JPH0240918B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a camera support device that is provided at the upper end of a tripod or the like and rotatably supports a camera.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, a tripod head is installed at the top of the tripod.
The camera is supported through this pan head. A well-known camera head includes a base fixed to the top end of a tripod, a pan rotor rotatable around a vertical axis with respect to the base, and a pan rotor rotatable around a horizontal axis with respect to the pan rotor. The camera includes a tilted rotating body and a camera stand provided at the upper end of the tilted rotating body. Furthermore,
In the case of a so-called three-way pan head, the camera stand is provided so as to be tiltable about a horizontal axis with respect to a tilt rotating body.

A pan rod is attached to the tilt rotating body, and the pan rod can be used to perform horizontal pan operations and longitudinal tilt operations.
A threaded portion is provided at the tip of this pudding rod, and the structure is such that when the pudding rod is twisted clockwise, the tail rotation body is locked, and conversely, when it is twisted counterclockwise, the lock can be released. There is. The pirn rotating body is locked and unlocked by a tightening hand screw that is separate from the pirn rod. Furthermore, the three-way pan head has a structure in which the camera stand is locked and unlocked by a tightening screw that is separate from the above-mentioned screw.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

As mentioned above, conventional general pan heads have had the problem that a large number of screws must be operated in order to lock and unlock various parts of the pan head, making the operations cumbersome.

In addition, a camera head (so-called free-turn head) in which a camera stand is attached to a fixed base at the upper end of a tripod via a ball joint has also been commercialized. This type of head has a ball joint that can be tightened or loosened using a hand tightening screw.
When the hand screw is loosened, the ball joint is unlocked, allowing the camera stand to rotate in all directions around the ball.

However, this pan head is cumbersome to operate because the tightening hand screw must be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise each time it is locked or unlocked. Furthermore, since the camera stand can move freely in all directions when the lock is released, there is a problem in that it is difficult to control the angle if there is no place to grab it. Moreover, if the lock is not tightened properly, the camera stand will easily rotate.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system that allows the user to easily release the lock and operate the camera angle in all directions with one hand, and also to ensure that the camera is fixed at the desired angle position when the camera is locked. be.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a camera support device having the following configuration. That is, the camera support device of the present invention has a fixed base that can be attached to the upper end of a tripod, a joint ball provided on a column projecting above the fixed base, and a cup-shaped ball with both ends open. A cylindrical ball case that is relatively rotatably housed, has an opening edge on which the ball slides, a notch large enough to allow the column to fall down, and has a flange on the other end. a body that holds the ball case via the flange portion; a cylindrical cover that is attached concentrically to the outside of the ball case and is provided with a notch large enough to allow the pillar portion to collapse; a ball holder that is relatively movable in the axial direction of the ball case and pairs with the ball case to sandwich the ball; a compression spring that is built into the body and biases the ball holder toward the ball;
a lock release link mechanism provided so as to be able to drive the ball holder or a slider adjacent to the ball holder away from the balls against the elasticity of the compression spring; a grip formed in a shape that can be gripped by the body; a lever rotatably attached to the grip around a shaft and operable to unlock the link mechanism; and a lever attached to the body and fixed to the camera. and a camera mounting seat provided with screws.

[Effect]

In the camera support device configured as described above, when the grip is grasped and the lever is pulled, the force is transmitted via the link mechanism to the ball holder or the slider adjacent to the ball holder, and the elasticity of the compression spring substantially acts on the ball. I won't. Therefore, the ball case becomes slidable relative to the balls, and the lock is released. The ball is fixed to the tripod via the column and fixed base, but the ball case is fixed to the body, that is, the camera side, so when the lock is released, the camera can be rotated in any direction along with the grip. become able to.

After adjusting the camera to the desired angle,
When you release your hand from the grip lever, the ball presser is pressed against the ball by the elasticity of the compression spring built into the body, and the ball and ball case are relatively fixed. In other words, the fixed base attached to the tripod and the camera mounting seat on which the camera is placed are fixed to each other, and the camera is reliably fixed at a desired position.

If you want to tilt the camera by a large angle of about 90 degrees, just face the notch in the cover in the direction in which the camera will be tilted, and tilt the body so that the pillars fit into the notch.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. The camera support device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a fixed base 2 at its lower end. This fixed base 2 can be fixed to a support part 4 provided at the upper end of a well-known tripod 3 as illustrated in FIG. That is, a screw hole 5 is provided in the center of the fixed base 2, and by screwing this screw hole 5 into a camera screw (not shown) protruding from the support section 4, the fixed base 2 is removably fixed to the support part 4. Since the structure of the tripod 3 is well known, a description thereof will be omitted.

A spherical joint ball 7 is provided on the fixed base 2 to protrude through a cylindrical column 6 fixed to the fixed base 2. The ball 7, the pillar part 6, and the fixed base 2 are made of metal.

The ball 7 is housed in a metal ball case 8 so as to be relatively rotatable. This ball case 8 has a cup shape with both ends open, and the opening edge 8a on the lower end side is in sliding contact with the lower surface side of the ball 7.
A cylindrical resin cover 9 is fixed to the outside of the ball case 8 concentrically with the ball case 8. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, cutouts 10 and 11 are formed in the ball case 8 and the cover 9. As shown in FIGS. The size of the notches 10 and 11 is
The dimensions are set so that the pillar portion 6 can collapse. By providing these notches 10 and 11,
The ball case 8 and the cover 9 can be folded down in a direction perpendicular to the column 6 as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a flange portion 8b is provided at the upper end of the ball case 8 in the drawing. This flange portion 8b is connected to a step portion 14 provided on the inner peripheral portion of the ring-shaped fixture 13.
The ball case 8 is rotatably supported by being locked to a. Body 1 of this example
4 consists of a substantially cylindrical metal main body 16 having a hollow hole 15 and a cylindrical resin housing 17 surrounding the outside of the main body 16.
This housing 17 is fixed to the main body 16 by screws 18 (partially shown in FIG. 3).
A lever support portion 19 (see FIG. 1) extending horizontally is integrally formed on one side of the main body 16.

A disc-shaped ball presser 21 is housed inside the ball case 8. This ball presser 21 has a tapered recess 22 that slides into contact with the upper surface of the ball 7 . Therefore, the ball presser 21
and the ball case 8 are paired with each other to hold the ball 7.
sandwiched between. A cylindrical slider 23 is adjacent to the upper surface side of the ball presser 21 in the drawing. The slider 23 is housed in the hollow hole 15 of the body 14 so as to be slidable in the axial direction thereof. This slider 23 moves together with the ball presser 21. The ball presser 21 and the slider 23 are made of metal, and may be integrally formed with each other.

Furthermore, a compression coil spring 25 is accommodated in the hollow hole 15 of the body 14. The compression spring 25 is provided with an initial compression force applied between the ceiling wall 26 of the body main body 16 and the slider 23. Therefore, the compression spring 25 urges the ball presser 21 toward the ball 7 via the slider 23.

The lock release link mechanism 30 connects three metal links 31, 32, 33 to each other with pivots 34, 3.
5, which are rotatably connected. 1st
The link 31 passes through a hole 37 passing through the slider 23 in the diametrical direction, and is pivotally connected to the main body 16 by a pin 38. A steel ball 40 is provided on the upper surface of this first link 31.
0 is in contact with the slider 23. second link 3
2 by a pivot 35, the third link 33 is connected to the pin 41 provided on the body main body 16.
It can be rotated freely around the center. When the third link 33 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1, the second link 32 is pulled up and the first link 31 is moved to the pin 38 against the elasticity of the compression spring 25
Rotate counterclockwise around the center. Third link 3
A notch 42 is formed at the other end of 3.

The grip 44 is made of synthetic resin, and in this embodiment is molded integrally with the housing 17. This grip 44 is shaped so that it can be held with one hand. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the grip 44 consists of a left half 44a and a right half 44b which are divided into left and right halves, which are butted against each other and connected to each other by screws 45. .

A lever 48 is attached to the grip 44 and is rotatable about a shaft 47. Lever 48
A horizontal pin 49 is provided inside, and this pin 49 fits into the notch 42 of the third link 33 described above. Therefore grip 44
When the lever 48 is pulled, the pin 49 rotates and lowers, causing the third link 33 to connect to the pin 41.
The first link 31 is rotated in the clockwise direction as shown in the figure around , and the first link 31 is driven in the direction of pulling up the slider 23, that is, in the unlocking direction. A hole 51 is provided at the bottom of the lever 48, into which the end of a remote control wire 50 is fitted, if necessary. One end of the outer tube 52 of the wire 50 is screwed into a hole 53 formed in the grip 44. When the wire 50 is used, the other end of the wire 50 is preferably connected to a foot pedal so that the wire 50 is pulled when the pedal is depressed.

A camera mounting seat 55 is rotatably and detachably provided on the upper surface side of the body 14. Second
As illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 3, the camera mounting seat 55 includes a metal holder 56 having a circular planar shape, a rubber plate 57 affixed to the upper surface of the holder 56, and a metal holder 56 having a circular planar shape. 56 and a camera fixing screw 58 fixed at the center position of the camera. A flange 59 is formed on the back side of the pedestal 56 and extends in an annular manner along the inner periphery thereof.

Then, on the body 14 side, the camera mounting seat 5 is installed.
A detachment mechanism 61 for attaching and detaching 5 is provided. This attachment/detachment mechanism 61 includes a pair of claw members 63 that are rotatably provided around a pin 62 . A hook 64 that can engage with the flange 59 is provided on the upper end side of the claw member 63, and a compression spring 65 is provided between the claw member 63 and the main body 16.
is mediated. The hook 64 of the claw member 63 engages with the flange 59 when the claw member 63 is urged outward by the spring 65 .

Further, the attachment/detachment mechanism 61 includes a pair of push buttons 67 that can press the claw member 63 inward, and a pair of push buttons 67 that can press the claw member 63 inward.
A slide plate 68 that can be moved toward and away from 3 is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, this slide plate 67 has a substantially T-shaped planar shape, and is capable of moving back and forth along the lever support portion 19 in the left and right directions in the figure. One end 69 of the slide plate 68 is provided with a protrusion 70 that projects laterally, and this protrusion 70 engages with the back surface of an operator 72 provided on the grip 44. When the operator 72 is rotated counterclockwise and lowered, the slide plate 68 moves forward to the left in the figure as shown by the broken line in FIG. Furthermore, when the operator 72 is rotated upward clockwise, the slide plate 68 is moved back to the right as shown by the two-dot chain line. A tapered pressing surface 74 is provided on the other end 73 of the slide plate 68 at a position where it can come into contact with and separate from the claw member 63.
When the slide plate 68 moves forward, the pressing surface 74 pushes the claw member 63 outward. On the other hand, when the slide plate 68 moves backward, the holding surface 74 separates from the claw member 63 and the claw member 6
3 can now rotate inward. A spring 75 (FIG. 1) is provided between the end 73 of the slide plate 68 and the body 14 to bias the slide plate 68 in a direction away from the claw member 63.

A level 80 is provided on the upper surface of the grip 44 for checking the levelness of the camera mounting seat 55. An electromagnetic release connector 81 and a release operation button 82 are provided on the side surface of the grip 44 as required. The connector 81 is connected to a remote terminal (not shown) of the camera via a connector cord (not shown), and by pressing an operation button 82, the shutter of the camera can be remotely controlled.

Next, the operation of the camera support device 1 having the above configuration will be explained.

First, the camera mounting seat 55 is removed from the body 14. That is, when the operator 72 is rotated upward as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. In this state, if the push button 67 is pressed with fingers from both sides, the engagement between the claw member 63 and the flange portion 59 is released. Therefore, the camera mounting seat 55 can be removed from the body 14. Then, fix the camera mounting seat 55 to the camera by screwing the camera fixing screw 58 into the mounting hole on the camera side, place it on the body 14, and tighten the hook 64 of the claw member 63 while considering the direction of the camera. 59. In this state, the camera mounting seat 55 can freely rotate on the body 14.

Next, the operator 72 is rotated and lowered to move the slide plate 68 forward, and the presser surface 74 is pressed against the claw member 63.
to press against. By doing this, the claw member 63 is pressed against the flange 59, and the camera mounting seat 55 is fixed to the body 14 together with the camera (see FIG. 7).
In this state, the camera mounting seat 55 cannot rotate relative to the body 14.

To operate the camera angle, hold the grip 44 and pull the lever 48. Lever 4
8 rotates around the shaft 47, and as the pin 49 descends, the third link 33 rotates around the pin 41 in the clockwise direction. Therefore, the second link 32 is pulled up, and the first link 31 is raised, so that the slider 23 moves in a direction away from the ball 7. Therefore, the elasticity of the compression spring 25 no longer biases the ball presser 21, and the ball case 8 becomes free with respect to the balls 7. Therefore, with respect to the fixed base 2 fixed to the tripod 3, the portion above the cover 9 can be freely angled in any direction. And, for example, the fifth
If the camera mounting seat 55 is placed in a horizontal position as shown in the figure, the camera can be held in a horizontal position. Also,
As shown in FIG.
The camera can also be held in a vertical position by tilting the body 14 at right angles so that it fits in. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the camera C is to be held in a vertical position, the cover 9 is rotated together with the ball case 8 so that the notches 10 and 11 face in the direction in which the camera C is tilted. Afterwards, tilt the body 14 approximately 90 degrees in the direction of arrow _F1 shown in the figure. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, when you want to take close-up photographs at an overhead angle with the lens of camera C facing straight down, the cover 9 is moved so that the notches 10 and 11 face the front of the body 14. After rotating it together with the ball case 8, it is sufficient to tilt it approximately 90 degrees in the direction of arrow _F2 shown in the figure.

If you operate the camera to a desired angle while holding the grip 44 and lever 48 and then release your hand from the lever 48, the elasticity of the compression spring 25 acts on the ball holder 21 via the slider 23, and the ball holder 21 The ball 7 is strongly sandwiched between the ball case 8 and the ball case 8. In this way, the ball 7 and the ball case 8 are fixed to each other, and as a result, the body 14 and the fixed base 2 are in a relatively fixed state.

It goes without saying that when carrying out the present invention, changes in the specific shape, structure, or design of each part are included within the scope of the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, by grasping the grip and lever, it is possible to simultaneously release the lock and operate the desired angle with one hand, making it extremely easy to operate.Moreover, when the lever is released, the elasticity of the compression spring is released. This allows you to instantly and reliably fix the camera position. Moreover, according to the camera support device of the present invention, if you want to tilt the camera approximately 90 degrees, you can tilt the body 90 degrees by pointing the notch in the direction in which the camera is to be tilted and tilting the body so that the column fits into the notch. It can be tilted up to around 100°. Therefore, angle operations such as holding the camera in a vertical position or shooting with the lens facing down can be easily performed. Since the cutout portion needs to be provided only at one location in the circumferential direction of the ball case and the cover, the inside of the cover is difficult to see from the outside, and the appearance is good.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the camera support device, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the camera support device.
A sectional view taken along the line, Figure 3 is a plan view, Figure 4 is a side view, Figure 5 is a front view, Figure 6 is a front view with the body folded down, and Figure 7 is a state where it is mounted on a tripod. FIG. FIG. 8 is a front view of the camera support device with the camera held in a vertical position, and FIG. 9 is a side view with the camera facing downward. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Camera support device, 2... Fixed base, 3... Tripod, 6... Pillar part, 7... Ball, 8... Ball case,
8a...Opening edge, 14...Body, 16...Body main body, 17...Housing, 21...Ball holder, 23
...Slider, 25...Compression spring, 30...Link mechanism, 44...Grip, 47...Shaft, 48...Lever,
55...Camera mounting seat, 58...Screw for fixing the camera.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Fixed base 2 that can be attached to the top end of the tripod,
A joint ball 7 provided on a column 6 protruding above the fixed base 2 has a cup shape with both ends open, accommodates the ball 7 relatively rotatably, and has the ball 7 in sliding contact with one end. A cylindrical ball case 8 is provided with an opening edge 8a and a notch 10 large enough to allow the pillar 6 to fall down, and a flange 8b is provided on the other end, and the flange 8b is inserted into the ball case 8. a body 14 that holds the ball case 8, and a body 14 that holds the ball case 8;
A cylindrical cover 9 is attached to the outside of the ball case 8 concentrically and is provided with a notch 11 large enough to allow the column 6 to fall down.
, a ball presser 21 which is provided relatively movably in the axial direction of the ball case 8 and forms a pair with the ball case 8 to sandwich the balls 7; and the body 14.
A compression spring 25 is built in and biases the ball holder 21 toward the ball 7, and the ball holder 21 or the slider 23 adjacent to the ball holder 21 is moved against the ball 7 by resisting the elasticity of the compression spring 25. A link mechanism 30 for unlocking that is provided so as to be able to be driven in a direction away from the body 14, a grip 44 that is provided integrally with the body 14 and is formed in a shape that can be held with one hand, and this grip 44.
a lever 48 which is rotatably attached to the body 14 by a shaft 47 and which can operate the link mechanism 30 in the unlocking direction; and a camera mounting seat 5 which is attached to the body 14 and is provided with a camera fixing screw 58.
5. A camera support device comprising: