Patent Application
20190235354
Various activities in an aquatic environment, such as scuba diving, snorkeling, spear fishing, swimming, surfing, etc., can include the use of a camera for underwater photography. Most underwater cameras are simply waterproof versions of typical cameras—they are held by one or both hands of a user, pointed at a scene and operated to take pictures. Some underwater cameras include a mount having one or handles or hand grips, but such mounts can be unwieldy and large, and usually require the user to constantly hold the mount with one or both hands.
In some cases, it is desirable, or even vital, for hands-free carriage of a camera, such as in an emergency situation or when the user needs to use their hands and arms for swimming. Current techniques for hands-free carrying of a camera include clipping or attaching the camera to a belt or clip, or mounting the camera within a holster or carrying case attached to the user. However, these techniques require time, precision and care, as doing these things in an aquatic environment, particularly in a dynamic or dangerous environment, is very challenging. If not done with precision, and the camera is untethered from the user, the camera can be lost in the water.
Further still, if a camera is properly retained to the user by a clip or holster, it is often very difficult to have quick access to the camera to take a picture of a desired scene, which can change very rapidly. Conventional camera attachment devices and techniques simply do not allow quick and accurate access to the camera when it is needed, nor do they allow proper and easy re-attachment or re-holstering.
What is needed is a camera holster that can allow for rapid and precise access to the camera by a user, secure tethering to the user whether or not being held in one or more hands by the user, and simple and fast re-attachment of the camera with the holster.
This document describes a camera holster, which is specifically suited for securing a camera in aquatic environments. The camera holster includes a base that can be attached to a belt or other type of accessory of a user. The base includes a front side and a back side. The back side includes an attachment mechanism for attaching to the belt or other type of accessory. The front side includes a first magnet. An interior of the base includes a spring-loaded cord with a securement device for attaching to a mount. The mount, in turn, is connected to the camera or a case around the camera. The spring is biased to retract the cord within the base interior. The biasing force is small enough to enable a quick access of the camera and extension of the camera via the cord away from the base, yet strong enough to retract the camera via the cord to the base if the user lets go of the camera. The biasing force can be tailored to overcome resistance of the water on the movement of the camera, particularly if the user is in motion in the water.
The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
These and other aspects will now be described in detail with reference to the following drawings.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
This document describes a camera holster system and apparatus, which is specifically suited for securing a camera in aquatic environments. In some implementations, a camera holster system includes a base and a mount. The mount includes a screw for attaching to corresponding receptacle in the camera or in a case of the camera. The base has a front side and a back side, and has an interior between the front side and the back side of the base. The interior defines a housing for containing a spring, such as a constant force spring formed of a wound-up metal coil, for example. A proximal end of the spring is rigidly attached to the housing, and a distal end of the spring is coupled with a cord.
The cord has a proximal end attached to the distal end of the spring, and a distal end having a securement mechanism. The securement mechanism can be a screw, a clip, a bolt, a pin, a latch or other type of attaching device to attach to the mount and secure the camera. In some implementations, the camera is provided with the corresponding securement mechanism to couple with the securement mechanism of the cord, such as a threaded aperture or the like. The cord can be made of a waterproof material, such as stainless steel, or plastic or rubber wrapped braided material.
The cord can be extended from and retracted back to the housing of the base. In fully or at least partially extended mode, the cord extends at a distance from the base to enable a user to hold the camera in a desired location, i.e. in front of user's face, for example. In fully or at least partially retracted mode, the cord returns the mount and camera to abut the base. The spring is biased to retract the cord within the base interior. The biasing force is small enough to enable a quick access of the camera and extension of the mount and camera via the cord away from the base, yet strong enough to retract the camera via the cord to the base if the user lets go of the camera. The biasing force can be tailored to overcome resistance of the water on the movement of the camera, particularly if the user is in motion in the water.
The front side of the base includes a first magnet, while the mount includes a second magnet. The second magnet can be embedded in the mount. When the cord is fully or at least partially retracted into the housing of the base, the second magnet of the mount will abut with the first magnet of the base to hold the camera to the base. A hole or aperture from which the cord extends from the base can be positioned on the front side or other side of the base so as to facilitate proper alignment or abutment of the first and second magnets. The front side of the base can also include one or more protrusions, ridges, indents, or other alignment features that can interact with similar feature associated with the camera, for further facilitating such alignment and abutment.
The back side of the base includes an attachment mechanism for attaching to the belt or other type of accessory worn by the user. The attachment mechanism can include one or more belt loops, for example. In other implementations, the attachment mechanism can include one or more of a clip, a latch, a pin, a screw, a bolt, a rivet, a button, and/or a hook and loop fastener.
The front side 102 of the base 100 includes a first magnet 110. The first magnet 110 can be a plate-shaped magnet, of either a squared or rounded planar shape. Alternatively, the first magnet 110 can be any other shape, such as cylindrical, conical, frustoconical, frustopyramidal, or other truncated or non-truncated shape. Preferably, a portion of the first magnet 110, such as a face or an end, is at or protrudes from the front side 102 of the base 100. For instance, if the first magnet 110 is plate-shaped, the plate magnet can form some or all of the front side 102. Alternatively, no matter what the same of the first magnet 110, the first magnet 110 can be embedded in, attached to, protruding from, or contiguous with the front side 102.
The base 100 can be made of any waterproof or water resistant, preferably rigid or semi-rigid material, such as steel, aluminum, nylon, plastic, carbon fiber, or the like.
The interior 105 of the base 100 defines a housing for containing a spring 107, shown in dotted lines, such as a constant force spring formed of a wound-up metal coil, for example. A proximal end of the spring 107 is rigidly attached to the housing, and a distal end of the spring is coupled with a cord 112. The cord 112 can be extended from and retracted back to the housing 105 of the base 100. In fully or at least partially extended mode, the cord 112 extends at a distance from the base 100 to enable a user to hold the mount and the camera in a desired location, i.e. in front of user's face, for example. In fully or at least partially retracted mode, the cord 112 returns the mount and camera to abut the base 100. The spring is biased to retract the cord within the base interior 105. The biasing force is small enough to enable a quick access of the camera and extension of the camera via the cord 112 away from the base 100, yet strong enough to retract the mount and camera via the cord 112 to the base if the user lets go of the camera. The biasing force can be tailored to overcome resistance of the water on the movement of the camera, particularly if the user is in motion in the water
The mount 200 further includes a receptacle 206 or other attachment mechanism for receiving and attaching to the cord that extends and retracts from the base, as described above.
A front side of the base 304 includes a first magnet, while the mount 306 includes a second magnet. The second magnet can be embedded in the mount 306. When a cord is fully or at least partially retracted into a housing of the base 304, the second magnet of the mount 306 will abut with the first magnet of the base to hold the camera 302 to the base 304. A hole or aperture from which the cord extends from the base can be positioned on the front side or any other side of the base 304 so as to facilitate proper alignment or abutment of the first and second magnets. The front side of the base can also include one or more protrusions, ridges, indents, or other alignment features that can interact with similar feature associated with the camera, for further facilitating such alignment and abutment.
Although a few embodiments have been described in detail above, other modifications are possible. Other embodiments may be within the scope of the following claims.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/612,673, filed Jan. 1, 2018 entitled “Magnetic Camera Holster For Aquatic Environments”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62612673 | Jan 2018 | US |
