US 8,740,160 B2Granted

Mounting apparatus using ball and socket joints with gripping features

AssigneeDaymen US, Inc.

InventorJoeben Bevirt

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Abstract

The present invention is directed towards ball and socket joint connectors which, when interconnected, form a flexible assembly. In some embodiments, the ball and socket joint connectors are designed and constructed such that the interference fit of the ball and socket causes creep in the material resulting in more even frictions in the various ball and socket joints. In some embodiments, the ball and socket joint connectors utilize an over-molded strip around the outside of the connector to facilitate in their use for gripping. In an exemplary embodiment utilizing the aforementioned ball and socket joint connectors, a tripod apparatus uses legs comprising the ball and socket joint connectors for support and for gripping objects.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A tripod suitable for supporting a camera, the tripod comprising:

three flexible legs, each of said flexible legs having sufficient flexibility to substantially wrap around an object, each of said legs having a first end attached to the body of the tripod;
a body having a central axis and three sockets, said body comprising a first plurality of movably interconnected pieces movably interconnected to allow movement of a clip support, each of said three sockets having an associated opening and being arranged to pivotally receive an associated leg, wherein the socket openings are flared relative to the central axis such that they do not face in the same direction, to thereby facilitate a greater range of motion in their associated legs in a direction away from the central axis than would be possible if the openings all faced in the same direction;
and
a clip support carried by the body, wherein said clip support is attached to one of the pieces of said first plurality of movably interconnected pieces, the clip support having a releasable latch, wherein
the clip support is suitable for releasably receiving a clip member to facilitate attaching or releasing the clip member to the tripod.

2 more elements

A tripod suitable for supporting a camera, the tripod comprising:

three flexible legs that have sufficient flexibility to substantially wrap around an object, wherein each of said three flexible legs is composed of a multiplicity of connector pieces that join together in ball and socket joints that permit pivotable movement between connecting ball and socket components to together provide each leg with sufficient flexibility to substantially wrap around an object, and wherein each ball and socket joint in the legs has a socket member portion having a maximum diameter, and a socket opening that receives an associated ball member, each ball and socket joint further comprising a gripping member formed on an exterior surface of the associated socket member portion, the gripping member being formed from a different material than the associated socket member portion and having a maximum diameter that is greater than a maximum diameter of the associated socket member portion;
a body having three ports and having a first plurality of movably interconnected pieces movably interconnected to allow movement of a clip support, each port being arranged to receive an associated leg;
and
a clip support carried by the body, wherein said clip support is attached to one of the pieces of said first plurality of movably interconnected pieces, the clip support having a releasable latch, wherein
the clip support is suitable for releasably receiving a clip member to facilitate attaching or releasing the clip member to the tripod.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/006,434Filed 14 Jan 2011 · continuation
Priority: 3 Jan 2006
Published: US 2011/0108683 A112 May 2011
Granted: 3 Jun 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

F16M 11/40
Changeable in height or length of legs, also for transport only, e.g. by means of tubes screwed into each other: by means of coilable or bendable…
F16C 11/0661
Ball-joints; Other joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints: the two co-operative parts each having both…
F16M 11/14
In more than one direction: with ball-joint
F16M 11/16
Heads: details concerning attachment of head-supporting legs, with or without actuation of locking members thereof

Family

Application11/324,994Parent of this continuation · filed 3 Jan 2006
Application11/801,234Parent of this continuation · filed 9 May 2007
US 2011/0108683 A1Pre-grant publication · published 12 May 2011
US 7,891,615 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2007/0154254 A1Published application
US 2007/0212163 A1Published application
US 8,740,160 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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