Adjustable optical apparatus adapter

• US 7,085,491 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2004
• Issued: 08/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Long Perng Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Long Perng Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chiang, Ching Hsi
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUTHAR, RISHI S
• Application Number:
  US10/885,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20050213959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 396/422, 396/428, 396/432, 396/419, 396/429
• US Class Current: 396/432
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/16 Housings; Caps; Mountings; Supports, e.g. with counterweight
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/48 adapted for combination with other photographic or optical apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/566 Accessory clips, holders, shoes to attach accessories to camera if integral part of camera body G03B17/02

Abstract

An adjustable optical apparatus adapter is disclosed to include a camera platform provided with a mounting screw and a wing nut for securing a camera to the camera platform, a telescope holder for holding a telescope, a holding down frame controlled by a lock screw to hold down a telescope in the telescope holder, and a camera platform lock mounted in the a horizontal sliding slot in camera platform and a vertical sliding slot in telescope holder for locking the camera platform to the telescope holder after position adjustment of the camera platform horizontally and vertically relative to the telescope holder to have the loaded telescope at the telescope holder in axial alignment with the loaded camera at the camera platform.

Claims

1. An adjustable optical apparatus adapter, comprising:

a camera platform adapted to carry a camera, comprising a mounting screw adapted to affix a camera to said camera platform, and at least one horizontal sliding slot;

a telescope holder adapted to hold a telescope, having an upper part forming a holder frame and a lower part defining a vertical sliding slot, said holder frame having at least one screw hole vertically extended in a top side thereof;

a lock screw threaded into the screw hole of said holder frame and adapted to lock a telescope to said holder frame; and

a camera platform lock mounted in the at least one horizontal sliding slot of said camera platform and the vertical sliding slot of said telescope holder for enabling said camera platform to be moved vertically relative to said telescope holder along said vertical sliding slot and said telescope holder to be moved horizontally relative to said camera holder along said at least one horizontal sliding slot and adapted to lock said camera platform to said telescope holder, said camera platform lock including;

(a) a base block, said base block including a polygonal shoulder inserted into said at least one horizontal sliding slot of said camera platform for enabling said base block to be moved along said at least one horizontal sliding slot and for stopping said base block from rotary motion relative to said camera platform, and a screw rod forwardly extending from said polygonal shoulder and inserted through said vertical sliding slot of said telescope holder; and

(b) a fastening member threaded onto the screw rod of said base block and adapted to affix said camera platform to said telescope holder.

2. The adjustable optical apparatus adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said camera platform lock further comprises a screw hole axially formed in the screw rod of said base block, a screw fastened to the screw hole in the screw rod of said base block to secure said fastening member to the screw rod of said base block, a slide mounted on the screw rod of said base block between said telescope holder and said fastening member and adapted to guide movement of said base block along said vertical sliding slot of said telescope holder, and an ornamental cap capped on said fastening member.

3. The adjustable optical apparatus adapter as claimed in claim 2, wherein said telescope holder comprises at least one vertical sliding groove arranged in parallel to said vertical sliding slot;

said slide comprises a polygonal center opening coupled to said polygonal shoulder of said base block, and at least one vertical coupling flange respectively coupled to the at least one vertical sliding groove of said telescope holder for guiding movement of said base block along the vertical sliding slot of said telescope holder.

4. The adjustable optical apparatus adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said camera platform comprises at least one horizontal sliding groove;

said base block of said camera lock comprises at least one horizontal coupling flange respectively coupled to the at least one horizontal sliding groove to guide movement of said base block along said at least one sliding slot of said camera platform.

5. The adjustable optical apparatus adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said camera platform further comprises a wing nut threaded onto said mounting screw and stopped between said mounting screw and a bottom wall of said camera platform.

6. The adjustable optical apparatus adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said camera platform further comprises a horizontally extended insertion hole;

said camera platform lock further comprises a horizontally extended screw hole formed in said base block and extended through two opposite sides of said base block, and a horizontal adjustment screw inserted through the horizontally extended insertion hole of said camera platform and threaded into the horizontally extended screw hole in said base block for rotation by the user to move said base block horizontally along said at least one horizontal sliding slot of said camera platform.

7. The adjustable optical apparatus adapter as claimed in claim 6, wherein said telescope holder further comprises a vertically extended insertion hole in the lower part thereof;

said camera platform lock further comprises a vertically extended screw hole formed in said base block and extended through top and bottom sides of said base block, and a vertical adjustment screw inserted through the vertically extended insertion hole in the lower part of said telescope holder and threaded into the vertically extended screw hole in said base block for rotation by the user to move said base block vertically along said vertical sliding slot of said telescope holder.

8. An adjustable optical apparatus adapter, comprising:

a camera platform adapted to carry a camera, comprising a mounting screw adapted to affix a camera to said camera platform, and at least one horizontal sliding slot;

a telescope holder adapted to hold a telescope, having an upper part forming a holder frame and a lower part defining a vertical sliding slot, said holder frame having at least one screw hole vertically extended in a top side thereof;

a lock screw threaded into the screw hole of said holder frame and adapted to lock a telescope to said holder frame;

a camera platform lock mounted in the at least one horizontal sliding slot of said camera platform and the vertical sliding slot of said telescope holder for enabling said camera platform to be moved vertically relative to said telescope holder along said vertical sliding slot and said telescope holder to be moved horizontally relative to said camera holder along said at least one horizontal sliding slot and adapted to lock said camera platform to said telescope holder; and

a holding down frame fastened to said lock screw and suspended inside said frame holder and vertically movably controlled by said lock screw to hold down a telescope in said frame holder.

9. The adjustable optical apparatus adapter as claimed in claim 8, wherein said lock screw has a locating groove extended around the periphery of a front end thereof;

said holding down frame comprises a top mounting hole, which receives the front end of said lock screw, a front screw hole perpendicularly extended from said top mounting hole to a front side thereof, and a tightening up screw threaded into the front screw hole of said holding down frame and engaged into the locating groove of said lock screw to affix said holding down frame to said lock screw.

10. The adjustable optical apparatus adapter as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a plurality of anti-skid pads respectively fastened to an inner bottom wall of said holder frame and a bottom wall of said holding down frame for holding down a telescope in between said holder frame and said holding down frame.

11. The adjustable optical apparatus adapter as claimed in claim 8, wherein said holder frame comprises at least one vertically extended sliding rail;

said holder frame comprises at least one vertically extended coupling groove respectively coupled to said at least one vertically extended sliding rail of said holder frame to guide vertical movement of said holding down frame within said holder frame.