HK1157879B - User-configurable waterproof camera case - Google Patents

Abstract

A user-configurable waterproof camera case (10) includes a housing (12) for sealingly holding different models of camera therein, an actuating shaft (140) extending through an opening of the housing (12), a probe-carrying member (150) connected to an inner end of the actuating shaft (140), and an adjustable probe (160) carried by the probe-carrying member at a position engageable with an on/off button or a shutter button of the camera.

Description

User-configurable camera waterproof device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to camera waterproofing, and more particularly to a user configurable camera waterproofing.

Background

Existing camera waterproof devices are designed for use with specialized cameras. Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved waterproof camera device that can be configured by a user to match different modes of cameras.

Disclosure of Invention

A user-configurable camera waterproof device comprising: a housing for enclosing and housing the cameras in different modes; an actuating lever protruding from the through hole of the housing; a driving lever bearing member connected with an inner end portion of the actuating lever; and an adjustable drive link mounted on the drive link carrier and engaged with the camera button.

The transmission rod bearing part comprises an array of through holes, wherein the adjustable transmission rods can be respectively inserted and connected.

In the user-configurable camera water guard of the invention, further comprising a slider slidably connected to the drive rod carrier and sliding in a first axial direction perpendicular to the actuation rod axis, the adjustable drive rod is disposed on the slider. A groove is provided on the slider, and the transmission rod is slidably connected to the groove and slides in a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction. The slide blocks are C-clips that are slidably attached to two opposing parallel slide rails on the drive link carrier.

The adjustable drive link includes a threaded portion for threadably engaging a nut to lock the adjustable drive link in a fixed position relative to the drive link carrier.

The transmission rod bearing part comprises a first through hole and a second through hole, wherein the first through hole is used for inserting the starting rod, and the second through hole is used for inserting a locking part so as to lock the starting rod in the first through hole.

In the user configurable camera water guard of the present invention, a spring is further included for biasing the activation lever.

In the user-configurable waterproof camera device of the present invention, a plurality of pads are disposed on an inner surface of the housing to support the camera within the housing.

In the user-configurable waterproof camera device, the waterproof camera device further comprises an actuating button connected with the outer end part of the actuating rod.

Drawings

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a user-configurable camera waterproof arrangement according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial schematic view of the camera waterproofing device showing the interior of the front housing after opening;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the camera water guard;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a camera water shield;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural view of a shutter starter assembly;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the on/off actuator assembly;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the construction of another embodiment of the shutter starter assembly;

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the shutter starter assembly shown in FIG. 7, taken along the Y-axis;

figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the door opening actuator assembly of figure 7 taken along the X-axis;

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the C-clip showing the groove and drive link of the shutter actuator assembly shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a rear view of a shutter and on/off actuator assembly according to yet another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic structural view of the on/off actuator assembly shown in FIG. 11;

fig. 13 is a schematic structural view of the shutter starter assembly shown in fig. 11;

FIG. 14 is an exploded schematic view of the on/off actuator assembly shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is an exploded schematic view of the shutter starter assembly shown in FIG. 13;

16-18 are partial schematic views of three different positions of the drive link of the shutter and on/off actuator assembly;

FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view of the shutter and on/off actuator assembly;

FIG. 20 is a bottom plan view of the shutter and on/off actuator assembly shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of a shutter and on/off actuator assembly;

FIG. 22 is a bottom plan view of the shutter and on/off actuator assembly shown in FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 illustrates a plurality of backing plates disposed on the rear housing;

FIG. 24 shows a frame backing plate disposed on the rear housing;

fig. 25 shows the top and side pads provided on the front shell.

Detailed Description

Reference is made to the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a user configurable camera water guard in accordance with the present invention. Exemplary embodiments of the disclosed user-configurable camera waterproof of the present invention are described in detail below, but some features that are apparent to those skilled in the art are not shown here for the sake of clarity, which are not particularly important to an understanding of the present user-configurable camera waterproof.

For ease of description, the following specific terms are used herein without limitation. The words "left", "right", "upper", "lower", "top" or "bottom" define the orientation of the figures. The term includes the above words and their corresponding variations. In addition, the word "button" as used herein refers to a shutter button or an open/close button of the camera.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout the several views. FIG. 1 is a front view of a user-configurable camera water guard 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention; fig. 2 to 3 show an internal structure of the waterproof device for a camera. The camera waterproof device 10 is a user-configurable hard shell protective case that is suitable for most small cameras, particularly digital cameras. The configuration can be changed so that it can be matched with different cameras, which may have different sizes and different positions of the shutter button, the on/off button, and different sizes and positions of the lens.

The waterproof camera device 10 protects the camera and prevents the internal electronic, mechanical and optical components from being damaged. It also protects the camera from dirt, sand and dirt. It can be immersed in water up to 40 meters deep. It is suitable for most water sports and activities, such as swimming, surfboard, sail surfing, water skiing, sailing, diving or taking pictures in the rain/snow.

The camera waterproof device 10 may include a front housing 12, a rear housing 14, a cavity 16, a spindle 18, an open/close actuator assembly/mechanism 20, a shutter actuator assembly/mechanism 22, a right handle 24, a left handle 26, legs 28, and a bottom pad 30. The front and rear housings 12, 14 may be made of plastic or another suitable material. The interior of the camera water shield 10 is large enough to accommodate different cameras, which may have different sizes (width, height and thickness).

At present, there are mainly two types of digital cameras, i.e., a circular zoom lens and a flat lens. Therefore, at least two camera shelters 10 should be designed to house these two different types of cameras. Fig. 4 shows a user-configurable camera water guard 10 for a circular zoom lens. A different type of zoom lens protruding from the camera body as shown in fig. 4 may be placed in the lens cavity of the front case 12. A small digital camera waterproof device of the type used for a flat lens is similar except for the design of the lens window.

The front housing 12 may serve as the main body of the configurable camera water guard 10. As shown in fig. 2, most of the other components of the camera waterproof unit 10 are disposed therein or fixed thereto. The rear housing 14 must be mated with the front housing 12. Typically it is transparent or has a transparent window body. Which may act as a "cover" for the front housing 12 so that a user may load a camera into the camera water shield 10. The transparent back cover 14 allows a user to view a photographic subject presented on a camera display of a digital camera placed in the camera waterproof unit 10. One end of the rear case 14 may be connected to the front case 12 through a rotation shaft 18, and the other end of the rear case 14 may be connected to a locking device. A gasket in the form of a ring may be provided between the front case 12 and the rear case 14 to seal the waterproof camera device 10.

Fig. 5-6 illustrate a first embodiment of an on/off actuator mechanism 120 and a shutter actuator mechanism 122, respectively.

As shown in fig. 6, the shutter actuator mechanism or assembly 122 may be disposed on the front housing 12 of the camera waterproof unit 10. This allows the user to control the shutter of the camera from outside the camera waterproof unit 10 by means of the resilient actuating lever 140.

The camera actuation lever 140 extends from a through hole in the camera waterproof unit 10. The inner end of the actuating lever 140 is disposed inside the camera waterproof apparatus 10, and the outer end of the actuating lever 140 is disposed outside the camera waterproof apparatus 140. A shutter knob or button 142 may be provided on an outer end of the activation lever 140. The shutter knob 142 may be made of a plastic or metal material. The actuating lever 140 may be provided with a spring 144, a washer 146 and a small annular gasket disposed in the front housing 12. The purpose of the spring 144 is to give the shutter actuator mechanism 122 a resilient return force so that the shutter actuator mechanism 122 can return to its original position when the shutter knob 142 is released. The function of the washer 146 is to secure the annular seal 148 against movement. The circular ring-shaped gasket 148 is circular in cross-section. It may be made of an elastic material, such as rubber, silicone or plastic. The function of the annular gasket 148 is to seal and prevent water from flowing into the camera waterproof unit 10 during pressing or releasing of the shutter actuator mechanism 122. When the annular gasket 148 is disposed in the shutter annular cavity, its inner diameter is smaller than the diameter of the actuating lever 140. When the actuating lever 140 is inserted into the ring, the annular gasket 148 will deform and abut the actuating lever 140 and the shutter annular cavity of the front housing 12. Thus, it can perform the function of waterproof sealing. The gasket can be coated with a sealant to provide a better sealing effect.

The shutter trigger mechanism 122 may include a drive link carrier. In the illustrated embodiment, the drive link carrier is an actuator block 150. The actuator block 150 may be a rectangular block or other shape having a plurality of through holes. The actuating block may be made of plastic or metal. Actuator block 150 has a through hole 180 with a larger diameter at the top of actuator block 150 and a smaller diameter at the bottom. The actuating lever 140 is mounted on the actuating block 150 by inserting the actuating lever 140 into the through-hole 180. The actuating lever 140 has a step having a diameter smaller than that of the end of the actuating lever 140 adjacent thereto, so that the actuating lever 140 stops at the step position. The locking member is snapped into a matching recess of the actuating lever 140 through the through hole 155, thereby locking the actuating lever 140 by the actuating block 150. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking member is an E-ring. When the shutter knob 142 is pressed, the start block 150 moves backward. A wall is provided on the front housing 12 at one end of the actuator block 150 to prevent rotation of the actuator block 150 regardless of its vertical position.

A plurality of drive rods 160 of different lengths and shapes (circular, oval, etc.) can be provided in different through holes 162 in the actuator block 150 to match different cameras of different models. Each driving rod 160 has a driving rod insertion part 164 at one end thereof, which is inserted into the through hole 162 of the actuating block 150. Both the manufacturer and the user can change these drive rods.

An on/off actuator mechanism or assembly 120 may also be provided on top of the camera water guard 10, as shown in fig. 5, so that a user can switch the camera on or off. The structure of the on/off actuator assembly 120 may be the same as the shutter actuator mechanism 122 described above. The on/off actuator mechanism 120 can provide different lengths and shapes of the drive rods 160 ' in different through holes 162 ' of the actuator block 150 ', respectively, to match different camera modes similar to the shutter actuator mechanism 122. Both the manufacturer and the user can change these drive rods.

Although the actuating block 150 or 150 ' is designed as a square block in the above, it will be appreciated that the actuating block 150 or 150 ' as the drive rod carrying member may be of any shape as long as it can carry the drive rod 160 or 160 '.

Figures 7 to 10 show another embodiment of the shutter trigger mechanism. The corresponding on/off actuator mechanism has a similar structure. The shutter trigger mechanism 222 may include a trigger lever 240, a shutter knob 242, a spring 244, a washer 246, a donut seal 248, a drive rod carrier 270, a slider 272, a locking block 274, a drive rod 276, and a drive rod pad 278. In the embodiment shown, drive link carrier 270 may be an actuator block and slider 272 is a C-clamp.

The actuating block 270 may be a rectangular block or may be of another shape having slide rails on both sides thereof. The activation block 270 may be made of plastic or metal. The actuating block 270 has a through-hole 280 having a larger diameter at the top of the actuating block 270 and a smaller diameter at the bottom, so that the actuation lever 240 is inserted into the through-hole 280 to mount the actuation lever 240 to the actuating block 270. The actuating lever 240 may have a step having a diameter smaller than that of an end portion of the actuating lever 240 adjacent thereto in order to accomplish the stop of the actuating lever 240 thereat. A locking member or E-ring is fixed to the lower end of the actuating lever 240 through the through-hole 273, thereby achieving the locking of the actuating lever 240 by the actuating block 270. When the shutter knob 242 is pressed, the start block 270 moves downward. A wall 257 may be provided on the front housing 12 at one end of the actuator block 270 to prevent rotation of the actuator block 270 regardless of its vertical position.

The C-clip can snap into the two rails of the activation block 270. The C-clip may be made of a rigid material, such as metal. When the C-clip is unlocked, it can slide freely along the activation block 270 in the X-axis direction. The C-clip may move in the X-direction or along the X-axis in a plane perpendicular to the activation rod 240.

A nut or lock 274 may be provided between the activation block 270 and the C-clip 272. A threaded hole is provided in the lock block 274 that allows the drive link 276 to be threaded into the threaded hole from the bottom and through the C-clip groove 282. The transmission rod 276 may be made of metal or another suitable material. It is machined to have a thread at the upper portion and a hexagonal or other shaped bolt at the middle portion. When the drive link 276 is unlocked, it is free to move in the Y direction along the groove 282 of the C-clip 272. The Y direction is perpendicular to the X direction. The web 284 of the C-clip 272 may grip the lock block 274 to prevent rotation. The web 284 may also strengthen the C-clip against deformation. The drive link 276 can also be free to move in the X or Y direction when the drive link 276 is installed. If the drive rod 276 is threaded further, the locking block 274 will push the C-clip 272 against the activation block 270, thereby creating friction between the activation block 270, the C-clip 272, the locking block 274, and the drive rod 276. The transmission rod 276 will be locked in a fixed position relative to the actuator block 270. This design allows the drive link 276 to be positioned at any location along the actuator block 270 and the C-shaped clamp groove 282 without interference. Different cameras require the use of different length drive rods 276. The transmission rod can be changed by both the manufacturer and the user.

The joystick pad 278 may be made of an elastomeric material in various shapes to match the shape of the camera button. Which may be disposed on the bottom of the drive link 276 to face the camera so that when the camera button is pressed, the drive link 276 is prevented from scratching the surface of the camera button. The drive rod pad 278 can be easily installed by pushing the drive rod pad 278 against the drive rod 276. Which can be self-locking to the transmission rod 276 by a gap.

Fig. 11-15 illustrate a combined shutter actuator mechanism 322 and on/off actuator mechanism 320 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 13 and 15, the shutter actuator mechanism 322 can include an actuation lever 340, a shutter knob 342, a washer 346, a circular ring shaped gasket 348, a drive rod carrier 370, a slider 372, a drive rod 376, and a drive rod pad 378. In the illustrated embodiment, drive link carrier 370 is an actuator block and slider 372 is a C-clamp.

The actuating block 370 may be a rectangular block structure or may be of another shape having opposing parallel slide rails 371 on both sides thereof. The activation block 370 may be made of plastic or metal. The actuating block 370 has a through-hole 380 with a larger diameter at the top of the actuating block 370 and a smaller diameter at the bottom, so that the actuation lever 340 is inserted into the through-hole 380 to effect the mounting of the actuation lever 340 to the actuating block 370. The actuating lever 340 has a step having a diameter smaller than that of an end of the actuating lever 340 adjacent thereto so that the actuating lever 340 can be stopped thereat. Locking of the actuation lever 340 by the actuation block 370 is accomplished by inserting a locking member or E-ring into the through hole 373 and snapping the E-ring into a matching groove on the actuation lever 340 to lock the actuation lever 340 in the through hole 380. When the shutter knob is pushed, the start block 370 moves downward. A wall 357 (FIGS. 11 and 16-18) may be provided on the front housing 12 at one end of the actuator block 370 to prevent rotation regardless of the vertical position of the actuator block.

The C-clip 372 may snap into two opposing parallel sliding tracks of the activation block 370. The C-clip may be made of a rigid material, such as metal. When the C-clip 372 is unlocked, it is free to slide along the activation block 370 in the X direction.

The drive link 376 may be made of metal or another suitable material. It may be machined with a thread on the top and a hexagonal bolt or other shaped bolt in the middle. When the drive link 376 is unlocked, it is free to slide along the groove 382 of the C-clip 372 in the Y-direction. The drive link 376 is free to slide in the X or Y direction when installed. When the drive link 376 is threaded further in, it will abut against the actuator block 370. The drive link 376 will then be locked in a fixed position relative to the actuator block 370. Such a design allows the drive link 376 to be positioned at any location along the activation block 370 and the groove 382 of the C-clip 372 without interference. Different cameras require the use of drive rods 376 of different lengths. It can be changed by the manufacturer or the user. [0059] The plunger pad 378 may be made of an elastomeric material in a variety of shapes to match the shape of the camera button. Which can be disposed on the bottom of drive rod 376 to prevent drive rod 376 from scratching the surface of the camera button when the camera button is pressed. The drive rod pad 378 can be easily installed by pushing the drive rod pad 378 against the drive rod 376. Which can be self-locking to the drive link 376 through a gap.

Although the actuating block 370 is designed as a square block, it will be appreciated that the actuating block 370, which is the drive rod carrying member, can be of any shape, as long as it can carry the drive rod 376.

The open/close actuator mechanism 320 shown in fig. 12 and 14 has the same structure as the shutter actuator mechanism 322 shown in fig. 13 and 15.

16-18 illustrate three different configurations of the shutter actuator mechanism 322 and the on/off actuator mechanism for different cameras having different positions of the shutter and on/off button.

Fig. 19 and 20 illustrate different embodiments of the shutter actuator mechanism 322 and the on/off actuator mechanism 320. In this embodiment, the two activation blocks 370, 370 'and the two C-clips 372, 372' are at 90 degrees to each other as compared to the previous embodiment. Fig. 21 and 22 show another embodiment of the shutter actuator mechanism 322 and the on/off actuator mechanism 320 in which the two actuating blocks 370, 370 'are at 90 degrees to each other and the two C-clips 372, 372' are also at 90 degrees to each other.

In order to allow different sized cameras to be placed in the camera water shield 10, a plurality of different sized and shaped pads may be placed on the inner surfaces of the front and rear housings 12, 14.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the front shell 12 and the inner surface may include a plurality of standoffs to which the front backing plate 34 may be coupled. The pad 34 may be circular or otherwise shaped and may be made of a soft or resilient material such as rubber, silicone or latex. The backing plate 34 has a waterproof self-adhesive material on its bottom. The stencil paper is removed and the pad 34 is attached to the front case 12 while applying pressure thereto, so that the pad 34 can be simply mounted on the susceptor. The shim plates may have different thicknesses. The effect of the different thickness backing plates is to provide an optimum distance from the front housing 12 when the camera is positioned in the cavity 16 of the camera waterproof unit 10. In addition, the camera should be placed so that the shutter button and/or the on/off button are both in the shutter and on/off actuator mechanisms of the camera waterproof unit 10.

Fig. 23 shows a plurality of rear pads 134, which are made of a soft material, such as sponge, silicone, latex, or plastic, and may be disposed on the inner surface of the rear housing 14. The backing plate 134 may be circular, square, or otherwise shaped. Which is used to press the camera onto the front shell 12 to prevent the camera from moving within the camera water-resistant device 10.

Fig. 24 shows another embodiment of the backing plate 136. The backing plate 136 may be a generally rectangular structure. The frame window may be the same size as the display device of the camera so that it may act as a light shield for the camera display device to eliminate extraneous light affecting the display while viewing the camera display device through the rear housing 14.

As shown in fig. 2, 3 and 25, a pad support is further provided for supporting the elastic pad 36, thereby fixing the position of the camera. These pads 36 may be made of an elastic material and have a "fishtail" shape. The pad support member can support these pads 36 in a certain position.

The user configurable camera water guard of the present invention is illustrated by several specific embodiments, and various modifications may be made to the invention to adapt to a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present invention without departing from its scope.

Claims (12)

1. A user-configurable camera waterproof device, comprising:

a housing for enclosing and housing the cameras in different modes;

an actuating lever protruding from the through hole of the housing;

the starting block is connected with the inner end part of the starting rod;

the C-shaped clamp is connected to the two opposite parallel sliding rails on the starting block in a sliding mode and can slide along a first axial direction perpendicular to the shaft of the starting rod; and

an adjustable drive link mounted on the C-clip and engaging a camera button, wherein the C-clip has a groove along which the drive link slides in a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction.

2. The user-configurable camera water guard of claim 1 wherein the adjustable drive link includes a threaded portion to threadably engage a nut to lock the drive link in a fixed position relative to the actuator block.

3. The user-configurable camera water guard of claim 1, further comprising a spring for biasing the activation lever.

4. The user-configurable camera water guard of claim 1, wherein the actuation block comprises a first through hole for plugging the actuation rod and a second through hole for plugging an E-ring to lock the actuation rod in the first through hole.

5. The user configurable camera water guard of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of pads disposed on an inner surface of the housing to support a camera within the housing.

6. The user-configurable camera water guard of claim 1, further comprising an activation button coupled to an outer end of the activation rod.

7. A user-configurable camera waterproof device, comprising:

a housing for enclosing and housing the cameras in different modes;

an actuating lever protruding from the through hole of the housing;

a driving lever bearing member connected with an inner end portion of the actuating lever; and

an adjustable drive link mounted on the drive link carrier and engaging a camera button; further comprising a slider slidably connected to said drive rod carrier and sliding in a first axial direction perpendicular to said actuation lever axis, said adjustable drive rod being disposed on said slider; a groove is provided on the slider, and the adjustable transmission rod is slidably connected to the groove and slides along a second axial direction perpendicular to the first axial direction.

8. The user-configurable camera water guard of claim 7 wherein the adjustable drive link includes a threaded portion for threadably engaging a nut to lock the adjustable drive link in a fixed position relative to the drive link carrier.

9. The user-configurable camera water guard of claim 7, further comprising a spring for biasing the activation lever.

10. The user-configurable camera water guard of claim 7, wherein the drive rod carrier includes a first through hole for receiving the actuation rod and a second through hole for receiving a locking feature to lock the actuation rod in the first through hole.

11. The user configurable camera water guard of claim 7 further comprising a plurality of pads disposed on an inner surface of the housing to support a camera within the housing.

12. The user-configurable camera water guard of claim 7, further comprising an activation button coupled to an outer end of the activation rod.