Photography – Folding or collapsible camera
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-14
2001-07-24
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Folding or collapsible camera
C396S448000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264378
ABSTRACT:
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The disclosure of the following priority application is herein incorporated by reference:
Japanese Patent Application No. 10-291983 filed Oct. 14, 1998
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera with a camera component such as an electronic flash device at a slide cover covering a portion of the camera main body unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a camera having a slide cover that protects a photographing lens and the like, the photographing lens is exposed by opening the slide cover during a photographing operation while the photographing lens is protected from external forces and the like by closing the slide cover in a non-photographing state. Cameras provided with such a slide cover in the known art include those in which the light emitting portion of an electronic flash device, electrical components and the like mounted at the inside of the slide cover as disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Utility Model Publication No. 60-128337.
However, in such a camera in the known art described above, there is a problem in that since the light emitting portion or the electrical components are directly mounted on the inside of the slide cover, the light emitting portion, the electrical components and the like tend to become damaged readily by drops of water and the like entering through the gap between the camera main body unit and the slide cover.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a camera mounted with camera components such as an electronic flash device at a slide cover, which achieves outstanding drip-proofing and water-proofing for the camera components.
In order to achieve the object described above, the present invention is adopted in a camera comprising: a camera main body having a lens barrel; and a slide cover that moves relative to the camera main body between a camera non-use position at which the lens barrel, at least, is covered and a camera use position at which the lens barrel is exposed. And a sealed space is formed at the slide cover and a camera component is provided in the sealed space.
In this camera, preferably, the slide cover is formed in a sheath shape to house the camera main body when the camera is in a non-use state.
Also, preferably, the space is sealed to achieve, at least, drip-proofing and the camera component is an electrical component.
Also, preferably, the slide cover comprises an inner cover at which a housing space for housing the camera component is formed and an outer cover that covers an outer side of the inner cover, and the housing space is sealed by covering the outer side of the inner cover with the outer cover. In addition, preferably, the camera component is an electronic flash device for illuminating a subject, and the inner cover is constituted of an insulating material. Furthermore, preferably; the inner cover is formed in a roughly carton shape having a bottom to house the camera main body; a communicating hole which communicates between a carton-shaped inner space of the carton-shaped inner cover and the housing space where the electronic flash device for illuminating the subject is housed is provided at the inner cover; and a wiring member that connects the electronic flash device inside the housing space to an electronic flash device control circuit inside the camera main body is led out to the carton-shaped inner space from the housing space via the communicating hole to be placed in a gap between the camera main body and a bottom portion of the inner cover.
Another camera according to the present invention comprises: a camera main body having a lens barrel; and a slide cover that moves relative to the camera main body between a camera non-use position at which the lens barrel, at least, is covered and a camera use position at which the lens barrel is exposed. And the slide cover comprises an inner cover having at least two housing spaces for housing camera components and an outer cover that covers an outer side of the inner cover; the two housing spaces are sealed and a linking space that links the two housing spaces with each other is formed between the inner cover and the outer cover, by covering the outer side of the inner cover with the outer cover; and a linking member that links the camera components housed in the two housing spaces with each other is provided in the linking space.
In this camera, preferably, a light emitting portion of an electronic flash device for illuminating a subject is housed in one of the two housing spaces; an electrical component that is part of the electronic flash device for illuminating the subject is housed in the other housing space; and an electrical connecting member that electrically connects the light emitting portion and the electrical component is provided in the linking space.
Another camera according to the present invention comprises: a camera main body having a lens barrel; and a slide cover that moves relative to the camera main body between a camera non-use position at which the lens barrel, at least, is covered and a camera use position at which the lens barrel is exposed. And the slide cover comprises an inner cover having a housing space for housing a camera component and an outer cover that covers an outer side of the inner cover; the housing space is sealed by covering the outer side of the inner cover with the outer cover; and a hole through which a linking member that links the camera component housed in the housing space and another camera component outside the housing space is led out from the sealed housing space is formed at the inner cover.
In this camera, preferably, the camera component housed in the housing space is a light emitting portion of an electronic flash device for illuminating a subject; and the other camera component is an electrical circuit portion of the electronic flash device for illuminating a subject provided at the camera main body.
Also, preferably, the hole is filled with a filler material to seal the housing space in a state in which the linking member is led out.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4557574 (1985-12-01), Kohno et al.
patent: 4589747 (1986-05-01), Nakayama et al.
patent: 4601562 (1986-07-01), Yoneyama et al.
patent: 60-128337 U (1985-08-01), None
Katoh Minoru
Miyamoto Hidenori
Nishimura Tomoki
Gray David M.
Nikon Corporation
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
LandOfFree
Camera having slide cover does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Camera having slide cover, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Camera having slide cover will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2494818