CA2887534A1

CA2887534A1 - Power bank device enclosure for film cameras

Info

Publication number: CA2887534A1
Application number: CA2887534A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Sandu Baciu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2015-04-13
Filing date: 2015-04-13
Publication date: 2016-10-13

Abstract

The invention provides an improved way of enclosing a power bank device, as a power cartridge that can be inserted inside a film camera. It can be rechargeable, and provides power to an assembly or devices that can be embedded or interconnected with the film camera.

Description

Power Bank Device Enclosure For Film Cameras This invention provides an improved power bank device enclosure that can be inserted into film cameras (vintage, rangefinders, point and shoot, 35mm, medium and large format cameras).
Background Of The Invention Power bank enclosures are known and widely used as external devices, and employ internal batteries based on different power storage technologies. Typical power bank enclosures and relevant related technologies are shown in the following United States of America and Japan patents:
US 5369565 A leon C. Chen, Michael Wilson US 8541985 B1 John Wong US 8013478 B2 Shih-Hui Chen, Chin-Tien Lin US 2282075 A Mihalyi Joseph US 2771814 A Warren R !son US 3748986 A Daitoku K, Kimura S
US 4240734 A Katsuhiko Nomura, Keisuke Haraguchi 2012-242615 Nikon US 20140202726 Al Chih-Hang Lee, Yung-Hung Hsiao, Pei-Li Chang US 7222984 B2 Wen Sung Lee US 20060250043 Al Wai Chung US 7977806 B2 Byung-Sik Kim, Hong-Sam Kim, Hae-Soo Kim Though such power banks have achieved successes, there has been a continuing need for improvement and widening the field of applications.
Summary Of The Invention The invention takes advantage of the available space in film cameras initially designed to hold the film and the film enclosure, usually comprising two compartments adjacent to the film exposure plane. The invention is an energy storage device in the form of a cartridge that is shaped to take advantage of this space. It provides devices placed inside the film camera with a versatile energy source. The power bank device consists of one or multiple batteries that are connected to each other and to other devices to which power is being supplied, and possesses the capability to use universal wire connections, and/or USB connections for additional power, data distribution, and recharging the battery or batteries. The cartridge is designed so that its insertion into

2 and removal from the film camera is achieved through the mechanism that already exists in film cameras to load or remove film cartridges.
In the drawings, which form a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a general view of the power bank device enclosure, assemblies and cartridge section details for a film camera with a horizontal film travel pathway;
Fig. 2 is a general view of the power bank device enclosure and assembly of the cartridges for a Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) film camera with a vertical film travel pathway.
Detailed Description Of The Invention Designs of the device for two different films camera types, horizontal film travelling and vertical film travelling, are detailed here. The way in which the above objectives for the device are achieved for each camera type is best explained with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.
In Fig. 1, a common film camera 1 with film travel path 2 placed horizontally, allows the power bank device enclosure 3 to be placed into the film cartridge slot 4 or 4a, inside of the film camera 1, which is shown with the back cover 5 open. The power bank enclosure device 3 is an assembly of two main parts, the electrical generator cap or recharger 3a that connects with or screws into the empty cylindrical cartridge 3b. The film camera part highlighted with the dashed line la represents the volume that can be used to insert power bank enclosures 3 (3a and 3b) or an electronic assembly 15, interconnected with universal connectors 9, presented as a USB port. The film rewind knob/crank 6 (which includes crank nib 6a) of the film camera is used to secure a mechanical connection with the cartridge swiveling nib 7 of the enclosure, and serves to transfer rotational movement of the camera crank 6 to the cartridge.
Rotation of the crank is converted into electrical energy by an electric generator or electric generating device 10 installed inside 3a, providing a manual means for recharging the battery 8 placed inside of the power supply device enclosure cartridge 3a. The electric generator or electric generating device includes a rotor with radial spinners on a spindle connected to the rotating shaft 11, which will generate electrical current.
The rotating shaft ills directly attached to the nib 7, and uses cap 3a as a bearing to allow for rotational movement. A metal plate 12, connects the positive terminal of the generator

3 to the positive terminal of the battery 8. The negative terminal of the generator connects to the negative terminal of the battery with the metal lamella 13. The metal lamella 13 also acts as a spring for keeping a removable battery fixed inside the power bank device enclosure, for a design that incorporates removable batteries. For different battery sizes a removable fitting ring 14 is used, which is a center-perforated disc that is placed around the battery prior to insertion into the power bank enclosure cartridge 3b.
In Fig. 2, a common Twin Reflex Lens (TLR) film camera 1 with film travel path placed vertically, allows the power bank device enclosure 3 and 3a (or 3b), to be placed into the film cartridge slot 4 (or 4a), inside of the TLR film camera 1, which is shown with the back cover 5 open. The film camera part highlighted with the dashed line la represents the volume that can be used to insert power bank enclosures 3 or an electronic assembly 10, interconnected with universal connectors 9, presented as a USB port. The film rewind knob/crank 6 of a film camera it is used to convey rotational motion to camera's film winding knob 6a that has a secure mechanical connection with the cartridge swiveling nib 7 of the enclosure, transferring the rotational movement.
This rotational motion is converted into electrical current that will be used to recharge the battery 8 or 8a placed inside of the power supply device enclosure. Since TLR
cameras have a larger volume at the bottom compared with 35mm cameras, larger power bank device enclosures could be used to accommodate multiple rechargeable batteries, either cylindrical 8 or parallelepiped type 8a (whether permanent or removable). The batteries are recharged either by the use of a manual electrical generator (see the electric generator device described in Fig. 1), or by the use of a power cord connector 11. The USB connection 9a makes the connection between multiple enclosures through USB port 9 connections, for transferring data or power; this enables the entire assembly to be recharged when power is provided by a cord, independently of whether the enclosure assemblies are placed inside or outside of the film camera 1.

Claims

The Embodiments Of The Invention In Which An Exclusive Property Or Privilege Is Claimed Are Defined As Follows:

1. For a film camera, initially designed to capture an imagine using a photosensitive material, the use of internal space which was designed to provide a holding and traveling path for the film is to be re-used by providing space for additional devices, to provide a power bank/supply for electro-mechanical/electrical/electronically assemblies embedded or interconnected with the film camera or other power bank enclosures.

2. The combination defined in claim 1, including a single power bank device or multiple enclosures or power cartridges which have batteries embedded with the purpose to provide additional or external power source supply inside of a film camera, being independent from the initial designed power supply of the film camera itself.

3. Power bank device enclosures or power cartridges that interlock with the existing rolling film mechanism of the film camera for providing rotational movement or kinetic energy. That which can be utilized for recharging purposes of the embedded power bank or source.

4. The single or multiple power bank enclosure devices that can be interconnected in series or parallel with the scope of providing a power supply for electric or electronic assemblies embedded into the film cameras.

5. The process of manufacturing power cartridges as power bank device enclosures for film cameras, with cylindrical, parallelepiped or combination of those volume types, which fits the inner envelope of the camera body, which may have batteries inside. All this, with the intent of the optimal usage of the internal space, as described in claim 1, as well as in claim 2.