Photography – Camera support
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-21
2004-08-03
Gray, David M. (Department: 2851)
Photography
Camera support
C396S420000, C396S428000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06769824
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a camera support for supporting a camera.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An example of conventional camera supports is shown in
FIG. 5
The conventional camera support shown in
FIG. 5
is provided with a dome-shaped mounting member
3
and a supporting member
4
. The mounting member
3
is attached to a camera
1
with a screw
2
, and the supporting member
4
is adapted to support the camera
1
with the mounting member
3
disposed therebetween. The supporting member
4
consists of a slender, vertically extending vertical rod portion
5
and a ball-shaped portion
6
fixed to the top of the vertical rod portion
5
.
As the ball-shaped portion
6
of the supporting member
4
is snugly fitted in the dome-shaped mounting member
3
, the camera
1
, which is in the horizontal position, is supported in such a manner as to be capable of adjustably rotating around the ball-shaped portion
6
vertically, laterally or in any other desired direction.
With the camera support shown in
FIG. 5
, the image can laterally be angled in accordance with the subject to be photographed by laterally rotating the camera
1
that is in the horizontal position around the ball-shaped portion
6
. However, it is not possible to shift the camera
1
from the horizontal position to the vertical position even if the camera
1
is to a great degree.
In order to solve the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a camera support which is capable of shifting the camera between the horizontal position and the vertical position.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A camera support according to the present invention includes a mounting member to be attached to a camera, and a supporting member for supporting the camera with the mounting member therebetween, wherein said supporting member includes a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion, the first supporting portion adapted to support the camera in a horizontal position by engagement with the mounting member, and the second supporting portion adapted to support the camera in a vertical position by engagement with the mounting member.
With the configuration as above, the invention enables the camera to be set in the horizontal position or the vertical position as desired in accordance with the subject to be photographed.
A camera support according to the present invention includes a mounting member to be attached to a camera, and a supporting member for supporting the camera with the mounting member therebetween, said supporting member having a catching surface in the shape of an arcuate surface and a fitting surface in the shape of a cylindrical surface, and said mounting member having another catching surface adapted to be slidably engaged with or separated from the first mentioned catching surface, and another fitting surface adapted to be slidably fitted to or separated from the first mentioned fitting surface, wherein the camera support functions such that when the first mentioned catching surface and the second mentioned catching surface are engaged with each other, the camera is supported in the horizontal position by the supporting member in such a state as to be capable of being adjusted by rotating vertically around the first mentioned catching surface and that when the first mentioned fitting surface and the second mentioned fitting surface are fitted to each other, the camera is supported in the vertical position by the supporting member in such a state as to be capable of being adjusted by rotating vertically around the first mentioned fitting surface.
With the configuration as above, the invention enables the camera to be set in the horizontal position or the vertical position as desired in accordance with the subject to be photographed. Furthermore, the camera can easily be tilted no matter whether the camera is in the horizontal position or in the vertical position.
According to yet another feature of the invention, the second mentioned fitting surface of the mounting member of the camera support consists of a plurality of fitting surfaces that are aligned at given distances from each other.
With the feature as above, the invention can appropriately cope with various cameras by choosing one from the fitting surfaces depending on the camera.
According to yet another feature of the invention, the supporting member of the camera support has a slender, horizontally extending horizontal rod portion with a circular cross section and a slender, vertically extending vertical rod portion projected downward from a location in the middle of the length of the underside of the horizontal rod portion; the upper part of the cylindrical outer surface of the horizontal rod portion forms the first mentioned catching surface in the shape of an arcuate surface; and the entire cylindrical surface of at least one of the lengthwise ends of the horizontal rod portion forms the first mentioned fitting surface in the shape of a cylindrical surface.
With the feature as above, the invention the invention makes the supporting member easy to manufacture and also makes the supporting member easy to carry by using the horizontal rod portion.
According to yet another feature of the invention, the supporting member of the camera support has a structure such a structure as to permit the supporting member to be used as a walking stick.
By enabling the supporting member to be used as a walking stick, the invention eliminates the need of a walking stick as a separate item from the supporting member, resulting in various benefits, such as, for example, reducing baggage when traveling.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1803347 (1931-05-01), Owens
patent: 3731897 (1973-05-01), Price
patent: 4693575 (1987-09-01), Keller
patent: 5411313 (1995-05-01), Counihan et al.
patent: 5865406 (1999-02-01), Teeple
patent: 6021984 (2000-02-01), Mills
patent: 6579017 (2003-06-01), Wei
patent: 58-092597 (1983-06-01), None
patent: 05-037757 (1994-12-01), None
Morrison & Foerster / LLP
Nihon Velbon Seiki Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
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