JPH06214291A - Interface for camera and its accessory - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a battery from being wasted because operation of the main switch of an accessory where the fitting seat of a camera is loaded is forgot. CONSTITUTION:This is the interface of the camera and the accessory coupling an accessory fitting legs to the camera fitting seat and executing the giving and receiving of a signal between the camera and the accessory by the connection of terminals. The accessory fitting legs 1 and 2 are loaded on the camera fitting seat and clamped by a clamping ring 3. Then, a lock pawl 12 engaged with the fitting seat and the plural signal terminals executing communication with the signal contact of the camera are arranged around a synchronizer terminal. Besides, the inserting part of the fitting seat is divided to two. Then, one is connected to the ground of a control circuit on the camera side and the other is connected to the connection class decision means of a control circuit on a stroboscope side so as to easily dischriminate a class.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to accessories such as a photographic flash device (hereinafter referred to as strobe) mounted on a still camera and a still video camera, and more specifically to a camera forming a connection interface with the camera. The present invention relates to an interface of an accessory attached to the product mounting seat.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the user often forgets to turn off the main switch of the strobe when the strobe is removed from the camera when not in use. Also, the main switch may be inadvertently turned on in a bag or the like. As a result, the strobe capacitor is repeatedly charged and discharged, and the electric capacity of the battery gradually decreases, until it completely disappears. As a result, they often have to be replaced with new batteries before they can be used.
troublesome. Not only that, but from the viewpoint of resource saving, such a product is a problem.

In recent cameras, a plurality of small-diameter terminals are provided as signal transmission terminals between the camera and other accessories in addition to the synchronizer contacts for the strobe on the accessory mounting seat specified by JIS, for example, between the camera and the strobe. In addition to controlling the light emission, the Xenon tube and the reflector are driven by a motor based on the information of the shooting lens, etc., and the functions such as auto power zoom and display / warning function of the dimming range have been added. ing. Since such multi-functionality inevitably leads to an increase in battery current consumption, there is a strong demand for a configuration that prevents battery consumption due to forgetting to turn off the main switch or erroneous operation.

A technique for preventing battery consumption due to forgetting to turn off the main switch or an erroneous operation is disclosed in JP-A-51-51.
151536 gazette (A), U.S.A. 57-142723
Japanese Patent Publication (B) and the like.

[0005]

The former is to turn on the main switch in synchronization with the tightening operation after the strobe is mounted. The tightening mechanism is the internal space of the mounting foot.
It is fully developed and complicated, and the signal terminals are not compatible with stroboscopic multifunction cameras with only synchronizer terminals. On the other hand, the latter is provided with more signal terminals than the former and is provided with a lock mechanism linked to the main switch. However, there is no countermeasure for both cases in which the main switch is turned off and removed from the camera, and when the strobe alone turns on the main switch for a light emission test and then forgets to turn off the main switch.

The problem of energy saving for reducing power consumption is not only a strobe, but also a strobe mounted on a turtle. When the strobe is attached to the camera, it is necessary to exchange signals between the camera body and the strobe. This signal increases as the amount of information becomes more multifunctional as described above, and development of a new strobe corresponding to the new camera is required. There is a request that the new strobe be applied to conventional cameras as well as new cameras. Therefore, regarding energy saving, it is necessary to consider not only the new strobe alone but also the new strobe and new camera, and the new strobe and conventional camera.

According to the present invention, the types of combinations of functions of accessories attached to the mounting seat of the camera (for example, a combination of an accessory and a conventional camera, a combination with a new camera, and an accessory alone) are used to perform unnecessary communication. The purpose is to prevent consumption of the used battery by stopping and to save power.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, an interface between a camera and an accessory according to the present invention comprises:
A strobe-side control circuit and a connection type determination means are provided on the strobe side, the fitting portion of the camera mounting seat is divided into two parts, and the two parts are separated by an insulator to provide a plurality of signal terminals in the insulator. , Signals are exchanged between the camera side control circuit and the strobe side control circuit by this signal terminal, one of the fitting portions is connected to the ground of the camera side control circuit, and the other is connected to the camera side control circuit. Is configured.

[0009]

[Function] The strobe main body is judged by the connection type judging means whether the strobe is a single strobe, is attached to a fitting portion of a camera mounting seat of a new camera, or is attached to a conventional camera, and is necessary in each case. According to the above, the unnecessary signals are transmitted and received and the power is turned off.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The interface between a camera and accessories according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings of the embodiments.
1 to 4 show an embodiment in which the accessory according to the present invention is a strobe. 1 is a plan view of the accessory mounting foot, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the accessory mounting foot (A-A in FIG. 1).
FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of the accessory mounting foot (B in FIG. 1).
-B arrow view).

In FIG. 3, the accessory mounting foot comprises a lower element 1 and an upper element 2, and the mounting foot is attached to the housing of the accessory body via the upper element 2 with screws or the like. Tightening ring 3 (In the present invention, the lock claw is put in the hole of the camera mounting seat by the tightening operation after the accessory is directly attached to the camera after the accessory is attached, or the lock claw is disengaged by the loosening operation. , Is not necessarily required if a mechanism for releasing the lock claw is provided by separately providing a release button.) Is screwed to the element 1 below.

As shown in FIG. 4 (a view taken along the line CC in FIG. 3), FIG. 3 and FIG. 2, the lower element 1 is a portion 1a to be fitted into the mounting seat of the camera, and the tightening ring 3 is a screw. Male screw part 1b to be joined, signal terminal 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
And a plurality of step holes 1c for the biasing spring 11, a step hole 1d having a square hole at the bottom and a round hole at the top, positioning protrusions 1e, 1i.
1j is provided. Further, the ground contact piece 4 and the type determination contact piece 5 are formed to have holes 1g and 1f which reach the fitting insertion portion 1a and a plurality of self-tapping screw pilot holes 1h for screwing the above element 2.

The ground contact piece 4 also serving as a friction spring and the type determination contact piece 5 are positioned by the projections 1e and 1j, and are arranged so as to be flush with the upper surface of the lower element 1 or slightly concave. It is provided on the upper surface. The signal terminals 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and the spring 11 are inserted in the step hole 1c. At the bottom of the upper element 2, there is a projection 2 for restricting the bending of the friction springs 4 and 5 at the positions corresponding to the stepped holes 1c and 1d of the lower element 1 and the screw pilot hole 1h.
a, a protrusion 2b for screwing the pressing plate 15 of the lock claw, a flange 2c around which the circumference rises, a counterbore 2d for screwing the mounting foot to the housing of the strobe body, and a release part 12a of the lock claw 12. It is composed of a square hole 2e that is loosely fitted.

The upper element 2 is positioned on the lower element 1 by the projections 1e and 1i, and is screwed together with the double-sided printed circuit board 13. At this time, since the brush contact pieces of the friction springs 4 and 5 and the spring 11 project from the bottom of the upper element 2, they are screwed against the friction spring and the spring. The lock claw 12 having a shape of "J" is a prism having an inclined surface at the lower end thereof, and the upper part thereof is a cylinder, and the arm 12b of the prism is extended forward and the bent portion 12a is further downward. The prismatic portion of the lock pawl 12 is placed in the stepped hole 1d of the lower element 1 and the bent portion 12a is placed in the square hole 2e of the upper element 2, and the spring 14 is placed in the guide portion above the lock pawl 12 and the pressing plate is attached. Insert the tip of 15 into the upper part of spring 14 and press plate 1
Screw 5 on.

The bent portion 12a of the lock claw 12 is constantly in contact with the tightening ring 3 by the spring 14, and the lock claw 12 moves up and down in the vertical direction of the mounting seat as the tightening ring 3 rotates. Here, each port on the upper surface of the double-sided printed circuit board, which is in contact with various signal terminals and contact pieces, and the circuit of the strobe body are connected by soldering the lead wire. Further, the mounting feet are screwed to the accessory housing.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the mounting seat of the camera, and the positions of the signal contacts and the lock claw locking holes are arranged in a relative positional relationship with those shown in FIG. The contacts on both sides of the lock claw locking hole 24a are different accessories such as signal contacts 3 for a microphone.
It is 4.35. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a combined state of the camera and accessories. In FIG. 5, the mounting seat 21 of the camera is composed of two "U" -shaped conductor fitting insertion portions 22 and 23 and a central insulator 24, and one of the mounting seat fitting insertion portions 22 is connected to the ground. The other insertion portion 23 is attached to the upper cover of the camera in an insulated state. In the insulating portion 24 of the mounting seat, the lock claw locking hole 24a is arranged in the same row as the synchronizer contact 25 and arranged in front, and the other signal contact 2
Place 6, 27, 28 and 29 around the synchronizer contact 25.

An accessory insertion detection switch pin (insulator) 30 is arranged at a corner of the mounting seat fitting portion 22, and the switch contact pieces 31 and 32 are exposed inside. The insertion detection switch is an electric shock prevention switch. In other words, when a different strobe is attached to the strobe socket specified by "JIS B-7102" provided separately in the camera and the strobe light is emitted (depending on the strobe), there is a danger of high voltage being applied to the synchronizer contact of the mounting seat, which could result in electric shock. is there. The strobe socket and the synchronizer contact 25 are connected in series via a detection switch, the detection switch is normally turned off to prevent electric shock, and the insertion detection switch when an accessory is attached to the mounting seat. Turns on. Especially for flash. A friction spring 33 is inserted into the bottom of the mounting seat fitting portions 22 and 23 so that the switch pin 30 is pushed downward against the switch contact pieces 31 and 32 by inserting an accessory.

The mounting seat 21 of the camera constructed as described above
When the accessory is inserted in, the ground contact piece 4 of the mounting foot and the type determination contact piece 5 come into contact with the conductor portions 22 and 23 of the mounting seat, and the tip of the contact piece moves toward the center as shown by the one-dot chain line in FIG. It is pushed and changes greatly. When the accessories are further inserted, as shown in FIG. 6, the fitting portion 1 is inserted into the stopper of the camera upper cover.
a contacts. When tightened by the tightening ring 3 at this position, the tip of the lock claw 12 falls into the square hole 24a of the mounting seat, and the accessory is locked in the pull-out direction. In order to secure the locking between the square hole 24a of the mounting seat and the lock claw 12 of the mounting foot, tightening by the tightening ring 3 causes only a slight difference between the bent part 12a of the lock claw and the upper surface of the tightening ring 3. It is good to lay it out so that there is a chance. Also, from the viewpoint of tightening operability, the screw 1
If b.3 is a helicoid screw, the tightening rotation angle will be smaller and the operability will be better.

FIG. 7 shows the elements under the mounting foot for a microphone. Various signal terminals, a grounding contact piece, a type determining contact piece, and a hole position for screwing are different from those of the strobe, so that the difference will be described. It is used for an electronic still camera that uses a recording medium having a magnetic layer and a camera that can use a 35 mm film to which a magnetic recording layer is added. The signal terminals 6, 8 and 9 of the strobe mounting foot are not required and the signal terminals 108 and 109 are added instead. The ground contact piece 104 and the type determination contact piece 105 are moved to the signal terminals 9 and 8, positioned by the protrusions 101e, 101i, and 101j, and screwed together with the above elements in the screw holes 101h.

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of a camera and strobe control circuit according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram when a strobe of the present invention is attached to a conventional camera. Figure 1
0 and FIG. 11 are flowcharts for explaining the power saving control of the strobe. The present invention detects a current flowing through the resistance Ra of the type determination terminal provided on the strobe side in the camera / strobe interface, and when the current flows for a set current value (several μA) or more, this current detection signal becomes Hi. To do.
Further, when the signal of the type determination terminal becomes Lo, it is determined that the conventional camera is attached, and the output of the type determination terminal is H.
When the output of the current detection terminal is i in Lo, it is determined that the camera is not attached to the camera, and when the output of the type determination terminal is Hi and the output of the current detection terminal is also Hi, it is determined that the camera is attached to the new camera. By adding this determination, it is possible to prevent battery consumption in all states including multi-flash strobe photography (connection to the strobe socket with a cable).

First, a combination of a camera equipped with the present invention and a strobe will be described with reference to FIGS. The main switch of the strobe is an on / standby / off three-mode switch provided on the strobe body, and the friction spring of the mounting foot is divided into two as described above, one of which is the ground contact piece, and the other is isolated. Use as a judgment terminal. A pull-up resistor Ra from Vcc is placed on the type determination terminal side so that the current flowing through this resistor can be detected. Also, the conductor fitting insertion portion of the mounting seat on the camera side is divided into two, one is connected to the ground and the other is used as a type determination contact. A resistor Rc is inserted between the type determination contact and the ground. The relationship between Rc and Ra at this time is set as Rc >> Ra. The central portion of the mounting seat is made of an insulator, and a synchronizer contact is provided at substantially the center thereof, and signal contacts are provided around the synchronizer contact. When the strobe is attached to the camera configured as described above and tightened with the tightening ring 3, the mounting seat / foot is locked by the lock claw as shown in FIG. 6, and the connection of each signal terminal is made reliable. The interface is shown in FIG.

The signal flow between the camera and strobe of the present invention will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. First, in the case of a new camera / new strobe (step 1001), the mode of the main switch is checked, and if it is not off (step 1002), the type determination terminal becomes Hi, and further (step 1003) the current detection becomes Hi, In (step 1004), the peripheral circuits of the camera are turned on. In (step 1005), it is checked again whether the main switch is in the standby mode. If the main switch is on, there is no operation or communication for a certain time (Tm) in (step 1012), and the main switch is in the standby mode. Turns off the power supply to the peripheral circuit when there is no operation or communication for a certain time (Ts) in (step 1006) (step 1007).

After that, if there is no change in the output of current detection, the mode setting of the main switch, the power-on signal from the camera, etc., the power supply of the peripheral circuits remains off. In addition, if there is a change in any signal or output (step 10
01), depending on the type of signal (step 100
In 4), the power supply for the peripheral circuits is turned on. The elapsed time Tm
It is also desirable from the viewpoint of power saving and operability to set Ts and Ts in advance in units of minutes and seconds as necessary.

Next, in the case of the conventional camera / new strobe, as shown in FIG. 9, since the type determination terminal is short-circuited to the ground (step 1002), the type determination terminal becomes Lo,
In (step 1021), the power of the peripheral circuits of the camera is turned on. At (step 1022), a fixed time (T
m) When there is no operation or communication (step 1023), the peripheral circuits are powered off. After that, if there is no change in the output of the type determination terminal, the mode setting of the main switch, the power-on (X contact on) signal from the camera, etc., the peripheral circuits remain powered off. If there is any change in the signal / output, the process returns to (step 1001),
Depending on the type of signal (step 1021), the peripheral circuits are powered on. One-shot shooting after automatically powering off in (step 1023) (step 102
Since it is turned on in 6), it will not emit light,
Although there is a problem with the specifications of the camera, in this case, it is possible to avoid this problem by a control method such as not automatically turning off the power in the power-on state.

In the case of a new strobe alone (not connected to a camera) An explanation will be given with reference to the flow chart of FIG. When the main switch is set to the standby or ON mode (step 1002), the type determination terminal becomes Hi, the current detection becomes Lo at (step 1003), and the peripheral circuit power is turned on at (step 1031). Next, the mode of the main switch is checked again to see if it is in the standby mode. If the main switch is on (step 103
If there is no operation or communication for a certain time (Tm) in 8) and the main switch is in standby mode (step 1
In 033, when there is no operation or communication for a certain period (Ts) (step 1034), the power of the peripheral circuits is turned off.
After that, if there is no change in the output of the type determination terminal, the output of current detection, the mode setting of the main switch, etc., the power supply of the peripheral circuit remains off. Further, if there is any change in the signal / output (step 1001), the peripheral circuits are powered on depending on the type of signal (step 1031).

The description has been given of the case where the main switch of the strobe is a three-mode changeover switch of off / standby / on, but the main switch may be off / on. Also in this case, the power saving control can be configured to give priority to the ON / OFF mode of the main switch provided in the accessory body.

Although the embodiment in which the lock claw mechanism is interlocked with the tightening ring has been described, the arm portion 12b extending to the upper front of the lock claw is sandwiched by one of the bell cranks, and the other is extended by the accessory housing and released. Place it under the influence of the operation button,
A mechanism may be adopted in which the tip of the lock claw is pulled in from the lower surface of the fitting insertion portion of the mounting foot via the bell crank by operating the release button.

[0028]

As described above in detail, in the interface between the camera and the accessory according to the present invention, the presence / absence of the connection with the camera and the type of the camera connected with the strobe are determined with a simple structure, and the combination is determined according to the combination. In addition, the power of peripheral circuits can be turned on / off, and efficient power saving can be performed in order to prevent battery consumption.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of an accessory mounting foot mounted on an accessory mounting seat of a camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the accessory mounting foot of FIG. 1 (A- in FIG. 1).
FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front sectional view of the accessory mounting foot of FIG. 1 (B- in FIG. 1).
It is a B arrow view).

4 is a plan view of the element under the mounting foot in the view CC of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a mounting seat of a camera on which an accessory mounting leg according to the present invention is mounted.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a combined state of a camera and accessories according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an element under the attachment foot of another accessory (eg, a microphone).

FIG. 8: New accessory (strobe) for the new camera according to the present invention
It is a control circuit diagram when wearing.

FIG. 9 is a control circuit diagram when a new accessory (strobe) of the present invention is attached to a conventional camera.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating powering on / off of a control circuit for a camera and accessories according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating ON / OFF of the power supply of the control circuit when only the accessory according to the present invention is used.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Elements under the accessory mounting foot 1a Part to be inserted into the mounting seat 1b Male screw part 1c. 1d Stepped hole 1e ・ 1i ・ 1j Positioning protrusion 1f ・ 1g Hole 1h Prepared hole 2 Element on the mounting foot 2a Protrusion 3 Tightening ring 4 Friction spring (ground contact piece) 5 Friction spring (type determination contact piece) 6 Synchronizer contact 12 Lock claw 13 Double-sided printed circuit board 15 Holding plate 22 Accessory fitting insertion part (ground contact) 23 Accessory fitting insertion part (type determination contact) 24 Insulating part 25 Synchronizer contact

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An interface between a camera and an accessory, in which a mounting leg of an accessory of the camera is mounted on a mounting seat of the camera and signals are transmitted and received between the camera and the accessory by connecting terminals on a coupling surface. A control circuit and a connection type determining means are provided, and the fitting insertion portion of the mounting seat for locking the mounting foot is divided into two conductors, and the two are separated by an insulator, and a plurality of conductors are provided in the insulator. An interface between a camera and an accessory, wherein a signal terminal is provided, one of the mounting seat conductors is connected to the ground of a camera control circuit, and the other conductor is connected to the circuit.