Binoculars mount having clamping and mounting plates

A binoculars mount secures a pair of binoculars to a mounting plate, which can, in turn, be mounted to a tripod or other support device. The mounting plate has a pair of cinch rings attached thereto and a plurality of openings therein. A clamping plate having a plurality of openings therein is oriented in spaced relation to the mounting plate. A single strap having hook-and-loop attachments is looped through one end of the mounting plate, through the first cinch ring, through the mounting plate openings, through the second cinch ring, through the other end of the mounting plate, through the clamping plate openings, back through the first cinch ring, over the top of the clamping plate, back through the second cinch ring and back over the top of the clamping plate to be secured by the hook-and-loop attachments.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to devices that secure binoculars, monoculars, night 
vision scopes, flashlights, and other like optical items to camera 
tripods, hiking staffs, window clamps, and other types of camera supports. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Over the years binoculars of various styles and sizes have been used by 
great numbers of people including boaters, birders, hikers, bikers, and 
the like. Most of these binoculars are designed to be hand-held. However, 
in order to get a steady view of a distant object it is sometimes 
necessary to rest the binoculars on or against a solid object. Many of the 
larger, more powerful binoculars have built-in tripod mounting 
attachments; however, the smaller, compact binoculars popular for most 
outdoor and sports activities have no provision for mounting to available 
camera supports. 
While there are several binocular mounting devices known in the art, these 
devices do not adequately address the stabilization needs of users of the 
current popular style of compact binoculars. Some of the described devices 
are complicated and/or heavy and difficult to use, while others do not 
work with compact binoculars, and none provide protection from the 
elements. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,133,719 issued to Beck describes a clamping device on a 
vertical column. This device does not work well with most compact 
binoculars because it does not adequately hold a pair of binoculars in the 
steady manner desired. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,451 issued to Conway describes a somewhat flexible, 
elongated mounting device with troughs for the monocular barrels of a pair 
of binoculars, a hump in the center against which the monocular barrels 
are pressed, and a securing strap that forces the flexible ends of the 
elongated body against the monocular barrels. Although this system is 
lightweight and uncomplicated, it does not work with many of the compact 
binoculars and does not allow for eye width adjustments in any binoculars 
without adjustments to the strap. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,991 issued to Webster describes a binocular mounting 
device that consists of a padded base with a holding strap which is 
centrally secured to the base in a manner that provides a pair of loops to 
secure the monocular barrels of a pair of binoculars. While this system is 
lightweight and uncomplicated, it will not work with compact binoculars 
which do not have individual monocular barrels. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,136 issued to Rudolph describes a complicated and heavy 
support apparatus for optical instruments, including binoculars, which is 
similar to that of Conway, but has extra positioning stops. 
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,025 discloses an apparatus for supporting personal 
computers atop tripods comprising a base having a fastener for securing 
the base to a support surface, and a plurality of support arm assemblies. 
This invention allows the computer to be operated atop tripods while 
providing a stable, transportable, and adjustable work station for using 
the computer in nontraditional environments. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,100 discloses a mount for a stand or a stool. The 
support legs for the stand or stool are disposed in a pyramidal 
relationship with a mount at the apex. The legs of the stand or stool are 
disposed between parallel, spaced legs of L-shaped brackets and pivotally 
secured thereto. The brackets are integrally joined to the legs and are 
removable from the remainder of the mount. The remainder of the mount 
comprises a support member or plate with a threaded rod depending 
perpendicularly therefrom. The rod passes between the L-shaped brackets, 
which pivotally hold the legs. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,661,308 discloses a support frame for attachment to the 
lower portion of the chest for supporting a viewing device such as 
binoculars. The support frame has an adjusting device for locating the 
viewing device in a convenient viewing position. The support frame 
includes a generally rectangular body plate, which is vertically disposed 
with its rearward side surface being slightly concave to the horizontal 
plane. The support device also includes a support arm attached to the 
lower front central portion of the body plate and extending horizontally 
forwardly from the body plate. The support frame additionally includes a 
vertically disposed collapsible post for supporting the viewing device at 
its upper end with a lower end of the post being attached to the support 
arm. The post is generally parallel to the body plate and is adjustable 
both as to its vertical height and as to its horizontal separation from 
the body plate. One or more straps are present for supporting the frame on 
the body of the wearer. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is a lightweight, compact, easy-to-use binoculars mount that 
allows compact binoculars to be used with a tripod or other type of camera 
support device. 
The invention includes a rigid, padded rectangular mounting plate. The 
bottom of the mounting plate is fitted with threaded inserts, which are 
multiple mounting locations for various types of tripods and other 
standard camera support devices. A cinch ring is attached to each end of 
the mounting plate. A securing strap has hook-and-loop fasteners at least 
on each end, and on interior portions that overlap with the two ends. The 
securing strap is looped around the bottom of the first of the two cinch 
rings, through the slots in the mounting plate and around the bottom of 
the second of the two cinch rings. The first end of the securing strap is 
attached around the first of the two cinch rings by the hook-and-loop 
fasteners and the second end of the securing strap is then looped around 
the bottom of the second cinch ring of the mounting plate. The second end 
of the securing strap is then looped through slots in a clamping plate, 
around the top of the first cinch ring, over the top of the clamping 
plate, around the top of the second cinch ring, and back over the top of 
the clamping plate. The hook-and-loop fasteners on the second end of the 
securing strap and on an interior portion of the securing strap complete 
closure of the securing strap to allow a binocular to be sandwiched 
between the mounting plate and the clamping plate. 
The clamping plate is fitted with two resilient foam pads, which are spaced 
so that they apply the clamping force from the securing strap to desired 
locations on the binoculars to hold the binoculars firmly in place, yet 
allow adjustment of the width of the binocular eyepieces without loosening 
the strap. The pads also provide a soft, resilient contact with the 
binoculars and raise the securing strap out of contact with the binoculars 
center hinge and focus adjustment mechanism of the binoculars. The cinch 
rings provide mechanical leverage that allows the securing strap to apply 
a firm hold with less strap force. Because the cinch rings are not rigidly 
attached to the mounting plate, they allow the securing strap to skew fore 
and aft with respect to the binoculars, thus allowing full contact of the 
clamping pads with various shaped binoculars. The securing strap 
distributes the securing force equally across the width of the clamping 
plate. 
An optional binoculars cover is sewn from a waterproof fabric with a soft 
lining and an elastic band sewn around the front and sides to hold the 
cover firmly over binoculars of various sizes. The cover is attached to 
mounting plate slots with two hook-and-loop straps for easy removal and 
adjustment of the cover. An optional waist strap, which secures the 
binoculars against the body of the user, consists of an elastic shock cord 
with a snap on one end that clips into a hole on one side of the mounting 
plate and an adjustable hook on the other end of the shock chord that 
clips into a hole on the other side of the mounting plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, the binoculars mount 1 of the present 
invention includes a rigid mounting plate 2, with an attached resilient 
pad 2a of, for example, neoprene foam or the like, to provide a soft bed 
to accept the rounded underside of binoculars. Mounting plate 2 is 
preferably rectangular and made of plastic or metal of adequate strength 
to resist deformation from the weight of the binoculars and the tension of 
the securing of the binoculars thereto. Mounting plate 2 has cinch rings 
8a and 8b attached to its ends. Mounting plate 2 also includes slots 10, 
11, 12, 13 and 14 disposed in-line along a longitudinal axes of mounting 
plate 2. 
The binoculars mount 1 of the present invention also includes clamping 
plate 6, a preferably flexible member having an arcuate profile to conform 
to the contour of the binoculars to be held. Clamping plate 6 is 
preferably comprised of a plastic material and has slots 6a-6d linearly 
disposed across the width thereof. Pads 7a and 7b are oriented in spaced 
apart relation on the underside of clamping plate 6 to cushion the barrels 
of a pair of binoculars sandwiched between clamping plate 6 and mounting 
plate 2. 
The binoculars mount 1 of the present invention preferably includes a 
single securing strap 3, having segments 4 and 5. Securing strap segments 
4 and 5 include a hook material and a loop material (for example, 
OMNITAPE.RTM. by VELCRO.RTM.) on opposing faces of at least segments 4 and 
5 and preferably along the entire length of opposite faces of securing 
strap 3, which allow the securing strap 3 to be folded back on itself, 
securing the hooks into the loops and creating a holding force. 
OMNITAPE.RTM. is a hook and loop fastener with both hooks and loops on 
each of two faces. However, more traditional hook-and-loop fasteners with 
hooks on one face and loops on the other can also be employed. Segments 4 
and 5 are sized such that binoculars of differing exterior dimensions can 
be held by the hook-and-loop attachment of segments 4 and 5 to mounting 
plate 2 and clamping plate 6 when securing strap 3 is adjusted based on 
binocular size. 
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, strap segment 4 is threaded through slot 10 of 
mounting plate 2, is looped through the bottom of cinch ring 8a, back 
through slot 10, and is doubled back upon itself to lock the hooks and the 
loops on opposing faces of segment 4. The securing strap 3 continues 
through slots 11 and 12 to be secured to mounting plate 2 while leaving 
the underside of mounting plate 2 and tripod attachment 16a, 16b and 16c 
exposed attachment of tripod bracket 30 thereto. Securing strap 3 
continues through key slot 13 to the upper side of mounting plate 2, 
through the bottom of cinch ring 8b, back down through key slot 13 and 
then up through slot 14. At this point, the attachment of securing strap 3 
to mounting plate 2 is completed. To attach securing strap 3 to clamping 
plate 6, strap segment 5 is looped sinusoidally through slots 6a, b, c, d 
in clamping plate 6, down through the upper portion of cinch ring 8a, back 
up over the top of clamping plate 6, through the upper portion of cinch 
ring 8b, and is doubled back upon itself to secure the hooks and the loops 
on opposing faces of segment 5. Cinch rings 8a and 8b allow the 
non-hook-and-loop side of segments 4 and 5 of securing strap 3 to slide 
freely as the securing strap 3 is being cinched. 
Cinch rings 8a and 8b also reverse the orientation of the two faces of 
securing strap 3 so that the face of segment 4 and of segment 5 having 
hooks thereon abuts the face of segment 4 or segment 5 having loops 
thereon if the hook-and-loop fasteners are not present along the entire 
length of the two opposite faces of strap 3. 
Cinch rings 8a and 8b are preferably of a "bow-tie" shape, as shown in FIG. 
3, that facilitates securing strap 5 to easily skew fore and aft to 
accommodate binoculars of various shapes without compromising the strap 
tension. Rectangular or round rings generally used in this type of 
application do not function adequately as they cause a strap to bind or 
bunch when skewed, thus making it difficult to cinch the strap correctly. 
Clamping plate 6 is of a flexible material which conforms to the contour of 
the binoculars, pressing pads 7a and 7b against the binoculars barrels as 
securing strap 5 is drawn up tight. Prior to tightening securing strap 5, 
clamping plate 6 may be moved longitudinally along securing strap 5 to 
position pads 7a and 7b directly over the barrels of the binoculars to 
apply properly directed clamping force and to provide clearance under 
clamping plate 6 for the centrally located focus mechanism on some 
binoculars. 
It is common for hikers, birders, and others to wear binoculars around 
their necks for extended periods, and in these cases it is desirable to 
protect the binoculars from the elements and to secure the binoculars 
against the body. As shown in FIG. 1, a padded nylon cover 18 is removably 
attached by adjustable hook-and-loop strap hinges 19a and 19b to the 
mounting plate 2 through slots 20a and 20b. The cover 18 is contoured to 
approximate the shape of a pair of binoculars and has a ring of elastic 
material sewn around its open end which, when pulled over the binoculars, 
constricts to hold the cover 18 over the binoculars. The cover 18 may be 
made of canvas, nylon, neoprene, knitted stock, or the like and may 
include a waterproof coating. Cover 18 may be embossed, printed, or 
embroidered with a logo, user's name, decoration, or instructional 
material and the like. 
To secure the binoculars mount 1 and binoculars against the user's body, an 
adjustable elastic waist strap 21 is provided. As shown in FIG. 1, the 
waist strap 21 consists of an elastic shock cord 22 secured to a snap 23, 
with crimp 24 at one end, and a hook 25 with an adjustment lock 26 on the 
other end. Snap 23 clips into hole 17a on mounting plate 2 removably 
attach waist strap 21 to mounting plate 2. Cord 22 is placed around the 
user's waist, and hook 25 is placed into hole 17b to secure cord 22 to 
mounting plate 2. Lock 26 can be released to allow cord 22 to be 
lengthened or shortened as required. 
While the above embodiments show the mounting of binoculars, the present 
invention contemplates the mounting of other optical devices which should 
be stabilized to maximize optical performance such as, for example, 
monoculars, night vision scopes, telescopes, still cameras, video cameras, 
and lights. The supports to which the above devices can be mounted include 
tripods, hiking staffs, and clamping devices. 
While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and 
described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein 
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.