Claims
- 1. A camera mount for use in an motor vehicle to support a camera for recording images from the motor vehicle, comprising:
an elongate rigid member for being attached to a seatback of a motor vehicle and having a support surface for disposing an imaging apparatus substantially centrally relative to a central axis of the vehicle beyond a view point of an eye of an occupant of the seat nearest the centerline of the vehicle such that the imaging apparatus is unobstructed for receiving images by use of the seat; fasteners for securing a camera to the support surface; connectors for connecting the rigid member to respective supports of a headrest of the motor vehicle in which the camera mount is installed.
- 2. The camera mount as recited in claim 1, wherein the rigid member is tubular body.
- 3. The camera mount as recited in claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a bracket that receives a fastener for operatively engaging the rigid member to a headrest support in the seatback.
- 4. The camera mount as recited in claim 3, wherein the rigid member defines opposing openings for receiving the bracket and the fastener engaged thereto.
- 5. The camera mount as recited in claim 3, wherein the bracket comprises a j-bolt having a portion extending around a respective one of the headrest supports and having a threaded end which extends through an opening in the bracket mounting surface; and
a fastener received on the threaded member, whereby the rigid member is connected to the headrest support.
- 6. The camera mount as recited in claim 3, wherein the bracket comprises:
a block defining a notch for receiving a portion of a respective one of the headrest supports; and a threaded fastener extending through an opening in the rigid member and engaging the block, whereby the bracket secures the rigid member to the headrest support.
- 7. The camera mount as recited in claim 3, wherein the bracket comprises a block having a side defined by a first face and a second face which are parallel to a plane on a longitudinal axis of the block, said first face disposed in a plane closer to the longitudinal axis than the plane in which said second face is disposed, whereby said side of the block defines a notch therein for receiving a portion of a rectangular headrest support; and
the block defining a tapped bore extending partially therein from the second face for receiving the fastener for connecting said camera mount to said bracket.
- 8. The camera mount as recited in claim 7, wherein at least one land portion extends laterally from the second face for being received within a mating opening in the camera mount whereby the extending land restricts the bracket from rotational movement while the fastener is attached to the bracket.
- 9. The camera mount as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
a pivot plate pivotally connected to the camera support surface for receiving the camera; means for locking the pivot plate at a selected angle relative the camera support surface, whereby the camera can be selectively tilted for adjusting the angle of the camera view for recording images.
- 10. The camera mount as recited in claim 9, wherein the pivot plate comprises:
a support adapted for being connected to the rigid member; and a plate member pivotally connected to the support for receiving the camera thereon.
- 11. The camera mount as recited in claim 10, wherein the support defines an opening for receiving a bolt for connecting the support to the camera support surface.
- 12. The camera mount as recited in claim 10, wherein the camera support surface defines a slot substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rigid member; and
further comprising a connector that extends through the slot and engages the support for selectively positioning the plate member longitudinally along the rigid member.
- 13. The camera mount as recited in claim 1, wherein the connector comprises at least one strap attached at a first end thereof to the rigid member and being adapted at a second end thereof for detachable engagement to a buckle attached to the rigid member, for extending around the seatback and engaging the buckle whereby the rigid member is secured to the seat of the motor vehicle.
- 14. The camera mount as recited in claim 1, further comprising a support for stabilizing the camera mount, comprising:
a support plate defining a planar surface for supporting a camera thereon; at least one lateral side extending from the plate; the support plate defining a central threaded bore for receiving a fastener therein for connecting the support plate to a camera mount; at least one pin connected to the lateral side in a first distal portion of the support plate; a telescopically extendable tube attached to the pin for pivotal movement about the pin, said tube being extendable to a selected length at a selected angle for a distal end to bear against a surface of the automobile; and means for securing a camera to the support plate.
- 15. The camera mount as recited in claim 1, wherein the pivot plate comprises:
a base plate with a pair of opposing sides extending therefrom; connector means for attaching the base plate to the camera support surface; each side defining a first opening near the base plate and a second opening distal from the base plate; a nut coaxial with the second opening; a pivot member with a pair of opposing sides which define a pivot opening, an arcuate slot concave towards the base plate, and camera connecting means for attaching a camera to the pivot plate; a pair of pins, each received through a respective one of the pivot openings of the pivot member and the respective aligned first opening in the base plate, whereby the pivot member pivots relative to the base plate about the pins; and at least one threaded pin extending through one of the arcuate slots of the pivot member and the aligned second opening of the base plate and engaging the nut, whereby the pivot movement of the pivot member is guided by the threaded pin traveling relative to the arcuate slot and the pivot member is secured in a selected position by tightening the threaded pin to the nut.
- 16. The camera mount as recited in claim 1, further comprising a pivot plate comprising:
a base plate with a pair of spaced-apart flanges extending from a first side portion of the base plate, and at least one of the flanges defining a bore; connectors for attaching the base plate to the camera support surface; a pivot member with a pivot flange extending therefrom and received between the spaced-apart flanges of the base plate, the pivot flange defining a threaded bore coaxial with the bore in the flange of the base plate, and camera engaging means for attaching a camera to the pivot member; and a threaded fastener extending through the bore in the flange of the base plate and engaging the threaded bore in the pivot plate, whereby the pivot member is moveable to selected angle relative to the base plate and secured thereat by tightening the threaded fastener to the pivot member, whereby a camera, being attached to the pivot member, is positionable at a selected angle for recording images.
- 17. A method of securing a camera in a vehicle for recording images from the vehicle, comprising the steps of:
(a) attaching an elongated rigid member to a pair of headrest supports extending from a seatback of a vehicle, the rigid member defining a camera support surface defining an opening for receiving a fastener for engaging an imaging apparatus thereto and defining second openings for receiving brackets to secure said member to the headrest supports; (b) disposing a imaging apparatus to the support surface substantially centrally relative to a central axis of the vehicle beyond a view point of an eye of an occupant of the seat nearest the centerline of the vehicle such that the imaging apparatus is unobstructed for receiving images by use of the seat.
- 18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:
(c) attaching a pivot plate to the camera mount disposed between the support surface and the imaging apparatus, whereby said pivot plate is selectively tilted for adjusting the angle of the view for recording images; and (d) locking the pivot plate in a selected angle relative the support block, whereby a imaging apparatus, connected to the pivot plate, is selectively positioned for recording images.
- 18. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising the step of stabilizing the centerally disposed imaging apparatus by extending a telescoping member from the rigid member to a support surface in the vehicle.
Parent Case Info
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 09/028,598, filed Feb. 24, 1998, a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/919,298, filed Aug. 28, 1997, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,101 on Nov. 10, 1998.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09527665 |
Mar 2000 |
US |
Child |
10012696 |
Nov 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09028598 |
Feb 1998 |
US |
Child |
10012696 |
Nov 2001 |
US |
Parent |
08919298 |
Aug 1997 |
US |
Child |
10012696 |
Nov 2001 |
US |