GB2619020A

GB2619020A - A camera mounting

Info

Publication number: GB2619020A
Application number: GB2207495.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Marie Godfrey Sophie; James Tunstill Joshua
Original assignee: Joshua Tunstill; Sophie Godfrey
Current assignee: Joshua Tunstill; Sophie Godfrey
Priority date: 2022-05-23
Filing date: 2022-05-23
Publication date: 2023-11-29
Also published as: GB202207495D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a modular camera mount 100 for a vehicle that comprises: a vehicle attachment means with at least three attachment pads 10. The attachment pads are each arranged on a leg 20 that is connected to a base 30. An arm 50 is connected to the base by a first pivot 40, and a plate 80 with a releasable lock 91 is connected to the arm by a second pivot 70. The releasable lock is mounted on the plate and is operative to connect a camera to the plate. At least one shock absorber 60 acts as a dampener to stabilise the plate, where said shock absorber may be hydraulic. The arm may comprise first and second parallel elements 51, 52 each of which has separate linkage points on the first pivot 41, 42 and the second pivot 71, 72 respectively so that the elements are independently movable. Each element of the arm and each leg may be adjustable in length, and the attachment pads may be mounted on anti-vibration mounts 15.

Description

A Camera Mounting

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to camera mounting, in particular a camera mounting for a vehicle.

Background

It is common to perform filming from a moving vehicle, however it can be difficult to ensure that movement and vibration by the vehicle passing over the ground does not impact the video collected.

Often a person will hold a camera outside of a vehicle window in order to obtain footage from a moving vehicle. However this places the camera operator at risk as they are often hanging from the window or door, and also the camera equipment is often only held by the operator and is not fixed to the vehicle which means there is a risk in dropping the camera.

Specialist vehicles and mountings can be provided in some circumstances; however, this type of equipment is very expensive and therefore prohibitive to many potential users The present invention has been developed to overcome these problems.

Prior Art

https://tilta.com/shop/hydra-alien-car-mounting-system/ the link discloses a car mounting system.

-https://www.proaim. com/collections/all-stabilizer-gimbals/products/proaimairwave-vibration-is olator-arm-5-30kg the link discloses a camera vibration isolator.

- https://motocrane.com/ultra-iso-srb discloses a 3 axis passive suspension arm.

- https://gremsy.com/products/cinerigs discloses a 3 axis dampening system. Summary of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided a modular camera mount for a vehicle comprises: a vehicle attachment means with at least three attachment pads, each attachment pads is arranged on a leg that is connected to a base; an arm is connected to the base by a first pivot, and a plate with a releasable lock is connected to the arm by a second pivot, the releasable lock is mounted on the plate and is operative to connect a camera to the plate; and at least one shock absorber associated with the arm acts as a dampener to stabilise the plate.

In this way a camera mount can be readily attached to the outer surface of a vehicle for filming. Advantageously this removes the requirement of a camera operator to have to hang from the door or window of a vehicle in order to film from a moving vehicle, therefore making filming safer.

Preferably the attachment pads are suction pads. In some embodiments the attachment pads may be magnetic, or a suction pad may include a magnetic element to further secure attachment to the vehicle.

The vehicle attachment means enable the camera mount to be securely attached to a vehicle using a simple attachment means that does not cause any damage to the vehicle or require any modification to the vehicle.

The vehicle attachment means has at least three attachment pads, each arranged on an individual leg connected to a base. The arrangement of attachment pads ensures a secure fixing to the panel or panels of the vehicle so that it remains attached throughout use. Advantageously the attachment pads and legs can be arranged in a tripod formation to provide a stable connection to the vehicle.

The attachment pads are preferably circular pads in order to be easily fitted to any vehicle.

In a preferred embodiment each attachment pad includes an anti-vibration mount between the attachment pad and the leg to reduce the amount of vibration that passes from the vehicle to the camera. Furthermore the anti-vibration mount also provides an increased range of planes at which the attachment pad can be arranged in order to easily accommodate curvatures and undulations in the panel of a vehicle. For example the anti-vibration mount may be a rubber portion that sits between the leg and the pad to dampen vibration whilst also increasing the range of angles at which the pad can be positioned with respect to the leg.

Preferably the legs are elongate tubes that may extend from the pads to the base substantially orthogonal with respect to the attachment pad surface that contacts the vehicle. In this way the base does not project significantly from the vehicle, whilst the attachment pads are spaced apart for enhanced grip. It is appreciated that the orientation of the legs with respect to the attachment pads may be altered to change the distance at which the camera is mounted from the vehicle.

In some embodiments the legs that connect the attachment pads to the base are adjustable in length so that the legs can be adjusted to match and correspond to the panel(s) of the vehicle to which the camera mount is to be attached, and to enable positioning of the camera relative to the vehicle to be adjusted. For example the legs may be telescopic with a lock mechanism to lock each of the legs at a desired length.

In a preferred embodiment the vehicle attachment means have four legs equally spaced to form a cross configuration with an attachment pad arranged at a distal end of each leg. It is appreciated that the number of legs may be adjusted depending upon vehicle and terrain.

In some embodiments the length of each leg may be different in order to adjust the position of the base and thereby the position of the arm, plate and camera.

In some embodiments the base is adapted to receive a chosen number of displaceable legs, so that legs can be added or removed, thereby allowing the mount to be adapted for use. For example the base may include a channel in which proximal ends of the legs can be received and positioned.

The base provides a mounting from which all of the legs extend. The base also provides a mounting position for the first pivot which is connected to a proximal end of the arm(s) In a preferred embodiment the first pivot is adapted to be arranged in at least two configurations. In this way the orientation of the arm can be varied depending on the desired location of the camera with respect to the vehicle. Preferably the first pivot has at least two mounting surfaces so that it can be arranged in at least a first position and a second position that is varied by 90 degrees to the first position. For example the first pivot may be L-shaped with two mounting surfaces, each at 90 degrees with respect to each other.

In some embodiments the first pivot is able to rotate with respect to the base so that the arm and shock absorber can be set at the preferred position once the attachment pads have been securely fitted to the vehicle.

In a preferred embodiment the arm is an elongate tube that connects to the first pivot at a proximal end and to the second pivot at the distal end.

In some embodiments the arm is adjustable in length so that the position of the camera relevant to the vehicle can be readily adjusted. For example the arm(s) may be telescopic.

Preferably the arm is formed from a first element and a second element that are arranged parallel to each other. Both elements are fixed at either ends to separate linkage points on the first pivot and second pivot respectively so that each element is independently moveable with respect to each other. For example the first element and the second element are attached at first and second separate linkage points on the first pivot at the proximal end, and the distal end of the first and second elements are attached to separate first and second linkage points on the second pivot. In this way the first and second elements of the arm are able to move independently of each other.

The shock absorber is connected to the arm in order to provide a dampening effect to the plate and camera.

Preferably the shock absorber is connected to only one of the elements of the arm In a preferred embodiment the shock absorber is attached to the first element of the arm and also connected to a third separate linkage point on the first pivot. In this way the arm is able to provide dampening to the plate which receives the camera by enabling the first and second elements to move independently by means of the shock absorber and the separate linkage points.

In another embodiment the shock absorber is attached to the first element of the arm and also connected to a third separate linkage point on the second pivot. In this way the arm is able to provide dampening to the plate which receives the camera by enabling the first and second elements to move independently by means of the shock absorber and the separate linkage points.

It is appreciated that in some embodiments the shock absorber may also be arranged on the second element.

In some embodiments two or more shock absorbers may be associated with the arm, for example there may be one shock absorber associated with each pivot In a preferred embodiment the shock absorber(s) is a hydraulic shock absorber. It is appreciated that other types of shock absorber may be used, such as a spring type shock absorber.

Preferably the shock absorber can be adjusted to prevent bouncing so that the vibration or movement that is dampened can be adjusted to the terrain over which the vehicle is travelling. For example the range of travel permitted by the shock absorber may be adjusted.

In a preferred embodiment the first pivot connects to the base by means of a lockable rotating connector. In this way the first pivot can be turned and set at any position 360 degrees.

Preferably the plate is also rotatable with respect to the second pivot and can be locked at a desired position. In this way the position of the camera can be rotated through 360 degrees to the desired viewing position and then locked in place.

The plate has a releasable lock for receiving a camera. In this way a camera and/or a gimbal connected to a camera can be received on and fixed to the plate. The plate allows the user to quickly attach and detach the camera and/or gimbal.

Advantageously the camera mount is modular so that selected parts can be assembled for use depending on the vehicle to be used and the terrain over which it will be driven. As the parts can be purchased separately and the camera mount can be adapted for different situations it is more affordable than other systems currently available.

Preferably the camera mount is collapsible so that the legs can be manoeuvred to be parallel, one to another, so that the camera mount is easy to carry. Additionally the parts, may be disassembled when not in use, for example the arm and pivot may be detached from the base and legs.

The camera mount may be provided with a bag so that it can be easily carried.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example and with reference to the Figures in which:

Brief Description of Figures

Figure 1 shows an overview of a first embodiment of the vehicle camera mount; and Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of the vehicle camera mount arranged on a surface.

Detailed Description of Figures

Figure 1 shows a preferred example of the modular camera mount 100 in an assembled configuration.

The camera mount 100 has four suction pads 10, each arranged on an anti-vibration mount 15. Each suction pad 10 is connected to a leg 20 that attaches to a base 30 at a proximal end of each leg 20.

Each suction pad 10 is circular and the legs 20 are shown to extend orthogonally with respect to the plane of the contact surface of the suction pads 10.

In this embodiment the legs 20 are evenly spaced in a cross formation. Each leg 20 is a tube which provides strength whilst being lightweight.

The base 30 connects to the first pivot 40. The first pivot has three linkage points, 41, 42, 43. Two of the linkage points 41, 42 are connects to two members 51, 52 that form the arm 50.

The third linkage point 43 is connected to the shock absorber 60. The shock absorber 60 is hydraulic.

Distal ends of the members 51, 52 connect to the second pivot 70 that has two linkage points 71, 72.

The second pivot 70 connects to a plate 80 that has a platform 90 with a releasable lock 91 for receiving a camera (not shown). The plate 80 and platform 90 are connected by connectors that are not shown in Figure 1. An example of the connectors 85 is shown in the second embodiment 200 shown in Figure 2.

The connectors 85 in the pictured embodiment are a series of curved wires that extend between the plate 80 and platform 90. The use of wire connectors 85 rather than a solid housing enables visibility of the parts and reduces weight of the device. It is appreciated that alternative connectors may be provided in other embodiments.

The plate 80 is a ring shaped part that connects to the second pivot 70. The plate 80 is permanently fixed to the second pivot 70 by machined screws (not shown) so that the plate is fixed in position.

The platform 90 includes a releasable lock 91 for receiving the camera and/or gimbal. Part of the platform 90 passes through the opening of the ring shaped plate 80.

The camera (not shown) is attached to a lower part 91 of the platform 90 which extends below the plat in use and provides a mounting plate with a releasable locking mechanism where the gimbal and camera attach so that the camera is suspended from the releasable lock 91 of the platform 90.

In use different mounting plates 91 may be used depending on what equipment the user is connecting.

The invention has been described by way of examples only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the scope of protection as defined by the claims.

Claims

Claims A modular camera mount for a vehicle comprises: a vehicle attachment means with at least three attachment pads, each attachment pad is arranged on a leg that is connected to a base; an arm is connected to the base by a first pivot, and a plate with a releasable lock is connected to the arm by a second pivot, the releasable lock is mounted on the plate and is operative to connect a camera to the plate; and at least one shock absorber associated with the arm acts as a dampener to stabilise the plate.
2. A modular camera mount according to claim 1 wherein the at least one shock absorber is arranged between the arm and the first pivot.
A modular camera mount according to claim 1 wherein the at least one shock absorber is arranged between the arm and the plate.
4. A modular camera mount according to any preceding claim wherein the arm is formed from a first element and a second element that are arranged parallel to each other and both the first element and the second element are fixed at either end to separate linkage points on the first pivot and second pivot respectively so that the elements are independently moveable with respect to each other.
5. A modular camera mount according to claim 4 wherein the shock absorber is connected to the first element.
A modular camera mount according to claim 4 wherein the shock absorber is connected to the second element.
A modular camera mount according to any preceding claim wherein the arm is adjustable in length.
8. A modular camera mount according to claim 4 wherein each element of the arm is adjustable in length.
9. A modular camera mount according to any preceding claim wherein the legs are adjustable in length.
10. A modular camera mount according to any preceding claim wherein each attachment pad is mounted on an anti-vibration mount.
11. A modular camera mount according to any preceding claim wherein the first pivot has two mounting surfaces so that it can be mounted on the base in at least two different orientations.
12. A modular camera mount according to any preceding claim wherein the legs are displaceably connected with the base.
13. A modular camera mount according to any preceding claim wherein the at least one shock absorber is hydraulic.
14. A modular camera mount according to any preceding claim wherein the plate is connected to the releasable lock by a series of curved wires.