Patent ID: 7250603

Claim:
A portable, thermal imaging camera, comprising: (a) a housing having a front surface having a lens, a rear surface having a display, a pair of side surfaces between the front surface and the rear surface, and a bottom surface; (b) a grid having an array of heat sensors, said grid located within in the housing, the heat sensors each generating a signal that is proportional to the heat sensed, wherein the lens focuses infrared radiation on the grid; (c) the display connected to the grid, for displaying a real-time image of the heat sensed by each of the heat sensors on the grid to form an image of the heat sensed by the grid; (d) a handle extending from the bottom surface of the housing, comprising: (i) a longitudinal axis; (ii) a first end attached to the housing, said first end having at least one bumper extending perpendicularly outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the handle to a point beyond the side surface of the housing, (iii) a second end having at least one bumper thereon, extending perpendicularly outwardly from the longitudinal axis of the handle to a point generally the same perpendicular distance from the longitudinal axis as that of the bumper on the first end of the handle; whereby, crawling by a user holding the camera by its handle using a hand is facilitated where the user's hand is supported off of a floor upon which the user is crawling and protects the TIC from shock and vibration.