Submersible camera housing and operating mechanism therefor

Claim 1

A camera housing comprising: means forming a sealed chamber and adapted to receive a battery operated camera therein, the camera having at least one battery terminal adapted to be electrically connected to a battery; switching means inside said chamber in non-penetrating relationship with said housing and adapted to be connected in the electrical operating circuit of the camera for selectively opening and closing the electrical circuit of said camera to thereby selectively operate said camera, said switching means comprising: isolating means directly connectable in the electrical operating circuit of the camera between the battery and said at least one battery terminal; and a magnetically operated switch mounted on a wall of said chamber and coupled to said isolating means via flexible lead wires for selectively shorting out said isolating means to close the electrical circuit of said camera; and magnetic means located outside of said chamber and adapted to be located in selective magnetic communication with said magnetically operated switch, without physically penetrating through said chamber, to close said magnetically operated switch and short out said isolating means, thereby operating said camera, said magnetic means comprising: a trigger member carring a permanent magnet adjacent an outer surface of said chamber, said trigger member being selectively operable to slide said permanent magnet along Said outer surface of said chamber between a first ''''inoperative'''' position spaced in the direction of sliding movement thereof out of magnetic communication with said magnetically operated switch and a second ''''operative'''' position wherein said permanent magnet is located opposite from and in registration with said magnetically operated switch with a wall of said chamber interposed therebetween so as to be in magnetic communication with said magnetically operated switch to thereby close said magnetically operated switch; and means biasing said trigger member toward said second ''''inoperative'''' position of said permanent magnet.