WO2007125078A1

WO2007125078A1 - Support for video-photografic equipment

Info

Publication number: WO2007125078A1
Application number: PCT/EP2007/054110
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luca Alessandrini
Original assignee: Gitzo S.A.
Priority date: 2006-04-27
Filing date: 2007-04-26
Publication date: 2007-11-08
Also published as: ITPD20060160A1

Abstract

Support (1) for video-photographic equipment, including a crosspiece (2), a column (3) slidingly guided in an opening in the crosspiece and an anchoring plate (7) for the said video-photographic equipment fixed at one end of the column (3), comprises a shock-absorber (9) placed between the said anchoring plate and the said crosspiece.

Description

SUPPORT FOR VIDEO-PHOTOGRAFIC EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION

Technical field

This invention relates to a support for video-photographic equipment and suchlike, of the type having the characteristics mentioned in the pre- characterising clause of the main claim. Background Art

In the photographic, television and cinematographic field, the use of supports having the above-mentioned characteristics, such as tripods, stands or suchlike for the adjustable support of filming equipment or light booms is widely known.

In this technical field, the said supports comprise a crosspiece to which are connected in a known way three or more telescopic legs and a column which can slide axially in a through-hole within the crosspiece. A plate is fitted to the top of the column in order to anchor the supported equipment. The height adjustment of the equipment is ensured by the mechanism that connects the legs to the crosspiece, which enables them to be locked at different opening angles, and by the mechanism that allows the column to be locked inside the crosspiece in the desired position. This technical solution is the one that so far has proved the easiest to use, combining high stability with the possibility of height adjustment.

One of the drawbacks in the application of the above-described technique derives from the possibility of damaging the supported equipment due to the effect of any impact between the end of the column to which the equipment is attached and the crosspiece of the support. In fact when, due to the inability of the operator or fault of the equipment, the locking device of the column in the crosspiece does not work properly, due to the effect of gravity and the weight of the equipment the column can slide inside its seat until it reaches the end of travel represented by the crosspiece or by another element connected to it, with impact forces such as to cause possible damage to the supported equipment.

The possibility of impacts of this type is particularly critical in the case of light booms because the incandescent filaments of the bulbs used in photographic or cinematographic sets are particularly sensitive to impact and mechanical stress in general.

Disclosure of the invention

The problem that lies at the heart of the present invention is to provide a support that is structurally and operationally designed to overcome the drawbacks connected with the cited prior art.

This problem and others which will emerge more clearly below are tackled and resolved by the invention by means of a support according to the appended claims.

Brief description of the drawings Further features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment which is shown by way of a non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein :

- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the support; - Figure 2 is a cross-sectional enlarged-scale view of a detail of the support shown in Figure 1; - Figures 3 and 4 are views corresponding to that of Figure 2 relating to two variants of the invention. Best modes for carrying out the invention With reference to Figures 1 and 2, 1 indicates a support of the tripod type with a crosspiece 2, having a tube 2b, into which is inserted a column 3, sliding in an axial direction and with the possibility of adjustable locking. A ring nut 4 to lock the column 3 is screwed to the top of the tube 2b to lock, by tightening it in a known way, the column 3 in relation to the crosspiece 2.

In the crosspiece 2, three or more legs 5 which are telescopically adjustable in length, in a known way, converge and are articulated.

The column 3 extends longitudinally along axis X and comprises an anchoring plate 7 for the said equipment, a tubular shaft 8, an annular shock-absorber 9, possibly a counter-plate 10, to support the shock- absorber 9, and an end plug 8b.

The plate 7 in turn comprises an anchoring screw 6, with an almost cylindrical shape and coaxial with axis X. The screw has a cylindrical flange

11, in a median position, and two threaded portions 12 and 13, of the same diameter, longitudinally opposed. The cylindrical flange 11, larger in diameter than portions 12 and 13, defines two annular shoulders lib, c, longitudinally opposed. At the end of portion 13, on the part longitudinally opposite flange 11, is a third threaded cylindrical portion 13b, smaller in diameter than portions 12 and 13, of a longitudinal extension such that the longitudinal extension of portion 12 is the same as that of the assembly made up of portions 13 and 13b.

The anchoring plate 7 has a circular surface 14 to support the video- photographic equipment and a cylindrical central cavity 15, coaxial with axis X, open at both of its opposing longitudinal ends and extending to a hub 16 protruding from the part opposite surface 14. Inside the hub 16 a shoulder 17 is defined, against which the shoulder lib of the screw abuts, when the plate is tightened on the shaft 8.

In this condition the threaded portion 12 protrudes beyond the anchoring surface 14, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4. Alternatively, by rotating the screw 6 through 180°, the shoulder lie abuts against the shoulder 17 of the hub 16 and the threaded surface 13b protrudes beyond the anchoring surface 14 to form attachment devices for the chosen equipment.

The two different possibilities of housing the screw 6 inside the cavity 15 of the plate 7 enable equipment with threaded anchoring holes of various types to be anchored to the support 1.

At one of its longitudinal ends, the shaft 8, coaxial with axis X, has a bush insert 18 which has a threaded hole 19 that can be connected to the anchoring screw 6. By tightening the anchoring screw 6 on the shaft 8, by means of respective threaded connection of one of its surfaces 12 or 13b with the hole 19, the plate 7 is locked in relation to the shaft 8 due to the effect of interference and friction between the shoulders lie or l ib and 17 respectively.

At the end comprising the insert 18, the shaft 8 has an external radial shoulder 20. The shock-absorber 9 is a rectangular-section ring and is made of a resilient polymer material such as elastomer or other resilient material characterised by high elasticity.

The counter-plate 10, axial-symmetric in shape and coaxial with axis X, has two respective radial shoulders 21 and 22, internal and external respectively. The shoulder 21, due to interference with the radial shoulder

20 of the shaft 8, limits the travel of the counter-plate 10 in the direction of approach between the crosspiece 2 and the counter-plate 10. The external radial shoulder 22 constitutes a resting surface for the shock- absorber 9.

The plate 7 has a surface 23, on the part opposite the surface 14 and parallel thereto. The surface 23 is delimited, around its outermost edge, by a longitudinal shoulder 24.

The seat 25 housing the shock-absorber 9 is defined by the volume delimited by the radial shoulder 22 of the counter-plate, by the surface 14 and the longitudinal shoulder 24 of the plate.

In the case of impact with the ring nut 4, the counter-plate slides in relation to the column 3 towards the plate 7, causing the compression of the shock-absorber which by deforming absorbs and dampens part of the energy released due to the effect of the impact, so that the vibrations transmitted to the supported equipment do not damage the more fragile elements.

In a second variant of the invention, shown in Fig. 3, the shock- absorber 9 comprises a spring arrangement defined by a plurality of helical springs 9a arranged in a circular crown inside the seat 25. In a third variant of the invention, shown in Fig. 4, the shock- absorber 9 comprises a spring arrangement defined by a plurality of Belleville washers 9b longitudinally opposed inside the seat 25.

According to a further variant, the shock-absorber 9 is of a gas or hydraulic type.

The present invention provides a support, wherein, between the equipment anchoring devices and the crosspiece, there is a shock-absorber capable of deforming and absorbing energy if subjected to compression forces. The support of the present invention thus achieves the proposed aims by offering, compared to the known art, greater protection against possible damage of the supported equipment due to the effect of vibrations caused by possible impact between the top part of the column and the crosspiece.

Claims

1. Support for video-photographic equipment, including a crosspiece (2), a column (3) slidingly guided in an opening in the crosspiece and an anchoring plate (7) for the said video-photographic equipment fixed at one end of the column, characterised in that between the said anchoring plate and the said crosspiece there is a shock-absorber (9).

2. Support according to claim 1, wherein the said shock-absorber (9) comprises elements made of a resilient polymer material.

3. Support according to claim 1, wherein the said shock-absorber (9) comprises a spring arrangement with helical springs or Belleville washers.

4. Support according to claim 1, wherein the said shock-absorber (9) is of the gas type.

5. Support according to claim 1, wherein the said shock-absorber (9) is of the hydraulic type.

6. Support according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, wherein the said support comprises a counter-plate (10) on which the said shock-absorber rests, the said counter-plate (10) being positioned between the said shock- absorber (9) and the said crosspiece (2).

7. Support according to claim 6, wherein the said counter-plate is sliding in relation to the said column.

8. Support according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, wherein the said shock-absorber is housed inside a seat (25) delimited by two axially opposed surfaces, made on the said plate, on the part opposite the resting surface (14) of the said video-photographic equipment, and on the said counter-plate respectively.

9. Support according to either claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the said support comprises means (20,21) to limit the travel of the said counter- plate towards the crosspiece.

10. Support according to claim 9, wherein the said means comprise two radial shoulders (20,21), made on the said counter-plate and on the said column respectively, the said shoulders interfering with each other.

11. Support according to one or more of claims 1 to 7, wherein the said counter-plate is connected to the said crosspiece.

12. Support according to claim 11, wherein the said shock-absorber is connected to the said counter-plate.