Patent ID: 7505682

Claim:
A pop-up flash unit for use with a photographic device, comprising: a mounting seat adapted to be disposed in a body of the photographic device, the mounting seat having a first engaging portion and a pivot member disposed thereon; a flash member pivotally mounted on the mounting seat about the pivot member and being movable between a projected position for operating and a retracted position for storage, the flash member including a casing and a flash lens received in the casing, the casing having a second engaging portion formed on an interior surface thereof and a latching portion outwardly projecting from an outer surface thereof; at least one first torsion member engaged with the pivot member, said first torsion member having one end engaged with the first engaging portion of the mounting seat and the other end engaged with the second engaging portion of the flash member; a driving device adapted to be substantially disposed in the body of the photographic device, the driving device comprising a rotation member rotatable in a first direction and a push button adapted to outwardly project from the body of the photographic device for allowing an external force to be exerted thereon in a second direction substantially parallel to the first direction, the rotation member comprising a body having an inclined contact surface for receiving and converting the external force in the second direction into rotation of the rotation member in the first direction and a latching arm projecting from the body; and a second torsion member mounted on the body of the rotation member of the driving device; wherein when the flash member is in the retracted position, the latching arm on the rotation member of the driving device is latched with the latching portion on the casing of the flash member, and the second torsion member provides a retaining force to secure the latching engagement between the latching arm of the driving device and the latching portion of the flash member; and when the push button of the driving device is depressed by the effect of the external force, the rotation member of the driving device responsively rotates in the first direction to disengage the latching arm of the rotation member from the latching portion of the flash member, and said first torsion member provides a resilient restoring force to the flash member to thereby permit the movement of the flash member from the retracted position to the projected position.