Swivel ball head mount
AssigneeLarry J. Tiefenbrunn
InventorsLARRY J. TIEFENBRUNN, MERIN SWASEY
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A swivel ball head mount embodying the invention includes a swivel ball and a housing and a push button operated clamping mechanism coupled between the ball and the housing to control their relative movement. The clamping mechanism may include a gearing arrangement or a spring arrangement producing a mechanical advantage enabling the push button mechanism to operate the clamping mechanism using a single finger. Swivel ball head mount embodying the invention are adapted to have a camera mounted on the housing.
Claims20
Apparatus for a camera system comprising:
- a ball;
- a housing having an opening adapted to receive a portion of said ball which extends within said opening into the interior of said housing and wherein said ball and said housing are mechanically coupled to each other to enable the housing and ball to be rotated and tilted with respect to each other;
- a clamping mechanism located within the housing coupled between the ball and an interior wall of the housing for selectively blocking or unblocking movement between the housing and the ball;
- and
- a push button mechanism coupled to the clamping mechanism, operable with a single finger, to selectively activate the clamping mechanism with a single finger to restrict and prevent movement between the ball and said housing and to selectively activate the clamping mechanism with a single finger to release the ball relative to said housing and enable movement between the ball and said housing.
Apparatus for a camera system comprising:
- a ball;
- a housing mounted about said ball and coupled thereto to enable the housing and ball to be rotated and tilted with respect to each other;
- and
- a clamping mechanism, located within the housing, coupled between the ball and the housing for selectively blocking or unblocking movement between the housing and the ball;
- where the clamping mechanism includes a lock and unlock mechanism including a gearing mechanism which can be selectively activated with a single finger to restrict and prevent movement between the ball and said housing and which can be selectively activated with a single finger to release the ball relative to said housing and enable movement between the ball and said housing.
A mount for a camera system comprising:
- a swivel ball;
- a housing for the swivel ball having an opening adapted to receive a portion of said swivel ball and for enabling movement between the swivel ball and the housing;
- a clamping mechanism coupled between the swivel ball and the housing for selectively locking or unlocking the swivel ball relative to the housing;
- where the clamping mechanism includes:
- (a) a gearing arrangement and also includes a lock button coupled to the gearing arrangement which can be selectively depressed with a finger to activate the gear arrangement to prevent movement between the swivel ball and the housing;
- and (b) an unlock button coupled to the gearing arrangement which can be selectively depressed with a single finger to activate the gear arrangement to release the swivel ball relative to the housing and enable movement between the swivel ball and the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.