GB2256719A - Remote control apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A button-actuator shown generally at 10 comprises an outer cylindrical housing 11, a slidable peg 12, an inner, partly cylindrical support member 13 and part of a securing strap 14. A standard remote release cable, shown generally at 15, threadably engages an upper surface 11a of the cylindrical housing 11 such that when a plunger (not shown) of the cable 15 is depressed an inner, slidable core 15a of the cable 15 is able to penetrate a cavity 16 and contact an upper surface 12a of the peg 12. In use, the button-actuator 10 is attached to the body of a camera by means of the strap 14 such that the slidable peg 12 rests immediately above and in contact with the shutter release button of the camera. <IMAGE>

Description

REMOTE CONTROL APPARATUS The present invention relates to remote control apparatus and is concerned particulary, although not exclusively, with remote control apparatus for the remote control of a camera.

In photography, it is often required to release the shutter of a camera other than by simply depressing the shutter release button with a finger, for example when the photographer wishes to set up the camera and then retreat to a location remote from the camera. Another example might be if the required exposure was a relatively lengthy one, such as is often used in night photography, it would be impracticable to hold down the shutter release button with ones finger since this would likely introduce some degree of camera shake and would produce a blurred image.

Because of this requirement, various means for remotely releasing the shutter of a camera have been employed in the prior art. The prior art means may be broadly divided into two categories, namely self-timer devices and remote control devices.

Self-timers operate so as to delay release of the shutter for a pre-determined period of time. This can be a nuisance since the photographer can never be certain as to exactly when the shutter will be released, and may, therefore, miss the exact shot that he wants.

Remote control devices generally comprise a cable leading from, at one end, an attachment on the camera body, to, at the other end, a hand held unit. Some kinds of remote cable release are electrically connected at one end to a specialised port in the camera body and, at the other end of the cable there is a button on the hand-held unit which button, when depressed, makes an electrical circuit in the camera which actuates the shutter release mechanism electronically. This type of remote cable release is usually sold as an accessory and may be quite expensive to purchase. In addition, the port on the camera body is generally specific to that particular brand of camera and therefore only a particular cable release device is compatible with the camera.

Another type of remote cable release comprises, at one end, a simple plunger and, at the other end, a screwthreaded portion for threadable engagement with the shutter release button on the exterior of the camera body.

When the plunger is depressed by the photographer the cable pushes down the shutter release button on the camera body. The plunger/cable apparatus is of a standard size and may be used with any camera provided that the camera has a shutter release button with a threaded portion for engagement with the remote cable. Unfortunately many modern cameras do not have a threaded shutter release button thus leaving the photographer with the alternatives of purchasing an electric cable release, often at considerable expense (and provided that the camera is suitable) or manually holding down the button with his finger which is undesirable and inconvenient for longexposure shots.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for a camera, capable of adapting the camera for use with a cable release apparatus.

According to one aspect of the present invention, adaptor means includes attachment means arranged, in use, to detachably mount the adaptor means on a mechanically actuatable apparatus, the adaptor means including a fixed portion arranged, in use, to be located in the region of a moveable member of a mechanically actuatable apparatus, the adaptor means including connection means connected to the fixed portion and extending to a region remote from the fixed portion, the connection means being arranged, in use, to cooperate with a moveable member of an apparatus whereby operation of the connection means from a region remote from the fixed portion is arranged to move a moveable member of an apparatus in the region of the fixed portion to actuate the apparatus.

Said connection means may comprise a cable connected to and moveable relative to said fixed portion.

Alternatively, or additionally, said connection means may comprise a pressure variation means such as a fluid pressure variation means.

Said apparatus may comprise a camera. The moveable member of the apparatus may comprise a shutter-release button of said camera.

Preferably, said attachment means comprises a strap arranged to pass around a portion of said apparatus. One portion of said strap may be secured to another portion of said strap in order to enable the adaptor means to be attached to an apparatus and the regions of the portions of the strap which are secured together may be adjustable.

The fixed portion may threadably engage a cable control associated with the cable.

The invention also includes an apparatus provided with adaptor means substantially as herein described.

The cable may be arranged, in use to cooperate indirectly with a moveable member of an apparatus.

The fixed portion may comprise a housing arranged, in use, to surround a moveable member of an apparatus.

The extent of movement of the cable may be arranged, in use, to be restricted in one direction, by abutment of a point on the adaptor means with a point of an apparatus which does not move with a moveable member of the apparatus.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of enabling a mechanically actuatable apparatus to be operated from a region remote from the apparatus comprises detachably mounting a fixed portion of adaptor means in the region of a moveable member of the apparatus, and causing movement of a cable connected to the fixed portion relative to the fixed portion from a region remote from the apparatus such that the cable cooperates with and moves the moveable member of the apparatus to actuate the apparatus.

The method may comprise the cable indirectly cooperating with the fixed portion.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which Figure 1 shows a cross sectional view of a buttonactuator in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 shows a camera with the button-actuator of Figure 1 attached thereto.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, a button-actuator shown generally at 10 comprises an outer, cylindrical housing 11, a slidable peg 12, an inner, partly cylindrical support member 13 and part of a securing strap 14. A standard remote release cable, shown generally at 15, threadably engages an upper surface Ila of the cylindrical housing 11, such that when a plunger (not shown) of the cable 15 is depressed an inner, slidable core 15a of the cable 15 is able to penetrate a cavity 16 and contact an upper surface 12a of the peg 12.

Referring also now to Figure 2, in use, the buttonactuator 10 is attached to the body of a camera 17 by means of strap 14 such that the slidable peg 12 rests immediately above and in contact with the shutter release button 18 of the camera 17. The shutter release button 18 of the camera 17 is normally biased in a raised position (ie. not depressed). When the button-actuator is located immediately above the button 18 of camera 17, and the plunger (not shown) of the cable is not depressed, the peg 12 of the button-actuator 10 is held by the shutter release button 18 towards the top of the cavity 16 inside the cylindrical housing member 11 in such a way that a lower surface 12b of the peg 12 is flush with a lower surface 13a of the inner support member 13.

When it is desired to release the shutter of the camera, the photographer simply depresses the plunger (not shown) located at an end (not shown) of the cable 15 so that the inner core 15a of the cable 15 pushes down on the surface 12a of the peg 12 causing surface 12b of the peg 12 to act downwardly on the shutter release button 18 of the camera 17 to release the shutter (not shown).

The button-actuator 10 may be attached to most forms of camera using the strap 14 which is provided with a fastener, such as a Velcro fastener, and which is capable of securely engaging different types of camera body. The strap also enables the button actuator to be positioned over the shutter release button regardless of where the shutter release button is located on the camera body.

Usually the conventional cable 15 is provided with a latch mechanism enabling the user to latch the plunger (not shown) of the cable 15 in a depressed condition.

This is useful particularly in night photography when, if a long exposure time is required, the photographer can set the shutter-speed of the camera to a "B" setting and leave the camera with its shutter-release button depressed and therefore its aperture open, returning after a suitable period of time has elapsed to release the plunger of the cable-release 15 and therefore close the aperture of the camera.

In addition, the cable 15 is available in many sizes such that, if a particularly long cable-release 15 is used to operate the button actuator 10, the photographer may retire to a safe or hidden location, for example during the photography of wildlife.

The above described apparatus is particularly recommended when exposure times longer than 1/30 second are required, making it impractical to hold down the shutter release button with a finger.

Whilst the apparatus is described and illustrated in use with a mechanical cable release, it will be understood that the apparatus is readily adaptable for use with a pneumatic release or other remote control means.

Whilst the apparatus is described as for use with a still camera it will be understood that the apparatus is also capable of being used with a video camera.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims (18)

CLAINS

1. Adaptor means including attachment means arranged, in use, to detachably mount the adaptor means on a mechanically actuatable apparatus, the adaptor means including a fixed portion arranged, in use, to be located in the region of a movable member of a mechanically actuatable apparatus, the adaptor means including connection means connected to the fixed portion and extending to a region remote from the fixed portion, the connection means being arranged, in use, to cooperate with a moveable member of an apparatus whereby operation of the connection means from a region remote from the fixed portion is arranged to move a moveable member of an apparatus in the region of the fixed portion to actuate the apparatus.

2. Adaptor means according to claim 1 wherein said connection means comprises a cable connected to and moveable relative to said fixed portion.

3. Adaptor means according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said connection means comprises a pressure variation means.

4. Adaptor means according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein said connection means comprises a fluid pressure variation means.

5. Adaptor means according to any of the claims 1 to 4 arranged to be detachably mounted on a camera.

6. Adaptor means according to claim 5 wherein the moveable member of the apparatus comprises a shutterrelease button of said camera.

7. Adaptor means according to any of the claims 1 to 6 wherein said attachment means comprises a strap arranged to pass around a portion of said apparatus.

8. Adaptor means according to claim 7 wherein one portion of said strap is secured to another portion of said strap in order to enable the adaptor means to be attached to an apparatus.

9. Adaptor means according to claim 8 wherein regions of the portions of the strap which are secured together are adjustable.

10. Adaptor means according to any of claims 3 to 9 when dependant on claim 2 wherein the fixed portion threadably engages a cable control associated with the cable.

11. Adaptor means according to any of claims 3 to 10 when dependent on claim 2 wherein the cable is arranged in use to cooperate indirectly with a moveable member of an apparatus.

12. Adaptor means according to any of the claims 1 to 11 wherein the fixed portion comprises a housing arranged, in use, to surround a moveable member of an apparatus.

13. Adaptor means according to any of claims 3 to 12 when dependent on claim 2 wherein the extent of movement of the cable is arranged, in use, to be restricted in one direction, by abutment of a point on the adaptor means with a point of an apparatus which does not move with a moveable member of the apparatus.

14. Adaptor means substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15. Apparatus provided with adaptor means as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14.

16. A method of enabling a mechanically actuatable apparatus to be operated from a region remote from the apparatus comprising detachably mounting affixed portion of adaptor means in the region of a moveable member of the apparatus, and causing movement of a cable connected to the fixed portion relative to the fixed portion from a region remote from the apparatus such that the cable cooperates with and moves the moveable member of the apparatus to actuate the apparatus.

17. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 15 when used in a method as claimed in any of claims 16 to 18.

17. A method according to claim 16 comprising causing the cable to cooperate indirectly with the fixed portion.

18. A method substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.