Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
IN COMBINATION, A BACKSTRAP AND A CAMERA
CARRYING DEVICE COUPLED THERETO
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a camera carrying device and, in
particular, to a
device for rotatably mounting a camera on a person.
100021 Camera carrying devices are well known, the simplest being a strap,
secured to a
camera, which allows a person to carry the camera around their neck or
shoulder. However,
the strap allows the camera to swing freely about the person. The camera may
therefore
become damaged upon impact with the person or another object. The strap may
also become
entangled with either the camera, the person, or another object and
consequently interfere
with the person's ability to take a picture. To overcome the above-mentioned
shortcomings
numerous body-mounted camera cases have been developed. Carrying a camera
disposed
within a body-mounted camera case removes the need to have a strap secured to
the camera.
Examples of body-mounted camera cases can be found at www.lowepro.00m which is
operated, at least in part, by Lowepro USA of Suite 200 - 1003 Gravenstein
Highway North,
Sebastopol, California, 95472. However, body-mounted camera cases are also
limiting. The
time required to remove the camera from within the case may prevent a person
from taking
a desired picture, particularly, in situations where the scene is fluid.
100031 United States Patent Number 5,375,749 to Oliva discloses a multi-
purpose holster
apparatus that may be used to carry a camera, and which offers an alternative
to traditional
camera straps and cases. The holster apparatus disclosed by Oliva comprises a
frame (20) that
is received on a belt or a waistband. A sleeve (24) is integrally formed with
and protrudes
from the frame (20). The sleeve (24) is designed for releasable engagement
with an
interlocking plate (36). The interlocking plate (36) supports threaded bolt
(31) which is
designed to fit into a threaded female tripod receiver of a camera.
Accordingly, the holster
apparatus disclosed by Oliva may be used to carry a camera on the waist.
However, it is
30. awkward for a person to carry a larger camera, similar to the type used
by a professional
1
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-02-10
CA 02930007 2016-05-16
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apparatus disclosed by Oliva may be used to carry a camera on the waist.
However, it is
awkward for a person to carry a larger camera, similar to the type used by a
professional
photographer, on thier waist. Furthermore, it is difficult for a person to
operate certain
features of a camera since the camera is neither rotatable nor at chest level.
[004] There is therefore a need for an improved camera carrying device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a device for
rotatably mounting a
camera on a person and, in particular, on a person's chest.
[006] According to one embodiment there is provided a device for rotatably
mounting a
camera on a person. The device comprises first and second connecting means.
The first
connecting means has a U-shaped slot which is defined by a curved pocket and a
pair of
opposed channels which extend from the pocket. The second connecting means has
a
circular plate which is slidably received by the U-shaped slot. The circular
plate is
rotatable within the U-shaped slot. A threaded member extends from one of said
first
connecting means or said second connecting means. The threaded member is for
engaging
a threaded female tripod receiver of the camera. A strap assembly is connected
to another
one of said first connecting means or said second connecting means. The strap
assembly is
for mounting the device on the person.
[007] According to another embodiment there is provided a device for rotatably
mounting
a camera on a person. The device comprises first and second connecting means.
The first
connecting means has a U-shaped slot which is defined by a pocket and a pair
of opposed
channels which extend from the pocket. The second connecting means has a plate
and a
truncated cylindrical body mounted on the plate. The plate is slidably
received by the U-
shaped slot and is rotatable within the U-shaped slot. The truncated
cylindrical body is
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provided with a flat edge. A threaded member extends from one of said first
connecting
means or said second connecting means. The threaded member is for engaging a
threaded
female tripod receiver of the camera. The plate of the second connecting means
can only
be received or released from the U-shaped slot of first connecting means when
the flat edge
to the truncated cylindrical body of the second connecting means is aligned
with one of
said opposed channels of the first connecting means. Preferably one of said
first connecting
means or said second connecting means is secured to a backpack strap.
[008] The device disclosed herein provides the advantage of allowing a person
to
comfortably carry an easily retrievable camera. The device also provides the
advantage of
allowing a person to operate various features of the camera while carrying the
camera in a
hands-free manner. For example, the device allows for the changing of
telescopic lens and
the viewing of a rear screen of a digital camera.
Furthermore, the device may be provided with a locking mechanism which
prevents the
carried camera from becoming accidentally decoupled from the device
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[009] Referring to the drawings:
[0010] Figure 1 is a side perspective view showing a camera rotatably mounted
on a
person, by a device according to an embodiment of the invention, wherein the
camera is in
a first position;
[0011] Figure 2 is a side perspective view showing a camera rotatably mounted
on a
person wherein the camera is in an intermediate position;
[0012] Figure 3 is a side perspective view showing a camera rotatably mounted
on a person
wherein the camera is in a second position;
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[0013] Figure 4 is a front perspective showing view a device used to rotatably
mount a
camera on a person wherein the device is secured to the person by a strap
assembly;
[0014] Figure 5 is a front perspective view showing a device used to rotatably
mount a
camera on a person wherein the device is integrated into a backpack strap;
[0015] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a female connector of the device
of Figure
4;
.. [0016] Figure 7 is a front elevation view of the female connector of Figure
6;
[0017] Figure 8 is an elevation, cross-sectional view taken down line A-A of
Figure 7;
[0018] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing a male connector of the device
of Figure 4;
[0019] Figure 10 is a side elevation view of the male connector of Figure 8;
[0020] Figure 11 is an exploded view showing the female connector of Figure 6
and the
male connector of Figure 9;
[0021] Figure 12 is a perspective, partially in section, view showing the
female connector
of Figure 6 and the male connector of Figure 9;
[0022] Figure 13 is a front elevation view of another embodiment of the female
connector
of the device of Figure 4;
[0023] Figure 14 is an elevation, cross-sectional view taken down line B-B of
Figure 13;
[0024] Figure 15 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the male
connector of
the device of Figure 4;
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[0025] Figure 16 is a side elevation view of the male connector of Figure 15;
[0026] Figure 17 is an exploded view showing the female connector of Figure 13
and the
male connector of the Figure 15;
[0027] Figure 18 is a perspective, partially in section, view showing the
female connector
of Figure 13 and the male connector of the Figure 15 in a releasable position;
[0028] Figure 19 is a perspective, partially in section, view showing the
female connector
of Figure 13 and the male connector of the Figure 15 in a locked position;
[0029] Figure 20 is a perspective view, partially in section, showing the male
connector
of Figure 9 engaged with a threaded female tripod receiver of a camera; and
[0030] Figure 21 is a side perspective view showing a camera rotatably mounted
on a
person wherein the camera is covered by a tarp.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0031] Referring to the drawings, and first to Figures 1 to 3, a person 10 is
shown wearing
a device 12 with a camera 14 rotatably secured thereon. Figure 1 shows the
camera 14 in a
first position. In the first position, the camera 14 faces downwardly,
allowing the person
10 to view digital photographs, or video, on a screen 16 disposed on a back of
the camera
14. Figure 3 shows the camera 14 in a second position. In the second position,
the camera
14 faces upwardly, allowing the person 10 to change a lens 17 disposed on a
front of the
camera 14. The second position is particularly useful for professional
photographers who
are often required to change lenses. Figure 2 shows the camera 14 in an
intermediate
position as it is rotated between the first and second positions. It will be
understood by a
person skilled in the art that the terms "downwardly" and "upwardly" are used
solely in
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relation to the position of the camera 14 as shown in Figures 1 and 3
respectively. It will
further be understood by a person skilled in the art that although the device
12 disclosed
herein is particularly useful for carrying a digital camera, other forms of
equipment may
be carried using the device 12.
[0032] Referring now to Figure 4, the person 10 is shown wearing the device 12
without
the camera 14 secured thereto. The device 12 comprises a first connecting
means, in the
form of a female connector 18, which is mounted on the person's chest. In this
example,
the female connector 18 is disposed within a fabric jacket 20 although this is
not a
requirement. The female connector 18 and the fabric jacket 20 are mounted on
the person
10 using a strap assembly 22. The strap assembly 22 comprises securing and
adjusting
means for securing and adjusting straps 24, 26, 28, and 29 about the person.
In this
example, the securing and adjusting means comprise buckles 30 and 31 and
tension straps
32 and 34. However, any suitable form of fastener may be used. Means for
allowing
additional equipment to be connected to the device 12, for example a tension
strap 36 as
shown in Figure 4, may also be provided on either the fabric jacket 20 or any
one of the
straps 24, 26, 28, and 29. Figure 21 shows a tarp 13 attached to the fabric
jacket 20. The
tarp 13 may be used to cover the camera 14 to protect it from rain, snow, or
other elements.
[0033] As shown in Figure 5, the device 12 may alternatively be secured to a
backpack
strap 62. The device 12 may be integrated into the backpack strap 62 during
the
manufacturing of the backpack (not shown) or the device 12 may be secured to
and released
from the backpack strap 62 as an independent accessory. Preferably, the device
12 is also
secured to a secondary strap 63 of the backpack. This helps ensure that the
device is
maintained in a desired position as the person 10 moves.
[0034] The female connector 18, which is shown in greater detail in Figures 6
to 8, includes
a plate 38 and a hollow U-shaped protrusion 40. The U-shaped protrusion is
integrally
formed with and protrudes from the plate 38. In this example, the plate 38 is
generally
rectangular and has apertures 19, 21, 23, and 25 near each corner thereof. The
apertures
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19, 21, 23, and 25 provide means to connect the female connector 18 to the
fabric jacket
20. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the apertures 19, 21, 23, and 25 may
be used to
connect the female connector 18 directly to the strap assembly 22.
[0035] As best shown in Figure 6, the plate 38 and the U-shaped protrusion 40
define a
generally curved pocket 42 and a pair of opposed channels 44 and 46 which
extend from
the pocket 42. The pocket 42 and the channels 44 and 46 define a U-shaped
receptacle, or
U-shaped slot 49, which may slidably receive a plate through an opening 47
disposed
between the channels 44 and 46. There is a lip 43 at a mouth 45 of the pocket
42.
[0036] Referring now to Figures 9 and 10, a second connecting means of the
device 12, in
the form male connecter 48, is shown in greater detail. The male connector 48
includes a
pair of circular plates 50 and 52 which are spaced-apart by a cylindrical body
54. The
cylindrical body 54 has a smaller diameter than the plates 50 and 52, and
defines an annular
recess 56 between the plates 50 and 52. In this example, the plates 50 and 52
differ in
diameter although this is not a requirement. A threaded member 58 extends
outwardly from
the male connector 48. The threaded member 58 is designed to engage a threaded
female
tripod receiver 15 of the camera 14 as best shown in Figure 20. The plates 50
and 52 may
also be grooved (not shown) along their circumferences to assist a person in
gripping the
male connector 48 when screwing the threaded member 58 into the female tripod
receiver
15 of the camera 14.
[0037] As best shown in Figures 11 and 12, the U-shape of the slot 49 of the
female
connector 18 and the generally annular shape of the male connector 48 allow
the male
connector 48 to be rotatably received by the female connector 18. Referring to
Figure 11,
in particular, a first one of the plates 52 of the male connector 48 is
slidably received by
the U-shaped slot 49 of the female connector 18. Said first one of the plates
52 is received
though the opening 47 between the channels 44 and 46 as indicated by broken
lines 100
and 102. As best shown in Figure 12, when said first one of the plates 52 of
the male
connector 48 is received by the U-shaped slot 49 of the female connector 18,
the cylindrical
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block 54 of the male connector 48 rests on the lip 43 of the pocket 42, which
is shown in
Figure 6, of the female connector 18. The annular recess 56 of the male
connector 18
engages the lip 43 of the pocket 42 of the female connector 18. Accordingly,
the plates 50
and 52 of male connector 40 are on opposite sides of the U-shaped slot 49 of
the female
connector 18. This prevents accidental decoupling of the male connector 48 and
the female
connector 18 while still allowing the male connector 48 to rotated bi-
directionally relative
to the female connector 18 as indicated generally by arrows 104 and 106.
[0038] In operation, the threaded member 58 of the male connector 48 is
engaged with the
threaded female tripod receiver 15 of the camera 14 as shown in Figure 20. The
male
connector 48 can then be coupled, as described above, to the female connector
18 which is
mounted on the person 10 by the strap assembly 22 as shown in Figure 3. This
allows the
person 10 to carry the camera 14 in a hands-free manner, at chest level, as
shown in Figures
1 to 3. The camera 14 can be rapidly and easily removed from the device 12
because the
male connector 48 is simply slidably received by the female connector 18.
Furthermore,
because the male connector 48 is rotatably coupled to the female connector 18,
the carried
camera 14 can be rotated between the first position shown in Figure 1 and the
second
position shown in Figure 3. This provides the advantage of allowing the person
10 to view
digital photographs, or video, on the camera screen 16 disposed on the carried
camera 14
and change the lens 18 of the carried camera 14.
[0039] Referring now to Figures 13 and 14 another embodiment of the female
connector
18.1 is shown. In Figures 13 and 14 like parts have been given like reference
numerals as
in Figures 7 and 8 with the additional numerical designation ".1". The U-
shaped protrusion
40.1 of the female connector 18.1 has a bulb shaped opening defined by an
elongate portion
64 and circular portion 66. Figures 15 and 16 show an embodiment of the male
connector
48.1 which is used with the female connector 18.1 shown in Figures 13 and 14.
In Figures
15 and 16 like parts have been given like reference numerals as in Figures 9
and 10 with
the additional numerical designation ".1". A truncated cylindrical body 67 of
the male
connector 48.1 has a pair of opposite flat edges 68 and 69. Only a first one
the flats edge
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68 is shown in Figures 15 to 17 with both flat edges 68 and 69 being shown in
Figures 18
and 19. In Figures 17 to 19 like parts have been given like reference numerals
as in Figures
11 and 12 with the additional numerical designation ".1".
[0040] Referring now to Figure 17, the male connector 48.1 is only received by
the female
connector 18.1 in a particular circumstance. In particular, the flat edges 68
and 69 of the
truncated cylindrical body 67 of the male connector 48.1 must be aligned with
the elongate
portion 64 of the bulb shaped opening in the U-shaped protrusion 40.1 of the
female
connector 18.1, i.e with channels 44.1 and 46.1. Otherwise the cross-extent of
the body
truncated cylindrical body 67 of the male connector 48.1 will be to wide to
pass through
the elongate portion 64 of the bulb shaped opening in the U-shaped protrusion
40.1 of
the female connector 18.1.
[0041] Once the male connector 48.1 has been received by the female connector
18.1, as
shown in Figure 18, the male connector 48.1 may be rotated as indicated by
either arrows
104.1 or 106.1. The flat edges 68 and 69 of the truncated cylindrical body 67
of the male
connector 48.1 are brought out of alignment with the elongate portion 64 of
the bulb shaped
opening in the U-shaped protrusion 40.1 of the female connector 18.1. This is
shown in
Figure 19. In this position the male connector 48.1 is locked in place and
cannot be
decoupled from the female connector 18.1. To release the male connector 48.1
from the
female connector 18.1, the male connector 48.1 is rotated as indicated by
either arrows
104.1 or 106.1 to bring the flat edges 68 and 69 of the truncated cylindrical
body 67 of the
male connector 48.1 back into alignment with the elongate portion 64 of the
bulb shaped
opening in the U-shaped protrusion 40.1 of the female connector 18.1. This is
shown in
Figure 18. This locking mechanism prevents the carried camera 14 from becoming
accidentally decoupled from the device 12.
[0042] It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that although in
this example the
male connector is secured to the camera and the female connector is mounted on
the
person's chest that in other examples a male connector may be secured to the
camera and
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a female connector may be mounted on the person's chest. Alternatively, any
suitable
means to rotatably mount the camera may be used. For example, in another
embodiment,
the plates of the male connector may be rotatably connected to each other
allowing for a
squared plate to be received by the female connector while still allowing for
rotation of the
mounted camera.
[00431 It will further be understood by someone skilled in the art that many
of the details
provided above are by way of example only and are not intended to limit the
scope of the
invention which is to be determined with reference to the following claims.
