Strobe flashing device

• US 5,055,976 A
• Filed: 09/20/1990
• Issued: 10/08/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Arai, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US07/585,517
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 362/16, 362/17, 362/223, 362/308, 362/311, 362/328, 362/333, 362/339, 362/309, 362/334, 362/340
• US Class Current: 362/17
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0521 movable housing, e.g. bounce-light
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0528 movable reflector, e.g. change of illumination angle or illumination direction
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/055 Clamp-on device, e.g. filter

Abstract

A strobe flashing device having a cylindrical strobe light emitting tube and a condenser lens for gathering light beams emitted from the strobe light emitting tube. The condenser lens is provided on one side face with a first cylindrical lens which gathers light beams only in a direction that is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the strobe light emitting tube. A second side face of the condenser lens is provided with a second cylindrical lens which gathers light beams only in a direction that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the strobe light emitting tube. At least one of the cylindrical lenses on the side faces of the condenser lens is made planar at a center portion thereof. The cylindrical lenses can be a modified cylindrical lenses having different lens curvatures that vary in accordance with an image height from a center thereof.

Claims

1. A strobe flashing device, comprising a cylindrical strobe light emitting tube and a condenser lens for gathering light beams emitted from said strobe light emitting tube, wherein,

said condenser lens is provided on one side face with a first cylindrical lens which gathers said light beams only in a direction that is parallel with a longitudinal axis of said strobe light emitting tube, and on a second side face with a second cylindrical lens which gathers light beams that are only in a direction that is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said strobe light emitting tube,

at least one of said cylindrical lenses on opposite side faces of said condensed lens being planar at a center portion thereof.

2. A strobe flashing device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second cylindrical lenses are provided on a front side face and a rear side face of said condenser lens, respectively.

3. A strobe flashing device according to claim 2, wherein said first cylindrical lens has a larger refractive index than that of said second cylindrical lens.

4. A strobe flashing device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second cylindrical lenses comprises a cylindrical Fresnel lens having a group of elongated prisms.

5. A strobe flashing device according to claim 4, wherein said cylindrical Fresnel lens is planar at a center portion thereof.

6. A strobe flashing device according to claim 5, wherein said cylindrical Fresnel lens comprises a modified Fresnel lens having different prism angles that vary in accordance with an image height from a center thereof.

7. A strobe flashing device according to claim 6, wherein a variation in a prism angle at said center portion of said modified Fresnel lens is larger than that at a circumferential portion other than said center portion thereof.

8. A strobe flashing device according to claim 7, wherein said first and second cylindrical lenses comprise first and second cylindrical Fresnel lenses, each lens having a group of elongated prisms, said first and second cylindrical Fresnel lenses being provided on a front side face and a rear side face of said condenser lens, respectively.

9. A strobe flashing device according to claim 8, wherein said first cylindrical Fresnel lens has a larger refractive index than that of said second cylindrical Fresnel lens.

10. A strobe flashing device, comprising:

a cylindrical strobe light emitting tube; and

,

a condenser lens for gathering light beams emitted from said strobe light emitting tube,

wherein said condenser lens is provided on its opposite side faces with first and second cylindrical Fresnel lenses which gathers said light beams in two orthogonal directions,

at least one of said cylindrical Fresnel lenses on said opposite side faces of said condenser lens having a planar center portion which does not gather said light beams.

11. A strobe flashing device, comprising a cylindrical strobe light emitting tube and a condenser lens for gathering light beams emitted from said strobe light emitting tube, wherein,

said condenser lens is provided on one side face with a modified cylindrical lens which gathers said light beams that are only in a direction that is parallel with a longitudinal axis of said strobe light emitting tube, a second side face having a modified cylindrical lens which gathers said light beams that are only in a direction that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said strobe light emitting tube.

12. A strobe flashing device according to claim 11, wherein opposite side faces on said modified cylindrical lenses of said condenser lens have different lens curvatures that vary in accordance with an image height from a center thereof.

13. A strobe flashing device according to claim 12, wherein said variation in said lens curvature at said center portions of said modified cylindrical lenses is larger than that at circumferential portions other than said center portions.