Patent Publication Number: US-2006002703-A1

Title: Toy camera set

Description:
REFERENCE TO CROSS-RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims priority to provisional Application No. 60/585,034, filed on Jul. 1, 2004. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a toy camera set.  
      2. Prior Art  
      There have been marketed various toy optical products such as toy microscopes and toy binoculars. To date there has not been a product that would allow a user to take a picture of the object being viewed through a toy microscope or a toy binocular or similar toy optical viewing device. It would be desirable to provide a product that would allow the user to take a picture of what is being viewed through, for example a toy microscope, so that the user can capture and review the object. It would be desirable if such a product were relatively inexpensive to produce and easy to use. It would be further desirable, as an educational activity system, for the iamging device to be readily adaptable to accept multiple special imaging components such as a telescope, or microscope or periscope.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A toy camera set that includes a camera and a toy optical accessory that can be attached to the camera.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a toy camera set;  
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a camera attached to a toy microscope of the set;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the camera attached to a toy binocular of the set;  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the camera attached to a periscope of the set;  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the camera attached to an underwater periscope of the set; and,  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the camera being attached a toy accessory.  
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment for attaching the camera to an accessory.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Disclosed is a toy camera set. The camera set includes a camera that can be attached to a variety of different toy optical accessories. By way of example, the toy optical accessories may include a toy microscope, a toy periscope, or a toy binocular. The camera can be used to take a picture through the microscope, etc. The camera can be attached to one accessory and then attached to another accessory so that a single camera can be used with a number of toy optical devices.  
      Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numbers,  FIG. 1  shows a toy camera set  10 . The camera set  10  contains a camera  12  and a plurality of toy optical accessories  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20 . The toy optical accessories may include a toy microscope  14  that contains lenses and mirrors (not shown) that can magnify something located in the object field of the microscope  14 . The camera  12  can be attached to the image field of the microscope  14  as shown in  FIG. 2 . The user can take a picture of a specimen with the camera  12 . The housing of the toy microscope  14  is preferably constructed from a relatively lightweight and inexpensive plastic material, such as high impact styrene or abs plastic.  
      The camera  12  can be attached to a toy binocular  16  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The toy binocular  16  contains lenses, etc. used to magnify distant images. The housing of the toy binocular  16  is preferably constructed from a relatively lightweight and inexpensive plastic material. The camera  12  can be used to take pictures through the binoculars  16 . The binoculars  16  can act as a lens for the camera  12 .  
      The camera  12  may also be attached to a periscope  18 , or an underwater periscope  20 , as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , respectively. The periscopes  18  and  20  may contain lenses and mirrors enclosed by a plastic housing. The camera  12  can be used to take pictures thru the periscopes  18  and  20 .  
      Key to the compatibility between the camera  12  and its accessories  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20 , is a coordinated attachment means to allow the child to easily attach and detach the accessories from the camera. As shown in  FIG. 6  the camera  12  may have a pair of slots  22  that receives corresponding snap-on hooks  24  that extend from each toy accessory  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20 . The slots  22  and hooks  24  allow the camera  12  to be easily attached and detached from each accessory  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20  without the use of any tools such as a screwdriver, etc., while assuring the necessary proper alignment between the camera  12  and said accessories.  
      The camera  12  is preferably of the digital type with a digital image sensor  26 . Digital cameras typically have a connector  28  that can be connected to a personal computer or other such device so that the captured images can be downloaded to the computer. By way of example, the connector  28  may be of the USB type. The camera  12  may also have a detachable memory card (not shown) that can be plugged into a computer, etc. Digital cameras  12  have screens that allow the user to view the image that can be captured. Thus when the camera is attached to an optical accessory  14 ,  16 ,  18  and  20 , the user can see the image viewed thru the accessory.  
      The camera  12  can be attached to a toy tripod  30 . The toy tripod  30  may be three separate legs that are attached to the bottom of the camera  12 . Alternatively, the tripod feature may be integral to the bottom of the camera  12 , and thus non-removable from the camera  12 .  
       FIG. 7  is an alternate embodiment of a camera set that utilizes clips  32  and  34  to attach the camera  12  to an accessory  14 ,  16 ,  18 , or  20 . The clips  32  and  34  can be snapped together and subsequently pulled apart to attach and detach the camera  12 . Although hooks  24  and clips  34  have been shown and described, it is to be understood that other attachment means such as magnets, buttons, VELCRO, etc. may be employed.  
      While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications may occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art.