Strobe light emitting apparatus and camera

• US 7,043,156 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Terada, Hiroshi, Tsuchida, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): PERKEY, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US11/192,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20050271376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 285 Days
• Field of Search: 396/205, 396/206, 396/164, 396/165
• US Class Current: 396/164
• 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 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.

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.