초록 ▼

A staff apparatus having a leg assembly with multiple movable legs. In one embodiment, the leg assembly includes three legs to form a tripod. The staff apparatus may include an adaptable magnetic-based mount for releasably attaching a camera, spotting scope, gun or arm rest, or other item. The mou

A staff apparatus having a leg assembly with multiple movable legs. In one embodiment, the leg assembly includes three legs to form a tripod. The staff apparatus may include an adaptable magnetic-based mount for releasably attaching a camera, spotting scope, gun or arm rest, or other item. The mount may be movable or non-movable. A shaft may include multiple telescoping sections, and an upper section may telescope into a lower section. Various embodiments and features of the staff apparatus are disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A walking staff apparatus, comprising: a shaft; a handle region provided at one end of the shaft; and a leg assembly including multiple movable legs provided at a bottom of the shaft substantially opposite the handle region, the leg assembly configured such that the leg

The invention claimed is: 1. A walking staff apparatus, comprising: a shaft; a handle region provided at one end of the shaft; and a leg assembly including multiple movable legs provided at a bottom of the shaft substantially opposite the handle region, the leg assembly configured such that the legs move pivotally between a closed position and an open position, the location from which the pivotal leg movement occurs being substantially fixed relative to the shaft; and wherein the leg assembly is configured such that the legs move between the closed position and the open position in a manner substantially free of supplemental lateral support; wherein the leg assembly includes at least three legs and each of the legs is coupled, within the leg assembly, by a separate, non-coaxial pivot member; wherein the walking staff apparatus is configured such that in use the distal end of each leg contacts the ground in the closed position and in the open position; and wherein the shaft includes an upper section and a lower section that are located above the leg assembly and configured for longitudinally telescoping movement. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the leg assembly in the closed position is less than half the overall height of the walking staff apparatus. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper section is configured for telescoping movement into and out of the lower section. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the leg assembly in the closed position is less than half the overall height of the walking staff apparatus when the upper section is telescoped into the lower section. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area defined by the combined outer perimeter of the legs is substantially, the same or less than the cross-sectional area defined by the circumference of the shaft. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mounting disk coupling the legs to the shaft, each leg including a mounting member and the mounting disk supporting each mounting member from underneath, and a user controllable mechanism for setting the amount of mounting pressure applied by the mounting disk on the legs and thereby the tension attributable to movement of the legs. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mount assembly for releasable magnetic-based attachment of an article to the staff apparatus, the mounting assembly being movable by a user. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a mount assembly having a magnet for releasable magnetic-based attachment of an article to the walking staff apparatus. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the mount assembly includes a mechanism that supports releasable lockable movement of an article coupled to the mount assembly. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a magnetically active member having a mechanical fastening mechanism coupled thereto, the magnetically active member configured for releasable magnetic-based attachment to the magnet. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a security mechanism for reinforcing the releasable attachment of the magnetically active member to the magnet. 12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the mount assembly further includes at least one of a palm rest and a gun rest. 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the movable legs includes a slot having a wider opening towards the top and a narrower opening towards the bottom and the staff apparatus further comprises a leg strap having an end region that is thicker than an average thickness of the strap, the thicker end region being insertable into the wider opening and retained behind the narrower opening. 14. A walking staff apparatus, comprising: a shaft having handle region at one end of the shaft; a leg assembly including multiple movable legs coupled to an opposite end of the shaft, the leg assembly configured such that the legs move pivotal between a closed position and an open position; and a mount assembly including a magnet for releasable magnetic-based attachment of an article to the walking staff apparatus. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the mount assembly is movable, thereby permitting user controlled positioning of an article releasably mounted at the mount assembly. 16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an magnetically active member having a mechanical fastening mechanism coupled thereto, the magnetically active member configured for releasable magnetic-based attachment to the magnet. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a security mechanism for reinforcing the releasable attachment of the magnetically active member to the magnet. 18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the shaft includes an upper section and a lower section and the upper section is configured for telescoping movement into and out of the lower section. 19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the leg assembly in the closed position is less than half the overall height of the staff apparatus. 20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the leg assembly includes at least three legs. 21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the leg assembly is configured such that the legs move pivotal between a closed position and an open position and wherein the legs move between the closed and open positions substantially without a supplemental lateral support member. 22. A walking staff apparatus, comprising: a shaft having an upper section and a lower section, the upper section including a handle region; and a leg assembly coupled to the lower section of the shaft and including at least three movable legs; wherein the upper section is configured for telescoping movement into and out of the lower section; and wherein the three movable legs are each coupled through a separate, non-coaxial pivot member to a bottom region of the lower section. 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein at least one of the movable legs includes a slot having a wider opening towards the top and a narrower opening towards the bottom and the walking staff apparatus further comprises a leg strap having an end region that is thicker than an average thickness of the strap, the thicker end region being insertable into the wider opening and retained behind the narrower opening. 24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a mount assembly for releasable magnetic-based attachment of an article to the staff apparatus, the mounting assembly being movable by a user. 25. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a mount assembly having a magnet for releasable magnetic-based attachment of an article to the staff apparatus, the mounting assembly being movable by a user. 26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the cross-sectional area defined by the combined outer perimeter of the legs is substantially the same or less than the cross-sectional area defined by the circumference of the shaft. 27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the leg assembly in the closed position is less than half the overall height of the staff apparatus when the upper section is telescoped into the lower section. 28. A walking staff comprising: a shaft; a leg assembly mount coupled to a lower end of the shaft and including at least three leg receiving angled bearing faces; at least three legs pivotally coupled to the leg assembly mount such that the legs can be stowed into a monopod configuration and deployed into a tripod configuration, each of the three legs including a member that extends above its point of pivotal coupling and defines a load bearing face that moves inwardly as the leg is moved outwardly towards the tripod position; wherein, in the tripod configuration, outward pivoting of each leg is limited by contact of the load bearing face of that leg with its corresponding leg receiving angled bearing face of the leg assembly mount, and the configuration of each load bearing face is substantially complementary to its corresponding leg receiving angled bearing face. 29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the leg receiving angled bearing faces are disposed at an angle from vertical of approximately 550 degrees. 30. The walking staff of claim 28, further wherein the leg assembly mount comprises: a mounting plate coupled to the shaft; and a mounting disk coupled to the mounting plate; wherein each leg is pivotably coupled to the leg assembly mount by a lateral pin that is coupled to an upper end of the leg and is captured within a recess in at least one of the mounting plate and the mounting disk. 31. A walking staff, comprising: a shaft; a plate coupled to an upper end of the shaft; a disk member including a mechanism that couples to an object; a magnet affixed to a first one of the plate and the disk member; wherein another, second one of the plate and the disk member, to which the magnet is affixed, is comprised of magnetically active material and includes a recess into which the magnet fits, and a lip surrounding the recess, whereby radial movement of the magnet is prevented by the lip, and whereby the object is radially coupled to the walking staff by magnetic attraction between the magnet and the second one of the plate and the disk. 32. The walking staff of claim 31, wherein the plate is coupled to the shaft by a swiveling ball and socket mechanism. 33. The walking staff of claim 31, further comprising: a plurality of legs pivotably coupled a lower end of the shaft such that the legs can be stowed into a monopod configuration substantially coaxial with the shaft, and such that the legs can be deployed into a tripod configuration. 34. The walking staff of claim 28, wherein each of the load bearing faces and the angled bearing faces are substantially planar and configured in a substantially parallel arrangement where a given load bearing face contacts its corresponding angled bearing face.