GB2499022A

GB2499022A - Camera case with wind reduction shield

Info

Publication number: GB2499022A
Application number: GB1201922.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Dennis Maynard Lugg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-02-03
Filing date: 2012-02-03
Publication date: 2013-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 2032-02-03
Also published as: GB2499022B; GB201201922D0

Abstract

A case for an audio-visual recording instrument such as a digital camera includes an access opening 7, an image window 16 and a sound aperture 25 arranged such that the sound aperture is aligned with the sound pick-up. The sound aperture is covered by a porous wind reduction shield 27 which preferably incorporates a foraminous backing carrying a cluster of fur-like fibres arranged in a semi-coherent layer with their inner ends secured to the backing and their outer ends projecting from the case.

Description

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CASE FOR AN AUDIO-VISUAL RECORDING INSTRUMENT

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a case of the kind which is intended to contain a digital camera, video camera, mobile phone, a tablet computer, or any other such audio-visual recording instrument.

BACKGROUND

Many electronic instruments now contain audio-visual recording capabilities, and even inexpensive domestic items are capable of recording high quality sound and moving images. A rigid protective case can be purchased separately, but use of such instruments are not generally possible while they remain inside the rigid protective case. Other soft protective cases can be purchased separately, that are specifically designed to allow the instrument to be used whilst still in the soft case, but these only offer minor protection from scratching. They do nothing to aid the sound recording ability of the recording instrument.

Keeping an instrument in its case is often highly desirable, e.g. to protect the instrument from damage due to knocks or adverse

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weather. Using an instrument whilst still in its case may result in a notable increase in the ability to record ambient noise level as opposed to simply recording the resonances or turbulence caused by air movements around the camera microphone. Surprisingly, most manufacturers have paid little or no attention to improving sound quality under windy conditions, whether or not a case is used. Some manufacturers offer a wind noise reduction feature on the camera, however tests and forum discussions have proven that this feature is in name only and provides little benefit when recording in windy conditions.

Although electronic filters may be incorporated or applied to a downloaded audio-visual file to remove wind noise, they are not particularly effective. Even with sophisticated signal processing, sound quality is potentially much greater if the signal/noise ratio can be improved at source before the sound is recorded electronically.

Japanese patent specification No. 62 146 079-A discloses a video camera in which a non-directional microphone is positioned in the central part of a front panel to reduce vibration noise or wind noise. An air flow aperture covering the microphone may be provided with a wind screen or grill. Similarly, in Japanese patent specification No. 11 122 689-A the video camera has a pair of microphones covered by a punched metal wind shield which can be slid to adjust the aperture size and control the amount of incident wind noise.

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Tests have shown that grills, apertures and shields are often ineffective at reducing wind noise, and indeed, may result in an increase in wind turbulence causing a deterioration in signal/noise ratio.

The present invention seeks to provide a new and inventive form of case which enables the instrument to be used in situ and also provides a positive increase in the signal/noise ratio under ambient wind conditions. A further aim is to offer additional protection to the camera housing from weather and other forms of damage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a case of the kind which is intended to contain an audio-visual recording instrument and which includes an access opening, an image window and a sound aperture arranged such that, when an instrument having a lens and a sound pickup is inserted into the case through the access opening, the case holds the instrument with the image window aligned with the lens and the sound aperture aligned with the sound pickup, the case being distinguished by the fact that the sound aperture is covered by a wind reduction shield formed of non-rigid porous material.

The wind reduction shield could comprise a layer of soft spongy material, a layer of felt or any other soft material which allows air to pass through. However, much greater wind noise reduction can

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be achieved if the wind reduction shield comprises a cluster of fibres supported by a foraminous backing.

The fibres are preferably arranged in a semi-coherent layer with their inner ends secured to the backing and their outer ends projecting from the case. The fibres are preferably soft and flexible like faux fur.

The wind reduction shield is highly effective at increasing the signal/noise ratio under windy conditions. In a preferred form of shield the fibres are densely packed such that they cannot be parted to leave any part of the backing exposed.

There may also be an additional layer of fibres covering the backing layer inside the case, but the fibres of the inner layer may be shorter than those of the outer layer.

The foraminous backing is preferably less than 1 mm thick, and may also be formed of fibres, e.g. polyester or other man made fibres. For optimum wind reduction the fibres of the semi-coherent layer are preferably between 2 mm and 20 mm long, most preferably between 5 mm and 10 mm long. These fibres may also be of polyester or similar man made fibres. The periphery of the backing layer may be bonded to the edges of the sound aperture by means of an adhesive or any other suitable form of attachment.

The case preferably includes windows to provide access to the enclosed instrument, which may be open apertures or include

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transparent panels. The case may also include a flap which is joined to the case by an integral hinge, and the flap may include an integrally moulded grip.

The case may be moulded from silicone rubber, and is preferably provided with thickened protruding regions which may extend along corner regions of the case. The thickened regions may be co-moulded from a tougher silicone rubber than the non-thickened regions.

The access opening may be provided with an integral door, which is preferably joined to the case by an integral hinge. One edge of the door, opposite to the hinge, may have a portion which overlaps part of the case and the door can be secured in a closed position by complementary strips of hook and loop material.

The door may include an area of increased flexibility which contains a slit-like opening to receive a carrying strap attached to the instrument.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description and the accompanying drawings referred to therein are included by way of non-limiting example in order to illustrate how the invention may be put into practice. In the drawings:

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Figure 1 is a general front view of a case in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a general rear view of the case;

Figure 3 is a cross-section through part of the case in the region of the sound aperture; and

Figure 4 is a modification to the arrangement shown in Fig. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The case described below is intended for use with a digital camera which incorporates audio-visual recording facilities. Referring firstly to Fig.s 1 and 2, the case 1 is moulded from flexible silicone rubber to closely conform to the outer shape of the camera. The overall shape will vary from camera to camera, and similar cases may be designed to fit other audio-visual devices such as video cameras, mobile phones or tablet computers, but the cases may all have similar features in common, as described below in relation to the particular example shown.

The illustrated case has generally rectangular front and rear panels 2 and 3, a top panel 4, bottom panel 5, and an end panel 6. The opposite end of the case forms an access opening 7, through which the camera can be inserted into the case. The access opening can

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be closed by a door 8 which is joined by an integral silicone rubber hinge 9 to the rear panel 3. The opposite free edge of the door is provided with a flange 10 which overlaps part of the front panel 2, allowing the door to be secured in a closed position by complimentary strips of hook and loop gripping material 11 and 12.

Various parts of the case may be provided with thickened protruding regions 13, preferably co-moulded from a tougher silicone rubber, which provide additional impact protection. These regions are preferably arranged along the edges of the case formed at the junction of the panels for maximum impact protection, and may also surround apertures or windows to provide additional strengthening against damage. The case may therefore be regarded as a hybrid, mid way between a thin rubber "skin" and a conventional thick-walled case.

The door 8 may include a thin-walled region 14 of increased flexibility, preferably surrounded by a thickened region 13a, and containing a slit 15 through which a camera wrist strap may be passed, allowing the camera to be carried as normal.

The front panel 2 contains a circular aperture forming an image window 16, surrounded by a thickened region 13b, which is positioned such that the camera lens can protrude through the aperture when the camera is turned on. The image window could, if required, be provided with a removable cover. The front panel may include one or more additional windows 17, with or without

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transparent sheets, to allow operation of flash units, range finders etc.

The rear panel 3 includes a large window 18 enabling the user to view a display screen on the camera. One or more additional windows 19 may also be provided, if required, allowing access to control buttons etc. In the case of buttons which must be physically pressed the windows can either be open apertures or they may, in preference, be covered by a sheet of high flexibility transparent silicone or similar material. For cameras with pressure-sensitive touch screens a thin and highly flexible sheet will allow the camera to be operated as normal, but capacitive touch screens may require the window to remain open.

The rear panel may also include a flap 21 which is integrally joined to the case along one edge. The flap may incorporate an integrally mounded grip 22 enabling the user to pull the flap open for access to certain parts of the camera. The flap may optionally include a transparent window 23, as shown.

The camera has a pickup microphone for recording sounds, which in this camera is mounted in its top face. The top panel of the case includes a sound aperture 25 which is arranged such that the microphone 26 is positioned in the approximate centre of the aperture, as shown in Fig. 3. The sound aperture 26, which is surrounded by a thickened area 13c for strength, is covered by a wind reduction shield 27 comprising a relatively thin foraminous backing layer 28, e.g. a woven layer or a layer of felt material

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composed of randomly orientated polyester fibres. A cluster of fibres 29 are secured to the backing layer arranged in a semi-coherent layer; that is to say their inner ends are secured to the backing and their outer ends project from the case. The fibres 29 are densely packed so that, even if they are parted they will not leave any part of the backing layer exposed. Although densely packed, the fibres are soft and flexible, like faux fur.

The backing layer 28 acts as a porous carrier for the fibres 29. Other kinds of perforated backing material may be used such as fine metal gauze. By way of example, the backing layer will typically be less than 1 mm thick. The fibres 29 should be substantially longer, preferably between 2 mm and 20 mm, and more typically between 5 and 10 mm.

The backing layer can be secured within the aperture by any convenient means, e.g. by an adhesive applied around the periphery of the backing layer.

Tests under windy conditions, typically with wind speeds up to 20 mph, have shown that without the case the signal/noise ratio may be so low that any voice-over is inaudible due to wind noise. With the camera inside the case the signal/noise ratio is greatly improved, to the extent that a voice commentary, recorded at the same distance, is perfectly audible. It should be noted that wind noise may still be noticeable when no speech is being recorded since recording equipment often incorporates automatic volume control, which automatically increases the recorded signal to a

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predetermined level. However, it is possible during post-recording edits to re-adjust the levels between speech so that the ambient noise level is less intrusive, but it is not possible to remove the wind noise completely or to amplify speech above high wind noise if no wind noise protective case has been used during the original sound recording.

Tests have suggested that further noise reduction may be achieved by providing an additional semi-coherent layer of fibres on the inside of the backing layer 28, as shown in Fig. 4. The inner layer 30 may be comprised of shorter fibres than the outer layer 29. The inner layer of fibres may be attached to the first backing layer 28 or a second backing layer 31 with the two layers 28 and 31 arranged back-to-back. Depending on the configuration of the recording instrument, noise reduction might also be improved by providing an air gap 32 between the noise reduction layers and the microphone 26.

The case also provides a high level of protection against impacts and water ingress whilst still allowing access to the full range of camera functions.

Whilst the above description places emphasis on the areas which are believed to be new and addresses specific problems which have been identified, it is intended that the features disclosed herein may be used in any combination which is capable of providing a new and useful advance in the art of sound and video recording.

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Claims

1. A case of the kind which is intended to contain an audiovisual recording instrument and which includes an access opening, an image window and a sound aperture arranged such that, when an instrument having a lens and a sound pickup is inserted into the case through the access opening, the case holds the instrument with the image window aligned with the lens and the sound aperture aligned with the sound pickup, the case being distinguished by the fact that the sound aperture is covered by a wind reduction shield comprising a foraminous backing and a cluster of fibres arranged in a semi-coherent layer with their inner ends secured to the backing and their outer ends projecting from the case or formed of alternative non-rigid porous material.

2. A case according to Claim 1 in which the wind reduction shield comprises a cluster of fibres attached to a foraminous backing.

3. A case according to Claim 2 in which the fibres are arranged in a semi-coherent layer with their inner ends secured to the backing and their outer ends projecting from the case.

4. A case according to Claim 3 in which the fibres are soft and flexible like faux fur.

5. A case according to Claim 3 or 4 in which the fibres are

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formed of polyester or other man made material.

6. A case according to Claim 3, 4 or 5 in which the fibres are densely packed such that they cannot be parted to leave any part of the backing exposed.

7. A case according to any of Claims 2 to 6 in which there is an additional layer of fibres covering the backing inside the case.

8. A case according to Claim 7 in which the fibres of the inner layer are shorter than those of the outer layer.

9. A case according to any of Claims 2 to 8 in which the backing is formed of fibres.

10. A case according to Claim 9 in which the fibres of the backing are woven.

11. A case according to Claim 9 in which the fibres of the backing form an incoherent felt-like layer.

12. A case according to any of Claims 9 to 11 in which the backing is formed of polyester or other man made fibres.

13. A case according to any of Claims 2 to 12 in which the backing is less than 1 mm thick.

14. A case according to any of Claims 2 to 13 claim in which the

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fibres attached to the backing are between 2 mm and zu mm long.

15. A case according to Claim 14 in which the fibres attached to the backing are between 5 mm and 10 mm long.

16. A case according to any of Claims 2 to 15 in which the periphery of the backing layer is bonded to the edges of the sound aperture by an adhesive.

17. A case according to any preceding claim in which the case includes one or more windows to provide access to the enclosed instrument.

18. A case according to Claim 17 in which at least some of the windows are open apertures.

19. A case according to Claim 17 or 18 in which at least some of the windows include transparent panels.

20. A case according to Claim 19 in which the transparent panels are formed of flexible sheet.

21. A case according to Claim 20 in which the flexible sheet is formed of silicone rubber.

22. A case according to any preceding claim which includes a flap which is joined to the case by an integral hinge.

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23. A case according to Claim 22 in which the flap inciuaes an integrally moulded grip.

24. A case according to any preceding claim in which the case is moulded from silicone rubber.

25. A case according to Claim 24 in which parts of the case are provided with thickened protruding regions.

26. A case according to Claim 25 in which at least some of the thickened protruding regions extend along corner regions of the case.

27. A case according to Claim 25 or 26 in which the thickened regions are co-moulded from a harder or softer silicone rubber than the non-thickened regions.

28. A case according to any preceding claim in which the access opening is provided with an integral door.

29. A case according to Claim 28 in which the door is joined to the case by an integral hinge.

30. A case according to Claim 29 in which one edge of the door, opposite to the hinge, has a portion which overlaps part of the case and the door can be secured in a closed position by complementary strips of hook and loop material.

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31. A case according to any of Claims 28 to 30 in whicn tne aoor includes an area of increased flexibility which contains a slit-like opening to receive a carrying strap attached to the instrument.

32. A case according to Claim 31 in which the area of increased flexibility is surrounded by a thickened region.

33. A case of the kind which is intended to contain an audiovisual recording instrument and which is substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

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1. A case of the kind which is intended to contain an audiovisual recording instrument and which includes an access opening, an image window and a sound aperture arranged such that, when an instrument having a lens and a sound pickup is inserted into the case through the access opening, the case holds the instrument with the image window aligned with the lens and the sound aperture aligned with the sound pickup, the case being distinguished by the fact that the sound aperture is covered by a wind reduction shield formed of non-rigid porous material.

5. A case according to Claim 3 or 4 in which the fibres are

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formed of polyester or other man made material.

10. A case according to Claim 9 in which the fibres of the backing are woven.

14. A case according to any of Claims 2 to 13 claim in which the

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fibres attached to the backing are between 2 mm and zu mm long.

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