JPH10254034A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a camera constituted so that a failure photograph having unevenness in light distribution is prevented from being taken even when stress is imposed on a flash light emitting member. SOLUTION: This camera is constituted so as to be provided with a flash discharge tube 60, a main capacitor 30 supplying light emitting energy to the tube 60, charge voltage detection means 20 and 40 detecting the charge voltage of the capacitor 30 by executing a boosting action and a flash device having a trigger circuit 50 for making the tube 60 emit light after the charge voltage arrives at the previously set voltage. Besides, it is provided with detection means 80 and 90 detecting that the stress is imposed on the flash light emitting member 122 projecting from one part of a camera side surface including the tube 60 and a light emission inhibition means 70 inhibiting the light emission of the tube 60 when the stress is detected by the detection means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera with a built-in flash, and more particularly to a camera for preventing a light distribution shift caused by an external force applied to a flash light emitting member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a camera having a flash device has a pop-up type structure in which a flash light-emitting member is housed in a camera body and is protruded when used, due to demands for miniaturization and portability. . In most cases, the flashing direction of the camera jumps out toward the top of the camera body, but the distance between the optical axis of the lens and the optical axis of the flash is increased so that the direct reflection of flash light from the subject enters the shooting lens. With the intention of lowering the probability of reducing the red-eye effect by lowering the probability of flashing, a pop-up flash that pops out the flash light emitting member from the side of the camera body sideways to a position far from the center of the lens, It is disclosed in JP-A-8-292470.

In such a so-called horizontal slide type pop-up flash, the locking of the flash light emitting member is released in conjunction with the pressing of a main switch of the camera main body, and the flashing member protrudes laterally from the side of the camera main body. For the first time, the power supply switch of the flash light emitting section is turned on to energize. Therefore, when the protruding light emitting member is pushed back into the camera body, the power switch of the flash light emitting unit is turned off and light emission is prohibited, so that light emission in a state where the subject cannot be satisfactorily irradiated with flash light is prohibited. It was like.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, since the flash light-emitting member protrudes in the horizontal slide method, the light-emitting member that protrudes in the horizontal direction is inadvertently stressed up and down by a finger or other external force. Is added, there is a problem that the irradiation angle of the flash greatly shifts and a photograph having uneven light distribution can be taken.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a camera capable of preventing a failure photograph having uneven flash light distribution even when stress is applied to the flash light emitting member with a finger or the like.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flash discharge tube, a main capacitor for supplying luminous energy to the flash discharge tube, and a step-up operation. And a flash device provided with a trigger circuit for emitting light from the flash discharge tube after reaching a preset charge voltage. Detecting means for detecting that stress is applied to a flash light emitting member protruding from a part of the camera side surface, and light emission inhibiting means for inhibiting light emission of the flash discharge tube when the stress is detected by the detecting means. A camera comprising:

According to this configuration, when stress is applied to the flash light emitting member protruding in the lateral direction of the camera and the irradiation angle of the flash shifts, the light emission of the flash discharge tube is inhibited and light distribution unevenness occurs. Failure photos can be prevented from appearing.

[0008] A specific configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application is as follows.
2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the camera is a switch.

According to this structure, when stress is applied to the flash light emitting member, it can be detected by operating the switch.

Another configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application is that, as described in claim 3, the camera according to claim 1 has display means for displaying a warning that light emission has been prohibited. The feature is the camera.

According to this configuration, the photographer can recognize that light emission is prohibited in a state where stress is applied to the flash light emitting member, and can take prompt measures.

According to another specific configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application, one or more switches are installed in proximity to a flash light emitting member, and 3. The camera according to claim 2, wherein the change is detected by a microcomputer.

According to this configuration, the stress applied to the flash light emitting member can be reliably detected.

According to another specific configuration for realizing the object of the invention according to the present application, as described in claim 5, the light emission prohibiting means includes a prohibition measure when the detecting means detects stress. 4. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the release of the release switch is inhibited, and the warning display is performed by inhibiting the output of the light emission trigger signal.

According to this structure, when the flash light emitting member is stressed, the light emission prohibiting means inhibits the release operation of the camera and the light emission of the flash discharge tube to prevent a failure photograph having uneven irradiation and to prevent light emission. It is possible to warn the photographer of the prohibition state and prompt prompt post-processing.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram of a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an external view of the camera shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the flash light emitting member shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the flash light emitting member shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a battery as a power source;
0 is a booster circuit for boosting the battery voltage, and 30 is a main capacitor for charging the electric charge output by the booster circuit 20, which is a capacitor for charging energy required for flash emission. Reference numeral 40 denotes a voltage detection circuit for detecting the charging voltage of the main capacitor 30 and is connected to the main capacitor 30. Reference numeral 50 denotes a trigger circuit for emitting a flash discharge tube described later and is connected to the main capacitor 30.

Reference numeral 60 denotes a flash discharge tube for emitting light, which is connected to both ends of the main capacitor. 70 is a one-chip microcomputer (hereinafter abbreviated as a microcomputer) with a CPU and an RO
A microcomputer-incorporated one-chip IC circuit including an M, a RAM, an input / output control circuit, a multiplexer, a timer circuit, and the like. The entire camera is controlled by software. The S3 terminal is connected to the S2 terminal and the trigger circuit 50, and performs charging voltage control and light emission control.

Reference numerals 80 and 90 denote a stress detection switch of the present invention for detecting that the flash light emitting unit has moved due to an applied external stress, and a, b, c, d of a microcomputer 70 for detecting the state of each terminal. Connected to each terminal. Reference numeral 100 denotes a known release switch, which is a switch for performing a shutter aperture operation. When a flash is required, the flash is also operated. 110 is the LC of the camera
A display circuit such as D performs a warning display of light emission inhibition by a signal of the S4 terminal of the microcomputer 70.

FIG. 2 is an overall external view of the camera with a built-in flash. FIG. 2A is a front view when the flash light emitting unit is housed, and FIG. 2B is a front view when the flash light emitting unit is slid. It is. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 121 denotes a camera body;
122 is a flash light emitting member when using a flash,
As shown in FIG. 2B, the camera 121 is of a modified pop-up type that slides laterally from a part of the side surface of the camera 121. The flash light emitting member 122 includes the flash discharge tube 60 as shown by a dotted line in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the flash light emitting member 122 in detail, and shows a state in which the flash light emitting member 122 slides outward from the camera body 121 and protrudes.

FIG. 4 shows the flash light emitting member 1 shown in FIG.
FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view when the camera 22 projects laterally from the camera body 121. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 123 denotes a finger (for example, a photographer) that applies a stress to the flash light emitting member 122. As described above, when the flash light emitting member is pressed in the direction of the arrow by the finger 123, one of the stress detection switches 80 and 90 is turned on, and the microcomputer 70 detects the switch ON via the terminals a to d.

Next, the operation will be described. First, as the light emission operation of the camera, the microcomputer 70 outputs an oscillation start signal S1 to the booster circuit 20 in order to start the boost operation of the voltage of the battery 10. This booster circuit 20 is a known DC
A DC converter circuit or the like, for example, including an oscillation transistor, a step-up transformer, and a high-voltage rectifier Also,
The oscillation start signal S1 is changed from a low level “LL” to a high level “HL”, for example.
The DC converter circuit starts.

When the DC-DC converter is started, the voltage of the battery 10 is boosted by the boosting circuit 20 to charge the main capacitor 30. The microcomputer 70 detects the input of the voltage charged in the main capacitor 30 from the S2 terminal of the voltage detection circuit 40, and determines whether or not the voltage reaches the light emission enabling voltage. When it is determined that light emission is possible, the microcomputer 70 changes the signal of the S1 terminal from, for example, “HL” to “LL” to change the signal of the booster circuit 20.
Stop output of

Next, when the release signal is input from the switch 100, the microcomputer 70 detects the release signal and outputs a trigger signal from the S3 terminal.
A high-voltage trigger signal is applied to 0, and the electric charge from the main capacitor 30 causes the flash discharge tube 60 to start discharging and emit light. The subject is irradiated with the flash light by the flash emission as described above, and the flash photography is performed. At this time, the range to be irradiated with the flash light is determined by a flash position such as a side or an upper portion of the camera body, a known flash reflector, a light panel, and the like.

When stress is applied to the flash light emitting member 122 in the direction of a finger or the like during photographing as shown in FIG. 4, the irradiation light is set to a predetermined range in a normal state where no stress is applied. Although the stress detection switches 80 and 90 are also in the OFF state, one of the stress detection switches 80 and 90 is turned ON, and the flash irradiation range is shifted from a predetermined range.

If the microcomputer 70 detects the ON change of the stress detection switch from the inputs of the terminals a to d and shoots the image as it is, the photographed photograph will be a light distribution shift due to irradiation unevenness. A warning is displayed on the display circuit 110 and the release switch 1
A release prohibition measure is taken for the input of 00, so that the input of the release switch 100 is not accepted while the stress detection switches 80 and 90 are ON. In addition, the output of the light emission trigger signal S3 is also prohibited, and a light emission prohibition measure is taken.

The stress detection switches 80 and 90
In the present embodiment, two are arranged vertically. However, the number is not limited to two. A plurality may be arranged vertically, horizontally, and so on, or only one may be provided.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the horizontal slide type built-in flash type camera in which the irradiation range set by the externally applied stress is easily changed, the stress detection switch is provided near the flash light emitting member. Since the arrangement is made so as to reliably detect and deal with stress, it is possible to completely prevent photographing that causes irradiation unevenness.

(Other Embodiments) Up to this point, only the process of prohibiting release input acceptance, prohibition of trigger output, warning display, etc. and prohibiting light emission have been described, but the stress applied to the flash light emitting member is eliminated. When all of the stress detection switches 80, 90,... Return to the OFF state, the warning display disappears, the light emission prohibition measure is cancelled, and the apparatus returns to the normal photographing standby state.

Although the stress detection switch as the detection means has been described as a normal ON / OFF type mechanical sensor, the invention is not limited to this. For example, an optical sensor such as a photo interrupter, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, etc. It is needless to say that the method can be applied as long as the stress can be similarly detected.

In the above, the example of the flash light emitting member of the horizontal slide type of the camera with a built-in flash has been particularly described. However, the red-eye reduction lamp is built in the flash light emitting member or separately provided in the separate light emitting member. Even in a pop-up type flash light emitting member that projects upward from the main body, the flash light emitting portion is turned off when housed completely in the camera main body, so that the application of the light emission prohibiting mechanism against stress is effective.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In a camera having a flash device, a detecting means for detecting that stress is applied to a flash light emitting member protruding from a part of the camera side including a flash discharge tube by means of a switch or the like, and a release is performed when the detecting means detects the stress. It has a light emission prohibition means for prohibiting light emission of the flash discharge tube by means of prohibition of input, trigger output, etc., and is configured to display warning of light emission prohibition, so that the stress of pressing the flash light emission member with a finger or the like can be reduced. Even when added, it is possible to prevent a failed photograph having irradiation unevenness beforehand and to prompt the photographer to perform appropriate post-processing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram of a camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall external view of the camera shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the flash light emitting member shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the fish light emitting member shown in FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Battery 20 Booster circuit 30 Main capacitor 40 Voltage detection circuit 50 Trigger circuit 60 Flash discharge tube 70 Microcomputer 80, 90 Stress detection switch 100 Release switch 110 Display circuit 121 Camera body 122 Flash light emitting member 123 Finger

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A flash discharge tube, a main capacitor for supplying luminous energy to the flash discharge tube, charging voltage detecting means for performing a boosting operation to detect a charging voltage of the capacitor, and after reaching a predetermined charging voltage. In a camera having a flash device provided with a trigger circuit for emitting light from a flash discharge tube, detecting means for detecting that stress has been applied to a flash light emitting member protruding from a part of the camera side surface including the flash discharge tube; A camera comprising light emission inhibiting means for inhibiting light emission of the flash discharge tube when stress is detected by the detection means. 2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means is a switch. 3. The camera according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying a warning that light emission has been prohibited. 4. The camera according to claim 2, wherein one or a plurality of said switches are provided in proximity to a flash light emitting member, and a change in state is detected by a microcomputer. 5. The light-emitting prohibiting means performs a warning display by prohibiting release of a release switch and prohibiting output of a light-emitting trigger signal as prohibiting measures when the detecting means detects stress. 4. The camera according to claim 1, wherein