when charging the main capacitor 2-38.

The resistor 2-42 has a high resistance and charges the capacitor 2-44 through the autotransformer 2-43.

The secondary side of the single-winding transformer 2-43 is connected to the xenon discharge tube 2.
-45 is connected to the trigger coil 2-46 wound on the anode side.

Therefore, the whole becomes a trigger circuit 1-24, and when the switch 2-47 is shorted, the autotransformer 2-43
A high voltage of about 20 KV is induced on the secondary side of the xenon discharge tube 2-45, which becomes the trigger voltage for the xenon discharge tube 2-45. This trigger voltage causes the charge on the main capacitor 2-38 to discharge through the xenon discharge tube, producing a flash of light. Diode 2-3
7 prevents surges during discharge.

In the present invention, charging is automatically performed when the power is turned on, so the main capacitor 2-
There is a drawback that the small light bulb 2-31 becomes dark temporarily for charging the battery.

However, it was thought that ease of use should be chosen rather than adding more switches. Moreover, it is also possible to omit the neon tube 2-41 by taking advantage of this property. Small light bulb 2-31
The current consumption of transistor 2-3 is 500mA.
The collector currents of No. 3 are approximately the same. Most importantly, the collector current becomes sufficiently low after charging is completed.

Main capacitor 2-38 is 200 μF, charging mW pressure is 300
Assuming that V, the charge amount is about 0.05 coulomb at 80% charging, and assuming that the secondary average current is 5 mA, the charging time requires 1 osec.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the plastic protection plate 1-5 unique to the present invention.

FIG. 3(a) shows a case where the miniature light bulb 3-3 is lit. The focal point of the lens 3-7 is located behind the filament of the miniature light bulb, and the light emitted from the filament is slightly spread out. Therefore, it is possible to shine focused light onto a desired part of a person or the like. At this time, since the reflecting plate 3-4 has a substantially parabolic shape, the parallel reflected light rays are effectively used and become diffused light by the diffusing plate 3-7.

In the present invention, the filament position of the miniature light bulb 3-3 is always placed at the same position or in front of the upper surface of the xenon discharge tube 3-19. The idea is to use reflected light as effectively as possible.

While the flashlight is in use, the miniature light bulb is always on, so if the light intensity is not sufficient, the flashlight's original 81
This will impair one's ability. However, since the flash from a strobe is mainly diffused light, even if it is partially in the shadow of the small light bulb 3-3, it will not be a big problem as it will be converted into a wider light source by the diffuser plate 3-7. .

FIG. 3(b) shows a case where the xenon discharge tube 3-19 is lit.

In the present invention, the entire area around the lens 3-6 is the diffuser plate 3-7.
The flash of light during discharge is almost perpendicular to the diffuser plate 3-
7, it is possible to effectively emit diffused light as shown in the figure.

In the present invention, the reason why the xenon discharge tube 3-19 is annular is to produce strong and uniform diffused light.

Most importantly, it has the significance of meeting the design requirements of cylindrical symmetry.

<Effect of the invention> 1. - Pre-covenant effect In the present invention, a flash function is added to the flashlight.

If the flashlight function alone is used, its uses are limited, such as when taking photographs, but when used in conjunction with the i-function of the flashlight, the flashlight has the effect of making the use of the flashlight even more versatile.

For example, it is useful when the illumination of miniature light bulbs is not sufficient and you want to see brightly with a strong light source, even if it is instantaneous. Furthermore, electric shock sticks, which are popular in the United States for repelling molesters and wild dogs, apply electric shocks by directly touching the target, but the present invention has the effect of achieving its purpose to some extent by keeping the target at a distance.

Furthermore, it is effective when sending a signal to the other party in the event of a distress or emergency, when the other party will not notice if it is only a miniature light bulb.

It can be said that a use invention is established when a new use is developed.

2. Technical Effects In the present invention, various technical improvements are made when adding a flash function to a flashlight.

First, we decided to share one reflector with both the miniature light bulb and the xenon discharge tube, so in order not to impair its function as a flashlight, we set the filament of the miniature bulb in front of the xenon discharge tube and used both light sources. Use it effectively.

Second, by using the protective plate unique to the present invention, both focused light and diffused light could be effectively generated, and by using the xenon discharge tube in an annular shape, strong and uniform diffused light could be generated.

Third, the flash generation circuit was sealed with a reflector and a plastic container to achieve electrical insulation, ensuring safety during handling such as replacing dry batteries.

Fourth, by adopting a simple flash generation circuit and a circular printed circuit board, we were able to compactly add a flash function to a flashlight in the space of a single dry cell battery.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1(a) is an actual wiring diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention. 1... Container, 2... Dry battery, 3... Small light bulb, 4...
... Reflector plate, 5... Protective plate, 6... Convex lens, 7.
... Diffusion plate, 8... Lid, 9... Rubber ring, 10...
Spring, 11... Hole, 12... Copper plate, 13... Switch, 14... Metal plate, 15... Copper plate, 16...
Container, 17... Electrode, 18... Switch, 19...
・Xenon discharge tube, 20... Main capacitor, 21...
・Transformer, 22...Neon tube, 23...Bis. FIG. 1(b) is an actual wiring diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention seen from the front. 3... Small light bulb, 4... Reflector, 8... Lid, 19.
... Xenon discharge tube, 24 ... Coil, 25 ... Penetration terminal, 26 ... Penetration terminal, 27 ... Penetration terminal, 2
8...electrode. The second factor is the electrical wiring circuit diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention. 30...Battery, 31...Miniature light bulb, 32...Power switch, 33...NPN l-transistor, 34...
・Oscillation transformer, 35...Base resistance, 36...Diode, 37...Diode, 38...Main capacitor, 39...High resistance, 40...High resistance, 41...
・Neon tube, 42...High resistance, 43...Single winding transformer, 44...Capacitor, 45...Xenon discharge tube, 46...Trigger coil, 47...Trigger switch. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the action of the protection plate 1-5 of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3(a) shows the effect of a convex lens formed on a part of the protection plate. 3... miniature light bulb, 4... reflector, 6... convex lens,
7... Diffusion plate, 19... Xenon discharge tube. FIG. 3(b) shows the effect of a diffuser plate formed as a part of the protection plate. 71

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A miniature light bulb and a discharge tube are provided in a space surrounded by a protective plate and a reflector, and a flash generating circuit and a dry battery are provided in a space surrounded by the reflector and the outer cylinder. A flashlight featuring 2. The flashlight according to claim 1, wherein the flashlight generating circuit is provided in a space surrounded by the reflector and the inner tube. 3. A flashlight according to claim 1, wherein the discharge tube and the flash light generating circuit are electrically connected by a wiring that passes through the reflector. 4. The flashlight according to claim 1, wherein the miniature light bulb is located in front of the discharge tube. 5. The flashlight according to claim 1, wherein the protective plate has a convex lens or plate surface at the center and a diffuser plate at the periphery.