Pop-up flash of a camera
AssigneeHoya Corporation
InventorToshiaki Yamada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pop-up flash of a camera includes a flash unit movable between a retracted position, in which the flash unit is accommodated in a camera body, and a fully-lifted position, in which the flash unit projects from the camera body; a biasing device which biases the flash unit toward the fully-lifted position; and a speed-change mechanism for changing a speed of movement of the flash unit, which is driven by the biasing force of the biasing device, during movement of the flash unit in a projecting direction from the retracted position to the fully-lifted position.
Claims19
A pop-up flash of a camera, comprising:
- a flash unit movable between a retracted position, in which said flash unit is accommodated in a camera body, and a fully-lifted position, in which said flash unit projects from said camera body;
- a biasing device which biases said flash unit toward said fully-lifted position;
- and
- a speed-change mechanism for reducing a speed of movement of said flash unit, which is driven by the biasing force of said biasing device, by applying a variable load to counter the biasing force of said biasing device during a first range of movement of said flash unit in a projecting direction from said retracted position to said fully-lifted position, wherein said variable load reaches a maximum at an intermediate position of said flash unit, between the retracted position and the fully lifted position.
A pop-up flash of a camera, comprising:
- a retractable flash unit, one end of which is pivoted on a camera body, a light emitting portion being fixed to another end of said flash unit;
- a biasing device which biases said retractable flash unit to rotate in a direction to make said retractable flash unit project from said camera body;
- and
- a speed-change mechanism for reducing a speed of rotation of said flash unit by applying a variable load to counter the bias of said biasing device during a range of movement while said retractable flash unit rotates in said direction to make said retractable flash unit project from said camera body, wherein said variable load reaches a maximum at an intermediate position of said flash unit, between a retracted position and a fully lifted position of the flash unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.