Camera Mount

Abstract

A camera mount suitable for mounting a camera relative to a surface where the mount has an opening 42 formed of at least two petals 36. The opening has a smaller diameter than the cavity inside the op

Description

The present invention relates to a camera mount. In particular, the present invention relates to a camera mount for mounting a camera or a camera accessory such as a monopod or tripod, on a surface or an edge of a piece of furniture, such as a table. Monopods and tripods, and brackets for mounting cameras to surfaces or edges of a piece of furniture, are well-known in the art. Monopods typically do not provide a freestanding configuration for the camera, and thus require the user to grip one end of the monopod, with the other end located on the ground. Tripods, on the other hand, do allow a free-standing configuration since they typically have three legs that can be appropriately splayed, and thus allow the camera to be used in a free-standing manner - with the camera usually on the top of the tripod. As for brackets for mounting cameras, they take many forms, often comprising a clamp or a stand at one end for attaching to or sitting on the surface or edge, and with an arm extending away therefrom towards the camera for holding the camera in a set position. All three can have a screw thread or quick-release mechanism at the camera end thereof to which the camera can be attached, and may have an articulated arm or pivoting end to allow different positions for the camera to be adopted. There are also hybrid monopods with splayable legs at their bottom that act to form a mini-tripod at the bottom. There are also brackets that are configured as a cup to receive the base of a pole on which a camera may be mounted. However, many of these arrangements - particularly the cups, are ineffective at securely holding a camera in a desired position when not being held by the user, due to the significant weight of the camera at the camera end thereof, or are complex to operate, with various threaded fasteners or adjustment mechanisms that need to be tightened to firmly hold a camera in the desired position. The present invention seeks to provide a new camera mount for securely holding a camera in a desired position, and beneficially one that allows multiple desired positions to be adopted. According to the present invention there is provided a camera mount for mounting a camera relative to a surface, the camera mount comprising: a body; a neck extending from the body towards a first end; and an opening in the first end; wherein: the neck is formed of at least two petals, the petals together defining an inner perimeter for the opening, a central cavity is formed inside the neck, in communication with the inner opening, the cavity having a larger cross-sectional size at its widest part than the inner perimeter, whereby free ends of the petals, in their unstressed state, have an overhang over the widest part of the central cavity; and the petals are configured to be able to resiliently flex for reducing the overhang for permitting an object the size of the widest part of the central cavity to be inserted into the central cavity through the opening, the petals then gripping that object to securely mount that object in the camera mount. In some embodiments, each petal is separated from its two neighbouring petals to define a series of spaces therebetween around the inner perimeter. In other embodiments the petals may be joined, albeit by a thin or flexible wall to allow flexibility between the petals. In some embodiments, there are at least three petals, or at least four petals. The stiffness of the petals can be chosen such that a resilience thereof provides a sufficient gripping force on the object such that it can support a camera mounted on the object in a desired position. In this manner, just the petals provide the requisite gripping force on the object - e.g. a pole, and no retainer ring around the petals is needed to secure that bias. In some embodiments the petals are all curved around a central axis of the opening, defining a substantially circular opening. The petals thus define a circumference around the opening. In some embodiments the opening has the inner perimeter and a tapering or substantially rounded front surface to facilitate insertion of the object into the opening. In some embodiments the series of spaces extend radially between the petals, thus defining a crenelated form for the petals. The petals thus form a castle style surround around the central cavity, with crenellations - looking like a castle turret. In some embodiments the form is rounded to substantially form a circular inner perimeter and a circular outer shape. The inner perimeter and the central cavity, when both round, are configured such that the inner perimeter has a smaller diameter than the central cavity at its widest part. In some embodiments, the central cavity is substantially cylindrical, and an inner surface of the petals are either curved towards the inner perimeter to achieve the smaller diameter at the inner perimeter, or taper from the body or a cavity base towards the inner perimeter. In some embodiments, an inner surface of the petals are either curved towards the inner perimeter to achieve a smaller cross-sectional size at a widest part of the inner perimeter, or taper from the body or a cavity base towards the inner perimeter. When flexed upon insertion of the pole into the central cavity, in some embodiments substantially the whole inner surface of the petals grip the pole. In some embodiments the petals extend from the body. In other embodiments, the petals extend from a cavity base - e.g. a ring around the central cavity - that extends from the body. In some embodiments the camera mount further comprises a first part of a quick release mechanism, located on an end of the body that faces away from the opening. In some embodiments the camera mount comprises a surface mounting plate. The surface mounting plate can be for resting on a surface of a piece of furniture relative to which the camera is to be positioned by the camera mount. The surface mounting plate may be attached to the body of the camera mount. The surface mounting plate may have a second part of the quick release mechanism, thus permitting the surface mounting plate and the body to be quickly connected together and quickly separated from one another. In some embodiments the camera mount comprises a clamp. The clamp can be for securing to an edge of a piece of furniture relative to which the camera is to be positioned by the camera mount, and may be used instead of the surface mounting plate. The clamp may be attached to the body of the camera mount. The clamp may have a second part of the quick release mechanism, thus permitting the clamp and the body to be quickly connected together and quickly separated from one another. In some embodiments the quick release mechanism comprises two rails in one of the two parts thereof, and the other of the two parts comprises two grooves for interfacing with the two rails for interconnecting the two parts together with a sliding connection. In some embodiments the quick release mechanism uses a resilient locking catch to lock the first and second parts together, and the resilient locking catch may have a free end for depressing or lifting by the user for releasing the resilient locking catch, thus allowing the first and second parts to be separated again. In some embodiments, one of the petals may have a cable gripper so that a cable from the camera can be secured thereto. In some embodiments the body is formed of at least two parts that can pivot and / or rotate relative to one another, whereby an orientation of the opening and the central cavity can be adjusted relative to at least one of the two parts of the body. In some embodiments, the two parts can pivot and / or rotate through a range of positions. The range may be a pivot through an angle of up to 29 degrees about a first axis or a rotation through an angle of up to 45 degrees in a first direction about a second axis. The range may also include a rotation through an angle of up to 45 degrees in a second direction about the second axis, thus permitting a total rotation of 90 degrees about the second axis. These axes may be perpendicular to one another. Other degrees of pivot or rotation can also be provided. In some embodiments the body is formed of at least three parts, two of which can pivot relative to one another and two of which can rotate relative to one another. The body can thus pivot and rotate through a range of positions. The range may be a pivot through an angle of up to 29 degrees about a first axis or a rotation through an angle of up to 45 degrees in two directions about a second axis from a central state (i.e. a total of 90 degrees). These axes may be perpendicular to one another. By pivoting and rotating the camera mount, a camera mounted within the camera mount can be repositioned in a variety of different positions above the piece of furniture - for example to enable the camera to point at different objects, or to be positioned for use, and then repositioned out of the way of the user. In some embodiments the camera mount has a lug or projection on one part and a slot or groove on another part for interfacing with the lug or projection, whereby upon such an interfacing of the lug and the slot, relative rotation between the two parts is resisted. This can be an optional feature. For example, the lug and the slot might only be present in certain configurations of the camera mount, e.g when only pivoting of the camera mount is desired. This restriction against rotation can be useful, for example, in situations where the camera mount is otherwise likely to tip over, such as if it is only using the surface mounting plate. For example, the lug or the slot may be in the second part of the quick release mechanism that is attached to the surface mounting plate, with the other of the lug and the slot being in the first part of the quick release mechanism (i.e. the one attached to the body), whereas the lug or the slot might then not be present in the second part of the quick release mechanism that is attached to the clamp, so that the rotation is possible with the clamp but not with the surface mounting plate. In some embodiments the camera mount provides tactile feedback to enable pre-defined degrees of rotation or degrees of pivot to be determined non-visually by a user. For example, the camera mount may provide tactile feedback by way of one or more sprung ball plunger between two parts of the body, or by a location spring. In some embodiments the camera mount is provided together with a pole mounted camera, the pole mounted camera comprising a pole having a camera at a camera end thereof and a bottom end thereof being for fitting into the central cavity through the opening. The pole may be a monopod or a tripod, or some other form of retainer or bracket for the camera. The pole may be extendible - for example with a telescopic length. The pole may be able to articulate - particularly adjacent the camera to allow the camera to point in different directions relative to the pole. In some embodiments the bottom end of the pole has a substantially circular cross section for easy insertion into the opening. In some embodiments the bottom end has a shape to fit with the shape of the central cavity. For example, the central cavity may have a generally cylindrical bottom form, above which the petals extend, and the shape of the bottom end may then be substantially cylindrical to fit therewith. The petals, when curved, can then conform around the cylindrical form when they have resiliently flexed, and when they are gripping the post. The bottom end may have a tapering end for facilitating the insertion of the pole through the opening. In the case of the pole being a tripod, or being formed with a plurality of splayable legs at its bottom end, each leg may have a cross-sectional shape that together with the other legs form a generally circular cross-section for fitting in the central cavity. There is also provided a kit of parts comprising a camera mount as defined above, a surface mounting plate and a clamp. The camera mount will typically have the first part of a quick release mechanism and the surface mounting plate and the clamp will each have a separate second part of the quick release mechanism attached thereto or incorporated thereon. These and other features of the present invention will now be defined in further detail, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the present invention in use, showing a camera on a pole with the camera facing down towards a surface - a sheet of paper; Figures 2 and 3 show perspective views of a camera mount with an opening for receiving a bottom end of the pole; Figure 4 shows a front view of the camera mount of figure 2; Figure 5 shows a top-down plan view of the camera mount of figure 2; Figures 6 and 7 show perspective views of a second part of a quick release mechanism of the camera mount; Figure 8 shows a side elevation of the camera mount of figure 2; Figure 9 schematically shows a section A-A through the camera mount of figure 8; Figure 10 shows an upper part of the camera mount separated from a lower part for illustrating curved rails incorporated therein; Figure 11 shows the camera mount of figure 2 incorporated with a surface mounting plate; Figure 12 shows the camera mount of figure 11 additionally incorporating the camera on a pole of figure 1; Figure 13 shows the camera mount of figure 12 pivoted into a different configuration; Figure 14 shows the camera mount of figure 1 with the camera on a pole removed therefrom, and removed from the piece of furniture that supports the piece of paper, thus showing a clamp on a base thereof, with the camera mount pivoted into a straight configuration and rotated into a central position; Figure 15 shows the camera mount of figure 1 pivoted into the straight configuration and rotated into a central position, and removed from the piece of furniture; Figure 16 shows the camera mount of figure 1 removed from the piece of furniture, and still pivoted at the angle shown in figure 1, but now rotated towards, but not at, the central position; Figure 17 shows an underside of a different second part of the quick release mechanism, having a different external bottom perimeter profile to that of Figures 6 and 7, but otherwise with a similar upper form for engaging with the first part of the quick release mechanism; Figures 18 and 19 show another different second part of the quick release mechanism, having a different external bottom perimeter profile to that of Figures 6 and 7, but otherwise with a similar upper form for engaging with the first part of the quick release mechanism; Figures 20 and 21 show a variant of the camera mount, with the external bottom perimeter profile of Figures 17, 18 and 19, but with a modified central cavity - with one of the petals having a location spring for tactile feedback between the pole and the central cavity; and Figure 22 shows a bottom of a modified first part of the quick release mechanism, having a corresponding external perimeter profile to that of the components of Figures 17, 18 and 19, showing a rotatable center and a lug thereon for engagement with a slot in the second part of the quick release mechanism. Referring first of all to figure 1, there is shown the present invention in use. The present invention comprises a camera mount 10, and in this figure it is supporting a camera 12 on a pole 14. The camera 12 is configured by the camera mount 10 and the pole 14 to be positioned above a piece of paper 16 that is located on a piece of furniture (not shown). In this embodiment, a clamp (as will be discussed in more detail below) is used to clamp the camera mount 10 to an edge of the piece of furniture for securely holding the camera mount 10 in place relative to the piece of furniture. The camera mount 10 has a top part 18 and the bottom part 20 which are pivoted relative to one another so as to lean the pole 14 at an angle. Additionally, the bottom part 20 is rotated relative to a quick release mechanism 22 of the camera mount 10 such that even though the camera mount 10 is adjacent (to a side of) the piece of paper, the pole 14 leans over the piece of paper. This allows the camera 12 to be used to scan or take a picture of the piece of paper. As a result, images from the camera can be used, for example on a computer screen, or in a vision assistance system such as an auto reader. The camera 12 is attached to the pole 14 by a ball socket joint 28, thus allowing angular adjustments of the camera 12 relative to the pole 14. A clamping bolt 30 is provided for tightening against the ball socket joint 28, thus locking the relative position of the camera 12 to the pole 14 when the desired adjustments have been made. This then allows the camera’s lens to be correctly pointed at the piece of paper. It can also allow the camera to be rotated into a different orientation for viewing in other directions. Referring next to figures 2 to 5, further details of the camera mount 10 will be discussed. The camera mount 10 comprises the top part 18 and the bottom part 20. These two parts 18, 20 can pivot relative to one another about a curved pivot line 62. The top part 18 comprises a plurality of petals 36 - in this embodiment four - extending from a cavity base 64. The petals 36 together define an inner perimeter 40 surrounding an opening 42. Between adjacent petals there are spaces 46 so that the petals 36 can flex, thus varying the inner perimeter’s size. On one of the petals 36 there is provided a cable gripper 48. This optional feature allows a cable of the camera to be secured to the camera mount 10. This avoids it from hanging over the paper. The bottom part 20 is mounted above a first part 32 of the quick release mechanism 22. The connection therebetween is such that the bottom part 20 can rotate relative to the first part 32. The first part of the quick release mechanism itself connects with a second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22. The second part 34 is shown in figures 6 and 7, and will be discussed in further detail below. Around the opening 42, the free ends of the petals 36 have a taper 38. This is to better facilitate insertion of the bottom end of the pole 14 into and through the opening 42 and down through to a central cavity 44 of the camera mount 10. In some embodiments the spaces 46 between the petals 36 extend shorter or longer lengths through the cavity base 64, making the petals 36 shorter or longer. This can allow the resilience or spring bias of the petals 36 to be adjusted. Similarly the choice of material used for the top part 18 can dictate the flexibility of the petals 36. Likewise the thickness of the petals-particularly at the base thereof where they meet the cavity base 64 can determine their stiffness. Optimally, the stiffness is designed to allow the petals to resiliently flex for widening the opening 42 to allow the pole 14 to be inserted into the central cavity 44, while still gripping firmly against the side walls of the pole 14 for gripping the pole 14 in the central cavity 44. As shown in figure 3, the second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22 has a resilient locking catch 50, a free end of which can be pressed for releasing the catch. This free end is shown to have a grooved upper surface to improve grip by a finger there against. Although in this embodiment four petals are shown, in other embodiments three or more than four petals may be provided. Referring next to figures 4, 6 and 7, further details of the quick release mechanism 22 can be seen. From figure 4 can be seen that the first part 32 of the quick release mechanism 22 has a groove 54 that surrounds a rail 52 provided on the second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22. In this embodiment, there are two rails 52 as shown in figures 6 and 7, and two grooves 54, as shown in figure 4, both being arranged in pairs that face in opposite directions. They each extend along substantially the whole length of the respective part of the quick release mechanism and they interface with one another in a close fit configuration. By being a close fit configuration, little to no wobble occurs between the first part 32 in the second part 34 of the quick release mechanism of 22 when the two members have been slid together. To lock them together, i.e. to resist separation thereof, the resilient locking catch 50 is provided with a locking latch 58 which is upwardly upstanding from the second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22 and it has an edge that will engage in a keep 104 (see, for example, Figure 22) provided on the first part 32 of the quick release mechanism, thus locking the two parts together under the spring bias of the resilient locking catch 50. To release it, the resilient locking catch 50 can be pressed by a finger to lower the locking latch 58 out of the keep 104, thus allowing the two parts to be slid apart again. In this embodiment, the second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22 is also shown to be provided with a slot 60. This slot 60 is provided to engage with a lug 102 provided in the underside of the first part 32 of the quick release mechanism, as is shown in the embodiment of figure 22. As a result of these two components - the lug 102 and the slot 60 - the quick release mechanism can be designed to only connect together when the bottom part 20 has been rotated to a central position relative to the first part 32 of the quick release mechanism 22. In that orientation, the lug aligns with the slot. In other orientations, the lug won’t orient with the slot, and thus will prevent the first part of the quick release mechanism sliding over the second part of the quick release mechanism. The second part of the quick release mechanism is also provided with screw holes 56 -in this embodiment three of them - for allowing the second part 34 to be attached to other devices. For example, as shown in figure 11 it can be attached to a surface mounting plate 66 and in figure 14 it is instead shown to be mounted to a clamp 68. In this embodiment, the camera mount 10 is a substantially cylindrical member with a frustoconical top, the frustoconical top being hollow by virtue of the central cavity 44. This is better shown in figure 9. As shown in figure 8, figure 9 is a schematic section through the camera mount 10. Referring to figures 8 and 9, the camera mount has an external radius of approximately 25 mm in the central cavity has an internal diameter of about 33.5 mm. The inner perimeter 40, however, instead has inner diameter of about 33 mm, i.e. half a millimetre smaller than the diameter of the central cavity. This provides a overhang by the petals over the top of the central cavity 44. As the pole 14 is sized to tightly fit in the central cavity 44, it has a larger diameter than the internal perimeter, whereby the petals 36 have to flex to allow the pole 14 into the central cavity 44. By the petals being resilient but stiff, the inner perimeter provided by the petals will firmly grip the pole, resisting exit of the pole from the central cavity 44 and minimising undesirable wobble of the pole within the camera mount. The camera mount 10 can thus securely hold the camera on a pole by inserting the free end of the pole in the camera mount. Furthermore, using the pivoting connection between the top part 18 and the bottom part 20 of the camera mount, the angle of the pole can be pivoted. Furthermore, by using the rotational connection between the bottom part 20 and the quick release mechanism 22, the angle of that tilt can be adjusted relative to the quick release mechanism and anything to which the quick release mechanism has been attached by way of screws through the screw holes 56. It will be appreciated that the second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22 may be integrally mounted onto other objects or attached to other objects using other connections, such as adhesive. It will also be appreciated that other diameters and other radiuses can be utilised to provide camera mounts of different sizes and different shapes for fitting with different sized poles. Furthermore, although only half a millimetre difference between the diameter of the inner perimeter 40 and the central cavity 44 is shown in this embodiment, it may be the case 30 greater difference is provided to allow a greater amount of flex of the petals to occur, thus potentially increasing the biasing force for a given resilience of the material of the petals. Figure 9 also shows the rails 52 interfacing with the grooves 54, in addition to the mechanism for the pivot between the top part 18 and the bottom part 20. This mechanism is by way of T-shaped rails 70 extending from a lower surface of the top part 18, which as shown in figure 10 are curved (the rails and the lower surface), and corresponding T-shaped grooves in the bottom part 24 for receiving the T-shaped rails. The T-shaped grooves on the surface into which they are formed, likewise curved. The T-shaped rails and the T-shaped grooves conversant slide relative to one another around the radiuses of the curves to create the pivoting between the top part 18 and the bottom part 20. In this embodiment, the two curved surfaces create the curved pivot line 62 between the top part 18 and the bottom part 20. In other embodiments, a pivot pin may instead be used. However, the inventors have determined that using curved rails and curved grooves, and particularly T-shaped rails and grooves that are curved, creates an effectively wobble free pivot between the two parts 18, 20. Figure 9 also shows a central axle 74 about which the bottom part 20 can rotate relative to the quick release mechanism 22. This central axle extends from a lower surface of the bottom part 20 may enter a aperture in a top surface of the quick release mechanism 22. Also shown in figure 9 are three sprung ball plungers 76 each fitted in the lower surface of the top part 18. Extending out of these sprung ball plungers are parts of the ball bearings of the sprung ball plungers. These ball bearings interface with holes in the upper surface of the bottom part 20 to provide tactile feedback in given positions during the pivoting motion. For example, there may be holes for signifying a straight configuration between the top part 18 and the bottom part 20 (i.e. such that the respective central axes thereof are aligned) plus potentially further holes for providing tactile feedback at other angular conditions. Referring next to Figures 11 to 13, the use of the camera mount 10 on a surface mounting plate 66 will be briefly described. As can be seen in figure 11, the surface mounting plate 66 is a flat member for sitting on a surface of a piece of furniture. It has a flat top and a flat bottom. On the flat top, the camera mount 10 is mounted, for example using screws through the screw holes 56 the previously described. Alternatively it may be glued or formed thereon. In this embodiment, the surface mounting plate 66 has the second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22 mounted thereto. This thus allows the camera mount 10 to be attached thereto by the attachment of the first part 32 of the quick release mechanism 22 to that second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22. Referring next to figure 12, it can be seen that the camera mount 10 is arranged in its straight configurations such that the pivot is moved to the upright condition. Furthermore, it is rotated into a central position such that the slot 60 and the lug 102 are aligned. Due to the lug 102 extending into the slot 60, rotation of the bottom part 20 relative to the quick release mechanism 22 is inhibited. However, the pivoting of the top part 18 relative to the bottom part 20 is still possible. The camera mount nevertheless is shown to be in a straight and upright condition. In this figure, the pole 14 of the camera 12 on a pole 14 has its bottom end inserted into the central cavity 44 of the camera mount 10 and is thus firmly retained therein by the petals 36 of the camera mount 10 due to the bias thereof against the outer wall of the pole 14. The camera 12 is also configured in its distant viewing orientation relative to the pole 14 such that its camera lenses pointing substantially horizontally. For this purpose, the ball socket 28 and the clamping bolts 30 are appropriately configured and tightened respectively. Referring next to figure 13, it can be seen that the top part 18 has now been pivoted relative to the bottom part 20 so as to lean the pole 14 over the upper surface of the surface mounting plate 66. Furthermore, the camera 12 has been pivoted at the ball socket 28 to redirect its lens into a more downward-facing orientation. This is so that it can view items on the surface of the piece of furniture, or on the surface mounting plate 66. The present invention, by isolating the pivoting action from the rotation action, provides a benefit in that there is an improved camera image when the camera is looking more straight-down at the target object - this minimises or reduces perspective distortion. For example, users could still view items on the surface of the furniture if the pivoting between parts 18 and 20 was not done, and all the pivoting happened instead at the camera end - by way of the ball joint 28. However, that would increase the perspective distortion versus the images achieved from the configuration of Figure 13. Although that distortion can be corrected in software, the image is never as good following such correction versus achieving the better image from the start. Furthermore, without the pivoting of the pole 14, there can also be significant issues with text being out of focus towards the extremes of the page, whereas with the pivoting of the pole 14, which moves the camera more over-the-top of the page, such issues are reduced. In this embodiment, the surface mounting plate 66 is rectangular, with a longer length than width, and the pivoting between the top part 18 and the bottom part 20 is about an axis that is substantially parallel to the short sides of the surface mounting plate 66 in this manner, the tilting of the pole moves the centre of gravity of the assembly (the camera mount, the camera, the pole and the surface mounting plate) into a position that still lies above the surface mounting plate. However, if the bottom part was to be allowed to rotate relative to the quick release mechanism 22, this could make the tilt of the pole 14 take the camera to a position beyond the sides of the surface mounting plate, potentially moving the centre of gravity to a side of the surface mounting plate, thus allowing the assembly to fall over. For this reason it is preferred for this form of mounting plate that the rotation is prohibited. Instead, it is a simple matter to rotate the surface mounting plate instead. This provides a more stable provision for the surface mounting plate mounted camera. Referring next to figure is 14 to 16, an alternative use of the camera mount 10 is shown. In this embodiment, the camera mount 10 is instead mounted onto a clamp 68. As before, this can be by providing the second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22 on an upper end of the clamp 68 and attaching the first part 32 of the quick release mechanism 22 of the camera mount 10 onto that second part 34. This clamp is shown to be a generally typical G style clamp, with a threaded shaft 78, a rotating knob 80 for turning the threaded shaft 78, a U-bracket 82, one side 90 of which has a threaded hole 94 through which the threaded shaft 78 extends and the other side 92 of which provides a first clamping surface 84, and a clamping plate or disc 86 on the free end of the threaded shaft 78 providing a second clamping surface 88. With the first and second clamping surfaces 84, 88, the G style clamp can be clamped to an edge of a piece of furniture securing the camera mount 10 to the piece of furniture. This is done by loosening and then tightening the threaded shaft 78 using the rotating knob 80 to move the clamping plate or disc 86 into engagement with an underside of the piece of furniture and the first clamping surface 84 with the topside of the piece of furniture. In this embodiment, the lug 102 can be omitted from the first part 32 of the quick release mechanism 22, or the slot 60 can be widened, to allow both pivoting (as already possible) and rotation of the camera mount. That is because the clamp, unlike the rectangular surface mounting plate, will have a greater resistance to toppling over of the assembly once the clamp is firmly clamped to the edge of the piece of furniture. Referring next to figure 15, the pole 14 with the camera on the end thereof has been inserted into the central cavity 44 of the camera mount 10 ready for mounting this assembly to an edge of a piece of furniture. In this figure, the camera mounted in its straight configuration and it has not yet been rotated. However, it can be otherwise configured when the clamp is attached the edge of the piece of furniture, if preferred. Referring next to figure 16, such a reconfiguration is shown, in which the top part 18 and the bottom part 20 have been pivoted with relative to one another and the bottom part 20 and the quick release mechanism 22 have been part rotated relative to one another. Referring again to figures 15 and 16, a configuration of the pole 14 will be briefly described. As can be seen, the pole 14 comprises the previously mentioned ball socket 28 at a first end thereof. The ball socket 28 can be adjusted and then tightened with the clamping bolt 30. Furthermore, the pole 14 has a telescopic arm 96 which in this embodiment has three telescopic segments which can slide in and out of one another. This can allow a user thus to adjust the length of the telescopic arm. In this embodiment, the telescopic arm is shown as extended. However, can be contracted, segment over segment, into a bottom end of the pole 14. The bottom end of the pole 14 can be formed with three legs 98 (only two are shown in any of the figures due to the limitation of the angle of view provided thereby). These together can form a mini tripod at the bottom of the pole 14 - the legs 98 are splayable about pivots 100. Each of the three legs have a common sectional shape relative to one another so as to together define a generally cylindrical external profile for the bottom end, and with a central gap for the collapsed telescopic arm 96, when the legs 98 are closed, as shown. However, the legs 98 can be splayed out for enabling the pole 14 to act as a tripod instead of being something to insert into the camera mount 10. Due to the small size of the mini tripod formed by the three legs 98, a more sturdy configuration is achieved for holding the camera in a desired orientation by placing the closed legs 98 into the camera mount (as shown) using either the clamp 68 or the surface mounting plate 66 to provide the stability for the camera 12. Referring next to Figure 17 there is shown an underside of an alternative second part of the quick release mechanism. This version has a different shape and configuration to that of the previous embodiment. The external bottom perimeter profile is different to that of Figures 6 and 7, but otherwise this version has a similar upper form for engaging with the first part of the quick release mechanism - it has the same rails, the slot 60 for the lug 102, and the same resilient locking latch 50. In this figure, a bottom end of the screw holes 56 can be seen, and rather than having a countersunk opening (as seen in Figures 6 and 7), these ends are cylindrical ends, as the screws are fitted from above. The screw holes extend through a frame 114 of the second part of the quick release mechanism, which frame 114 has an underside that fits flush against the object to which it is to be attached. As a result, the screws fitted through the screw holes 56 are supported thereby when attaching the second part 34 to the object - such as the surface mounting plate 66 or the clamp 68. This version is particularly suited to a surface mounting plate in the form of a rectangular plate as the frame can sit directly on the plate. Other parts - particularly where the resilient locking catch is formed - can be recessed so that there is a space for the resilient locking catch to flex within. Figures 18 and 19 show a further alternative second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22, having the same external bottom perimeter profile to that of Figure 17, and otherwise with a similar upper form for engaging with the first part 32 of the quick release mechanism 22 as that of Figures 6 and 7. As shown in Figure 19, however, the underside differs to that of Figure 17. This version is configured to fit on a smaller component - such as a side of a U bracket 82 of a clamp 68, which side may be smaller than the overall footprint of the second part 34. In this embodiment that side of the U bracket 82 fits in a recess 110 on a bottom of the second part 34, as signified by the U shaped cut-out 112 in the base of the second part 34. The screw holes 56 are again shown whereby the second part 34 can be securely attached to the clamp 68. A frame 114 around the U shaped cut-out can be flush with the first clamping surface provided by the side of the II bracket of the clamp, and thus forms part of the first clamping surface when attaching the clamp (with the camera mount 10) to an edge of a piece of furniture. As with the embodiment of Figure 17, the area where the resilient locking catch 50 is formed is further recessed so there is room for it to be depressed by a finger. In this embodiment, which is designed to allow the rotation of the bottom part 20 relative to the first part 32 of the quick release mechanism 22, the slot 60 is shown to be a widened radial arc, rather than a narrow slot as found in the earlier embodiments. This widened radial arc allows the lug 102 to have a wider freedom to permit rotation of the bottom part 20 relative to the first part 32. In this embodiment, the arc has an approximately 90 degree angle, thus allowing approximately 45 degrees rotation to the left and right of a centralised configuration. Other angles for the arc, and thus other angles for the permitted degrees of rotation are also possible. By countersinking the screw hole within the arc, and the slot in the earlier embodiments, the screw, when inserted, will not foul against the lug 102, but yet will offer a firm attachment of that part of the component against the clamp. Referring next to Figures 20 and 21, there is shown another variant of the camera mount, with the external bottom perimeter profile of Figures 17, 18 and 19, but with also a modified central cavity 44. In this embodiment, one of the petals 36 has a location spring formed therein, comprising a resilient arm with a protrusion at its free end. This protrusion is sprung by the arm for providing tactile feedback between the pole and the central cavity. This is useful when the bottom end of the pole is provided with a suitably positioned detent with which the protrusion can interact when the pole is appropriately oriented within the central cavity 44 for positioning the camera 12 in a central or forward facing orientation relative to the neck of the camera mount 10 as formed by the petals 36 of the top part 18 of the camera mount 10. This will better enable a user - who may be visually impaired - to feel when bottom of the pole 14 and the camera 12 on the other end thereof, is correctly oriented in the camera mount 10. Referring finally to figure 22 there is shown a bottom of a modified first part 32 of the quick release mechanism 22. This version has a corresponding external perimeter profile to that of the components of Figures 17, 18 and 19. This figure shows a rotatable center 106 and a lug 102 thereon for engagement with a slot 60 in the second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22. It also shows a keep 104 for interfacing with the locking latch 58 of the resilient locking catch 50. In use, when rotating the first part of the quick release mechanism relative to the bottom part 20, the rotatable center 106, with its lug 102 rotates relative to the rest of the first part 32 of the quick release mechanism 22. With the present invention, therefore, a new castle style camera mount (a stand for a camera on a pole) is disclosed. It is designed with a central cavity that receives a bottom end of the pole, and it has the petals that actually flex as the bottom end (a leg section in the case of a pole featuring a tripod at the bottom) is inserted between the petals. They effectively form crenellations (a castle turret looking part). The diameter of the opening (its inner perimeter 40) at the top of the camera mount 10 is smaller than the diameter at a bottom part (i.e. at the widest part of the central cavity 44) so each petal 36 (i.e. each crenellation) flexes, straightens and grips the camera shaft (i.e. the pole 14). By making the petals 36 sufficiently stiff - a skilled person can readily make adjustments to the material choice, and the structural design (e.g. thickness) of the petals to work with a particular form of pole and camera to get just the right amount of flex and grip, and by using an appropriately reduced diameter at that inner perimeter’s diameter, it is possible to keep the pole secure whilst allowing the pole to be inserted and removed from the camera mount 10 by the user as and when required. By using the two internalised T shaped rails 70 in the pivot connection, that allows the tilting to take place, whilst also greatly reducing wobble within the pivoting joint, and also providing an increased strength of the mechanism versus a simpler pivot pin design as there is a large amount of material around the arc of the T shaped rails 70 and the grooves 72 fitted therearound. The camera mount 10 can also be provided as a kit with both a clamp 68 for fitting to a piece of furniture, such as the edge of a table, and the surface mounting plate 66 which can instead simply sit on the piece of furniture. By making the surface mounting plate 66 of metal, it can be sufficiently weighty to avoid tipping over even if relatively small and thin, or it can be made of other materials if the degree of tilt and pivot is restricted to avoid the centre of mass moving beyond the boundaries of the plate 66. Additionally, with the quick release mechanism 22 of the camera mount 10, the clamp 68 and the plate 66 are quickly interchangeable. In some embodiments, the camera mount 10 is configured to be pivotable down through an angle of up to 29 degrees to allow a document on the piece of furniture (e.g. on a table) to be viewed or magnified to a screen, by the camera 12. For example, with the pole 14 of an appropriate length, the present invention can enable an entire A4 page of text to be captured and viewed by the camera 12. In some embodiments, particularly where the clamp 68 is being used, the camera mount 10 also allows a rotation of the pole 14 relative to the clamp 68 through an angle of up to 45 degrees to the left or the right. This can allow further flexibility for the positioning of the camera 12, even though the clamp 68 restricts lateral movements of the camera mount 10 on the piece of furniture. This can also enable a user to handwrite on paperwork under the camera 12 without the clamp 68 and pole 14 (e.g. a camera arm extending from the camera to the camera mount 10) obstructing their writing arm. Tactile feedback can also be incorporated into the pivot / rotation and pole attachment mechanisms to enable a user - who may be visually impaired - to quickly feel when the camera mount 10 has been pivoted to one or more preset angle, or rotated to one or more preset angle. These can be sprung ball plungers and / or location springs. Such tactile indicators, by being spring biased, can also provide improved fit and locating of the predetermined positions, and can ensure during assembly of the components they are appropriately positioned relative to one another, thus better assisting the visually impaired. They can also provide a superior reduction in rotation slack, thus minimising wobble of the camera during use. The location spring 108 is ideally built into the camera mount 10 at the central cavity 44. This provides a tactile feel to the user as they rotate the pole 14 within the central cavity 44 when installing the pole 14 into the camera mount 10, thus ensuring the pole 14 -which may have a suitably positioned detent - is installed into the correct position for correctly positioning the camera 12 on the end thereof with respect to the camera mount 10, such that the 45 degree rotation of the camera mount 10 swings either side of an appropriate centre. This then allows the camera mount 10 to be suitable for both left and right handed handwriting (positioning the camera mount / clamp to the appropriate side of the user at the table to minimise interference with the writing hand and writing arm. As the surface mounting plate 66 configuration is more susceptible to toppling over if the 5 pole 14 is tilted or rotated too far, the second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22 attached to the surface mounting plate 66 is differently configured to that for the clamp 68 in some embodiments. For example, it can be configured such that the user cannot fully slide the first part 32 of the quick release mechanism 22 of the camera mount 10 onto the second part 34 of the quick release mechanism 22 on the surface mounting 10 plate 66 if the camera mount 10 is in a condition where it is rotated away from its centralised position. Furthermore, it can be configured such that it cannot be rotated when it's fully inserted on the plate 66. This can be achieved with the above-mentioned lug 102 and narrow slot 60 arrangement. This prevents the assembly from toppling over due to an inappropriate repositioning of the pole 14 relative to the plate 66. 15 The present invention has therefore been described above purely by way of example. Modifications in detail may be made to the invention within the scope of the claims as appended hereto.

Claims

1. A camera mount for mounting a camera relative to a surface, the camera mount comprising:a body;a neck extending from the body towards a first end; andan opening in the first end;wherein:the neck is formed of at least two petals, the petals together defining an inner perimeter for the opening;a central cavity is formed inside the neck, in communication with the inner opening, the cavity having a larger cross-sectional size at its widest part than the inner perimeter, whereby free ends of the petals, in their unstressed state, have an overhang over the widest part of the central cavity; andthe petals are configured to be able to resiliently flex for reducing the overhang for permitting an object the size of the widest part of the central cavity to be inserted into the central cavity through the opening, the petals then gripping that object to securely mount that object in the camera mount.

2. The camera mount of claim 1, wherein the petals are all curved around a central axis of the opening, defining a substantially circular opening.

3. The camera mount of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the opening has the inner perimeter and a tapering or substantially rounded front surface to facilitate insertion of the object into the opening.

4. The camera mount of any one of the preceding claims, wherein a series of spaces extend radially between the petals, thus defining a crenelated form for the petals.

5. The camera mount of any one of the preceding claims, wherein an inner surface of the petals are either curved towards the inner perimeter to achieve a smaller cross-sectional size at a widest part of the inner perimeter, or taper from the body or a cavity base towards the inner perimeter.

6. The camera mount of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the camera mount further comprises a first part of a quick release mechanism, located on an end of the body that faces away from the opening.

7. The camera mount of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the camera mount comprises a surface mounting plate.

8. The camera mount of claim 7, wherein the surface mounting plate has a second part of the quick release mechanism, thus permitting the surface mounting plate and the body to be quickly connected together and quickly separated from one another.

9. The camera mount of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the camera mount comprises a clamp.

10. The camera mount of claim 9, wherein the clamp has a second part of the quick release mechanism, thus permitting the clamp and the body to be quickly connected together and quickly separated from one another.

11. The camera mount of any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the quick release mechanism comprises two rails in one of two parts thereof, and the other of the two parts comprises two grooves for interfacing with the two rails for interconnecting the two parts together with a sliding connection.

12. The camera mount of any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the quick release mechanism uses a resilient locking catch to lock the first and a second part together.

13. The camera mount of claim 12, wherein the resilient locking catch has a free end for depressing or lifting by the user for releasing the resilient locking catch, thus allowing the first and second parts to be separated again.

14. The camera mount of any one of the preceding claims, wherein one of the petals has a cable gripper so that a cable from the camera can be secured thereto.

15. The camera mount of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body is formed of at least two parts that can pivot and / or rotate relative to one another, wherebyan orientation of the opening and the central cavity can be adjusted relative to at least one of the two parts of the body.

16. The camera mount of claim 15, wherein the two parts can pivot and / or rotate through a range of positions.

17. The camera mount of claim 16, wherein the range includes a pivot through an angle of up to 29 degrees about a first axis.

18. The camera mount of claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the range includes a rotation through an angle of up to 45 degrees in a first direction about a second axis.

19. The camera mount of claim 18, wherein the range includes a rotation though an angle of up to 45 degrees in a second direction about the second axis, thus permitting a total rotation of 90 degrees about the second axis.

20. The camera mount of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body is formed of at least three parts, two of which can pivot relative to one another and two of which can rotate relative to one another.

21. The camera mount of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the camera mount has a lug on one part and a slot on another part for interfacing with the lug, whereby upon such an interfacing of the lug and the slot, rotation between the two parts is resisted.

22. The camera mount of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the camera mount provides tactile feedback to enable pre-defined degrees of rotation or degrees of pivot to be determined non visually by a user.

23. The camera mount of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the camera mount is provided together with a pole mounted camera, the pole mounted camera comprising a pole having a camera at a camera end thereof and a bottom end thereof being for fitting into the central cavity through the opening.

24. The camera mount of claim 23, wherein the pole is a monopod or a tripod.

25. The camera mount of claim 23 or claim 24, wherein the pole is extendible.

26. The camera mount of any one of claims 23 to 25, wherein the bottom end of the5 pole has a substantially circular cross section.

27. A kit of parts comprising a camera mount as defined in any one of the preceding claims, a surface mounting plate and a clamp.10 28. The kit of parts of claim 27, wherein the camera mount has a first part of a quickrelease mechanism thereon and the surface mounting plate and the clamp each have a separate second part of the quick release mechanism attached thereto or incorporated thereon.

Images