Protective housing for camera

• US 5,907,721 A
• Filed: 05/05/1998
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Schelling, Anna, Dowe, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLANKENSHIP, HOWARD BENNETT
• Application Number:
  US09/073,449
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 396/25-29, 348/81, 206/316.2, 206/811
• US Class Current: 396/27
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings

Abstract

A protective housing for a camera comprising a pouch adapted to contain the camera, is characterized in that the pouch has at least one pivotable portion that can be pivoted about a pivot axis to open the pouch in order to allow the camera to be inserted into the pouch, and a manually depressible actuating button is supported on the pouch at the pivot axis to be able to be depressed along the pivot axis to similarly depress a shutter release button of the camera in order to initiate picture-taking.

Claims

1. A protective housing for a camera comprising a pouch adapted to contain the camera, is characterized in that:

said pouch has at least one pivotable portion that can be pivoted about a pivot axis to open the pouch in order to allow the camera to be inserted into the pouch; and

a manually depressible actuating button is supported on said pouch at the pivot axis to be able to be depressed along the pivot axis to similarly depress a shutter release button of the camera in order to initiate picture-taking.

2. A protective housing as recited in claim 1, wherein said pivotable portion is flexible to permit it to be pivoted about the pivot axis and has a rigid edge-defining member with opposite ends adjacent the pivot axis to permit said rigid edge-defining member to be pivoted about the pivot axis in order to pivot the pivotable portion.

3. A protective housing as recited in claim 1, wherein a strap retainer for a neck or wrist strap has one end proximate said actuating button.

4. A protective housing for a camera comprising a pouch adapted to contain the camera, is characterized in that:

said pouch is flexible and has an integral pair of similar pivotable portions that can be swung away from one another about a pivot axis to open the pouch in order to allow the camera to be inserted into the pouch; and

a manually depressible actuating button is supported on said pouch at the pivot axis to be able to be depressed along the pivot axis to similarly depress a shutter release button of the camera in order to initiate picture-taking.

5. A protective housing as recited in claim 4, wherein said pivotable portions have respective rigid edge-defining members with opposite ends adjacent the pivot axis to permit said rigid edge-defining members to be pivoted away from one another about the pivot axis in order to swing the pivotable portions away from one another.

6. A protective housing as recited in claim 5, wherein said edge-defining members have mutually engaging elements that engage to hold the edge-defining members together.