System comprising camera and waterproof housing

• US 7,082,264 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Funahashi, Koji, Watanabe, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUTHAR, RISHI S
• Application Number:
  US10/886,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20060008261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 396 25- 29, 396177-178, 348/81
• US Class Current: 396/28
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/08 Waterproof bodies or housings
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0507 Pop-up mechanisms

Abstract

A system has a camera and a waterproof housing. The camera has a strobe light-emitting portion which is rotated to the pop-up position for light emission and to the restoring position for non light-emission position and a light-emission preparing member which moves the strobe light-emitting portion from the restoring position to the pop-up position. The waterproof housing can be closed and opened and watertightly stores the camera. Further, the waterproof housing has an operating member which can externally be operated and a press member. In the waterproof housing, the light-emission preparing member on the camera is pressed by pressing the operating member and the strobe light-emitting portion at the restoring position is moved to the pop-up position. The rear portion of the strobe light-emitting portion at the pop-up position is pressed by pressing the press member, thus to move the strobe light-emitting portion to the restoring position.

Claims

1. A system having a camera and a waterproof housing, the system comprising:

the camera comprising

a strobe light-emitting portion which is rotated to the light-emitting position and the non light-emitting position; and

the waterproof housing which can store the camera comprising

a press member which presses the strobe light-emitting portion so that the strobe light-emitting portion is located from the light-emitting position to the non light-emitting position.

2. A system comprising a camera and a waterproof housing according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operating member which is arranged to the waterproof housing so as to operate a light-emission preparing member provided for the camera for positioning the strobe at the light-emitting position.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the press member is manually operable and exposed to a user.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the press member presses an external surface of the strobe-light emitting portion.

5. A waterproof housing comprising:

a waterproof housing case member which can store a camera having a strobe light-emitting portion that is rotated to the light-emitting position and the non light-emitting position, the strobe light-emitting portion having a front portion and a rear portion; and

a press member which presses the strobe light-emitting portion from the rear portion so as to locate the strobe light-emitting portion from the light-emitting position to the non light-emitting position.

6. A waterproof housing according to claim 5, further comprising:

an operating member which is arranged to the waterproof housing so as to operate a light-emission preparing member provided for the camera for positioning the strobe light-emitting portion at the light-emitting position.

7. A waterproof housing according to claim 5, wherein the press member comprises a rotatable roller.

8. A waterproof housing according to claim 5, wherein the press means comprises:

a shaft member which is piercing through the inside and outside of the waterproof housing and can be moved in the shaft direction; and

a roller which can be rotated at the edge of the shaft member in the waterproof housing, and

the roller presses the strobe light-emitting portion.

9. A waterproof housing according to claim 8, wherein the shaft member is arranged, not in parallel with an optical axis of a photographing lens of the camera.

10. A waterproof housing according to claim 8, wherein the shaft member is arranged at the position for applying rotation moment in the rotation center of the strobe light-emitting portion in the camera.

11. A waterproof housing according to claim 8, wherein the roller comprises a pair of rollers which sandwiches the core of the shaft member.

12. The waterproof housing according to claim 5, wherein a portion of the press member is manually operable and exposed to a user.

13. The waterproof housing according to claim 5, wherein the press member presses an external surface of the strobe-light emitting portion.

14. A waterproof housing comprising:

a waterproof housing case member which can store a camera having a strobe light-emitting portion that is rotated to the light-emitting position and the non light-emitting position, the strobe light-emitting portion having a front portion and a rear portion; and

a press member which presses the strobe light-emitting portion from the rear portion so as to locate the strobe light-emitting portion from the light-emitting position to the non light-emitting position.

15. A waterproof housing according to claim 14, further comprising:

an operating member which is positioned on the waterproof housing so as to operate a light-emission preparing member provided for the camera for positioning the strobe light-emitting portion at the light-emitting position.

16. A waterproof housing according to claim 14, wherein the press member comprises a rotatable roller.

17. The waterproof housing according to claim 14, wherein a portion of the press member is manually operable and exposed to a user.

18. The waterproof housing according to claim 14, wherein the press member presses an external surface of the strobe-light emitting portion.