Accessory Devices

Abstract

To provide an accessory device that prevents the configuration information written into memory, etc., from being destroyed.SOLUTION: A transmitter 100 attachable / removable from a camera 300 includes a lock unit 120 for performing a lock operation in accordance with operation of a lever 110 so as to keep the transmitter 100 from being removed from the camera 300, an unlocking button 112 for releasing the restriction of operation of the lever 110, and a power supply cover part 103a for restricting the operation of the unlocking button 112. The power supply cover part 103a renders the unlocking button 112 more difficult to operate when the power supply of the transmitter 100 is on than when the power supply is off.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an accessory device that is attached to an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] An accessory device that can be attached to and detached from the accessory shoe of an imaging device (e.g., a camera), which is an electronic device, is provided with a lock mechanism that prevents the device from falling off the imaging device and a power switch, but conventionally, the lock mechanism and the power switch are arranged independently. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a case in which the function of the power switch is not added to the fixing ring 17, which is the lock mechanism of a strobe device 1 as an accessory device, and the fixing ring 17 and the power switch are arranged independently.

[0003] Furthermore, in recent accessory devices, when the power is on or when the power is switched from the on state to the off state by operating a power switch, setting information is written from the imaging device to a memory such as an EEPROM. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5838372 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, if the accessory device is detached from the imaging device while the power is on and the setting information is written in a memory such as an EEPROM, there is a risk that the setting information will be destroyed.

[0006] Furthermore, in a configuration in which power is supplied from an imaging device to an accessory device, if the power supply from the imaging device to the accessory device is stopped while setting information is being written to a memory such as an EEPROM, there is also a risk that the setting information will be destroyed.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide an accessory device capable of preventing the written setting information from being destroyed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the accessory device of the present invention is an accessory device that is detachable from an electronic device, the accessory device comprising: an operator; Rotation in a given direction a lock mechanism for locking the accessory device and the electronic device in response to an operation of the operation button; The rotation in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction An operation restriction release mechanism for releasing the restriction on the operation; Under certain conditions The operation restriction release mechanism By covering at least a part of the mechanism with a cover, the mechanism is prevented from being pressed against the mechanism. and an operation restriction means for restricting an operation, The cover When the power supply of the accessory device is on, the operation restriction release mechanism is activated more quickly than when the power supply is off. By covering at least a part of it, It is characterized by making it difficult to operate. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the setting information written in the memory or the like of the accessory device from being destroyed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the external appearance of a transmitter as an accessory device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the transmitter shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the transmitter when the top cover is detached from the bottom cover. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view for explaining the internal structure of a bottom case unit in the transmitter of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 13 is a diagram for explaining an unlock button sliding cam portion formed on the bottom cover. FIG. [Figure 6]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the lock unit. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram for explaining in detail a power supply cam portion and a shoe lock cam base sliding cam portion provided on the lever of the lock unit. FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a diagram for explaining the movement of the lever when the transmitter transitions from an unlocked state to a locked state (power-off state) and then to a power-on state. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the transmitter and the camera shown in FIG. [Figure 10] 4 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of each component when the transmitter transitions to a power-on state or a power-off state. FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a diagram showing the appearance of a transmitter as an accessory device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is a diagram illustrating an unlock button sliding cam portion formed on a bottom cover in a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 13] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining the movement of the unlock button when transitioning from a power-off state to a power-on state. [Figure 14] 13A to 13C are process diagrams illustrating an unlocking operation in a lock unit in which a lever is moved in the Y direction during rotation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a first preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a transmitter 100 as an accessory device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1(A) shows the transmitter 100 as viewed obliquely from the front, and FIG. 1(B) shows the transmitter 100 as viewed obliquely from the rear. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the transmitter 100 in FIG. 1, where FIG. 2(A) is a cross-sectional view along the YZ plane in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2(B) is a cross-sectional view along the XY plane in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the transmitter 100 when the top cover 102 is removed from the bottom cover 103. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the internal structure of a bottom case unit 119 in the transmitter 100 in FIG. 1. FIG. 4(A) is an exploded perspective view of the bottom case unit 119, and FIG. 4(B) is a view for explaining the mating surface of the bottom cover 103 with the lock unit 120. In FIG. 4(B), the bottom cover 103 is shown upside down relative to the lock unit 120.

[0013] Transmitter 100 includes a wireless module 101, and performs wireless communication with a strobe device (not shown) that also includes a wireless module, and transmits a light emission command to the strobe device. Transmitter 100 according to this embodiment operates using bus power supply, which is supplied with power from a camera (not shown), which is an electronic device. Transmitter 100 may also be configured to include a power source such as a battery and operate using self-power.

[0014] Transmitter 100 is roughly composed of a top case unit 117 and a bottom case unit 119. A top cover 102 covers the internal structure of top case unit 117, and a bottom cover 103 covers the internal structure of bottom case unit 119. A cushion member 104 is sandwiched between the joint between top cover 102 and bottom cover 103 to prevent liquid droplets from entering the inside of transmitter 100.

[0015] An LED notification window 105 and an operation button 106 are arranged on the top cover 102. The LED notification window 105 is welded to the top cover 102 and has a waterproof performance, and serves as a light projection window for the internal LED 115a to notify various states of the transmitter 100. The operation button 106 is made of a rubber material and is in close contact with the top cover 102 to provide a waterproof performance. The operation button 106 is a button used when configuring various settings of the transmitter 100, and an MPU 116a (described later) changes various settings of the transmitter 100 in response to a user's operation of the operation button 106.

[0016] A plate 107, which is a connection portion for mounting to an accessory shoe of a camera, a lock pin 111, and a contact plug 108 (mounting portion) are arranged on the bottom cover 103, and a boot 109 is attached to cover these. The contact plug 108 receives various communications and power supplies via the contact portion of the accessory shoe of the camera.

[0017] Furthermore, a lock unit 120 (lock mechanism) is incorporated in the bottom cover 103, and the lock unit 120 includes a lever 110 (operator) that is rotatable around the Y axis. In the transmitter 100, the operator rotates the lever 110 to the lock position, causing a lock pin 111 provided inside the plate 107 to protrude to the outside (downward) of the plate 107. The protruding lock pin 111 fits into a hole in the accessory shoe of the camera, restricting movement of the transmitter 100 in the attachment / detachment direction and transitioning the transmitter 100 to a locked state in which it cannot be removed from the camera. This prevents the transmitter 100 from falling off the camera.

[0018] Lever 110 has a lock release button 112 (operation restriction release mechanism). When the lock release button 112 is operated (e.g., pressed down), lever 110 becomes rotatable from the locked position in the opposite direction (unlock direction, opposite to the specified direction) to the rotation direction (lock direction, specified direction) for transitioning to the locked state. When lever 110 is rotated in the unlock direction and reaches the unlocked position, the protruding lock pin 111 is stored inside plate 107, and the transmitter 100 transitions to an unlocked state in which it can be removed from the camera.

[0019] Lever 110 is configured to be further rotatable in the lock direction from the lock position. When lever 110 is further rotated in the lock direction from the lock position to reach the power on position, the power of transmitter 100 is turned on. Also, by rotating lever 110 from the power on position in the unlock direction to the power off position, the power of transmitter 100 is turned off (transmitter 100 is not in use). That is, in this embodiment, the function of a power switch is added to lever 110. Note that this embodiment is based on the premise that the lock position and the power off position are the same.

[0020] Inside the top cover 102, the wireless module 101, the buzzer 113, the button base 114, the switch FPC (flexible printed circuit) 115, the operation button 106, and the main board 116 are arranged, and these components constitute a top case unit 117. The buzzer 113 is attached to the top cover 102 and electrically connected to the switch FPC 115. The buzzer 113 notifies various states of the transmitter 100 by buzzing sound, similar to the LED notification window 105. The button base 114 fixes the switch FPC 115 and receives the force when the operation button 106 is pressed. In the top case unit 117, the wiring pattern of the switch FPC 115 comes into contact with the conductive rubber of the operation button 106, so that the operation button 106 functions as a push button switch. The switch FPC 115 is equipped with an LED 115a, and electrically connects the wireless module 101 and the buzzer 113 to the main board 116. In addition, an antenna 101a (chip antenna) for wireless communication is mounted on the upper end side of the wireless module 101. Various electrical components are mounted on the main board 116, including an MPU 116a (controller) that performs various controls, and connectors to which the switch FPC 115 and shoe FPC 118 are connected.

[0021] Lock unit 120 is fixed by being sandwiched between plate 107 and GND plate 121 with four screws 122. These components also constitute a bottom case unit 119. In addition to the above-mentioned cushion member 104, bottom cover 103 has cushion member 123 disposed at the boundary between hole 103e into which shoe FPC 118 is inserted and lock unit 120, thereby preventing water from entering inside bottom cover 103. Cushion member 104 and cushion member 123 are adhered to bottom cover 103 with double-sided tape.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4B, the bottom cover 103 has a click protrusion 124 and a power supply detection protrusion 125 (switching portion) on the mating surface with the lock unit 120. The click protrusion 124 and the power supply detection protrusion 125 generate a click force when the lever 110 is rotated to switch the power supply between an on state and an off state, and detect the power supply. The click protrusion 124 is disposed in a protrusion storage portion 103c of the bottom cover 103, and is biased toward the lock unit 120 by a spring (not shown). When the lever 110 of the lock unit 120 incorporated inside the bottom cover 103 rotates, the click protrusion 124 slides against the power supply cam portion 110a of the opposing lever 110, thereby generating a click force. The power supply detection protrusion 125 is disposed in a power supply detection hole 103d of the bottom cover 103, and is biased toward the lock unit 120 by a power supply detection rubber 126 (switching portion). Like the click projection 124, the power supply detection projection 125 also slides against the power supply cam portion 110a of the opposing lever 110 when the lever 110 of the lock unit 120 rotates.

[0023] In the bottom case unit 119, the conductive rubber of the power detection rubber 126 detects the power supply by contacting the wiring pattern of the shoe FPC 118. The power detection rubber 126 also functions as a drip-proof member. The operating force of the lever 110 can be adjusted by the force of the spring that biases the click protrusion 124, the inclination angle of the power cam portion 110a, and the repulsive force of the power detection rubber 126.

[0024] The shoe FPC 118 is inserted into a hole 103e in the bottom cover 103, penetrating the bottom cover 103, and electrically connected to the contact plug 108. The shoe FPC 118 also has a reinforcing plate 118a, and is screwed to the bottom cover 103 so that the reinforcing plate 118a can withstand the elastic force generated when the power detection rubber 126 comes into contact with the wiring pattern of the shoe FPC 118. The shoe FPC 118 is also screwed to the GND plate 121, and the plate 107 connected to the GND plate 121 via the screw 122 is electrically connected to the GND of the contact plug 108.

[0025] In addition, the bottom cover 103 has a power supply cover portion 103a (operation restriction means, cover member) and an unlock button sliding cam portion 103b. When the lever 110 is rotated in the lock direction to the power on position, the power supply cover portion 103a covers at least a part of the unlock button 112 to hide it from the operator's fingers, etc. This prevents the lever 110 from being rotated unintentionally to the unlock position when the unlock button 112 is pressed down accidentally while the power is on, making the lever 110 rotatable in the unlock direction. When the lever 110 is rotated from the power on position to the power off position, the power supply cover portion 103a exposes the unlock button 112. This allows the unlock button 112 to be easily pressed down after the power is switched to the off state, and therefore allows the power to be smoothly switched to the unlock state after being switched to the off state.

[0026] The unlock button sliding cam portion 103b has a cam structure that slides with the button protrusion portion 112a of the unlock button 112 when the lever 110 rotates. The unlock button sliding cam portion 103b generates a clicking force when the lever 110 starts to rotate from the unlock position to the lock direction. When the lever 110 is in the lock position (power off position), the button protrusion portion 112a engages with the wall portion of the unlock button sliding cam portion 103b, thereby suppressing the rotation of the lever 110 and maintaining the locked state.

[0027] Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the unlock button sliding cam portion 103b formed on the bottom cover 103. Fig. 5 shows the bottom cover 103 viewed from the camera side along the Y direction. Using Fig. 5, the movement of the unlock button 112 (button protrusion 112a) whose operation is restricted by the unlock button sliding cam portion 103b when the lever 110 rotates will be explained. The unlock button sliding cam portion 103b is formed with a cam slope 103ba that slides with the button protrusion 112a, an arc wall surface 103bb, a lock wall surface 103bc, and a wall surface 103bd in this order in the lock direction.

[0028] First, when lever 110 is operated to start rotating from the unlocked position to the locked position, button protrusion 112a slides against cam slope 103ba, and a clicking sensation is generated when button protrusion 112a moves toward the rotation center and overcomes cam slope 103ba. Next, as lever 110 rotates toward the locked position, button protrusion 112a slides against arc wall surface 103bb while being pressed by unlock spring 127, which will be described later. This provides an appropriate operational sensation to the rotation of lever 110.

[0029] Thereafter, when the button protrusion 112a rides over the lock wall surface 103bc of the unlock button sliding cam portion 103b formed corresponding to the locked position, the button protrusion 112a is pressed against the wall surface 103bd by the unlock spring 127. At this time, the transmitter 100 transitions to the locked state. Since the wall surface 103bd is formed on the outer side of the arc wall surface 103bb in the biasing direction of the unlock spring 127, the button protrusion 112a pressed against the wall surface 103bd does not easily return to the arc wall surface 103bb due to the lock wall surface 103bc being an obstacle. As a result, the locked state of the transmitter 100 is maintained. At this time, the lever 110 is in the power off position.

[0030] Furthermore, as the lever 110 rotates in the locking direction, the button protrusion 112a slides while being pressed against the wall surface 103bd, and eventually the lever 110 reaches the power on position. Since the distance from the rotation center of the lever 110 to the wall surface 103bd is constant in the rotation direction, the unlock button 112 does not move in the radial direction of the rotation when the lever 110 rotates from the power off position to the power on position. Then, as described above, when the lever 110 reaches the power on position, at least a portion of the unlock button 112 is covered by the power supply cover part 103a.

[0031] Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal structure of the lock unit 120. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining in detail the power supply cam portion 110a and the shoe lock cam base sliding cam portion 110b provided on the lever 110 of the lock unit 120, Fig. 7(A) is a plan view of the lever 110, and Fig. 7(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 7(A). Note that the click protrusion 124 and the power supply detection protrusion 125 are omitted from Fig. 7.

[0032] In FIG. 6, the lock unit 120 has a contact plug 108, a lever 110, a shoe top base 128, and a shoe lock cam base 130. An unlock button 112 is attached to the lever 110, and the unlock button 112 is urged outwardly from the center of rotation by an unlock spring 127. The unlock button 112 rotates together with the lever 110. The shoe top base 128 is screwed to the shoe lock cam base 130 by two stepped screws 129 equipped with conical springs, and the conical springs of the stepped screws 129 urge the shoe top base 128 toward the shoe lock cam base 130. The shoe top base 128 is substantially cylindrical, and a substantially ring-shaped lever 110 is attached to the outer periphery. The shoe top base 128 is fixed in position relative to the bottom cover 103, and functions as a rotation axis for the lever 110. The shoe lock cam base 130 abuts against the boot 109 at its lower side.

[0033] Furthermore, two lock pins 111 are arranged between the shoe top base 128 and the shoe lock cam base 130 so as to be urged by a compression spring towards the shoe lock cam base 130 with the shoe top base 128 as a reference. A plug hole 130a is formed in the shoe lock cam base 130, into which the contact plug 108 is inserted, and the contact plug 108 is then screwed to the shoe top base 128. A contact spacer 131 is arranged on the contact plug 108, and the contact spacer 131 provides insulation so that the plate 107 and the contact portions of the contact plug 108 do not come into contact with each other.

[0034] Furthermore, a power supply cam portion 110a extending in the rotation direction is formed on the upper surface of the lever 110, and a shoe lock cam base sliding cam portion 110b extending in the rotation direction is formed on the lower surface of the lever 110. The power supply cam portion 110a is a cam against which the click protrusion 124 and the power supply detection protrusion 125 slide. Furthermore, a sliding rib portion 110c is formed on the upper surface of the lever 110, and when the lever 110 rotates, the sliding rib portion 110c slides against a mating surface of the bottom cover 103 with the lock unit 120.

[0035] The shoe lock cam base sliding cam portion 110b is a cam on which the protrusion portion 130b of the shoe lock cam base 130 slides. In this embodiment, the shoe lock cam base 130 has three protrusion portions 130b arranged on a circumference, and three shoe lock cam base sliding cam portions 110b are provided on the underside of the lever 110 to correspond to the respective protrusion portions 130b.

[0036] When the lever 110 rotates, the shoe lock cam base sliding cam portion 110b slides against the protrusion portion 130b of the shoe lock cam base 130. Then, the shoe lock cam base 130 moves up and down (Y direction) in accordance with the profile of the shoe lock cam base sliding cam portion 110b. The sliding between the shoe lock cam base sliding cam portion 110b and the protrusion portion 130b will be described in detail later.

[0037] As described above, the shoe top base 128 is connected to the shoe lock cam base 130 by the stepped screw 129, and the shoe lock cam base 130 abuts against the boot 109. Therefore, as the shoe lock cam base 130 moves up and down, the lock pin 111, stepped screw 129, and boot 109 also move up and down. As a result, the boot 109 and plate 107 sandwich the camera's accessory shoe, and the lock pin 111 protruding from the plate 107 fits into a hole in the camera's accessory shoe. This causes the transmitter 100 to transition from an unlocked state to a locked state.

[0038] Next, the details of the sliding between the click protrusion 124 and the power supply detection protrusion 125 and the power supply cam portion 110a will be described. When the transmitter 100 is in the unlocked state, both the click protrusion 124 and the power supply detection protrusion 125 are located on the bottom surface 110aa of the power supply cam portion 110a. When the lever 110 then rotates in the locking direction, the click protrusion 124 first climbs the slope 110ab. Then, the click protrusion 124 climbs over the top surface 110ac and descends the slope 110ad, and when it reaches the bottom surface 110ae, the power supply detection protrusion 125 starts climbing the slope 110ab. When the click protrusion 124 reaches the bottom surface 110ae, the transmitter 100 transitions to the locked state (power off state). Furthermore, when the lever 110 continues to rotate in the lock direction, the click protrusion 124 climbs the slope 110af, climbs over the top surface 110ag, descends the slope 110ah, and reaches the bottom surface 110ai, generating a click force. When the click protrusion 124 reaches the bottom surface 110ai, the power detection protrusion 125 reaches the top surface 110ac and presses the power detection rubber 126 to detect the power. At this time, the transmitter 100 transitions to the power-on state.

[0039] After the click protrusion 124 reaches the bottom surface 110ai, the lever 110 rotates in the unlock direction, causing the transmitter 100 to transition from a power-on state to a power-off state (locked state) and then to an unlocked state. In this embodiment, even if the click protrusion 124 reaches the bottom surface 110ai, the click protrusion 124 does not come into contact with the bottom surface 110ai. In the power cam portion 110a, the width of the bottom surface 110ai is set short, so that the click protrusion 124 can be sandwiched between the inclined surfaces 110ah and 110aj, thereby suppressing rattling of the lever 110 in the power-on state.

[0040] Next, details of the sliding between the protrusion 130b of the shoe lock cam base 130 and the shoe lock cam base sliding cam portion 110b will be described. When the transmitter 100 is in the unlocked state, the multiple protrusions 130b of the shoe lock cam base 130 are located in the recesses 110ba of the shoe lock cam base sliding cam portion 110b. When the lever 110 rotates in the locking direction, each protrusion 130b moves on the inclined surface 110bb and reaches the protrusion 110bc, at which point the transmitter 100 transitions to the locked state. Even if the lever 110 further rotates in the locking direction and the transmitter 100 transitions from the power-off state to the power-on state, the protrusion 130b only moves on the protrusion 110bc. At this time, the protrusion 130b does not move in the Y direction, so the shoe lock cam base 130 does not move in the Y direction either.

[0041] Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the movement of lever 110 when transmitter 100 transitions from an unlocked state through a locked state (power-off state) to a power-on state. Fig. 8(A) shows the lever 110 in the unlocked position, Fig. 8(B) shows the lever 110 in the locked position, and Fig. 8(C) shows the lever 110 in the power-on position.

[0042] When lever 110 is in the unlocked position (FIG. 8(A)), lock pin 111 is stored inside plate 107 and does not protrude or fit into the hole in the accessory shoe, allowing transmitter 100 to be removed from the camera.

[0043] Furthermore, when lever 110 is rotated 90° from the unlocked position in the locking direction, lever 110 reaches the locked position (FIG. 8(B)). At this time, the power supply of transmitter 100 is off, but lock pin 111 pops out and fits into a hole in the accessory shoe. This fixes transmitter 100 to the accessory shoe of the camera, and transitions to a locked state. Note that even when lever 110 reaches the locked position, power supply detection protrusion 125 is still climbing slope 110ab of power supply cam portion 110a and has not yet reached top surface 110ac. Therefore, power supply detection is not performed, and the power supply of transmitter 100 remains off.

[0044] When the lever 110 is further rotated 15° in the lock direction from the locked position, the lever 110 reaches the power on position (FIG. 8(C)). At this time, the lock pin 111 still fits into the hole in the accessory shoe, and the locked state is maintained. Meanwhile, the power detection protrusion 125 climbs up the inclined surface 110ab of the power cam portion 110a and reaches the top surface 110ac. This causes power detection, and the power of the transmitter 100 transitions to the on state. Furthermore, when the power is detected and the power transitions to the on state, the transmitter 100 notifies the camera that the power has transitioned to the on state, and the MPU 116a is then started.

[0045] Furthermore, when the lever 110 is rotated 15° in the unlocked direction from the power-on position, the lever 110 reaches the locked position (FIG. 8(B)). At this time, the transmitter 100 transitions to the power-off state, but the locked state is maintained. In other words, by slightly rotating the lever 110 in the unlocked direction, the transmitter 100 can be transitioned to the power-off state without removing it from the camera.

[0046] Furthermore, when the lever 110 is rotated 90° from the lock position in the unlock direction, the lever 110 reaches the unlock position (FIG. 8(A)). However, as described above, when the lever 110 is in the lock position, the lock wall surface 103bc of the unlock button sliding cam portion 103b becomes an obstacle and the button protrusion 112a does not easily return to the arc wall surface 103bb. In order for the button protrusion 112a to overcome the lock wall surface 103bc, the operator needs to push the unlock button 112 to move the button protrusion 112a toward the center of rotation. In other words, the lever 110 does not rotate from the power on position through the power off position to the unlock position in one go. This makes it possible to prevent the transmitter 100 from being detached from the camera when the transmitter 100 is turned off. As a result, it is possible to prevent the transmitter 100 from being removed from the camera 300 while the setting information is being written to the EEPROM 141, thereby preventing the power supply ACC_POW supplied from the camera 300 from being turned off, thereby preventing the setting information from being destroyed.

[0047] Furthermore, as described above, when lever 110 reaches the power on position, power supply cover part 103a covers at least a part of unlock button 112, preventing operation of unlock button 112. This makes it possible to prevent the lever 110 from being able to move from the power on position to the unlock position by accidentally pressing down unlock button 112 at the power on position.

[0048] Furthermore, in the transmitter 100, when the lever 110 is rotated from the power-on position to the unlocked position, it always passes through the power-off position, which makes it possible to prevent the transmitter 100 from being removed from the camera while the transmitter 100 is still powered on.

[0049] 9 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the transmitter 100 and the camera in FIG. 1. In FIG. 9, the camera 300 has a camera MPU 301, an accessory power supply unit 302, an accessory shoe 303, and a pull-up resistor element 304. The transmitter 100 is attached to the accessory shoe 303 by a contact plug 108, and the camera 300 supplies power from the accessory power supply unit 302 to the transmitter 100. The camera MPU 301 controls each component of the camera 300. When a transmission line that transmits the accessory attachment notification signal / ACC_DET is disconnected from the ground (GND), the signal is pulled up by the pull-up resistor element 304 and changes to a high level. When the transmission line is grounded and the signal / ACC_DET is pulled down and changes to a low level, the camera MPU 301 detects that an accessory such as the transmitter 100 has been attached. In response to detecting the change of the signal / ACC_DET to a low level, the accessory power supply unit 302 supplies the accessory power supply ACC_POW to the transmitter 100 .

[0050] The transmitter 100 has an MPU 116a, a power supply unit 140 (power receiving unit), an EEPROM 141, and an attachment notification holding unit 142. The MPU 116a controls each component of the transmitter 100. The MPU 116a also transmits and receives various information to and from the camera MPU 301 via the contact plug 108 and the accessory shoe 303. The power supply unit 140 generates power supplied to each component of the transmitter 100 from the power supply ACC_POW supplied from the camera 300. The EEPROM 141 stores various setting values ​​for controlling the transmitter 100 and setting information transmitted from the camera 300.

[0051] The mounting notification holding unit 142 is composed of a diode 143, a diode 144, a switch element 145, and a pull-up resistor element 146. As described later, the mounting notification holding unit 142 has a function of holding the state (level) of the signal / ACC_DET transmitted to the camera 300 for a predetermined period. The configuration of the mounting notification holding unit 142 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 9 as long as the function of holding the state of the signal / ACC_DET can be realized. The diode 144 is a rectifier diode that prevents current from flowing from the camera 300 to the MPU 116a when the accessory power supply ACC_POW is off. The switch element 145 is turned on when the accessory mounting notification signal EN_ / ACC_DET used in the transmitter 100 becomes high level. When the switch element 145 is turned on, the transmission line of the signal / ACC_DET transmitted to the camera 300 is grounded, and the signal / ACC_DET is pulled down and changes to a low level.

[0052] The switch 147 (state detection unit, lock detection unit) is a schematic representation of a power switch that is switched depending on the state of use of the transmitter 100 by the operator and is composed of the shoe FPC 118, power detection prong 125, and power detection rubber 126. When the switch 147 is off, the power switch signal / SW_DET is set to high level by the pull-up resistor element 146. When the power switch signal / SW_DET is set to high level, the MPU 116a detects that the switch 147 is off and transitions the transmitter 100 to a power-off state. On the other hand, when the switch 147 is on, the signal / SW_DET is set to low level, and the MPU 116a detects that the switch 147 is on and transitions the transmitter 100 to a power-on state.

[0053] Incidentally, in the transmitter 100, if the power supply ACC_POW is turned off (not supplied) while the setting information transmitted from the camera 300 is being written from the MPU 116a to the EEPROM 141, the setting information may be destroyed. In addition, even if the write operation of the MPU 116a is completed, the write operation inside the EEPROM 141 may not be completed. In this case, if the power supply ACC_POW is turned off during the write operation inside the EEPROM 141, the setting information may be destroyed. In response to this, in this embodiment, even if the transmitter 100 transitions from a power-on state to a power-off state, the power supply ACC_POW is prevented from being turned off immediately.

[0054] Fig. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of each component when transmitter 100 transitions to a power-on state or a power-off state. Fig. 10(A) shows the case where transmitter 100 transitions to a power-on state, and Fig. 10(B) shows the case where transmitter 100 transitions to a power-off state.

[0055] First, the operation when the transmitter 100 is attached to the camera 300 and transitions to a power-on state will be described. After the transmitter 100 is attached to the camera 300, when the lever 110 is rotated from the lock position (power-off position) to the power-on position, the switch 147 turns on and the signal / ACC_DET changes from high level (H) to low level (L). When the signal / ACC_DET changes to low level, the camera MPU 301 detects that the transmitter 100 is attached to the camera 300 and controls the accessory power supply unit 302 to supply the accessory power supply ACC_POW to the transmitter 100. Also, when the power supply ACC_POW is supplied, the MPU 116a of the transmitter 100 starts up and starts normal operation. At this time, the MPU 116a changes the signal EN_ / ACC_DET from low level (L) to high level (H) to turn on the switch element 145.

[0056] In normal operation, communication with camera 300 is performed, but in this embodiment, communication with camera 300 is performed with transmitter 100 fixed to accessory shoe 303 of camera 300, so contact failure is unlikely to occur in contact plug 108. This can reduce the occurrence of chattering of communication signals caused by contact failure, and can avoid communication failure.

[0057] Next, an operation when the transmitter 100 transitions from a power-on state to a power-off state while it is attached to the camera 300 will be described. When the lever 110 is rotated from the power-on position to the power-off position (locked position), the switch 147 turns off. However, even when the switch 147 is turned off, there is no effect on the signal EN_ / ACC_DET, so the signal EN_ / ACC_DET remains at a high level and the switch element 145 also remains on. Therefore, the signal / ACC_DET continues to be pulled down and maintained at a low level. As a result, the camera MPU 301 continues to detect the attachment of the transmitter 100 and maintains the supply of the accessory power ACC_POW to the transmitter 100.

[0058] On the other hand, because the switch 147 is turned off, the switch signal / SW_DET is set to high level by the pull-up resistor element 146, but no current flows from the signal / SW_DET side to the signal / ACC_DET side by the diode 143. Therefore, even though the signal / ACC_DET is at low level, the signal / SW_DET is maintained at high level.

[0059] That is, in this embodiment, while MPU 116a detects that switch 147 is off, camera MPU 301 continues to detect the attachment of transmitter 100. When MPU 116a detects that switch 147 is off, it executes a shutdown process for transmitter 100. The shutdown process executed here corresponds to, for example, stopping wireless control, turning off the LED, and writing setting information to EEPROM 141.

[0060] After that, when the termination process is completed, MPU 116a changes signal EN_ / ACC_DET to low level to turn off switch element 145. At this time, signal / ACC_DET is no longer pulled down, but is pulled up by pull-up resistor element 304 to high level, and signal / ACC_DET becomes invalid as an accessory attachment notification signal. When detecting the change of signal / ACC_DET to high level, camera MPU 301 determines that transmitter 100 has been removed or that transmitter 100 has transitioned to a power-off state. Then, camera MPU 301 controls accessory power supply unit 302 to stop supplying accessory power ACC_POW to transmitter 100.

[0061] According to transmitter 100, even if lever 110 is rotated from the power on position to the power off position, accessory attachment notification signal / ACC_DET does not immediately change to high level, but remains at low level until completion of the shutdown process of transmitter 100. This makes it possible to prevent power ACC_POW supplied from camera 300 from being turned off while setting information is being written to EEPROM 141, thereby making it possible to prevent the setting information from being destroyed.

[0062] Furthermore, the configuration for preventing the lever 110 from rotating all at once to the unlocked position is not limited to this embodiment. For example, a method can be considered in which the button protrusion 112a is less likely to catch on the operator's finger at the power-on position or the power-off position by adjusting a combination of the height of the lever 110, the protrusion amount of the unlock button 112, the spring force of the unlock spring 127, and the like. However, this embodiment can be realized at a lower cost than the complicated method described above, since it prevents the lever 110 from rotating all at once to the unlocked position by simply providing the power supply cover part 103a. Also, since the configuration is simple, reliability can be improved.

[0063] In the present embodiment, the configuration has been described in which the switching between the power-on state and the power-off state, and the switching between the locked state and the unlocked state are performed by only one operation unit, the lever 110. However, if the supply of power from the camera 300 is not stopped until the end process of the transmitter 100 is completed, the switching between the power-on state and the power-off state, and the switching between the locked state and the unlocked state may be performed by another operation unit. Also, an independent power switch may be used as the switch 147. Furthermore, a member that detects the state in which the lock pin 111 is protruding, that is, the state in which the transmitter 100 is locked to the accessory shoe 303, may be used as the switch 147. Also, the configuration may be such that the sequence shown in FIG. 10(A) is executed only when both the transition to the power-on state and the transition to the locked state are detected.

[0064] In the present embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the switching between the locked and unlocked states of the accessory device is linked to the switching between the power-on and power-off states. However, the present invention may be applied to a configuration in which the switching between the power-on and power-off states is linked to an operation by an operator intending to use the accessory device.

[0065] Next, an accessory device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment is basically the same as the first embodiment in terms of configuration and operation, but differs from the first embodiment in that the unlock button 112 moves toward the center of rotation of the lever 110 when transitioning from a power-off state to a power-on state. Therefore, a description of the overlapping configurations and operations will be omitted, and the different configurations and operations will be described below.

[0066] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the appearance of a transmitter 200 as an accessory device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining an unlock button sliding cam portion formed on a bottom cover in this embodiment. FIG. 12(A) shows an unlock button sliding cam portion 203b in this embodiment, and FIG. 12(B) shows an unlock button sliding cam portion 103b in the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the movement of the unlock button 112 when the power is switched from the power off state to the power on state. FIG. 13(A) shows the unlock button 112 in the power off state in the second embodiment, and FIG. 13(B) shows the unlock button 112 in the power off state in the first embodiment. FIG. 13(C) shows the unlock button 112 in the power on state in the second embodiment, and FIG. 13(D) shows the unlock button 112 in the power on state in the first embodiment.

[0067] In the transmitter 200, the bottom cover 203 has an unlock button sliding cam portion 203b. As in the first embodiment, when the lever 110 is rotated in the lock direction to the power on position, the power cover portion 203a covers at least a part of the unlock button 112 to hide it from the operator's fingers, etc.

[0068] The unlock button sliding cam portion 203b has a cam structure that slides with the button protrusion portion 112a of the unlock button 112 when the lever 110 rotates. Here, the movement of the unlock button 112 (button protrusion portion 112a) regulated by the unlock button sliding cam portion 203b when the lever 110 rotates will be described with reference to Fig. 12(A). In addition, the unlock button sliding cam portion 203b has a cam slope 203ba that slides with the button protrusion portion 112a, an arc wall surface 203bb, a lock wall surface 203bc, a wall surface 203bd, a cam slope 203be, and an arc wall surface 203bf formed in this order in the lock direction.

[0069] First, when lever 110 is operated and starts to rotate from the unlocked position to the locked position, button protrusion 112a slides against cam slope 203ba, and a clicking sensation occurs when button protrusion 112a moves toward the rotation center and overcomes cam slope 203ba. Next, as lever 110 rotates toward the locked position, button protrusion 112a slides against arc wall surface 203bb while being pressed by unlock spring 127.

[0070] Thereafter, when the button protrusion 112a climbs over the lock wall surface 203bc formed corresponding to the locked position, it is pressed against the wall surface 203bd by the unlocking spring 127. At this time, the transmitter 100 transitions to the locked state. Since the wall surface 203bd is formed on the outer side of the arc wall surface 203bb in the biasing direction of the unlocking spring 127, the button protrusion 112a pressed against the wall surface 203bd does not easily return to the arc wall surface 203bb due to the lock wall surface 203bc being an obstacle. This movement of the button protrusion 112a from the cam slope 203ba to the wall surface 203bd is the same as the movement of the button protrusion 112a from the cam slope 103ba to the wall surface 103bd in the first embodiment.

[0071] Furthermore, as lever 110 rotates in the locking direction, button protrusion 112a slides against cam slope 203be, and button protrusion 112a moves toward the rotation center and climbs over cam slope 203bea. Next, as lever 110 rotates toward the power-on position, button protrusion 112a slides while being pressed against arc wall surface 203bf by unlocking spring 127.

[0072] That is, in this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, when lever 110 rotates from the power off position to the power on position, unlock button 112 moves toward the rotation center. Therefore, at the power on position, unlock button 112 is closer to the rotation center than in the first embodiment. Then, when lever 110 reaches the power on position, at least a portion of unlock button 112 is covered by power supply cover part 103a.

[0073] As described above, the unlock button 112 is closer to the center of rotation in the power-on position than in the first embodiment. Therefore, the power supply cover part 203a (FIGS. 13(A) and 13(C)) covering the unlock button 112 can also be formed closer to the center of rotation than the power supply cover part 103a (FIGS. 13(B) and 13(D)) in the first embodiment. As a result, the recess amount La (FIG. 13(A)) of the unlock button 112 in the power-off position relative to the power supply cover part 203a can be made smaller. Specifically, the recess amount La can be made smaller than the recess amount Lb (FIG. 13(B)) of the unlock button 112 in the power-off position relative to the power supply cover part 103a in the first embodiment. As a result, when the unlock button 112 is pressed in the direction of the arrow in the figure to unlock the lever 110 in the power-off position, the operator's finger can reach the unlock button 112 more easily than in the first embodiment. This improves the operability of the unlock button 112.

[0074] Furthermore, as described above, since the power supply cover part 203a can be formed closer to the center of rotation, the amount of protrusion of the power supply cover part 203a from the wall part 203f provided on the bottom cover 203 can be reduced, thereby improving the appearance.

[0075] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0076] For example, the accessory device to which the present invention is applied is not limited to a transmitter, but may be a strobe device, a microphone, an adapter, or the like, which receives power from the camera 300. Furthermore, the device to which the present invention is applied is not limited to an accessory device. For example, the present invention can be applied to any other electronic device that is attached to an electronic device having a power source and receives power from the electronic device.

[0077] Furthermore, the transmitter 100 to which the present invention is applied continues to supply the accessory power supply ACC_POW to the camera 300 by maintaining the accessory attachment notification signal / ACC_DET at a low level until the termination process is completed. However, the signal / ACC_DET may change to a high level immediately when the transmitter 100 transitions to a power-off state. In this case, the camera 300 may be configured so that the camera 300 supplies the power supply ACC_POW for a period of time equivalent to the time until the termination process is completed after the signal / ACC_DET changes to a high level.

[0078] Also, the operator's attention may be drawn to prevent the operator from moving lever 110 to the unlocked position before the shutdown process of transmitter 100 is completed. For example, before the shutdown process of transmitter 100 is completed, a display (not shown) of transmitter 100 may display a warning, or buzzer 113 may emit a warning sound.

[0079] Furthermore, in the lock unit 120 of the transmitter 100 described above, the lock position and the power off position of the lever 110 coincide, but the lock position and the power off position do not have to coincide. For example, when the lever 110 rotates in the unlock direction, the power on position, the power off position, the lock position, and the unlock position may be set in this order.

[0080] In the transmitter 100 described above, the lever 110 does not move in the Y direction (up and down direction), but the lever 110 may be configured to move in the Y direction during rotation. FIG. 14 is a process diagram for explaining an unlocking operation in a lock unit 400 that moves the lever 110 in the Y direction during rotation. Here, the lock unit 400 has a substantially cylindrical shape and has a lever 402 that moves in the circumferential direction on its side, and a guide groove 401 that guides the lever 402. The guide groove 401 is formed along the circumferential direction of the lock unit 400 and bends in the Y direction (up and down direction) at one point along the way. A power on position, a power off position, a lock position, and an unlock position are set in the guide groove 401 along the circumferential direction, and the power off position and the lock position are set at the lower end and the upper end of the guide groove 401 that bends in the Y direction, respectively.

[0081] A case will be described in which lever 110 is rotated from the power-on position to the unlocked position in lock unit 400. First, when lever 110 reaches the power-off position (FIG. 14(B)) from the power-on position (FIG. 14(A)), lever 110 stops temporarily because guide groove 401 is bent in the Y direction. Next, when lever 110 is moved in the Y direction to reach the locked position (FIG. 14(C)), lever 110 becomes rotatable again. After that, lever 110 is rotated to reach the unlocked position.

[0082] In this case, too, the lever 110 stops temporarily at the power off position, so the lever 110 does not rotate from the power on position through the power off position to the unlocked position in one go. This makes it possible to prevent the transmitter 100 from being accidentally removed from the camera when turning off the power of the transmitter 100.

[0083] Alternatively, the accessory device may be locked and powered on using separate operating means. In this case, when the power switch is used to turn on the power with the lock lever moved to the lock position, a restricting member that prevents the unlock button 112 from being pressed is moved, making it difficult to unlock the accessory device. Then, when the power switch is used to turn off the power, the restricting member is moved to make it easy to unlock the accessory device. The movement of the restricting member may be mechanically linked to the state of the power switch, or the MPU may detect the state of the power switch and electrically control it. In addition, the method of preventing the unlock button 112 from being pressed by the restricting member is not particularly limited, and for example, the restricting member may be moved in front of the unlock button 112 so that the unlock button 112 is covered by the restricting member, making it difficult for the user to press the unlock button 112. Alternatively, the restricting member may be moved to a position that restricts the movement of the unlock button 112, and for example, the restricting member may be engaged with the unlock button 112, so that the unlock button 112 does not move even if the user presses it. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 100 Transmitters 103a, 203a Power supply cover 108 Contact plug 110 Lever 112 Unlock button 116a MPU 118 Shoe FPC 120 Lock Unit 125 Power supply detection probe 126 Power detection rubber 142 Mounting notification storage unit 147 Switch 300 Camera

Claims

1. An accessory device that is detachable from an electronic device, An operator; a locking mechanism that performs a locking operation between the accessory device and the electronic device in response to a rotation operation of the operating member in a predetermined direction; an operation restriction release mechanism that releases the restriction on the rotation of the operation member in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction; and an operation restriction means for restricting an operation of the operation restriction release mechanism by pressing the operation restriction release mechanism by covering at least a part of the operation restriction release mechanism with a cover under a predetermined condition, An accessory device characterized in that the cover of the operation restriction means covers at least a portion of the operation restriction release mechanism when the accessory device is powered on, making it more difficult to operate by pressing it than when the accessory device is powered off.

2. 2. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein the power source can be switched between an on state and an off state and the locking mechanism can be locked by rotating the operating member.

3. 3. The accessory device according to claim 1, wherein when the operating member is rotated in a predetermined direction, the power supply is switched from the OFF state to the ON state after the locking mechanism performs a locking operation.

4. The accessory device according to claim 3, characterized in that when the power source is on and the operator is rotated in a direction opposite to the specified direction, after the power source is switched from the on state to the off state, the locking mechanism performs an unlocking operation to enable the accessory device to be removed from the electronic device.

5. An accessory device that is detachable from an electronic device, a mounting portion that is mounted on the electronic device; a state detection unit that detects a state of use of the accessory device by an operator; a power receiving unit that receives power from the electronic device; a mounting notification storage unit configured to notify the electronic device of a mounting notification when the electronic device detects the use of the accessory device by the operator; the state detection unit includes at least one of a switching unit for switching between an on state and an off state of a power supply of the accessory device, and a lock detection unit for detecting whether the attachment unit is locked to the electronic device; The accessory device is characterized in that, when the attachment notification retention unit detects that the operator is not using the accessory device, it retains the attachment notification to the electronic device for a predetermined period of time and then disables the attachment notification.

6. The accessory device further includes a control unit for controlling each component. the attachment notification storage unit, when detecting non-use of the accessory device by the operator, stores the attachment notification to the electronic device for a predetermined period, while notifying the control unit that the accessory device is not being used; The accessory device according to claim 5, characterized in that the control unit, when notified of the non-use of the accessory device, executes a shutdown process for the accessory device, and, when the shutdown process is completed, controls the attachment notification storage unit to disable the notification of the attachment.

7. The accessory device according to claim 1 , wherein the accessory device is detachable from the imaging device.

8. The accessory device according to claim 7 , wherein the accessory device operates in association with image capture by the imaging device.

Images