Built-in flash system and camera

Claim 2

A camera comprising: a built-in flash unit having a flash held by a pop-up mechanism selectively in a housing position and in a projecting position; auxiliary spotlight projector means for radiating a spotlight toward the object, said auxiliary spotlight projector means being located adjacent to said flash of said built-in flash unit; and means for holding said auxiliary spotlight projector together with said flash by said pop-up mechanism selectively in said housing position and in said projecting position.

Claim 3

The camera according to Claim 1, wherein said spotlight is of the contrast pattern type.

Claim 4

The camera according to Claim 1, wherein said auxiliary spotlight means is movable relative to said flash unit.

Claim 5

The camera according to Claim 1, wherein said auxiliary spotlight means is movable together with said flash unit.

Claim 6

The camera according to Claim 1, wherein said auxiliary spotlight projector means include a patterned surface and a converging lens, said patterned surface being inclined with respect to an optical axis of said converging lens so as to effectively radiate auxiliary light to an optical axis of an imaging lens of said camera.

Claim 7

In a built-in flash system including a housing chamber provided in the upper front of a penta-­house of a finder optical system, and a casing provided in said housing chamber and having a flashlight emitter arranged so as to be movable between a projecting position where said casing is projected for light emission and a housing position where said casing is housed in said housing chamber, a built-in flash pop-up mechanism characterized in that said casing is arranged to be moved between said projecting position and said housing position by a pair of four-point linkage mechanisms disposed at sides of said built-in flash system, each of said four-point linkage mechanisms being constituted by two pairs of front and rear turning levers, each pair of said front and rear turning levers being pivoted at their respective one ends to corresponding one of opposite sides of said casing.

Claim 8

In a built-in flash system including a housing chamber provided in the upper front of a penta-­house of a finder optical system, and a casing provided in said housing chamber and having a flashlight emitter arranged so as to be movable between a projecting position where said casing is projected for light emission and a housing position where said casing is housed in said housing chamber, a built-in flash pop-up mechanism characterized in that said casing is arranged to be moved between said projecting position and said housing position by a pair of four-point linkage mechanisms disposed at sides of said built-in flash system, each of said four-point linkage mechanisms being constituted by two pairs of front and rear turning levers, each pair of said front and rear turning levers being pivoted at their respective one ends to corresponding one of opposite sides of said casing.

Claim 9

The built-in flash pop-up mechanism according to Claim 6, in which the respective front ones of said two pairs of turning levers are shaped and located so that said front turning levers becone substantially horizontal when said casing is in said housing position, and the respective rear ones of said two pairs of turning levers become substantially vertical when said casing is in said projecting position.

Claim 10

The built-in flash pop-up mechanism according to Claim 7, in which the pivot portions of said front turning levers on said casing are located behind a center of said flashlight emitter.

Claim 11

The built-in flash pop-in mechanism according to Claim 6, in which a switching member is provided in the bottom of said housing chamber and arranged so as to engage/disengage with/from said rear turning levers to thereby open a flashlighting circuit when said rear turning levers move to said housing position.

Claim 12

In a built-in flash pop-up device in which a flash is provided in housing chamber provided above a penta-prism in a body of a camera so as to be movable between a housing position and a projecting position by turning operation of a turning lever, a lock mechanism for lockikng said built-in flash pop-up device characterized in that a lock lever having a top stoppage/engagement surface arranged to engage/disengage with/from a stoppage surface of said turning lever moved to said flash-housing position is pivoted to said housing chamber, and in that said lock lever is arranged to be operated to move in the axial direction of a shaft of said turning lever so as to make said top stoppage/engagement surface of said lock lever to engage/disengage with/from said stoppage/engagement surface of said turning lever.

Claim 13

In a built-in flash pop-up device in which a flash is provided in housing chamber provided above a penta-prism in a body of a camera so as to be movable between a housing position and a projecting position by turning operation of a turning lever, a lock mechanism for lockikng said built-in flash pop-up device characterized in that a lock lever having a top stoppage/engagement surface arranged to engage/disengage with/from a stoppage surface of said turning lever moved to said flash-housing position is pivoted to said housing chamber, and in that said lock lever is arranged to be operated to move in the axial direction of a shaft of said turning lever so as to make said top stoppage/engagement surface of said lock lever to engage/disengage with/from said stoppage/engagement surface of said turning lever.

Claim 14

The built-in flash pop-up device according to Claim 10, a top stoppage/engagement surface of said lock lever is formed as a wedge surface having a wedge function when said turning lever is moved toward said flash-housing position.

Claim 15

In a built-in flash pop-up device in which a flash is provided in a housing chamber provided above a penta-prism in a body of a camera so as to be movable between a housing position and a projecting position by turning operation of a turning lever, a lock mechanism for locking said built-in flash pop-up device characterized in that a lock lever has a top stoppage/engagement surface, and said lock lever is formed as a wedge surface having a wedge function when said turning lever is moved toward said flash-housing position.

Claim 16

In a built-in flash pop-up device in which a flash is provided in a housing chamber provided above a penta-prism in a body of a camera so as to be movable between a housing position and a projecting position by turning operation of a turning lever, a lock mechanism for locking said built-in flash pop-up device characterized in that a lock lever has a top stoppage/engagement surface, and said lock lever is formed as a wedge surface having a wedge function when said turning lever is moved toward said flash-housing position.

Claim 17

In a built-in flash apparatus of a camera having a flash unit provided in a housing chamber provided at an upper potion of a body of said camera, said flash unit being arranged to be movable between a housing position where said flash unit is housed in said housing chamber and a projecting position where said flash unit is projected from said housing chamber, characterized in that said flash unit has a light emission surface which is directed forward in normal photographing to look toward a subject when said flash unit is in said projecting position and which is directed more downward in macro photographing to look down to a subject when said flash unit is in said housing position, in that a light-transmissible material is provided in front of said housing chamber, said light-­transmissible material being arranged to face said light emission surface when a light emitter is housed in said housing chamber, and in that said flash unit is made enable to emit light in said housing position as well as in said projecting position.

Claim 18

In a built-in flash apparatus of a camera having a flash unit provided in a housing chamber provided at an upper potion of a body of said camera, said flash unit being arranged to be movable between a housing position where said flash unit is housed in said housing chamber and a projecting position where said flash unit is projected from said housing chamber, characterized in that said flash unit has a light emission surface which is directed forward in normal photographing to look toward a subject when said flash unit is in said projecting position and which is directed more downward in macro photographing to look down to a subject when said flash unit is in said housing position, in that a light-transmissible material is provided in front of said housing chamber, said light-­transmissible material being arranged to face said light emission surface when a light emitter is housed in said housing chamber, and in that said flash unit is made enable to emit light in said housing position as well as in said projecting position.

Claim 19

A built-in flash apparatus in a camera, comprising: a flash unit provided at an upper portion of the camera and arranged to be movable between a normal light emission position where a light emission surface looks forward an object and a housing position where the light emission surface looks more downward than the direction toward the object; and drive means for moving said flash unit between said normal light emission position and said housing position.

Claim 20

A built-in flash apparatus in a camera, comprising: a flash unit provided at an upper portion of the camera and arranged to be movable between a normal light emission position where a light emission surface looks forward an object and a housing position where the light emission surface looks more downward than the direction toward the object; and drive means for moving said flash unit between said normal light emission position and said housing position.

Claim 21

A built-in flash apparatus in a camera, comprising: a flash unit provided at an upper portion of the camera and arranged to be movable between a normal light emission position where a light emission surface looks forward an object and a housing position where the light emission surface looks more downward than the direction toward the object, wherein said flash unit is manually movable between normal light emission position and said housing position.

Claim 22

A built-in flash apparatus in a camera, comprising: a flash unit provided at an upper portion of the camera and arranged to be movable between a normal light emission position where a light emission surface looks forward an object and a housing position where the light emission surface looks more downward than the direction toward the object, wherein said flash unit is manually movable between normal light emission position and said housing position.

Claim 23

The built-in flash apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a spotlight for enabling of measuring a distance from the camera to the object, wherein said spotlight may be swingably movable independent of said flash unit.

Claim 24

The built-in flash apparatus according to Claim 14, in which said flash unit is movable further to a bouncing position where said light emission surface looks more upward than the direction toward the subject, so that said flash unit is made movable by said drive means among said bouncing position, said normal light emission position, and said housing position.

Claim 25

A built-in flash apparatus in a camera, comprising: a flash unit provided at an upper portion of the camera and arranged to be movable between a normal light emission position where a light emission surface is exposed and a housing position where the light emission surface is not exposed; a converging lens body provided in front of said light emission surface of said flash unit and arranged so as to be movable together with said flash unit between said normal light emission position and said housing position; a means for changing a distance between said converging lens body and said flash unit in said normal light emission position.

Claim 26

A built-in flash apparatus in a camera, comprising: a flash unit provided at an upper portion of the camera and arranged to be movable between a normal light emission position where a light emission surface is exposed and a housing position where the light emission surface is not exposed; a converging lens body provided in front of said light emission surface of said flash unit and arranged so as to be movable together with said flash unit between said normal light emission position and said housing position; a means for changing a distance between said converging lens body and said flash unit in said normal light emission position.

Claim 27

The built-in flash apparatus in a camera according to Claim 18, in which said flash unit and said converging lens body are moved by an electric motor.