Quick coupling for body camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10520795-B2
Application number	US-201816160758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2018
Priority date	Oct 13, 2017
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A coupling releasably secures an item such as a body camera to a mount point. The coupling includes a connector and a receiver. The connector includes a crossbar and a post. The receiver includes an opening and a slot. The crossbar moves through the entry opening and the connector is rotated relative to the receiver. The post of the connector is moved through the slot to engage the receiver and hold the connector in a mounted position on the receiver, thereby securing the item to the mount point. Embodiments of the present disclosure also involve methods for securing the item to the mount point using a connector and receiver, as well as systems for mounting an item using a connector, receiver, and mount point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coupling for releasably securing a body camera to a mount point, comprising a connector that is fixed on the body camera, and a receiver that is fixed on the mount point;
the connector having a generally T-shaped configuration including a post and a crossbar;
the receiver having an entry opening, a receiver chamber, a slot, and a block positioned at a location adjacent to the slot; and
the connector being engageable with the receiver by moving the crossbar though the entry opening and into the receiver chamber, rotating the connector relative to the receiver, and moving the post along the slot to frictionally engage parts on the receiver and hold the connector in a mounted position on the receiver, wherein the block is configured to engage the connector in a first rotational direction, thereby preventing rotation of the connector in the first rotational direction after the crossbar is moved through the entry opening.

2. The coupling of claim 1 , wherein the block is configured to prevent rotation of the connector in a second rotational direction beyond a predetermined angle of rotation.

3. The coupling of claim 2 , wherein the block is configured to prevent a lateral movement of the connector within the slot in a direction different from a direction in which the post is moveable along the slot to frictionally engage the parts on the receiver.

4. The coupling of claim 1 , wherein the block is positioned inside the receiver chamber.

5. The coupling of claim 1 , wherein the parts of the receiver include a wall of the slot.

6. The coupling of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the receiver includes at least one surface structure, each surface structure disposed at a respective location on the surface of the receiver, the respective location of each surface structure selected to engage the crossbar and thereby hold the connector to the receiver.

7. The coupling of claim 1 , wherein a direction in which the post is configured to move along the slot is perpendicular to a direction at which the crossbar is configured to move through the entry opening to engage the connector with the receiver.

8. The coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the mount point is one of an officer's uniform and a docking station.

9. The coupling of claim 1 , wherein:
the receiver further includes a wedge; and
upon moving the post along the slot to frictionally engage parts on the receiver, the wedge is configured to slideably engage the crossbar.

10. A coupling system, comprising:
a body camera;
a mount point;
a connector fixed to one of the body camera and the mount point; and
a receiver fixed to the other of the body camera and the mount point, wherein:
the connector includes a post and a crossbar;
the receiver includes an entry opening in communication with a slot and a physical structure positioned on the receiver; and
the connector is configured to engage with the receiver by moving the crossbar though the entry opening, rotating the connector relative to the receiver, and moving the post along the slot to engage the receiver and to hold the connector in a mounted position on the receiver, wherein the physical structure positioned on the receiver is configured to limit a direction of rotation of the crossbar.

11. The coupling system of claim 10 wherein the crossbar includes a thin plate that extends perpendicular to a length of the post in two diametrically opposite directions from the post.

12. The coupling system of claim 10 , wherein the receiver includes outer and inner wall panels and the crossbar is engageable with the receiver between the outer and inner wall panels.

13. The coupling system of claim 12 , wherein the outer and inner wall panels are positioned on the receiver parallel to each other.

14. The coupling system of claim 12 , wherein the entry opening and the slot are provided on the outer wall panel of the receiver.

15. The coupling system of claim 10 , wherein the physical structure is positioned to prevent a lateral movement of the connector relative to the receiver.

16. The coupling system of claim 10 , wherein the physical structure is positioned to limit an angle to which the crossbar may be rotated in the limited direction of rotation.

17. The coupling system of claim 10 , wherein a portion of the slot is sized to separately receive both the crossbar and the post.

18. The coupling system of claim 10 , wherein the receiver further includes a wedge configured to frictionally engage the crossbar to provide a holding force to hold the crossbar at a position on the receiver corresponding to the location of the wedge.

19. A method of releasably securing a body camera to a mount point using a connector that is fixed on the body camera and a receiver that is fixed on the mount point, the connector including a post and a crossbar, the receiver including an entry opening, a slot, and a physical structure positioned on the receiver, the method comprising:
moving the crossbar of the connector through the entry opening to engage the receiver,
rotating the connector relative to the receiver after the crossbar is moved through the entry opening, wherein the physical structure positioned on the receiver is configured to limit a direction of rotation of the crossbar; and
after rotating the connector, moving the post along the slot to engage the receiver and hold the connector in a mounted position on the receiver, thereby securing the body camera to the mount point.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein moving the post along the slot comprises moving the post from a first location in the slot at which the post enters the slot to a second location in the slot at an end of the slot.

Assignees

• Axon Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Wine Jason
• Ambach Andrew

Classifications

• F16B21/04

  with bayonet catch · CPC title

• G03B17/566

  Accessory clips, holders, shoes to attach accessories to camera (if integral part of camera body G03B17/02) · CPC title

• F16M13/04

  for supporting on, or holding steady relative to, a person, e.g. by chains {, e.g. rifle butt or pistol grip supports, supports attached to the chest or head (apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs or for projecting or viewing them G03B)} · CPC title

• G03B17/561 Primary

  Support related camera accessories · CPC title

• A44B99/005

  Turn-button fasteners · CPC title