Accessory shoe device to which accessory is attached, image pickup apparatus, and accessory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017222384-A1
Application number	US-201715423034-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 2, 2017
Priority date	Feb 3, 2016
Publication date	Aug 3, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An accessory shoe device enabling multi-polarization of a connector for connection to an accessory without degrading the versatility thereof. The accessory is attached to an engagement member. A signal terminal connector has contacts arranged in a lateral direction orthogonal to an attaching direction. A pair of first engagement portions in the engagement member are spaced by a first width in the lateral direction, and a pair of second engagement portions in the engagement member are spaced by a second width larger than the first width. The signal terminal connector is disposed forward of the first engagement portions in the attaching direction. A length of the signal terminal connector in the lateral direction is larger than the first width and smaller than the second width. The second engagement portions are formed rearward of the first engagement portions in the attaching direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An accessory shoe device comprising:
an engagement member configured to have an accessory attached thereto; a signal terminal connector having a plurality of contacts arranged in a lateral direction intersecting an attaching direction of the accessory; a pair of first engagement portions formed in the engagement member in a manner spaced from each other by a first width in the lateral direction of the engagement member; and a pair of second engagement portions formed in the engagement member in a manner spaced from each other by a second width which is larger than the first width, wherein the signal terminal connector is disposed at a location forward of the first engagement portions in the attaching direction of the accessory, wherein a length of the signal terminal connector in the lateral direction is larger than the first width and smaller than the second width, and wherein the second engagement portions are formed rearward of the first engagement portions in the attaching direction of the accessory.

2 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 1 , wherein the second engagement portions are formed by partially cutting out a component member of the first engagement portions.

3 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 1 , wherein signal terminals at respective opposite ends of the signal terminal connector in the lateral direction are disposed outside the first width and inside the second width in the lateral direction of the engagement member.

4 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 1 , wherein the signal terminals at the respective opposite ends of the signal terminal connector in the lateral direction are disposed under the pair of first engagement portions, respectively, and are extended rearward of the other signal terminals in the attaching direction of the accessory.

5 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 4 , wherein the signal terminals extended rearward in the attaching direction of the accessory are each assigned a role of a ground terminal.

6 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 5 , wherein between each two of the signal terminals of the signal terminal connector adjacent to each other in the lateral direction, there is formed a protruding rib protruding from a contact surface of the signal terminal connector, and the protruding rib has a height flush with contact surfaces of the ground terminals.

7 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 1 , wherein abutment surfaces of the accessory in the attaching direction are provided in respective areas which are between opposite ends of a width of a terminal holding portion of the signal terminal connector and opposite ends of a shoe fitting spacing of the engagement member for fitting of a shoe of the accessory in the attaching direction, and are upward of a contact surface of the signal terminal connector.

8 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement member is provided with an urging member for urging an accessory attached to the engagement member in a direction intersecting the attaching direction.

9 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 8 , wherein the engagement member is fastened to an image pickup apparatus body by a fastening section including a plurality of screws, and the screws are hidden by the urging member.

10 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 1 , wherein the accessory is an external strobe device,
wherein between the pair of first engagement portions, there is disposed a signal terminal stage for causing the external strobe device to emit light, and wherein the pair of second engagement portions are located rearward of a synchronizer contact disposed in a central portion of the signal terminal stage, in the attaching direction of the accessory.

11 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 10 , wherein the engagement member has a first engagement hole associated with a lock pin of the external strobe device, and the first engagement hole is located forward of the synchronizer contact and rearward of the signal terminal connector, in an attaching direction of the external strobe device.

12 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 11 , wherein the lock pin regulates a position of the external strobe device with respect to the engagement member in the attaching direction of the external strobe device.

13 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 10 , wherein the engagement member is fastened to an image pickup apparatus body by a fastening section including a plurality of screws, and
wherein the screws are disposed equally in respective four areas of the engagement member divided by the attaching direction of the external strobe device and the lateral direction orthogonal to the attaching direction, with the synchronizer contact as a center.

14 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 1 , wherein the accessory is an external display device, and
wherein the engagement member has a second engagement hole associated with an engagement lug of the external display device, and the second engagement hole is located rearward of a central contact of terminals for causing another accessory than the external display device to function, in the attaching direction of the external display device.

15 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 14 , wherein the engagement lug regulates a position of the external display device with respect to the engagement member in the attaching direction of the external display device.

16 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 14 , wherein the signal terminal connector comprises terminals for connection to connection terminals of the external display device, and
wherein signal terminals at respective opposite ends of the signal terminal connector in the lateral direction of the engagement member are disposed outside the first width and inside the second width in the lateral direction of the engagement member, for connection to associated ones of the connection terminals of the external display device.

17 . The accessory shoe device according to claim 14 , wherein the engagement member is fastened to an image pickup apparatus body by a fastening section including a plurality of screws, and
wherein screws out of the plurality of screws, which are disposed rearward of the central contact of the signal terminals for causing the other accessory to function, in the attaching direction of the external display device, are located forward of the second engagement hole in the attaching direction of the external display device.

18 . An image pickup apparatus including an accessory shoe device for attachment of an accessory,
wherein the accessory shoe device comprises: an engagement member configured to have an accessory attached thereto; a signal terminal connector having a plurality of contacts arranged in a lateral direction intersecting an attaching direction of the accessory; a pair of first engagement portions formed in the engagement member in a manner spaced from each other by a first width in the lateral direction of the engagement member; and a pair of second engagement portions formed in the engagement member in a manner spaced from each other by a second width which is larger than the first width, wherein the signal terminal connector is disposed at a location forward of the first engagement portions in the attaching direction of the accessory, wherein a length of the signal terminal connector in the lateral direction is larger than the first width and smaller than th

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Seo Takazumi

Classifications

• H04N23/50

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H04N23/51

  Housings · CPC title

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• G03B17/566 Primary

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

• H04N5/2354

  Electricity · mapped topic