Imaging apparatus

• US 7,778,541 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Munetaka
• Primary Examiner(s): FULLER, RODNEY EVAN
• Application Number:
  US12/232,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20090142047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 396/176, 396/177, 396/178, 348/370, 348/371
• US Class Current: 396/177
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/03 Combinations of cameras with lighting apparatus; Flash units

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes a flash light emitting portion moving between a housed position and a light emitting position, a biasing means for biasing the flash light emitting portion toward the light emitting position, a member to be locked moving with a movement of the flash light emitting portion, a locking means for locking the member to be locked in a state in which the flash light emitting portion exists at the housed position and suppressing change of the position of the flash light emitting portion, opposing a biasing force by the biasing means and a lock releasing means having an electromagnet and a moving portion, for releasing a locked state of the member to be locked by moving the moving portion in a direction apart from the electromagnet by applying electric current to the electromagnet and by allowing the locking means to pivot about an axis.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a flash light emitting portion moving between a housed position and a light emitting position;

a biasing means for biasing the flash light emitting portion toward the light emitting position;

a member to be locked moving with a movement of the flash light emitting portion;

a locking means which includes a first member and a second member, for locking the member to be locked in a state in which the flash light emitting portion exists at the housed position and suppressing change of the position of the flash light emitting portion, opposing a biasing force by the biasing means; and

a lock releasing means which has an electromagnet and a moving portion moving with respect to the electromagnet, for releasing a locked state of the member to be locked by the locking means by moving the moving portion from a first position to a second position in a direction apart from the electromagnet by applying electric current to the electromagnet and by allowing the locking means to pivot about a first axis,

wherein, when the locked state of the member to be locked is released by the lock releasing means, the flash light emitting portion moves to the light emitting position due to the biasing force by the biasing means,

wherein, when a housing operation of the flash light emitting portion is performed in a first state in which the locked state is released and in which the moving portion exists at the second position, the member to be locked moves downward while touching the first member with the housing operation, the locking means pivots about the first axis due to a force transmitted from the member to be locked to the first member as well as the moving portion returns from the second position to the first position and the locking means locks the member to be locked again, and

wherein, when the housing operation of the flash light emitting portion is performed in a second state in which the locked state is released and in which the flash light emitting portion still exists at the light emitting position though the locking means has pivoted about the first axis and the moving portion has returned from the second position to the first position, the member to be locked moves downward while touching the second member with the housing operation, the second member swings about a second axis which is different from the first axis due to a force transmitted from the member to be locked to the second member and the locking means locks the member to be locked again.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the lock releasing means further includes an applying means for applying a second biasing force acting in the direction moving the moving portion from the first position to the second position, and

wherein, when the member to be locked moves downward while touching the second member with the housing operation of the flash light emitting portion, the second member moves in a first direction about the second axis, then, moves in a second direction which is reverse to the first direction by the second biasing force by the applying means and the member to be locked is locked again.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the lock releasing means further includes a permanent magnet, and

wherein the moving portion is fixed at the first position, opposing the second biasing force due to a magnetic force of the permanent magnet in a state in which electric current is not applied to the electromagnet,

wherein the moving portion can move to the second position by generating a magnetic field which is reverse to the magnetic field of the permanent magnet by the electromagnet to reduce the force opposing the second biasing force in a state in which electric current is applied to the electromagnet.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second member has a guide hole which is a long hole through which a shaft member including the first axis pierces and is provided along an arc portion about the second axis,

wherein, when the locked state of the member to be locked is released by the lock releasing means, the first member and the second member pivot about the first axis in a state in which the shaft member exists at one end side of the guide hole and the moving portion moves from the first position to the second position, and

wherein, when the housing operation of the flash light emitting portion is performed in the second state, the second member relatively moves the shaft member from one end side of the guide hole to the other end side of the guide hole along the guide hole, then, returns the shaft member from the other end side to one end side to lock the member to be locked again at the time of swing movement of the second member about the second axis.

5. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a flash light emitting portion moving between a housed position and a light emitting position;

a biasing means for biasing the flash light emitting portion toward the light emitting position;

a member to be locked moving with a movement of the flash light emitting portion;

a locking means which includes a first member and a second member, for locking the member to be locked in a state in which the flash light emitting portion exists at the housed position and suppressing change of the position of the flash light emitting portion, opposing a biasing force by the biasing means; and

a lock releasing means which has an electromagnet and a moving portion moving with respect to the electromagnet, for releasing a locked state of the member to be locked by the locking means by moving the moving portion from a first position to a second position in a direction apart from the electromagnet and by allowing the locking means to pivot about a first axis,

wherein, when the locked state of the member to be locked is released by the lock releasing means, the flash light emitting portion moves to the light emitting position due to the biasing force by the biasing means, and

wherein, when a housing operation of the flash light emitting portion is performed in a state in which the locked state is released and in which the flash light emitting portion still exists at the light emitting position though the locking means has pivoted about the first axis and the moving portion has returned from the second position to the first position, the member to be locked moves downward while touching the second member with the housing operation, the second member swings about a second axis which is different from the first axis with respect to the first member due to a force transmitted from the member to be locked to the second member and the locking means locks the member to be locked again.

6. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a flash light emitting portion moving upward and downward between a housed position and a light emitting position;

a first biasing member biasing the flash light emitting portion toward the light emitting position;

a lock pin moving with a upward-and-downward movement of the flash light emitting portion;

a lock mechanism which includes a first member and a second member, locking the lock pin in a state in which the flash light emitting portion exists at the housed position and suppressing change of the position of the flash light emitting portion;

a second biasing member biasing the lock mechanism so as to pivot about a first axis in a given direction;

a drive portion having a moving portion connected to the lock mechanism and moving with respect to an electromagnet, moving the moving portion from a first position to a second position in a direction apart from the electromagnet by applying electric current to the electromagnet and allowing the lock mechanism to pivot about a first axis, and

wherein, when the moving portion moves from the first position to the second position, the first member and the second member pivot about the first axis due to a biasing force by the second biasing member to release the lock of the lock pin, and the flash light emitting portion moves upward to the light emitting position due to a biasing force by the first biasing member,

wherein, when a housing operation of the flash light emitting portion is performed in a first state in which the lock of the lock pin is released and in which the moving portion exists at the second position, the lock pin moves downward while touching the first member with the housing operation, the first member and the second member pivot about the first axis due to a force transmitted from the lock pin to the first member as well as the moving portion moves from the second position to the first position and the locking mechanism locks the lock pin again, and

wherein, when the housing operation of the flash light emitting portion is performed in a second state in which the lock of the lock pin is released and in which the flash light emitting portion still exists at the light emitting position though the first member and the second member have pivoted about the first axis and the moving portion has returned from the second position to the first position, the lock pin moves downward while touching the second member with the housing operation, the second member pivots about a second axis due to a force transmitted from the lock pin and moves in a direction apart from the lock pin, after that, the second member pivots and moves in a reverse direction by the biasing force of the second biasing member, and the lock mechanism locks the lock pin again.

7. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a flash light emitting portion moving between a housed position and a light emitting position;

a biasing portion configured to bias the flash light emitting portion toward the light emitting position;

a member to be locked moving with a movement of the flash light emitting portion;

a locking mechanism which includes a first member and a second member, locking the member to be locked in a state in which the flash light emitting portion exists at the housed position and suppressing change of the position of the flash light emitting portion, opposing a biasing force by the biasing portion; and

a lock releasing portion which has an electromagnet and a moving portion moving with respect to the electromagnet, releasing a locked state of the member to be locked by the locking mechanism by moving the moving portion from a first position to a second position in a direction apart from the electromagnet by applying electric current to the electromagnet and by allowing the locking mechanism to pivot about a first axis,

wherein, when the locked state of the member to be locked is released by the lock releasing portion, the flash light emitting portion moves to the light emitting position due to the biasing force by the biasing portion,

wherein, when a housing operation of the flash light emitting portion is performed in a first state in which the locked state is released and in which the moving portion exists at the second position, the member to be locked moves downward while touching the first member with the housing operation, the locking mechanism pivots about the first axis due to a force transmitted from the member to be locked to the first member as well as the moving portion returns from the second position to the first position and the locking mechanism locks the member to be locked again, and

wherein, when the housing operation of the flash light emitting portion is performed in a second state in which the locked state is released and in which the flash light emitting portion still exists at the light emitting position though the locking mechanism has pivoted about the first axis and the moving portion has returned from the second position to the first position, the member to be locked moves downward while touching the second member with the housing operation, the second member swings about a second axis which is different from the first axis due to a force transmitted from the member to be locked to the second member and the locking mechanism locks the member to be locked again.

8. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a flash light emitting portion moving between a housed position and a light emitting position;

a biasing portion configured to bias the flash light emitting portion toward the light emitting position;

a member to be locked moving with a movement of the flash light emitting portion;

a locking mechanism which includes a first member and a second member, locking the member to be locked in a state in which the flash light emitting portion exists at the housed position and suppressing change of the position of the flash light emitting portion, opposing a biasing force by the biasing portion; and

a lock releasing portion which has an electromagnet and a moving portion moving with respect to the electromagnet, releasing a locked state of the member to be locked by the locking mechanism by moving the moving portion from a first position to a second position in a direction apart from the electromagnet and by allowing the locking mechanism to pivot about a first axis,

wherein, when the locked state of the member to be locked is released by the lock releasing portion, the flash light emitting portion moves to the light emitting position due to the biasing force by the biasing portion, and

wherein, when a housing operation of the flash light emitting portion is performed in a state in which the locked state is released and in which the flash light emitting portion still exists at the light emitting position though the locking mechanism has pivoted about the first axis and the moving portion has returned from the second position to the first position, the member to be locked moves downward while touching the second member with the housing operation, the second member swings about a second axis which is different from the first axis with respect to the first member due to a force transmitted from the member to be locked to the second member and the locking portion locks the member to be locked again.