Patent ID: 8493507
Filing Date: 2013-07-23
Classification: G03B

Abstract:
1. A glare blocking viewfinder device adapted to be detachably mounted on a monitor screen of a camera, said monitor screen being substantially flat and rectangular and having predetermined width and height dimensions, said device including: a collapsible shadow box with an open attachment end and an open viewing end with predetermined width, height, and depth dimensions defined by four rectangular sides and each of the sides being joined by living hinges along longitudinal edges of each pair of adjacent walls and further defining a left and a right side and an upper and a lower side to form the shadow box, a substantially flat, thin, rectangular lens hingedly mounted by a living hinge at the viewing end to one of the upper or lower sides of the shadow box and an attachment mechanism mounted by a living hinge at the attachment end that is adapted to attach the device to the side mounted monitor screen to substantially cover the viewing end with the screen and enable a user to observe an image-bearing surface of the screen by looking at the image-bearing surface though the lens when said lens covers the viewing end, said lens having a predetermined focal length and a generally rectangular configuration having width and height dimensions substantially the same as said predetermined width and height dimensions of the screen, said shadow box having a closed condition by rotation of the hinges that attach the sides of the shadow box and an open condition providing a shadow structure having width and height dimensions substantially the same as the width and height dimensions of the monitor screen and a depth that is substantially equal to the predetermined focal length of the lens, said device having a folded, substantially planar state in which the shadow box is in the closed condition and the lens is folded to abut a surface of the closed shadow box and an unfolded state when the shadow box is open and the attachment mechanisms holds the open shadow box on the monitor screen, providing a substantially rigid structure with the lens positioned to substantially cover the open viewing end to form a viewfinder substantially at the user's eye level.