GB2213369A - Variable angle supporting device - Google Patents

Abstract

A variable angle supporting device (1) for supporting, for example, a camera, comprises a mounting section having a resilient spherical member (6) accommodated rotatably within a cylindrical ball holding member (9), the spherical member (6) having a rod screw (7) which extends through the uppermost portion of the ball holding member (9). A pad (10) accommodated within the ball holding member has a recess to match the periphery of the spherical member (6) and is urged towards the spherical member by a spring (11). A shaft (14) extends upwardly through an opening in the bottom (12) of the ball holding member (9) and through the pad (10), and has a retaining tip (14a) formed at its upper end. A recess (16) and a projection (17) of a base (13) have meshing triangular toothed portions to engage the bottom (12) with the base (13), and a ring (18) is rotatably fitted onto the peripheries of the ball holding member (9) and the base (13) and has a cam (18a) for releasing the mesh engagement. <IMAGE>

Description

VARIABLE ANGLE SUPPORTING DEVICE The present invention relates to a varlable angle supporting device, in particular, for a supporting object such as a camera, an electric I amp, or the like. in the device, a a spherical member for supporting the object is rotatably contained within a ball hold ins member while a mesh means i S provided at the joint between a bottom member of the ball holding member end a base member disposed beneath the ball hold ins member . The base member is connected by means of a sheft with a pressing pad which is to sustain the spherical member from below.The shaft has at top end = retai nin5 tip formed thereon tor sticking ;nte the spherical member. Between the pressing pad and the b@ttom member in the ball holding member is provided a spring which urges the pressing pad towards the spherical member. A ring for releasing engesement is mounted having a cam thereon to release the mesh engagement between the ball holding member and the base member. Accordingly, the pressing pad and the retaining t@@ can both be removed from the spherical member in a cne-touch manner by manipulating the release ring for releasing the mesh engagement.After the supporting object is adjusted to rest at predetermined angles, the relase ring is manipulated to provide the mesh engagement therein and thus, to allow the retaining t@e to stick into the spherical member, whereby the supporting object will be fixedly secured in position.

It ;s well known that a supporting object, E.5. E camera: i supported I > ' mounted to a mounting head which S In turn mounted on the top of a Supporting stand such as a tripod including a spherical bearing means interposed therein. Such a camera, when havins been set in a predetermined position by adjusting its positioning angles upDn being turned backward and forward end/or leftward and rightward about the spherical bearing, is fixedly secured in position while a bail in the spherical bearing is fixedly retained by tishtenins levers or rotating tightenin screws.

However, in such an arrangement that the ball linked to the mounting base is fixedly retained by tightening the levers or rotating the screws, the levers or screws have to be retightened to secure the ball and thus, the camera when having priorly been loosened to allow the movement of the ball for adjustment so that the camera can tur towards any direction. @ hese release arm retaining operations of the ball are relatively troublesome, which will thus prevent a prompt setup of the camera on determining its positioning angles.

In addition, since only a pressing tip on the lever or the terminal end of the screw is pressed on the smooth periphery of the metal ball, it is impossible to have a frictional force enough to secure the bal I in position. Therefore, the camera on the msuntins head may chanse its positioning angles upon be affected by vibration or its own weisht as the ball rotates with the lever or tightening screw tightened.

It is a primary object of the present nvention to provide a variable angle s@pporting dev#ce having a novel arrangement in which a pressing pad is removed from a spherical member by the movement of a release ring so that the spherical member can be made free for r@tating movement in a one-touch manner by manipulating the release ring and thus, a supporting object such as a camera, a lighting fitment, or the like, mounted fixedly to a mounting head of the device can readily be adjusted to rest predetermined angles.

It is another object ot the invention to provide a variable angle supporting device in which a retaining tip is integraly formed on the pressing pad urging the spherical member, when the the spherical member is secured: thus to stick into the spherical member as providing a force of friction, so that the supporting object, e.s. = camera and a lishtins fitment, mounted fixedly to the mounting head can be prevented from turning upon being effected by its own weight or vibration and thus, can be securely set to rest at predtermined angles.

It is a further object of the invention to prcvide a variable angle supporting device in which a corrugated seat is formed on the pressing surface of the pressing pad so that a street force of friction can be provided when the spherical member is held in position herewith.

It is still a further object ot the invention to provide a variable angle supporting device in which a toothed fitting recess and a toothed fitting projection are co@xially termed respectively on a ball holding member and a base member in order tD mesh each other in engagement so that the bal | holding member is prevented from rotating in @elation to the base member while the release ring is manipulated for the mesh engagement therein.

It is still a turther cbject ot the invention to provide variable ankle support ins device in which the release ring arc the ball holding member have cams *ormed radially Dn their respective confronting surfaces Lying on planes at risht angles to the common axis so that the fitting recess can smoothly be di sensased with ease from. the fitting projection by turning the release rins.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment.

One preferred embodiment according to the present invention Is illustrated in the drawings: wherein Fis.1 is a perspective view of a variable ansle supporting device in use; Fig.2 is a longltudinal cross sectional side v@ew of the variable angle supporting device including a clamp: Fig.3 is an enlarged longitudinal cross sectional side view of the variable angle supporting device; Fig.4 is an exploded perspective view of the variable angle supporting device; and Fig.5 is an enlarged longitudinal cross sectional side vieof the variable angle supporting. device showing its release mDvement.

One preterred embodiment ot the present nvention will Be described in conjunction with the drawinss.

Illustrated in the drawings is a variable angel supporting device which is to be attached for use to a supporting stand for a camera. As best shown in figg.1 and 2, the variable angle supporting device 1 comprises a mounting section 3 for holding the camera thereon in thread engagement, a variable angle sect ion connected downwardly to said mountd section 3, and a clamp Z connected downwardly to said variable angle section 4.

The variable angle section 3 includes an upwardly extending rod screw 7 mounted coaxially it a scherical member 6 of resilient material suck as soft synthetic resin, urethane rubber, or the like. The rod screw 7 has a tightening lock nut 8 screwed thereonto.

The variable angle section 4 includes a ball holding member 9 of cylindrical shape having at upper end a ball eccommodating portion 9a which is formed in semi-scherical configuration relative to the upper Hal If of the spherical member 6.

The ball accommodating portion 9a has at @pper end E circumferentially extending slot opening 9b formed therein. The rod screw 7 extends upwardly through the slot opening 9b while the spherical member 6 is rotatably accommodated within the ball holding member 9.

The ball holding member 9 also accommodates therein a pressing pad 10 which is formed in concave configuretion thus to accept the lower half of the spherical member 6 and beneath sal pressins pad 10, a ccil sprints 11 for urging the pressing pad 10 towards the spherical member 6. The ball holding member 9 has at lower end a bottom cover or a bottom member 12 which is mounted in thread ensasement therewith thus to cover a bottom opening therein.

The press ins pad 10 has at upper end a corrugeted seat 10a formed over the annyular upper surface thereof with a multiplicity of generally samll V-shaped ribs arranged radially.

Beneath the ball holding member 9 is a base member 13 formed monolithically on the the clamp 5. A shaft 14 fitted coaxially in the base 13 extends upwardly throush the open ins in the bottom member 12 within the coil sprins 11 and is coaxially inserted upper end into a center bore of the pressing pad 10.

The shaft 14 has et upper end a retaining tip 14a formed monolithically thereon intends to stick into the spherical member 6. With the retainins tip 14a remaining lifted é certal n amount upwardly from the pressing pad 10, the shaft 14 is retained at both the upper and lower ends thereof by a couple of retaining rinss 15, 15 fitted thereon so that the pressing pad 12 and the base 13 are integrally movable upwardly and downwardly.

At the joint between the bottom of the bottom membe 12 and the top of the base 13, a fitting recess 16 is coaxially formed in the center region of the bottom member 12 @hil E e @ itting projection 17 which is to be accepted coaxially within said fitting recess 16 is formed coexially upwardly on the base 13.

The fitting recess 16 and the tittins projection 17 have triangularly toothed portions 16a and 17a formed radially on their respect vie inner and outer side we I Is thus to provide mesh means in engagement.

A cylindrical ring 18 for releasing engagement: which can be manipulated from outside, is rotatably fitted onto the lower end of the ball hold ins member 9.

The release ring 18 provided with a moderately sloping cam 18a having three pairs of the highest and lowest portions on a plane lying at a right angle to the common vertical axis and facing the bottom of the bottom member 12. Similarly, a cam 12a is formed annularly Or the lower surface ot the bottom member 12 so as to meet the cam 18a in engagement.

Both the cams 12a and lB are arranged such that each of projections 12b formed on the highest portions of the cam 12a can engage its confronting recess 18b formed in the hishest portion of the cam 18a.

When the cams 12a, 18a meet with their respective highest port ions and lowest portions engaged with one another the toothed side 17a of the fitting head 17 will coaxially engage the toothed side 16a of the fitting recess 16 in mesh relationship.

The release ring 18 has a knurled surface 18c tn the external periphery thereof to facilitate the rotating manipulation.

The clamp 5 includes a substantially flat clamping body 19 of approximately semi-circular crcss sectional shape extends monolithically downwardly from the base 13 and also a clamping arm 20 confronted with said clamping body 19, as shown in Fig.2.

The clamping arm 20 has at upper end a short rod 21 which extends inwardly from the clamping side thereof and is foldabiy joined at the distal end thereof with a long rod 22 of approximately elliptical cross sectional shape by means ot a pin 23 inserted thereacross. The short and long rcds 21, 22 extend laterally through an elliptically opening through bore 19a in the upper portion of the clampins body 19 so that the distance between the clamping body and arm 19, 20 can be varied fo adjustment.

As represented by the phantom line in Fig.2, the long rod 22 can be folded down to the rear wall of the clamping body 19 by pushins the pin 23 of a pivot outwardly towards the rear side ot the clampins body 19r i.e. the left in Fig.2, while the clampins arm 20 becomes into contact with the clamping body 19 at the opposite side.

The Ions rod 22 has at bottom an axially extEnding rack-like engaging toothed portion 22a formed thereon while a claw 19b engaging said toothed portion 22a is formed upwardly on the inner wall of the through bore 19a at one end on the rear side of the clamping bDdy 19.

The los rod 22 has also, at the terminal end thereof, a removal stopper 22b formed monolithically thereon.

A pair of cushioning members 24 and 25 of resilient material suck as synthetic rubber are fixedly adhered to the confronting lowermost sides of their respentive clamping body 19 and clamping arm 20.

The cushioning member 25 disposed on the side of the clamping arm 20 is attached to the clamping side of a leat spring 27 secured with a screw 26. When a cress ins lever 28, which is pivotably mounted within a portal notch 20 - provided in the lower portion of the clamping arm 20, is turned downwardly, the cushioning member 25 will be pressed with a cam 28a formed on the pressing lever 28 i a clamping direct ion and thus, is prevented from. returning backward by resilience as the cam 28a remains in contact with the back side of the leaf spring 27.

As the embodiment shown in the drawings is arranged in the atoresaid construction, the operation will be described herein below.

As shown in Fig.1, after thr rod screw 7 in the mounting section 3 is screwed upwardly Into the bottom c the camera the IDck nut 8 is tishtened upon rotating to secure the camera in position.

Then, as shown in Fig.2, the short and long rods 21, 22 of the clamp 5 are both lensthened in linear relationship while the long rod 22 slides in the bore so that the clamping body 19 and the clamping arm 20 can be spaced fre each other at 2 distance which is suitable to accommodate a titment reprssented by the phantom line in Fig.2 The fitment 29 is interposed between the custioning members 24 and 25 in the lower end of the clamping tool S and thus clamped with the cushionins members 2, 25 by turning the pressing lever 28 downward, whereby the camera 2 will be fixedly mounted on the fitment 29.

As the ions rDd 22 is urged upwardly by 3 counter force produced in clamping, the claw 19b formed upwardly within the through bore 19a in the clamping body 19 engages the engaging toothed port ion 22a of the Ions rod 22 thus to assure the clamping distance between the clamping body 19 and the clamping arm 20.

To change the direction ot the camera 2 in positioning, the release ring 18 is manipulated tor rotation sc that the highest portions of the cams 12a and 18a in their res@ective ball holding member 9 and release ring 18 can be engaged with each other. This allows the ball holdins member 9 and the mount In base 13 to Be spaced apart from each other as the former moves upward while, rElatively, the latter moves downward in opposition to the yielding force of the coil sprints 11.Consequently, the fitting recess.16 in the ball holdins member 9 is coaxially disensased with the fitting projection 17 on the base 13, which results in releasing of the mesh engagement of the toothed portion 16a from the confronting toothed portion 17a.

At the time, the pressins pad 10 lin.ked to the base 13 becomes out of contact with the spherical member 6 thus to release the engagement of the corrugated seat 10a on the pressing pad 10 and the retaining tip 14a of the shaft 14 from the spherical member 6.

In this state of release, the camera 2 can be moved in all directions by turning the rod screw 7 on the spherical member 6 along the slot Opening 9b in the uppermost end of the ball holding member 9, by rotating the spherical member 9 about its axis, or by turning the ball holding member 9 about the common vertical axis.

while the ball holdins member 9 is turned about the common axis, the disengagement of the fitting recess 16 from the fitting projection 17 can be examined during the manipulation as a series of the projections 12b and 18b on their respective cams 12a and 18a become engaged consecutively with each other in turn Iris action and additionally, will tE maintained when the Same remains ensased.

After the camera 2 is set in a predetermined position, the release ring 18 is turned asain so that the cam 12a of the ball holding member 9 can ensase the cam 18a of the release @ing 18 as their hishest porting tace the IDwest portions in ensasement.

This allows the ball holding member 9 to be ursed downward by the yielding +orce ot the coil spring 11 and thus, the fitting recess 16 in the ball holding member 9 will ensase coaxially the fitting projection 17 on the base 13 tD secure the position of ensasement while their toothed portions 16a and 17a mesh each other.

Simulteneously, the pressins pad 10 is ursed upwardly by the spring 11 tor ensasement with the spherical member 6 thus press the corrusated seat 10a on the press ins pad 10 and the retaining tip 14a of the shaft 14 against the spherical member 6, whereby the spherical member 9 car be frictional ly held by the corrugated seat 10a and the rataining tip 14a in the non-movement engagement.

As set forth above, the engagement of the pressing pad 10 with the spherical member 6 can be released by manipulating the release ring 18 for turning action and, otherwise: the mesh engagement within the release ring 18 causes the pressing pad 10 to be urged by the sprins 10 thus to provide the non-movement of the spherital member 6, which eliminates the need of tightening a lever or a screw utilized in the prior art. Thereby, the spherical member 9 can be fixedly secured and readily made tree with ease by manipulating the release ring 19 in a one-touch manner and thus, the camera 2 mounted on the mounting section 3 will readily be adjusted to seat at any desirable ansles.

In addition, the spherical member 6 is fixedly seated on the corrusated seat 10a on the pressing Fad 10 with the retaining tip 14a stuck thereinto so that its rotation about the commom vertical axis is prevented by the frictional engagement with the corrugated seat 10a while its rotation out a horizontal axis is prevented by the engagement with the retaining tip 140. The combination of engagement wi I I provide a frictionally holdins force to secure the spherical member 6 in frictional engagement.

Consequently, the camera 2, when mounted on the mounting secticn 3 linked with the spherical member 6, can be securely positioned at any ansles with adjustment while be ins prevented from movins inadvertently upon beings affected by its own weight or vibration.

The fitting recess 16 in the ball holding member 13. encases the fitting projection 17 on the base 13 for fitti ng while their respective toothed portions 16a and 17a coaxially mesh each other in the engagement. This, when the camera 2 has been changed in position by turning the ball holding member 9, prevents the rotatins movement of the ball holdins member 9 relative to the mounting base 13 which may be caused By their vertical movements or vibration.

Additionally, the engagement of the fitting recess 16 with the fitting projection 17 is readily releasec by manipulating the release ring 18 for turning action so as to facilitate the nonrotating engagement and disemgagement of the ball holding member 9 with and from the mounting base 13. The release ring 18 i -e rotatable in arrangement, thus providing less force of the contact resistance to the outer periphery of the ball holdins member 9 and the mounting base 13 as compared to a ring which is adopted to reduce in diameter. Consequently, the operations of lockup and release can be smoothly made with the use cf a lesser force.

The present invention is disclosed in conjunction witL the aforesaid embodiment wherein: the rod screw7 is a supporting rod; the slot opening 9b i's an openins; the fittins recess 16 arid projection 17 worms a mesh means; and the cams 12a and 15a on their respective ball holding member 9 and ralase ring 1 are cams.

However, the principles of the present invent ion is nct limited to the embodiment set forth above.

It will be understood that, elthough the embodiment is described with reference to the camera 2, other supporting objects, e.g an electric lamp, may be used for mounting.

Claims (4)

1. A variable angle supporting device comprising: a mounting secti-on having a spherical member of resilient material accommodated rotatably within a cylindrical ball holdins member, said spherical member having a rod screw thereon extendins through an opening formed in the uppermost portion of said ball holding member; a pressing pad accommodated within the ball holdins member and havins a recess portion to match the periphery of the spherical member; a tase disposed beneath the bottom of the ball holding member;; a shaft extendins upwardly from said base via an Opening in the bottom of the ball holding member throush said pressing pad thus to joi the base with the pressing pad arid havins at upper end a retalning tip formed monolithically thereon; a spring interpossed between the pressing Fad and the bottom of the ball holding member thus to urge the pressing pad towards the spherical member; a pair of mesh means formed respectively on the bottom of the ball holding member and the upper surface of the base so as to mesh each other in engagement of the bottom with the base; and a release ring for releasing an engagement: fitted rotatably onto the peripheries of the ball holding member and the base and provided with a cam for releasing the mesh engagement between said means.

2. A variable ansle supporting device} as claimedin Claim 1, wherein the pressins pad has a corrugated seat formed on the annular spherical member pressing surface with a multiplicity of small ribs arransed radially.

3. A variable angle, supporting device,as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the mesh means are provided in the for of fitting recess and a fitting projection which have toothed portions formed on their respective inwardly facing wa I and outwardly facing wal Is so as to mesh each other in engagement between the ball holding member and the base, while the cams are formed respectively on the axially confronting surfaces of the release rir,g and the tall holding member

4. A variable angle supporting device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.