Audible alert signal for an electronic flash unit

Claim 2

An electronic flash unit comprising: a flash device; storage means for applying a voltage to said flash device; circuit means for triggering said flash device and for allowing said storage means to apply the voltage to said flash device; means for producing an audible alert signal of a predetermined duration when said storage means is at a voltage level sufficient for applying the voltage to said flash device; and signal means electrically coupled to said audible alert signal means for providing a signal to said audible alert signal means, said audible alert signal means being activated during a predetermined portion of the signal produced by said signal means.

Claim 3

An electronic flash unit as in claim 1 wherein the audio alert signal is produced at a frequency of approximately 2 kilohertz.

Claim 4

An electronic flash unit as in claim 2 wherein said means for producing an audible alert signal is an audio oscillator.

Claim 5

An electronic flash unit as in claim 3 wherein said audio oscillator is a single transistor ceramic transducer element audio oscillator.

Claim 6

An electronic flash unit as in claim 1 wherein said signal means provides a varying signal and said audible alert signal means is activated only during a predetermined portion of the varying signal.

Claim 7

An electronic flash unit as in claim 5 further including a switching means electrically coupled to said signal means and to said means for producing an audible alert signal, the predetermined portion of the varying signal of said signal means activating said switching means which in turn activates said means for producing an audible alert signal.

Claim 8

An electronic flash unit as in claim 6 wherein said signal means is a capacitor and the varying signal is an increasing signal which activates said switching means at the beginning of the predetermined portion of the varying signal and deactivates said switching means at the end of the predetermined portion of said varying signal thereby realizing an audible alert signal of a predetermined duration.

Claim 9

An electronic flash unit comprising: a flash device; storage means for applying a voltage to said flash device; circuit means for triggering said flash device and for allowing discharge of said storage means into said flash device; means for producing an audible alert signal when said storage means is at a voltage level sufficient for applying the voltage to said flash device; means for terminating the audible signal after a predetermined duration; and signal means electrically coupled to said audible alert signal means for providing a varying signal to said audible alert signal means, said audible alert signal being activated a predetermined time delay after the varying signal is provided.

Claim 10

An electronic flash unit comprising: a flash device; storage means for applying a voltage to said flash device; circuit means for triggering said flash device and for allowing discharge of said storage means into said flash device; means for producing an audible alert signal when said storage means is at a voltage level sufficient for applying the voltage to said flash device; means for terminating the audible signal after a predetermined duration; and signal means electrically coupled to said audible alert signal means for providing a varying signal to said audible alert signal means, said audible alert signal being activated a predetermined time delay after the varying signal is provided.

Claim 11

An electronic flash unit as in claim 8 wherein said means for terminating the audible signal after the predetermined duration includes capacitive means for applying a voltage to said audio alert signal means thereby terminating the audio alert signal.

Claim 12

An electronic flash unit as in claim 8 wherein said means for producing an audible signal is an audio oscillator and said audio oscillator is a single transistor ceramic transducer element audio oscillator.

Claim 13

An electronic flash unit as in claim 8 further including a switching means electrically coupled to said audible alert signal means and to said signal means, said switching means having a conductive and a nonconductive state, said switching means being in its conductive state only when a predetermined portion of the varying signal is applied thereto, thereby providing the audible alert signal.

Claim 14

An electronic flash unit comprising: a flash device; storage means For applying a first voltage to said flash device; circuit means for applying a triggering voltage to said flash device; means for producing a visual signal when said storage means is at a voltage level sufficient to apply the first voltage to said flash device; means for producing an audible signal of a predetermined duration when said storage means is at a voltage level sufficient to apply the first voltage to said flash device; and signal means electrically coupled to said visual signal means and said audible signal means for providing a varying signal to said audible signal means in response to the visual signal produced by said visual signal means, a predetermined portion of the varying signal being capable of activating said audible signal means.

Claim 15

An electronic flash unit comprising: a flash device; storage means For applying a first voltage to said flash device; circuit means for applying a triggering voltage to said flash device; means for producing a visual signal when said storage means is at a voltage level sufficient to apply the first voltage to said flash device; means for producing an audible signal of a predetermined duration when said storage means is at a voltage level sufficient to apply the first voltage to said flash device; and signal means electrically coupled to said visual signal means and said audible signal means for providing a varying signal to said audible signal means in response to the visual signal produced by said visual signal means, a predetermined portion of the varying signal being capable of activating said audible signal means.

Claim 16

An electronic flash unit including a flash device comprising: storage means for applying a first voltage to the flash device; circuit means for applying a triggering voltage to the flash device; means for producing a visual signal when said storage means is at a voltage level sufficient to apply the first voltage to the flash device; means for producing an audible signal in response to the production of the visual signal; means for terminating the audible signal after a predetermined time; and signal means electrically coupled to said visual signal means and said audible signal means for providing a varying signal to said audible signal means, said varying signal being initiated when said visual signal means produces the visual signal, the varying signal providing, at a predetermined portion thereof, the activation of said audible signal means.

Claim 17

An electronic flash unit including a flash device comprising: storage means for applying a first voltage to the flash device; circuit means for applying a triggering voltage to the flash device; means for producing a visual signal when said storage means is at a voltage level sufficient to apply the first voltage to the flash device; means for producing an audible signal in response to the production of the visual signal; means for terminating the audible signal after a predetermined time; and signal means electrically coupled to said visual signal means and said audible signal means for providing a varying signal to said audible signal means, said varying signal being initiated when said visual signal means produces the visual signal, the varying signal providing, at a predetermined portion thereof, the activation of said audible signal means.

Claim 18

An electronic flash unit as in claim 13 wherein said means for producing a visual signal is a neon bulb.

Claim 19

An electronic flash unit comprising: a flash device; source means for applying a voltage to said flash device; circuit means for triggering said flash device and for allowing said source means to apply the voltage to said flash device; a gas tube responsive to said source means and capable of achieving an ionization state when said source means is at a voltage level sufficient for applying the voltage to said flash device; audible alert signal means responsive to said gas tube for producing an audible alert signal of a predetermined duration when said gas tube achieves the ionization state; and signal means electrically coupled to said gas tube and to said audible alert signal means for providing a varying signal to said audible alert signal means, a predetermined portion of the varying signal being capable of activating said audible alert signal means.

Claim 20

An electronic flash unit comprising: a flash device; source means for applying a voltage to said flash device; circuit means for triggering said flash device and for allowing said source means to apply the voltage to said flash device; a gas tube responsive to said source means and capable of achieving an ionization state when said source means is at a voltage level sufficient for applying the voltage to said flash device; audible alert signal means responsive to said gas tube for producing an audible alert signal of a predetermined duration when said gas tube achieves the ionization state; and signal means electrically coupled to said gas tube and to said audible alert signal means for providing a varying signal to said audible alert signal means, a predetermined portion of the varying signal being capable of activating said audible alert signal means.

Claim 21

An electronic flash unit as in claim 15 including means for terminating the audible alert signal after a pre-determined duration.

Claim 22

An electronic flash unit as in claim 15 wherein said gas tube is a neon bulb.

Claim 23

An electronic flash unit as in claim 15 wherein said means for producing the audible alert signal is an audio oscillator.