Adjustable Support Arm for Use Between Camera and Camera Support

{
  "publication_number": "US2017293206A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Adjustable Support Arm for Use Between Camera and Camera Support",
  "abstract": "A support assembly for supporting a camera relative to a camera support includes an elongate support arm, a first bracket assembly for mounting the camera to the support arm and a second bracket assembly for mounting the support arm to the camera support. Each bracket assembly includes i) a clamp member for clamping onto the support arm, ii) a support member pivotal coupled by a pivot shaft on the clamping member, iii) a mounting member supporting the camera equipment relative to the support member; and iv) a locking member adapted to be coupled between the clamping member and the support member so as to simultaneously fix the mounting member relative to the clamping member at a selected angular position and fix the clamping member relative to the support arm at a selected longitudinal position.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A support assembly for use with a camera support having a mounting surface and a camera having a base adapted to be mounted on said mounting surface, the support assembly comprising: an elongate support arm extending between longitudinally opposed first and second ends of the support arm which define a longitudinal axis extending therebetween; a first bracket assembly including a mounting plate adapted to be mounted onto the mounting surface of the camera support and a pivot assembly supporting the mounting plate on the support arm such that the mounting plate adapted to be fixed relative to the support arm at any one of a plurality of different angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the support arm within a prescribed range of different angles; a second bracket assembly including a mounting plate adapted to be mounted onto the base of the camera and a pivot assembly supporting the mounting plate on the support arm such that the mounting plate is adapted to be fixed relative to the support arm at any one of a plurality of different angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the support arm within a prescribed range of different angles; whereby the support assembly is adapted to be supported between the base of the camera and the mounting surface of the camera support such that the camera can be supported relative to the camera support through a range of different heights and orientations. 2. The support assembly according to claim 1 wherein the pivot assembly of at least one of the first and second bracket assemblies is adapted to be fixed relative to the support arm at any one of a plurality of different longitudinal positions along the longitudinal axis of the support arm. 3. The support assembly according to claim 1 wherein the pivot assembly of each of the first and second bracket assemblies is adapted to be fixed relative to the support arm at any one of a plurality of different longitudinal positions along the longitudinal axis of the support arm. 4. The support assembly according to claim 1 wherein the first and second bracket assemblies are identical to one another. 5. The support assembly according to claim 1 wherein the mounting plate of each bracket assembly is pivotal relative to the support arm between a perpendicularly orientation and a parallel orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the support arm. 6. The support assembly according to claim 5 wherein at least one of the bracket assemblies is adapted to be mounted on the support arm in either one of two opposing first and second orientations in which the mounting plate is pivotal from the perpendicular orientation to the parallel orientation in a first direction of rotation about a respective pivot axis in the first orientation on the support arm and in which the mounting plate is pivotal from the perpendicular orientation to the parallel orientation in a second direction of rotation about said pivot axis opposite to the first direction of rotation. 7. The support assembly according to claim 6 wherein both bracket assemblies are adapted to be mounted on the support arm in the opposing first and second orientations. 8. The support assembly according to claim 1 wherein the pivot assembly of each bracket assembly includes a clamping member adapted to be clamped about the support arm and a support member pivotally coupled to the clamping member and supporting the mounting plate thereon, the support member includes an arcuate slot formed therein which defines the respective prescribed range of different angles. 9. The support assembly according to claim 8 wherein the support member of each bracket assembly further includes a series of locking apertures at spaced apart positions along a curved path alongside the arcuate slot. 10. The support assembly according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the bracket assemblies comprises: a clamping member which is generally C-shaped between two opposing ends so as to be arranged to clamped about the support arm at any one of a plurality of different longitudinal positions along the support arm; a support plate pivotally coupled to the clamping member by a pivot shaft of the pivot assembly which defines a pivot axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support arm; the mounting plate being mounted on the support plate for pivotal movement together with the support plate relative to the clamping member; and a locking member adapted to be coupled between the clamping member and the support plate so as to simultaneously fix the mounting plate relative to the clamping member and fix the clamping member relative to the support arm. 11. The support assembly according to claim 1 wherein the locking member comprises a threaded shaft extending through co-operating apertures in the clamping member and the support member and a head at one end of the shaft arranged to simultaneous clamp the clamping member about the support arm and clamp the support member against the clamping member. 12. The support assembly according to claim 11 wherein both of the bracket assemblies include said locking member adapted to be coupled between the clamping member and the support plate so as to simultaneously fix the mounting plate relative to the clamping member and fix the clamping member relative to the support arm. 13. The support assembly according to claim 1 in combination with the camera support and the camera, wherein the camera support comprises a wheeled frame supporting the support assembly and the camera thereon for rolling movement. 14. The support assembly according to claim 13 wherein the wheeled frame is supported for rolling movement along a track. 15. A support assembly for supporting a first object relative to a second object, the support assembly comprising: an elongate support arm extending between longitudinally opposed first and second ends of the support arm which define a longitudinal axis extending therebetween; a first bracket assembly adapted to be mounted between the first object and the support arm; and a second bracket assembly adapted to be mounted between the second object and the support arm; wherein at least one of the bracket assemblies comprises: a clamping member which is arranged to be clamped about the support arm at any one of a plurality of different longitudinal positions within a prescribed range of longitudinal positions along the support arm; a support member pivotally coupled to the clamping member by a pivot shaft which defines a pivot axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support arm such that the support member is pivotal relative to the clamping member through a prescribed range of angular positions; a mounting member mounted on the support member for pivotal movement together with the support member relative to the clamping member in which the mounting member is adapted to be coupled to the respective one of the first and second objects; and a locking member adapted to be coupled between the clamping member and the support member so as to simultaneously fix the mounting member relative to the clamping member at a selected one of the angular positions within said prescribed range of angular positions and fix the clamping member relative to the support arm at a selected one of the longitudinal positions within said prescribed range of longitudinal positions. 16. The support assembly according to claim 15 wherein the locking member comprises a threaded shaft extending through co-operating apertures in the clamping member and the support member and a head at one end of the shaft arranged to simultaneous clamp the clamping member about the support arm and clamp the support member against the clamping member. 17. The support assembly according to claim 15 wherein the clamping member of said at least one of the bracket assemblies is adapted to be mounted on the support arm in either one of two opposing first and second orientations in which the mounting plate is pivotal from a perpendicular orientation to a parallel orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the support arm in a first direction of rotation about a respective pivot axis in the first orientation on the support arm and in which the mounting plate is pivotal from the perpendicular orientation to the parallel orientation in a second direction of rotation about said pivot axis opposite to the first direction of rotation. 18. The support assembly according to claim 15 wherein the support member includes an arcuate slot formed therein which slidably receives the locking member therein so as to defines a prescribed range of different angles of the mounting member relative to the support arm. 19. The support assembly according to claim 18 wherein the support member of each bracket assembly further includes a series of locking apertures at spaced apart positions along a curved path alongside the arcuate slot."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This application claims foreign priority benefits from Canadian Patent Application No. 2,926,490, filed Apr. 11, 2016, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.\n\nThe present invention relates to an adjustable support assembly including a support arm, a first bracket suitable for mounting on the mounting surface of a camera support, and a second bracket suitable for mounting on the base of a camera, in which the first and second brackets can be mounted on the support arm for angular adjustment and longitudinal sliding adjustment relative to one another. More particularly, the present invention relates to an adjustable support assembly for being adjustably supported between two objects in which the assembly includes first and second brackets mountable to the first and second objects, each bracket being selectively fixed in longitudinal position and angular orientation relative to the support arm by a respective single clamping member.\n\nWhen filming with cameras, it is common to use various types of camera supporting equipment to support a camera, either in a stationary position or to follow various prescribed movements. Various supporting equipment including brackets, rods, clamps and the like can be used in supporting cameras relative to stationary supports such as tripods, or relative to movable camera supports such as track mounted dollies and the like. To provide a desired degree of adjustability in the camera orientation relative to the camera support, a complex arrangement of many brackets, clamps and set screw adjustments would typically be required.",
  "cpc": [
    "G03B 17/561",
    "F16B 2/065",
    "F16M 11/10",
    "F16M 11/2021",
    "F16M 11/2092",
    "F16M 11/425",
    "F16M 13/02",
    "F16M 2200/022",
    "F16M 2200/024",
    "F16M 2200/08"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F16B 2/06",
    "F16M 11/10",
    "F16M 11/20",
    "F16M 11/42",
    "F16M 13/02",
    "G03B 17/56"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Dennis Wood"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-02-24",
  "publication_date": "2017-10-12",
  "priority_date": "2016-04-11",
  "application_number": "US-201715442190-A",
  "family_id": "59999367",
  "cited_by_count": 22,
  "citations": [
    "US5042763A",
    "US6012693A",
    "US20080029683A1",
    "US9500316B2"
  ]
}