Photography – Underwater – waterproof – or water-resistant camera – Camera removable from handheld casing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-11
2001-10-30
Mathews, Alan A. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Underwater, waterproof, or water-resistant camera
Camera removable from handheld casing
C396S025000, C396S029000, C348S081000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311017
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to waterproof housings for cameras and other devices that utilize sub-assemblies such as film cartridges and batteries.
2. Description of the Art
Waterproof housings for cameras and other portable devices are well known. More particularly, waterproof housings for devices that utilize replaceable or mountable sub-assemblies are also well known. For example, waterproof housings have been used with cameras that utilize replaceable film cartridges.
Unfortunately, such waterproof housings do not allow sub-assemblies such as film cartridges to be easily inserted into and removed from main assemblies such as cameras without totally removing the main assembly from such waterproof housings. In large part, the inability to remove a sub-assembly from a main assembly without removing the main assembly from a waterproof housing is due to the design of many main and sub-assemblies. For example, in the case of a camera (e.g., a 35 mm camera), a film cartridge sub-assembly is often loaded into the camera body by opening a back cover thereof to reveal an inner compartment and to enable manual operations to properly mount and load a film strip. Since opening a back cover of a camera typically involves a range of motion that is large relative to a camera body (e.g., a range of motion associated with a hinged camera back), waterproof housings have been designed so that loading and unloading of a film cartridge sub-assembly is to be done by removing a corresponding camera assembly.
Unfortunately, as cameras and other main assemblies have changed and improved, waterproof housings have not realized corresponding improvement. For example, new cameras have been designed to accept new film cartridge sub-assemblies. In particular, cameras that utilize Advanced Photo System (APS) type films and film cartridge sub-assemblies have been mass-marketed for their “drop-in” loading characteristics. In the case of APS cameras, a relatively small film compartment door typically opens at a back side or at the bottom of a camera body to reveal a relatively small film cartridge compartment. There is no need to open an entire back side of a camera body to allow for manual operations to load a film strip. With APS cameras, film loading is automated. Additionally, because the film compartment of an APS camera is relatively small, the risk of dust and dirt entering a camera body when changing film is lower than with typical 35 mm cameras and the like. Additionally, because film strip loading is automated, the risks associated with fingers coming into contact with internal mechanisms of a camera are also mitigated,
Accordingly, because assemblies like modem cameras (e.g., APS cameras, digital cameras that incorporate removable storage mediums and power supplies) do not require large sections of their bodies to be opened to insert and remove sub-assemblies like film cartridges, etc., current waterproof housings that require whole assembly removal for sub-assembly insertion and removal are not well suited to protect such assemblies from environmental conditions. An example of such an arrangement is illustrated in a drawing figure (
FIG. 1
) which is attached to this patent document.
FIG. 1
illustrates a side cross section view of a waterproof housing that houses an APS-type camera. In particular, a main camera assembly (camera)
101
is housed in a waterproof housing
41
. Camera
101
includes a lens unit
104
and has a film cartridge sub-assembly
103
mounted therein. A film compartment
102
a
includes door
102
which is shown in a closed state. Waterproof housing
41
includes a body
40
, a window
44
(glass, acrylic, plastic, etc.), and a back
42
. Back
42
is mounted on body
40
in a conventional way (e.g., screws, etc.). Water and other material are kept out of body
41
as a result of seals
43
and
45
which surround back
42
and window
44
conventional fashion, respectively. For purposes of clarity, photographic operations are carried out with the arrangement shown in
FIG. 1
, by allowing light to enter waterproof housing
41
(in the direction identified as “p”) and to be captured and transmitted via lens unit
104
to a film substrate in camera
101
.
To remove film cartridge
103
from camera
101
, camera
101
must be completely removed from waterproof housing
41
since door
102
is accessible at the bottom of camera
101
. Such operation is required in order to gain access to film compartment
102
a
via cover
102
. Accordingly, each time waterproof housing
41
is opened there is a risk of allowing water and other materials to enter. For example, if film cartridge
103
is to be removed or replaced while on a beach, sand may be caused to enter waterproof housing
41
and to possibly negatively affect the seal that may be made by seals
43
. If a watertight seal cannot be made between back
42
and body
40
, water and other material ultimately may enter waterproof housing
41
and interfere with or damage camera
101
.
Thus, there exists a need to provide a waterproof housing for a camera assembly which does not require the camera assembly to be removed for sub-assembly (e.g., film cartridge, etc.) insertion and removal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the preceding comments, it is a principal object of the present invention to solve the aforementioned problems associated with prior art waterproof housings.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a waterproof housing that has a body having an aperture that allows operative access to a housed device without requiring the housed device to be removed from the waterproof housing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a waterproof housing that has a body having an aperture that allows a housed device to receive a sub-assembly through the aperture.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a waterproof housing that mitigates risks associated with water and other material entering the housing even during times when a housed device such as a camera is to receive a sub-assembly such as a film cartridge.
The present invention achieves the aforementioned objects and delivers certain benefits not heretofore realized in the waterproof housing arts. For example, a device housed within a waterproof housing according to the present invention need not be removed from such housing even during times when a sub-assembly like a film cartridge for a camera is to be replaced or loaded into the housed device. Moreover, because a waterproof housing according to the present invention has an aperture that provides operative access to a portion of a device that is adapted to receive a sub-assembly, only a relatively small portion of the waterproof housing will be open to an environment when the device is to receive the sub-assembly. there is less of a risk of water and/or other material entering the interior of the waterproof housing.
The present invention achieves the aforementioned objects and delivers the above-stated benefits by providing a waterproof housing for housing a camera having film cartridge compartment and a film cartridge compartment cover. The waterproof housing includes a body having a wall. The wall has an aperture that provides operative access to the film cartridge compartment of the camera.
According to another aspect of the present invention, provided is a waterproof housing for housing an imaging device that is configured to receive a sub-assembly related to the operation of the imaging device. The waterproof housing includes a body having a wall. The wall has an aperture that provides operative access to a portion of the imaging device that is configured to receive the sub-assembly which is related to the operation of the imaging device.
According to a final aspect of the present invention, provided is a waterproof housing for housing a device that is adapted to receive a sub-assembly. The waterproof housing includes a wall. The wall has an aperture that has dimensions that correspond to the dimensions of
Erik B. Cherdak & Associates LLC
Mathews Alan A.
Nikon Corporation
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