Folding tripod adapter

Claim 2

An adapter for a photographic camera having a housing and an objective lens, said adapter comprising: a base; a first member including a support section and an elongated wall substantially perpendicular and fixedly connected to said support section, said first member being structured to receive and support said camera with said housing engaging both said support section and said elongated wall; means associated with said support Section for securing said adapter to said camera with said housing seated against said elongated wall; and means for pivotally connecting said first member to said base for pivotal movement about an axis positioned parallel to said elongated wall, the pivot between said first member and said base being located within an upper portion of said elongated wall.

Claim 3

The adapter according to 1 in which said adapter further includes means for releasably retaining said first member in an erected position with respect to said base.

Claim 4

The adapter according to 1 in which said adapter further includes means for releasably retaining said first member in an erected position with respect to said base.

Claim 5

The adapter according to claim 2 in which said base is formed having a bore therein through which said adapter may be coupled to a tripod, said bore being located substantially below the center of gravity of said camera when said camera is mounted to said adapter.

Claim 6

The adapter according to claim 3 in which said elongated wall limits the longitudinal movement of said camera, said elongated wall being connected to a rearward edge of said support section, said elongated wall being engageable with at least a portion of the base of said camera.

Claim 7

The adapter according to claim 2 in which said means for releasably retaining said first member at said erected position with respect to said base is formed as a pair of blades, said blades being pivotally coupled together and movable between an opened and a closed position, said closed position permitting movement of said first member with respect to said base, and said open position being operative to frictionally hold said blades for holding said first member at an angle with respect to said base.

Claim 8

The adapter according to claim 5 in which said blades are moved between said opened and closed position through an actuator means.

Claim 9

The adapter according to claim 6 on which said actuator means includes a rotatable non-circular cam, said cam being operative to cam said blades to said open position for holding said first member at said acute angle with respect to said base.

Claim 10

The adapter according to claim 2 in which said means for retaining said first member at an acute erected angle with respect to said base is formed as a screw driven assembly, said screw driven assembly being operative to selectively move a supporting link for said first member between a closed position and an opened position.

Claim 11

The adapter according to claim 1 in which said means for securing said adapter to said camera is formed as an eccentric pin driven hook, said hook being engageable with an aperture formed within the base of said camera.

Claim 12

A folding adapter for a photographic camera having a housing and an objective lens, said adapter comprising: a first planar section engageable with at least a portion of the supporting base of said camera for receiving and supporting said camera; a second planar section pivotally connected to said first section for supporting said first section in angular relationship thereto; detent means connected to said first section for securing said adapter to said camera, said detent means being engageable with at least a portion of said supporting base of said camera for releasably attaching said adapter to said camera, said detent means being pivotally attached to said first section for movement between an erected position and a folded position; and means for retaining said first section at a given angular relationship with respect to said second section.

Claim 13

A folding adapter for a photographic camera having a housing and an objective lens, said adapter comprising: a first planar section engageable with at least a portion of the supporting base of said camera for receiving and supporting said camera; a second planar section pivotally connected to said first section for supporting said first section in angular relationship thereto; detent means connected to said first section for securing said adapter to said camera, said detent means being engageable with at least a portion of said supporting base of said camera for releasably attaching said adapter to said camera, said detent means being pivotally attached to said first section for movement between an erected position and a folded position; and means for retaining said first section at a given angular relationship with respect to said second section.

Claim 14

The adapter according to claim 10 in which said detent means extend from the outer lateral edges of said first section.

Claim 15

The adapter according to claim 10 in which said means for retaining said first section at said given angle with respect to said second section is formed as a foldable bed foot, said bed foot being pivotally attached to a bottom portion of said first section and being pivotally movable into engagement with a portion of said second section for retaining said first section at said given angle with respect to said second section.

Claim 16

The adapter according to claim 12 in which said portion of said second section engageable with said bed foot is formed as a slot, said bed foot being engageable with said slot for providing a static support link for said first section.