Patent Publication Number: US-2006001767-A1

Title: Enhanced structure of a photo light box

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention relates to a photo light box, and more particularly, to an enhanced structure of a photo light box.  
      2. Description of the Prior Art  
      The skill to take a clear and accurate picture is very important for completely presenting merchandise or goods to the consumers. When taking pictures indoors, the pictures may be not good enough since the unnecessary miscellaneous objects and the disorderly light. Hence, the photo light box is popular among the factories because that the photo light box can be used to take a wonderful merchandise picture and bring a business.  
      In general, the light box is not integrated with an image capture apparatus, and is not using the signal cable sockets or a hole opening on light box to connect with computer in order to control the lighting and the image capture apparatus. In addition, the conventional photo light box can be only placed the digital cameras of same type, and cannot be applied to different types. By the way, the digital camera must be equipped on the fixing stand at a fixing position or be moved only on the frame and upon the photo light box. The conventional photo light box can only be applied to the photograph of commerce purpose.  
      Hence, the present invention discloses an enhanced structure of the photo light box to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to provide an enhanced structure of a photo light box that the power cable and the signal cable can be orderly arranged in the light box body with the internal power socket and the internal signal socket to prevent the signal decay due to the sharing of hub by control apparatus and the image capture apparatus, and the problem of failing to turn on the light and find the image capture apparatus is avoided.  
      It is therefore another objective of the claimed invention to provide an enhanced structure of a photo light box that utilizes a movable or rotatable fixing base to fix the lens, and the image capture apparatus of different types can be all equipped on the photo light box and using the same photo light box.  
      It is therefore a further objective of the claimed invention to provide an enhanced structure of a photo light box that the power and signal cables of the image capture apparatus can be directly plugged into the internal power and signal sockets in the placing space without connecting the external power socket and the computer. And even the signal cable of the image capture apparatus can indirect connect with the computer through the signal socket, or direct connect with the computer through the hole that is on the light box.  
      It is therefore a further objective of the claimed invention to provide an enhanced structure of a photo light box that the image capture apparatus can be inlaid into the placing gateway of the placing space, and the image capture apparatus need not be fixed on the fixing stand at a fixing position and need not be equipped on the frame upon the photo light box to take pictures.  
      It is therefore a further objective of the claimed invention to provide an enhanced structure of a photo light box with multiple purposes that can equip the light source at bottom of the light box body and place the X-ray film at bottom of the light box body, and the x-ray film can be shot to produce a digital image with the image capture apparatus.  
      For achieving the intention, the present invention discloses an enhanced structure of a photo light box including a light box body having a placing space in which formed a placing gateway. A power socket and at least one signal sockets are formed on surface of the light box body for separately connecting an external power socket and a computer. An opening is formed on the light box body for placing a photo object, and a lens of an image capture apparatus is inlaid in the placing gateway. The image capture apparatus includes a power cable and a signal cable, and the lens of the image capture apparatus is aimed at internal of the light box body for shooting the photo object and producing an image. The power cable and the signal cable provide the image capture apparatus with power and control signals and transmit the image to the computer. In addition, an internal power socket is designed in the light box body and in the placing space for providing the power cable of the image capture apparatus to connect to, and a light source is located in the light box body for providing the image capture apparatus with light while shooting the photo object.  
      These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of the appearance of a photo light box according to the present invention  
       FIG. 2  is a top view of the photo light box according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of an indent formed in the placing space according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a concentric circles pattern on the cushion.  
       FIG. 5  is a partially side view of a sliding track formed in the light box body according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of a movement status of the movable chuck according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram of another movement status of the movable chuck according to the present invention.  
       FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram of another movement status of the movable chuck according to the present invention.  
                                                       20   photo light box           202   light box body           204   placing space           206   placing gateway           207   indent           208   power socket           210   signal socket           212   external power socket           214   computer           216   image capture apparatus           218   power cable           220   signal cable           222   internal power socket           224   internal signal socket           225   control cable           226   light source           228   control apparatus           229   control signal cable           230, 232, 234   power cable           235   sliding track           236-254   movable chuck           237   cushion           239   concentric circles pattern                        
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      The present invention discloses an enhanced structure of a photo light box.  FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of the appearance of a photo light box according to the present invention, and  FIG. 2  is a top view of the photo light box. The photo light box  20  includes a light box body  202  having a placing space  204 , and the placing space  204  is formed a placing gateway  206 . Or as  FIG. 3  shows, an indent  207  is formed in the placing space  204 , and the placing gateway  206  is formed in the indent  207 . A power socket  208  and at least one signal sockets  210  or a hole are formed on surface of the light box body  202 . The power socket  208  and the signal socket  210  separately connect an external power socket  212  and a computer  214 , and an opening is formed on the light box body  202  for placing a photo object (not shown). An image capture apparatus  216 , such as a digital camera or a video camera, is placed at top or inlaid at bottom of the placing gateway  206 . A lens of the image capture apparatus  216  is aimed at internal of the light box body  202  for shooting the photo object and producing an image, and the image capture apparatus  216  includes a power cable  218  and a signal cable  220 . The power cable  218  and the signal cable  220  provide the image capture apparatus  216  with power and control signals and transmit the image of the photo object, and are connected to an internal power socket  222  and an internal signal socket  224 . The internal signal socket  224  is connected to the signal socket  210  via the signal cable  225 , and the internal signal socket  224  can be also omitted instead of a hole on the light box body  202 . The signal cable  220  can be connected to the computer  214  via the hole. A light source  226  and a control apparatus  228 , such as a control card, are designed in the light box body  202  for providing the image capture apparatus  216  with light while shooting the photo object. The control apparatus  228  is connected to the internal power socket  222 , the power socket  208  and the light source  226  via the power cables  230 ,  232 , and  234 , and a control signal cable  229  is connected to the signal socket  210 . The signal cables  220 ,  225  and the control signal cable  229  can be universal serial bus (USB) RS232, or IEEE1394.  
      Wherein, the light source  226  can be formed on bottom of the light box body  202 , and the X-ray film can be placed onto bottom of the light box body  202  and be photographed with the light source  226  and the image capture apparatus  216  to produce the digital images. The digital images can be transmitted to the computer  214  for medical purposes, and the digitalized X-ray films can be preserve longer.  
      A cover (not shown) further covers the placing space  204 , and size of the cover is equal to or smaller than the placing space  204  for making the placing space  204  as an enclosure or exposing portion of the placing space  204 . Or a hollow cover (not shown) can be also used on the light box body  202  to form the placing space  204 , or a shade (not shown) is used to cover the opening for preventing light leakage.  
      In addition, a strap across the placing space  204  is designed on the light box body  202  or in the placing space  204  for fixing the image capture apparatus  216  with binding or buckling way when inlaid at the placing gateway  206 . Several cushions  234  with cushion effect, such as the foamed plastic, can be further formed in the placing space  204 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , these cushions  237  are marked a concentric circles pattern  239  in advance for holing in accordance with size of the lens of the image capture apparatus  216 . The lens is inlaid at the hole and passes through the placing gateway  206 , and the hole can be formed in advance or in accordance with size of the lens. When the image capture apparatus  216  is inlaid at the placing gateway  206 , the lens can be fixed. As shown in  FIG. 5 , a sliding track  235  is formed in the light box body  202 , and the image capture apparatus  216  can slide to a fixed height along the sliding track  235  to perform a side shooting of the photo object in the light box body.  
      For applying the photo light box  20  to the image capture apparatus  216  of different types, a fixing base, which can be moved or rotated, is formed in the placing space  204  for fixing the lens. When the fixing bases are close, the lens with different sizes can be all fixed in them. With fixing the lens, the image capture apparatus  216  can be also fixed. So the fixing bases are suitable for the image capture apparatus  216  of different types. Please refer to  FIG. 6 , the fixing base is movable, and two movable chucks  236 ,  238  are used to fix the lens. The movable chucks  236 ,  238  can be moved laterally or lengthwisely to approach the placing gateway  206 . Or as shown in  FIG. 7 , the fixing base can be composed of four movable chucks  240 ,  242 ,  244  and  246 . These four movable chucks  240 ,  242 ,  244  and  246  are radially moved to approach the placing gateway  206 . Or as shown in  FIG. 8 , the movable chucks  248 ,  250 ,  252  and  254  are rotatively moved to approach the placing gateway  206  to fix the lens.  
      Since type of the image capture apparatus is various and changes rapidly, the present invention makes different image capture apparatus can all use a same photo light box, and integrates the photo light box and the image capture apparatus to popularize the high quality images. At least one signal sockets or a hole dedicated to connect the signal cable of the image capture apparatus to the computer, so that the signal decay can be prevented and the problem of failing to turn on the light and find the image capture apparatus is avoided. The internal power is designed in the placing space, so that image capture apparatus of different types can use the power and the signal cable can through the internal signal socket indirectly connecting to the computer, or instead with a hole allowing the signal cable direct connected to the computer. The lens of the image capture apparatus can be placed through the placing gateway without using the fixing stand or frame to fix the image capture apparatus, and is suitable for the image capture apparatus of different types with using the movable or rotatable fixing base. The light source is designed on bottom of the light box body, and the X-ray films are photographed with the image capture apparatus, so that the digitalized X-ray films can be preserved long and can be checked convenient.  
      Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.