JP2001021974A - External power source device for camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide electric power permitting selection of any battery or select plural batteries in parallel connection at the same time, by arranging a battery selection means, and easily checking the remaining quantity of plural batteries, and moreover, withstand photographing under low temperature environment and successive photographing over a long time period. SOLUTION: Two battery chambers 214, 216 are arranged. A battery selection switch 207 is an operation member that a photographer selects one of the positions to supply the electric power from the left battery chamber 214, from the right battery chamber 216, and from both the right and left battery chambers 214, 216. Then a coupler for supplying power only to the left battery chamber 214 from a constant voltage power surface can also be mounted. Thus, the plural batteries are connectable in parallel, and also the coupler is selectable in order to prevent unnecessary battery power consumption, when the coupler is mounted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in an external power supply of a camera capable of loading a plurality of batteries.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a plurality of batteries such as rechargeable batteries can be loaded and a plurality of batteries supply power to a camera, continuous shooting time is prolonged, or the battery voltage drops at low temperatures. A technology that enables photographing even underneath is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-274407.

[0003] When two batteries are mounted, the two batteries are connected in parallel to supply power to a camera, whereby the capacity of the battery is doubled. Since the current consumption (load) per battery is halved, it is possible to take a picture even under bad conditions where the voltage of the battery drops.

[0004]

However, the above-described conventional example has the following two problems.

[0005] The first problem is that the state (voltage) is different.
This is the case when two batteries are mounted. For example, when a first battery with a low voltage in an insufficiently charged state and a second battery with a high voltage in a fully charged state are installed, the voltage of the second battery is the same as the voltage of the first battery. Until the power is supplied to the camera from the second battery.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a display unit 301 for displaying the remaining battery power of the camera. Here, the display of the remaining battery power of the camera which can be confirmed by the photographer is shown in FIG.
Are displayed based on the voltage supplied by the two batteries, so that both batteries are fully charged (FIG. 1).
7 (a)). Therefore, the actual remaining battery level is smaller than the battery level predicted by the photographer from this display,
There is a problem that shooting cannot be performed earlier than expected. That is, there is a problem that the photographer cannot accurately and easily check the remaining amounts of the two batteries. In addition,
FIG. 17B shows a state in which the remaining battery power is reduced to half.
FIG. 17C shows a state in which the remaining battery power is exhausted.

A second problem arises when a constant voltage external power supply (AC power supply) such as a (DC) coupler and a battery are simultaneously mounted. Even in such a case, power is supplied from the battery until the voltage of the battery becomes the same voltage as the output voltage from the coupler, and the power of the battery which does not need to be originally consumed is consumed. For this reason, when the coupler is removed, the voltage of the battery drops, and the battery must be recharged, which is troublesome.

(Aim of the Invention) A first object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily check the remaining amounts of a plurality of batteries by switching the battery selection means, and to perform shooting in a low-temperature environment or for a long time. A plurality of batteries can be connected in parallel by a battery selecting means so that power that can withstand continuous shooting can be supplied, and when a coupler is mounted, unnecessary power consumption of the battery is prevented. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an external power supply device for a camera that can select the coupler.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a power supply cable for connecting a coupler to a constant-voltage power supply even when a coupler is loaded in a battery chamber, so that the power supply cable does not hinder use of the camera. It is intended to provide a power supply.

[0010]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the first object, the inventions according to claims 1 and 2 provide a plurality of battery chambers in which batteries are loaded, and a plurality of battery chambers respectively loaded in the plurality of battery chambers. An external power supply device for the camera having battery selection means for supplying power to the camera side by selecting an arbitrary battery from among the plurality of batteries, or simultaneously selecting a plurality of batteries in parallel connection; Is what you do.

In order to achieve the second object,
The invention according to claims 3 and 4 has a plurality of battery chambers in which a battery and a coupler for supplying power from a constant voltage power supply are mounted, and at least one of the plurality of battery chambers has a constant voltage. This is an external power supply device for a camera having a regulation means for regulating the loading of a coupler for supplying power from a power supply.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a single-lens reflex camera according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of an external power supply device that can be mounted on the single-lens reflex camera of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state when the external power supply device shown in FIG. 2 is attached to a lower portion of one single-lens reflex camera.

In these figures, the external power supply 2
Tripod screw 20 that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of dial 202
1 is fixed to the camera 1 by screwing it into a tripod screw of the camera 1. The external power supply 2 includes a release button 203 and an electronic dial 2 used for vertical position shooting.
An operating member such as 04 is also provided. When the external power supply device 2 is mounted on the camera 1, the battery compartment cover of the camera is removed, and when the camera is loaded with a battery, the battery is also removed. And
The contact section 210 of the external power supply 2 is inserted into the battery compartment of the camera 1 to make an electrical connection. Although not shown, it is assumed that the camera 1 has a display unit for displaying the remaining battery level as shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view of the external power supply 2 as viewed from the back (photographer side), and FIG. 5 is a view of the external power supply 2 as viewed from above.

The power supply from the external power supply 2 to the camera 1 is performed by power supply terminals 211 and 212. The contact terminals 208 and 209 are signal contacts for transmitting a signal necessary for control from the external power supply device 2 to the camera 1 and a signal of the vertical position operation member. Behind the external power supply 2, there is a battery compartment cover 205, and when loading the battery, slide the open / close knob 206 to open the battery compartment cover 2.
Open 05 and carry out work such as battery replacement. 20
Reference numeral 7 denotes a battery selection switch described later.

FIG. 6 shows a state in which the battery chamber cover 205 is opened, and two battery chambers 214 and 216 are provided inside. Behind the battery chambers 214 and 216, there are battery discharge springs 213 and 215, respectively, which are used to push out the battery halfway to make it easier to remove the loaded battery. The battery lock levers 217 and 218 are for holding the battery loaded in the battery chamber, and are held in a state as shown in FIG.
Is prevented from being discharged.

Reference numeral 207 denotes a battery selection switch.
One of the "1" position for supplying power from the left battery compartment 214, the "2" position for supplying power from the right battery compartment 216, and the "parallel" position for supplying power from both left and right batteries. An operation member for the photographer to select. In this embodiment, a coupler described later that supplies power from the constant voltage power supply to only the left battery compartment 214 can be mounted.

Reference numeral 221 denotes a slide cover for securing a passage for passing a power cable (power cable for connecting to a constant voltage source (AC power supply)) of the coupler, and 220a indicates whether the loaded battery is a battery or a coupler. It is a coupler detection lever for identification. The battery compartment 216 is provided with a stopper 219 which is a restricting means for preventing loading of the coupler by mistake, so that the coupler can be loaded only in the battery compartment 214 on the left side. The reason that the camera can be loaded only into the battery chamber 214 on the left side is to prevent the power cable from being in the way when the photographer holds the camera.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a battery used in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a coupler.

The battery 4 has a battery (-) terminal 4
A 01, (+) terminal 402 is provided. The battery terminal charges the battery 4 and supplies power to the camera. In addition, coupler 5
Although grooves 403 and 404 for identifying the battery 4 are provided in the battery 4 as shown in FIG.
Are not provided in the coupler 5 shown in FIG.

With the above structure, the camera 1 can detect whether the battery 4 or the coupler 5 is loaded in the battery chamber by detecting the groove 403 or 404 in the battery chamber. Further, by providing a stopper in the groove in the battery chamber, the battery 4 can be loaded, but the coupler 5 cannot be loaded.

The coupler 5 has battery terminals 501 and 502 having the same shape as the battery 4, thereby supplying power to the camera 1 and the external power supply 2. Reference numeral 503 denotes a power cable for transmitting power from a constant voltage power supply.

FIG. 9 shows a state in which the battery 4 is loaded in both battery chambers 214 and 216, and FIG. 10 shows a state in which the coupler 5 is loaded in the left battery chamber 214 and the battery 4 is loaded in the right battery chamber 216. The state is shown.

FIG. 11 shows a battery chamber in which a coupler can be loaded so that the power cable 503 of the coupler 5 is not obstructed when the camera is held by closing the battery compartment lid 205 with the coupler 5 loaded. It is a figure which shows a mode that it is the structure which restrict | regulates to the left side.

FIG. 12 is a longitudinal sectional view of the external power supply device 2, in a state where the battery 4 is loaded in the battery chamber 214.

The battery 4 has a battery discharge spring 213.
, And is held by the battery lock lever 217 so as not to be discharged. The battery terminal 402 and the contact terminal 226 of the leaf spring in the battery chamber 214 are electrically connected to each other to supply power to the external power supply device 2. The contact terminals 226 are soldered to the control board 225, and power is supplied to the control board 225.

FIG. 13 is a horizontal sectional view when the battery 4 is loaded in the battery chamber 214.

In the figure, reference numerals 226 and 227 denote contact terminals which come into contact with the terminals of the battery 4. The detecting portion 220 a of the coupler detecting lever 220 enters the groove of the battery 4 and is urged downward by a spring 230 in the figure. 13 and does not move, resulting in a state as shown in FIG. 13, and the detection switch 22 mounted on the control board 225.
9 is not activated. Since the slide lever 221 is also urged downward by a spring (not shown),
The state of FIG. 13 is maintained.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the coupler 5 is loaded.
Since there is no such a groove, the detecting portion 220a of the coupler detecting lever 220 is pushed upward by the end face of the coupler and moves upward in the drawing. At this time, the protrusion 2 of the coupler detection lever
Since the detection switch 229 mounted on the control board 225 is operated by 20c, it is possible to detect that the coupler 5 is loaded. Further, since the contact portion 220b of the coupler detection lever 220 comes into contact with the contact portion 221a of the slide lever 221 and moves the same, a state as shown in FIG. 14 is created, and a path for the cable 503 of the coupler 5 to go outside is created. Is configured.

FIG. 15 shows the battery selection switch 20.
FIG. 15A is a diagram illustrating a setting state of a position No. 7, and FIG. 15A illustrates a state in which a position “parallel” controlled to connect two batteries (or a battery and a coupler) in parallel is set;
15 (b) shows a state where a position “1” for selecting a battery or a coupler in the battery chamber 214 is set, and 15 (c) shows a state where a position “2” for selecting a battery in the battery chamber 216 is set. FIG.

As described above, the battery selection switch 207
By operating the, the power supply to the camera can be changed, so when checking the remaining battery power of each, it is only necessary to set the position to "1" or "2" and look at the remaining power display of the camera, For example, the remaining battery level at position “1” is as shown in FIG. 18A, and the remaining battery level at position “2” is as shown in FIG.
The state of each battery such as the state shown in FIG. 8B can be easily and accurately checked.

The battery 4 is stored in the battery chamber 216.
When the coupler 5 is loaded into the battery chamber 214 while the power is supplied from the coupler 5 and the position is set to “1”, the battery 4 in the battery chamber 216 is not consumed. Even if the power supply from the coupler 5 is stopped, if the position is switched to the position “2”, the power supply from the battery 4 is started immediately, and it is possible to quickly cope with various situations, such as being able to continue shooting.

Further, both battery chambers 214 and 216
Even if a battery is loaded in the battery, only one of the batteries can be used at will of the user. As a result, for example, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience that one of them is set as a spare and the power cannot be turned off at the time of an emergency and the image cannot be taken.

FIG. 16 is a circuit diagram showing an electrical configuration according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The control circuit 251 detects the state of the battery selection switch 207 and uses the battery selection switch 207 to operate the battery chamber. If the battery or coupler on the 214 side (hereinafter, the battery loaded on this side is also referred to as a first battery 256, and the battery on the battery chamber 216 side is also referred to as a second battery 257), the switch 254 is turned on. The first battery 2 is turned off and the switch 252 is turned on.
When the second battery 257 is selected by the battery selection switch 207, the switch 252 is turned off and the switch 254 is turned on to supply power from the second battery 257. If the parallel mode is selected, the switch 252 and the switch 254 are turned on, and the first battery 256 and the second battery 257 are connected in parallel.
Power is supplied from each battery.

Here, the diode 253 and the diode 255 are for preventing a current from flowing from a high-voltage battery to a low-voltage battery when there is a difference between the voltages of the two batteries 4a and 4b.

According to the above-described embodiment, an arbitrary battery is selected from a plurality of batteries, and the battery selection switch 207 for supplying power from the selected battery to the camera is provided. Since the remaining amounts of any of the plurality of batteries can be displayed on the display unit of the camera, an accurate remaining amount of the battery can be easily confirmed.

When the parallel mode in which a plurality of batteries are connected in parallel is selected by the battery selection switch 207, power is simultaneously supplied from the plurality of batteries.
The performance in a low-temperature environment where the output of the battery decreases or continuous shooting for a long time can be greatly improved.

When the coupler 5 for supplying power from the constant voltage power supply to the external power supply 2 is used, the power is not supplied from another battery by selecting the coupler with the battery selection switch 207. In addition, unnecessary power consumption of the battery can be prevented.

[0040]

As described above, according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily check the remaining amounts of a plurality of batteries by switching the battery selection means, and to perform the operation in a low-temperature environment. The battery selection means allows multiple batteries to be connected in parallel so that the camera can supply enough power for shooting with the camera or continuous shooting for a long period of time. It is possible to provide an external power supply device of a camera which can select the coupler in order to prevent the power consumption of the camera.

According to the third or fourth aspect of the present invention, even when a coupler is loaded in the battery chamber, the power cable connecting the coupler to the constant voltage power supply hinders the use of the camera. Thus, it is possible to provide an external power supply device for a camera without any trouble.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a single-lens reflex camera according to each embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an external power supply device mounted on the single-lens reflex camera of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state where an external power supply is mounted on the single-lens reflex camera of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the external power supply device shown in FIG. 2 and the like.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the external power supply device shown in FIG. 2 and the like.

FIG. 6 is a rear view showing a state where a battery chamber cover of the external power supply device shown in FIG. 2 and the like is opened.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a battery used in each embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a coupler used in each embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a rear view showing the internal state of the external power supply device shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a rear view showing the internal state of the external power supply device shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a rear view showing the internal state of the external power supply device shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the external power supply device shown in FIG. 2 and the like;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing another portion of the external power supply device shown in FIG. 2 and the like.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing still another portion of the external power supply device shown in FIG. 2 and the like.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a battery switching state by a battery selection switch according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a circuit diagram showing an electrical configuration of a main part according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a display state on a display unit for displaying a remaining battery amount provided in a normal camera.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Camera 2 External power supply 4 Battery 5 Coupler 207 Battery selection switch 214 Battery compartment in which battery or coupler is loaded 216 Battery compartment in which battery is loaded 219 Stopper 220a Detection unit 251 Control circuit

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2H002 BC03 BC04 BC07 BC10 HA06 HA11 2H100 BB05 BB06 DD02 DD03 DD04 DD05 DD06 DD12 DD14 5G003 BA04 DA02 EA06 FA02 5H030 AA08 AS06 AS11 DD09 DD20 FF51

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of battery compartments in which batteries are loaded, and an arbitrary battery among the plurality of batteries loaded in the plurality of battery compartments, respectively,
Alternatively, an external power supply device for a camera, comprising: battery selection means for simultaneously selecting a plurality of batteries in parallel connection and supplying power to the camera side. 2. The external power supply device for a camera according to claim 1, wherein a coupler for supplying power from a constant voltage power supply can be mounted in one of the plurality of battery chambers. 3. A battery compartment having a plurality of battery compartments loaded with a battery and a coupler for supplying power from a constant voltage power supply, wherein at least one of the plurality of battery compartments includes:
An external power supply device for a camera, comprising: a regulating unit that regulates loading of a coupler that supplies power from a constant voltage power supply. 4. The battery chamber having the regulating means,
The external power supply device for a camera according to claim 3, wherein the external device is disposed on a side that is held by a user when the external device is mounted on the camera.