Camera casing structure

• US 5,666,582 A
• Filed: 04/10/1996
• Issued: 09/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Hiromi, Nakai, Koji, Sakayauchi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): MATHEWS, ALAN A
• Application Number:
  US08/630,809
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 354/288, 354/81, 354/293, 352/242, 352/243, 396/419, 396/428, 396/535
• US Class Current: 396/419
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies

Abstract

A camera casing structure for fixing thereto a tripod connecting member. A camera structure is described with a front cover having an inverted U-shaped first supporting member including a fitting hole in the direction of an optical axis and a semi-circular recess; a rear cover having an inverted U-shaped second supporting member including a fitting hole in the direction of the optical axis and a semi-circular recess; and a tripod connecting member having a substantially cylindrical member including an inner female threaded screw hole and partial flanges symmetrically protruding on opposite sides of the peripheral surface of the substantially cylindrical member for fitting. The flanges fit into the fitting holes, respectively, so that the tripod connecting member can be nipped and fixed by the first and second supporting members.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a first structural member;

a second structural member, the second structural member forming a camera casing in combination with the first structural member; and

a tripod connecting member being separate from the first and second structural members and having a tripod connecting screw portion,

wherein the first and second structural members comprise a connecting structure for nipping the tripod connecting member with the first and second structural members.

2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the first structural member comprises a front cover of the camera and the second structural member comprises a rear cover of the camera.

3. A camera including first and second structural members, comprising:

a first supporting portion provided with the first structural member;

a second supporting portion provided with the second structural member; and

a tripod connecting member being separate from the first and second structural members and having a tripod connecting screw portion, the tripod connecting member being positioned in place and supported by engaging the first supporting portion and the second supporting portion;

wherein the tripod connecting member is nipped and fixed in place by joining the first and second structural members.

4. A camera including a camera body within a camera casing formed by combining front and rear camera casing members, the camera comprising:

a tripod connecting member being separate from the front and rear camera casing members and having a tripod connecting screw portion, the tripod connecting member being nipped by the front and rear casing members; and

a first supporting portion provided with the front camera casing member for supporting the tripod connecting member;

a second supporting portion provided with the rear camera casing member for supporting the tripod connecting member; and

a fitting portion provided with the tripod connecting member, the fitting portion including;

a first fitting member for engaging with the first supporting portion, and

a second fitting member for engaging with the second supporting portion.

5. A camera including first and second structural members, comprising:

a tripod connecting member being separate from the first and second structural members and having a tripod connecting screw portion;

a first supporting member provided with the first structural member;

a second supporting member provided with the second structural member; and

first and second fitting portions provided with the tripod connecting member for engaging with the first and second supporting members, respectively,

wherein the first and second supporting members cause the tripod connecting member to be nipped by the first and second structural members.

6. A camera including first and second structural members, comprising:

a tripod connecting member being separate from the first and second structural members and having a tripod connecting screw portion;

a first supporting portion arranged in the first structural member;

a second supporting portion arranged in the second structural member;

a fitting portion provided with the tripod connecting member, the fitting portion being fitted to at least one of the first and second supporting portions; and

supporting means for causing the tripod connecting member to be nipped by the first and second supporting portions when combining the first and second structural members.

7. The camera according to claim 6, wherein the fitting portion includes a protruding portion, and at least one of the first and second supporting portions has a recess for receiving the protruding portion therein.

8. The camera according to claim 6, wherein the position of the tripod connecting member is set in lateral and vertical directions by the fitting portion and at least one of the first and second supporting portions, and in a front-to-rear direction by the supporting means.

9. The camera according to claim 6, wherein the tripod connecting screw portion of the tripod connecting member is exposed to the outside of the camera between the first and second structural members.

10. A camera containing a camera body within a camera casing formed by joining front and rear camera casing members, comprising:

a tripod mount being separate from the front and rear camera casing members and having a tripod connecting screw portion and a peripheral surface, the tripod mount being nipped by the front and rear camera casing members;

a protruding portion integrally provided on the peripheral surface of the tripod mount;

a first defining portion provided in the front camera casing member to engage with the protruding portion for defining the position of the tripod mount; and

a second defining portion provided in the rear camera casing member to engage with the protruding portion for defining the position of the tripod mount.

11. A camera having a camera casing formed by combining at least first and second camera casing members, the camera comprising:

a tripod connecting member being separate from the first and second camera casing member and having a tripod connecting female screw portion and at least one position defining means for preventing the tripod connecting member from rotating; and

a position defining member being provided with at least one of the first and second camera casing members and engaging with the position defining means when the camera casing is formed,

wherein a part of the tripod connecting member is exposed to the outside of the camera when the camera casing is completed.

12. The camera according to claim 11, wherein the first and second camera casing members are formed of a plastic material.

13. The camera according to claim 11, wherein the tripod connecting member is nipped by the first and second camera casing members.

14. A mount device having a threaded screw hole for mounting a peripheral device by screwing a male screw from the peripheral device into the threaded screw hole, the mount device comprising:

a plurality of casing members to be combined with each other for forming a casing of the device; and

a screw connecting member being separate from the plurality of casing members and having the threaded screw hole therein,

wherein the plurality of casing members restrict the position and rotation of the screw connecting member and support the screw connecting member when the plurality of casing members are combined to form the casing of the device.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of casing members is formed of a plastic material.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein the screw connecting member is nipped by the plurality of casing members.

17. A camera comprising:

a camera body;

a tripod mounting member separate from the camera body; and

two case members for enclosing the camera body and for nipping and supporting the tripod mounting member without using other fixing means.

18. The camera according to claim 17, wherein the tripod member has a threaded screw hole formed therein.

19. The camera according to claim 17, wherein one of the two case members is a front cover and the other is a rear cover.

20. A camera comprising:

a camera body;

a tripod mounting member separate from the camera body; and

casing means for encasing the camera body, the casing means including a first casing member for covering at least a part of the camera body, and a second casing member for covering a remainder of the camera body,

wherein the tripod mounting member is nipped and supported by the first and second casing members without using other fixing means.

21. The camera according to claim 20, wherein the tripod member has an inner threaded screw hole for engaging a tripod.

22. A camera comprising:

a camera body;

a tripod connecting screw member separated from the camera body; and

a plurality of camera casing members for covering at least a part of the camera body and for fixing and supporting the tripod connecting screw member together with the camera body without using other fixing means.