Removable camera lens cover

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11543733-B2
Application number	US-202017093246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2020
Priority date	Dec 15, 2015
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

A camera is configured for use with a removable camera lens cover, which can be secured to or removed from the camera by a user without the use of a tool set. The mechanism which allows the lens cover to be secured to and removed from the camera includes a set of wires embedded into the lens cover and a set of wedges protruding from the lens wall of the camera. To secure the lens cover to the camera, the lens cover is placed onto the front of the camera and rotated until the wires align with corresponding wedges, securing the wires underneath the tapered surface of the wedges. To remove the lens cover from the camera, a force is applied outward and normal to the lens cover, causing the wires to flex outward and enabling the rotation and removal of the lens cover from the camera.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of using an image capture device, the method comprising:
covering a lens of the image capture device with a lens cover such that flexible securing structures on the lens cover are out of alignment with corresponding protrusions extending radially from a lens wall surrounding the lens; and
rotating the lens cover in relation to the image capture device to align the flexible securing structures with the corresponding protrusions and position the flexible securing structures beneath the corresponding protrusions to thereby secure the lens cover to the image capture device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the lens cover includes positioning the flexible securing structures radially outward of the lens wall.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the lens cover includes positioning the flexible securing structures beneath tapered surfaces defined by the corresponding protrusions.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the lens cover includes rotating the lens cover from an unlocked configuration, in which peripheral surfaces defined by the lens cover are out of alignment with corresponding peripheral surfaces defined by a body of the image capture device, to a locked configuration, in which the peripheral surfaces defined by the lens cover are aligned with the corresponding peripheral surfaces defined by the body of the image capture device.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
disconnecting the lens cover from the image capture device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein disconnecting the lens cover from the image capture device includes applying a threshold force to the lens cover in a direction normal to a front surface of the body of the image capture device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein applying the threshold force to the lens cover includes flexing the flexible securing structures radially outward away from the lens wall.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein flexing the flexible securing structures includes causing the flexible securing structures to traverse tapered surfaces defined by the corresponding protrusions.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein disconnecting the lens cover from the image capture device includes rotating the lens cover towards the unlocked configuration subsequent to application of the threshold force to the lens cover.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein rotating the lens cover between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration includes rotating the lens cover less than 90°.

11. A method of using an image capture device, the method comprising:
connecting a lens cover to the image capture device by rotating the lens cover from an unlocked configuration into a locked configuration such that securing structures on the lens cover are aligned with and positioned beneath corresponding protrusions extending radially from an annular wall surrounding a lens of the image capture device;
subsequently applying a threshold force to the lens cover in a direction normal to a front surface of a body of the image capture device; and
subsequently disconnecting the lens cover from the image capture device by rotating the lens cover from the locked configuration into the unlocked configuration.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein rotating the lens cover from the unlocked configuration into the locked configuration aligns peripheral surfaces defined by the lens cover with corresponding peripheral surfaces defined by the body of the image capture device.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein rotating the lens cover between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration includes rotating the lens cover less than 90°.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein rotating the lens cover from the unlocked configuration into the locked configuration includes positioning the securing structures beneath tapered surfaces defined by the corresponding protrusions.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein applying the threshold force to the lens cover includes flexing the securing structures radially outward away from the annular wall.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein flexing the securing structures includes causing the securing structures to traverse the tapered surfaces defined by the corresponding protrusions.

17. A method of using an image capture device, the method comprising:
connecting a lens cover to the image capture device by rotating the lens cover from an unlocked configuration into a locked configuration such that:
securing structures on the lens cover are aligned with and positioned beneath corresponding protrusions extending radially from an annular wall surrounding a lens of the image capture device; and
first engagement features on the lens cover engage second engagement features on the annular wall to inhibit rotation of the lens cover.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising
disconnecting the lens cover from the image capture device by applying a threshold force to the lens cover in a direction normal to and away from a front surface of the image capture device to disengage the first engagement features and the second engagement features and thereby allow rotation of the lens cover from the locked configuration to the unlocked configuration.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein disconnecting the lens cover further includes rotating the lens cover towards the unlocked configuration subsequent to application of the threshold force to the lens cover.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein rotating the lens cover between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration includes rotating the lens cover less than 90°.

Assignees

• Gopro Inc

Inventors

• Lim Way Chet
• Liu Andrew
• Mittan Margaret Birmingham
• Sobel Daniel Lee

Classifications

• G03B11/041

  Lens caps as separate accessory (accessories in general G03B17/56) · CPC title

• G03B17/12

  with means for supporting objectives, supplementary lenses, filters, masks, or turrets · CPC title

• G03B11/06 Primary

  Lens caps for exposure making · CPC title

• G03B17/55

  with provision for heating or cooling, e.g. in aircraft · CPC title

• G03B17/08

  Waterproof bodies or housings · CPC title