JPH09292650A - Flashing photographing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate irradiation unevenness and the cause of the instability of light emitting output by stablizing the arc position of a light emitting initial stage and stablizing the irradiating direction of light. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a main capacitor a discharge tube 5 and a reflector 6. In this case, an arc position stablizing means 1 controlling the arc position at the inside of a glass tube at the time of discharging by electrodynamic force running a straight line part 1c and between the discharge tube 5 and the current of the same direction and stablizing the irradiating direction of the light is arranged at a position (equivalent to the straight line part 1c) at the outside of the bottom of the reflector 6 and in the proximity of and in parallel with the discharge tube 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flash photographing apparatus, and more particularly to a flash photographing apparatus which stabilizes a light emitting arc position of a discharge tube to eliminate uneven irradiation of light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional flash device, generally, the position of the arc inside the flash discharge tube is not stable during the initial period of light emission starting for several tens of microseconds from the start of flash light emission or when the peak value of the light emission output is low. Therefore, when the amount of emitted light is small, neither the arc position in the glass tube of the discharge tube nor the light irradiation direction is stable, which causes uneven irradiation on the film.

Further, in a system in which emitted light is detected by a light receiving sensor provided in the vicinity of the light emitting portion and the emitted light is controlled based on the detection result, even if the detection and control system operates normally, the inside of the discharge tube glass tube Since the arc position is unstable, the irradiation direction of light is not stable, which causes uneven irradiation on the film and unstable emission output viewed from the subject.

In order to solve these inconveniences, a conventional flash device as shown in FIG. 6 has been proposed. In the figure, 1
01 is a flash discharge tube. Reference numeral 102 denotes a transparent conductive electrode as a trigger electrode applied to a part of the outer surface of the glass tube of the discharge tube 101, which is applied in a strip shape in the longitudinal direction of the discharge tube. Reference numeral 103 denotes a reflection shade, and the discharge tube 101 is arranged on the bottom (bottom) side, and a surface facing the discharge tube is a mirror surface, and determines an irradiation angle from the discharge tube 101. 104
Indicates an arc immediately after the start of discharge, showing a state along the trigger electrode.

In the flash device having such a structure as shown in FIG. 6, a transparent conductive electrode as a trigger electrode is applied in a strip shape on the outer wall of the glass tube of the discharge tube 101, so that the trigger discharge at the time of applying the trigger is caused along the trigger electrode. Let it occur,
An arc discharge that is generated subsequent to the trigger discharge is also generated along the trigger electrode 102 like an arc 104 shown in FIG. 6 to stabilize the position of the light-emitting arc and to eliminate inconveniences such as uneven irradiation.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the transparent conductive electrode 102 is applied as a trigger electrode to the glass tube wall of the discharge tube 101 in a strip shape, so that it is applied to the entire tube wall. In comparison with the conductive electrode 10
Since the coating area of No. 2 is reduced, the anode-cathode voltage capable of emitting light is inevitably increased when the same trigger voltage is applied, and there is a problem of difficulty in control that it becomes difficult to emit light.

In addition, there is a problem in that the position of the coated portion of the conductive electrode and the position of the reflective shade must always be maintained in a predetermined positional relationship due to the structure.

Further, as compared with a discharge tube in which an electrode is applied to the entire surface in the circumferential direction, which has been generally used up to now, there is a problem that the step of applying a conductive electrode requires much labor and the cost of the discharge tube itself increases.

Therefore, an object of the invention described in claim 1 is:
(EN) Provided is a flash photography device which can easily stabilize the arc position in the initial stage of light emission and can eliminate uneven irradiation even if a discharge tube which applies a trigger electrode to the entire surface in the circumferential direction and has few manufacturing restrictions is used. It is in.

Further, an object of the invention described in claim 2 is to use a discharge tube of a type in which a trigger electrode is applied to the entire surface in the circumferential direction,
An object of the present invention is to provide a flash photography device capable of reliably stabilizing the arc position at the initial stage of light emission by a simple control mechanism.

Further, even if a discharge tube of a type in which a trigger electrode is applied to the entire surface in the circumferential direction is used, the object of the invention described in claims 3 and 4 is to draw a current in the same direction as the discharge tube through a conductor and attract the current. An object of the present invention is to provide a flash photography device capable of reliably stabilizing the arc position at the initial stage of light emission by simple control by the action.

Further, an object of the present invention as set forth in claim 5 is to make it possible to use an electric discharge tube of a type in which a trigger electrode is applied to the entire surface in the circumferential direction, so that a current in the same direction as that of the electric discharge tube can flow and the cost can be reduced. It is an object of the present invention to provide a flash photography device capable of stabilizing the arc position in the early stage of light emission by configuring a cheap control system.

Further, the object of the invention described in claim 6 is to stabilize the position of the light emitting arc by a simple structure during the preliminary light emission even when a discharge tube of the type in which the trigger electrode is applied to the entire surface in the circumferential direction is used. An object of the present invention is to provide a flash photography device capable of controlling light emission.

Further, the object of the invention as set forth in claim 7 is to stabilize the position of the light emitting arc with a simple structure at the time of the main light emission even when a discharge tube of the type in which the trigger electrode is applied to the entire surface in the circumferential direction is used. An object of the present invention is to provide a flash photography device capable of controlling light emission.

Further, the object of the invention described in claims 8 and 10 is simple in controlling the emission intensity by flat emission even if a discharge tube of a type in which a trigger electrode is applied to the entire surface in the circumferential direction is used. It is an object of the present invention to provide a flash photography device capable of stabilizing the position of the light emission arc and improving the light emission control efficiency by the control configuration.

Further, an object of the present invention as set forth in claims 9 and 11 is to provide a simple control configuration when the amount of light emission is controlled even if a discharge tube of a type in which a trigger electrode is applied to the entire surface in the circumferential direction is used. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flash photography device capable of stabilizing the position of a light emitting arc and improving the light emission control efficiency.

[0017]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a structure for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application is, as described in claim 1, a capacitor for storing electric energy and an accumulated charge of the capacitor. In a flash device equipped with a discharge tube that emits light by discharging, and a reflector that has a reflecting surface and an opening surface and that directs the emitted light of the discharge tube toward a subject, the arc position in the glass tube during discharge by current force In the flash photography device, an arc position stabilizing means for controlling the light source and stabilizing the irradiation direction of light is provided near the discharge tube.

According to this structure, a current in the same direction as the discharge current flowing in the discharge tube is made to flow in the arc position stabilizing means, and the arc position in the glass tube can be suction-controlled by the attraction force between the currents in the same direction.

As a concrete constitution for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application, as described in claim 2, the arc position stabilizing means has the discharge tube on the side opposite to the opening of the reflector. 2. The flash photography apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flash photography apparatus is configured by a conductor arranged in a position close to and parallel to.

According to this structure, the conductor for controlling the arc position in the glass tube by passing an electric current is arranged in parallel and close to the discharge tube, which is a position where the arc position can be easily controlled, from the outside of the reflector which does not affect the light irradiation. By arranging in the position,
Appropriate light emission arc suction control can be performed.

Another specific configuration for achieving the object of the invention according to the present application is, as described in claim 3, in which the conductor of the arc position stabilizing means is related to the trigger operation of the discharge tube. 2. A current in the same direction as that of the discharge tube is caused to flow to attract the light emitting arc position toward the bottom of the reflector.
Alternatively, the flash photographing apparatus described in 2 is provided.

According to this structure, an electric current in the same direction as the discharge tube is caused to flow through the conductor based on the principle that an attractive force acts between the electric currents in the same direction, so that the light emitting arc position is opposite to the opening of the reflection shade. The suction can be controlled toward the bottom side.

Another specific structure for achieving the object of the invention according to the present application is, as described in claim 4, in which the conductor of the arc position stabilizing means is related to the trigger operation of the discharge tube. The flash photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the same current as that of the discharge tube is passed.

According to this structure, it is possible to efficiently carry out the suction control of the position of the light emitting arc by flowing the current having the same phase as that of the discharge tube through the conductor.

Another specific structure for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application is, as described in claim 5, the conductor,
A tip of a conductor covered with an insulator is connected to the cathode part of the discharge tube in order to form a current path for passing a current in the same direction in the vicinity of the discharge tube, and a straight line portion on the opposite side is turned at least once. 5. The flash photographing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tip is arranged so as to be close to and parallel to the discharge tube and is drawn out as a cathode side connection terminal.

According to this structure, the conductor for passing a current in the same direction as the discharge tube is formed of a low cost coated conductor, and one end of the conductor is connected to the cathode portion of the discharge tube to draw, for example, a quadrangle. After making one turn by adding such a turn, the straight part of the other conductor end was placed in parallel with and parallel to the discharge tube so that the discharge current of the discharge tube was connected to the cathode. From one end of the coated conductor, in the linear portion of the other end of the conductor will flow in the direction from the anode to the cathode of the discharge tube, the same as the discharge current of the discharge tube to the linear portion of the coated conductor for suction control of the light emitting arc, Currents in the same direction can flow.

Another specific configuration for achieving the object of the invention according to the present application is, as described in claim 6, in which the light emitting arc position is controlled by the same-direction current flowing in the conductor during preliminary light emission. 6. The flash photography apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the flash photography device is attracted to the bottom to stabilize the light irradiation direction.

According to this structure, the position of the light emitting arc is stabilized by the simple structure using the covered conductor, the irradiation direction of the light is stabilized, and the uneven irradiation is eliminated, so that the control efficiency is high during the preliminary light emission. Preliminary light emission control can be performed.

Another specific configuration for achieving the object of the invention according to the present application is, as described in claim 7, in which, during the main light emission, the light emitting arc position is changed by the same-direction current flowing through the conductor. 6. The flash photography apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the flash photography device is attracted to the bottom to stabilize the light irradiation direction.

According to this structure, the light emitting arc position is stabilized by the simple structure using the covered conductor, the irradiation direction of the light is stabilized, and the irradiation unevenness is eliminated. Light emission control with high control efficiency can be performed during the main light emission.

Another specific configuration for achieving the object of the invention according to the present application is, as described in claim 8, having a light receiving element for receiving the emitted light of the discharge tube, and the emission intensity of the emitted light. 6. The flash light according to claim 5, wherein when the light emission arc position is controlled to be substantially constant, the light emitting arc position is attracted toward the bottom direction of the reflection shade and stabilized by the same-direction current flowing through the conductor to stabilize the light irradiation direction. It's on the camera.

According to this structure, the light emitting arc position is stabilized by the simple structure using the covered conductor, the irradiation direction of the light is stabilized, and the uneven irradiation is eliminated, so that the light emitted from the discharge tube is received. It is possible to improve the light emission efficiency when the light emission intensity is controlled to be substantially constant while being detected by the element.

Another specific configuration for achieving the object of the invention according to the present application is, as described in claim 9, having a light receiving element for receiving the emitted light of the discharge tube. 6. When controlling, the light emitting arc position is attracted toward the bottom direction of the reflection shade and stabilized by the same-direction current flowing through the conductor to stabilize the light irradiation direction.
In the flash photography device described.

According to this structure, the light emitting arc position is stabilized by the simple structure using the covered conductor, the irradiation direction of the light is stabilized, and the uneven irradiation is eliminated, so that the light emitted from the discharge tube is prevented. It is possible to improve the light emission efficiency in the case of controlling the light emission amount by integrating while detecting with the light receiving element.

Another specific configuration for achieving the object of the invention according to the present application is, as described in claim 10, the control for making the emission intensity of the emission light of the discharge tube substantially constant, the emission intensity setting. 9. The flash photography apparatus according to claim 8, wherein flat emission control is performed to turn on / off light emission based on a value, and during the control, the emission arc position is stabilized by the same-direction current flowing through the conductor to improve control efficiency. .

According to this structure, during the flat light emission control, the light emitting arc position can be stabilized and the control efficiency can be improved by a simple structure in which a current in the same direction as the discharge tube is caused to flow through the covered conductor.

Another specific configuration for achieving the object of the invention according to the present application is, as described in claim 11, for controlling the emission amount of the emission light of the discharge tube, an integrated value of the emission light amount is set. 11. A light emission amount control for turning off the light emission when a value is reached, wherein the light emission arc position is stabilized by the same-direction current flowing through the conductor during the light emission amount control to improve control efficiency. In the flash photography device described.

According to this structure, in the light emission amount control during flat light emission, the light emitting arc position can be stabilized and the control efficiency can be improved by a simple structure in which a current in the same direction as the discharge tube is passed through the covered conductor.

[0039]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of essential parts of a flash photography device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the dotted line shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram in which the main part of the flash photography apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is applied to a single-lens reflex camera. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operation of the camera unit shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation of the flash device shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a conductor in the form of a wire covered with an insulating material, through which a discharge current of the flash discharge tube 5 flows, and one end 1a of the conductor 1 is connected to the cathode 3 of the discharge tube 5 to form a square 1b. 1 turn (this winding may be a quadrangle, a circle, or a triangle), and the straight line portion 1c at the opposite end is placed close to the discharge tube 5 and parallel to it, and is drawn out as the cathode connection terminal B. ing. Since the turn surface in this case is also in the same horizontal plane as the discharge tube 5, the electromagnetic induction force like a coil should be ignored, and in order to make the current in the same direction as the discharge tube 5 flow through the straight portion 1c of the conductor 1. The electromagnetic attraction force generated between the currents in the same direction is the main part of the operation of the present invention.

Reference numeral 2 is an anode of the discharge tube 5, 3 is a cathode, 4 is a trigger electrode, and 5 is a general-type discharge tube in which a conductive transparent electrode is applied as the trigger electrode 4 on the entire circumference of the glass. 6
Is a reflection shade, and the surface facing the discharge tube 5 is treated to be a mirror surface. 7 is a panel having a Fresnel lens. Reference numeral 8 denotes a surface provided on an end face of the panel 7 for guiding emitted light to the light receiving element 9. A first light receiving element 9 receives a part of light from the discharge tube 5 through the panel 7 and the surface 8. Reference numeral 10 is a light receiving element 1 for emitting light provided on the end face of the panel 7.
Reference numeral 11 is a surface for leading to 1. The second light receiving element 11 receives a part of the light from the discharge tube 5 through the panel 7 and the surface 10. Reference numeral 12 is a pair of projections provided on the reflection shade 6 for supporting the discharge tube 5, and 13 is also a pair of projections provided on the reflection shade 6 for supporting the discharge tube 5. Each point ABCDEFG in the figure corresponds to each operating point ABCDEFG in the block diagram of the camera described later.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the dotted line in FIG. 1. In the figure, 31 is a cross section of a straight line portion 1c along which the conductor 1 is covered with an insulating material along the discharge tube 5, and 32 is the discharge tube. The discharge arc position within 5 is shown. Reference numerals 12a and 12b represent a pair of protrusions 12 and support a discharge tube 5 which is pulled in a direction opposite to the opening by rubber or the like (not shown).

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 41 on the flash device side is a power supply battery, and reference numeral 42 is a booster circuit for charging the main capacitor 43 from the power supply battery 41 to about 300V. Step-up circuit 42
Is a port P5 of the microcomputer FPU57 described later.
, The booster circuit 42 operates with a high input and becomes inactive with a low level input. 44,4
Reference numeral 5 denotes a series-connected resistor, which is connected in parallel to the main capacitor 43, and the connection point is connected to the port P7 of the FPU 57.

Reference numeral 46 is a known trigger circuit of the flash discharge tube 5, and when a high level signal is applied to the input terminal Ti,
A high-frequency high voltage is applied to the trigger electrode 4 of the flash discharge tube 5 from the output terminal TO to ionize the inside of the discharge tube 5 and start light emission. A coil 47 is connected to the positive terminal of the main capacitor 43 and the anode terminal A of the discharge tube 5. Reference numeral 5 denotes the above-mentioned flash discharge tube, which discharges the electric charge stored in the main capacitor 43 and converts it into light energy. Reference numeral 49 is a diode, the anode of which is connected to the cathode side terminal B of the discharge tube 5 and the cathode of which is connected to the positive electrode of the main capacitor 43.

Reference numeral 50 designates a known flash control circuit, which is an input terminal SI.
When a high level signal is applied to 1 or SI2, it becomes conductive, and when a low level signal is applied, it becomes non-conductive. The input terminal SI3 of the flash control circuit 50 is an FPU.
The signals from the port P1 of 57 control the inputs of SI1 and SI2.

Reference numeral 53 denotes a comparator, a negative input to the output terminal IO of the integrating circuit 51, a positive input to the port P3 of the FPU 57, and an output to the input terminal SI of the flash control circuit 50.
1 and the port P8 of the FPU 57, respectively. Reference numeral 54 is also a comparator, the negative input to the output terminal KO of the light intensity detection circuit 52, the positive input to the port P2 of the FPU 57, and the output to the input terminal SI of the flash control circuit 50.
Connected to 2.

The integrating circuit 51 integrates the photocurrent of the light receiving element 9 and outputs a voltage corresponding to the integrated value to the output terminal IO. The input terminal II of the integrating circuit 51 is connected to the port P6 of the FPU 57, and when the high level signal is input, the integrating operation is started, and the integration is stopped when the low level signal is input. The light intensity detection circuit 52 outputs a voltage proportional to the photocurrent of the light receiving element 11 to the output terminal KO. Input terminal K of the light intensity detection circuit 52
I is connected to the port P10 of the FPU 57, and starts a detection operation when a high level signal is input, and stops the detection operation when a low level signal is input.

As shown in FIG. 1, the light receiving elements 9 and 11 are arranged in the vicinity of the reflecting shade 6 of the flash discharge tube 5 and are arranged in the discharge tube 5.
Is configured to directly receive the emitted light. The microcomputer FPU57 on the flash device side has nine ports and a terminal group FL1, and the terminal group FL1 is a terminal group CL1 of a microcomputer CPU61 of a camera unit described later.
And a plurality of signal lines. Reference numeral 18 denotes an operation start switch for turning on / off the flash device.

Next, in the circuit on the camera side, 61 is a microcomputer CPU on the camera side, 62 is a shutter control means having a terminal group SL, and the terminal group SL is connected to the terminal group CL1 'of the CPU 61 and a plurality of signal lines. Connected.
Reference numeral 63 denotes aperture control means having a terminal group AL. The terminal group AL is connected to the terminal group CL2 of the CPU 61 via a plurality of signal lines.

Reference numeral 64 is a photometric means having a terminal group ML, and the terminal group ML is connected to the terminal group CL3 of the CPU 61 via a plurality of signal lines. The photometric unit 64 has a light receiving element (not shown) so that the luminance of the subject can be measured. Reference numeral 25 is a switch that is turned on by a first stroke of a release button (not shown), and 26 is a switch that is turned on by a second stroke of the release button. The above-mentioned camera side CPU 61, shutter control means 62, aperture control means 63, photometric means 64, etc. are fed from a camera side power source (not shown).

Next, the operation will be described. The basic principle of the present invention will be described below. When the trigger circuit 46 operates and a high frequency high voltage C is applied to the trigger electrode 4 of the glass tube of the discharge tube 5, the inside of the discharge tube is ionized and trigger discharge occurs. In the ionized discharge tube, the discharge current from the positive electrode of the main capacitor 43 connected to the anode 2 flows from the cathode 3 to the insulating coated conductor 1 to start discharge. At this time, the current flowing in the discharge tube 5 and the discharge tube 5 of the conductor 1
The electric currents flowing in the straight line 1c arranged in parallel with each other are in the same direction, and the forces attracting each other (the Ampere's principle) work to draw the arc 32 toward the conductor 1 and toward the bottom of the reflection shade 6 as shown in FIG. Light-emitting arc 32 at the beginning of suction and discharge
It stabilizes the position of.

First, referring to the flow chart of FIG. 4 (in this case, a camera having a so-called manual exposure control in which the shutter speed and aperture value are manually set is taken as an example), a power switch (not shown) is turned on. Then, the shutter speed and the aperture value are set in advance (S1). The state of the switch 25 that is turned on by the first stroke of the release button is detected, and if it is on, the process proceeds to S3, and if it is off, the process returns to S2 (S2). A completion status signal indicating the charging completion status of the main capacitor 43 of the flash device is input from the flash device side (S3).

If the charging completion signal is input, the process proceeds to S5, and if not, the process returns to S3 (S4). Switch 26 that is turned on by the second stroke of the release button
State is detected, the process proceeds to S6 if it is on, and S if it is off.
Return to 5 (S5). The photometric means 64 is instructed to measure the reflected light from the subject by the external light, and the photometric result is stored (S6). A preliminary light emission start signal is output to the flash unit side (S7). Timer operation. The time until the timer expires is set to a time slightly longer than the photometric time of the photometric means 64 (for example, about 1 millisecond) (S8). In response to the time-up of the timer, the reflected light from the subject of preliminary light emission and the reflected light from the subject due to external light are measured a plurality of times and the average value thereof is stored (S9).

A light emission stop signal for preliminary light emission is output to the flash unit side (S10). Based on the result of photometry in S6 and the result of photometry in S10, the flash emission amount of the main flash required to make the subject proper is calculated and stored (S11). The amount of flash light in the main flash is output to the flash device side (S12).

The shutter opening operation is started (S13). A light emission start signal is output to the flash device side after a lapse of time from the start of the shutter opening operation to full opening (S14). The shutter is closed after the set shutter time has elapsed (S15). A series of operations is finished (S16).

Next, the operation of the flash device will be described with reference to FIG. The process starts with the power battery 41 inserted (S21). The state of the switch 18 is detected, and if it is in the on state, the process proceeds to S23, and if it is in the off state, the process returns to S22 (S22). Boosting circuit 42 with port P5 at high level
Is driven (S23). The voltage of the main capacitor 43 is detected via the port P7, and the charging voltage is set to a predetermined value (for example, 26
0V) is detected, and if the predetermined value is reached, the process proceeds to S25, and if not reached, the process returns to S24 (S2
4). The predetermined value of the charging voltage in this case is set to the lowest voltage suitable for flash light emission. A charging completion signal indicating that the charging voltage of the main capacitor has reached a predetermined value is output to the camera side (S25).

A preliminary light emission start signal, which is a signal for starting preliminary light emission, is input from the camera side (S26). Port P10
Is set to a high level to enable the operation of the light intensity detection circuit 52 (S27). The port P1 is set to high level (S2
8). The port P4 is set to the high level for about 10 microseconds. Thereby, the trigger circuit 46 operates to ionize the flash discharge tube 5 (S29). At this point of time, since the emitted light is not yet input to the light receiving element 11, the output of the light intensity detection circuit 52 is at the low level and the output of the comparator 54 is at the high level, so that the flash control circuit 50 is in the conductive state. In this state, the charge of the main capacitor 43 flows from the coil 47 and the discharge tube 5 through the flash control circuit 50 by the ionization in the flash discharge tube 5, and the discharge tube 5 starts emitting light. At this time, as described above, the light emitting arc 32 shown in FIG. 2 is attracted toward the bottom of the reflecting shade 6 by the same-direction current force flowing through the conductor 1 and its position is stabilized.

The port P2 is set to the first level (S3
0). The crest value control with the first level as a set value will be described. The light intensity detection circuit 5 is caused by the light emission of the discharge tube 5.
The output of 2 gradually rises, and when the voltage of the positive input of the comparator 54, that is, the first level is reached, the output of the comparator 54 becomes low level and is transmitted to the input SI2 of the flash control circuit 50 to be transmitted to the flash control circuit. 50 is turned off. When the non-conducting state is established, the energy stored in the coil 47 flows through the discharge tube 5 and the diode 49, and the luminous intensity temporarily further increases, but the energy is immediately released and the luminous output decreases. The light emission output decreases, and the output of the light intensity detection circuit 52 becomes the comparator 54.
When the voltage decreases from the positive input voltage (voltage of the first level), the output of the comparator 54 becomes high level and the flash control circuit 50 becomes conductive again, and when the light emission output of the discharge tube 5 increases, the flash control circuit 50 again. Becomes non-conductive. This is repeated to perform flat light emission in which the light output is maintained at a substantially constant value.

Input a preliminary light emission stop signal input (S3
1). Flash control circuit 50 with port P1 at low level
The input from the input terminal is prohibited, the flash control circuit 50 becomes non-conductive, and the preliminary light emission is stopped (S32). The port P10 is set to low level to inhibit the operation of the light intensity detection circuit 52 (S33). The amount of light emission required for main light emission is input from the camera (S34).

The voltage level of the port P3 is set to the second level corresponding to the main light emission amount (S35). A main light emission start signal is input from the camera (S36). The operation of the integrating circuit 51 is started by setting the port P6 to a high level (S3
7). The port P1 is set to high level (S38).

The port P4 (Ti terminal) is set to the high level for about 10 microseconds to operate the trigger circuit 46 (S39). As a result, the inside of the discharge tube 5 is ionized. At this time, since no light has been input to the light receiving element 9 yet, the output of the integrating circuit 51 is at a low level and the output of the comparator 53 is at a high level.
Is in a conductive state. In this state, the charge of the main capacitor 43 flows through the coil 47, the discharge tube 5, and the flash control circuit 50 due to the ionization of the discharge tube 5, and the discharge tube 5 starts emitting light. At this time, the light emitting arc 32 is attracted toward the bottom of the reflecting shade 6 by the current flowing in the same direction in the conductor 1 as shown in FIG. Integration circuit 5 by light emission
The output of 1 gradually rises, and when it is confirmed that the output reaches the second level set in the plus input of the comparator 53 and the amount of light emission reaches the set value, the output of the comparator 53 is inverted to the low level. , The flash control circuit 50 is turned off to stop the light emission.

The output state of the comparator 53 is detected,
If it is low level, the process proceeds to S41, and if it is high level, the process returns to S40 (S40). The port P6 is set to low level to inhibit the integrating operation of the integrating circuit 51 (S41). The port P1 is set to low level (S42).

The operation of the series of flash devices is completed (S4).
3).

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the position of the light emitting arc 32 is effectively stabilized by the simple structure in which the covered conductor 1 is arranged in parallel with the discharge tube 5. Can be transformed.

Further, since the electric current is applied to the conductor 1 in the same direction and in the same phase as the discharge tube 5 to stabilize the position of the light emitting arc 32 by utilizing the current acting force, By using the same current as the conductor current, the current acting force in this case, the relative disposition of the conductor 1 and the discharge tube 5 and the like can be easily calculated, so that the manufacturing adjustment process can be simplified and the cost of parts can be greatly reduced. become.

In the present embodiment, the conductor 1 in the form of a wire is turned one turn so that the single linear portion 1c runs parallel to the discharge tube 5, and the discharge current of the discharge tube 5 is used as it is as the control current. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a shunt circuit may be configured to variably control the control current flowing through the single linear portion 1c.

Further, in the present embodiment, the discharge current of the discharge tube 5 is used as the control current flowing through the conductor 1, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the conductor 1 is separated from the cathode 3 of the discharge tube 5. It is also possible to use another current as the configuration, for example, the output of the DC-DC converter stage or the charging current of the main capacitor.

Further, in the present embodiment, the arc position stabilizing means is constituted by the conductor 1 in the shape of a wire which uses current force and which is inexpensive, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the ion in the discharge tube at the time of triggering is used. On the other hand, any structure may be used as long as it is an electromagnetic field generating element capable of exerting an equivalent effect by an electromagnetic force, and for example, an electromagnetic coil, a magnet or the like may be used.

Further, it is of course possible to use the conventional trigger electrode shown in FIG. 6 which is applied to a part of the outer wall surface as the discharge tube.

(Other Embodiments) In the present embodiment, there is manual exposure control for manually setting the shutter speed and aperture value, and preliminary light emission by flat light emission,
Although a camera that performs main light emission has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied not only to manual setting but also to fully automatic mode. In addition, the present invention effectively functions even when applied to a case where light emission control corresponding to each zoom position is performed based on a representative zoom position by using a lens exchange system in combination. Further, the present invention is not limited to strobes with a built-in camera and is also effective when applied to external strobes such as grip type and grip-on type. It is also effective when applied to a camera of a system capable of magnetically recording information called APS. Further, it is also effective when applied to the case of corresponding light emission control by switching flash light emission and flat light emission by synchro operation according to the shutter speed of the camera. In addition, when the flat light emission or the flash light emission is performed, the light emission control is effectively performed even when the light emission control is performed in which the set value of the light emission intensity is changed in accordance with the charging voltage of the main capacitor.

[0071]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the arc position stabilizing means for controlling the arc position in the glass tube at the time of discharge by the current force to stabilize the light irradiation direction is provided in the discharge tube. Since it is provided in the vicinity, it becomes easy to stabilize the arc position in the initial stage of light emission and stabilize the irradiation direction of light by using a discharge tube of a type with a low manufacturing cost in which the trigger electrode is applied to the entire surface in the circumferential direction, It is possible to eliminate the cause of uneven irradiation on the film and instability of the light emission output seen from the subject.

Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, since the conductor for passing the current in the same direction is arranged in parallel to the outer side of the bottom of the reflection shade in the vicinity of the discharge tube, a simple current control mechanism is used for the initial light emission. The arc position can be reliably stabilized.

Further, according to the third and fourth aspects of the invention, since the conductors arranged close to and parallel to the discharge tube are made to flow the current in the same direction and in the same phase as the discharge tube, the discharge tube The arc position in the initial stage of light emission can be reliably stabilized and controlled by a simple control system in which an electric current in the same direction as the electric current is passed through the conductor and the attraction between two electric currents is used.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 5, since the conductor for passing current in the same direction as that of the discharge tube is constituted by a simple conductor having a wire shape of an insulating coating, the current control system is simple and the parts cost is low. It is possible to reliably stabilize the position of the light emitting arc in the initial stage of light emission.

Furthermore, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the current control system having a simple structure stabilizes the light emitting arc position when the light emission peak value during preliminary light emission is low or when the light emission is unstable at the initial stage of light emission. It is possible to improve the light emission efficiency.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 7, even in the case of the main light emission subsequent to the preliminary light emission, the arc position at the initial stage of light emission can be reliably stabilized and the light emission efficiency can be improved by the simple control system. .

Further, according to the eighth and tenth aspects of the present invention, when the emission intensity is controlled by flat emission, the emission arc position can be stabilized and the emission control efficiency can be improved by a simple current control configuration. .

Further, according to the invention described in claims 9 and 11, in the light emission amount control in the flat light emission, the light emission arc position can be stabilized and the light emission control efficiency can be improved by a simple discharge current control configuration.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a main part of a flash photography device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a dotted line portion shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram in which the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is applied to a single-lens reflex camera.

4 is a flowchart of the operation of the camera unit shown in FIG.

5 is a flowchart of the operation of the flash device shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a conventional flash device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Conductor 2 Anode 3 Cathode 4 Trigger electrode 5 Discharge tube 6 Reflector 7 Panel 8, 10 Light guide surface 9, 11 Light receiving element 12, 13 Protrusion

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A condenser that stores electric energy, a discharge tube that emits light by discharging stored charges of the condenser, and a reflector that has a reflecting surface and an opening surface and that directs the light emitted from the discharge tube toward a subject. In the flash device including the flash device, arc position stabilizing means for controlling the arc position in the glass tube at the time of discharge by electric current force to stabilize the irradiation direction of light is provided near the discharge tube. 2. The arc position stabilizing means is composed of a conductor arranged at a position on the side opposite to the opening of the reflection shade and in parallel with the discharge tube. Flash photography device. 3. The conductor of the arc position stabilizing means is supplied with a current in the same direction as the discharge tube in association with the triggering operation of the discharge tube to attract the light emitting arc position toward the bottom of the reflector. The flash photography device according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The flash photography apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the same current as that of the discharge tube is passed through the conductor of the arc position stabilizing means in relation to the trigger operation of the discharge tube. 5. The conductor is such that a tip of a conductor covered with an insulator is connected to a cathode portion of the discharge tube at least once at least once in order to form a current path that is close to the discharge tube and allows a current to flow in the same direction. 5. The flash photographing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tip of the linear portion on the opposite side, which is turned so as to be close to and parallel to the discharge tube, is drawn out as a cathode side connecting terminal. 6. The preliminary light emission according to claim 5, wherein the light emission arc position is attracted toward the bottom direction of the reflection shade and stabilized by the same-direction current flowing through the conductor to stabilize the light irradiation direction. Flash photography device. 7. The light emitting arc position is attracted toward the bottom direction of the reflection shade to be stabilized by the same-direction current flowing through the conductor during the main light emission to stabilize the light irradiation direction. Flash photography device. 8. When controlling the light intensity of the emitted light to be substantially constant, the device has a light receiving element for receiving the emitted light of the discharge tube,
6. The flash photography apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the light emission arc position is attracted toward the bottom of the reflection shade and stabilized by the same-direction current flowing through the conductor to stabilize the light irradiation direction. 9. A light emitting arc position is drawn toward the bottom of the reflection shade by a unidirectional current flowing through the conductor when a light receiving element for receiving the emitted light of the discharge tube is provided and the amount of emitted light is controlled. 6. The flash photography apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the flash photography apparatus is brought closer to stabilize and stabilizes a light irradiation direction. 10. The control for making the emission intensity of the emission light of the discharge tube substantially constant is flat emission control for turning on / off the emission based on the emission intensity setting value, and during the control, the same direction current flowing through the conductor is used. 9. The flash photography apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the position of the light emitting arc is stabilized to improve control efficiency. 11. The control of the emission amount of the emission light of the discharge tube is the emission amount control of turning off the emission when the integrated value of the emission light amount reaches the set value of the emission light amount, and the conductor is controlled during the control. 11. The flash photography apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the emission arc position is stabilized by the flowing current in the same direction to improve control efficiency.