3-axis adjustable small gimbal

• US 10,501,204 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2016
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kang, Yoon-Seok, Park, Sungjin, Lim, Baeseok
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Rodney E
• Application Number:
  US15/773,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20180319512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 396 12
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/12 in more than one direction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/123 the axis of rotation intersecting in a single point, e.g. by using gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/02 for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/006 Apparatus mounted on flying objects
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/56 Accessories carrying-cases A45C11/38
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories

Abstract

A 3-axis camera gimbal is disclosed in the present disclosure. The disclosure gimbal may include: a first supporting body; a lens barrel including a lens group and coupled to the first supporting body in a rotatable manner about a first axis; a rolling driving unit mounted at a first position of the lens barrel to provide force for rotating the lens group about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; a pitching driving unit mounted to the first supporting body to provide force for rotating the lens barrel about the first axis; a second supporting body coupled to the first supporting body in a rotatable manner about a third axis perpendicular each of to the first and second axes; and a yawing driving unit mounted to the second supporting body to allow the first supporting body to rotate about the third axis. Various embodiments are also possible.

Claims

1. A 3-axis gimbal comprising:

a first supporting body;

a lens barrel comprising a lens group and coupled to the first supporting body in a rotatable manner about a first axis;

a rolling driving unit mounted at a first position of the lens barrel to provide force for rotating the lens group about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis;

a pitching driving unit mounted to the first supporting body to provide a force for rotating the lens barrel about the first axis;

a second supporting body coupled to the first supporting body in a rotatable manner about a third axis perpendicular each of to the first and second axes; and

a yawing driving unit mounted to the second supporting body to allow the first supporting body to rotate about the third axis,

wherein the lens barrel comprises a housing, and a rotating member disposed in a rotatable manner in the housing,

wherein the lens barrel comprises;

an image sensor mounted to the rotating member, and

a lens group facing the image sensor,

wherein the image sensor and the lens group rotate together on the rotating member about the first axis, and

wherein the lens barrel comprises at least one rolling unit.

2. The gimbal of claim 1, wherein the second supporting body is mounted to an unmanned aerial vehicle by using a plurality of fastening portions.

3. The gimbal of claim 1,

wherein the first supporting body has a curved shape of which a cross-section has a IF shape, and comprises:

a first frame, and

second and third frames extended orthogonally at both ends of the first frame, and

wherein the second supporting body comprises a mount frame disposed horizontally on the first frame and mounted in a rotatable manner about the third axis.

4. The gimbal of claim 3, wherein the first axis is parallel to the first frame and faces a direction traversing between the second and third frames, the third axis faces a center of the first frame in an up and down direction, and the second axis penetrates a center of an optical axis of the lens barrel.

5. The gimbal of claim 3, wherein the lens barrel further comprises an initial position sensing unit.

6. The gimbal of claim 5, wherein the initial position sensing unit comprises:

a sensor disposed to the lens barrel; and

an actuator disposed to the second frame to operate the sensor.

7. The gimbal of claim 6, wherein the sensor is disposed to a lower outer circumferential portion of the lens barrel, and the actuator is extended from an end portion of the second frame in a direction of the sensor.

8. The gimbal of claim 1, wherein the at least one rolling unit comprises:

a first rolling unit comprising at least three first rollers disposed on a first side of the rotating member; and

a second rolling unit comprising at least three second rollers disposed on a second side of the rotating member directly opposite to the first side of the rotating member.

9. The gimbal of claim 1, wherein each of the rolling driving unit, the pitching driving unit, and the yawing driving unit comprises a plurality of driving motors and a plurality of gear arrays respectively engaged with the driving motors, and each of the gear arrays comprises a same-shaped worm gear.

10. The gimbal of claim 1, wherein in the second supporting body, a main printed circuit board is fixed thereto, an electric connection is achieved between the image sensor and the main printed circuit board by using a flexible printed circuit board, and the flexible printed circuit board is disposed such that an inflection point varies.

11. A 3-axis gimbal comprising:

at least one supporting body; and

a lens barrel mounted to the at least one supporting body in a rotatable manner about each of three rotation axes,

wherein the lens barrel comprises;

a rotating member, and

a rolling unit for rotating about an optical axis on a surface of the rotating member, and

wherein the rolling unit comprises;

a first rolling unit comprising a plurality of first rollers disposed to a first side of the rotating member, and

a second rolling unit comprising a plurality of second rollers disposed to a second side of the rotating member directly opposite to the first side of the rotating member.

12. The 3-axis gimbal of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second rolling units comprises at least three rollers.