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Digital Camera Patent Abstract
A stroboscopic flash regulator for a digital camera mount comprising
a case on which a camera body of the digital camera is mounted,
camera attachment means to removably attach the bottom of the camera
body to the case, a stroboscopic flash regulator component disposed
within the case to be connected to stroboscopic flash means which
is in turn attached to the digital camera and an electric source
disposed within the case to drive the stroboscopic flash unit through
the stroboscopic flash regulator.
Digital Camera Patent Claims
1. A stroboscopic flash regulator for a digital camera mount comprising
a case on which a camera body of said digital camera is to be mounted,
camera attachment means to attach a bottom of said camera body to
said case in a removable manner, a stroboscopic flash regulator
component disposed within said case to be connected to stroboscopic
flash means which is in turn to be attached to said digital camera
and an electric source disposed within said case to drive said stroboscopic
flash means through said stroboscopic flash regulator.
2. A stroboscopic flash regulator for a digital camera mount as
set forth in claim 1, and wherein said camera attachment means comprises
a screw rod protruding from an upper face of said case to be threadedly
engaged with a threaded hole in a bottom wall of said camera body
and a knob for rotating said screw rod and said knob is partially
exposed through a slit in said case so as to be allowed from being
operated outside of said case.
3. A stroboscopic flash regulator for a digital camera mount as
set forth in claim 1, and further comprising a hot shoe adapter
to be connected to a hot shoe of said camera body and connected
to said stroboscopic flash regulator component through an electric
cord.
4. A stroboscopic flash regulator for a digital camera mount as
set forth in claim 2, and further comprising a hot shoe adapter
to be connected to a hot shoe of said camera body and connected
to said stroboscopic flash regulator component through an electric
cord.
Digital Camera Patent Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a stroboscopic flash regulator
for driving a stroboscopic flash unit to be attached to a digital
camera and more particularly to a stroboscopic flash regulator having
an improvement on a disposition thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The applicant discloses a digital camera comprising a ring-like
stroboscopic flash unit attached on a front face of a lens cylindrical
body of a camera body of a digital camera or a twin stroboscopic
flash unit attached through a ring member on the front face of the
lens cylindrical body and angularly moved in a rightward or leftward
direction (see JP2001-356403 A and JP2002-122936 A).
[0003] In the digital camera having such a stroboscopic flash unit,
a stroboscopic flash regulator is attached to an accessory shoe
provided on a tope face of a camera body of the digital camera.
The stroboscopic flash regulator and the stroboscopic flash unit
are connected to each other by a connection cable.
[0004] A photographer who operates a camera sometimes directly
checks a photographic object with its eyes while its eye moves apart
from a finder of the camera during photographing various objects.
With a stroboscopic flash regulator attached on a top of the camera,
since the regulator extends longwise above the finder of the camera,
the stroboscopic flash regulator gets obstructive so as to prevent
the photographer from checking the photographic object when the
photographer should check it directly with its naked eye while parting
the eye from the finder of the camera.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to
provide a stroboscopic flash regulator for a digital camera mount
adapted to be disposed so that the stroboscopic flash regulator
never obstructs a photographer from checking a photographic object
with its naked eyes while parting them from a finder of the camera.
[0006] In accordance with a feature of the invention, there is
provided a stroboscopic flash regulator comprising a case on which
a camera body of the digital camera is mounted, camera attachment
means to removably attach the bottom of the camera body to the case,
a stroboscopic flash regulator component disposed within the case
to be connected to stroboscopic flash means which is in turn attached
to the digital camera and an electric source disposed within the
case to drive the stroboscopic flash unit through the stroboscopic
flash regulator.
[0007] The camera attachment means of the stroboscopic flash regulator
for the digital camera mount comprises a screw rod protruding from
an upper face of the case to be engaged with a threaded hole in
a bottom of the camera body and a knob for rotating the screw rod.
The knob may be partially exposed through a slit in the case so
as to be allowed from being operated from the outside of the case.
[0008] The stroboscopic flash regulator for the digital camera
mount may further comprise a hot shoe adapter to be connected to
a hot shoe of the camera body, and the hot shoe adapter may be connected
to the stroboscopic flash regulator component through an electric
cord.
[0009] In this manner, since the stroboscopic flash regulator is
disposed within the case to be removably attached to the bottom
of the camera body so as to mount the camera body thereon, but not
on the top of the camera body of the digital camera, the stroboscopic
flash regulator never obstructs a photographer from checking a photographic
object with its naked eyes while parting from a finder of the camera
whereby photographic objects can be more easily checked.
[0010] Also, an operation of attaching the camera body to the stroboscopic
flash regulator can be easily performed only by rotating the knob
exposed from a front face of the case as if a screw rod is engaged
with a threaded hole normally provided in the bottom of the case
for attaching it to a tripod for a camera and therefore, the attachment
of the camera can be more easily made.
[0011] An electric synchronization of the stroboscopic flash regulator
and the camera body can be easily done by connecting to a hot shoe
of the camera body a shoe adapter extending from the case.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The above and other objects and features of the invention
will be apparent from the detailed description of the preferred
embodiment of the invention, which is described and illustrated
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;
[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a digital camera having
a stroboscopic flash regulator according to one embodiment form
of the invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of stroboscopic flash means
used for the digital camera of FIG. 1 and a stroboscopic flash regulator
connected to each other;
[0015] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the stroboscopic flash means
of FIG. 2 having its holder removed therefrom;
[0016] FIG. 4 is an enlarged upper face view of the stroboscopic
flash regulator shown in FIGS. 1 through 3;
[0017] FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view of camera attachment means
used for the stroboscopic flash regulator shown in FIGS. 1 through
3;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a digital camera having
a stroboscopic flash regulator constructed in accordance with another
embodiment form of the invention; and
[0019] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of stroboscopic flash means
used for the digital camera of FIG. 6 and a stroboscopic flash regulator
connected to each other.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] The invention will now be described with reference to accompanying
drawings. FIGS. 1 through 3 illustrates a digital camera 12 having
a stroboscopic flash regulator 10 for a digital camera mount constructed
in accordance with one embodiment form of the invention.
[0021] In the illustrated embodiment, the digital camera 12 has
stroboscopic flash means 20 including a plurality of stroboscopic
flash units 18 and 18' (two flashes in the illustrated embodiment)
to emit light on both sides ahead of a lens cylinder 16 of a camera
body 14 of the digital camera 12.
[0022] This stroboscopic flash means 20 comprises a ring-like stroboscopic
flash holder 22 to be attached to the front of the lens cylinder
16 of the camera body 14 by appropriate means and stroboscopic flash
holding means 24 and 24' to removably hold the stroboscopic flash
units 18 and 18' on the ring-like stroboscope holder 22 to be angularly
adjusted in rightward and leftward directions and in upward and
downward directions.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, the stroboscopic flash regulator 10
for the digital camera mount of the invention comprises a case 26
to mount the camera body 14 thereon, camera attachment means 28
to removably attach the bottom of the camera body 14 onto the case
26, a stroboscopic flash regulator component 30 disposed within
the case 26 to be connected to the stroboscopic flash units 18 and
18' and an electric source 32 disposed within the case 26 to drive
the stroboscopic flash units 18 and 18' through the stroboscopic
flash regulator component 30.
[0024] The stroboscopic flash regulator component 30 comprises
an IC circuit board 34 having a stroboscopic flash regulator circuit
including a luminescence quantity adjustment circuit, a voltage
rise prevention stabilization circuit and an electric source automatic
disconnection circuit mounted thereon, a main condenser for a stroboscopic
flash, a transformer, a stroboscopic flash triggering coil 40 and
a battery container part 42 to removably contain a battery for the
electric source 32. These elements are contained in the case 26
as shown in FIG. 4.
[0025] The voltage rise prevention stabilization circuit serves
to prevent the voltage rise caused by voltage variation in accordance
with the consumption of the battery so as to prevent the unstable
luminescence quantity whereby the constant luminescence quantity
can be obtained. The electric source automatic disconnection circuit
serves to automatically disconnect the electric source when four
minutes, for example elapses after the luminescence of the stroboscopic
flash whereby the consumption of the battery can be prevented.
[0026] The stroboscopic flash regulator 10 includes two connection
cables 44 and 44' to supply the output of the regulator 10 to the
stroboscopic flash units 18 and 18', respectively and connected
to output terminals (not shown) of the stroboscopic flash regulator
10 in a plug-like manner. Alternatively, the connection cables 44
and 44' may be connected directly to the output terminals of the
stroboscopic flash regulator 10, but not in the plug-like manner.
[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, the camera attachment means 28 comprises
a screw rod 46 protruding from an upper face of the case 26 to be
engaged with a threaded hole (for a photographic tripod) provided
in the bottom of the camera body 14 in a threaded manner and a knob
48 for rotating the screw rod 46. The knob 48 may be partially exposed
through a slit 26S in the case 26 between the front and rear faces
of the case 26 so as to be manually operated outside of the case
26. The knob 48 is held by the upper and lower walls defining the
slit 26S so as to be rotated, but not to be moved upwardly or downwardly.
[0028] Thus, after the digital camera 12 is mounted on the case
26 of the stroboscopic flash regulator 10 for the camera mount while
the screw rod 46 aligns the threaded hole in the bottom of the digital
camera 12 and as the screw rod 46 is rotated, it is thrust into
the threaded hole in the camera body 14 in a threaded manner. As
a flange 46F of the screw rod 46 is engaged against the inner face
of the case 26, the camera body 14 is secured by the screw rod 46
to the case 26.
[0029] The stroboscopic flash regulator 10 for the digital camera
mount further comprises a hot shoe adapter 50 to be connected to
a hot shoe 14HS of the camera body 14. The hot shoe adapter 50 may
be connected to the stroboscopic flash regulator component 30 through
a connection electric cord 52 extending through the case 26 outside
thereof.
[0030] In operation, the stroboscopic flash regulator 10 for the
digital camera mount is used by mounting the camera body 14 on the
case 26 thereof and rotating the knob 48 of the camera attachment
means 28 to thereby secure the camera body 14 to the case 26. The
stroboscopic flash units 18 and 18' are set to the digital camera
12 by inserting the stroboscope connection cables 44 and 44' into
the output terminals of the stroboscopic flash regulator 10 and
connecting to the hot shoe 14HS of the camera body 14 the hot shoe
adapter 50 provided at the end of the connection cord 52 extending
from the case 26.
[0031] When an object should be photographed with the digital camera
12, as the triggering coil 40 of the stroboscopic flash regulator
component 30 is excited interlocking with a shutter of the digital
camera 12 through the hot shoe 14HS, the hot shoe adapter 50 and
the connection cord 52, the stroboscopic output drives the stroboscopic
flash units 18 and 18' through the stroboscope connection cables
44 and 44' to thereby emit the stroboscopic light from the stroboscopic
flash units.
[0032] In this manner, since the stroboscopic flash regulator 10
is secured not to the top of the camera body 14 of the digital camera
12, but to the bottom of the camera body 14 in a removable manner,
when a photographer tries to check the photographic object directly
with its naked eyes while its eyes move apart from the camera, the
stroboscopic flash regulator never interrupts the filed of vision
and therefore the photographer can positively check the photographic
object.
[0033] Since the stroboscopic flash regulator 10 can be secured
to the camera only by rotating the knob 48 so that the screw rod
46 is threadedly thrust into the threaded hole in the camera body
14 on the bottom thereof to be used for generally securing the photographic
tripod.
[0034] In addition thereto, the stroboscopic flash regulator 10
and the camera body 16 can be electrically synchronized with each
other by connecting the shoe adapter 50 with the hot shoe.
[0035] The stroboscopic flash regulator 10 may be preferably provided
with an AC adapter jack 60, which may be used for supplying an AC
electric source to the stroboscopic flash regulator to thereby drive
it. In the figures, a reference numeral 56 designates a liminescence
quantity adjustment dial and a reference numeral 58 designates an
electric source switch.
[0036] Another form of the invention in which the stroboscopic
flash regulator 10 of the invention is applied to a ring-like stroboscopic
flash unit is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Since the stroboscopic flash
regulator of this form is substantially identical to that having
the twin stroboscopic flash units except that a terminal of a single
connection cable 44 extending from the ring-like stroboscopic flash
unit 18 is connected to a single output terminal provided in the
stroboscopic flash regulator 10, further detailed explanation will
be omitted.
[0037] It will be understood that the stroboscopic flash regulator
10 of the invention may have a tripod attachment threaded hole provided
in the bottom of thereof in the same manner as the tripod attachment
threaded hole is provided in the bottom of the camera body. Thus,
the tripod can be attached to the bottom of the stroboscopic flash
regulator 10 by using the tripod attachment threaded hole in the
stroboscopic flash regulator 10.
[0038] According to the invention, since the stroboscopic flash
regulator is adapted to be attached to the bottom of the camera
body so as to mount the camera body thereon, but not on the top
of the camera body of the digital camera, the stroboscopic flash
regulator never obstructs the photographer from checking the photographic
object with its naked eyes while parting from the finder of the
camera whereby the photographic objects can be more easily checked,
which improves the availability on industries.
[0039] Although some preferred embodiments of the invention have
been described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying
drawings, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that
they are by way of examples, and that various changes and modifications
may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,
which is d only to the appended claims. |