Flash light emission apparatus and method for adjusting the same

• US 6,394,629 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2000
• Issued: 05/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakano, Toshifumi, Kobayashi, Motoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): CARIASO, ALAN B
• Application Number:
  US09/568,120
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 362/3-5,285,287,288,394,395,418,419,425,427-429 396/157 356/123,218,224,226,229,232,121,122
• US Class Current: 362/394
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/02 with provision for adjustment, e.g. for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0578 Flashtube mounting
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0582 Reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0592 installed in front of light emitter

Abstract

Light from a flash discharge tube is reflected in a forward direction by a concave mirror and further refracted to a negative direction by a projection lens. A trigger wire for triggering the flash discharge tube to set off emission is constructed of an elastic material. The flash discharge tube is retained, as an integrated combination, by a discharge tube mounting frame on which support axial parts are provided in a protruding manner, and these support axial parts are slidably and swingably fitted with slide slots of the casing which are provided along the optical axis, so that the flash discharge tube is arranged to be displaceable both in a direction of the optical axis of the flash light emission apparatus and at least in one direction in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis with respect to a relative position thereof to the concave mirror.

Claims

1. A flash light emission apparatus comprising:

a flash light emission tube for emitting light;

a reflecting member for reflecting the light from said flash light emission tube in a forward direction, said reflecting member being formed to have a concave mirror;

a trigger member for triggering said flash light emitting tube to set off the emission, said trigger member comprising an elastic material having a resilient force that presses itself so as to abut constantly against a surface of said flash light emitting tube; and

a retention mechanism for retaining said flash light emitting tube so that a relative position of said flash light emitting tube with respect to said reflecting member becomes displaceable both in a direction of an optical axis of the flash light emission apparatus and at least in one direction in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis, and so that said flash light emitting tube is enabled to be displaced at least in the mutually-independent two directions simply by applying an amount of force necessary for the displacement only on one portion, and

wherein said trigger member continues to abut against the surface of said flash light emitting tube even when said flash light emitting tube is displaced relative to the reflecting member.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said retention mechanism includes:

a retention member for retaining said flash light emitting tube as an integrated combination, said retention member being provided with support axial parts in a protruding manner; and

a main body member provided with slide slots extending along the direction of the optical axis with which said support axial parts are fitted so as to be slidable and swingable.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said trigger member is a spring member comprising an electrically conductive wire.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said trigger member is fixed at a first end while a second end of said trigger member is arranged freely for universal movements so that elastic displacement is set free, so that displacement of said trigger member along a direction of the light emission axis with respect to said main body member is blocked, and so that said trigger member is set to be displaceable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the flash light emission apparatus.

5. A flash light emission apparatus comprising:

a flash light emitting tube for emitting light;

a reflecting member for reflecting light from said flash light emitting tube, being formed to have a concave mirror, on which an insertion hole for said flash light emitting tube to be inserted and protruded forwardly is formed in a central part of a rear end of said reflecting member, on an optical axis of the flash light emission apparatus;

a trigger member for triggering said flash light emitting tube to set off the emission, said trigger member being constructed with an elastic material so as to press itself to the direction to abut constantly against said flash light emitting tube; and

a retention mechanism for retaining said flash light emitting tube in such a condition that its light emitting part locates in a forward position, on the optical axis, so that the relative position of said flash light emitting tube with respect to said reflecting member become displaceable both in the direction of the optical axis and at least in one direction in a plane perpendicular to said optical axis, and so that said flash light emitting tube is enabled to be displaced at least in the mutually independent two directions simply by applying an amount of force necessary for the displacement on one portion,

wherein said retention mechanism includes;

a retention member for holding said flash light emitting tube as an integrated combination, said retention member being disposed behind the rear end of said reflecting member, and said retention member being provided with support axial parts in a protruding manner; and

a main body member provided with slide slots extending along the direction of the optical axis so that said support axial parts are slidably and swingably fitting therewith.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said trigger member is kept in contact with a surface of said flash light emitting tube in a space sandwiched by the rear end of s aid reflecting member and said retention mechanism.

7. A method for adjusting a flash light emission apparatus including:

a flash discharge tube;

reflecting means for reflecting light from the flash discharge tube in a forward direction, said reflecting means being provided behind th e flash discharge tube; and

a trigger wire for triggering the flash discharge tube to set off an emission, said trigger wire having a resilient force that presses itself in a direction to abut against a surface of the flash discharge tube, the method comprising;

displacing a relative position of the flash discharge tube with respect to the reflecting means by a predetermined amount repeatedly both in a direction of an optical axis of the flash light emission apparatus and at least in one direction in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis by applying an a mount of displacement force only on one portion of a retention mechanism for retaining the flash discharge tube;

setting off the flash discharge tube to emit light by triggering the flash discharge tube to start the emission with the trigger wire each time when displacement of the predetermined amount is executed and then reflecting the light mainly in a direction of the optical axis with the reflecting means;

sensing the light with a sensor at a predetermined position; and

finding a position at which a peak is detected by the sensor.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising fixing the flash discharge tube at the position at which the peak was detected by the sensor.

9. A method for adjusting a flash light emission apparatus including:

a flash discharge tube;

reflecting means for reflecting light from the flash discharge tube in a forward direction, said reflecting means being provided behind the flash discharge tube; and

a trigger wire for triggering the flash discharge tube to set off an emission, said trigger wire having a resilient force that presses itself in a direction to abut against a surface of the flash discharge tube, the method comprising;

disposing a microscope in front of the flash light emission apparatus at a center location on an optical axis of the flash light emission apparatus, and aligning an in-focus point of the microscope with a focal position of the reflecting means; and

aligning a center location of an arc of the flash discharge tube with the focal position of the reflecting means by displacing a relative position of the flash discharge tube with respect to the reflecting means both in a direction of the optical axis of the flash light emission apparatus and at least in one direction in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis by applying an amount of displacement force only on one portion of a retention mechanism for retaining the flash discharge tube while observing the center location of the arc of the flash discharge tube with the microscope.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising fixing a position of the flash discharge tube after aligning the center location of the arc of the flash discharge tube with the focal position of the reflecting means.