The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 31, 1984
Filed:
Sep. 21, 1982
John M Orban, Santa Monica, CA (US);
Vivitar Corporation, Santa Monica, CA (US);
Abstract
There is disclosed herein an electronic flash unit and camera combination wherein the angle of the cone of light emitted by the flash unit is automatically varied as a function of the focal length of the camera lens. In one embodiment the camera lens may be a zoom lens, and means is provided for generating a signal which is a function of the selected focal length position of the lens. This signal is received by a circuit of the electronic flash unit. The electronic flash unit may include a zoom head employing a Fresnel lens or the like for changing the angle of the cone of light emitted by the flash unit. A suitable electromagnetic device, such as a small servo motor and control circuit, responds to the signal indicating the selected focal length of the lens and controls the position of the zoom head of the flash unit. The system is particularly useful with zoom lenses of the type wherein the zooming focal length change is accomplished by moving a zoom ring or 'pump' in and out along the axis of the lens. The system also is applicable to other types of zoom lenses and to the use of different fixed focal length lenses which provide focal length signals to the flash unit circuit.