Supports – Brackets – Adjustable
Patent
1998-03-25
2000-01-25
Berger, Derek J.
Supports
Brackets
Adjustable
2481811, 24828851, 403 56, 403 90, A47F 500
Patent
active
060170107
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to half-ball type universally moveable tripod head with double half-ball joints for connecting, for example, a camera to a support, which can be instantly immobilized at single point while rotating triaxially.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a prior tripod head, a tightening bolt and a controlling handle are provided in each of three axial directions of the tripod head respectively for adjusting and locating triaxially. So repeated adjustment of each controlling handle in three axial direction is necessary for arranging to choose an ideal image in photo-taking operation. In such a process, a photographer has to move his/her eyesight from cameral eye intermittently in order to adjust one of controlling handles repeatedly. This process is complicated and time-consuming, and often causes the photographer to miss a marvellous opportunity to take a photo, because it needs re-modifying a preceding located axial direction after the last axial direction has been selected. This is unadvantageous to grasp a determining instant, thus will miss an opportunity of creating an excellent work, in particular, during taking photos of news, sports, persons, stage and animals in which objects are in moving state. Moreover, the prior tripod head makes operation difficult because the long handle for each axial direction projects beyond the centre axis of the tripod head. It also makes it hard to distinguish in a hurry the direction that each handle controls. A further disadvantage of the prior tripod head is that long handles are easily to scratch clothing, make angular support fall, and are difficult in extension or retraction of the tripod head. Furthermore, since the radius of each clocked pivoting shaft is relatively small, the load capacity of general immobilization is correspondingly relatively small, and a great rotating force is accompanied with only a limited immobilizing and positioning capacity. To sum up, the prior tripod head needs complicated operation ,and can't be positioned quickly in an instant and its holding operation is unadaptable. Moreover, the prior tripod head has no function of horizonally rearward movement of gravity centre, and has small load capacity and is bulky, and has unsatisfactory reliability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a tripod head for overcoming the shortcomings of the prior tripod head which had to comprises a locking bolt and a long controlling handle in each of three axial directions respectively for obtaining a triaxially immobilized position. According to HUMAN ENGINEERING (ergonomics), the tripod head of the invention comprises a base, a platform, and a universally positioning means, wherein the universally positioning means comprises mainly an upper and a lower ball and an upper and a lower socket complementary to the balls, a support stand, a controlling handle, an upper and a lower locking balls, tension rods with positive or negative thread respectively and a nut with positive and negative threads at opposite ends. The double half-ball joints are designed like the form of human pelvis structure and joints between two hipbones. The two sockets of the tripod head are connected oppositely together by a support stand and form two large joints with said two half-balls. Each of half-balls can rotate freely about its vertical axis and sway at a certain angle in its corresponding socket. Upper and lower locking balls located in the pivoting centres of the upper and lower half-balls and provided within the upper and lower half-balls respectively may be connected together by the nut with positive and negative threads at opposite ends and the tension rods extending through the bottoms of upper and lower sockets. The nut with positive and negative threads and the controlling handle are all provided in the support stand between two sockets. The two locking balls can be tensioned or released by two tension rods through turning the controlling handle slightly, and thus be moved to or away from eac
REFERENCES:
patent: 2459676 (1949-01-01), Axtell
patent: 2464500 (1949-03-01), Graham
patent: 2496986 (1950-02-01), Coutant et al.
patent: 2650788 (1953-09-01), Hulstein
Berger Derek J.
Phan Long Dinh
LandOfFree
Half-ball type universally movable tripod head does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Half-ball type universally movable tripod head, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Half-ball type universally movable tripod head will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2311118