Camera having antifogging film

Details Camera having antifogging film Camera having antifogging film

1999-07-21

2001-12-04

Perkey, W. B. (Department: 2851)

Photography

Underwater, waterproof, or water-resistant camera

Handheld camera

C396S373000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06327430

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparats having an optical window or windows, such as an underwater camera arranged to be usable for underwater photography.
2. Description of Related Art
When an underwater camera is in the atmosphere, optical members forming an optical system and air sealed inside the camera have about the same temperature as the temperature of the atmosphere. Generally, the temperature of water is lower than the temperature of the atmosphere. Therefore, when the underwater camera is placed in the water, an optical member such as an optical window that comes in contact with water is cooled. Then, an aqueous vapor is sometimes generated within the camera and sticks to the inner surface of the optical member to fog the optical member. Such a fogged optical member then has some adverse effects on taking a picture or making an observation. Accordingly, in the conventional underwater camera, such fogging is prevented by arranging optical members (sealing window members) Q that come into contact with water to be in a double-paned structure, as shown in FIG.
3
. Incidentally, in
FIG. 3
, reference numeral
1
denotes a photographing optical system, reference numeral
2
denotes a viewfinder optical system, and reference numeral
3
denotes a film surface, which is set on the image forming plane of the photographing optical system
1
.
However, in the conventional structure of the underwater camera such as that shown in
FIG. 3
, the number of parts of the sealing window members Q is inevitably increased. Therefore, the size and cost of the conventional underwater camera are increased by the arrangement mentioned above.
BRIEF SUMMERY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to adequately prevent optical windows of a camera and, particularly, an underwater camera or the like from fogging, in a novel manner which differs from the conventional arrangement.
To attain the above object, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a camera, which comprise a photo-taking optical unit for photo-taking an object, and a viewfinder optical unit for observing the object, wherein an antifogging film is applied to an inner side of an optical member which is disposed in an optical path of at least one of the photo-taking optical unit and the viewfinder optical unit and which comes into contact with an external medium relative to the camera.
In particular, the antifogging film has a property of absorbing water.
Further, the camera is an underwater camera having a hermetically sealed construction, and the external medium is water.
The above and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: Re. 35679 (1997-12-01), Tanaka
patent: 5212509 (1993-05-01), Kosako et al.
patent: 5530499 (1996-06-01), Mori
patent: 5854341 (1998-12-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 8-66990 (1996-03-01), None
patent: 11-84473 (1999-03-01), None
U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 09/145,209.

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