Tripod

Details Tripod Tripod

2003-04-09

2004-11-23

Braun, Leslie A. (Department: 3632)

Supports

Stand

To hold a particular article

Reexamination Certificate

active

06820845

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tripod in which the opening degree of legs can be adjusted by an operation of the operating body.
Priorly, as a tripod of this type, for example, a tripod described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-18489 has been known.
This tripod comprises, as shown in
FIG. 22
, a main tripod body
1
, and in the main tripod body
1
, a camera supporting rod
2
having a screw portion
2
a
on its upper-end portion is provided so as to be capable of rising and falling. In addition, in the main tripod body
1
, legs
3
whose lengths are adjustable are provided so as to be rotatable around a turning center axis line X in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, in the main tripod body
1
, operating bodies
4
for adjusting the opening degree of the legs
3
are provided so as to be shiftable in the up-and-down direction.
In addition, on the upper portion of the main tripod body
1
, an approximately cylindrical protrusion
6
of a size corresponding to the shifting amount of the operating bodies
4
is formed, and by this protrusion
6
, a shifting space of the operating body
4
is secured at all times.
Herein, on the upper-end portion of the leg
3
, as shown in
FIG. 23
, a plurality of, for example, three abutting surfaces
7
for an opening restriction which are different in the distance from the turning center axis line X are formed in a stepped manner. Then, an abutment between these abutting surfaces
7
for an opening restriction and a to-be-abutted surface of the operating body
4
results in a condition where the leg
3
is opened with a desirable opening degree.
However, in the prior-art tripod described in the above Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-18489, since it is necessary to form the protrusion
6
for securing the shifting space of the operating body
4
on the upper portion of the tripod body
1
, there exists a problem such that downsizing is difficult.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a tripod in which downsizing can be easily realized.
A tripod according to the present invention comprises:
a main tripod body; a camera supporting rod provided for the main tripod body so as to be capable of rising and falling; legs provided for the main tripod body so as to be rotatable around a turning center axis line in the horizontal direction; and operating bodies which are arranged so as to be shiftable in the horizontal direction without protruding upward from the main tripod body and are used for adjusting the opening degree of the legs.
Thus, different from the prior art, since it is unnecessary to form a protrusion for securing a shifting space of the operating bodies on the upper portion of the main tripod body, it becomes possible to easily realize downsizing.
A tripod according to the invention is constructed such that, in the tripod as set forth in claim
1
, the operating body has an operating plate portion which shifts in the horizontal direction approximately along a plane including the upper surface of the main tripod body.
Thus, by operating the operating plate portion of the operating body, it becomes possible to easily adjust the opening degree of the leg.
A tripod according to the invention is constructed such that, a leg of the tripod has a plurality of abutting surfaces for an opening restriction which are the same in distance from the turning center axis line.
Thus, compared to a leg or the like having a plurality of abutting surfaces for an opening restriction which are different in distance from the turning center axis line, it becomes possible to appropriately secure sufficient strength.
A tripod according to the invention is constructed such that the operating body of the tripod returns to a reference position when the leg reaches a closed state.
Thus, since the operating body returns to the reference position when the leg reaches a closed state, a check of the position of the operating body is unnecessary, therefore, handle ability becomes excellent.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4317552 (1982-03-01), Weidler
patent: 4905946 (1990-03-01), Wang
patent: 4929113 (1990-05-01), Sheu
patent: 5060894 (1991-10-01), Hillinger
patent: 5082222 (1992-01-01), Hsu
patent: 5213296 (1993-05-01), Lee
patent: 5310145 (1994-05-01), Chen
patent: 5458305 (1995-10-01), Woodward
patent: 5823491 (1998-10-01), Lindsay et al.
patent: 08121687 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 2000-018489 (2000-01-01), None
Patent Abstracts of Japan for JP2000-018489 published on Jan. 18, 2000.

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