Patent Application
20200046106
This invention relates to a shoulder sling for carrying equipment, and more specifically, this invention relates to a camera sling with means to reduce the swinging of a camera during periods of activity.
Many devices exist for attaching a camera to a user, with slings and harnesses being the most popular currently at the time of this application. State of the art camera slings and harnesses feature camera sliders. These sliders attach slidably to the harness or sling at one end and to a camera at the other. This configuration allows the camera to hang securely and hands-free from a harness or sling while not in use and enables a user to grab the hanging camera and slide it up to a shooting position with no lag time.
The invention of these camera harnesses and slings with camera sliders improved on the convenience of previous carrying devices by providing hands-free carrying of cameras without requiring a user to detach a camera from the carrying device before shooting. With the freedom of movement of the camera sliders offered by these state of the art slings and harnesses also came a disadvantage. As the camera sliders allow easy movement along the length of a camera sling and harness, the cameras tend to swing and bounce during periods of high activity of a user, representing danger to the attached cameras and accessories. This is especially true for photographers who are walking or hiking uneven terrain in pursuit of a subject or otherwise following the movements of an active subject.
Thus, a need exists in the art for a system for reversibly anchoring cameras attached to a camera sling or harness to reduce camera movement while not in use. Ideally, the apparatus would reduce the movement of a hanging camera while not in use but allow for quick release to a shooting position.
An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for reversibly limiting the movement of a camera hanging from a camera sling to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for quickly and reversibly limiting the movement of a camera hanging from a camera sling on camera sliders. A feature of the invention is an anchoring means featured on or near the waste of a user. An advantage of the apparatus is that its proximity to an inactive camera hanging from a camera sling allows for rapid attachment and detachment of the anchoring means to the camera.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for limiting the movement of a camera hanging on a camera slider from a camera harness without need for complicated or awkward camera positioning. A feature of the invention is that the anchoring means can quickly and easily be attached to a hanging camera with minimal movement of the camera. An advantage of the invention is that this rapid attachment allows a user to begin active movements following a subject without wasting time awkwardly positioning a camera into a stable position. Similarly, an advantage of the invention is rapid detachment of the anchoring means from a hanging camera. A feature of the invention is that one hand movement can release the anchoring means and release the camera to a free-shooting configuration.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a robust and durable anchoring means for a camera suspended on a camera slider. A feature of the invention is the use of durable and tough materials in the construction of the anchoring means. An advantage of the invention is that the anchoring means strongly resists movement by an anchored camera.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide multiple anchoring means to a camera suspended on a camera slider. A feature of the invention is a strap that can be used either as a stabilizing strap for a camera sling by encircling the arm of a user and attaching to the sling or an anchoring means by attaching to a hanging camera. An advantage of the invention is that the user can configure the invented camera sling to be in a stable, photo-shooting configuration or quickly convert to an active movement, camera anchoring configuration.
A further advantage of the invention is that the camera does not have to be manipulated into a specific or complicated position to utilize the anchoring means. Yet another advantage of the invention is that the anchoring means can be integrally integrated into the belt of a user or in an alternative embodiment can be reversibly detachable to the belt or belt loop of a user.
Briefly, the invention provides An equipment sling with anchor point comprising: a first strap configured to overlay a shoulder of a user and extend downwardly across a front and back of said user toward a hip of the user opposite the overlaid shoulder; a secondary strap having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is in slidable communication with the first strap along a first length of the first strap, and wherein the second end comprises means for reversibly fixing the secondary strap to said equipment; and an anchoring mechanism reversibly attached to the second end of the secondary strap such that the first end of the secondary strap is in slidable communication along a second length of the first strap, wherein the second length is shorter than the first length.
Also provided is a method for limiting movement of equipment suspended from a sling comprising: providing a shoulder sling having a primary strap configured to overlay a shoulder of a user and extend downwardly across a front and back of said user toward a hip of the user opposite the overlaid shoulder and equipment suspended from said primary strap by a secondary strap, wherein the secondary strap is in slidable communication with the primary strap; providing an anchoring mechanism that reversibly limits a range of movement of the secondary strap along the primary strap when the anchoring mechanism is reversibly attached to the secondary strap; and reversibly attaching said anchoring mechanism to said secondary strap.
The invention together with the above and other objects and advantages will be best understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of certain embodiments of the present invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings.
As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and preceded with the word “a” or “an” should be understood as not excluding plural said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment” of the present invention are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments “comprising” or “having” an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional such elements not having that property. As stated herein, “slidable communication” between two components means that one component may slide along the longitudinal axis of the other.
The present invention is a novel apparatus for temporarily limiting the movement of a camera suspended from a harness or sling from camera sliders. The device may feature one or both of two different anchoring means at the same time. When in use, the anchoring means can be quickly deployed to limit the movement of a hanging camera while a user is active and can be quickly released to allow the camera to move freely.
While useful for attachment to a camera as shown and described herein, this use is exemplary and not meant to be limiting. The invented apparatus can be used to support any equipment or device that can be hung from a shoulder sling. Such equipment or devices include: binoculars, handbags, grocery bags, guns, water bottles, pet leashes, and tote bags. This list is exemplary and not meant to be limiting.
An exemplary embodiment of the invented device is shown in
As shown in
In an embodiment, the strap 12 is a single continuous strap. Alternatively, as shown in
In an embodiment, the sliders 18 feature the apertures and buckle device described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/471,163 filed on Mar. 28, 2017, the entirety of which is incorporated herein, in order to provide the ability to adjust the length of the camera sliders 18.
As shown in
Returning to
Looking to
The device 10 may feature another stabilizing feature 52 shown in
The notch 88 extends at an angle θ to the longitudinal axis a of the waist attachment clip 64. The notch is designed to be non-parallel to the longitudinal axis a of waist attachment clip 64 so that once the waist attachment clip 64 is slid over a user's waistband or belt, the received fabric will not slide directly back out of the notch. Similar to the width of the notch, the angle θ can be customized to be any angle and is preferably between approximately 0 and approximately 90 degrees. Typically, the angle θ is between approximately 20 and approximately 45 degrees.
A salient feature of the embodiment shown in
All straps discussed herein are made from any suitably robust material. Typical materials include leather, canvas, goretex, nylon, cotton, polyester, rubber, and combinations thereof. The shoulder pad described above is made from similar materials.
When in use, the device provides a sling 10 configured to suspend a camera 25 secured to a camera slider. The device 10 allows a camera 25 to freely slide along the length of its strap 12 on either end of the shoulder pad shoulder pad 38. In this position 100 as shown in
In order to reach position 120 from the idle position where the camera 25 hangs free, a user unclips the clip comprising the first end of the stabilization strap from the D-ring 42 on the chest side of the shoulder pad of the device. The user then moves the stabilization strap so that it runs down their back and reversibly clips the free clip of the stabilization strap to the ring of the camera attachment means as shown in
Once the position of the camera is limited in position 120, the user can then free the camera 25 to be ready-to-shoot by disengaging the clip 50 of the stabilization strap from the ring of the camera attachment means, running the stabilization strap under their arm and re-engaging the stabilization strap's free clip to the chest side D-ring 42. This places the device back into position 100.
Alternatively or in conjunction with the stabilization strap 44, the waist mounted anchoring means 52 can be used to limit the movement of a camera hanging from a camera sling. As shown and discussed above, in position 100, the device provides a camera 25 that is free to slide along the length of the strap on either side of the shoulder pad. Where a user desires to begin active movement, they may attach the belt-mounted stabilizing feature 52 to the ring portion 28 of the camera attachment means 24 to move into the stabilized position 130 as shown in
In the stabilized configurations shown in
Both stabilization features shown and discussed above prevent movement of a secured camera 25 (positions 120 and 130) beyond an allowed distance as controlled by the fixed length of either stabilizing feature. Preferably, once the invented device is in a stabilizing configuration (120 and 130), the camera can only move a maximum of between approximately one and approximately six inches away from an idle hanging position. Typically, the camera is not allowed to move more than approximately three inches when in a stabilized configuration. These figures are exemplary and not meant to be limiting. The movement of the camera in a stabilized position can be customized by lengthening the stabilizing features (either the stabilizing strap or the waist-bound stabilizing feature). For example, a photographer using the invented device with a heavy camera/lens configuration may desire that the camera be allowed to move less than the distances cited above. In such a case, the lengths of either stabilizing feature can be customized to achieve the desired movement of the camera in a stabilized configuration.
A salient feature of the invention is the ability to rapidly engage a stabilization feature to a free-hanging camera when minimized swinging of the camera is desired. For example, using any embodiment of the stabilization feature, only one step is needed to engage a free clip on the end of the stabilization means to the camera attachment means of the camera slider. Such an engagement step can be performed rapidly using one hand. Similarly, the stabilization means can be released from the camera attachment means using one hand and one step to release the clip of the stabilization means from the camera attachment means.
As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, particularly in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” “more than” and the like include the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges as discussed above. In the same manner, all ratios disclosed herein also include all subratios falling within the broader ratio.
One skilled in the art will also readily recognize that where members are grouped together in a common manner, such as in a Markush group, the present invention encompasses not only the entire group listed as a whole, but each member of the group individually and all possible subgroups of the main group. Accordingly, for all purposes, the present invention encompasses not only the main group, but also the main group absent one or more of the group members. The present invention also envisages the explicit exclusion of one or more of any of the group members in the claimed invention.
