JPH0713721B2 - Camera with built-in flash - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A. Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a camera with a built-in flash unit, which has a flash unit built into the camera body and has a light-emitting portion protruding from the camera body during use.

B. Conventional technology As a conventional example of this type of camera with a built-in flashlight
The official gazette is shown. The camera with a built-in flashlight disclosed herein has a lock releasing member that can take a first position for locking the protrusion of the light emitting portion and a second position for releasing the lock and protruding the light emitting portion. A constant attraction type electromagnet that attracts the lock release member in the demagnetized state and holds it in the first position, and releases the lock release member in the excited state and holds it in the second position, and the electromagnet for a predetermined time. And a control circuit for exciting. Then, when power is supplied from the control circuit to the electromagnet, the unlocking member is released from the electromagnet and moves to the second position, whereby the light emitting portion projects from the camera body.

C. Problems to be Solved by the Invention In recent years, a camera with a built-in flash device equipped with an automatic focusing device is known, but this type of camera is equipped with a motor for driving a photographing lens for focusing. There is. in this way,
In a camera having a motor for automatic focus adjustment, a single drive source can be used for a plurality of functions if the protrusion of the light emitting unit can also be controlled by utilizing the rotational force of the motor.
It is extremely effective in terms of cost and space. The same applies to a camera in which the shutter is driven by a motor.

However, in the conventional camera with a built-in flash device described above, as described above, the projection of the light emitting unit is controlled by using a so-called dedicated combination magnet,
The conventional one has problems in cost and space.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide a camera with a built-in flash device capable of controlling the projection of a light emitting portion of the flash device by using a motor for automatic focus adjustment and / or shutter drive. is there.

D. Means for Solving Problems According to the present invention, a shooting lens and / or a shutter is driven by a motor, and a light emitting unit built in the camera body is projected from the camera body when in use. It is applied to the built-in camera.

Then, it can be driven between the first position and the second position, and the irradiation light amount from the light emitting unit is set to the first light amount at the first position, and the irradiation light amount from the light emitting unit is set to the second position. An irradiation characteristic changing member having a second light quantity different from the first light quantity, a brightness judging means for judging a subject brightness, a distance judging means for judging a subject distance, and a motor at the time of driving the photographing lens and / or driving the shutter. While rotating forward, before shooting
When the subject brightness is less than the reference value and the subject distance is determined to be within the predetermined distance range, the motor is reversed by the first rotation angle, and the subject brightness is less than the reference value and the subject distance is within the predetermined distance range. Motor drive control means for reversing the motor by a second rotation angle beyond the first rotation angle when it is determined to be outside, and a light emitting portion protruding from the reversal of the first rotation angle of the motor, and the motor And a drive mechanism for driving the irradiation characteristic changing member from the first position to the second position by reversing the second rotation angle.

E. Action The photo lens is driven and / or the shutter is driven by the normal rotation of the motor. Further, when the subject brightness obtained by photometry is low, the motor is reversed by the first angle and the light emitting unit is projected from the camera body. After that, when the subject distance obtained by the distance measurement is out of the predetermined distance range, the motor is subsequently reversed by the second angle, and the irradiation characteristic changing member is driven to the second position.

F. Embodiment FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 show an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the light emitting portion 1 is attached to a support plate 3 which slides by being guided by a pin 2 protruding from the camera body, and is biased upward by a spring 4. The support plate 3 has a notch 3a as an engaging portion, and the engaging portion 5a of the locking lever 5 is engaged with the notch 3a and locked by the upward biasing force of the spring 4. The locking lever 5 is swingable around a fulcrum X1 and is urged clockwise by a spring 6, and the notch 3a of the support plate 3 is locked by the urging force.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a light-reducing plate that projects in and out of the camera body in front of the light emitting unit 1, is attached to a support plate 9 that slides by being guided by a pin 8 protruding from the camera body, and is urged upward by a spring 10. . The support plate 9 has a notch 9a as an engaging portion, and the engaging portion 11a of the locking lever 11 is engaged with the notch 9a and locked by the upward biasing force of the spring 10. The locking lever 11 is swingable around the fulcrum X2, and
It is biased clockwise by 12 and the notch 9a of the support plate 9 is locked by the biasing force. Here, the dimming plate 7 is for reducing the light amount of the light emitting unit 1 when the subject is at a close range, and emits light when the subject brightness is less than or equal to a reference value and the distance to the subject is less than or equal to the reference value. It is projected in front of the part 1.

Further, in FIG. 1, 13 is a motor, and a reduction gear 14 is fixed to an output shaft 13a of the motor 13. 15 is fulcrum X3
It is a disc-shaped unlocking member made of an insulating material that can rotate around the center of which gear 15b is engraved on its peripheral surface.
Is meshed with the reduction gear 14 and is normally rotated in the direction of arrow UC or is rotated in the direction of arrow C according to the rotation of the motor 13.
Here, the unlocking member 15 is provided around the lens barrel coaxially with the taking lens (not shown). The lock release member 15 has an arm 15a, and a release rod 16 is fixed to the arm 15a, and the release rod 16 causes the release arm 16 to drive the drive arm 5b of the lock lever 5.
Also, the driving lever 11b of the locking lever 11 can be brought into contact with and engaged with the driving arm 11b. The locking release member 15, the release rod 16, the locking levers 5 and 11, the support plates 3 and 9 and the springs 4 and 10 form a projecting means.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a lens driving member for driving a taking lens (not shown), which is biased by a spring 18 and abuts on a stopper pin 19. The lens driving member 17 is driven by the arm 15a against the spring 18 when the unlocking member 15 is driven in the direction of the arrow UC, whereby the photographing lens is moved to a position corresponding to the distance to the subject. Move to (focus position). When the photographing lens reaches the in-focus position, it is stopped by means (not shown) such as a magnet 259 described later.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a shutter drive member for driving and controlling a shutter (not shown), which is biased by a spring 21 and abuts on a stopper pin 22. The unlocking member 15 is driven in the direction of the arrow UC from the position shown in FIG. 1, and the photographing lens is driven to the in-focus position via the lens driving member 17 as described above. 15a is member 17 and 2
Both come into contact with 0 and rotate both against springs 18 and 21.
As a result, the shutter is driven via the shutter drive member 20 according to the subject brightness, and the film is exposed.

Further, in FIG. 1, a conductive pattern 23 is formed on one surface of the unlocking member 15, and the brushes 24a to 24c slide on the conductive pattern 23. Here, the brushes 24a, 24b are connected to a control circuit 25 described later to apply a predetermined voltage, the brush 24c is grounded, the brush 24a, the conductive pattern 23, the brush 24c switch 30, the brush 24b,
A switch 40 is composed of the conductive pattern 23 and the brush 24c.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of the control circuit 25. In FIG. 2, 251 is a power source and 252 is a switch that is closed by half-pressing a release button (not shown). 253 is a photometric circuit, 2
Reference numeral 54 denotes a light receiving element for photometry, and the subject brightness measured by the light receiving element 254 is captured by the photometry circuit 253, whereby
The photometric value output a is output to the controller 255 described later. 2
A distance measuring circuit 56 measures the distance to the subject and outputs a distance output b to the controller 255.

The controller 255 outputs the motor control signal c to the motor drive control circuit 257 according to the processing procedure of FIG. 3 described later according to the photometric value output a and the distance output b, and also the lens drive stop signal d according to the distance output b. The buffer circuit 25
It outputs to the magnet 259 for locking the photographing lens via 8. The control signal e for the display elements 260a to 260c is also output to the buffer circuit 258.

The operation of the camera with a built-in flash device constructed as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, in step P1, when the power switch 252 is turned on in response to the operation of the release button, power is supplied to the circuit. In step P2, the photometry circuit 253 and the distance measurement circuit 254 are sequentially controlled to output the photometry value output a. And the distance output b are taken into the controller 255. Then, it is determined in step P3 whether the subject brightness indicated by the photometric value output a is smaller than the reference value (whether the subject is dark). If an affirmative decision is made, the operation proceeds to step P4, and it is decided whether or not the distance to the subject indicated by the distance output b is smaller (closer) than the reference value. If an affirmative decision is made, the operation proceeds to step P5. In step P5, the motor control signal c is output to the motor drive control circuit 257 in order to rotate the motor 1 in the reverse direction. The signal c causes the motor 13 to rotate and the unlocking member 15 to rotate in the direction C in FIG.

Now, FIG. 1 shows a state in which the unlocking member 15 is in the initial position. In this state, the switches 30 and 40 are both grounded via the brush 24c, and signals from the respective switches are Also low level (hereinafter referred to as L level)
Is. When the unlocking member 15 rotates counterclockwise c,
The switches 30 and 40 are at high level (hereinafter referred to as H level)
Also, the release rod 16 causes the driving arm 5b of the locking lever 5 to move.
Abuttingly engages with each other, whereby the locking lever 5 swings counterclockwise against the spring 6 about the fulcrum X1. Brush 24b
Reaches the portion 23a of the conductive pattern 23, and the switch 30 moves to H
When an L level signal is obtained from the level switch 40 (when the motor 13 rotates by the first rotation angle), the engaging portion 5a of the locking lever 5 disengages from the notch 3a of the support plate 3, and the spring 4 causes The light emitting unit 1 projects from the camera body. Unlocking member
15 continues to rotate in the same direction after this, and release rod 16
Also comes into contact with the drive arm 11b of the locking lever 11, and the locking lever 11 swings counterclockwise about its fulcrum X2. Then, when the lock release member 15 rotates until the brush 24a reaches the portion 23b of the conductive pattern 23 and the switch 30 becomes L level and the switch 40 becomes H level (when the motor 13 rotates by the second rotation angle), Since the engaging portion 11a of the stop lever 11 disengages from the notch 9a of the support plate 9 and releases the light-reducing plate 7, the light-reducing plate 7 protrudes from the camera body and hides the front surface of the light-emitting unit 1.

Therefore, when the program proceeds to the procedure P6, this procedure P6 is affirmatively determined and the procedure proceeds to the procedure P7, and the motor control signal c is output to the motor drive control circuit 257 in order to stop the motor 13 in the procedure P7. This causes the motor 13 to stop once.

Then, in step P8, the motor control signal c is output from the controller 255 to the motor drive control circuit 257 to rotate the motor 13 in the normal direction, and the lock release member 15 rotates in the normal direction of the arrow UC. The lock releasing member 15 rotates while the switches 30 and 40 output H level signals, and when the switches 30 and 40 reach the initial position, both switches 30 and 40 output L level signals. Step P9 is affirmatively determined and step P1
Go to 0. In step P10, the motor control signal c is output to the motor drive control circuit 257 so as to stop the motor 13, so that the motor 13 is stopped once.

Next, the program proceeds to step P11. The motor control signal c is output to the motor drive control circuit 257 to rotate the motor 13 in the normal direction. This causes the motor 13 to rotate in the normal direction, and the switches 30 and 40 both output the H level. Meanwhile, the unlocking member 15 rotates in the direction of arrow UC. When the unlocking member 15 rotates in the UC direction from the initial position, the arm 15a of the unlocking member 15 moves to the lens driving member 1.
The lens driving member 17 is driven against the spring 18 so as to be brought into abutting engagement with the lens 7, and the photographing lens is extended along the optical axis. When the lens driving stop signal d is supplied from the controller 255 to the magnet 259 via the buffer circuit 258 in accordance with the distance output b, the action of the magnet 259 causes the taking lens to be locked at that position.

Even after the taking lens is locked at that position, the unlocking member 15 continues to rotate in the UC direction, and the unlocking member 15 in the UC direction abuts at a predetermined rotation angle by the subsequent rotation. The shutter driving member 20 is also driven against the spring 21 to open the shutter (also the diaphragm) and start the exposure. Then, when the opening value corresponding to the exposure amount determined based on the photometric value output a is reached, the procedure P12 is affirmed, whereby the motor control signal c is stopped from the controller 255 in order to stop the motor 13 and immediately reverse it in the procedure P13. Motor drive control circuit 2
Output to 57. As a result, the motor 13 is stopped and the reverse rotation is started, whereby the shutter drive member 20 is returned to the original state by the spring 21 and the shutter is closed.

When both the switches 30 and 40 are at the L level, the procedure P14 is affirmed, and in the procedure P15, the motor control signal c is output from the controller 255 to the motor drive control circuit 257 to stop the motor 13 so as to stop the motor 13.

In order to store the light emitting unit 1 in the camera body, the light emitting unit 1 may be pushed down against the spring 4. in this case,
The engagement portion 5a of the locking lever 5 is in contact with the side wall of the support plate 3 by the spring force of the spring 6, but the support plate notch 3a is sufficiently lower than the engagement portion 5a due to the depression of the light emitting portion 1. When pushed down, the engaging portion 5a engages with the notch 3a and the light emitting portion 1 is locked at that position, whereby the stored state is maintained. The amount of protrusion of the light emitting portion 1 is determined by the distance from the lower end of the guide groove 3b of the support plate 3 to the pin 2. The dimming plate 7 is also stored in the same manner.

If the distance to the subject is relatively large and the determination in step P4 is negative, the motor control signal c is supplied from the controller 255 to the motor drive control circuit 257 in step P16, and the motor 13 is rotated in the reverse direction. Then, in step P17, it is monitored that the switch 30 is at the H level and the switch 40 is at the L level. When the affirmative determination is made in step P17, the process proceeds to step P7 and the motor 13 is stopped. The rotation of the motor 13 causes the locking lever 5 to rotate counterclockwise via the release rod 16, so that the engaging portion 5a of the locking lever 5 is disengaged from the engaging portion 3a of the support plate 3 and the light emitting portion is released. 1 is projected from the camera body by the spring 4. At this time, since the lock release member 15 is rotated by the first rotation angle, that is, the rotation angle until the brush 24b comes into contact with the conductive pattern portion 23a, the lock lever 11 and the support plate 9 are rotated.
Are still engaged with each other, so that the dimming plate 7 is not projected.

On the other hand, if the photometric value is comparatively bright and the procedure P3 is negatively determined, the procedures P4 to P10 are skipped and the procedures P11 to P15 are executed, so that the light emitting unit 1 and the light-reducing plate 7 are taken while the camera body is being stored. Is performed.

In the above embodiment, the light emitting portion 1 is automatically projected by the photometric value output c, and the dimming plate 7 is automatically projected by the distance output b, but in response to the manual switch provided separately. Alternatively, the motor 13 may be controlled to cause the light emitting unit 1 or the dimming plate 7 to project. Also, in the above, in addition to flash unit control by a single motor, the shooting lens is driven for automatic focus adjustment, and the shutter is also driven. The invention can be applied.

G. Effect of the Invention According to the present invention, since the motor for driving the taking lens and / or the shutter is used to control the projection of the light emitting unit and the movement of the irradiation characteristic changing member, dedicated driving means are used respectively. The cost can be reduced and the space in the camera can be effectively used as compared with the case.

Further, the light emitting unit and the irradiation characteristic changing member are driven by the reverse rotation of the motor, the light emitting unit is projected by the reverse rotation of the first angle, and the irradiation characteristic changing member is driven by the reverse rotation of the second angle that exceeds the first angle. Therefore, if the subject brightness obtained by photometry is low, the light emitting part can be immediately projected by reversing the motor by the first angle, and then the subject distance obtained by range finding will be the predetermined distance. If it is out of the range, the irradiation characteristic changing member can be immediately driven to the second position by subsequently reversing the motor by the second angle. That is, it is possible to instantly create a shooting state that matches the subject brightness and the subject distance without changing the rotation direction of the motor on the way.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mechanism in the vicinity of a light emitting portion, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a control circuit thereof, and FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the example of a procedure. 1: light emitting part, 3, 9: support plate 4, 10: spring, 5, 11: locking lever 13: motor, 15: locking release member 16: release rod, 17: lens drive member 20: shutter drive member, 23: Conductive pattern 30, 40: Switch, 24a to 24c: Brush 25: Control circuit, 252: Power switch 253: Photometric circuit, 254: Light receiving element 255: Controller, 256: Distance measuring circuit 257: Motor drive control circuit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A first position of a camera with a built-in flash device, wherein a photographing lens and / or a shutter is driven by a motor, and a light emitting portion built into the camera body is projected from the camera body when in use. And drivable between a second position and a first position
At the position of, the amount of light emitted from the light emitting unit is the first amount of light,
An irradiation characteristic changing member that sets the amount of light emitted from the light emitting unit at a second position to a second amount of light different from the first amount of light, a brightness determination unit that determines the subject brightness, and a distance determination unit that determines the subject distance. While driving the photographing lens and / or driving the shutter, the motor is rotated in the forward direction. The rotation angle of 1 is reversed, and the motor is rotated over the first rotation angle by the second rotation angle when the subject brightness is less than the reference value and the subject distance is determined to be outside the predetermined distance range. And a motor drive control means for projecting the light emitting portion by reversing the first rotation angle of the motor, and causing the irradiation characteristic changing member to move the irradiation characteristic changing member by reversing the second rotation angle of the motor. And a drive mechanism for driving from the position to the second position. 2. The irradiation characteristic changing member is a dimming plate driven between a first position retracting from the front surface of the light emitting section and a second position covering the front surface of the light emitting section. The camera with a built-in flash device according to claim 1.