Strobe device

• US 9,588,403 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissin Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nissin Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Man, Chun Nin
• Primary Examiner(s): Neils, Peggy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, William N
• Application Number:
  US14/606,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20150212392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 770 Days
• Field of Search: 362/18, 362/16, 362/187, 362/280, 362/277, 362/319
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/04 by movement of reflectors in vehicle head lamps F21S41/675
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/06 Special arrangements of screening, diffusing, or reflecting devices, e.g. in studio
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0592 installed in front of light emitter

Abstract

A strobe device including, a strobe main body including a light emitting surface; a plate-like reflector provided on the strobe main body so as to be movable between a use position in which the reflector protrudes forward from the light emitting surface of the strobe main body and a storing position in which the reflector is retracted backward from the use position; a reflector magnetic member made of ferromagnetic material or permanent magnet and attached to the reflector; and a main body magnetic member made of ferromagnetic material or permanent magnet and attached to the strobe main body, wherein when the reflector approaches at least one of the use position and the storing position, the main body magnetic member magnetically attracts the reflector magnetic member and holds the reflector at the one of the use position and the storing position by magnetic attraction.

Claims

1. A strobe device comprising:

a strobe main body including a light emitting surface;

a plate-like reflector provided on the strobe main body so as to be movable between a use position in which the reflector protrudes forward from the light emitting surface of the strobe main body and a storing position in which the reflector is retracted backward from the use position;

a reflector magnetic member made of ferromagnetic material or permanent magnet and attached to the reflector; and

a main body magnetic member made of ferromagnetic material or permanent magnet arid attached to the strobe main body, wherein when the reflector approaches at least one of the use position or the storing position, the main body magnetic member magnetically attracts the reflector magnetic member and holds the reflector at the one of the use position and the storing position by magnetic attraction,

wherein the reflector is mounted so as to be slidable in a forward and backward direction along an outer wall of the strobe main body, such that the reflector moves between the use position or the storing position by sliding relative to the strobe body main body, and wherein the main body magnetic member and the reflector facing magnetic member are provided in the outer wall of the strobe main body and a surface of the reflector facing the outer wall, respectively,

wherein the reflector further includes a stopper for limiting the sliding movement of the reflector to at least one of the use position or the storing position by abutting a portion of the strobe main body, and

wherein when the reflector is located in the one of the use position or the storing position, the main body magnetic member and the reflector magnetic member are displaced from each other in a sliding direction of the reflector such that the main body magnetic member magnetically attracts the reflector magnetic member to urge the reflector toward the one of the use position or the storing position.

2. The strobe device according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall of the strobe main body is provided with a protruding ridge extending in the sliding direction of the reflector and wherein the reflector slidably contacts the ridge.

3. The strobe device according to claim 1, wherein the stopper is a stopper protrusion formed in a rear portion of an underside of the reflector,

wherein the outer wall of the main body defines a stopper guiding groove therein, the stopper guiding groove extending the forward and backward direction, and,

wherein the stopper protrusion slidably engages the stopper guiding groove and limits the sliding movement of the reflector to the at least one of the use position or the storing position by abutting at least one of a front wall or a rear end wall of the stopper guiding groove.

4. The strobe device according to claim 3, wherein the outer wall of the strobe main body is provided with a protruding ridge extending in the sliding direction of the reflector and wherein the reflector slidably contacts the ridge.