JPH02141735A - Waterproof case for camera and camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize the title waterproof case by combining both the waterproof case and a camera housed in the case so that a combined structure for receiving water pressure can be obtained. CONSTITUTION:Respective abutting parts 28 formed in the waterproof case 2 abut on the external surface of a camera case 3 at the positions opposed to both end parts of respective external force opposing members 22 disposed inside the camera case 3. Therefore, when the underwater camera is under water, the water pressure is applied to all the surface of the waterproof case 2. The water pressure is dispersedly transferred from the respective abutting parts 28 formed in respective case members 24 to the respective external force opposing members 22 provided inside the camera case 3 through the camera case 3 of the camera 1 and acts in the axial direction of the members 22. Namely, the plural external force opposing members 22 dispersedly provided inside the camera 2 dispersedly receives the water pressure applied to the waterproof case 2. Thus, the small-sized economy waterproof case is obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a waterproof case and a camera housed in the waterproof case.

[Prior Art] A so-called underwater camera used for taking photographs underwater, such as in the sea, has a waterproof structure in which the camera is housed inside a waterproof case to prevent water from entering the camera.

In conventional underwater cameras, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, all of the water pressure applied to the underwater camera when used underwater is received by the waterproof case B, which is the outer case, and the inside of the waterproof case B is Camera A, which is stored in the camera A, has a structure that prevents water pressure from being applied to it.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the conventional underwater camera in which the waterproof case handles the entire water pressure has the following problems.

In other words, the waterproof case needs to have a large cylindrical or spherical structure to have the strength to withstand water pressure, and the waterproof case needs to have a large cylindrical or spherical structure to avoid contact with the camera when the wall of the waterproof case bends inward due to water pressure. There is a large gap between the wall and the camera. Furthermore, waterproof cases are usually molded from synthetic resin, but the walls are made thicker in order to have the strength to withstand water pressure. Therefore, for these reasons, the waterproof case is large, making the entire underwater camera large, and there is also the problem that the material cost and manufacturing cost of the waterproof case are high, making it uneconomical.

The present invention has been made based on the above circumstances, and provides a small and economical waterproof case for use in an underwater camera, and a camera having a structure for realizing the case structure by being housed in the waterproof case. The purpose is to

[Means and effects for solving the problem] In manufacturing an underwater camera, the inventor of the present invention broke away from the conventional idea of not applying any water pressure to the camera and receiving water pressure only through the waterproof case. We have discovered a new technical concept that allows the waterproof case to be made smaller by combining both the waterproof case and the camera housed inside to form a composite structure that receives water pressure.

Therefore, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following measures. That is, the present invention provides a waterproof case in which a camera is housed, characterized in that an abutment part that comes into contact with an external force resisting member provided on the camera to be housed is provided on the inner surface.

The present invention also provides a camera that is housed inside a waterproof case, in which an external force counter member is provided inside the camera to receive an external force applied to the waterproof case by coming into contact with a contact portion provided on the inner surface of the waterproof case. We have taken measures characterized by the following:

By taking such measures, the following effects can be obtained. In other words, when the waterproof case is submerged in water, part of the water pressure applied to the waterproof case is received by the waterproof case itself, and the other part is received by the external force resisting member installed on the camera, so that all of the water pressure is absorbed by the waterproof case. The waterproof case can be made to have a thinner and flatter structure, and the wall thickness of the waterproof case can be made thinner than in the case of a structure in which the waterproof case is received by the waterproof case. Furthermore, by distributing multiple external force resisting members inside the camera, the deflection that occurs in the waterproof case when subjected to water pressure is a small deflection that occurs between each external force resisting member, so this deflection can be avoided. Therefore, there is no need to leave a large gap between the waterproof case and the camera, just a small gap.

[Example] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to drawings.

1 to 4 show an embodiment of an underwater camera constructed by combining a waterproof case and a camera according to the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a camera, and 2 is a waterproof case that houses this camera 1.

Camera 1 is an electronic still camera and is configured as follows. Reference numeral 3 denotes a thin, rectangular case made of synthetic resin. Inside this case 3, a wiring board 4, a disk drive device 5, a strobe 6, and a lens frame 7 are arranged in a rational manner.

The lens frame 7 is provided with a group of lenses that constitute an optical path for guiding light for photographing and observation.One end of the lens frame 7 faces the light entrance window 8 provided in the camera case 3, and the other end faces the light entrance window 8 provided in the camera case 3. The end faces an eyepiece window 9 provided in the camera case 3. Inside the lens frame 7 from one end to the middle, there are a focusing lens 10, a variable power adjusting lens 11, a focusing lens 12, and an imaging lens 1.
3, a beam splitter 14, and an image sensor 15, and the light enters from the light entrance window 8 and passes through each lens 10 to 1.
3 and a beam splitter 14 to reach an image sensor 15 for photographing. Further, a focusing plate 16, a half mirror 17, an intermediate lens 18, an inverting lens 19, and an eyepiece lens 20 are provided inside the lens frame 7 from the middle part to the other end.
The branched light passes through the focus plate 16, mirror 17, and lenses 18 to 20, and then exits from the eyepiece window 9. In the figure, reference numeral 21 denotes a reflective shade provided on the light emitting part of the strobe device 6, which is attached to the camera case 3. Further, inside the camera case 3, external force resisting members 22 are provided at a plurality of dispersed locations. These external force counter members 22 are in the form of round bottles made of hard synthetic resin.

Each external force counter member 22 is arranged along the case thickness direction at each installation position inside the camera case 3, and both ends are placed inside one side surface and the other side surface of the camera case 3. They are supported by the camera case 3 by being inserted into and engaged with the formed blind holes 23 and 23, respectively. In addition,
As shown in FIG. 4, a convex portion is formed around the tip 23 of the camera case 3 to increase the strength of the case. Both ends of the external force resisting member 22 provided in this manner are connected to the camera case 3, and have the role of a pillar or beam that receives external forces applied to the camera case 3 in the thickness direction thereof. Therefore, it is preferable to provide as many of these external force resisting members 22 as possible, uniformly distributed at short intervals, within the camera case 3 while taking into consideration the conditions for mounting components. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, an external force resisting member 22 is provided at a location where the wiring board 4 is provided by penetrating the board.

Incidentally, the peripheral edges of the four sides of the camera case 3 have an arcuate cross section as shown in FIG. Also, camera case 3
For example, it has a configuration in which it is divided into one side and the other side and combined. In this way, the camera 1 has a structure in which it can receive external forces by itself by providing each external force resisting member 23.

The waterproof case 2 has the configuration described below.

The waterproof case 2 is made of synthetic resin, and the camera 1
Like the camera case 3, it is thin and has a rectangular shape so as to surround the entire circumference of the camera case 3 with a slight gap. This waterproof case 2 is composed of a pair of case members 24, 24 whose peripheral edges are parting lines, for example, and these case members 24, 24 are combined watertightly through a seal ring 31 to form an integral structure. This waterproof case 2 includes a light entrance window 8 and an eyepiece window 9 provided in the camera case 3 of the camera 1.
and a light entrance window 2 corresponding to the reflective shade 21 of the strobe device 6.
5. An eyepiece window 26 and a strobe window 27 are provided. Therefore, on the inner surface of the side surface of one case member 24 in this waterproof case 2 and the inner surface of the side surface of the other case member 24, a plurality of Contact portions 28 and 28 are formed to protrude from a plurality of locations facing each location of the external force countering member 22, respectively. Each of these contact portions 28, 28 is a projection having a spherical surface, and is in contact with the outer surface of the camera case 3 of the camera 1 housed inside the waterproof case 2. That is, each contact portion 28 formed on the waterproof case 2 contacts the outer surface of the camera case 3 at a position opposite to both ends of each external force resisting member 22 disposed inside the camera case 3. . Thereby, when an external force is applied to the waterproof case 2, the external force is distributed and transmitted from each contact portion 28 to each external force resisting member 23 via the camera case 3. Also, depending on the height of this contact portion 28, the waterproof case 2
The size of the gap between the camera case 3 and the camera case 3 is defined.

Note that the peripheral edge of the waterproof case 2 has an arc-shaped cross section similarly to the peripheral edge of the camera case 3, and has a structure that has sufficient strength against external forces.

In the figure, 29 is a release button, and 3o is a zoom button, which are prevented from moving unnecessarily by water pressure.

The underwater camera configured as described above is placed underwater and used. If you put this underwater camera underwater, the waterproof case 2
Water pressure is applied to the entire surface of the case member 24.
．． The contact portions 28 and 28 formed in 24 are distributed and transmitted through the camera case 3 of the camera 1 to the external force counter members 22 provided inside the camera case 3.
Acts in the axial direction of 2. That is, the plurality of external force resisting members 22 distributed inside each camera 2 receive the water pressure applied to the waterproof case 2 in a distributed manner. In this way, the underwater camera receives the applied water pressure in a distributed manner between the waterproof case 2 and the camera 1. This prevents the waterproof case 2 and the camera 1 from being damaged by resisting the water pressure, and the underwater camera as a whole is protected. It has sufficient strength to withstand water pressure.

Therefore, the waterproof case 2 of this underwater camera can have a thinner and flatter structure than the waterproof case of a conventional underwater camera, which prevents any water pressure from being applied to the camera itself, and the wall thickness of the case can be reduced. Can be made thinner than conventional ones.

In addition, since the deflection that occurs when the waterproof case 2 receives water pressure is a small deflection that occurs between each external force resisting member 22, in order to avoid this deflection, the waterproof case 2
There is no need to provide a large gap between the camera case 3 and the camera case 3, it is only necessary to ensure a small gap. In this way, the waterproof case can be made smaller compared to the conventional case. In addition, since the waterproof case is small and made of thin material, the material cost is low, and manufacturing is easy and manufacturing costs are low.

In addition, in this embodiment, in order to attach the external force countering member 22 provided on the camera to the camera case 3, the external force countering member 22 is attached to the camera case 3.
The end of 2 is formed in the camera case 3/Blind hole-shaped hole 2
4, but is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, a through hole 32 may be formed in the wall of the camera case 3, and the end of the external force resisting member 22 may be inserted through the through hole 32 and engaged. In this case, the contact portion 28 of the waterproof case 2 contacts the end surface of the external force counter member 22, so that the water pressure applied to the waterproof case 2 is transferred to the camera case 3.
Receive it directly without going through it.

Further, the type of camera to be housed in the waterproof case is not limited to an electronic still camera, and a normal 35 mm eye reflex camera or video camera can be housed and used as an underwater camera.

Further, the external force resisting member provided in the camera is not limited to the pin-shaped member in the embodiment, but other configurations may be used.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, an external force counter member is provided inside a camera used for an underwater camera, and a contact portion that comes into contact with the external force counter member of the camera is provided in a waterproof case that houses the camera. Since the water pressure applied to the underwater camera is handled by both the waterproof case side and the camera side, it is possible to obtain a compact and economical waterproof case. Obtainable.

Therefore, by combining the waterproof case of the present invention and a camera, a small and economical underwater camera can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 4 show one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 is a sectional view showing an underwater camera that combines a waterproof case and a camera, and Figure 2 is taken along the line ■-■ in Figure 1. 3 is a front view showing the same underwater camera, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view showing how the external force countering member in the camera is attached to the camera case, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the external force countering member in the camera and the camera. FIGS. 6 and 7 are enlarged views showing other examples of attachment to the case, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are views showing conventional examples of underwater cameras. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Camera, 2... Waterproof case, 3... Camera case, 22... External force opposing member, 28... Contact part. Figure 1 Applicant's representative Patent attorney Jun Tsuboi Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A waterproof case for a camera, which is a case for storing a camera therein, and is characterized in that an abutment part is provided on the inner surface of the case to abut an external force resisting member provided on the camera to be housed. (2) A camera stored inside a waterproof case,
A camera characterized in that an external force resisting member is provided inside the waterproof case for receiving an external force applied to the waterproof case by coming into contact with a contact portion provided on an inner surface of the waterproof case.