Buckle for a water-proof camera

A buckle device for a water-proof camera is disclosed, including a buckle arm pivotally mounted at its one end to the camera housing, and a buckle body whose one end is pivotally mounted on the free end of the arm and whose opposite end has a bent-over lug from a pin on the back lid of the camera. The buckle arm has a spring-biased buckle lock member arranged to engage in a recess provided in the camera housing. By slidingly moving the buckle lock member against the bias spring, the buckle arm is released from the connection with the recess. In this releasing position, the buckle lock member then functions as a handle for taking the lug from engagement with the back lid of the camera housing. Therefore, the back lid is surely prevented from opening by accident.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a buckle device, and more particularly to a 
buckle device for a water-proof camera of the type in which a hinge type 
back lid is opened when a film is loaded and is closed after the film has 
been loaded. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
It is known in the art to provide a technique of locking the back lid of 
the water-proof camera by a buckle device in Japanese Laid-Open Utility 
Model application No. SHO 58-98628. In this prior art example, because the 
lock member and the handle of the buckle take a separate form from each 
other, there was a problem that if the user overlooks to set the lock 
member and unintentionally touches the handle under water, the back lid 
will be caused to open. 
Also, even with the lock member set on, because the handle is very easily 
accessible to the user's finder, when a strong force is carelessly applied 
thereto, the buckle device will be damaged with an appreciable 
possibility. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to eliminate the 
above-described problem of the prior art device, and to provide a buckle 
device for a water-proof camera which is easy to handle when the back lid 
of the camera is opened and closed, while still assuring that its locking 
is not accidentally taken off. 
In one embodiment of the invention, the buckle device comprises a body 
pivotally supported at its one side on an arm which is pivotally mounted 
on the camera housing and having a bent-over lug at the opposite side 
thereof and a lock member arranged on the arm to slidingly move by the 
action of a bias spring to engage a receptor provided in the camera 
housing. When the lock member is moved against the force of the bias 
spring to disengage from the receptor, the arm is released from the 
locking connection with the camera housing. In this releasing position, 
the lock member turns to a handle for taking the lug out of engagement 
with the back lid of the camera. The use of such a buckle device provides 
assuarance that the back lid of the camera is not accidentally opened.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
In FIGS. 1 to 11 there is shown one embodiment of the invention where a 
buckle 1 is held on the inner surface of a buckle body 2 of letter "U" 
shape pivotally mounted on a shaft 9 which is fixedly secured to the free 
end of a buckle arm 3 of letter "U" shape about a pivot 10 in one of the 
rear corners of the camera housing 15. Between the arm 3 and a spring 
abutment 4 fixedly secured to the arm 3 by screw fasteners there is a 
buckle lock member 5 having a knurled area 5a in the outer surface thereof 
slidingly movable along the side panel of the camera housing 15. Springs 
11 and 12 in respective spaces between the abutment 4 and the lock member 
5 urge a hooked portion 5b of the lock member 5 at the inner front end to 
engage with a receptor 15a in the front corner of the camera housing 15. 
In this engaging position, the hooked portion 5b is conformed to the outer 
shape of the receptor 15a. 
The buckle 1 has a bent over lug 1a formed in the free end thereof. The 
outer surface of the lug 1a is covered by an elastic member 8 and is 
engageable with a rod 18a in the free end of a back lid 18 of the camera 
housing 15. The buckle 1 is slidably mounted between the body 2 and a pair 
of spring abutments 6 and 7 fixedly secured to the body 2 by screw 
fasteners. Springs 13 and 14 in recesses of the abutments 6 and 7 
respectively urge the buckle 1 to pull in the rod 18a of the back lid 18 
in engagement with the bent over lug 1a. A pair of protuberances 2a are 
formed on the outer surface of the body 2 to engage a rear edge 5c of the 
lock member 5 when the back lid 18 is opened as released from the locking 
connection with the member 5. 
A packing 17 is fixedly secured to the rear wall of the side panels of the 
camera housing 15 and cooperates with a back cover 16 so that when the 
back lid 18 is closed, a rib formed on the front wall of the back lid 18 
is pressed against the packing 17 to watertightly shield the interior of 
the camera. 
The operation of the buckle device of such construction is as follows. The 
water-proof camera with its back lid 18 in the locked position by the 
buckle device first assumes the position illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4, 8 and 
11. 
To load the camera with film, for opening the back lid 18, the operator 
puts his finger on the knurled area 5a of the lock member 5 and then 
slides it forward or to the left as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 9 against the 
bias force of the springs 11 and 12, thereby the hook 5b is disengaged 
from the receptor 15a. And, it is in this position that the front side 
edge of the lock member 5 protrudes outwardly of the front panel of the 
camera housing 15. Then, the operator can put another finger on the back 
surface of the lock member 5 and move it away from the camera housing with 
ease. This causes counterclockwise movement of the lock member 5 along 
with the arm 3 and spring abutment 4 about the shaft 9 as shown in FIG. 6. 
During this movement, until a certain angle of rotation, the distance 
between the shaft 9 and the rod 18a is gradually shortening as the angle 
of rotation of the lock member 5 increases. Therefore, the buckle 1 and 
body 2 are pushed rearward (to the right) as shown in FIG. 7, thereby the 
lug 1a is taken out of engagement with the rod 18a. The buckle cover 8, 
because of its having an elastic property, is also bent as shown in the 
figure. And, in this completely disengaged position, the back lid 18 can 
be opened as it turns about its pivot on the camera housing 15. 
Meanwhile, the lock member 5 in the outwardly turned position tends to 
slide backward by the action of the bias springs 11 and 12, but, as shown 
in FIG. 10, its rear side edge 5c is barred by the protuberances 2a. 
Therefore, when the back lid 18 is released from the locking connection, 
the buckle body retains itself in the retracted position from the camera 
housing. 
After the film has been loaded, the operator then needs to set the buckle 
device on the closed back lid 18. To do this, he first brings the lug 1a 
into engagement with the rod 18a, thereby the protuberances 2a are moved 
away from the lock member 5 to allow for movement of the body 2 toward the 
camera housing 15. He then pushes the arm 3 toward the camera housing by 
his finger. During this time, the tapered surface of the hook 5b slidingly 
moves along the "R" surface of the receptor 15a while the lock member 5 is 
once slightly moved forward. The lock member 5 is then moved backward by 
the action of the springs 11 and 12, thereby the hook 5b is engaged in the 
receptor 15a. Thus, the buckle device is set on, taking the position of 
FIGS. 1, 4, 8 and 11. 
Though, in the first embodiment described above, the buckle 1 is provided 
with the elastic cover 8, this cover 8 is not necessarily used as shown in 
a second embodiment of FIGS. 12 and 13. 
According to the present invention, as has been described above, when the 
lock member for the back lid of the camera housing is moved to finish its 
locking function, it turns to a handle for taking off the buckle out of 
the back lid. When the buckle device is set on, this handle is snugly 
received in the side panel of the camera housing as shown in FIG. 11, 
thereby giving an advantage that when in use, the water-proof camera can 
be treated in any way without having to take care of accidental opening of 
the back lid. Another advantage is that one touch of operation suffices 
for either of the removing and setting of the buckle device when the back 
lid is to be opened or after it has been closed.