Shoe device and accessory

Abstract

To provide a shoe device that can reduce plastic deformation of contacts due to external impact.SOLUTION: A shoe device is attached to and detached from an accessory shoe device included in an electronic apparatus in a first direction, and has a plurality of contacts electrically connected to the electronic apparatus arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and the shoe device has a holding member that holds the plurality of contacts, and a support member that supports the plurality of contacts in the first direction. The plurality of contacts are each provided with a leading end part that is exposed in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions with respect to the holding member and in contact with the electronic apparatus, and a bent part that is convex in the third direction connected to the leading end part. The support member supports the bent part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shoe device and accessories that can be attached and detached to an accessory shoe device provided in an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] An imaging device (electronic device) such as a camera is provided with an accessory shoe device to which a shoe device for an accessory such as a lighting device (flash unit) is detachably attached. The accessory shoe device is provided with an engagement member that engages with and holds the shoe device, and the accessory shoe device and the shoe device are each provided with contacts for enabling communication between the imaging device and the accessory. Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a part of the contact of the shoe device is exposed to the outside from the shoe device and comes into contact with a contact inside the accessory shoe device to connect the contacts. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-134682 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, because a part of the contact of the shoe device is exposed to the outside from the shoe device, there is a risk that the contact will be plastically deformed if an external impact is applied to the contact. If the contact is plastically deformed, it becomes difficult to ensure the reliability of communication between the accessory shoe device and the contact of the shoe device, and communication failure may occur.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a shoe device that can reduce plastic deformation of contacts caused by external impact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the shoe device of the present invention is a shoe device that is attached to and detached from an accessory shoe device provided on an electronic device in a first direction, and has a plurality of contacts electrically connected to the electronic device arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the shoe device having a holding member that holds the plurality of contacts and a support member that supports the plurality of contacts in the first direction, each of the plurality of contacts having a tip portion exposed to a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions relative to the holding member and in contact with the electronic device, and a bent portion that is convex in the third direction and connected to the tip portion, and the support member supports the bent portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, plastic deformation of contacts due to external impact can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing the structure of an accessory according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing the mounting operation of the electronic device and the accessories according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of an accessory shoe device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing contact points of the accessory shoe device and shoe device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram showing the structure of an accessory according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing the structure of an accessory according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, an imaging system including a digital camera (imaging device) which is an electronic device equipped with an accessory shoe device, and an external flash unit (illumination device) which is an accessory equipped with a shoe device detachable from the accessory shoe device of the digital camera will be described. Note that accessories equipped with a shoe device are not limited to flash units, but include various accessories such as electronic viewfinder units, microphones for video imaging, conversion adapters, various measuring instruments, sub-cameras, etc. Also, electronic devices equipped with an accessory shoe device include various electronic devices other than imaging devices.

[0010] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a digital camera (hereinafter, simply referred to as a camera) 100. The camera 100 has a camera MPU 101, which is a microcomputer, an imaging optical system 122, a timing signal generating circuit 102, an imaging element 103, an A / D converter 104, a memory controller 105, and a buffer memory 106. The camera 100 also has an image display unit 107, a storage medium I / F 108, a motor control unit 110, a shutter control unit 111, a photometry unit 112, a multi-division photometry sensor 113, a lens control unit 114, a focus detection unit 115, an attitude detection unit 116, and a switch operation unit 117. The camera 100 also has a flash control unit 118, a built-in flash 119, a camera LED auxiliary light unit 121, and an accessory shoe device (hereinafter, simply referred to as an accessory shoe) 123. An external flash unit 120 is attached to the accessory shoe 123 as an accessory. A storage medium 109, such as a semiconductor memory, can be attached to and detached from the camera 100.

[0011] The camera MPU 101 controls the imaging sequence of the camera 100 and the entire imaging system. The imaging optical system 122 has a plurality of lens groups such as a zoom lens and a focus lens, an aperture, a shutter, etc., and forms light from a subject field as an optical image (subject image) on the imaging element 103. The imaging element 103 is an image sensor such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor that captures (photoelectrically converts) the optical image. The timing signal generating circuit 102 generates a timing signal required to operate the imaging element 103.

[0012] The A / D converter 104 converts an analog signal read out from the imaging element 103 into a digital signal (image data). The memory controller 105 controls reading and writing from and to a memory (not shown) and a refresh operation of the buffer memory 106. The buffer memory 106 temporarily stores the image data output from the A / D converter 104 and display image data for displaying an image on the image display unit 107. The image display unit 107 has a display device such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel, and displays the image data stored in the buffer memory 106.

[0013] The storage medium I / F 108 is an interface that enables communication between an attached storage medium 109 and the camera MPU 101. Note that the camera 100 may also include other storage media, such as a hard disk or optical disk.

[0014] The motor control unit 110 controls a motor (not shown) according to a signal from the camera MPU 101 to move a mirror (not shown) up / down and charge a shutter. The shutter control unit 111 controls the exposure of the image sensor 103 by moving the front and rear curtains of the shutter according to a signal from the camera MPU 101. The multi-segment photometry sensor 113 measures the luminance of each of the areas divided into a plurality of areas within the imaging screen. The photometry unit 112 outputs a luminance signal indicating the luminance of each area to the camera MPU 101. Note that the configuration may not include a mirror or a shutter.

[0015] Camera MPU 101 calculates AV (aperture value), TV (shutter speed), ISO (sensitivity of image sensor 103), etc. for exposure adjustment based on the luminance signal obtained from photometry section 112. Photometry section 112 also outputs a luminance signal when built-in flash 119 or external flash unit 120 pre-emits light toward the subject, to camera MPU 101, and calculates the amount of light emitted by external flash unit 120 (amount of main light emission) during actual imaging. Note that a configuration may be adopted in which multi-segment photometry sensor 113 is not provided, and the function of multi-segment photometry sensor 113 is substituted by image sensor 103.

[0016] The lens control unit 114 communicates with the camera MPU 101 via a mount contact (not shown) and controls the focus and aperture value of the imaging optical system 122 through control of a lens drive motor and an aperture drive motor (not shown). The focus detection unit 115 detects the defocus amount of the imaging optical system 122 using a focus detection method such as a phase difference detection method. The camera MPU 101 calculates the drive amount of the focus lens based on the detected defocus amount, and performs autofocus (AF) by controlling the lens drive motor via the lens control unit 114.

[0017] The attitude detection unit 116 detects the inclination of the camera 100 in the direction of rotation about the optical axis of the imaging optical system 122. The switch operation unit 117 has a first switch (SW1) that is turned ON by a first stroke operation (half-press) of a release button (not shown) and a second switch (SW2) that is turned ON by a second stroke operation (full press), and outputs each ON signal to the camera MPU 101. The camera MPU 101 starts imaging preparation operations such as AF and photometry in response to the ON signal from SW1, and starts imaging (exposure) operation in response to the ON signal from SW2. The switch operation unit 117 also outputs signals to the camera MPU 101 in response to the operation of other operating members (not shown) other than SW1 and SW2.

[0018] The flash control unit 118 controls the emission (pre-flash, main flash, fill light emission, etc.) of the built-in flash 119 and the external flash unit 120 attached to the accessory shoe 123 in accordance with instructions from the camera MPU 101. Furthermore, when the flash control unit 118 detects that the external flash unit 120 is attached to the accessory shoe 123, it starts supplying power to the external flash unit 120 via the accessory shoe 123. The detailed configuration of the accessory shoe 123 will be described later.

[0019] The camera LED assist light section 121 irradiates the subject with near-infrared light (LED assist light) of a predetermined pattern used as assist light for focus detection by the focus detection section 115. The camera MPU 101 controls the emission of assist light by the built-in flash 119 or the external flash unit 120 for focus detection based on a luminance signal from the photometry section 112. Specifically, the camera MPU 101 instructs the built-in flash 119 or the external flash unit 120 to emit assist light via the flash control section 118. The camera MPU 101 can also instruct the camera LED assist light section 121 or the LED assist light section 207 of the external flash unit 120 shown in FIG. 2 to emit LED assist light via the flash control section 118.

[0020] 2 shows the configuration of an external flash unit 120, which is an example of an accessory according to this embodiment. The external flash unit 120 has a main body 200, a bounce mechanism 201, and a head 202. The main body 200 has an external flash MPU 203, a main capacitor 209, various operation units 205 including a power switch, etc., a display unit 208, an LED auxiliary light unit 207, and a camera connection unit 206.

[0021] The external flash MPU 203 is mounted on a main board (not shown), and controls all operations including the light emission control sequence of the external flash unit 120. The camera connection unit 206 is a shoe device that mechanically and electrically connects the external flash unit 120 to the accessory shoe 123 of the camera 100. The camera MPU 101 and the external flash MPU 203 communicate with each other via the flash control unit 118, the accessory shoe 123, and the camera connection unit 206. The configuration of the camera connection unit 206 will be described in detail later.

[0022] The LED auxiliary light unit 207, like the camera LED auxiliary light unit 121, irradiates the field with LED auxiliary light such as near-infrared light having a predetermined pattern as auxiliary light when the focus detection unit 115 of the camera MPU 101 detects focus. The bounce mechanism unit 201 is a mechanism for rotating the head unit 202 horizontally or vertically with respect to the main body unit 200 to change the emission direction of the illumination light (flash) from the head unit 202. By using the bounce mechanism unit 201, it is possible to indirectly illuminate the subject and capture the image (bounce capture). The head unit 202 has a light emitting unit 204 that emits a flash. The light emitting unit 204 has a light source such as a light emitting discharge tube (such as a xenon tube) or an LED, a reflector, a Fresnel lens, and a light emitting circuit. The light emitting circuit causes the light source to emit a flash according to a signal from the external flash MPU 203.

[0023] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the operation of attaching an accessory to an electronic device, with Figure 3(a) showing the camera 100 as viewed from the diagonal rear side. Figure 3(b) shows how to attach the external flash unit 120 to the accessory shoe 123 of the camera 100. Figure 3(c) shows the state in which the external flash unit 120 is attached to the camera 100 as viewed from the diagonal rear side.

[0024] 1 is provided on the front side (field side) of camera 100, and image display unit 107 is provided on the rear side of camera 100. A top cover 150 is provided on the upper surface of camera 100 as an exterior member, and an accessory shoe 123 is disposed on top cover 150. Meanwhile, in external flash unit 120, camera connection unit 206 is provided on the bottom of external flash unit 120.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the external flash unit 120 is slid parallel to the Z direction front side (attachment side in the first direction) with respect to the camera 100 to engage the camera connection part 206 with the accessory shoe 123. This allows the external flash unit 120 to be attached to the camera 100. The Z direction front side is the direction from the rear side to the front side of the camera 100, that is, the direction from the image display unit 107 side to the imaging optical system 122 side. Note that the X direction (second direction), Y direction (third direction), and Z direction (front-rear direction) shown in the drawings from FIG. 4 onwards are common. The X direction is a direction perpendicular to the Z direction in a horizontal plane when the Z direction is parallel to the horizontal direction, and is the width direction of the camera 100. The Y direction is a direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction, and is the height direction of the camera 100.

[0026] Next, the accessory shoe 123 of the digital camera 100 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the accessory shoe 123.

[0027] The accessory shoe 123 includes an engagement member 151 and a signal terminal connector 152. The engagement member 151 is a member for engaging and holding the external flash unit 120. The external flash unit 120 is slid parallel to the Z direction front side (the mounting side in the first direction) relative to the camera 100 to engage the camera connection part 206 with the engagement member 151 of the accessory shoe 123. If the external flash unit 120 is slid parallel to the camera 100 without sufficient alignment, the external flash unit 120 may collide with the engagement member 151. In order to reduce the external impact applied to the external flash unit 120 in the event of a collision, a C-chamfer 152a is provided on the exposed edge of the engagement member 151. This reduces the external impact applied to the external flash unit 120 compared to the case of hitting the edge, making the external flash unit 120 less likely to be damaged. Note that in this embodiment, a C-chamfer is given as an example, but a similar effect can be obtained with an R-chamfer.

[0028] The signal terminal connector 152 has 21 contacts TC01 to TC21 arranged side by side at equal pitches in the X direction on a connector base member formed of a synthetic resin material or the like. In Fig. 4, the signal terminal connector 152 is arranged in the mounting direction of the external lighting device 120, i.e., forward in the Z direction. An engagement hole 156 with which a lock pin 252 (see Fig. 6a described later) of the external lighting device 120 engages is provided at the rear of the signal terminal connector 152 in the Z direction.

[0029] Fig. 5 shows an accessory shoe device and contacts of the shoe device, and Fig. 5(a) shows an example of the arrangement of 21 contacts TC01 to TC21 in accessory shoe 123 when viewed in the -Y direction. Fig. 5(b) shows an example of the arrangement of 21 contacts TA01 to TA21 in camera connection section 206 when viewed in the -Y direction.

[0030] The camera 100 and the external flash unit 120 are electrically connected by one-to-one contact between the multiple contacts TC01 to TC21 of the accessory shoe 123 and the multiple contacts TA01 to TA21 of the camera connection part 206. In this embodiment, the contact TC01 is located at the right end as viewed from the subject side, and the 21 contacts up to the contact TC21 are arranged in a line. Similarly, the contact TA01 is located at the right end as viewed from the subject side, and the 21 contacts up to the contact TA21 are arranged in a line.

[0031] The camera connection part 206 is attached to the accessory shoe 123 by sliding in the longitudinal direction (Z direction) of each contact as shown in FIG. 5(b). When multiple contacts are arranged in the same row as in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the contacts TA01 to TA21 come into contact with the corresponding contacts TC01 to TC21 at approximately the same time. Although the number of contacts on the accessory shoe 123 and the camera connection part 206 is the same in FIG. 5, it is not necessary to make the number of contacts the same. For example, the accessory shoe 123 may have a first number of contacts for electrically connecting to multiple types of accessories, and the camera connection part 206 may have a second number of contacts that is less than the first number. However, even in such a configuration, it is preferable to arrange multiple contacts on the camera connection part 206 in parallel so that the contacts on the accessory shoe 123 come into contact with each other in a one-to-one relationship.

[0032] (First embodiment) Next, the structure of the accessory according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6(a) shows the external flash unit 120 as viewed from the camera connection part 206 side (lower side in the Y direction). Fig. 6(b) shows a cross section taken along line AA in Fig. 6(a), illustrating the internal structure of the camera connection part 206. Fig. 6(c) shows only the connection terminal 257 and the shoe cover 301 of the internal structure shown in Fig. 6(b).

[0033] The camera connection part 206 is provided on the lower side in the Y direction of the base part 250 of the external flash unit 120 (upper side in FIG. 6(a)) as shown in FIG. 6(b) when attached to the accessory shoe 123 of the camera 100. The camera connection part 206 has a shoe mounting leg 300a, a lock pin 252, a lock lever 253, a connection plug 300b, a Y direction holding member 258, a holding member 300, and a shoe cover 301.

[0034] The shoe mounting leg 300a is an engagement member for engaging the external flash unit 120 with the accessory shoe 123 of the camera 100. In other words, the shoe mounting leg 300a is an engagement member on the external flash unit 120 side that is detachable from the accessory shoe 123.

[0035] The lock pin 252 is a fixing member for preventing the external flash unit 120 from falling off when the shoe mounting leg 300a is attached to the accessory shoe 123, and is held by the shoe mounting leg 300a so as to be movable in the Y direction. Specifically, the lock pin 252 is held by a Y-direction holding member 258 so as to be slidable in the Y direction. The lock lever 253 and the Y-direction holding member 258 are held by a holding member 300.

[0036] When the external flash unit 120 is attached to the accessory shoe 123 and the lock lever 253 is rotated, the Y-direction holding member 258 moves downward in the Y direction in Fig. 6(b) by a cam portion (not shown). At that time, the lock pin 252 also moves downward in the Y direction in Fig. 6(b) together with the Y-direction holding member 258. As a result, the lock pin 252 protrudes from the shoe mounting leg 300a and engages with the engagement hole 156 of the accessory shoe 123.

[0037] The connection plug 300b is provided on the front side in the Z direction, is made of a non-conductive material (dielectric material) such as a resin material, and is integrated with the holding member 300. The connection plug 300b has connection terminals 257 (plurality of contacts TA01 to TA21) that abut and are electrically connected to contacts TC01 to TC21 of the accessory shoe 123.

[0038] The contacts TA01 to TA21 of the connection terminal 257 are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the contacts TC01 to TC21, and are inserted and held in grooves formed in the holding member 300 so as to extend in the Z direction and be aligned in the X direction. The contacts TA01 to TA21 have a tip inclined portion 257aa and a tip portion 257a that contact the corresponding contacts TC01 to TC21. The contacts TA01 to TA21 also have a shape that extends backward in the Z direction from the tip portion 257a. Specifically, when the tip inclined portion 257aa and the tip portion 257a come into contact with the contacts TC01 to TC21, the contacts TA01 to TA21 have an extension portion 257b that displaces the tip portion 257a upward in the Y direction in FIG. 6(b) by elastic deformation. An extension straight portion 257c that extends upward in the Y direction is formed at the rear end of the extension portion 257b in the Z direction. The upper end of the extension portion 257c is provided with a flexible board connection portion 257d that is connected to a main board (not shown) of the external flash unit 120 and is connected to a flexible board 259 inserted into the holding member 300 from above in the Y direction. The extension portion 257b has a step portion 257e having a step in the Y direction formed in the middle of the Z direction. The extension portion 257b has a bent portion 257be that is convex toward the lower side in the Y direction (-Y direction) connecting the step portion 257e and the extension portion 257b, and a bent portion 257eb that is convex toward the upper side in the Y direction (+Y direction). Here, the configuration in which the bent portion 257be is convex toward the lower side in the Y direction includes a configuration in which the bent portion 257be is located in the lower area in the Y direction out of two areas of the YZ plane divided by a straight line connecting the ends of the two sides that sandwich the bent portion 257be that are not on the bent portion 257be side. Similarly, a configuration in which the bent portion 257eb is convex upward in the Y direction includes a configuration in which the bent portion 257eb is located in the upper region in the Y direction of one of two regions in the YZ plane divided by a straight line connecting the ends of the two sides that are not on the side of the bent portion 257eb.

[0039] As described above, the extension 257b can be elastically deformed in the Y direction. However, if the distance L of the extension 257b in the Z direction is short, a sufficient amount of deformation cannot be obtained. Therefore, durability is reduced, and the extension 257b may be damaged if the contacts TC01 to TC21 and the tip 257a are repeatedly contacted and separated. Therefore, by providing the step 257e in the extension 257b, it is possible to extend the distance of elastic deformation and prevent damage. In this embodiment, the outer shape of the bent portion 257be and the bent portion 257eb is curved, but it is not necessarily required to be curved and may be straight.

[0040] A lubricant is applied to tip 257a, extension 257b, and step 257e of connection terminal 257. Applying a lubricant can improve connection reliability and durability of the contact portion with multiple contacts TC01 to TC21 of accessory shoe 123 provided on camera 100. Furthermore, durability can be improved by reducing friction at the portion that contacts holding member 300 when connection terminal 257 elastically deforms.

[0041] Next, the shoe cover 301 will be described. The shoe cover 301 is located below the camera connection part 206 in the Y direction, and is a cover for protecting the connection terminal 257. The shoe cover is formed to cover the connection terminal 257 at the tip in the Z direction, thereby preventing the connection terminal 257 from being deformed due to contact with the outside and preventing foreign matter, water droplets, etc. from adhering. The shoe cover 301 is also a support member having a support part 301a for suppressing deformation of the connection terminal 257 that occurs when an impact is applied to the tip part 257a and the tip inclined part 257aa of the connection terminal 257. Since the shoe cover 301 is disposed very close to the connection terminal 257, the shoe cover 301 is formed of a non-conductive material so that the contacts TA01 to TA21 of the connection terminal 257 are not electrically short-circuited.

[0042] The support portion 301a at the Z-direction tip of the shoe cover 301 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6(c). The support portion 301a is formed to conform to the outer shape of the extension portion 257b, the bent portion 257be, and the step portion 257e of the connection terminal 257. By conforming to the outer shape, the support portion 301a plays a role in supporting the connection terminal 257 when the connection terminal 257 receives an external impact, thereby reducing the plastic deformation of the connection terminal 257. When a force due to an external impact or the like is applied to the connection inclined portion 257aa of the connection terminal 257 from approximately the Z direction, the extension portion 257b elastically deforms in the Y direction as described above, thereby suppressing the breakage of the connection terminal 257. However, when an external impact occurs instantaneously, the connection terminal 257 cannot elastically deform in the Y direction, and there is a risk of deformation in the -Z direction. In particular, when a sharp shape of a material harder than the connection terminal 257 collides with the connection terminal 257 and a large external impact occurs instantaneously, there is an increased risk of deformation in the -Z direction. In order to reduce such deformation in the -Z direction, it is better to make the gap between the support part 301a and the extension part 257b, the bent part 257be, and the step part 257e of the connection terminal 257 as small as possible. Specifically, it is desirable to make the gap between the support part 301a and the extension part 257b, the bent part 257be, and the step part 257e of the connection terminal 257 smaller than the amount of displacement that causes plastic deformation of the connection terminal 257. In this embodiment, the support part 301a is formed along the outer shape of the extension part 257b, the bent part 257be, and the step part 257e of the connection terminal 257. However, in order to efficiently reduce the plastic deformation of the connection terminal 257, it is effective to support the part where the amount of displacement of the connection terminal 257 is the largest on the extension line in the direction in which the external impact is applied with the support part 301a. That is, when an external impact is applied to the connecting inclined portion 257aa from the Z direction, it is desirable that the bent portion 257be located on the extension line of the connecting inclined portion 257aa in the Z direction is supported by the supporting portion 301a. Therefore, as long as the supporting portion 301a supports at least the bent portion 257be located on the extension line of the connecting inclined portion 257aa in the Z direction, the effect of reducing the plastic deformation of the connecting terminal 257 can be obtained even if the extending portion 257b and the step portion 257e are not supported.

[0043] As described above, by supporting the portion of connecting terminal 257 where the amount of displacement is greatest on the extension line of the direction in which the external impact is applied by supporting portion 301a, plastic deformation of connecting terminal 257 due to the external impact can be reduced.

[0044] Second Embodiment Next, the structure of an accessory according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. This differs from the first embodiment in the structure for supporting connection terminal 257. In Fig. 7, the same components as those in Fig. 6 are given the same reference numerals.

[0045] Fig. 7(a) shows the external flash unit 1120 as viewed from the camera connection section 206 side (the lower side in the Y direction). Fig. 7(b) shows a cross section taken along line AA in Fig. 7(a), illustrating the internal structure of the camera connection section 206. Fig. 7(c) shows only the connection terminal 257 and the spacer 260 of the internal structure shown in Fig. 7(b).

[0046] The camera connection part 206 is provided on the lower side in the Y direction of the base part 250 of the external flash unit 120 (upper side in FIG. 7(a)) as shown in FIG. 7(b) when attached to the accessory shoe 123 of the camera 100. The camera connection part 206 has a shoe mounting leg 251, a lock pin 252, a lock lever 253, a connection plug 256, a Y direction holding member 258, a holding member 254, and a spacer 260.

[0047] The shoe mounting leg 251 is an engagement member for engaging the external flash unit 120 with the accessory shoe 123 of the camera 100. In other words, the shoe mounting leg 251 is an engagement member on the external flash unit 120 side that is detachable from the accessory shoe 123. The shoe mounting leg 251 is a part that is subjected to large stress due to external forces such as pressure and impact applied to the external flash unit 120, and is formed by processing a metal plate material (sheet metal) having high mechanical strength. The shoe mounting leg 251 is fastened to the holding member 254 by a screw (not shown). In this embodiment, the number of connection terminals 257 is smaller than that of the first embodiment. Specifically, the connection terminal 257 of this embodiment only has contacts corresponding to the contacts TA04 to TA18 of the first embodiment, and the contacts TA01 to TA03 and the contacts TA19 to TA21 are omitted. Therefore, in this embodiment, the shoe mounting legs 251 and the holding member 254 are fastened by screws (not shown) at the positions where the contacts TA01 to TA03 and the contacts TA19 to TA21 were located in the first embodiment.

[0048] The lock pin 252 is a fixed member for preventing the external flash unit 120 from falling off when the shoe mounting leg 251 is attached to the accessory shoe 123, and is held by the shoe mounting leg 251 so as to be movable in the Y direction. Specifically, the lock pin 252 is held by a Y-direction holding member 258 so as to be slidable in the Y direction. The lock lever 253 and the Y-direction holding member 258 are held by a holding member 254.

[0049] When the external flash unit 120 is attached to the accessory shoe 123 and the lock lever 253 is rotated, the Y-direction holding member 258 is moved downward in the Y direction in FIG. 7(b) by a cam portion (not shown). At that time, the lock pin 252 also moves downward in the Y direction in FIG. 7(b) together with the Y-direction holding member 258. As a result, the lock pin 252 protrudes from the shoe mounting leg 251 and engages with the engagement hole 156 of the accessory shoe 123.

[0050] The connection plug 256 is provided on the front side in the Z direction, is made of a non-conductive material (dielectric material) such as a resin material, and is integrated with the holding member 254. The connection plug 256 has connection terminals 257 (plurality of contacts TA04 to TA18) that abut and are electrically connected to contacts TC04 to TC18 of the accessory shoe 123.

[0051] Contacts TA04 to TA18 of connection terminal 257 are provided in one-to-one correspondence with contacts TC04 to TC18, and are inserted and held in grooves formed in holding member 300 so as to extend in the Z direction and be aligned in the X direction.

[0052] The shape of the contacts TA04 to TA18 and the application of the lubricant is the same as that of the contacts TA01 to TA21 in the first embodiment, so detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0053] Next, the spacer 260 will be described. The spacer 260 is located below the camera connection part 206 in the Y direction, and is disposed between the holding member 254 and the shoe mounting leg 251, and is a cover for protecting the connection terminal 257. The spacer 260 is formed so as to cover the space between the shoe mounting leg 251 and the connection terminal 257, thereby preventing the connection terminal 257 from being deformed due to contact with the outside, and preventing foreign matter, water droplets, etc. from entering the inside. The spacer 260 is also a support member having a support part 260a for suppressing deformation of the connection terminal 257 when a force due to an external impact is applied to the tip part 257a and the tip inclined part 257aa of the connection terminal 257. Since the spacer 260 is disposed very close to the connection terminal 257, the spacer 260 is formed of a non-conductive member so that each of the contacts TA04 to TA18 of the connection terminal 257 is not electrically short-circuited.

[0054] The support portion 260a at the Z-direction tip of the spacer 260 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7(c). The support portion 260a is formed to conform to the outer shape of the extension portion 257b, the bent portion 257be, and the step portion 257e of the connection terminal 257. By conforming to the outer shape, the support portion 260a plays a role in supporting the connection terminal 257 when the connection terminal 257 receives an external impact, thereby reducing the plastic deformation of the connection terminal 257. When a force due to an external impact or the like is applied to the connection inclined portion 257aa of the connection terminal 257 from approximately the Z direction, the extension portion 257b elastically deforms in the Y direction as described above, thereby suppressing the breakage of the connection terminal 257. However, when an external impact occurs instantaneously, the connection terminal 257 cannot elastically deform in the Y direction, and there is a risk of deformation in the -Z direction. In particular, when a sharp shape of a material harder than the connection terminal 257 collides with the connection terminal 257 and a large external impact occurs instantaneously, there is an increased risk of deformation in the -Z direction. In order to reduce such deformation in the -Z direction, it is better to make the gap between the support part 260a and the extension part 257b, the bent part 257be, and the step part 257e of the connection terminal 257 as small as possible. Specifically, it is desirable to make the gap between the support part 260a and the extension part 257b, the bent part 257be, and the step part 257e of the connection terminal 257 smaller than the amount of displacement that causes plastic deformation of the connection terminal 257. In this embodiment, the support part 260a is formed along the outer shape of the extension part 257b, the bent part 257be, and the step part 257e of the connection terminal 257. However, in order to efficiently reduce the plastic deformation of the connection terminal 257, it is effective to support the part where the amount of displacement of the connection terminal 257 is the largest on the extension line in the direction in which the external impact is applied with the support part 260a. That is, when an external impact is applied to the connecting inclined portion 257aa from the Z direction, it is desirable that the bent portion 257be located on the extension line of the connecting inclined portion 257aa in the Z direction be supported by the supporting portion 260a. Therefore, as long as the supporting portion 260a supports at least the bent portion 257be located on the extension line of the connecting inclined portion 257aa in the Z direction, the effect of reducing the plastic deformation of the connecting terminal 257 can be obtained even if the extending portion 257b and the step portion 257e are not supported.

[0055] As described above, by supporting the portion of connecting terminal 257 where the amount of displacement is greatest on the extension line of the direction in which the external impact is applied by supporting portion 260a, plastic deformation of connecting terminal 257 due to the external impact can be reduced.

[0056] In the above two embodiments, the connection terminal 257 is provided with the step portion 257e, but the number of step portions and the presence or absence of step portions are not particularly limited. For example, the connection terminal 257 may be provided with two or more step portions, or the extension portion 257c and the bent portion 257be may be connected by a linear inclined portion. Furthermore, the extension portion 257c may extend to a position aligned with the tip inclined portion 257aa in the Z direction, and a linear extension portion 257b parallel to the Z direction may be provided from the extension portion 257c. In such a configuration, the portion where the extension portion 257c and the extension portion 257b intersect corresponds to the bent portion 257be and becomes a support target.

[0057] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0058] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations and methods.

[0059] (Configuration 1) A shoe device that is attached to and detached from an accessory shoe device provided in an electronic device in a first direction, and has a plurality of contacts that are electrically connected to the electronic device and are arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a holding member that holds the plurality of contacts; 1. A support member supporting the plurality of contacts in the first direction; Each of the plurality of contacts has a tip portion exposed in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions with respect to the holding member and contacting the electronic device, and a bent portion connected to the tip portion and protruding in the third direction, 1. The shoe device, characterized in that the support member supports the bent portion.

[0060] (Configuration 2) 2. The shoe device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of contacts has an extension portion extending in the first direction and connecting the tip portion and the bent portion.

[0061] (Configuration 3) 1. The shoe device according to configuration 1, wherein the support member is formed along the outer shape of the bent portion.

[0062] (Configuration 4) 4. The shoe device according to configuration 3, wherein the outer shape of the bent portion is curved.

[0063] (Configuration 5) 4. The shoe device according to configuration 3, wherein the outer shape of the bent portion is linear.

[0064] (Configuration 6) 6. The shoe device according to any one of the configurations 1 to 5, wherein the support member is formed of a non-conductive member.

[0065] (Configuration 7) 7. The shoe device according to any one of configurations 1 to 6, wherein a gap between the bent portion and the support member is smaller than an amount of displacement that causes plastic deformation of the contact point.

[0066] (Configuration 8) The accessory is characterized by the fact that it includes the shoe device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7.

[0067] (Configuration 9) 8. The accessory according to configuration 8, characterized in that the accessory is a lighting device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 100 Digital Camera 120 External Flash Unit 123 Accessory shoe 206 Camera connection part (shoe device) 257 Connection terminal 260 Spacer 301 Shoe Cover

Claims

1. An accessory shoe device is attached to and detached from an electronic device in a first direction, and a plurality of contacts electrically connected to the electronic device are arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a holding member for holding the plurality of contacts; a support member that supports the plurality of contacts in the first direction, Each of the plurality of contacts has a tip portion exposed in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions with respect to the holding member and coming into contact with the electronic device, and a bent portion connected to the tip portion and protruding in the third direction, The shoe device is characterized in that the support member supports the bent portion.

2. The shoe device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of contact points has an extension portion formed thereon that extends in the first direction and connects the tip portion and the bent portion.

3. 2. The shoe device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is formed along the outer shape of the bent portion.

4. 4. The shoe device according to claim 3, wherein the outer shape of the bent portion is a curve.

5. 4. The shoe device according to claim 3, wherein the outer shape of the bent portion is a straight line.

6. 4. The shoe device according to claim 3, wherein the bent portion is capable of being displaced in the third direction when a force is applied to the tip portion in the second direction.

7. 2. The shoe device according to claim 1, wherein the support member is formed of a non-conductive material.

8. 2. The shoe device according to claim 1, wherein the gap between the bent portion and the support member is smaller than the displacement amount at which the contact point undergoes plastic deformation.

9. An accessory comprising the shoe device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The accessory of claim 9 , wherein the accessory is a lighting device.

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