Camera case

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12245671-B2
Application number	US-202318367786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2023
Priority date	Sep 30, 2019
Publication date	Mar 11, 2025
Grant date	Mar 11, 2025

Abstract

A camera case that includes a buoyant material. The buoyant material forms a cavity defined by a top side, a right side, a bottom side, and a left side, and the cavity is configured to removably receive a camera. A front opening extends into the cavity. A rear opening is located opposite the front opening, and the rear opening is larger than the front opening so that the camera is extendable into the cavity through the rear opening. A button recess in the top side is aligned with a physical input interface of the camera. A mount opening extends through the bottom side of the camera case to receives a portion of a support member so that the support member and the camera are connectable through the mount opening. The camera case includes a sufficient amount of the buoyant material to float the camera in water when the camera is inserted into the cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera case comprising:
a buoyant material that forms a cavity defined by a top side, a right side, a bottom side, and a left side, the cavity configured to removably receive a camera;
a front opening extending into the cavity;
a rear opening located opposite the front opening, wherein the rear opening is larger than the front opening so that the camera is extendable into the cavity through the rear opening;
a button recess in the top side that aligns with a physical input interface of the camera; and
a mount opening extending through the bottom side of the camera case that receives a portion of a support member so that the support member and the camera are connectable through the mount opening,
wherein the front opening comprises:
a bottom edge; and
a top edge which extends partly downward from a top side of the front opening that has a high portion that does not extend partly downward from an edge of the cavity and a low portion that extends downward partly downward from an edge of the cavity below the high portion towards the bottom edge and the mount opening so that a distance from the low portion to the bottom edge is less than a distance from the high portion to the bottom edge, and
wherein the camera case includes a sufficient amount of the buoyant material to float the camera in water when the camera is inserted into the cavity.

2. The camera case according to claim 1 , wherein the button recess is a through hole that a finger or a device is able to extend through to physically contact the physical input interface of the camera.

3. The camera case according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a side button recess located in the left side of the buoyant material that aligns with a side physical input interface of the camera, wherein the mount opening includes one or more bottom recesses that extend laterally outward from the mount opening, the one or more bottom recesses being concave.

4. A camera case comprising:
a buoyant material that defines a cavity in which a camera is removably received;
a front opening extending through a front surface of the buoyant material, wherein the front opening comprises:
a bottom side;
a top side located opposite the bottom side, the top side including a high portion that does not extend partly downward from an edge of the cavity and a low portion that extends partly downward from an edge of the cavity and that is located closer to the bottom side than the high portion;
a first side extending between the bottom side and the top side; and
a second side located opposite the first side and extending between the bottom side and the top side;
a rear opening located opposite the front opening and extending through a rear surface of the buoyant material with the cavity being located between the front opening and the rear opening; and
a button recess located in a top surface, a right surface, a left surface, a bottom surface, or a combination thereof, wherein the front opening and the rear opening are bounded by the top surface, the right surface, the left surface, and the bottom surface of the buoyant material,
wherein the camera case includes a sufficient amount of the buoyant material for a camera system comprising the camera and the camera case to float in water.

5. The camera case according to claim 4 , wherein the button recess is a through hole that a finger or a device is able to extend through to physically contact a physical input interface of the camera.

6. The camera case according to claim 5 , wherein the physical input interface is a shutter button that when pressed causes the camera to capture one or more images.

7. The camera case according to claim 4 , wherein the buoyant material is a foam material that is a closed cell foam, an open cell foam, or both.

8. The camera case according to claim 4 , wherein the buoyant material is a foam material that is neoprene, ethylene propylene diene monomer, styrene-butadiene, polyvinyl chloride, nitrile rubber, polyurethane, polyethylene, chloroprene elastomeric foam, ethylene-vinyl acetate, or a combination thereof.

9. The camera case according to claim 4 , wherein the rear opening is larger than the front opening.

10. The camera case according to claim 4 , wherein the camera case is a rectangular cuboid.

11. The camera case according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a mount opening that is oblong in shape, and
one or more bottom recesses that extend laterally outward from the mount opening,
wherein the one or more bottom recesses have a partial circular shape.

12. A camera case comprising:
a buoyant material that defines a cavity configured to removably receive a camera;
a front opening located on a front side of the cavity, the front opening is generally rectangular and has a top side with a split where a first portion of the top side extends below a second portion of the top side; and
a rear opening located on a rear side of the cavity and opposite the front opening,
wherein the camera case includes a sufficient amount of the buoyant material for the camera case to float in water, and
wherein the front opening and the rear opening surround the camera when the camera is received in the camera case so that a front surface of the camera is exposed through the front opening and a rear surface of the camera is exposed through the rear opening, and
wherein the first portion of the camera case extends partly inward from an edge of the cavity and the second portion is free of extending partly inward.

13. The camera case according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a button recess extending through the buoyant material into the cavity so that when a camera is received in the camera case, a physical input interface of the camera is able to be pressed through the button recess.

14. The camera case according to claim 13 , wherein the camera case forms a rectangular cuboid, and wherein the button recess is tapered or narrowing moving inward towards the cavity.

15. The camera case according to claim 13 , wherein the cavity includes interior surfaces that define the cavity and the interior surfaces have a shape that conforms with a shape of exterior surfaces of the camera.

16. The camera case according to claim 15 , wherein the interior surfaces of the cavity engage the exterior surfaces of the camera so that the camera is prevented from moving within the cavity.

17. The camera case according to claim 12 , further comprising:
a button recess that is a through hole that a finger or device extends through to physically contact a physical input interface of the camera.

18. The camera case according to claim 12 , wherein the buoyant material is a foam material.

Assignees

• Gopro Inc

Inventors

• Druker Joshua T
• Thomas Matthew David
• Nguyen Huy Phuong
• Liang Bessy
• Coster Daniel J

Classifications

• G03B17/561

  Support related camera accessories · CPC title

• A45C13/008

  for making water- or air-tight · CPC title

• A45C11/22

  Watertight containers for use while swimming · CPC title

• A45C11/38 Primary

  Camera cases, e.g. of ever-ready type · CPC title