Patent Publication Number: US-2013235264-A1

Title: Flash bracket

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This applications claims the benefit of Provisional App. No. 61/608,353, filed Mar. 8, 2012. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a bracket suitable for interconnecting a flash and a camera and, more particularly, to a bracket enabling the relative locations of the flash and the camera to be quickly changed facilitating frequent switching of the camera between the landscape orientation and the portrait orientation. 
     When taking pictures, photographers frequently change the orientation of the camera between a landscape orientation where the base the camera is substantially horizontal and a portrait orientation where the camera is turned ninety degrees and what would be the base of the camera is substantially vertical. In many cases, the orientation of the camera is changed while using a flash to illuminate the subject. When a camera&#39;s base is held horizontally, in the landscape orientation, and the flash is supported on top of the camera, flash based pictures tend to turn out as desired. However, when the same camera is turned ninety degrees to the portrait orientation with the flash extending out to the side from what would be the top of the camera, flash based pictures tend to have an undesirable appearance. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,602 shows a camera bracket having a member with a base portion on which a camera can be detachably secured, and a second portion supporting a pivoting arm which, in turn, rotatably supports a member on which a flash attachment may be detachably connected. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,021 shows a camera attachment having an elongated base frame with vertical handles at each end and a camera attachment plate centrally located between the handles. A double parallelogram linkage consisting of a pair of inter-parallel links with the links connected to the upper end of one of the handles, a floating swing link, and an outer pair of pivotable links connected to a clamp ring provides support for a flash unit positioned in the clamp ring. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,036 shows a support for a camera and a photographic lamp which includes a vertical center section, a horizontal arm extending from the top of the center section to support the lamp, and a pivotal base that supports the camera beneath the lamp. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,967 shows an anatomically-shaped hand-grip assembly having a positive locking adjustment capability relative to a base plate to which a camera may be secured, and a positive locking adjustable flash shoe mounted on the top surface of the grip. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,457,535 shows a bracket suitable for mounting a flash comprising a curved arm that extends from the bottom of the camera over the top of the camera. The flash unit is slidable on the arm from a position above the camera to a position at the side of the camera enabling the flash to be located in the desired position above the camera&#39;s lens when the camera is in either a landscape orientation or a portrait orientation or an orientation in between. 
     Event photographers typically shoot in both landscape orientation and portrait orientation and often desire to switch rapidly between orientations. What is desired, therefore, is a compact flash bracket that minimizes the bulk of the photographer&#39;s equipment and which enables the flash to be quickly moved from a position favorable for photography with the camera in the landscape orientation to a position favorable for photography with the camera in the portrait orientation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view of a camera with an attached flash bracket and a flash arranged in a desired position for photography in the landscape orientation. 
         FIG. 2  is an elevation view of the camera, flash bracket and flash of  FIG. 1  with the flash arranged in a desired position for portrait orientation photography. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the flash bracket of  FIGS. 1 and 2  folded for storage. 
         FIG. 4  is a section view of the first beam of the flash bracket of  FIG. 3  taken along line A-A and illustrating engagement with a camera mounted L-plate. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an L-plate. 
         FIG. 6  is a partial section view of the flash bracket taken along line B-B of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is a partial section view of the flash bracket taken along line C-C of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a partial section view of the flash bracket taken along line D-D of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 9  is a partial perspective of a quick release apparatus including an adapter plate for securing a piece of photographic equipment to the flash bracket. 
         FIG. 10  is a partial perspective of the quick release apparatus of  FIG. 9  illustrating attachment of a piece of photographic equipment to the flash bracket. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Event photographers often desire to switch frequently and quickly between a landscape orientation where the base of the camera is held substantially horizontal to a portrait orientation with the base of the camera held vertically and vice versa. With a flash mounted on the top of the camera rotating the camera to the portrait orientation places the flash at the side of the lens and produces undesirable effects in the captured images. Referring in detail to the drawings where similar parts are identified by like reference numerals, and, more particularly to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , when shooting in either the landscape orientation  20  with base  22  of the camera&#39;s  24  body  26  aligned substantially horizontal as illustrated in  FIG. 1  or in the portrait orientation  40  with the base  22  of the camera&#39;s body  26  aligned substantially vertically as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , it is desirable to have the flash emitter  28  of the flash  30  aligned vertical above the camera&#39;s lens  32 . If the flash is mounted atop the camera on the shoe  34  the flash will located to the side of the lens when shooting in the portrait orientation which produces some undesirable effects in the captured images. The flash bracket  50  enables the rapid repositioning of the flash so that the flash emitter  28  can be located over the lens  32  on an axis  36  extending through the lens and substantially normal to the base  22  of the camera&#39;s body  26  when shooting in a landscape orientation  20  and can be located over the lens on an axis  38  extending through the lens and parallel to the vertical base  22  of the camera when the camera&#39;s body  26  is rotated ninety degrees for shooting in the portrait orientation  40 . 
     For illustration purposes, the flash  30  is mounted on an off-camera shoe adapter  42  which is attached to the flash bracket  50  and connected by a cord  44  to a remote unit  46  mounted on the shoe  34  on the top of the camera  24 . While an off-camera shoe adapter is common, in some cases the flash may be mounted directly on the flash bracket and operated wirelessly or otherwise without an off-camera shoe adapter. 
     Referring also to  FIG. 3 , the flash bracket  50  comprises, generally, three beams  52 ,  54 ,  56  each having at least one hinged connection with one of the other beams. To reduce the weight of the flash bracket, the beams  52 ,  54 ,  56  are each constructed of a light weight material, such as aluminum, and incorporate a lattice structure that reduces the beam&#39;s weight while maintaining the rigidity of the beams. The hinged connection  58  which joins the beams  52  and  54  allows the beams to be rotated to a stowed position abreast of each other and the hinged connection  60  which joins the beams  54  and  56  allows the beams to be likewise stowed abreast each other, enabling the flash bracket to be folded into a compact arrangement minimizing the bulk of the bracket for storage and transportation to an event. 
     Referring also to  FIG. 4 , the first beam  52  of the flash bracket  50  includes a bracket securement structure  62  proximate one end of the beam. The bracket securement structure  62  preferably comprises a fixed clamp jaw  64  and movable clamp jaw  66 . The fixed clamp jaw  64  comprises a base surface  68  arranged generally parallel to a side  70  of the first beam and a dovetail surface  72  arranged at an angle, for example forty-five degrees, to the base surface  68 . The movable clamp jaw  66  includes portions  74  keyed to a conforming portion  76  of the beam to guide the movable clamp jaw in a sliding motion substantially parallel to the base surface  68  of the fixed clamp jaw  64 . The movable clamp jaw  66  also includes a dovetail surface  66  which is arranged at an angle to the base surface of the fixed clamp jaw such that the dovetail surfaces of the movable clamp jaw and the fixed clamp jaw form complementary surfaces for engaging a dovetail. A clamp screw  80  engages a threaded aperture  84  defined by portions of the first beam and includes a knob portion  82  that bears against the movable clamp jaw  66 . When rotated in a first direction, the clamp screw moves the dovetail surfaces  72 ,  78  of the bracket securement structure toward each other to clamp a dovetail therebetween and when rotated in the opposite direction the clamp screw allows the dovetail surfaces to be moved away from each other by an elastic member  86  that is compressed between a portion of the first beam and the movable clamp jaw. 
     To secure the flash bracket  50  to a camera  24 , the dovetail surfaces  72 ,  78  of the bracket securement structure  62  are arranged to engage and clamp complementary dovetail surfaces  92 ,  94  of an L-shaped plate, commonly referred as an L-plate  90  which is attached to a camera  24 . Referring also to  FIG. 5 , the L-plate  90  comprises a base member  96  which is detachably affixed to the base  22  of the camera and a side member  98  that projects substantially normal to the base member along the side of the camera. The base member  96  is typically detachably affixed to the camera by one or more screws (not shown) which engage threaded apertures in the bottom of the camera. The side member  98  may unitary with the base member or may be separable from the base member and aligned with the base member by dowels  102  and attached to the base member by screws  100  as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . The side member  98  of the L-plate  90  includes portions defining a pair of side slots  104 ,  106  on the opposing edges of the side member and may include portions defining a central opening  108  to reduce the weight of L-plate. The outer side, for example surface  92 , of each side slot  104 ,  106  is arranged at an angle to the inner surface  112  of the respective side slot and the slots  104 ,  106  in the opposing edges of the side member  98  define a dovetail arranged for engagement with the complementary dovetail surfaces  72 ,  78  of the bracket securement structure  62  of the first beam  52 . To secure the flash bracket  50  to the camera  24 , the side member  98  of an attached L-plate  90  is inserted between the fixed clamp jaw  64  and movable clamp jaw  66  of the bracket securement structure  62  and the clamp screw  80  is rotated to draw the dovetail surfaces  78 ,  72  of the clamp jaws together and into clamping engagement with the dovetail defined by the slots  104 ,  106  in the side member  98  of the L-plate  90 . 
     The first beam  52  of the flash bracket  50  also includes a second dovetail mount  114  on the side of the bracket securement structure that is remote from the fixed and movable clamp jaws  64 ,  66 . The camera assembly may be secured to a tripod or a monopod  116  equipped with a clamp  118  similar to the clamp of the bracket securement structure of the first beam, by engaging and clamping the second dovetail mount  114 . 
     The first beam  52  is hingedly attached  58  to a first end of the second beam  54  at the end of the first beam opposite the bracket securement structure  62 . Referring also to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the end of the one of the beams, for example, the first beam as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , includes portions defining a center knuckle  120  for the hinged connection and an end of the other beam, the second beam  54  as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , includes portions defining a pair of opposed outer knuckles  122 ,  124  for the hinged connection. A shoulder bolt  126 , inserted into concentric bores  128 ,  130  in the outer and center knuckles, functions as a hinge pin about which the connected beams are rotatable relative to each other. 
     The shoulder  134  of the shoulder bolt  126  bears on a nut  136  with which the shoulder bolt is in threaded engagement. The head  138  of the shoulder bolt  126  defines a socket  140  for a wrench enabling the shoulder  134  to be securely tightened against the nut  136 . The nut  136  has a generally rectangular cross-section and is slidably retained but rotationally constrained in a rectangular aperture  142  in one of the outer knuckles  122 . The nut  126  is urged toward the center knuckle  120  by an elastic member  144  that bears on a base surface  146  of a blind cavity  148  defined by portions of the second of the outer knuckles  124  and on the head  138  of the shoulder bolt  126 . A portion of the length of the nut  136  is urged toward a base surface  152  of a blind cavity  150  defined by portions of the center knuckle  120  by the action of the elastic member  144 . As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , portions of the center knuckle  120  define a cavity  150  having a wall  142  circumscribing an area having the shape of a cross with lobes approximating the size and shape of a portion of the rectangular end of the nut  136  projecting at each quadrant. When the nut is engaged with the blind cavity in the center knuckle, the interaction between the sides of the portion of the nut projecting into the blind cavity and the wall  142  of the cavity enable the rotational position of the two interconnected beams  52 ,  54  to be secured at each ninety degree increment of relative rotation. 
     To rotate the first  52  and second  54  beams relative to each other, the camera user depresses the head  138  of the shoulder bolt  126  which serves as a release button at the hinged juncture of the first  52  and second  54  beams, compressing the elastic member  144  and displacing the nut  136  from the blind cavity  150  in the center knuckle  120 . When the portion of the nut  136  that engages the blind cavity  150  in the center knuckle is displaced from the cavity, the user can rotate the beams relative to each and then lock the beams in a new rotational position by releasing the head  138  of the shoulder bolt  126 . The elastic member  144  will urge the nut  136  to reengage the blind cavity  150  in the center knuckle where interference between the nut and the wall of the blind cavity. To deploy the second beam  56  in preparation for use, the user depresses the head of the shoulder bolt  126  for the first  52  and second  54  beams and rotates the second beam 270° from its stowed position parallel to the first beam  42  to its deployed position normal to the first beam as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     The second beam  54  is hingedly attached in a similar manner to the third beam  56  at the end of the second beam distal of its attachment to the first beam  52 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , with the second beam  54  rotated to a position normal to the first beam  52  and the third beam  56  abreast the second beam; the flash emitter  28  is in the correct position over the lens  32  for photographing with the camera  24  in the landscape orientation. Referring also to  FIG. 8 , to position the flash for portrait oriented photography, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the photographer depresses the head of the shoulder bolt  160  at the hinged juncture of the second  54  and third  56  beams displacing the nut  162  from the cavity  164  in the center knuckle  166  and rotates the third beam 180° from the stowed position abreast the second beam to a position linear with the second beam. When the head of the shoulder bolt is released the nut  162  reengages the cavity  164  locking the third beam  56  in position. With the flash  30  projecting normal to the longitudinal axis of the elongate third beam  56  the flash emitter  28  will be correctly positioned over the camera&#39;s lens  32  on an axis  38  extending through the lens and parallel to the base  24  for portrait oriented shots. Portions of the center knuckle  166  at the juncture of the second and third beams define a blind cavity  164  having a shape and size approximating the shape and size of the rectangular end of the nut  162 . Since the third beam is rotated 180 degrees when switching from the landscape to the portrait orientation, the blind cavity  164  needs only to define a single lobe for the nut  162 . 
     Referring also to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the flash  30  is releasably attached to the third beam  56  of the flash bracket  50  by a quick release apparatus  200  which includes an flash securement structure  202  proximate the end of the third beam  56  distal of the third beam&#39;s hinged connection to the second beam  54 . Solely for illustrative purposes, the camera is depicted as connected by a cord  44  to an off-camera shoe adapter  42  which, in turn, engages the flash  30  and the flash bracket  50  but a flash operable without an off-camera shoe adapter could be releasably attached directly to the flash bracket  50 . The quick release apparatus preferably includes an adapter plate  204  which is secured to the second piece of photographic equipment, such as the off-camera shoe adapter  42  which is to be attached to the flash bracket  50 , but the second piece of photographic equipment could be manufactured with base portion that is directly engageable with the flash securement structure. The second piece of photographic equipment is secured to the adapter plate  204  by way of a threaded bolt  206  screwed into a threaded bore in the base of the second piece of photographic equipment. The bolt  206  preferably includes a surface defining a socket opening  210  so that a wrench can be used to secure the adapter plate  204  to the second piece of photographic equipment. The end surface  212  of the bolt is also preferably inset into the adapter plate  204 . When connected to the second piece of photographic equipment  208  as described above, the adapter plate  204  may be quickly selectively engaged, with the flash securement structure  202  of the third beam  56  of the flash bracket  50 , using a single motion due to the structure of the flash securement structure  202  of the third beam and the adapter, respectively. 
     Specifically, the flash securement structure  202  of the third beam  56  may define a slot  214  into which a flange  216  of the adapter plate  204  may be matingly inserted. Both the flash securement structure  202  and the adapter plate  204  may include structural features designed to matingly and rigidly secure the flange  216  when inserted into the slot  214 . One such feature may be respectively beveled peripheral surfaces  218  and  220  around the edges of the slot  214  and the flange  216 , respectively, that are opposed to each other when the flange is inserted into the slot. This substantially stabilizes the contact between the flash securement structure  202  and the adapter plate  204  when the latter is fully inserted into the slot, and prevents inadvertent parallel separation of the two members. In addition, the flash securement structure  202  may include a locking mechanism  222  having a spring-loaded latch arm  224  that automatically locks the flange  216  of the adapter plate  204  into the slot  214  when the flange moves from a position incrementally prior to full insertion into the slot to a position of full insertion into the slot. Specifically, the peripheral edges  218  and  220  of the slot  214  and flange  216 , respectively, are each inwardly tapered in the direction of insertion of the flange  216  into the slot  214 . This permits the leading edge  228  of the flange  216  to be inserted into the interior of the slot  214  without precisely aligning the flange and the slot or with the bottom surface of the flange at an angle to the bottom surface of the slot  214 . As the motion of inserting the flange  216  into the slot  214  continues, the engagement of the peripheral edges  218 ,  220  causes the angle between the surfaces  213  and  230  to diminish, thereby pushing the latch arm  224  downwards, compressing a spring  225 , until a position of locked engagement between the flash securement structure  202  and the adapter plate  204  is reached. Contact between the latch arm  224  and the bottom surface  213  of the flange  216  ends, and the spring  225  causes the latch arm  224  to move upward toward its original position. When the latch arm  224  returns to approximately its original position, a tab portion  232  of the latch arm  224  extends past the bottom surface  213  of the flange  216  to lock the adapter plate  204  to the flash securement structure  202  of the third beam  56 . When it is desired to release the flange  216  from the slot  214 , the latch arm  224  may be manually depressed to compress the spring  225  until the tab portion  232  is flush with the bottom surface  213  of the flange  216 , permitting the flange to slide laterally in the slot  214 , releasing the off-camera flash adapter or other attachment photographic equipment from the third beam  56  of the flash bracket  50 . The tab portion  232  of the latch arm may include a depression  236  to facilitate manual depression of the latch arm  224  using a thumb or another digit. 
     To use the flash bracket  50 , the user engages the bracket securement structure  62  with an L-plate  90  attached to the base  22  of the body  26  of the camera  24 . The bracket securement structure  62  of the flash bracket is engaged with the L-plate and the fixed  64  and movable clamp jaws  66  are tightened on the dovetail formed by the slots in the L-plate. The second beam  54  is freed for rotation relative to the first beam  52  by depressing the head of the shoulder bolt at the hinged joint connecting the first beam and the second beam. Rotating the second beam 270° and releasing the head of the shoulder bolt locks the second beam in the deployed position. Installing the flash  30  with the quick release apparatus  200  and making the required wiring connections to the camera readies the camera for capturing images in the landscape orientation with the flash emitter located on an axis extending perpendicular to the camera&#39;s base and through the lens. To switch to the portrait orientation, the user depresses the head of the shoulder bolt at the juncture of the second and third beams and rotates the third beam from its stowed position abreast the second beam to a linear position with the longitudinal axes of the second and third beams substantially parallel and substantially end-to-end. Releasing the head of the shoulder bolt  160  locks the relative rotation of the second and third beams with the flash emitter on an axis that extends through the camera&#39;s lens and substantially parallel to the base of the camera. When the camera is turned 90° from the landscape to the portrait orientation, the flash will be advantageously located above the lens. 
     The detailed description, above, sets forth numerous specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuitry have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the present invention. 
     All the references cited herein are incorporated by reference. 
     The terms and expressions that have been employed in the foregoing specification are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims that follow.