Abstract:
Disclosed herein are embodiments of an adapter for affixing useful articles upon a support system. A first article adapter is provided. In some devices, binoculars are outfitted with a connecting rod that the adapter can snap into. Other article adapters include a camera mount and a gun mount. A second support adapter can then be attached to a stand, such as a tripod, bipod, or monopod, or other support structure using known means.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority as a non-provisional perfection of prior filed U.S. provisional application No. 61/587,447, filed Jan. 17, 2012, and incorporates the same by reference in its entirety herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The disclosure relates to supports and connectors for supports and more particularly relates to supports usable with various sporting goods. 
       BACKGROUND FO THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Enjoying the outdoors is a pastime for many individuals. One difficulty in enjoying the outdoors is the need to pack equipment—you are limited to what you can easily carry. To this end many products and innovations have been developed to help individuals pack and carry useful items when enjoying the outdoors in their particular way. Device supports have thus been developed and manufactured to aid in holding, supporting, carrying, stabilizing and stowing a wide range of articles. Generally speaking, such supports need to be small and stowable in and of themselves and must be easily assembled and/or attached to the article they are intended to support. 
         [0004]    The present invention is a quick detach support system for various articles. A universal coupling system is utilized throughout the system so that various support adapters for various articles may be used in the system. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention&#39;s general purpose is to provide a new and improved quick-detach support system that is usable with articles usually packed with an individual while enjoying or documenting the outdoors. To accomplish this objective, an adapter is attached to some form of support while another is attached to the article desired to be supported. The two adapters are supplied with the quick detach coupling apparatus and may then mate in an effort to attach the article on the desired support. 
         [0006]    The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow. 
         [0007]    Many objects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views. 
         [0008]    Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Of particular note, one commonly packed support item is a tripod or bipod. Tripods are usually used by photographers who need stability when taking pictures. Bipods are used by some hikers to help support items on themselves or their equipment, such as a backpack like one described in the co-pending Application entitled “Optical Support Device” and filed Jan. 17, 2013 as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/743,566, which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. Accordingly, the support adapter of the invention is being described herein as being usable on a tripod or bipod, however, it is to be understood that the use of these terms is only in a general sense and that any item may be used to support the adapters herein described, if being made to work with said item. Likewise, a number of embodiments of the article adapters are described, with particular emphasis on a novel binocular adapter. Adapters may be made for other articles. 
         [0009]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention in use with a pair of binoculars. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the connecting rod used in the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a side elevation of the connecting rod of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the connecting rod of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a platform-style adapter, as depicted in the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of an alternate platform-style adapter. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an alternate bipod adapter. 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the alternate platform-style adapter of  FIG. 6  with a connecting rod of  FIG. 2  thereon. 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a camera mount adapted for use with the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a side elevation of the camera mount of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the camera mount of  FIG. 9  mounted upon the bipod adapter of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a gun mount mounted upon the bipod adapter of  FIG. 7 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is a partially transparent perspective view of a table adapter for use with the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the supports for the table adapter of  FIG. 13 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 15  is a side elevation of the table supports of  FIG. 14 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 16  is a side elevation of the table supports of  FIG. 14 , stowed and mounted upon the platform adapter of  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0026]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of the invention for mounting binoculars  140  on a support stand. Optical devices other than binoculars may be used in other embodiments of the invention. In this first embodiment, the binoculars  140  comprise two telescopes  142   a,b  and a bridge  144 . The binoculars  140  are connected to a connecting rod  110  that allows the binoculars  140  to interface with the support adapter  120 . The support adapter  120  can then connect to a tripod, bipod, monopod, or any similar support stand. The support adapter  120  and connecting rod  110  are designed to be easily attached or detached from one another. 
         [0027]      FIGS. 2-4  show the connecting rod  110  in more detail. The connecting rod  110  is cylindrical and includes a narrow cylindrical end  112  that can be inserted into and attached to the binoculars  140 . In this embodiment, the narrow end  112  is threaded and may be screwed into the bridge  144  of the binoculars  140 . In other embodiments, the connecting rod  110  may be attached to the binoculars  140  using any means known in the art. A wider cylindrical end  114  remains exposed. The wider end  114  comprises a slot  116  that goes entirely through the connecting rod  110 . The slot  116  is rectangular-shaped and used for connection to the adapter  120 . The connecting rod  110  also comprises a notch  118  on the end of the connecting rod  110 . The notch  118  is shaped so that a flat-head screw driver may be used to screw the connecting rod  110  into the binoculars  140 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 5  shows the support adapter  120  in more detail. The support adapter  120  is designed to snap into the slot  116  of the connecting rod  110 . Accordingly, the support adapter  120  includes adjacent narrower  122  and wider  124  tabs extending in parallel from the top of a fin-shaped neck  132  with a gap  128  in between the tabs  122  and  124 . The narrower tab  122  contains a trapezoidal-shaped end  126 . Where the trapezoidal shape  126  is widest, the width of the narrower tab  122 , gap  128 , and wider tab  124  should be larger than the slot  116 . At the trapezoidal shape&#39;s  126  narrowest, the width of the narrower tab  122 , gap  128 , and wider tab  124  should be smaller than the slot  116 . The non-trapezoidal section  127  of the narrower tab  122  should be slightly longer than the depth of the slot  116 . This will allow the trapezoidal-shaped end  126  to extend beyond the slot  116  and lock the support adapter  120  to the connecting rod  110 . 
         [0029]    The narrower tab  122  may be made from a rigid material such that it is still somewhat flexible. However, the narrower tab should return to its previous position and not permanently deform. The material for the tabs  122  and  124  should also be rigid enough to prevent the narrower tab  122  from moving towards the wider tab  124  without being squeezed. The narrower tab  122  may be squeezed towards the wider tab  124  to allow the support adapter  120  to fit into the slot  116 . Once in the slot  116 , the narrower tab  122  returns to its original position and cannot be removed without again squeezing the narrower tab  122  towards the wider tab  124 . During insertion, the slot  116  may apply the pressure to squeeze the narrower tab  122  closer to the wider tab  124  as the slot  116  is slid along the trapezoidal-shaped end  126  in the direction of increasing width. This will allow the support adapter  120  to enter the slot  116  without squeezing by the user. However, the support adapter  120  cannot be similarly removed without squeezing from the user. This will prevent the support adapter  120  from being unintentionally dislodged from the connecting rod  110 . 
         [0030]    In other embodiments,  FIGS. 6-8 , the narrower tab is a separate piece  222  that is permanently affixed to the neck  232  via means known in the art such as rivets, screws, or bolts  224 . In some instances, the narrower tab  222  is a strip of metal or plastic thin enough to provide the flex needed for the alternate support adapter  220  to be inserted into the connecting rod  110  ( FIG. 8 ). Rather than having a trapezoidal-shaped end, the strip is bent outward at a 90° angle where the base of the trapezoid would be and then bent back inward at an acute angle, thereby creating a similar trapezoidal profile. The 90° bend prevents the adapter  220  from being removed from the connecting rod  110 , while the acute bend allows the slot  116  to squeeze the narrow tab  222  towards the neck  232  during insertion. In still other embodiments, more than two tabs may be used. 
         [0031]    Referring back to  FIG. 5 , the neck  132  is attached at its bottom to the base  130  of the support adapter  120 . The base  130  is perpendicular to the neck  132 . In this embodiment, the neck  132  and base  130  are attached due to being fabricated out of a single piece of material. The base  130  of the support adapter  120  is able to connect to a tripod or similar stand using any mean known in the prior art. In this embodiment, the base includes screw slots  136   a,    136   b  for attachment to the tripod with screws. The neck  132  may also include additional slots in it  134 . It is, of course, to be readily understood that the base depicted in these drawings is generic and that any type of base may be fitted with the dual tab interfaces described above and still be considered within the purview of this invention, as is shown in  FIG. 7  where bipod legs  330  are affixed to a blade-shaped support adapter  320 . 
         [0032]    Other mounts may be adapted to work with the present invention.  FIGS. 9-11  depict a camera mount  150  that has been fitted with a slot  152  of the same dimensions as slot  116 , thereby allowing its use with a base according to the present invention. Likewise, gun mount  154 , shown in  FIG. 12 , is fitted with a similar slot. Any type of support and any type of base may be utilized with the present invention where a quick detach but secure connection is desirable. Since the interface requires a slot and access to the top of the neck  132 , in particular the narrower tab  122 , both ends of the slot must be exposed in some fashion, one end for insertion of the neck  132  and the other for interface of the narrower tab  122  and for access to the tabs for release. 
         [0033]    Of particular interest is a table mount  160 , shown in  FIGS. 13-16 . A foldable surface  162  is stretched over a plurality of legs  164  joined at an interface  166  suitable for use with the present invention. The legs  164  fold, as shown in  FIG. 16 , and the whole table adapter is attachable to any of the adapters disclosed above. Deploying the table then is simply a matter of splaying the legs  164  and inserting them into pockets  168  provided on the underside of the table surface  162  and connecting the interface  166  to a support adapter  220  and attaching that support adapter  220  to a desired and suitable support, such as a tripod. The surface  162  may be made of any foldable material, such as cloth or plastic. 
         [0034]    Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be made and still the result will come within the scope of the invention. No limitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein is intended or should be inferred. The scope of the present invention should, therefore, be determined only by the following claims.