Battery containment apparatus for electronic flash
AssigneeOlympus Optical Co., Ltd.
InventorOsamu Kawarada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A battery containment apparatus for electronic flash contains a plurality of batteries, which are grouped into a plurality of battery banks, each including a substantially equal number of batteries. Each bank defines a d.c. source. The apparatus improves the portable use and the ease of operation of an electronic flash while assuring an efficient utilization of the battery capacity when it is used with an electronic flash which requires a plurality of d.c. sources, for example, an electronic flash including a plurality of DC-DC converters which must be energized by a plurality of d.c. sources.
Claims25
An electronic flash including battery containment apparatus which contains a plurality of batteries, characterized in that the plurality of batteries are divided into a plurality of battery banks, each of which comprises at least a pair of batteries which are disposed axially parallel to each other and juxtaposed and presenting poles of opposite polarities at axially remote ends, the apparatus further including a plurality of electrical connection means for electrically connecting the batteries of each bank electrically in series, each battery bank thus defining a DC source, a plurality of boosters housed within the electronic flash;
- said boosters being DC/DC converters;
- and a plurality of terminals which are connected to the terminals of the DC sources and define a single common ground terminal and a plurality of output terminals, the number of output terminals being equal to the number of boosters which are internally housed in the electronic flash and being electrically connected to the boosters.
An electronic flash having a battery containment apparatus which contains a plurality of source batteries, the batteries being grouped into a plurality of battery banks, each bank comprising at least one pair of batteries disposed to be axially parallel to each other and juxtaposed and presenting their poles of opposite polarities at axially remote ends the apparatus including a plurality of connection means disposed for contact with a pair of positive and negative poles of adjacent batteries which are exposed at one end of each bank for connecting the batteries in each bank electrically in series, and a plurality of output terminals disposed adjacent to a pair of positive and negative poles of adjacent batteries which are exposed at the other end of each bank for connection with each of the plurality of battery banks, said electronic flash containing a plurality of booster (DC/DC converters) and including terminals for electrically connecting each battery bank to one of said boosters.
An electronic flash including battery containment apparatus which contains a plurality of dry cells of A3 type and which is detachably mounted in the electronic flash, comprising:
- a portion removeably inserted into the hollow interior of a grip of the electronic flash, so that the battery containment apparatus is detachably mounted in the electronic flash, the portion having a substantially rectangular cross section and receiving a plurality of dry cells in a plurality of axially aligned tiers, six dry cells of A3 type being disposed in two rows and three columns in each tier while maintaining their axially parallel relationship,
- and a stop formed integrally with the bottom of said portion, the axial direction of the stop being the lengthwise direction of the rectangular configuration presented by the end face of dry cells disposed within said portion as a whole, the stop receiving a pair of dry cells of A3 type in juxtaposed relationship and arranged perpendicular to the dry cells extending into the grip of the electronic flash, the stop being adapted to bear against the edge of the opening of the grip of the electronic flash to prevent the apparatus from being excessively inserted into the grip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.