JPH0317642A - Protective cover for camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To protect a camera from dust and waterdrops, etc., by mounting a protective cover for covering the camera other than the back cover of the camera and having an elastic function in a lens barrel part. CONSTITUTION:The protective cover 10 is a thin, soft and elastic cover which is integrally formed by a transparent, elastic and flexible resin material, for example, a silicone rubber, and the cover is constituted of a cover main body 11 covering a camera body and a projecting part for covering the lens barrel part 22 in which a photographing lens is incorporated. The lens barrel 24 of the photographing lens 23 which is a columnar or a square pillar-shaped, etc., is inserted through the projecting part and the ring-shaped projecting and recessed parts 14 are concentrically formed on the circumferential edge of an aperture part 13 in plural trains. Then, exclusive of the photographing lens 23, the whole front of the camera 20 is covered with the protective cover 10, notwithstanding the photographing operation in each part and the action of each function such as the feed-out and the retreat of the photographing lens 23 can be performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a protective cover for a camera that allows photography to be taken while the cover is attached.

[Background of the invention]

Optical instruments are often at risk of losing function and performance due to the intrusion of dust or moisture, so even those that are normally used indoors are usually kept covered with special covers when not in use. If possible, it is preferable that at least important parts are covered with a protective member even during use.

In particular, devices such as small still cameras and video cameras that are mainly used outdoors for long periods of time are dust-proof and drip-proof, so they must be protected against dust and water so that they can be used without any trouble in operation. Use of a cover is recommended.

However, for example, taking lenses for cameras, especially taking lenses with a zoom function, have an optical member that moves back and forth, so there is a telescopic lens that always covers the space between the moving part and the fixed part. The member must have a bellows function as a part, be removable as a protective member with a bellows function, have the dust-proof and drip-proof functions mentioned above, and do not impair operability. There is a demand for a protective cover that does not require

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, as is well known, the bellows device is formed into a shape by folding, and the materials used are limited, and the productivity is extremely low, making it unsuitable for mass production and therefore having the disadvantage of high cost.

Furthermore, as a matter of course, the folded bellows are piled up in the direction of expansion and contraction, which takes up space, and it is difficult to manufacture only a portion of the protective member as a bellows device. However, a protective member and a protective cover have not yet been realized.

The present invention was made as a result of solving and improving this point.
The objective is to provide a protective cover for a camera that uses extremely simple processing to make the space between the movable part and the fixed part expandable and retractable, has dust-proofing and anti-corrosion functions, and does not impair operability. be.

[Means for solving problems]

The purpose of the above is to make the cover a flexible resin material that can be attached to the camera in close contact with the camera, and when the cover is attached to the camera, the part corresponding to the photographic lens is concentric with the periphery of the lens part. This is achieved by a camera protective cover that is provided with a plurality of concave and convex portions and expands and contracts in accordance with the movement of the photographic lens.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 1(a) shows a protective cover 10 which is used as a protection member for a still camera and is always attached to the camera, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross section taken along the line AA.

The protective cover 10 is a thin, flexible, and stretchable cover integrally molded from a transparent, highly elastic, and flexible resin material, such as silicone rubber (commercially available from Shin-Etsu Chemical, etc.). It is separated from the cover body 11 that covers it and a protrusion that covers the lens barrel section 22 that houses the photographic lens.

The cover main body 11 can be used as a camera finder, a strobe,
The portion corresponding to the photographing display panel, etc., is made of transparent portion 15 by partially polishing the pre-shaped surface with high precision and high finish.
16. 17, or another transparent member is combined. In addition, the part corresponding to the release button is particularly thin-walled part l8.
The viewfinder, strobe, shooting display panel, etc. do not lose their functions even when mounted on the camera, and the shutter is activated by pressing the button from above the thin part l8.
All shooting operations can be performed without any problems.

On the other hand, the protruding portion is inserted through the lens barrel 24 of the photographing lens 23 having a cylindrical or prismatic shape, and a plurality of concentric rows of ring-shaped uneven portions l4 are formed on the periphery of the opening l3. There is.

Since the uneven portion l4 is arranged in a planar shape as shown in the figure, it is extremely easy to form an oval shape, and it can also be formed into an extremely thin wall, so that by applying a slight force in the vertical direction, it can be formed into the state shown by the dashed dotted line. It can be easily expanded, and when the applied force is removed, it immediately shrinks to a flat state and returns to the free state shown by the solid line.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the protective cover IO is attached to a still camera to which it is attached.

In the attached state, the cover main body 11 of the protective cover IO tightly covers the body 2l of the camera 20 and covers each of the transparent parts 1 described above.
Viewfinder 2 of camera 20 from 5.16.17 respectively
5. Peek out the strobe 26 and photographing display panel 27, and position the thin portion l8 above the release button 28.

Similarly, the cover main body 11 is adapted to transmit infrared light for a distance measuring section such as a light emitting section or a light receiving section for distance measuring.

On the other hand, the protruding portion also tightly covers the lens barrel portion 22 on which a filter glass or the like of the camera 20 is attached to the front as necessary, and the lens barrel is an optical member in which the opening l3 moves forward and backward of the photographing lens 23. 24 is inserted through the lens barrel 24, and its outer periphery is crimped.As a result, the gap provided around the lens barrel 24 for the movement of the photographic lens 23 is covered in a nearly hermetically sealed state.

Note that a filter glass, which is a separate member from the protective cover 1O and does not impair the lens performance, is attached to the opening 13 by adhesive or other means, so that the front and side surfaces of the camera 20 are all covered and shielded from the outside in an airtight manner. It is also possible to further enhance the dustproof and waterproof effects.

Therefore, while the entire front surface of the camera 20 is covered with the protective cover 10 except for the photographic lens 23, it is possible to operate various functions such as photographing operations of each part and extending and retracting the photographic lens 23. As a result, the intrusion of dust and raindrops is prevented during use, and it is also protected from accidental damage and dirt.

Furthermore, the protective cover IO can be shaped to be limited to only the protruding portion, and can be used as an easily attachable and detachable protective member that primarily protects the lens barrel portion 22 of the camera 20.

FIG. 3 shows a protective cover 1OA as such a simple protective member. The protective cover 1OA is held by closely fitting the lens barrel 22 of the camera, and protects the lens barrel 24 of the photographic lens 23. The periphery of the opening to be inserted is provided with an uneven portion 1 similar to the uneven portion 14 in the protective cover IO in the previous example.
4A is provided. Furthermore, even when an active distance measuring means is provided on the side surface of the lens barrel 24, by using the protective cover 22 that transmits infrared light, the optical member that moves back and forth can be used without losing the distance measuring performance. can be protected.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, at least parts other than the back cover of the camera are covered,
By attaching a protective cover with a telescopic function to the lens barrel, it is possible to protect the camera from dust and water droplets, and at the same time, it is possible to take pictures without any problems even when the camera is attached.As a result, the appearance of the camera can be maintained for a long time. protect and
A protective cover for the camera that maintains its functionality and performance is now available.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view and a sectional view of a main part of the protective cover for a camera according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the camera equipped with the protective cover. 10.1OA...Protective cover 11...Cover body l3...Opening

Claims (1)

[Claims] The cover is made of a thin flexible resin material that can be attached to the camera in close contact with the camera, and when the cover is attached to the camera, the area corresponding to the photographic lens has a plurality of concentric concave and convex portions around the periphery of the lens. A protective cover for a camera, which is provided with a cover that expands and contracts according to the movement of a photographic lens.