JP2001059600A - Tripod - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tripod attached and detached to an image pick-up device such as a camera by a single operation. SOLUTION: This tripod has coupling parts 3a, 3b coupled to an image pick-up device formed in an upper part of a tripod, and the parts 3a, 3b are bayonet-coupled to a coupled part 5 provided in the image pick-up device. That is, a protrusion 5e is formed in the coupled part 5, and a recessed groove 3h is formed in the coupling part 3b. The ring 3b is put in the coupling part 3a, the coupled part 5 is inserted into the coupling part 3a while conforming the recessed groove 3h to the protrusion 5e of the coupled part 5, and the both are slightly rotated relatively to insert the protrusion 5e into the recessed groove 3h, so as to be bayonet-coupled.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tripod for a camera, a video, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a tripod of an image pickup apparatus such as a camera has a fixing screw on its head, and this fixing screw is screwed into a female screw hole for fixing a tripod provided on the bottom of the camera or the like. The camera was fixed.

[0003]

In recent years, with the miniaturization of silver halide cameras and the emergence of lightweight cameras such as digital cameras, small tripods different from conventional large tripods have been developed and sold in recent years. It has become. The connection between the tripod and the camera is usually performed by screwing a male screw for mounting provided on the tripod or the camera platform with a female screw drilled on the bottom of the camera.

When the camera is fixed to a small tripod as described above, since the tripod is small, if the camera is mounted after opening the tripod like a large tripod, the mounting position is lowered. It becomes difficult. Therefore, in many cases, the camera is attached to the camera while turning the tripod with the tripod closed.

[0005] However, since the male screw attached to the tripod or the head is not always oriented in a direction parallel to the leg of the tripod and is often inclined, the screw on the head is screwed into the screw hole of the camera. It takes time to adjust, and it is necessary to correct the direction of the male screw parallel to the legs and turn it.
It was troublesome work.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and has as its object to provide a tripod that can be attached to and detached from an imaging device such as a camera with one touch.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a tripod according to the present invention has a connecting portion which can be connected to an image pickup device on an upper portion of the tripod, and the connecting portion is provided on the image pickup device. It is characterized in that it can be bayonet-coupled to the coupling part.

[0008] Further, there is provided a connecting portion which can be bayonet-coupled with the connecting portion, wherein the connecting portion has a male screw which can be screwed into a female screw formed in the imaging device, and the imaging device is a camera. It can be configured.

The tripod has a camera platform, and the camera platform has the coupling portion. Alternatively, the coupling portion of the bayonet coupling and the coupled portion may have one convex portion and the other a concave portion. ,
A protrusion is formed on one of the convex portion and the concave portion, and a concave groove on which the protrusion can enter is provided on the other, and the convex portion and the concave portion are fitted so that the protrusion enters the concave groove, and the joining portion is formed. By providing a relative rotation between the coupling portion and the coupled portion, the protrusion can be inserted into the concave groove to fix the coupling between the coupling portion and the coupled portion. Further, a mark for confirming a rotational position may be provided on the coupling portion and the coupled portion.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a tripod and a part to be joined according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state where the part to be joined is attached to the tripod, and FIG. 3 is a state in which the part to be joined and the part to be joined are disassembled. FIG.

In these figures, the tripod 1 has three legs 1a, 1a, 1a which can be opened and closed freely, and a head 3 on the head. The head 3 has a coupling portion 3a with an imaging device such as a camera.
And a ring 3b as a part of the coupling portion 3a, a thumb screw 3c for fastening, and two bases 3d. Reference numeral 5 denotes a portion to be coupled. Above the main body 5a, a male screw 5b for screwing into a female screw hole provided in the imaging device is provided upright.

The base 3d of the camera platform 3 has a halved structure, has a V-shaped opening above, and the inside of the opening is a spherical concave portion. The sphere 3e integrally attached to the lower portion of the coupling portion 3a fits into the concave portion, and a ball joint as a whole can direct the camera or the like attached to the camera platform in any direction. become. The thumb screw 3c is a screw that penetrates both bases 3d of the halved structure, and when tightened, the gap between the halves is narrowed so that the sphere 3e can be tightened and fixed.

The connecting portion 3a has a flat circular shape as a whole, has the above-mentioned sphere 3e integrally attached below, and has an annular rib 3f fitted to the ring 3b on the outside. , And has a cylindrical projection 3g inside.

An annular groove 3i for fitting with the rib 3f and several concave grooves 3h are formed inside the ring 3b, and the end of each concave groove 3h reaches the upper end of the ring 3b. Open. The ring 3b is fitted to the coupling portion 3a to form a bayonet coupling concave portion.

The main body 5a of the portion 5 to be connected is basically a disk having a size that can be fitted into the inside of the ring 3b, and a U-shaped annular groove 5c is formed around the disk. It has a formed low cylindrical portion 5d and a plurality of protrusions 5e formed on the periphery. The number of the projections 5e is the same as the number of the concave grooves 3h formed in the ring. The above-described male screw 5b is provided upright on the upper surface of the connected portion 5. This male screw 5
“b” is made of metal, and is implanted in a portion to be joined made of synthetic resin. The coupled portion 5 is fixed to the imaging device by screwing a male screw 5b into a female screw provided in the imaging device such as a camera, and forms a bayonet-coupled convex portion.

The bayonet connection means that a circular convex portion is fitted into a circular concave portion, and a convex portion formed on one of the two is inserted into a groove formed on the other, and a slight gap is formed between the two. Is a structure in which the convex portion and the concave portion are joined by giving the rotation of. Similar to a screw thread, but with a screw thread turning more than one turn, with a bayonet connection, the angle of rotation is typically less than 90 °, ie, less than 1/4 turn.

After the connected portion 5 is screwed into a female screw hole (not shown) formed in the image pickup device and fastened, a projection 5e of the connected portion 5 and a concave groove formed in the ring 3b are formed. 3h
Are faced to each other, and the part 5 to be connected is fitted to the connecting part 3a. As schematically shown in FIG. 4, the concave groove 3 h has a “<” shape, and when the projection 5 e enters the concave groove 3 h opened at the upper end of the ring 3 b, the coupled portion 5 becomes the coupling portion. 3
a. When the joined part 5 is fitted to the joining part 3a, when a relative rotation is given between the joined part 5 and the joining part 3a, the projection 5e slides on the inclined part 3h1 of the concave groove 3h, It enters the section 3h2 and stops in the state of FIG. The rotation angle at this time is 90 ° or less. Groove 3h
Since it has a scalloped shape, even if a reverse rotational force is generated due to vibration or the like, the projection 5c does not easily come out of the concave groove 3h, and the connection can be stably maintained. In addition, the cylindrical portion 5d of the joined portion 5 is fitted inside the cylindrical projection 3g, and the fitting between the joined portion and the joined portion is stabilized.

Further, a mark 5f is provided outside the portion 5 to be joined.
And a hole 3j is formed in the ring 3b. When the bayonet connection is completed, the mark 7 can be seen from the hole 3j. With such a configuration, it is possible to confirm from the outside that the coupling has been performed as predetermined. Thereafter, the tripod is opened, set at a predetermined position, the thumb screw 3c is loosened, the image pickup device is oriented in a desired direction, and the thumb screw 3c is tightened to be fixed.

In the above description, a camera is taken as an example of an image pickup apparatus, but the present invention is also applicable to an electronic camera or a video camera.

[0020]

According to the present invention as described above,
Having a coupling portion with an imaging device formed on an upper portion of a tripod,
Since the coupling portion is configured to be bayonet-coupled to the coupled portion provided on the imaging device, the imaging device such as a camera can be easily attached to and detached from a tripod, and a small tripod can be easily used. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a tripod and a coupled portion according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state where a portion to be coupled is attached to a tripod.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a coupling portion and a coupled portion are disassembled.

4A and 4B are diagrams schematically showing a state in which a projection of a part to be joined enters a concave groove of the part to be joined; FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tripod 1a Support leg 3a Coupling part 3h Groove 5 Coupling part 5c Projection

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A tripod having a coupling portion that can be coupled to an imaging device on an upper portion of a tripod, and the coupling portion can be bayonet-coupled to a coupled portion provided on the imaging device. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a coupled portion that can be bayonet-coupled to the coupling portion, wherein the coupled portion has a male screw that can be screwed into a female screw formed on the imaging device. And a tripod. 3. The tripod according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device is a camera. 4. The tripod according to claim 1, wherein the tripod has a camera platform, and the camera platform has the coupling portion. 5. The connecting portion and the connected portion of the bayonet connection, one of which is a convex portion and the other of which is a concave portion, wherein a projection is formed on one of the convex portion and the concave portion, and the projection is formed on the other. An indentable groove is provided, the protrusion and the recess are fitted so that the protrusion enters the groove, and the protrusion is recessed by giving relative rotation between the coupling portion and the coupled portion. The tripod according to claim 1, wherein the tripod is inserted into the groove to join the joining portion and the joined portion. 6. A tripod, wherein a mark for confirming a rotation completion position is provided on the connecting portion and the connected portion.