Patent ID: 7778541

Claim:
An imaging apparatus comprising: a flash light emitting portion moving between a housed position and a light emitting position; a biasing means for biasing the flash light emitting portion toward the light emitting position; a member to be locked moving with a movement of the flash light emitting portion; a locking means which includes a first member and a second member, for locking the member to be locked in a state in which the flash light emitting portion exists at the housed position and suppressing change of the position of the flash light emitting portion, opposing a biasing force by the biasing means; and a lock releasing means which has an electromagnet and a moving portion moving with respect to the electromagnet, for releasing a locked state of the member to be locked by the locking means by moving the moving portion from a first position to a second position in a direction apart from the electromagnet by applying electric current to the electromagnet and by allowing the locking means to pivot about a first axis, wherein, when the locked state of the member to be locked is released by the lock releasing means, the flash light emitting portion moves to the light emitting position due to the biasing force by the biasing means, wherein, when a housing operation of the flash light emitting portion is performed in a first state in which the locked state is released and in which the moving portion exists at the second position, the member to be locked moves downward while touching the first member with the housing operation, the locking means pivots about the first axis due to a force transmitted from the member to be locked to the first member as well as the moving portion returns from the second position to the first position and the locking means locks the member to be locked again, and wherein, when the housing operation of the flash light emitting portion is performed in a second state in which the locked state is released and in which the flash light emitting portion still exists at the light emitting position though the locking means has pivoted about the first axis and the moving portion has returned from the second position to the first position, the member to be locked moves downward while touching the second member with the housing operation, the second member swings about a second axis which is different from the first axis due to a force transmitted from the member to be locked to the second member and the locking means locks the member to be locked again.