Compactible walking staff having tripod base and adaptable mount

1. A walking staff apparatus, comprising:

a shaft;

a handle region provided at a top portion of the shaft; and

a tripod assembly provided below and extending from the shaft that includes a base and at least three legs descending from the base that are movable between a closed position in which the legs are retracted to form a monopod and an open position in which the legs are extended outwardly;

wherein the tripod assembly is releasably coupled to the shaft through a fastening mechanism that includes a first tapered surface provided on the shaft and a second tapered surface, complementary to the first tapered surface, provided on the base of the tripod assembly, the complementary first and second surfaces serving to center the tripod assembly with the shaft when the tripod assembly is releasably fastened to the shaft; and

a magnetic-based releasable mount mechanism coupled to the shaft, the mount mechanism including a first member and a second member that are releasably coupled through magnetic attraction, the first member being fixedly coupled to the shaft and the second member adapted for attachment to an ancillary article;

wherein the tripod assembly, the shaft and the first and second surfaces are configured such that when the tripod assembly is coupled to the shaft through the fastening mechanism, the second surface is substantially flush against the first surface and the legs are readily movable between the open and closed positions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fastening mechanism includes a tapered threaded fitting.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second tapered surfaces are conically tapered.

4. The apparatus of claim l, wherein one of the first and second members includes a plurality of protrusions and the other includes a plurality of recesses, the plurality of protrusions and recesses being formed in a complementary manner so that when the first member and the second member are releasably coupled the protrusions fit into the recesses and prevent rotation of the first member relative to the second member.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of protrusions and recesses are provided at regular intervals and configured such that the first and second members may be released, moved relative to each other a distance of one or more regular intervals and remounted.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is a telescoping shaft having a plurality of sections and the lower of any two adjacent sections has a larger diameter than the section above.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shaft includes first, second and third sections, the magnetic-based releasable mount mechanism coupled to the first section, the handle provided about the second section and the fastening mechanism coupled to the third section;

wherein the first section telescopes into the second section which telescopes into the third section and the first, second and third sections are configured for being wholly disconnected from one another to achieve a more compact arrangement.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tripod assembly moves between the closed position and the open position in a manner substantially free of supplemental lateral support.

9. A walking staff apparatus, comprising:

a shaft;

a handle region provided at a top portion of the shaft;

a tripod assembly provided below and extending from the shaft that includes a base and at least three legs descending from the base that are movable between a closed position in which the legs are retracted to form a monopod and an open position in which the legs are extended outwardly, wherein the tripod assembly is releasably coupled to the shaft through a releasable fastening mechanism; and

a magnetic-based releasable mount mechanism coupled to the shaft, the mount mechanism including a first member and a second member that are releasably coupled through magnetic attraction, the first member being fixedly coupled to the shaft and the second member adapted for attachment to an ancillary article; and

wherein the releasable fastening mechanism includes a first tapered surface provided on the shaft and a second tapered surface, complementary to the first tapered surface, provided on a top region of the base of the tripod assembly, the complementary first and second surfaces serving to center the tripod assembly with the shaft.

10. A walking staff apparatus, comprising:

a shaft;

a handle region provided at a top portion of the shaft;

a tripod assembly provided below and extending from the shaft that includes a base and at least three legs descending from the base that are movable between a closed position in which the legs are retracted to form a monopod and an open position in which the legs are extended outwardly; and

a magnetic-based releasable mount mechanism coupled to the shaft, the mount mechanism including a first member and a second member that are releasably coupled through magnetic attraction, the first member being fixedly coupled to the shaft and the second member adapted for releasable attachment to an ancillary article

wherein the tripod assembly is releasably coupled to the shaft through a releasable fastening mechanism;

wherein the releasable tripod assembly in the closed position is less than half the overall height of the walking staff apparatus; and

wherein the fastening mechanism includes a first tapered surface provided on the shaft and a second tapered surface, complementary to the first tapered surface, provided on a top portion of the base of the tripod assembly, the complementary first and second surfaces serving to center the tripod assembly with the shaft.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the shaft is a telescoping shaft having a plurality of sections and the lower of any two adjacent sections has a larger diameter than the section above.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first and second tapered surfaces are conically tapered.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the tripod assembly in a closed position is less than half the overall height of the walking staff apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein one of the first and second members includes a plurality of protrusions and the other includes a plurality of recesses, the plurality of protrusions and recesses being formed in a complementary manner so that when the first member and the second member are releasably coupled the protrusions fit into the recesses and prevent rotation of the first member relative to the second member; and

wherein the plurality of protrusions and recesses are provided at regular intervals and configured such that the first and second members may be released, moved relative to each other a distance of one or more regular intervals, and remounted.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the shaft is a telescoping shaft having a plurality of shaft sections and the lower of any two adjacent shaft sections has a larger diameter than the section above such that the section above telescopes into the lower section.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tripod assembly in a closed position is less than half the overall height of the walking staff apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein one of the first and second members includes a plurality of protrusions and the other includes a plurality of recesses, the plurality of protrusions and recesses being formed in a complementary manner so that when the first member and the second member are releasably coupled the protrusions fit into the recesses and prevent rotation of the first member relative to the second member.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of protrusions and recesses are provided at regular intervals and configured such that the first,and second members may be released, moved relative to each other a distance of one or more regular intervals and remounted.

19. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first and second tapered surfaces are conically tapered.

20. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the shaft includes first, second and third sections, the magnetic-based releasable mount mechanism coupled to the first section, the handle provided about the second section and the fastening mechanism coupled to the third section;

wherein the first section telescopes into the second section which telescopes into the third section and the first, second and third sections are configured for being wholly disconnected from one another to achieve a more compact arrangement.