DE102004021482A1 - Stabilised support frame for hand carried camera has the camera mounted on a pendant cranked mounting for height adjustment from floor level to head height - Google Patents

Abstract

A stabilised support frame for a hand carried camera, e.g. cine or TV camera, has pendant support arms (1) with a camera mounting plate (2) at the bottom and with a height adjustable counterweight (6, 7) at the top. The frame has a swivel mounting (13) to which is fitted a carrying shaft (3) which has a second adjustable counterweight (4, 5) near to the end. The camera position is easily adjusted from just above floor level to head height of the operator.

Description

technical area

The The present invention relates to a balance system for hand-held or on the body guided cameras according to the generic term of claim 1

Such Balance systems serve a camera worn by the cameraman stabilize so that pitching, rolling or swinging movements of Camera during body movements, while walking, being stopped and thus a hovering and sliding motion effect is caused.

To the balance system is designed to be gimbal-like with a carrying device, such as a handle, connected is. The actual balance system consists of a pendulum arm, attached to one end of the camera using a bracket and at the other end a vertically displaceable counterpart or counterweight is appropriate. With suitable positioning From camera and counterweight occurs in a balance state, in which the focus of the overall system, consisting essentially of Camera, camera mount, pendulum and counterweight, so just below of the joint center comes to lie, that the system straight no longer tilts and always aligns vertically.

In order to lift at horizontal accelerations, as they do for example When walking or running, the torques acting on the joint occur each other almost completely on, so that no pitching, rolling or swinging movements occur. Furthermore eliminates the articulated suspension Rotational motions emanating from the wrist of the cameraman.

Basically two versions of carrying devices of such balance systems known and commercially available. at one form is the universal joint of the balance system on a spring arm suspended in turn with a body tripod the cameraman is articulated. This form becomes predominant used on heavy cameras.

at lighter cameras, on the other hand, often use hand-held balance systems. Her pendulum arm is predominantly arcuate, so that between The joint mechanics and counterweight space is for one short, vertical handle, at the upper end of the Balance system gimbal hinged. The joint mechanics this hand-held Balancing systems preferably consists of a nearly frictionless sliding ball joint.

all Balancing systems have in common that the camera is always above the Joint mechanics is positioned while the counterweight located on the pendulum arm far below the articulated suspension. That has to As a result, never bring the camera close to the ground can because the counterweight is in the way. For the sake of image design would be a ground-level camera work but often very desirable. Furthermore is the altitude range, in which the camera led can be, relatively limited and limited approximately at breast height.

Presentation of the invention.

The The object of the present invention is a balance system to create a floating camera in an extended altitude range allowed, of just above ground level to about head height enough.

The Task is solved by a balance system according to the claim 1.

As a result, In the system according to the invention, the positions of camera and counterweight reversed. The camera gets its place on a bracket on the pendulum arm below the joint mechanism, the vertically displaceable counterweight its Place above the hinge mechanism, so that with suitable positioning of all masses the desired Center of gravity stops.

The Carrying device of the balance system according to the invention is a support rod of suitable length, the one substantially horizontal continuation of a hinge axis the gimbal mounting represents. The length The carrying rod can range from the short handle for one hand to well over broomstick length To lead with both hands vary. A long support rod allows the camera without body contortions both tight above the ground as well over head height guided become.

advantageous Developments of the balance system according to the invention revealed from the dependent claims.

Thus, at the end of the support rod another counterweight to the balance system can be attached. This makes it possible to run the entire system in a balanced state with one hand and little effort. In addition, the extra weight and the relatively large lever cause arm a significant increase in the moments of inertia, which is very effective to further suppression of unwanted oscillations in the camera work is achieved.

Short description the drawing

following the invention will be described by way of example in a drawing illustrated embodiment explained in more detail.

1 shows the balancing system according to the invention with support rod and additional counterweight in a perspective view.

The camera balance device has a camera mount 2 with slotted hole 9 on, with the two-legged part of the pendulum arm 1 tiltably connected about the hinge axis G3. The pendulum arm 1 finds its continuation up in the senior management 6 that the counterweight 7 receives, which is thus arranged vertically displaceable above the hinge mechanism according to the invention and with the screw 8th can be fixed.

The camera (not shown) is located between the two legs according to the invention at the lower end of the pendulum arm 1 Place and can with the help of the slot hole 9 be moved in the longitudinal direction for balancing.

The management staff 6 can over the as a bridge 10 trained upper connection of the two legs also adjusted for balancing in the transverse direction and by means of adjusting screw 11 be fixed.

The cardan articulation is effected by the joint axes G1 and G2, wherein the two-legged pendulum arm 1 with management staff 6 and counterweight 7 by means of intermediate piece 12 around the joint axis G1 and the support rod 3 can rotate about the hinge axis G2.

According to the invention at the end of the support rod 3 another counterweight 4 attached and by means of adjusting screw 5 be fixed.

This allows the entire system to be balanced on the carrying bar 3 be worn with one hand, with the resulting considerable increase of the moment of inertia on the handle 3 ensures a further reassurance of the camera.

Claims (6)

Balance device for hand-held or body-guided cameras with spherical or gimbal suspension ( 13 ), Pendulum arm ( 1 ), Bracket ( 2 ) for the camera and counterweight ( 7 ) characterized in that the camera below the gimbal-hinged suspension ( 13 ) and the counterweight ( 7 ) above the cardanic articulated suspension ( 13 ) are arranged. Balance device for cameras according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrying device of the system as a more or less long support rod ( 3 ) is trained. Camera balance device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that on the support rod ( 3 ) another counterweight ( 4 ) is attached, with which a balance state can be brought about on the support rod. Camera balance device according to claim 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that the support rod ( 3 ) the substantially horizontal extension of an axis of the universal joint ( 13 ). Camera balance device according to claims 1, 2 and 4, characterized in that the support rod ( 3 ) is designed as a short handle. Balance device for cameras according to claim 1 to 5, characterized in that the pendulum arm ( 1 ) is designed einschenklig.