Strobe light emitting apparatus and camera

• US 20040057715A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Terada, Hiroshi, Tsuchida, Keiichi, Mikami, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 6,892,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/155
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/03 Combinations of cameras with lighting apparatus; Flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0521 movable housing, e.g. bounce-light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/671 in combination with active ranging signals, e.g. using light or sound signals emitted toward objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/682 Vibration or motion blur correction
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/32 for single flash operation

Abstract

A strobe apparatus of the present invention has a xenon tube, which is a discharge tube, having a discharge light emitting portion and a light emitting portion terminal. Light is emitting from the xenon tube and is reflected in a predetermined direction by a reflection umbrella. A transparent electrode is coated on the external surface of the xenon tube from the discharge light emitting portion to the terminal. When trigger voltage is applied to the xenon tube through the transparent electrode, strobe light is emitted by the discharge light emitting portion. By using the strode apparatus, the orientation characteristic of the discharge tube can be improved without uneven light distribution and a shortage of a light amount.

Claims

1. A strobe apparatus, comprising:

a strobe light emitting discharge tube having a discharge light emitting portion and a terminal portion; and

a reflection umbrella for reflecting light emitted from the strobe light emitting discharge tube into a predetermined direction,

wherein the strobe light emitting discharge tube includes a transparent electrode from the discharge light emitting portion to the terminal portion, and trigger voltage is applied to the strobe light emitting discharge tube through the transparent electrode.

2. A strobe apparatus, comprising:

a strobe light emitting discharge tube having a discharge light emitting portion, an anode terminal on one side of the discharge emitting portion, a cathode terminal portion on the other side, which is larger than the anode terminal portion in form, and a transparent electrode on the surface of the strobe light emitting discharge tube from the discharge light emitting portion to one of the terminals; and

a reflection umbrella having a holding portion, which is press-connected to the end of the part having the transparent electrode of the strobe light emitting discharge tube, for holding the strobe light emitting discharge tube, and a conductor for reflecting light emitted from the strobe light emitting discharge tube into a predetermined direction,

wherein trigger voltage having been applied to the reflection umbrella is applied to the strobe light emitting discharge tube through the holding portion and the transparent electrode.

3. A strobe apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the holding portion press-connects the end of the part having the cathode terminal.

4. A strobe apparatus, comprising:

a strobe light emitting discharge tube having a discharge light emitting portion, an anode terminal on one side of the discharge emitting portion, a cathode terminal portion on the other side, which is larger than the anode terminal portion in form, and a transparent electrode on the surface of the strobe light emitting discharge tube from the discharge light emitting portion to one of the terminals;

a reflection umbrella having a through-hole in which one of the ends is provided, for reflecting light emitted from the strobe light emitting discharge tube into a predetermined direction; and

an elastic supporting member for elastically supporting the end of the strobe light emitting discharge tube provided in the through-hole and for having a conducting portion for electrically connecting the reflection umbrella containing a conductor and the transparent electrode.

5. A strobe apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the elastic supporting member has an insulating portion for insulating a terminal extending from the strobe light emitting discharge tube and the reflection umbrella.

6. A camera, comprising:

a vibration detecting portion for detecting a vibration state of the camera;

a first operating member for setting a camera mode to a vibration detecting mode for operating the vibration detecting portion;

a second operating member for setting a strobe light emitting mode of the camera; and

a control portion for controlling the implementation and termination of the operation of the vibration detecting portion in accordance with the type of the strobe light emitting mode set by the second operating member when the vibration detecting mode is set.

7. A camera according to claim 6, wherein the control portion terminates the operation of the vibration detecting portion when the vibration detecting mode is set and when the strobe light emitting mode is set to a night-view mode.

8. A camera according to claim 6, wherein the control portion operates the vibration detecting portion again without any operation of the first operation member when the camera mode is set to the vibration detecting mode and when the strobe light emitting mode is switched from the mode in which the operation of the vibration detecting portion is terminated to the mode in which the operation of the vibration detecting portion is implemented.

9. A camera according to claim 6, further comprising a warning portion for warning user when a predetermined amount of vibration or more is detected by the vibration detecting portion.

10. A strobe apparatus, comprising:

a single discharge tube;

a first light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light;

a second light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light; and

a control portion for controlling the first light emitting portion to cause light emission in shooting where an amount of light required for exposure exceeds a predetermined value and for controlling the second light emitting portion to cause light emission in shooting where an amount of light required for exposure is equal to or below the predetermined value.

11. A strobe apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the first light emitting portion causes the discharge tube to emit light by supplying energy stored in a capacitor while the second light emitting portion causes the discharge tube to emit light only through the oscillation of an oscillation transformer.

12. A discharge light emitting apparatus, comprising:

a power source;

a transformer having an iron core, a primary winding wound about the iron core and connected to the power source, a first secondary winding wound about the iron core, and a second secondary winding wound about the iron core and is connected to the first secondary winding in series;

a light emitting discharge tube having a discharging electrode and a trigger electrode, both ends of the first secondary winding connected to the discharging electrode and one end of the second secondary winding connected to the trigger electrode;

a switching element provided between the power source and the primary winding; and

a control portion for turning on/off the switching element.

13. A discharge light emitting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the primary winding has two winding portions in series, and the switching element is provided in each of the two winding portions.

14. A discharge light emitting apparatus, comprising:

a power source;

a transformer having a primary winding to which power is supplied from the power source and first and second secondary windings wound in series;

a light emitting discharge tube having a discharging electrode and a trigger electrode, both ends of the first secondary winding connected to the discharging electrode, one end of the second secondary winding connected to the trigger electrode;

a switching element provided between the power source and the primary winding; and

a control portion for turning on/off the switching element.

15. A discharge light emitting apparatus, comprising:

an oscillation transformer having two primary windings and two secondary windings;

a first switching element connected to one of the two primary windings;

a second switching element connected to the other of the two primary winding; and

a discharge light emitting tube for emitting light in response to the voltage application,

wherein one of the two secondary windings is connected to the electrode of the discharge light emitting tube and the other of the two secondary winding is connected to the exterior of the discharge light emitting tube so as to apply high voltage.

16. A discharge light emitting apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a control portion for alternately turning on/off the first switching element and second switching element.

17. A strobe apparatus, comprising:

a discharge tube for emitting strobe light for illuminating an object;

a first light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light by using energy stored in a main capacitor;

a second light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light by using a battery without the main capacitor; and

a control portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light through the first light emitting portion in shooting and for causing the discharge tube to emit light through the second light emitting portion before shooting.

18. A strobe apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the control portion causes the discharge tube to emit light through the second light emitting portion for reducing a red-eye phenomenon.

19. A strobe apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the control portion causes the discharge tube to emit light through the second light emitting portion for auxiliary light for auto-focus.

20. A camera having an auto-focus portion, comprising:

a discharge tube for emitting strobe light for illuminating an object;

a first light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light;

a second light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light; and

a control portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light through the first light emitting portion during exposure and for causing the discharge tube to emit light through the second light emitting portion before exposure when an object has a low intensity.

21. A camera according to claim 20,

wherein the first light emitting portion causes light emission by supplying energy stored in a capacitor while the second light emitting portion causes light emission in connection with the cycle of an oscillation transformer.

22. A camera according to claim 20, wherein, when the auto-focus portion fails in distance measurement by illuminating the object, the control portion increases a light emitting time by the second light emitting portion in the next distance measurement.

23. A strobe apparatus for a camera, comprising:

a discharge tube for emitting strobe light for illuminating an object;

a first light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light;

a second light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light; and

a control portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light through the first light emitting portion during exposure and for causing the discharge tube to emit light through the second light emitting portion in order to emit a predetermined amount of light before exposure.

24. A strobe apparatus according to claim 23,

wherein the first light emitting portion causes a discharge tube to emit light by supplying energy stored in the light-emission main capacitor to the discharge tube while the second light emitting portion causes the discharge tube to emit light by directly supplying current from an oscillation transformer to the discharge tube.

25. A strobe apparatus according to claim 23,

wherein the control portion causes the discharge tube to emit light in advance before exposure through the second light emitting portion for reducing a red-eye phenomenon.

26. A camera having a red-eye phenomenon reducing portion, comprising:

a discharge tube for emitting strobe light for illuminating an object;

a first light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light;

a second light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light; and

a control portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light through the first light emitting portion during exposure and for causing the discharge tube to emit light through the second light emitting portion before exposure when a red-eye phenomenon reducing mode is selected.

27. A camera, comprising:

a focal plane shutter;

a discharge tube for emitting strobe light for illuminating an object;

a first light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light by using energy stored in a main capacitor;

a second light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light by using a battery without the main capacitor; and

a control portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light through the first light emitting portion when the exposure time in second for shooting is longer than the flash synchronization time in second of the focal plane shutter and for causing the discharge tube to emit light through the second light emitting portion when the exposure time in second for shooting is shorter than the flash synchronization time in second of the focal plane shutter.

28. A strobe apparatus for a camera having a focal plane shutter, the strobe apparatus comprising:

an oscillation transformer;

a discharge tube for emitting light in connection with the cycle of the oscillation transformer; and

a control portion for maintaining light emission by the oscillation transformer during exposure when the exposure time in second for shooting is shorter than the flash synchronization time in second of the focal plane shutter.

29. A strobe apparatus for a camera having a focal plane shutter, the strobe apparatus comprising:

a discharge tube for emitting strobe light for illuminating an object;

a first light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light;

a second light emitting portion for causing the discharge tube to emit light; and

a control portion for causing light emission through the first light emitting portion when the exposure time in second for shooting is longer than the flash synchronization time in second of the focal plane shutter and for causing light emission through the second light emitting portion when the exposure time in second for shooting is shorter than the flash synchronization time in second of the focal plane shutter.

30. A strobe apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the first light emitting portion causes light emission by supplying energy stored in capacitor while the second light emitting portion causes light emission in connection with the cycle of an oscillation transformer.