Camera accessory, camera accessory mount, camera body and camera body mount

Abstract

A camera accessory can be detachably engaged with a camera body that includes a camera body mount, and is equipped with an accessory mount assuming a bayonet structure with a first tab, a second tab and a third tab set over intervals in a circumferential direction running along a circumference of a circle and projecting from the circumference along a radial direction. The accessory mount can be inserted through the camera body mount without any of the first through third tabs being hindered by any of three camera body-side tabs at the camera body mount, as long as the accessory mount is inserted into the camera body mount at a correct interlock phase. The accessory mount includes a restricting member disposed near the third tab.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A camera accessory that can be detachably engaged with a camera body that includes a camera body mount, and is equipped with an accessory mount assuming a bayonet structure with a first tab, a second tab and a third tab set over intervals in a circumferential direction running along a circumference of a circle with a predetermined diameter and projecting from the circumference along a radial direction, wherein:
 the accessory mount can be inserted through the camera body mount without any of the first through third tabs being hindered by any of three camera body-side tabs at the camera body mount, as long as the accessory mount is inserted into the camera body mount at a correct interlock phase;   the first tab, the second tab and the third tab extend over varying lengths along the circumferential direction;   the first tab extends over a greatest length along the circumferential direction among the first through third tabs;   the third tab extends over a smallest length along the circumferential direction among the first through third tabs;   the accessory mount includes a restricting member disposed near the third tab;   when the first through third tabs are rotated along the circumference in a first rotating direction in order to mount the accessory mount, having been inserted at the correct interlock phase, at the body mount, the restricting member comes into contact with a side end of one camera body-side tab among the camera body-side tabs, thereby restricting a rotation range in the first rotating direction; and   when the first through third tabs are rotated along the circumference in a second rotating direction opposite from the first rotating direction in order to dismount the accessory mount from the body mount, the restricting member comes into contact with a side end of a camera body-side tab different from the one camera body-side tab, thereby restricting a rotation range in the second rotating direction.