Watertight body for accommodating a photographic camera

• US 5,832,312 A
• Filed: 02/10/1997
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Rieger, Albert, Barclay, David, Chapman, Steven, Kellner, Heinz-Andreas, Reibl, Michael, Rydelek, James G., Schweizer, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US08/799,556
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 396/25, 396/27, 396/29
• US Class Current: 396/25
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1676 using a soft material and a rigid material, e.g. making articles with a sealing part
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings

Abstract

A watertight body for accommodating a photographic camera. The body has a first and a second body shell of rigid polymer material that can be joined together for accommodating a photographic camera. The body has sealing means comprising elastic polymer material provided by a multiple-component injection molding process on an edge of at least one body shell that forms the joint and on surface areas of the body shells. The elastic polymer material is connected to the body shell by chain looping (molecular entanglement) of the polymer materials. The result is that the body is reliably sealed against water and is nevertheless inexpensive and simple to manufacture. For a simple and correspondingly inexpensive recyclability of the body, the body shells can be crushed without separation of the polymer materials using known devices, with the resultant material mix being usable as an admixture for the manufacture of new camera components.

Claims

1. A watertight body for a photographic camera, said body comprising:

a first and a second body shell of rigid polymer material, said body shells being joined together to define a cavity adapted to accommodate said camera, at least one of said body shells having an edge disposed to define a joint between said body shells; and

a seal of elastic polymer material on said edge, said seal being connected to said edge by molecular entanglement of said rigid and elastic polymer materials.

2. A watertight body according to claim 1, characterized in that:

said seal has an undeformed cross-section that is droplet shaped; and

said second body shell has a circumferential groove, said groove being underdimensioned relative to said seal such that said seal is deformed when said body shells are joined together, whereby said body is watertight.

3. A watertight body according to claim 1, further comprising a cover of elastic polymer material on the surface areas of said body shells and being connected to said body shells by molecular entanglement of said rigid and elastic polymer materials.

4. A watertight body according to claim 3, characterized in that said cover is transparent.

5. A watertight body according to claim 3, characterized in that said cover is light-tight.

6. A watertight body according to claim 3, characterized in that:

said body shells define a surface when joined together; and

said cover is provided on substantially the entire surface of said body shells exclusive of lens and viewfinder openings and areas free of covering for gripping the body.

7. A watertight body according to claim 3 characterized in that:

said body shells define a surface when joined together;

said first body shell is transparent;

said body further comprises a C-shaped information plate adjoining said first body shell; and

said cover is provided on substantially the entire surface of said body shells exclusive of an opening over said information plate.

8. A watertight body according to claim 3, characterized in that said cover provided on said body shells has raised areas for a sure grip.

9. A watertight body according to claim 8, further comprising a carrying means for holding the camera formed in one piece with said cover.

10. A watertight body according to claim 1, further comprising locking means for connecting said body shells, said locking means being provided in one piece with said body shells, said locking means being inaccessibly covered when said body shells are joined together.

11. A watertight body according to claim 10, characterized in that said first body shell has a marked wall area that can be cut through using a tool to unlock at least one of said locking means.

12. A watertight body according to claim 1, further comprising camera holding means projecting inward from said body shells.

13. A watertight body according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cover disposed on surface areas of at least one of said body shells; and

camera holding means projecting inward from said body shells;

said sealing means, said cover, and said camera holding means each comprising elastic polymer material.

14. A watertight body according to claim 13, characterized in that said elastic polymer material is a styrene-butadiene or polyurethane.

15. A watertight body according to claim 13, characterized in that said rigid polymer material is polystyrene and said elastic polymer material is styrene-butadiene.

16. A watertight body according to claim 13, characterized in that said rigid polymer material is polycarbonate and said elastic polymer material is polyurethane.

17. A watertight body according to claim 1, characterized in that said first body shell has integral engaging elements for holding said camera against at least one of said body shells.

18. A watertight body according to claim 1, characterized in that said body shells comprise an optically transparent polystyrene or polycarbonate.