Camera stand with camera charging mechanism

• US 7,626,634 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Iwamoto, Masakazu, Shigemura, Atsushi, Shibuki, Shuji, Ohki, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SELBY, GEVELL V
• Application Number:
  US10/922,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20050040298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,930 Days
• Field of Search: 348370-376, 348/207.1, 348/221.14, 358/482, 358/513
• US Class Current: 348/373
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2021 around a horizontal axis F16M11/2035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/38 by folding , e.g. pivoting or scissors tong mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/195 the array comprising a two-dimensional array or a combination of two-dimensional arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras

Abstract

A camera stand comprising a foot that will be placed a surface, a support having opposite ends at one of which the support is supported rotatably on the foot and turnable between a lying position and an upstanding position, an arm mechanism capable of attaching a digital camera removably at one end thereto and supported rotatably at the other end to the other end of the support such that in use the arm mechanism is adjusted in angle to the support so as to allow the camera to pick up an image of a picture/document placed under the camera while in non-use the arm mechanism is received within the confine of the support, which is then folded on the foot.

Claims

1. A camera stand comprising:

a foot adapted to support the camera stand on a surface;

a support having opposite first and second ends and being rotatably supported on the foot at the first end, the support being movable between a lying position and an upstanding position;

an arm mechanism having first and second opposite ends and including a camera holder at the first end which is adapted to removably hold a digital camera, the arm mechanism being D rotatably supported at the second end by the second end of the support such that the arm mechanism is angularly adjustable in relation to the support;

an external device connector arranged within one of the foot and the support for enabling the camera stand to mate with an external device;

a camera connector arranged on the camera holder for mating with the camera when held by the camera holder and electrically connected to the external device connector such that the camera, when mating with the camera connector, is connectable to the external device through the camera connector and the external device connector; and

an electric charger electrically connected to the camera connector for charging the camera when the camera is mated with the camera connector;

wherein the support comprises one of a recess and a cut adapted to receive therein the camera holder and the camera held by the camera holder in their entirety, such that when the support is moved to the lying position with the camera holder and the camera held by the camera holder received in their entirety in the recess or cut, the support is foldable against the foot in substantially a same plane.

2. The camera stand of claim 1, wherein the foot also functions as a picture/document rest for supporting a picture/document, and the support is supported rotatably at the second end by a rear end of the picture/document rest such that the support is movable between the upstanding position and the lying position where the support lies on the picture/document rest.

3. The camera stand of claim 2, wherein the picture/document rest comprises a rectangular central plate, the support being connected rotatably at the second end to the rectangular plate near a shorter side of the rectangular plate, and a pair of side plates each connected rotatably on one side to an adjacent longer side of the central plate such that the pair of side plates are extendible so as to share a same plane with the central plate and be foldable on the central plate;

and

wherein the support has substantially a same width as the central plate and is positionable on the pair of side plates when folded on the central plate.

4. The camera stand of claim 2, wherein the picture/document rest comprises a single plate that has substantially a same width as the support.

5. The camera stand of claim 1, wherein the foot is shaped like a rod and is adapted to be placed in a lying state on a surface, the foot being disposed on at least one of opposite sides of the support;

and

wherein the support is rotatably connected at the first end thereof to a rear end of the foot and is movable alongside the foot between the lying position in an extending direction of the foot and the upstanding position.

6. The camera stand of claim 5, wherein the foot has substantially a same thickness as the support.

7. The camera stand of claim 5, further comprising:

a pivot extending horizontally and laterally from the rear end of the foot; and

wherein the support is rotatably supported at the second end by the pivot and slidable along the pivot.

8. The camera stand of claim 5, wherein the foot is disposed at one of the opposite sides of the support, and the support is supported by cooperation of the first end thereof and the foot in the upstanding state on the surface.

9. The camera stand of claim 5, wherein a portion of the foot is provided at each of the opposite sides of the support.

10. The camera stand of claim 1, wherein the support comprises:

a first support part having opposite ends at one of which the first support part is rotatably supported by the foot;

a second support part having opposite ends and being provided on the first support part so as to be slidable in an extending direction of the first support part such that the second support part is extended outwards from the first support part in use and received within a length of the first support part when not in use; and

wherein the arm mechanism has opposite ends at one of which the arm mechanism is rotatably connected to one end of the second support part and received when not in use along with the second support part within the length of the first support part.

11. The camera stand of claim 10, wherein the first support part comprises a hollow member having a hollow portion in which the second support part and the arm mechanism are received.

12. The camera stand of claim 11, wherein the arm mechanism is received within the length of the first support part with the digital camera left outside the first support part when held by the camera holder, and the digital camera is covered with a removable cap when held by the camera holder.

13. The camera stand of claim 1, wherein the arm mechanism comprises an arm supported rotatably at a first end to the second end of the support, and the camera holder is attached to a second end of the arm opposite to the first end of the arm such that the camera holder is inclinable at a desired angle to an extending direction of the arm.

14. The camera stand of claim 13, wherein the camera holder comprises:

a turning member supported at the second end of the arm; and

a camera fixing member removably attached to the turning member for removably supporting the digital camera.

15. The camera stand of claim 13, wherein the camera holder comprises:

a turning member connected to the second end of the arm; and

a camera fixing member rotatably attached to the turning member for removably supporting the digital camera thereon.

16. The camera stand of claim 13, wherein the camera holder comprises:

a first turning member connected to the second end of the arm;

a second turning member rotatably attached to the first turning member; and

a camera fixing member removably attached to the second turning member for removably supporting the digital camera.

17. The camera stand of claim 1, wherein the arm mechanism further comprises:

an arm rotatably attached at a first end to the second end of the support, and wherein the camera holder is pivotably coupled to a second end of the arm.

18. The camera stand of claim 17, wherein the camera holder further comprises:

a turning member pivotably coupled to the second end of the arm; and

a camera attaching member removably attached to the turning member for removably supporting the digital camera.

19. The camera stand of claim 1, further comprising:

a picture/document illumination light provided on one of the support and the arm mechanism for illuminating a picture/document being imaged by the digital camera when held by the camera holder; and

a driver provided in the support for driving the illumination light.