1990-01-19
1992-02-11
Brown, Brian W.
G03B 1708
Patent
active
050879340
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to waterproof housings or bags for cameras such as video cameras and more particularly to broadcasting cameras.
Broadcasting camera housings are known which can be used underwater down to depths of around 40 meters and remain waterproof. One known housing is made of cast aluminium and the camera controls, inside the housing, are operated by suitable external control mechanism passing in sealing-tight manner through the housing walls. Viewing ports are provided in the housing walls for the camera lens and the viewfinder. Once the camera and housing are assembled, it is not practicable, due to the length of disassembly time, to remove the camera from the housing for use above water. Such underwater housings are very expensive and thus, more often than not, are hired out for use rather than sold outright.
The applicant has identified the need for a waterproof camera housing which is capable of operating about the waterline, i.e. just above and below the waterline e.g. to depths of around 4 to 5 feet (1.25 to 1.75 meters). But for such use the known underwater camera housing referred to in the above paragraph is prohibitively expensive, awkward and heavy.
It has already been proposed to provide a camera housing for use about the waterline, such housing being in the form of a bag made of a flexible waterproof material and metal pieces and having a planar lens port and a planar viewing port. However such a construction is cumbersome, not easy to make, operationally impractical, not commercially viable and location of the lens and viewing ports with respect to the camera lens and viewfinder respectively is difficult. And the viewing port is not suitable for permitting viewing throughout the entire range of the view finder (i.e. that range which is suitable for use in operative environment of the camera), so that it has to be moved around to obtain the operative viewing range.
Accordingly, the main object of the present invention is to provide a watertight camera housing for use about the waterline in which the aforesaid disadvantages are eliminated or at least substantially reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To this end the present invention consists of a watertight camera housing which is made from a flexible waterproof material and which is shaped to accommodate a camera having a lens and a viewfinder including projecting parts, the flexibility of the material being such that the camera controls are operable through the material when the camera is accommodated in the housing, characterised in that said housing has two portions which project from the main body of the housing and are provided respectively with a lens port and a viewing port, each made of a transparent material, the said two portions being shaped to accommodate the projecting parts of the camera lens and viewfinder and to locate the lens port and viewing port with respect to the camera lens and viewfinder respectively when the camera is accommodated in the housing, and the viewing port being so arranged as to permit viewing substantially throughout that range of the camera viewfinder, which is suitable for use in the operative environment of the camera.
By means of the invention, it is a simple matter to place the camera in the housing, locate the two projecting portions respectively over the camera lens and viewfinder and close the housing with a suitable waterproof closure, e.g. a waterproof zipper, and connect up any audio connections through a suitable water tight fitting in the material of the housing.
If desired the housing may be provided with a valve for introducing air to provide buoyancy and/or the housing may be provided with a suspension point, e.g. a shackle, for attachment to a rope or cable from e.g. a waterbourne vessel.
The viewing port may be arcuate to provide a radius of curvature sufficient to permit said viewing substantially throughout the said operative range of the camera viewfinder.
In another embodiment, the projecting portions are provided with respective reinforceme
REFERENCES:
patent: 3026784 (1962-03-01), Byers
patent: 4071066 (1978-01-01), Schaeffer
patent: 4771299 (1988-09-01), Gell, Jr.
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