GB2408109A

GB2408109A - Explosion-proof portable digital camera

Info

Publication number: GB2408109A
Application number: GB0326675A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Douglas Buchanan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-11-15
Filing date: 2003-11-15
Publication date: 2005-05-18
Also published as: GB0326675D0

Abstract

An Explosion-Proof Portable Digital Camera intended for use within Potentially Explosive Areas e.g. Offshore/Onshore oil or gas production and storage facilities, Oil refineries etc. has a camera housing body 1 and an internally installed digital camera 6, which permit operation of the camera 6 via externally located camera actuation mechanisms 4,5. The camera operator can observe the LCD screen fitted on the rear side of the camera 6 via the viewing window 3. After capture of digital still or moving images of plant or equipment within the Potentially Explosive Atmosphere, the camera operator can return to a classified Safe area, remove the camera from the housing 1 and process the stored images accordingly.

Description

Explosion- Proof Portable Digital Camera This invention relates to an

Explosion-Proof Portable Digital Camera, battery operated type, which can be hand carried and operated within a potentially explosive atmosphere, OffshorelOnshore oil or gas production and drilling installations, Oil Refineries, Gas, Oil, or Aviation fuel storage plants, Chemical and Aromatics processor plants, Marine Oil and Gas tanker vessels, dis6Heries and any other places where potentially explosive atmosphere can occur.

There are many Explosian-Proof camera systems available on the world market' which are normally fixed and installed into a particular position and Fred back to a surveillance or recording system eg. CCTV and plant monitoring systems, which can provide digital still and moving imes, however these systems have a limited field of view and are not able to capture images all around a desired object, at a distance or within close proximity of the desired object, within potentially explosive atmosphere".

An intention of this design is to provide the plant personnel with a means to capture digital still or moving images of equipment, which are outwith the field of view of the plant CCiV system, and thereby provide digital images of equipment which would otherwise not be possille in potentially explosive atmospheres.

The camera housing body and removeable lid with viewing window, is made of either metallic or nonmetallic material and will contain any internal explosion and prevent flame propagation to the external potentially explosive atmosphere. The empty camera housing as described above is a standard component available from several companies who manufacture Apparatus for Potentially E-sine Atmospheres. The digital camera is a standard and commercially available A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of the camera assembly Figure 2 shows a front view of the camera assembly Figure 3 is a section of the assembly showing the digital camera, viewing window and light path.

All as explained on page 2.

As shown in Figure 1 the camera assembly composes a camera housing body 1 and removeable lid 2 with viewing window 3. Attached to the assembly are the control handles 4 for operation of the internal mechanical actuation mechanisms for camera off/on and picture shoot buttons 8. The control handle 4 is rotary in operation but alternative methods such as pushrod operation or flexible mechanical actuation mechanisms or electrical contacts wired to the Ornery can figure 2 shows the digital camera 6 behind the viewing window 3 and light reflecting mechanism 11 behind the digital camera 6.

AS shown in Figure 3 the digital camera 6 must occupy a position within me camera housing body 1 and removeable lid 2 so that the reflected light path 9 from the digital camera LCD screen 10 exits the viewing window 3 when reflected by the light reflecting mechanism 11. The light reflecting mechanism11 and the optional light reflecting mechanism 12 (for easy viewing of the image) are glass mirrors but may be made from any light reflecting material The light reflecting mechanism 11 can substituted by other methods eg. hbrptk transmission of the LCD screen images or fiberoptic transmission of the LCD screen display. As an option to the design shown in Figure 3 the LCD semen 10 can be viewed directly via a secondary viewing window fitted to the assembly.

The empty camera housing body 1 removeable lid 2 and viewing window 3 used in the preferred embodiment is a standard component manufactured by JCE (Europe) Ltd type EMH29. The control handles 4 are also a standard component manufactured by JCE (Europe) Ltd type SSJ60. The Digital Camera 6 is manufatured by Canon Model IXUS Via however any three of the aforementioned essential components may be substituted by any Industry Standard equivalent providing that Figure 3 description can be achieved

Claims

1. An Explosion-Proof Portable Digital Camera comprising a digital camera contained within a camera housing body with viewing window or windows, sufficiently robust which shall contain any internal explosion and prevent flame propagation to the external potentially explosive atmosphere.

2. An Explosion-Proof Portable Digital Camera as claimed in Claim 1 wherein internal means are provided for the operator to view the LCD screen images.

3. An Explosion-Proof Portable Digital Camera as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a viewing window is fitted for the operator to view the LCD screen images.

4. An Explosion-Proof Portable Digital Camera as claimed in Claims 1 and 2 or Claims 1 and 3 wherein means are provided, on or adjacent to the camera housing body for the operator to actuate the digital camera on/off and image shoot mechanisms.

5. An Explosion-Proof Portable Digital Camera substantially as described herein and illustrated within figures 1 to 3 ofthe accompanying drawings.