Swivel tether

摘要

A swivel tether for attaching a camera via a cord to an object, the swivel tether including a side release buckle system having a ball joint connection that allows for 360 degree swivel functionality. This permits the camera to rotate freely without adding tension or twisting of the cord attached thereto and without causing a threaded connection between an end of the cord and the camera to become unthreaded due to rotation of the camera. The ball joint connection may be configured in the plug connection component of the side release buckle system. The side release buckle system also includes a slide lock switch operative to lock plug and socket portions of the buckle system together to prevent unintentional release of the buckle system when fastened.

主权项

1. A swivel tether for selectively connecting a camera to a strap, comprising:
a plug connection component having a base member, two flexible arms extending outwardly from the base member that each have a locking tab disposed on an end portion thereof, and a guide arm extending outwardly from the base member between the two flexible arms; a socket connection component comprising a hollow body with two sidewalls, a main opening for removably receiving the two flexible arms and the guide arm, and a guide rail extending lengthwise within the hollow body, the guide rail being positioned for cooperative sliding engagement with the guide arm during insertion of the two flexible arms and the guide arm into the hollow body, the hollow body further comprising a locking slot extending through each sidewall for providing access to the locking tabs and having a locking tab seat, each flexible arm biasing the corresponding locking tab to move the locking tab into the corresponding locking slot upon full insertion of the flexible arms into the main opening and into engagement with the locking tab seat of the corresponding locking slot to retain the plug connection component in the socket connection component, and the plug connection component being disconnectable from the socket connection component by pressing the locking tabs inwardly of the respective locking slots a sufficient distance such that the locking tabs are moved inwardly beyond the respective locking tab seat allowing full retraction of the flexible arms from the main opening; a camera attachment strap comprising a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, the first end portion being selectively couplable to a camera, one of the plug connection component and the socket connection component being a rotatable connection component, and one of the rotatable connection component and the second end portion of the camera attachment strap having a swivel connection member, and the other of the rotatable connection component and the second end portion of the camera attachment strap having a socket compartment rotatably retaining and enclosing the swivel connection member therein to rotatably couple the camera attachment strap to the rotatable connection component such that the rotatable connection component may rotate freely relative to the camera attachment strap, the socket compartment being an enclosed compartment separated from the rotatable connection component; and a lock at least partially disposed within the hollow body of the socket connection component and movable between a locked position whereat the lock restricts inward movement of the locking tabs to prevent the locking tabs from becoming unseated from the respective locking tab seats of the locking slots, and an unlocked position whereat the lock allows inward movement of the locking tabs such that the locking tabs may become unseated from the respective locking tab seats of the locking slots to allow disconnection of the plug connection component from the socket connection component.