US20020179785A1

US20020179785A1 - Monopod camera stand

Info

Publication number: US20020179785A1
Application number: US09/874,094
Authority: US
Inventors: Boyd Hetrick; Joseph Scrips
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-06-04
Filing date: 2001-06-04
Publication date: 2002-12-05

Abstract

An assemble-able stand apparatus for a camera, comprises three rigid elongated rods, and three rod connectors. Two of the elongated rods have axially oriented female threads at opposing ends while a further one of the elongated rods has axially oriented female threads at only one end and an integral piercing implement at its other end. Two of the rod connectors have axially oriented collinear male threads arranged in opposing directions, while the third has the same and, in addition, further male threads arranged at right angles to the collinear male threads. The male threads are engagable with the female threads for assembling the elongated rods in an integral linear form. The male threads are also each threadably engagable with a standard tripod female thread of a camera.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to supports for equipment such as cameras and the like and more particularly to a an adaptable single legged stand for a camera.

2. Description of Related Art

The following art defines the present state of this field:

Harris, U.S. Pat. No. D194,592 provides a combined portable seat and camera support.

Shiraishi, U.S. Pat. No. D257,259 provides a camera unipod.

Alter, U.S. Pat. No. 2,219,169 describes a support for mounting a camera within an automobile, the combination of a strut comprising upper and lower members and means operative to adjust the distance between said members of said strut and mount same between fixed bodies in vertical relation in the interior of such automobile; and element mounted on said strut, said element being provided with marginal portions defining opposing sectors of a circle in a plane parallel to the axis of said strut; and a second flat element mounted adjacent and parallel to said first element, said second element comprising means to engage and firmly hold a camera and marginal portions defining opposed sectors of a circle, which marginal portions are operative to engage the said marginal portions of said first-named element and to restrict relative movement therebetween to rotative movement about a common axis normal thereto. Bachmann, U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,989 describes a stand for carrying an optical instrument, particularly a film camera, comprising a rigid leg member, connecting means provided at the top of said leg member and adapted to connect said leg member with an optical instrument so that the latter is prevented from angular movement with respect to the top of said leg member about the longitudinal axis thereof, a foot member secured to the lower end of the leg member, said foot member having bearing surface portions for contacting a supporting surface on which the stand is set up, a joint inserted between said leg member and said foot member adapted to allow a tilting movement of said leg member relative to said foot member in any desired direction, and friction means arranged between said supporting surface and said connecting means to brake said optical instrument against unintentional angular movement with respect to the supporting surface about the longitudinal axis of said leg member.

Tetlow, U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,369 describes a support which is adapted to carry a device, such as a lamp, camera, or the like, which is oriented in a given direction during use thereof. The support includes an elongated pole having a top end which carries the device as the camera, lamp, or the like. At its bottom end the pole is connected with a stirrup which is adapted to engage the floor, ground, or the like and which receives the foot of the operator so that in this way the support structure can be steadied.

Lemkin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,555 describes a stake and coupler for holding an irrigation device, such as a sprinkler, for use in a home gardening watering system. The stake is an elongated plastic body having a substantially constant multilobed crosssection. One end of the stake has a projection for mounting an irrigation device, the other end a pointed tip for anchoring the stake in the ground. The coupler is a hollow plastic body, both ends of which contain identical openings and which will receive either end of the stake for joining two stakes together.

The prior art teaches the use of camera stands but does not teach the structural and use elements of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.

An assemble-able stand apparatus for a camera, comprises three rigid elongated rods, and three rod connectors. Two of the elongated rods have axially oriented female threads at opposing ends while a further one of the elongated rods has axially oriented female threads at only one end and an integral piercing implement at its other end. Two of the rod connectors have axially oriented collinear male -threads arranged in opposing directions, while the third has the same and, in addition, further male threads arranged at right angles to the collinear male threads. The male threads are engagable with the female threads for assembling the elongated rods in an integral linear form capable of three distinct heights. The male threads are also each threadably engagable with a standard tripod female thread of a camera so as to support the camera at different heights and in an upright position for taking landscape photos as well as in a sideways position for taking portrait photos.

A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that provides advantages not taught by the prior art.

Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of supporting a camera at selected heights.

A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of supporting a camera above a surface that may be penetrated by the invention apparatus.

A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of being broken down and carried in a small pouch.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the present invention. In such drawings: [0018]
FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the invention showing three separable portions thereof; [0019]
FIG. 2 is a closeup view of a portion thereof. [0020]
FIG. 3 is a partial breakaway view of the portion of FIG. 2; [0021]
FIG. 4 is an elevaton view showing adaptable use thereof; and [0022]
FIG. 5 is a closeup view showing an alternative mounting arrangement thereof.[0023]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The above described drawing figures illustrate the invention in at least one of its preferred embodiments, which is further defined in detail in the following description. [0024]
An assemble-able mono-pod stand apparatus for a [0025] camera 10, as best seen in FIG. 4, includes three rigid elongated rods 20, 30, 40 (20 and 30 being identical) and three rod connectors 50, 60, 70 (50 and 60 being identical). Two of the elongated rods 20, 30 have axially oriented female threads 80 at opposing ends thereof. A further one 40 of the elongated rods has axially oriented female threads 80 at one end thereof and an integral piercing implement 90 at the other end thereof. Two of the rod connectors 50, 60 have axially oriented collinear male threads 100 arranged in opposing directions while a further one of the rod connectors 70 has axially oriented male threads 100 arranged in opposing directions and further male threads 101 arranged at right angles to the collinear male threads 100. Both of the male threads 100 and 101 are threadably engagable with the female threads 80 for assembling the elongated rods 20, 30, 40 in an integral linear form, as shown at the left in FIG. 4. The male threads 100, 101 are also each threadably engagable with a standard tripod female thread 81 of camera 10 so that the camera 10 is mountable onto the rods. Both the rods and the connectors are made of common metal or plastic stock materials of rigid and durable construction as would be known to those of skill in the art.
In a first embodiment, shown in FIG. 4 at the right, one of the [0026] rod connectors 50 is engaged with the further one of the elongated rods 40 for supporting the camera 10, engaged with the one of the rod connectors at a first height “A”, above a penetratable surface 110 which may be earth or any soft surface, impaled by the piercing implement 90 which is preferably pointed as shown.
In a second embodiment, one of the two [0027] elongated rods 20 or 30 is engaged at a first end thereof with the one of the rod connectors and engaged at a second end thereof with a second one of the three rod connectors 50, 60, 70 for supporting the camera 10 at a second height “B”, above the surface 110 which is impaled by the piercing implement 90.
In a third embodiment, a second of the two [0028] elongated rods 20 or 30 is engaged at a first end thereof with the second one of the rod connectors and engaged at a second end thereof with a third one of the three rod connectors for supporting the camera 10 at a third height “C” above the surface 110.
A preferred method of supporting a camera comprises providing a supporting hardware, as described above, of the three rigid [0029] elongated rods 20, 30 and 40 and three rod connectors 50, 60 and 70; driving the piercing implement 90 into a surface 110 for supporting the elongated rod 40; engaging a second 30 and a third 20 of the elongated rods and rod connectors 50, 60, 70 in sequence to form an integral composite rod assembly 120, and mounting the camera 10 on the upper end of the rod assembly 120, as shown.
While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims. [0030]

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An assemble-able stand apparatus for a camera comprised of: three rigid elongated rods, and three rod connectors, two of the elongated rods having axially oriented female threads at opposing ends thereof, a further one of the elongated rods having axially oriented female threads at one end thereof and an integral piercing implement at the other end thereof, two of the rod connectors having axially oriented collinear male threads arranged in opposing directions, one of the rod connectors having axially oriented male threads arranged in opposing directions and further male threads arranged at right angles to the collinear male threads, the male threads threadably engagable with the female threads for assembling the elongated rods in an integral linear form, the male threads being also each threadably engagable with a standard tripod female thread of a camera.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one of the rod connectors is engaged with the further one of the elongated rods for supporting a camera engaged with the one of the rod connectors at a first height above a penetratable surface impaled by the piercing implement.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising one of the two elongated rods engaged at a first end thereof with the one of the rod connectors and engaged at a second end thereof with a second one of the three rod connectors for supporting a camera at a second height above a penetratable surface impaled by the piercing implement.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a second of the two elongated rods engaged at a first end thereof with the second one of the rod connectors and engaged at a second end thereof with a third one of the three rod connectors for supporting a camera at a third height above a penetratable surface impaled by the piercing implement.

5. A method of supporting a camera comprising providing a stand hardware of three rigid elongated rods, and three rod connectors where two of the elongated rods have axially oriented female threads at opposing ends thereof, and a further one of the elongated rods has axially oriented female threads at only one end thereof and an integral piercing implement at the other end thereof, and two of the rod connectors have axially oriented collinear male threads arranged in opposing directions, and one of the rod connectors has axially oriented male threads arranged in opposing directions and further male threads arranged at right angles to the collinear male threads; threading one of the two rod connectors into engagement with the further one of the elongated rods; driving the piercing implement into a surface for supporting the elongated rod; engaging a second and a third of the elongated rods and rod connectors in sequence to form an integral composite rod assembly, and mounting a camera on the upper end of the rod assembly.