SUBMERSIBLE CAMERA HOUSING AND OPERATING MECHANISM THEREFOR

• US 3,860,937 A
• Filed: 12/13/1973
• Issued: 01/14/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clifford Wolfe
• Original Assignee: Clifford Wolfe
• Inventors: Wolfe, Clifford
• Primary Examiner(s): Horan, John M.
• Application Number:
  US05/424,627
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 95/11W 339/176P,153 354/64
• US Class Current: 396/27
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings

Abstract

A camera housing, particularly for use in underwater photography and for use with electrically operated cameras, such as movie cameras includes a sealed housing having an electrically operated camera mounted therein. Outside of the housing a movable magnet is located so as to be in selective communication with a magnetically operated switching device which is located within the housing and which is connected in the electrical circuit of the camera. The operating mechanism, including the magnet outside of the housing and the magnetically operated switch inside the housing, does not penetrate the housing and provides simple and reliable control of the camera. The switching device inside the housing includes an isolation means which is directly connectible in the electrical operating circuit of the camera so as to render the camera normally inoperative, and the isolating circuit is connected to the magnetically operated switch to short same out to thereby close the electrical circuit and to render the camera operative. Simplified housing seal arrangements are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A camera housing comprising:

means forming a sealed chamber and adapted to receive a battery operated camera therein, the camera having at least one battery terminal adapted to be electrically connected to a battery;

switching means inside said chamber in non-penetrating relationship with said housing and adapted to be connected in the electrical operating circuit of the camera for selectively opening and closing the electrical circuit of said camera to thereby selectively operate said camera, said switching means comprising;

isolating means directly connectable in the electrical operating circuit of the camera between the battery and said at least one battery terminal; and

a magnetically operated switch mounted on a wall of said chamber and coupled to said isolating means via flexible lead wires for selectively shorting out said isolating means to close the electrical circuit of said camera; and

magnetic means located outside of said chamber and adapted to be located in selective magnetic communication with said magnetically operated switch, without physically penetrating through said chamber, to close said magnetically operated switch and short out said isolating means, thereby operating said camera, said magnetic means comprising;

a trigger member carring a permanent magnet adjacent an outer surface of said chamber, said trigger member being selectively operable to slide said permanent magnet along Said outer surface of said chamber between a first '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'inoperative'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' position spaced in the direction of sliding movement thereof out of magnetic communication with said magnetically operated switch and a second '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'operative'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' position wherein said permanent magnet is located opposite from and in registration with said magnetically operated switch with a wall of said chamber interposed therebetween so as to be in magnetic communication with said magnetically operated switch to thereby close said magnetically operated switch; and

means biasing said trigger member toward said second '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'inoperative'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' position of said permanent magnet.

2. A camera housing according to claim 1 wherein said camera is battery operated and wherein said isolating means is connectable between the battery of said camera and the battery terminal of said camera.

3. A camera housing according to claim 1 wherein said isolating means is substantially wafer-shaped and comprises an isolating layer having conductive layers on either side thereof, said conducting layers being isolated from each other, one of said conducting layers being adapted to contact a terminal of said battery, and the other of said conducting layers adapted to contact said at least one battery terminal of said camera;

and wherein said flexible lead wires connect said conducting layers to respective terminals of said magnetically operated switch.

4. A camera housing according to claim 1 wherein said sealed chamber comprises a removable portion for enabling a camera to be placed in and out of said housing.

5. A camera housing according to claim 4 wherein said housing has a stepped recess formed therein and said removable cover is sealingly received in said stepped recess.

6. A camera housing according to claim 5 comprising a sealing ring in the surface of said stepped portion of said housing for sealingly contacting the peripheral wall of said removable cover.

7. A camera housing according to claim 5 wherein at least one of said stepped portion of said housing and the surface of said removable cover is rough-hewed and comprising a sealing fluid on said rough-hewed surface.

8. A camera housing according to claim 7 wherein said sealing fluid is silicon grease.

9. A camera housing according to claim 7 wherein both said stepped portion of said housing and said removable cover include rough-hewed surfaces which face each other when said housing is sealed.

10. A camera housing according to claim 9 comprising a silicon grease layer interposed between said rough-hewed surfaces.

11. A camera housing according to claim 5 wherein said removable cover is a flat cover, said housing comprising a sealing ring in the surface of said stepped portion of said housing for sealingly contacting the peripheral portion of the flat surface of said removable cover.

12. A camera housing according to claim 1, including means for slideably mounting said trigger member for slidable movement along said outer surface of said chamber.

13. A camera housing according to claim 1 including clip means inside said chamber for releasably mounting said magnetically operated switch to said chamber wall.