Tripod for use with a camera

Abstract: The invention provides a tripod for use with a camera by which the camera can be set horizontally without any difficulty. The tripod includes a supporting base (10) for supporting a camera thereon through screw mechanism. On the lower surface of the base is provided a central leg (20) composed of a pliantly bendable rod like member. On both the sides of the central leg are symmetrically provided a pair of side legs (21), each of which is adapted to pivotally open in outwardly slanting direction to a stop position and is shorter than the central leg (20).

Description: The present invention relates to a tripod with the features of the preamble of claim 1 to which a compact camera is provided in photographing, and more particularly to a compact tripod for use in a camera which is used for photographing on a table and the like. The tripod for use in a compact camera has a screw member to fix a camera, on the upper surface of its supporting unit (which is called a universal head) so that the camera is fixed to the supporting unit by the screw member. Three adjustable legs are provided to the downward surface of the supporting unit that is used for supporting legs. The tripod is used in such a manner that: the legs are extended so that the leg positions can be located at the tops of a triangle formed on the ground; the length of the leg is adjusted so that the center of gravity of the camera can be placed inside the triangle; the tripod is installed on the ground; and further the tripod is adjusted while a photographer is looking into a viewfinder. There is a tripod having flexible legs which are composed in such a manner that the three legs of the tripod can be freely folded. In this case, the actual length of the legs and the positions of the tops of the tripod are adjusted by folding the legs of the tripod so that the camera can be set at a suitable photographing position. The tripod for use in a compact camera has a simple structure. However, it is not necessarily easy to set a tripod provided with a camera at a suitable photographing position. When a camera provided to a tripod is inclined, the horizontal line on the photographed picture is also inclined and the portrait is inclined, too, which is not desirable. When a photographer takes a photograph while holding a camera in his hands, he unconsciously holds the camera horizontally. However, when a tripod is used, the photographer must adjust the length of the tripod legs and the leg positions so that the camera can be set horizontally. A prior art tripod for use with a camera is known from DE-A-3 011 798. In this known tripod three pliantly bendable legs of equal length when stretched out are attached to a supporting means for supporting a camera thereon in a triangular arrangement. Due to the deformability of all three legs it is difficult with this known tripod to set a camera horizontally. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide a tripod for use in a camera by which the camera can be set horizontally without any difficulty. The above-described object can be accomplished by a tripod for use in a camera which comprises the features recited in Claim 1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are drawings which show the appearance of the tripod of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The tripod for use in a camera of the present invention, which will be explained in an example, combines the function of a tripod for use in a common compact camera and the function of a tripod for use in an automatic release camera provided with the panning function, so that panning photography can be taken using the tripod. At the outset, the function of a tripod for use in a common camera by which stationary photography is taken, will be explained as follows. The tripod for use in a camera of the present invention is illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The above-described tripod is composed of: the supporting unit 10 on which a camera is positioned and fixed; the flexible central leg 20 which is fixed to the center of the underside of the supporting unit 10; and the side legs 21 which can be opened to the outside stop position symmetrically with regard to the central leg 20. The above-described central leg 20 is formed in such a manner that a metal strip is wound spirally, so that the central leg 20 can be composed of the member having flexibility and adequate stiffness, and the upper end of the central leg 20 is fixed to the under side of the above-described supporting unit 10. On the other hand, the above-described side legs 21 are made from hard synthetic resin, and the upper ends of the side legs 21 are rotatably provided to the under side of the supporting unit 10 by a widely known pivotal mechanism so that the side legs and the above-described central leg 20 can form isosceles triangle. The upper end of the central leg 20 may not be fixed to the under side of the supporting unit 10, but it may be rotatably provided to the under side of the supporting unit 10 by the widely known pivotal mechanism in the same way as the side legs 21. The above-described tripod is used in such a manner that: a screw member to hold a camera is screwed to a screw provided to the bottom portion of the camera so that the camera can be fixed to the supporting unit 10; then the above-described side legs 21 are symmetrically opened to the outside stop position as illustrated in Fig. 2 and by this mechanism the camera can be automatically held horizontally; on the other hand the camera angle in the vertical direction can be freely adjusted when the elevation angle of the camera is adjusted by bending the above-described central leg 20 adequately; and further the rubber cap 22 is provided to the lower end of each leg so that each leg can not slip from the setting position. Consequently, according to the above-described tripod, the horizontal angle of a camera can be automatically determined only by opening a pair of side legs 21, and the elevation angle of the camera can be freely controlled by adjusting the bend of the central leg 20 without changing the horizontal state of the camera, so that the camera angle to an object can be very easily and quickly adjusted. The figures illustrated in Fig. 1 show the size of each portion of an example of a tripod that is suitable for a light compact camera to which a 35mm roll film is applied, for example. In order to adjust the camera position, it is preferable that the length of the side legs 21 is shorter by 10% than that of the central leg 20. The tripod for use in a camera of the present invention can be used not only for an ordinary camera but also for a camera in which the release operation can be controlled by the signal sent from various kinds of sensors such as an infrared sensor, a heat sensor, and the like so that panning photography and other various photography can be conducted. In this example, the leg length of the tripod is fixed, however the present invention can be applied to a tripod, the legs of which can be extended. In this case, the length of both legs must be the same, so that it is desirable that the legs are marked in order to prescribe the length of extended legs. According to the present invention, a useful tripod for use in a camera which is widely used in various fields, can be provided, wherein the tripod is distinguished in that the camera position with regard to a photographic object can be easily adjusted; not only an ordinary camera but also a special camera having the panning function can be provided to the tripod; panning photography or stationary photography can be selected only by resetting the camera; and the camera can be held horizontally and panning photography can be performed while it is held horizontally.

Claims: A tripoid for use with a camera, comprising: supporting means (10) for supporting a camera thereon; a central leg (20) provided to the downward surface of the supporting means (10) and composed of a pliantly bendable member; and a pair of side legs (21) of equal length symmetrically provided on both sides of the central leg (20), each of which is adapted to open in outwardly slanting direction; characterized in that the side legs (21) are rigid and each leg opens pivotally in outwardly slanting direction to a stop position and is shorter than the central leg (20), whereby the stop position defines the same slanting angle for each side leg (21). The tripoid of claim 1, characterized in that one end of the central leg (20) is fixed to the supporting means (10) and the other end can move in any direction by bending a part of the leg (20)

Inventors: YAMAGUCHI KOHICHI, YAMAGUCHI, KOHICHI
Applicants: KONISHIROKU PHOTO IND, KONICA CORPORATION
Application year: 1990
Main classification: F16M11
IPC codes: G03B17, F16M11