JP2006053330A - Waterproof case for camera - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a waterproof case for a camera which makes it easy to notice foreign matters, such as hair and dust, sticking to a section (held section) held by a water-tight member lid or case main body. <P>SOLUTION: The waterproof case 2 for the camera, which is capable of storing photographic devices inside, includes the case main body 5, the lid 6 fitted in the case main body 5, and an O-ring 7 fitted in a groove 6a formed in the lid 6. The case main body 5 and the lid 6 are formed from transparent plastic. The edge of the lid 6 has a waterproof check window 58 which is transparent, has a bulged curved surface, and exhibits the effect of a convex lens. Thus, the enlarged image of the held section can be viewed through the waterproof check window 58. This makes it easy to notice foreign matters sticking to the held section. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a waterproof case for a camera that houses a photographing apparatus in a watertight manner.

  When photographing underwater with a photographing device such as a digital camera or a digital video camera, a waterproof case for a camera that houses the photographing device in a watertight manner is widely used. A general structure of a conventionally known waterproof case for a camera is shown in FIG. This waterproof case 100 for a camera has a transparent lid 102 attached to a transparent case body 101 having a box shape, and an O-ring 103 is sandwiched between the case body 101 and the lid 102, thereby The digital camera 105 can be stored inside. The O-ring 103 is an elastic body and is deformed by being sandwiched when the lid 102 is attached to the case main body 101, and the water tightness inside the waterproof case 100 for the camera is improved by being in close contact with the case main body 101 and the lid 102. ing. Further, there is a case where a water leakage sensor for detecting water leakage is provided inside the case. In recent years, various means have been devised in order to prevent water leakage, and a method of arranging a water leakage sensor between the O-rings 103 in a double manner has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-9-269534

  However, in the waterproof case for a camera described above, when a case main body is attached to the lid, foreign matter such as hair or dust adheres to a portion of the O-ring or the portion sandwiched by the case main body (clamping portion). A gap occurs around the foreign object. When such a waterproof case for a camera is put in water, water enters the case through the gap and affects the photographing device inside the case.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a waterproof case for a camera that is easy to notice foreign matter adhering to a holding portion.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a waterproof case for a camera according to the present invention includes a case body and a lid attached to the case body, and accommodates the camera so that the camera can be operated from the outside. On one side, a watertight member that keeps the seam when the lid is attached is provided in a watertight state, and at least part of the case body or at least one of the lid facing the watertight member is transparent and the surface side is curved A waterproof confirmation window that bulges out is provided.

  The watertight member may be an O-ring, and the waterproof confirmation window may be a cylindrical lens that can be seen through substantially the entire circumference of the O-ring.

  The waterproof case for a camera according to the present invention is provided with a waterproof confirmation window having a convex lens effect that is transparent and has a curved surface on the surface side, at least partially facing the watertight member of at least one of the case main body and the lid. Thereby, the dust adhering to the part (clamping part) clamped by the case main body or lid of the watertight member can be enlarged and viewed. Therefore, since it becomes easy to notice the dust adhering to the sandwiching portion, it is possible to prevent water from entering the case from the gap generated by the foreign matter.

  FIG. 1 shows a waterproof case for a camera embodying the present invention. The camera waterproof case 2 includes a box-shaped case main body 5, a lid 6 attached to the case main body 5, and an O-ring 7 fitted in a groove 6 a (see FIG. 4) formed in the lid 6. . The case body 5 and the lid 6 are made of transparent plastic. The O-ring 7 has elasticity, and when the lid 6 is attached to the case body 5, the O-ring 7 is sandwiched between the case body 5 and the lid 6, so that the seam is kept in a watertight state and water enters the case. It is a watertight member that prevents the above.

  An engaging member 9 is provided on the side surface of the case body 5. The engaging member 9 is formed with an engaging claw 9 a and can be engaged with an engaging hole 11 formed on the side surface of the lid 5. By engaging the engagement hole 11 with the engagement claw 9a, the lid 6 is attached to the case body 5 as shown in FIG. The camera waterproof case 2 can accommodate a digital camera 15 (see FIG. 3), which is a photographing device. Reference numeral 12 denotes a buffer member, which fixes the digital camera 15 inside the case and protects it from impact.

  FIG. 3 shows a digital camera 15 that can be stored in the waterproof case 2 for a camera. On the front surface of the camera body 16 of the digital camera 15, a lens barrel 21 in which a photographing lens 20 is incorporated and an objective finder window 22 are provided. Further, a mode switching dial 25 and a release button 27 are provided on the upper part of the camera body 16. By aligning the picture written on the upper part of the mode switching dial 25 with the arrow 28, it is possible to select the mode such as power-off of the camera and still image or moving image shooting mode. By pressing the release button 27 in the still image or moving image mode, image data is recorded in a memory card, which will be described later, and shooting is executed.

  On the rear surface of the camera body 16, an eyepiece finder window 30, a liquid crystal display (LCD) 32, a zoom button 34 and a wide button 35 for performing a zooming operation, and a cursor button 37 for performing menu selection and the like are provided. It has been. The bottom of the camera body 16 is provided with a battery (not shown) and a memory slot (not shown) into which a memory card for recording a subject image captured from the photographing lens 20 as image data is inserted. Yes.

  The case body 5 is provided with a lens barrel storage portion 41, a release operation member 43, and a mode switching operation member 45 so that the digital camera 15 stored inside the case can be operated from the outside. The lens barrel housing portion 41 is for housing the lens barrel 21 and is formed with a window 48 incorporating a transparent tempered glass. Note that the window 48 is for capturing subject light into the photographing lens 20. The release operation member 43 is provided with a protrusion (not shown). When the protrusion presses the release operation member 43, the release button 27 is pressed. The mode switching operation unit 45 is rotatable, and the mode switching dial 25 can be operated when performing a rotation operation.

  The lid 5 is provided with a cursor operation member 50, a zoom button operation member 54, a wide button operation member 55, and an LCD confirmation unit 56. The cursor operation member 50 is provided with a protrusion 50a. When the cursor operation member 50 is pressed, the protrusion 50a presses the cursor button 37. The zoom button operation member 54 and the wide button operation member 55 are also provided with protrusions 54a and 55a, respectively, so that the zoom button 34 and the wide button 35 can be pressed. In addition, a transparent window 56a is incorporated in the LCD confirmation unit 56, and an image displayed on the LCD 32 can be confirmed through the window 56a. In addition, a waterproof confirmation window 58 that is transparent and has a bulged surface on the curved surface is provided at the edge of the lid 6 so as to face the O-ring 7. The waterproof confirmation window 58 is a cylindrical lens that allows the entire circumference of the O-ring 7 to be seen through. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the waterproof confirmation window 58 of the waterproof case 2 for cameras with the case body 5 attached to the lid 6.

  The waterproof confirmation window 58 has the effect of a convex lens. For example, when the O-ring 7 is viewed through the waterproof confirmation window 58, the O-ring 7 appears to expand.

  Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described. When the digital camera 15 is placed in the camera waterproof case 2 and the engaging claw 9 a is engaged with the engaging hole 11, the lid 6 is attached to the case body 5, and the digital camera 15 is stored in the camera waterproof case 2. Is done. Thereafter, when a portion (clamping portion) sandwiched by the case main body 5 or the lid 6 of the O-ring 7 through the waterproof confirmation window 58 is visually recognized, the portion looks enlarged.

  Therefore, it becomes easy to notice the foreign substance adhering to the clamping part. For this reason, it is possible to prevent water from entering the inside of the case from a gap generated when a foreign object is caught in the holding portion.

  The waterproof case 2 for a camera according to the present invention is provided with a watertight member that keeps a seam-tight state when the lid 5 is attached to either the case body 5 or the lid 6, and at least the case body and the lid. It is only necessary to provide a waterproof confirmation window 58 that is transparent and has a curved surface on the surface side at least partially facing one of the watertight members. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the present invention can be applied even if a waterproof confirmation window 58 that is transparent and bulges in a curved shape on the surface side is provided in a part of the vicinity of the edge facing the watertight member of the case body 5. In the present embodiment, the same members as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. When a portion of the O-ring 7 sandwiched by the case body 5 or the lid 6 (a sandwiched portion) is viewed through the waterproof confirmation window 58, the sandwiched portion appears to be enlarged. Thereby, it becomes easy to notice the foreign material adhering to the clamping part, and it prevents water from entering the case due to the foreign object being caught in the clamping part.

  In the above embodiment, the member forming the waterproof confirmation window is transparent, but may be translucent as long as the foreign matter adhering to the holding portion can be visually recognized. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although most waterproofing cases for cameras were made transparent, each window of a lens-barrel storage part and a LED confirmation part should just be transparent, and other members are necessarily transparent members. There is no need.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the waterproof case for cameras of this invention. It is an external appearance perspective view of the waterproof case for cameras which attached the lid to the case body. It is a perspective view of a digital camera. It is sectional drawing of the junction part of a case main body and a cover part. It is sectional drawing of the waterproof case for cameras in which the convex lens shape was provided in the case main body. It is sectional drawing of the waterproof case for cameras of the conventional example.

Explanation of symbols

2 Waterproof case for camera 5 Case body 6 Lid 6a Groove 7 O-ring 15 Digital camera 20 Shooting lens 21 Lens barrel 41 Lens barrel storage section 58 Waterproof confirmation window

Claims (2)

In a waterproof case for a camera that consists of a case body and a lid that is watertightly attached to the case body and accommodates the camera so that it can be operated from the outside.
Either one of the case body and the lid is provided with a watertight member that maintains a seam when the lid is attached, and at least one of the case body and the lid faces the watertight member. A waterproof case for a camera, characterized in that a waterproof confirmation window with a transparent surface and a curved surface is provided in part. 2. The waterproof case for a camera according to claim 1, wherein the watertight member is an O-ring, and the waterproof confirmation window is a cylindrical lens through which substantially the entire circumference of the O-ring can be seen through.

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