Tripod plate

• US 6,364,259 B1
• Filed: 09/06/2000
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pierre Boudard
• Original Assignee: Pierre Boudard
• Inventors: Boudard, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Application Number:
  US09/656,357
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 248/187.1, 248/177.1, 248/544, 248/681, 396/419, 396/425, 396/428
• US Class Current: 248/187.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/041 Allowing quick release of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/00 Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles heads thereof F16M11/02 ; undercarriages thereof F16M11/20 ; adapted to be stuck in the ground A45F3/44 ; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22; Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles supports for measuring instruments G01D11/30; supports for casings of remote control switching devices H01H9/025
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/563 Camera grips, handles means in general for steadying hand-held apparatus F16M13/00

Abstract

It is the object of the present invention to accelerate and simplify the mechanical fixation of a camera to a tripod plate. To this end a camera is first mounted with one end on the tripod plate. The camera is held at said end of the tripod plate such that it can carry out substantially only a rotational movement around the holding point. Finally, the camera is fixed by an automatic locking means when being mounted at its rear end.

Claims

1. A tripod plate which is connectable to a camera and a tripod, comprising:

a locking means at a first end in the longitudinal direction of the tripod plate for mechanically locking the camera to the tripod plate, and

at least one recess at a second opposite end of said tripod plate and including a bolt arranged in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of said tripod plate, said recess configured for receiving a connecting member secured to an end of the bottom side of a camera, and in cooperation with the connecting member allows substantially only a rotation of the camera around said bolt as the axis of rotation,

said locking means locking the camera and said tripod plate upon mounting of the opposite end of the bottom side of the camera.

2. The tripod plate according to claim 1, further comprising:

electrical contact elements on the upper side of said tripod plate for transmitting electrical signals via correspondingly arranged contact elements on the bottom side of a camera which is mechanically fixedly connectable to said tripod plate, and

electrical connections on at least one outer side of said tripod plate and connected with said electrical contact elements.

3. The tripod plate according to claim 1, wherein two recesses are each arranged laterally at the front end of said tripod plate, and said bolt is cylindrical and can project into each of said recesses.

4. The tripod plate according to claim 1, further comprising means for producing a mechanical reload in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of said tripod plate, so that a camera can be firmly clamped under a reload onto said tripod plate.

5. The tripod plate according to claim 1, wherein said locking means comprises:

a locking element to engage into a correspondingly arranged opening on a bottom side of the camera,

a slide connected to said connection element and which together with said locking element is movably arranged in said tripod plate,

a resilient element, for producing a mechanical reload on said slide and said locking element, so that said slide and said locking element are pulled into a locked position,

a release mechanism to block and release a movement of said reloaded slide and said locking member, and

a safety means to prevent movement of said slide and said locking element into a non-locked position when said slide and said locking element are in the locked position.

6. The tripod plate according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one pin arranged in the portion of said locking means, said pin being movable in a direction perpendicular to the surface of said tripod plate and being reloaded such that said pin projects from the surface of said tripod plate and can be pressed in during mounting of a camera, said pin releasing said reloaded locking means via a release mechanism so that a mountable camera can be locked automatically.

7. The tripod plate according to claim 4, wherein said means for producing a mechanical reload is arranged in said tripod plate and comprises:

a plate with which the mechanical reload can be exerted on a connecting member secured to a mountable camera, and

a spring element arranged below said plate which exerts a mechanical reload on said plate.

8. The tripod plate according to claim 7, wherein the reload is about two to three times the weight of a camera to be mounted on said tripod plate.

9. A camera tripod comprising a tripod and a tripod plate secured to the upper side thereof for rapidly mounting a camera, wherein the tripod plate is designed according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

16. An interface system for establishing a fast mechanical connection between a camera and a tripod, comprising:

a connecting member which can be fastened to a bottom side of a camera and comprises at least one nose, and

a tripod plate, according to claim 1.

10. A portable camera which is designed at its bottom side such that it is mountable on a tripod plate, comprising:

at least one connecting member at an end of the bottom side of the camera designed to fit into a recess in a tripod plate and cooperates with a recess and a bolt arranged in said recess in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tripod plate, for allowing substantially only a rotation of the camera around the bolt as the axis of rotation while the camera is being mounted on the tripod plate.

11. The portable camera according to claim 10, further comprising:

electrical contact elements on the bottom side of the camera for transmitting electrical signals via correspondingly arranged electrical contact elements on the upper side of a tripod plate which is connectable to the camera.

12. The portable camera according to claim 11, wherein said camera is only provided in the front and rear portions of its bottom side with a section that is connectable to the tripod plate, and said camera electrical contact elements are arranged both in said front portion and in said rear portion.

13. A connection element which can be fastened to a bottom side of a camera for rapidly connecting a camera to a tripod plate, comprising:

a fastening device provided on the upper side of the connection element for fastening the connection element to the bottom side of a camera, and

at least one connecting member on the bottom side of said connection element to fit into a recess in the tripod plate and cooperate with a said recess and with a bolt arranged in said recess in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the tripod plate, for allowing substantially a rotation of the camera only around said bolt as the axis of rotation while the camera is being mounted on the tripod plate.

14. The connection element according to claim 13, further comprising:

electrical contact elements on the bottom side of the connection element for transmitting electrical signals via correspondingly arranged contact elements on the upper side of a tripod plate which is connectable to the connection element, and

electrical connections on at least one outer side of the connection element and are connected within the connection element to the electrical contact elements.

15. The connection element according to claim 13, wherein said connecting member comprises two noses arranged in parallel and respectively provided at a side of said connection element.