Strobe light emitting apparatus and camera

• US 20050271376A1
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Terada, Hiroshi, Tsuchida, Keiichi, Mikami, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,043,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/205
• 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 includes a xenon tube, which is a discharge tube, having a discharge light emitting portion and a light emitting portion terminal. Light is emitted 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 strobe 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 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 a voltage application,

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

2. A strobe apparatus according to claim 1,

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 oscillation of an oscillation transformer.