Support facility for a binocular

A support facility for a binocular has a base, the base including a tripod connection facility, a flexible strap having a first strap end connected to the base, and an opposed second strap end, a tensioner connected to the base and to the second strap end, the flexible strap, the base, and the tensioner defining an opening configured to receive a first barrel of the binocular, and the flexible strap including a length adjustment facility adjustable over a range of length adjustment positions. The length adjustment facility may be configured to provide a selected strap length based on the diameter of the first barrel. The tensioner may be configured to operate between a released position in which the length adjustment facility is removable from or movable along the flexible strap and an engaged position in which the support facility is engaged to the first barrel.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to binoculars, and more particularly to a support facility for a binocular that enables both open bridge and closed bridge styles of binoculars to be mounted on a tripod.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Support facilities for a binocular provide many advantages to the user when they are installed on a binocular. Mounting a binocular on a tripod stabilizes the view through the binocular, eliminates arm strain from holding the binocular, and makes extended viewing periods comfortable.

Although various prior art binocular tripod adapters exist, they lack the ability to retain the fit adjustment of the binocular tripod adapter to fit a specific binocular. Thus, the user must readjust the fit of the binocular tripod adapter each time the binocular tripod adapter is removed and replaced on the binocular. In addition, many existing solutions do not offer the flexibility to adapt to a wide variety of sizes of ocular bodies. Furthermore, there are post-style tripod adapters for a binocular, but they have many problems including loosening over time, loose parts that can get lost in the field, and they add unneeded height that prevents fitting the binocular in a carry case easily.

Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved support facility for a binocular that enables both open bridge and closed bridge styles of binoculars to be mounted on a tripod. In this regard, the various embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill at least some of these needs. In this respect, the support facility for a binocular according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of enabling both open bridge and closed bridge styles of binoculars to be mounted on a tripod.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved support facility for a binocular, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide an improved support facility for a binocular that has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned above.

To attain this, the preferred embodiment of the present invention essentially comprises a base, the base including a tripod connection facility, a flexible strap having a first strap end connected to the base, and an opposed second strap end, a tensioner connected to the base and to the second strap end, the flexible strap, the base, and the tensioner defining an opening configured to receive a first barrel of the binocular, and the flexible strap including a length adjustment facility adjustable over a range of length adjustment positions. The length adjustment facility may be configured to provide a selected strap length based on the diameter of the first barrel. The tensioner may be configured to operate between a released position in which the length adjustment facility is removable from or movable along the flexible strap and an engaged position in which the support facility is engaged to the first barrel. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT EMBODIMENT

An embodiment of the support facility for a binocular of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the reference numeral10.

FIGS. 1-3illustrate the improved support facility for a binocular10of the present invention. More particularly,FIGS. 1 & 3show the support facility for a binocular with the tensioning quick release lever80in the engaged position. The support facility for a binocular has a base12having a front14, rear16, right side18, left side20, top22, and bottom24. The top of the base is concave in shape and defines three rearward-facing apertures26,28,30(visible inFIGS. 6-8) and a rearward-facing front slot74. The bottom of the base includes a tripod connection facility32having a dovetail34configured to be received by a standard tripod mount clamp and defining a right cavity36, left cavity38, front aperture40, rear aperture42, threaded aperture44, and smooth aperture46. The right and left cavities decrease the weight of the support facility for a binocular. The front and rear apertures receive a front safety stop screw48and a rear safety stop screw50, respectively, to prevent the support facility for a binocular from sliding off a standard tripod mount clamp during installation thereto. The threaded aperture has a ¼-20 thread to be compatible with a standard tripod mount screw (not shown). The smooth aperture is sized to be compatible with a standard tripod mount spring-loaded pin (not shown). In alternative embodiments, the front and rear safety stop screws can be omitted, and the ¼-20 threaded aperture can also be omitted so there is only a single ⅜-16 threaded mounting aperture. A thread reducer bushing can be used to convert the ⅜-16 threaded mounting aperture from a ⅜-16 thread to a ¼-20 thread.

A rear bar52is attached to the rear16of the base12. The rear bar has a front54, rear56, right side58, left side60, top62, and bottom64. The top of the rear bar is concave in shape and defines three forward-facing apertures66,68,70and a forward-facing rear slot72. Apertures68,70of the rear bar are axially registered with apertures28,30of the base such that right screw76and left screw78are received within the apertures to threadedly secure the rear bar to the rear of the base. When the rear bar is attached to the base, the rear slot is axially registered with the front slot74in the base.

A tensioning quick release lever/tensioner/tensioning facility80is pivotally connected to the left sides20,60of the base12and rear bar52by front and rear protrusions82,84at the top124that are releasably received by the rear slot72in the rear bar and the front slot74in the base. The tensioning quick release lever defines a front aperture86and a rear aperture88below the front and rear protrusions, respectively, and has a bottom90. The tensioning quick release lever is an over-center clamp mechanism in the current embodiment and is a tensioning element other than a length adjusting element.

A flexible strap92has opposing ends94,96(a first strap end and an opposed second strap end). The opposing ends of the strap overlap an intermediate portion98of the strap to form a right loop100and a left loop102. In the current embodiment, end94is sewn with bar tacks to secure end94to the intermediate portion of the strap. The right loop is pivotally secured to the right sides18,58of the base12and rear bar52by a right pin104having opposing ends106,108that are received in apertures26,66in the base and rear bar. The right loop encompasses the right pin, which serves as a strap support bar. The left loop is pivotally secured to the tensioning lever80by a left pin110having opposing ends112,114that are received by the front aperture86and rear aperture88in the tensioning quick release lever. The left loop encompasses the left pin, which serves as a strap support bar. A tri-bar glide/adjustor116having a left aperture118and a right aperture120separated by a central bar122receives the middle portion of the strap and the overlapping portion of opposing end96of the strap. The two overlapping layers of strap pass upwards through the right aperture, pass over the central bar, and pass downwards through the left aperture. The tri-bar glide is a length adjustment facility positioned at an intermediate position on the strap away from the opposing and94of the strap. The length adjustment facility is adjustable over a range of length adjustment positions to create an effective length of the strap. The length adjustment facility is configured to provide a continuous range of length positions and is infinitely adjustable within the range of length positions. Although end96is free, end96is trapped by the effect of the tri-bar glide, as well as being captured by the tension of the outer layer of the strap. In the current embodiment, the strap is a woven web, and the opposing end/second strap end96is connected to the tensioning quick release lever such that the strap does not protrude beyond the tensioning quick release lever. The strap, base, rear bar, and the tensioning quick release lever define an opening126. It should be appreciated that tension on the strap retains the tensioning quick release lever in the engaged position because the tension in the strap applies a force that pulls the tensioning quick release lever shut.

FIGS. 4 & 5illustrate the improved support facility for a binocular10of the present invention. More particularly, inFIG. 4the support facility for a binocular is shown attached to a left barrel202of a closed bridge style binocular200having a pair of connected barrels (left barrel202and right barrel204) with the tensioning quick release lever80in the engaged position. InFIG. 5, the support facility for a binocular is shown removed from the left barrel of the closed bridge style binocular with the tensioning quick release lever in the released position. The opening126defined by the strap92, base12, rear bar52, and the tensioning quick release lever is configured to receive either the left barrel202or the right barrel204of the closed bridge style binocular200. The left barrel and right barrel are spaced-apart and connected by a closed bridge206. The left barrel has a front208and a rear210with a rear eyepiece212. The right barrel has a front214and a rear216with a rear eyepiece218.

To attach the support facility for a binocular10to the closed bridge style binocular200, the user slides the tri-bar glide116to a position to provide a selected strap length of the strap92based on the diameter of the left or right barrel202,204. With the tensioning quick release lever80in the released position/released condition, the user inserts the front208,214, of either the left or right barrel through the opening126of the support facility for a binocular until the tri-bar glide abuts the closed bridge206. Then, the user pushes downward on the bottom90of the tensioning quick release lever to tension the strap about the selected barrel and clamp the front of the left or right barrel between the strap and the tops22,62of the base and rear bar52. The user then inserts the dovetail34of the base12into a standard tripod mount clamp (not shown), engages a standard tripod mount spring-loaded pin (not shown) with the smooth aperture46in the bottom24of the base, and threadedly engages a standard tripod mount screw with the threaded aperture44and the bottom of the base to secure the closed bridge style binocular to a tripod/support. The barrel that is not encompassed by the support facility for a binocular (the second barrel) is supported only by connection to the encompassed barrel (the first barrel). Tensioning the strap prevents rotation of the first barrel with respect to the strap in response to a torque applied by the weight of the second barrel. Furthermore, the second barrel remains free of contact by the base and strap despite being supported by connection to the first barrel. Because the tensioning quick release lever is releasably received by the rear slot72in the rear bar52and the front slot74in the base12, the tensioning quick release lever makes the support facility for a binocular easy to install because unthreading the strap from the tensioning quick release lever and threading it back together are not required for installation. Alternatively, a hook could be added to the strap to enable the strap to be removed and installed from pin104or pin110easily instead of or in addition to the releasably received tensioning quick release lever. It should also be appreciated that the tensioning quick release lever could be placed at pin104instead of pin110.

FIGS. 6-8illustrate the improved support facility for a binocular10of the present invention. More particularly,FIGS. 6-8show the position of the tri-bar glide116to provide a selected strap length of the strap92based on the diameter of the left or right barrel202,204of the closed bridge style binocular200. InFIG. 6, the barrel diameter is 1.77 inch/45 mm, which is the smallest barrel diameter the support facility for a binocular can accommodate. InFIG. 7, the barrel diameter is 2 inch/51 mm, which is the barrel diameter that most closely matches the curvature of the convex tops22,62of the base12and rear bar52. InFIG. 8, the barrel diameter is 2.36 inch/60 mm, which is the largest barrel diameter the support facility for a binocular can accommodate.

The top22of the base12can be regarded as a cradle surface having a concavely curved central portion and having a first elongated base portion extending from a first end of the central portion and an opposed second elongated base portion extending from an opposed second end of the central portion, with the first strap end94of the strap92connected to the first base end and the second strap end96of the strap connected to the second base end. The base can also be viewed as a V block configured to supportably receive a range of barrel diameters. In the specification, the term V block is defined as anything that receives different diameters at different distances from the vertex and supports along two points or lines of contact. The surfaces need not be straight, but can be concave (or even convex) with a radius greater than the supported cylinder so that two point/lines of contact are maintained. The base has opposed wing elements (right and left sides18,20) connected by a central radiused portion. The central radius portion has a radius of at most 25.4 mm such that a barrel of that radius or greater is supported in at least two locations on the cradle surface. However, if the barrel has a radius smaller than 25.4 mm, the cradle can still adequately retain the barrel if the barrel has a rubberized coating that enables a firm hold. The cradle surface has an effective maximum diameter capacity defined by a circle having a center defined by the intersection of perpendicular lines at the ends of the wing elements. The maximum barrel diameter capacity is 69.4 mm, but accommodating that barrel diameter would require a longer strap that could potentially not fit barrels as small as 25.4 mm. In the current embodiment, the strap accommodates a barrel diameter from as small as 25.4 mm to as large as 62 mm, depending on the location of the bar tacks and interference between the bar tacks and the tri-bar glide116.

FIGS. 9 & 10illustrate the improved support facility for a binocular10of the present invention. More particularly, inFIG. 9the support facility for a binocular is shown attached to a left barrel302of an open bridge style binocular300with the tensioning quick release lever80in the engaged position. InFIG. 10, the support facility for a binocular is shown removed from the left barrel of the open bridge style binocular with the tensioning quick release lever in the released position. The opening126defined by the strap92, base12, rear bar52, and the tensioning quick release lever is configured to receive either the left barrel302or the right barrel304of the open bridge style binocular300. The left barrel and right barrel are connected by an open bridge306. The left barrel has a front308and a rear310forming a rear eyepiece312. The right barrel has a front314and a rear316forming a rear eyepiece318.

To attach the support facility for a binocular10to the open bridge style binocular300, the user slides the tri-bar glide116to a position to provide a selected strap length of the strap92based on the diameter of the left or right barrel302,304. With the tensioning quick release lever80in the released position, and with the front and rear protrusions82,84withdrawn from the rear and front slots72,74as shown inFIG. 10, the user passes the tensioning quick release lever through the central opening320in the open bridge306so the left or right barrel is received within the opening126of the support facility for a binocular and the tensioning quick release lever is outside the central opening in the open bridge. The user then inserts the front and rear protrusions into the rear and front slots. Subsequently, the user pushes downward on the bottom90of the tensioning quick release lever to tension the strap about the selected barrel to clamp the left or right barrel between the strap and the tops22,62of the base and rear bar52. The user then inserts the dovetail34of the base12into a standard tripod mount clamp (not shown), engages a standard tripod mount spring-loaded pin (not shown) with the smooth aperture46in the bottom24of the base, and threadedly engages a standard tripod mount screw with the threaded aperture44and the bottom of the base to secure the closed bridge style binocular to a tripod/support. The barrel that is not encompassed by the support facility for a binocular (the second barrel) is supported only by connection to the encompassed barrel (the first barrel). Tensioning the strap prevents rotation of the first barrel with respect to the strap in response to a torque applied by the weight of the second barrel. Furthermore, the second barrel remains free of contact by the base and strap despite being supported by connection to the first barrel. It should be appreciated that the support facility for a binocular accommodates the same range of barrel diameters for an open bridge style binocular as for a closed bridge style binocular.