Camera strap with prestressed fastening structure

Abstract

This camera strap utilizes a prestressed fastening structure that eliminates the problems of deterioration and stress concentration caused by sewing and rivets, achieving both high strength and a minimalist design, while also enabling sustainable long-term use through easy maintenance. [Solution] At the end of the camera strap, overlapping leather members 1 and 2 are fixed together with fasteners 3 such as screws. In this case, the shaft length of the fastener is set shorter than the total thickness of the leather members, and a self-locking structure is created in which a steady compressive stress (prestress) is applied in the thickness direction of the leather members by tightening the screws, thereby crimping and fixing them in place. A gap (play) is provided inside the fastener to prevent bottoming out, allowing for tightening as the product deteriorates over time. In addition, a fail-safe function is provided by arranging multiple fasteners in series, making maintenance, including the replacement of some parts (modules), easier.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera strap. In particular, it relates to a leather strap that achieves both high strength and a minimal design while minimizing sewing and special metal caulking components. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventional leather straps generally use "sewing (stitches)" or "caulking (metal parts)" to fix the connecting portion with a camera. However, sewing has a problem of strength reduction caused by fraying and breakage of threads after long-term use. In addition, fixing by caulking applies a local load (stress concentration) to a specific position of a hole drilled in leather, which has the problem of causing stretching and cracking of the leather. In addition, once fixed, sewing and caulking cannot be easily disassembled, which has the disadvantage that repair and replacement are difficult when some parts deteriorate. Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] The present invention solves these problems by applying the concept of "prestressing (prestress)" used in architectural structures and the like to leather products. Specifically, it aims to provide a camera strap that, while eliminating seams, simultaneously achieves sufficient rigidity to support heavy professional equipment, an extremely minimal design based on Bauhaus philosophy, and enables long-term use on the premise of maintenance and parts replacement. Means for Solving the Problem

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the camera strap according to the present invention includes a connecting portion for connecting to a camera, and a leather member forming a strap body, and has a fastening portion at an end of the leather member, where the overlapped leather members are fixed by a fastener having a shaft portion and a head portion.

[0005] In this fastening section, the length of the shaft of the fastener is set to be shorter than the total thickness of the overlapping leather members in their natural state. This creates a self-locking structure in which the surfaces of the leather members are strongly pressed together and fixed while a steady compressive stress (prestress) is applied in the thickness direction of the leather members by tightening with the fastener. Effect of the invention

[0006] According to this invention, by using fasteners to strongly compress and fix the leather across a surface rather than at a single point, stress concentration around the holes in the leather and hole elongation can be suppressed. Furthermore, by applying a steady compressive stress (prestress), the density of the leather increases, improving the strength of the material itself and the frictional force between surfaces, resulting in high resistance to tension in the longitudinal direction of the strap.

[0007] Furthermore, even when the leather material undergoes aging (breaking in and becoming worn), the initial prestress can be restored and maintained by tightening it using the intentionally provided gaps (play) in the fasteners. Because no stitching or rivets are used, disassembly of individual parts is easy, making it possible to revive the product through maintenance and replacement of worn parts, thus achieving sustainable long-term use. By completely eliminating stitching, an extremely simple and sophisticated appearance is achieved, embodying the principle that "form follows function."

[0008] Furthermore, the fastening portion of this invention can be configured using multiple fasteners (for example, two screw sets) arranged in series. This allows for redundancy (fail-safe function) where, even if one fastener loosens or falls off due to prolonged use or vibration, the remaining fasteners continue to hold the leather component. This prevents unexpected drops of expensive and heavy photographic equipment, ensuring extremely high safety even in the demanding environments of professional use.

[0009] Furthermore, a key feature of this invention is that the screw loosening prevention mechanism does not rely at all on chemical bonding materials such as adhesives or threadlockers, but achieves its self-locking function through a structural approach that utilizes only the physical repulsive force (restorative force) of the compressed leather material. As a result, users do not need to prepare special knowledge, specialized tools, or chemical products, and variations in fixing force (lack of reproducibility) due to uneven application of adhesive are eliminated. Users can easily and reliably check and tighten the screws as an extension of the regular maintenance of their leather products, significantly lowering the psychological and physical hurdles to maintenance.

[0010] In addition, even if the leather material deteriorates over time to the point where it uses up all the "play" (gap) in the fasteners, or if a particular part becomes severely worn, because there is no stitching, it is possible to easily separate only that part (for example, the smallest module part that connects to the camera housing) and replace it with a new one. Since there is no need to discard or replace the entire product, it offers users a significant economic benefit by reducing running costs, and it also reduces resource waste, allowing them to use their favorite tools for a long time. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments of this invention will be described below. The camera strap of this invention is constructed using, for example, a leather material with a width of about 30 mm. The ends are folded back and overlapped, and through holes are made therein.

[0012] As a fastener, a screw assembly consisting of a female thread and a male thread (such as a Chicago screw) can be suitably used. For example, if the total thickness of two stacked leather members is constant, the shaft length of the screw assembly is intentionally set to be shorter than that thickness. When the screw is tightened, the leather is compressed in the thickness direction, and this repulsive force (restoring force) acts as a locking mechanism for the screw, while simultaneously creating strong frictional resistance between the surfaces of the leather.

[0013] In this design, the dimensions are set so that the bottom of the female thread and the tip of the male thread of the screw assembly do not come into contact (bottom out), leaving a physical gap (play) inside. Leather materials tend to soften and lose thickness with use, but by leaving this gap, it becomes possible to further tighten the screw later, restoring the reduced prestress. This ensures safe use over a long period of time.

[0014] As shown in Figure 3, the fastening portion of this embodiment is secured using two screw sets arranged in series along the longitudinal direction of the strap. This functions as a fail-safe, holding the strap in place even if one screw set loosens. Furthermore, to prevent damage to camera equipment, it is desirable that the heads of the screw sets be rounded off.

[0015] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, the leather component is divided into a strap body component (first component) that is worn over the user's shoulder or neck, and a module component (second component) that engages with the housing connector on the camera side, and these are detachably connected by the fastening part. By making only the module component, which is most prone to wear and tear from long-term use, replaceable, the overall lifespan of the strap can be maximized. In addition, it is possible to adjust the overall length by changing the length of the module component, create a two-tone color scheme by changing the color of the module component, and intuitively identify the orientation of the grip, thus supporting both functional and aesthetic customization. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is an overhead view of the entire camera strap according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing a prestressed fastening structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an enlarged view of the completed state according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0017] 1. Strap body (leather component / first component) 2 modules (leather component / second component) 3. Fasteners (Screw set / Chicago screw) 4 Module Belts 5. Housing (connector)

Claims

1. A camera strap comprising a connector for connecting to a camera and a leather component that forms the strap body, The end of the leather member has a fastening portion that secures the overlapping leather members with a fastener having a shaft portion and a head portion. The length of the shaft portion of the fastener is set to be shorter than the total thickness of the overlapping leather members in their natural state. A camera strap characterized in that the surfaces of the leather members are pressed together and fixed in a state in which a steady compressive stress (prestress) is applied in the thickness direction of the leather members by tightening with the fastener.

2. The camera strap according to claim 1, wherein the fastener is a screw assembly consisting of a first member having a female thread portion and a second member having a male thread portion.

3. The camera strap according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the fastening portion, a gap (play) is formed between the bottom of the female screw portion and the tip of the male screw portion, and is set to a dimension that prevents bottoming out.

4. The camera strap according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the fastening portion is secured by a plurality of fasteners arranged in series along the longitudinal direction of the strap, and has redundancy so that even if one of the fasteners becomes loose, the other fasteners continue to hold the leather member.

5. The camera strap according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the leather member comprises a first member that constitutes the strap body to be worn on the user's body and a second member that constitutes a module to engage with the connector on the camera side, and the first member and the second member are detachably connected at the fastening portion by the fastener.

Images