Combination of water-proof camera case and detachable hand grip assembly

• US 5,305,030 A
• Filed: 04/07/1992
• Issued: 04/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Hiroshi, Fukumoto, Tetsuro
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US07/864,939
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 354/64, 354/81, 354/266, 358/99
• US Class Current: 396/27
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/38 Camera cases, e.g. of ever-ready type
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/563 Camera grips, handles means in general for steadying hand-held apparatus F16M13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a camera case which permits underwater video shooting and which is also useful in video shooting on the ground when a hand grip assembly is detached therefrom.

In the event of underwater video shooting, a video camera 14 is placed in a main case body 10, and grips 41 and 42 are attached to the case through a link plate 43. The grip 41 has the function of a remote commander, transmitting infrared control signals from an LED to a signal receiver 35 within a transparent window 38 on the camera case 10 to operate the camera 14 accordingly. At the time of using the camera case as a drip-proof case in video shooting on the ground, the link plate 43 is detached from the camera case 10, and the camera 14 in the case is operated by way of operating buttons 24 to 26 on the camera case.

Claims

1. A combination of a camera case adapted to accommodate a camera therein in a waterproof state, and a detachable hand grip assembly, comprising:

means for detachably fixing said hand grip assembly to said camera case;

a first operating button provided on said camera case for operating said camera in said camera case; and

a second operating button provided on a hand grip of said hand grip assembly to perform the same function as said first operating button.

2. A combination of a camera case and a hand grip assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein, said camera case is provided with a tapped screw hole, and said hand grip is provided with a camera mount base with a male screw, said screw hole being threadedly engageable with said male screw to fix said camera case and hand grip integrally to each other.

3. A combination of a camera case and a hand grip assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said hand grip is provided with a switch in association with said second operating button and a transmitter adapted to generate a wireless control signal according to an input signal from said switch, and said camera case or said camera is provided with a receiver for reception of said wireless control signal.

4. A combination of a camera case and a hand grip assembly as defined in claim 3, wherein said camera case is provided with a window for transmission of infrared rays therethrough, and said wireless signal transmitter in said hand grip includes an infrared signal generator thereby to transmit infrared control signals through said window on said camera case.

5. A combination of a camera case and a hand grip assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein said window on said camera case is disposed face to face with a light emitting device of said transmitter in said hand grip.