Attachment structure of adapter

• US 20050281554A1
• Filed: 06/15/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Iwasa, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,343,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/539
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/56 Accessories carrying-cases A45C11/38
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/007 Details of energy supply or management

Abstract

In the present invention, in a battery adapter to be engaged with a camera body, a tripod screw provided at an upper surface portion is engaged with a tripod screw of the camera body, and a positioning pin is fitted in a positioning hole provided in the camera body. Furthermore, a contact piece support including electrode contact portions is inserted into a battery chamber of the camera body in order to effect electrical connection with battery contact pieces provided in the battery chamber. A waterproofing seal for waterproofing the gap between the contact piece support and the battery chamber is provided around a lower portion of the contact piece support.

Claims

1. An external power supply device to be engageable with an electronic device, comprising:

a main body which allows a battery serving as a power source to be set in the main body;

a contact support including contacts for supplying power from the battery to the electronic device, the contact support projecting from the main body, and being to be inserted into a battery chamber of the electronic device;

a waterproofing member annularly provided around the contact support to prevent water from entering the battery chamber, the waterproofing member being to be fitted in a concave portion which is provided in the vicinity of a periphery of an opening of the battery chamber, and in which a battery cover is to be set;

a fixing member to be located between the main body and the electronic device, for fixing the main body and the electronic device to each other; and

a first relative position determining member to be provided between the main body and the electronic device, for determining relative positions of the main body and the electronic device,

wherein the concave portion and the waterproofing member fitted in the concave portion function as a second relative position determining member for determining relative positions of the main body and the electronic device.

2. The external power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the waterproofing member is an O-ring.

3. The external power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member comprises a male screw, and the male screw is rotatably provided at the main body, and is engageable with a female screw provided in the electronic device.

4. The external power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the male screw is a tripod screw.

5. The external power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the first relative position determining member comprises a projection provided at the main body.

6. An external power supply device to be engageable with an electronic device, comprising:

a main body which allows a battery serving as a power source to be set in the main body;

a contact support which is to be inserted into a battery chamber of the electronic device, and comprises a pillar portion provided with contacts for supplying power from the battery to the electronic device, and a frustum which is provided between the pillar portion and the main body, the frustum being to be located a predetermined distance apart from an annular concave portion which is formed around an opening of the battery chamber, and in which a battery cover is to be set;

a waterproofing member annularly provided around the frustum to prevent water from entering the battery chamber, the waterproofing member being to be fitted in the annular concave portion which is formed around the opening of the battery chamber;

a fixing member to be located between the main body and the electronic device, for fixing the main body and the electronic device to each other; and

a first relative position determining member to be located between the main body and the electronic device, for determining relative positions of the main body and the electronic device,

wherein the concave portion and the waterproofing member fitted in the concave portion function as a second relative position determining member for determining relative positions of the main body and the electronic device.

7. The external power supply device according to claim 6, wherein the waterproofing member is an 0-ring.

8. The external power supply device according to claim 6, wherein the fixing member comprises a male screw, and the male screw is rotatably provided at the main body, and is engageable with a female screw provided in the electronic device.

9. The external power supply device according to claim 8, wherein the male screw is a tripod screw.

10. The external power supply device according to claim 6, wherein the first relative position determining member comprises a projection provided at the main body.

11. A system which comprises an electronic device provided with a battery chamber for accommodating a battery, and an external power supply device for supplying power to the electronic device,

wherein:

the electronic device includes an annularly shaped concave portion which is included in the electronic device, which is formed around an opening of a battery chamber of the electronic device, and in which a battery cover for closing the battery chamber is to be set; and

the external power supply device includes (i) a main body which allows a battery serving as a power source to be set in the main body, (ii) a contact support which is to be inserted into a battery chamber of the electronic device, and which comprises a pillar portion including contacts for supplying power from the battery to the electronic device, and a frustum which is provided between the pillar portion and the main body, the frustum being to be located a predetermined distance apart from the annularly shaped concave portion which is formed around the opening of the battery chamber, and in which the battery cover is to be set, (iii) a waterproofing member annularly provided around the frustum to prevent water from entering the battery chamber, the waterproofing member being to be fitted in the annularly shaped concave portion which is formed around the opening of the battery chamber, and (iv) a fixing member to be located between the main body and the electronic device, for fixing the main body and the electronic device to each other,

the system comprising;

a plurality of first relative position determining members to be located between the main body and the electronic device, for determining relative positions of the main body and the electronic device; and

a plurality of second relative position determining members which comprise the concave portion and the waterproofing member, the concave portion and the waterproofing member being provided to determine relative positions of the main body and the electronic device, when the waterproofing member is fitted in the concave portion.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the waterproofing member is an 0-ring.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the electronic device includes a tripod female screw, and the fixing member comprises a male screw, and the male screw is rotatably provided at the main body, and is engageable with the female screw of the electronic device, to thereby relatively fix the electronic device and the external power supply device to each other.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the first relative position determining members comprise a projection provided at the main body and a hole provided in the electronic device, and the projection is fitted in the hole, thereby determining the relative positions of the main body and the electronic device.