Abstract:
An apparatus, system, and method for mounting accessories on device, such as a camera, binoculars, firearm, weapon, and the like. The apparatus, system, and method may include a mounting device, which may be a bracket or rail. The apparatus, system, and method also include a safety mechanism that may be an integral part of the mounting device, or may be coupled or attached to the mounting device. The safety device allows accessories to be attached to the mounting device, but also prevents inadvertent detachment of the accessories from the mounting device.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/700,809, entitled “Apparatus, System, and Method for Securely Mounting Accessories to a Camera or Firearm”, filed Sep. 13, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates to an apparatus, system, and method for securely mounting accessories, including camera accessories and accessories for other devices. More specifically, this disclosure relates to an apparatus, system, and method for safely securing various kinds of accessories and other devices to a camera, a weapon, binoculars, and the like. 
     Accessory mounting brackets (also referred to as rails or mounts) are found on a variety of products, including still and video cameras, binoculars, guns and other weapons. These mounting brackets may be used hold a wide variety of accessories, including battery packs, adapters, lights, handles, scopes, sights, bayonets, grips, and laser aiming modules. 
     Conventional mounting brackets allow users to slide an accessory onto the bracket, but the accessory may also inadvertently or accidentally slide off. For example, if the bracket is mounted on a camera, and the camera is accidentally tilted, the angle of tilt may allow the accessory to slide off the end of bracket. If this occurs, the accessory may be damaged. The conventional mounting brackets lack a safety mechanism that will allow accessories to be simply and quickly placed onto a mounting bracket and also prevent the accessories from inadvertently or accidentally coming off. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention provides an apparatus, system, and method for securely mounting accessories on a camera, binoculars, firearms, weapons, and the like. The apparatus or system includes a mounting device, which may be a bracket or rail. The apparatus or system also includes a safety mechanism that may be an integral part of the mounting device, or may be coupled or attached to the mounting device. The safety device allows accessories to be attached to the mounting device, but also prevents inadvertent detachment of the accessories from the mounting device. 
     An embodiment of the invention includes a mounting bracket with at least one rail and at least one moveable safety mechanism. The safety mechanism may be spring-loaded or be moveable via some other form of actuation. In a particular embodiment, the safety mechanism may include a pin, rod, or peg that can be recessed into a mounting bracket and that, via some form of actuation (for example, a spring) can be made to extend from the mounting bracket; the pin is pressed down into the mounting bracket to place an accessory onto the bracket and is then released, thereby extending from the bracket and preventing the accessory from sliding off unless the pin is pressed down and recessed back into the bracket. An embodiment of the invention is a method for installing and removing an accessory from a device using a mounting bracket, in which a moveable safety mechanism prevents the accessory from inadvertently coming off the mounting bracket. 
     One of skill in the art will appreciate that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and is intended to cover the embodiments described in this specification as well as other embodiments that are within the spirit and scope of the this specification and the claims set forth below. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a mounting device with a safety mechanism on each end. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a notched mounting device with a safety mechanism on each end. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of a mounting device with a safety mechanism on each end and a slotted area for various screw spacings and sizes. 
         FIG. 4  shows a mounting device like that shown in  FIG. 2  attached to a camera. 
         FIG. 5  is a cut-away view of a mounting device showing an exemplary embodiment of a spring-actuated safety pin. 
         FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C  show an accessory being installed on a mounting device over a spring-actuated safety pin. 
         FIG. 7  shows an alternative embodiment of a mounting device on which an accessory has been installed, the mounting device having a spring-actuated lever assembly. 
         FIG. 8  is another view of the mounting device of  FIG. 7  showing an accessory being installed over the spring-actuated lever assembly. 
         FIGS. 9A and 9B  show another embodiment of a mounting device. 
         FIG. 10  shows an angled mounting device like that shown in  FIGS. 9A and 9B  attached to a camera. 
     
    
    
     Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention includes an apparatus, system, and method for safely mounting camera, weapons, binocular, etc., equipment and accessories to a mounting device to prevent the accessories from coming off.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention including a mounting device  100  with a safety mechanism  102 ,  104  at each end. As shown, this embodiment includes spring actuated-safety mechanisms  102 ,  104 . The mounting device  100  may be attached to another device, such as a camera or firearm, at the bottom  106  of the mounting device  100 . The top  108  of the mounting device  100  has rails  110 ,  112  on each side that extend outward from the mounting device  100  and run along at least a portion of the length of the mounting device  100 . As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the top  108  of the mounting device  100  may have a trough formed along its length, which can be seen in greater detail in the top view of  FIG. 3 ; this trough is shown also shown in  FIGS. 2, 5, and 6A-6C . As will be appreciated, the trough may be included to lighten the weight of the mounting apparatus. 
     As will be described in more detail below, an accessory (now shown in  FIG. 1 ) may be placed onto the mounting device  100  by depressing the safety pins  102 ,  104  and sliding the accessory from either end onto the rails  110 ,  112 . The depressed safety pin  102  or  104  will spring back to its extended state shown in  FIG. 1  after the accessory is slid along the rails  110 ,  112  far enough that the safety pin  102  or  104  is uncovered. The mounting device  100  may be various lengths, as desired for the application. The pins may be configured to extend various distances outward from the mounting rail  100 , as desired. In addition, instead of having two safety pins, one on each end, the invention encompasses having a single actuated safety pin on one end and a fixed mechanism or structure on the other. In such an embodiment, the accessory would be installed on and removed from the end having the actuated safety pin. 
       FIG. 2  shows another embodiment of a mounting rail  200 . Like the mounting rail  100 , the mounting rail  200  has spring-actuated safety pins  202 ,  204  and rails  206 ,  208 . The mounting rail  200  also includes a series of notches  210 , sometimes referred to as Picatinny locking slots. Picatinny is a standard defining the slot size and spacing of slot centers. The notches  210  need not be made to the Picatinny standard, and the slot size and spacing may be modified as desired. 
       FIG. 3  is a top view of the mounting device  100  showing a slotted area  302  at the bottom of the trough described above with respect to  FIG. 1 ; the slotted area  302  is configured to allow various screw spacings and sizes. The slotted area  302  in this embodiment includes three slots  304 ,  306 ,  308  that accept screws (not shown). The mounting bracket  100  is placed onto the device with which it is being used, e.g., camera or firearm, and any number of screws (here, the number may be 2 or 3) are screwed into holes on the device via the slots  304 ,  306 , and/or  308 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a Picatinny mounting device  400  (like that shown in  FIG. 2 ) attached to a camera  402 . A handle accessory  404  is mounted on the mounting device  400 . Safety pins  406 ,  408  are shown on either end of the mounting device  400 . 
       FIG. 5  is a cut-away view of a mounting device  500  showing an exemplary embodiment of a safety mechanism, in particular a spring-actuated safety pin assembly  502 . The assembly  502  includes a pin  504 , spring  506 , and set screw  508 . The pin  504  is inserted into a hole in the bottom  510  of the mounting device  500 . The hole extends through the mounting device  500  from the bottom  510  to the top  512 . In the exemplary embodiment, the hole has varying diameters; the lowest portion  514  of the hole is the largest diameter, the middle  516  smaller, and the top  518  the smallest. The pin  504  has two diameters; the top  520  is smaller than the bottom  522 . Having a larger diameter, the bottom  522  of the pin  504  is larger than the diameter of the top  518  of the hole, preventing the pin  504  from popping out of the hole. However, the top  520  of the pin  504  may extend outward from the hole, as shown. The spring  506  is inserted into the hole on top of the pin  504  in the middle portion  516  of the hole. The set screw  508  is then screwed into the hole on top of the spring  506 . The set screw  508  provides a platform for the spring  506  to actuate. As shown, the exemplary mounting device  500  also has two rails  524 ,  526  and a second pin  528 . 
     One skilled in the art will appreciate that this configuration of the safety mechanism is merely exemplary and that other configurations are available and are within the scope of the invention; in fact, a lever-based embodiment is described in detail below in connection with  FIGS. 7 and 8 . As an example of alternative embodiments of the safety mechanism shown in  FIG. 5 , the set screw  508  need not be threaded, but instead could be a weld or a dowel pin that does not move within the hole. Alternatively, instead of using a set screw or dowel pin or weld in the bottom of the hole, a plate could be placed over the bottom of the hole. It will also be appreciated that the hole need not be circular. An actuator other than a spring could be used. In addition, the material used for the mounting device may be a metal or some type of plastic or composite material. One of the safety pins may be fixed instead of spring actuated. For example, the pin  528  in  FIG. 5  may be fixed in place. 
       FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C  show an accessory  602  being installed on a mounting device  604  over a spring-actuated safety pin  606 . The mounting device has pins  606 ,  608  and two rails  610 ,  612 . As shown in  FIG. 6A , the accessory  602  has two slots  614 ,  616  that are complementary to the two rails  610 ,  612 . The safety pin  606  is pushed down to install the accessory  602 . The slots  614 ,  616  are aligned with the rails  610 ,  612  to allow accessory  602  to be installed on the mounting device  604 . As shown in  FIG. 6B , the accessory  602  slides along the rails  610 ,  612  across the pin  606  toward the middle of the mounting device  604 .  FIG. 6B  shows the accessory  602  clearing the pin  606 , allowing the pin  606  to spring back into place extending upward from the mounting device  604 . With both pins  606 ,  608  extending from the mounting device  604 , the accessory  602  cannot be removed prior to depressing one of the pins  606 ,  608 . 
       FIG. 7  shows an alternative embodiment of a mounting device  700  on which an accessory  702  can be mounted, the mounting device  700  having a spring-actuated lever assembly  704 . The lever assembly  704  includes a safety lever  706 , a spring  708 , and a set screw  710 . The set screw  710  may alternatively be a dowel pin. The set screw  710  is screwed through a transverse hole in the mounting device  700 , through the safety lever  706 , giving the lever  706  a pivot point along the axis of the set screw  710 . The lever  706  lies in a trough  712  formed in the mounting device  700 . The spring  708  is also within the trough  712  and is used to actuate the lever  706  upward. The lever  706  may be depressed by pushing down on it, thereby compressing the spring  708 . 
       FIG. 8  is another view of the mounting device  700  of  FIG. 7  showing the accessory  702  being installed over the spring-actuated lever assembly  704 . Similar to what is shown in  FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C , the lever  706  is depressed, thereby compressing the spring  708 , and slots  714 ,  716  on the accessory  702  are mated to the rails  718 ,  720  on the mounting device  700 . The accessory  702  is slid along the rails  718 ,  720  and over the depressed safety lever  706  until the accessory  702  clears the end of the safety lever  706  allowing it to spring upward and locking the accessory  702  onto the mounting device  700 . In  FIG. 8 , a second lever  722  can also be seen. The two levers  706 ,  722  prevent the accessory  700  from accidentally sliding off the rails  718 ,  720 . As stated above, one of the safety mechanisms on one end of the mounting device  700  could be fixed instead of being actuate-able. 
       FIGS. 9A and 9B  show another embodiment of a mounting device  900 . The exemplary mounting device  900  has two screw holes  902 ,  904  at either end that allow the mounting device  900  to be installed on a camera, firearm, or other device. The mounting device  900  is bent at four points  906 ,  908 ,  910 ,  912  along its length, allowing the mounting device  900  to fit over protrusions or to act as a handle. The mounting device  900  has two rails  914 ,  916  and two safety pins  918 ,  290 . The safety pins  918 ,  920  may be configured and operate like that described in connection with  FIG. 5 . In addition, an accessory (not shown) may be slid onto the rails  914 ,  916  and over a safety pin  918  or  920  as described in connection with  FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C . 
       FIG. 10  shows an angled mounting device  1000  like that shown in  FIGS. 9A and 9B  attached to a camera  1002 . As can be seen, the mounting device  1000  is attached to the camera  1002  with two screws  1004 ,  1006 . The mounting device  1000  extends outward to clear a protrusion  1008  on the camera  1002 . The mounting device has two safety pins  1010 ,  1012 , one on either end. 
     A number of embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. For example, the mounting device may be any desired length and may have a slot area along its center to lighten weight (as shown in  FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 ), or it may be solid without a slot. The rails may be configured differently from what is shown to handle different types of accessories. In addition, the mounting device may have an actuated safety mechanism on one end and a fixed mechanism or structure on the other.