Underwater camera having through-the-lens viewing
OwnerJohn H. Fiordainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An underwater camera includes a housing supporting an exposure mechanism therein. The exposure mechanism includes a support frame and a conventional film transport and shutter mechanism. A motor drive system is operative upon the film transport and shutter mechanism to alternatively raise or lower the transport mechanism with respect to the camera imaging lens. A viewer is optically coupled to the imaging lens. In one position of the film transport, a focusing screen is positioned in alignment with the imaging lens to provide through the lens viewing while in the alternative position of the film transport, the to-be-exposed film and shutter assembly is interposed between the imaging lens and the viewer to properly expose the film.
Claims15
A camera comprising:
- a housing;
- a lens supported by said housing having an entrance and exit aperture for focusing an image at a focus plane;
- a film strip holder for holding a film strip having a portion thereof forming a to-be-exposed film portion;
- an image viewer optically coupled to said lens such that the image of said lens may be seen therethrough;
- a shutter having a shutter release for exposing said to-be-exposed film portion;
- and
- exposure means responsive to said shutter release for vertically moving said film holder to define a linear vertical path between a first lowered position in which said to-be-exposed film portion is removed from the optical coupling path between said image viewer and said lens and a second raised position in which said to-be-exposed film portion is interposed between said image viewer and said lens at said focus plane.
An underwater camera comprising:
- a sealed housing defining a water-tight interior cavity;
- a lens supported by said housing having an entrance and exit aperture for focusing an image at a focus plane sealingly coupled to said housing;
- a film holder and transport for holding and moving a film strip to position portions thereof for exposure;
- an image viewer optically coupled to said lens such that the image of said lens may be seen therethrough;
- a shutter mechanism supported upon said film holder having a shutter release for exposing portions of said film strip;
- and
- exposure means responsive to said shutter release for moving said film holder and said film strip in a straight-line vertical path between a first lowered position in which the to-be-exposed portion of said film strip therein is removed from the optical coupling path between said image viewer and said lens and a second raised position in which the to-be-exposed portion of said film strip is interposed between said image viewer and said lens at said focus plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.