Photographic tripod apparatus
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha LPL
InventorKiyoshi Miyazaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Photographic tripod apparatus which is easily transportable and wherein the legs thereof can be held in their collapsed position and released therefrom in a simple and reliable manner. In one embodiment, one of the legs is provided with a handle and a latch mechanism is provided between a portion of the leg adjacent to the handle and a slidable member on the sleeve type bushing by which the legs can be maintained in their collapsed position and released therefrom by the same hand as that holding the handle in a one touch manner. In second and third embodiments, one of the legs is provided both with a handle and with a bundling mechanism which holds the legs together in a bundled fashion, the bundling mechanism preferably being releasable by the same hand which holds the handle.
Claims16
Photographic tripod apparatus comprising:
- a base plate;
- a set of legs, each of which is pivotally mounted on one of its ends to said base plate;
- an elongate elevator support extending through said base plate;
- a sleeve-type bushing situated over said elongate elevator support and extending downwardly from an under surface of said base plate to at least partially enclose said elevator support;
- a slidable member situated over the outer peripheral surface of said bushing so as to be vertically slidable thereover;
- a linkage assembly including a set of rods, each of which is pivotally mounted at one of its ends to a respective one of said legs and at its other end to said slidable member, whereby said legs are operatively coupled to said slidable member so that movement of said slidable member to a particular position on said bushing causes said legs to pivot to a collapsed position;
- a handle member provided on one of said legs adapted to be held by a single hand whereby the apparatus can be carried thereby;
- and latching means extending between said handle and slidable members for holding said legs in the collapsed position, said latching means being adapted to be operated by the same hand holding said handle member.
Photographic tripod apparatus comprising:
- a base plate;
- a set of legs, each of which is pivotally mounted at one of its ends to said base plate;
- a substantially U-shaped handle member provided on one of said legs adapted to be held by a single hand whereby the apparatus can be carried thereby;
- and means for releasably bundling said legs together, said bundling means being adapted to be released by the same hand holding said handle member and comprising a substantially L-shaped latch lever having an inner end and an outer end, said lever being pivotally mounted on said handle member, and an elongate strap having one of its ends connected in the region of said handle member and the other of its ends provided with fastener means for engaging said outer end of said latch lever.
Photographic tripod apparatus comprising:
- a base plate;
- a set of legs, each of which is pivotally mounted at one of its ends to said base plate;
- a substantially U-shaped handle member provided on one of said legs adapted to be held by a single hand whereby the apparatus can be carried thereby;
- means for releasably bundling said legs together;
- and wherein said apparatus further comprises an elongate sleeve-type bushing extending downwardly from said base plate, and wherein said bundling means comprise a connector member mounted around said bushing including a set of connecting elements radially projecting therefrom, each connecting element extending into opposed relationship to a respective one of said legs, and wherein said legs are provided with means for engaging respective ones of said connecting elements of said connector member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.