Camera having a flash unit built therein

• US 4,515,453 A
• Filed: 05/10/1984
• Issued: 05/07/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Kogaku KK (Nikon Corporation)
• Inventors: Wakabayashi, Hiroshi, Okabe, Nobuo, Daitoku, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, William B.
• Application Number:
  US06/608,718
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: 354/419, 354/149.1, 354/149.11, 354/195.12
• US Class Current: 396/62
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/051 with movable reflector, e.g. change of illumination angle or illumination direction
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0535 Built-in diffusor

Abstract

A camera for exposing a film to the image of an object to be photographed includes housing means, flashlight emitting means having a light-emitting portion for applying light toward the object to be photographed, the light-emitting portion being movable between a first position in which it is projected from the housing means and a second position in which it is received in the housing means, and an optical member provided in the housing means so as to be positioned between the light-emitting portion and the object to be photographed when the light-emitting portion is in the second position, the member having an optical characteristic for an area in which light is applied to the object to be photographed from the light-emitting portion through the optical member to change relative to an area in which light is directly applied to the object to be photographed from the light-emitting portion.

Claims

1. A camera for exposing a film to the image of an object to be photographed, including:

(a) housing means;

(b) flashlight emitting means having a light-emitting portion for applying light toward the object to be photographed, said light-emitting portion being movable between a first position in which it is projected from said housing means and a second position in which it is received in said housing means; and

(c) an optical member provided in said housing means so as to be positioned between said light-emitting portion and the object to be photographed when said light-emitting portion is in said second position, said member having an optical characteristic for an area in which light is applied to the object to be photographed from said light-emitting portion through said optical member to change relative to an area in which light is directly applied to the object to be photographed from said light-emitting portion.

2. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said optical member changes the application angle at which light is applied to the object to be photographed from said light emitting portion through said optical member relative to the application angle at which light is directly applied to the object to be photographed from said light-emitting portion.

3. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said optical merber changes the application optical path when light is applied to the object to be photographed from said light-emitting portion through said optical member relative to the application optical path when light is directly applied to the object to be photographed from said light-emitting portion.

4. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said housing means includes a photo-taking lens for forming the image of the object to be photographed on a predtermined plane, and means for varying the optical characteristic of said photo-taking lens so that the photographable area of the surface of the object to be photographed which is conjugate with said predetermined plane varies, and said flashlight emitting means includes means for conveying said light-emitting portion so that said light-emitting portion is moved between said first position and said second position in response to the variation in the optical characteristic of said photo-taking lens.

5. A camera according to claim 4, wherein said optical characteristic varying means varies the focal length of said photo-taking lens, and said conveying means conveys said light-emitting portion toward said first position in response to the focal length of said photo-taking lens becoming longer and conveys said light-emitting portion toward said second position in response to the focal length of said photo-taking lens becoming shorter.

6. A camera according to claim 4, wherein said optical characteristic varying means varies the focusable short distance of said photo-taking lens, and said conveying means conveys said light-emitting portion toward said first position in response to said focusable short distance becoming longer and conveys said light-emitting portion toward said second position in response to said focusable short distance becoming shorter.

7. A camera according to claim 6, wherein said optical member turns the application optical path when light is applied to the object to be photographed from said light emitting portion through said optical member to the direction of the optic axis of said photo-taking lens relative to the application optical path when light is directly applied to the object to be photographed from said light-emitting portion.

8. A camera according to claim 6, wherein said optical member has an optical characteristic that the quantity of light applied to the object to be photographed from said light-emitting portion through said optical member attenuates relative to the quantity of light directly applied to the object to be photographed from said light-emitting portion.

9. A camera for exposing a film to the image of an object to be photographed, including:

(a) housing means having a photo-taking lens therein;

(b) flashlight emitting means having a light-emitting portion for applying light toward the object to be photographed, said light-emitting portion being movable between a first position spaced apart from the optic axis of said photo-taking lens by a predetermined distance and a second position spaced apart from the optic axis of said photo-taking lens by more than said predetermined distance; and

(c) an optical member provided in said housing means so as to be positioned between said light-emitting portion and the object to be photographed when said light-emitting portion is in said first position, said member having an optical characteristic for an area in which light is applied to the object to be photographed from said light-emitting portion through said optical member to change relative to an area in which light is directly applied to the object to be photographed from said light-emitting portion.