Electronic apparatus with accessory shoe device and accessory attachable to accessory shoe device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11841609-B2
Application number	US-202217721518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2022
Priority date	Apr 28, 2021
Publication date	Dec 12, 2023
Grant date	Dec 12, 2023

Abstract

An electronic apparatus that is capable of reducing occurrence of malfunction when an accessory is attached without enlarging an accessory shoe device. The electronic apparatus includes an accessory shoe device and a controller. The accessory shoe device is electrically connectable with an accessory and has terminals that are arranged in a line in a first direction that intersects perpendicularly with an attaching direction of the accessory. The controller is electrically connected to the terminals. At least one of the terminals differs from the other terminals in a length of an externally exposed part in a second direction that intersects perpendicularly with both the attaching direction and the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:
an accessory shoe device that is electrically connectable with an accessory and has terminals that are arranged in a line in a first direction that intersects perpendicularly with an attaching direction of the accessory;
standing walls that are formed from dielectric material and are provided adjacently to the respective terminals; and
a controller that is electrically connected to the terminals,
wherein at least one of the terminals differs from other terminals in a length of an externally exposed part in a second direction that intersects perpendicularly with both the attaching direction and the first direction,
wherein each of the terminals has a first portion that extends in the attaching direction and a second portion that extend in the second direction, and
wherein each of the standing walls is provided adjacently to the second portion of each of the terminals, and wherein at least one of the standing walls differs from other standing walls in height with respect to the second portion in the second direction.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the standing walls is formed so as to have a slant surface that inclines by a predetermined angle to the second direction.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the standing walls is formed to a position higher than a corresponding one of the terminals in the second direction.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the terminals is an attachment detection terminal for detecting attachment of the accessory to the accessory shoe device, and
wherein the standing wall provided to the attachment detection terminal is higher than the standing walls provided to the other terminals.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion is arranged at a side, to which the accessory approaches during an attaching operation of the accessory to the accessory shoe device, of the first portion in the attaching direction.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein each of the standing walls is provided to a side surface of the second portion to which the accessory approaches during the attaching operation.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic apparatus comprises an image pickup apparatus.

8. An accessory comprising:
a shoe device that is attachable to an accessory shoe device of an electronic apparatus and has terminals arranged in a line in a first direction that intersects perpendicularly with an attaching direction of the shoe device to the accessory shoe device; and
a controller that is electrically connected to the terminals,
wherein the terminals include a first terminal and a second terminal of which a shape differs from a shape of the first terminal, and
wherein a position of a contact point, which first contacts a terminal of the accessory shoe device during an attaching operation of the shoe device to the accessory shoe device, of the first terminal differs from that of the second terminal in the attaching direction.

9. The accessory according to claim 8 , wherein a shape of a tip portion including the contact point of the first terminal is identical to that of the second terminal when viewed in the first direction, and
wherein the first terminal differs from the second terminal in a position of the tip portion in the attaching direction.

10. The accessory according to claim 8 , wherein the first terminal differs from the second terminal in a shape of a tip portion including the contact point.

11. The accessory according to claim 10 , wherein the first terminal differs from the second terminal in an angle of a surface including the contact point.

12. The accessory according to claim 10 , wherein one of the first terminal and the second terminal has a curved shape that projects a surface including the contact point in the attaching direction.

13. The accessory according to claim 10 , wherein an end position of the tip portion of the first terminal in the attaching direction is identical to that of the second terminal.

14. The accessory according to claim 10 , wherein the first terminal differs from the second terminal in a position of the tip portion in the attaching direction.

15. The accessory according to claim 8 , wherein one of the first terminal and the second terminal comprises an attachment detection terminal for detecting attachment of the shoe device to the accessory shoe device, and
wherein the attachment detection terminal is electrically connected to a terminal of the accessory shoe device finally during an attaching operation of the shoe device to the accessory shoe device.

16. The accessory according to claim 15 , wherein the terminals include a GND terminal and other communication terminals, and
wherein the GND terminal, the other communication terminals, and the attachment detection terminal are connected to terminals of the accessory shoe device in this order during the attaching operation.

17. The accessory according to claim 8 , wherein the accessory is in connection with an image pickup operation.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Okano Yoshinobu
• Ishii Kenji
• Ariga Yuichi

Classifications

• G03B17/566 Primary

  Accessory clips, holders, shoes to attach accessories to camera (if integral part of camera body G03B17/02) · CPC title

• G03B15/05 Primary

  Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units · CPC title

• H01R24/66

  with pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. to a wall · CPC title

• H01R33/765

  the terminal pins having a non-circular disposition · CPC title

• G03B2215/056

  Connection with camera, e.g. adapter · CPC title