West Electric Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Photo & Lighting Co., Ltd.

Mitsuo Fuke

Katsumi Horinishi

Katsunori Kawabata

Takashi Umehara

Katsuji Ishikawa

Hajime Mitsui

Hirohiko Ina

Arata Sakamoto

Hisashi Ogura

Katsushi Sumisaki

Shohei Uno

Toshinori Maki

Naoyuki Furutsuka

Kazue Nakagawa

Akira Iwamoto

Shinji Ando

The electronic flash unit disclosed comprises: a transformer () to vary voltages of a power supply; an accumulator () composed of a main capacitor () to charge an electric energy supplied from the transformer (); a lamp unit () provided with a flashlamp (), set inside of a reflector (), that flashes by discharging of energy storages in the main capacitor () upon applying a voltage on a trigger terminal (); and a trigger circuit () to generate the voltage to apply on the trigger terminal (), wherein at least the lamp unit () is coated with an insulation material.

Electronic flash unit and manufacturing method thereof

A flash apparatus capable of varying the emission angle according to the present invention is characterized in that a light controller provided in front of a reflector for diffusing or condensing supplied light is configured to comprise a diffusion controlling portion having light diffusive action only with respect to a longitudinal direction of a bar-like light source and a condensation controlling portion having condensing action to omnidirectionally condense supplied light. By this, the flash apparatus capable of varying the emission angle can control and restrict prism action at the light controller by diffusing light emitted from the bar-like light source in respect to the longitudinal direction of the bar-like light source even when the bar-like light source and the light controller are close to each other. As a result, unevenness of light distribution (rainbow-like unevenness) based on the prism action at the light controller can be prevented from occurring even in a state on the wide side when the light emitting portion is miniaturized.

Flash apparatus capable of varying emission angle

In order to vary a light emission angle, a light source is moved so that its position relative to a reflector is varied. In one mode, by compulsively moving the light source to one end of a movement range of the light source, the one end is set as an original position. In another mode, after the light source is compulsively moved to the one end, by detecting that the light source has reached a position preset in the movement range while the light source is being moved to the other end of the movement range, a distance by which the light source is moved from the one end to the preset position is detected and stored as control information. The subsequent operation to move the light source to a desired control position is controlled based on the original position which is the one end or based on the control information.

Variable emission angle strobe light and control method therefor

An emission angle variable flash apparatus of the invention alters an angular aperture to be formed by side reflection plates disposed oppositely to both side surfaces of a reflector in linkage with a change of a distance between a Xe tube and a reflector on their optical axis, thereby enhancing the efficiency of utilization of flash from a light source and expanding a variable range of an emission angle in the horizontal direction. As a result, the emission angle variable flash apparatus of the invention is made smaller in size than in the prior art.

Emission angle variable flash apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Mitsuo Fuke