Portable video system

• US 4,539,601 A
• Filed: 08/29/1983
• Issued: 09/03/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Komine, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Faber, Alan
• Application Number:
  US06/527,381
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/906, 358/229, 360/33.1, 369/11
• US Class Current: 386/358
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/006 with video camera or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/025 Portable cases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

In a portable video system for recording motion pictures by using a video camera and a video recorder, the cable cord connecting said video camera with the video recorder is made detachable, and the cable cord connection terminal on the bottom panel of the housing of the video camera and the cable cord connection terminal on the upper panel of the housing of the video recorder are constructed to be directly connectable to each other so that said camera may be fixedly mounted on said recorder. A grip is arranged on one of the side panels of said camera housing to be usable in any of the cases where the camera is in isolation and where the recorder is directly connected to the camera, and the recorder is provided with a tripod screw hole for enabling attachment of a tripod thereto at the bottom panel of the housing thereof.

Claims

1. A portable video system including:

(a) a video camera for producing video signals and having a casing with a plurality of attachment surfaces;

(b) video recorder for receiving the video signals from said camera and recording the signal on a recording medium;

(c) first coupling means for coupling said camera and said recorder with each other as a unit

(d) a signal transmitting cord for transmitting the video signals from the camera to the recorder when the camera and the recorder are not coupled together, said video recorder being heavier than the camera and having a recorder casing with a plurality of surfaces,

(e) said first coupling means including a tripod opening with threads at the bottom surface of the camera casing, and said recorder including a threaded bolt campatible with the opening mounted in a manually rotatable manner at the top surface of the recorder casing, and

(f) second coupling means for coupling the recorder and a tripod with each other, and having a tripod opening with threads at a bottom surface of the recorder casing. PG,13

2. A portable video system including:

(a) a video camera for producing video signals and having a casing with a plurality of attachment surfaces,

(b) grip means for attachment to one of the attachment surfaces and for holding the video camera;

(c) a video recorder for receiving the video signals from said camera and recording the signal on a recording medium;

(d) first coupling means for coupling said camera and said recorder with each other as a unit; and

(e) a signal transmitting cord for transmitting the video signals from the camera to the recorder when the camera and the recorder are not coupled together, said grip means being attachable to one attachment surface of the camera casing, said recorder having a recorder casing with a plurality of surfaces,

(f) the attachment surfaces of the camera casing including a side surface and a bottom surface and the grip means being attachable to the side surface of the camera casing and the recorder being attachable to the bottom surface of the camera casing, the side surface of the camera and the side surface of the recorder lying substantially in a single plane.

3. A system as in claim 2, further comprising elongated carrying means extending from the recorder for carrying the recorder.

4. A system as in claim 3, wherein said elongated carrying means has ends attached to the recorder for suspending and carrying the recorder.

5. A system as in claim 4, wherein said elongated carrying means is a strap.

6. A portable video system, comprising:

(a) a video camera capable of producing video signals and including,

(i) first mechanical coupling means, and

(ii) first electrical coupling means for outputting the video signals,

(b) a video recorder for receiving the video signals from the camera and recording the signal on a recording medium, said recorder including;

(i) second mechanical coupling means, and

(ii) second electrical coupling means for receiving the video signals, and

(c) a signal transmitting cable for transmitting the video signals from the camera to the recorder when the camera is not coupled with the recorder, said cable including;

(i) third electrical coupling means, and

(ii) fourth electrical coupling means;

(d) wherein the first and second electrical coupling means are directly coupled together when the first and second mechanical coupling means are coupled together, and the first and third electrical coupling means and the second and fourth electrical coupling means are coupled to each other when the camera is coupled with the recorder via said cable.

7. A system as in claim 6, further comprising elongated carrying means extending from the recorder for carrying the recorder.

8. A system as in claim 7, wherein said elongated carrying means has ends attached to the recorder for suspending and carrying the recorder.

9. A system as in claim 8, wherein said elongated carrying means is a strap.

10. A portable video system including:

(a) a video camera for producing video signals and having a casing with a plurality of attachment surfaces,

(b) grip means for holding the video camera;

(c) a video recorder for receiving the video signals from said camera and recording the signal on a recording medium;

(d) first coupling means for coupling said camera and said recorder with each other as a unit; and

(e) a signal transmitting cord for transmitting the video signals from the camera to the recorder when the camera and the recorder are not coupled together, said grip means being attached to one attachment surface of the camera casing said, recorder having a recorder casing with a plurality of surfaces,

(f) the attachment surfaces of the camera casing including a side surface and a bottom surface and the grip means being attached to the side surface of the camera casing and the recorder being attached to the bottom surface of the camera casing, the side surface of the camera and the side surface of the recorder lying substantially in a single plane.

11. A video recording system, comprising:

(a) a video camera for producing video signals, said camera including;

(i) first mechanical means; and

(ii) signal output means for providing the video signals;

(b) a video recorder for receiving the video signals from the camera and for recording the signal on a recording medium, said recorder including;

(i) second mechanical means; and

(ii) signal input means for receiving the video signals; and

(c) signal transmitting means for transmitting the video signals from the camera to the recorder when the camera is not coupled with the recorder, said transmitting means including;

(i) first electrical coupling means, and

(ii) second electrical coupling means;

(d) the output and input means being directly coupled together when the first and second mechanical means are coupled together, and the output and first electrical means and the input and second electrical means being coupled to each other when the camera is associated with the recorder via the transmitting means.