System for the Remote Control of Setting Up a Supporting Head for Optical and/or Photo-Cinematographic Equipment

• US 20090317071A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LINO Manfrotto & Company SPA (Vitec Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: LINO Manfrotto & Company SPA (Vitec Group PLC)
• Inventors: David, Laurent
• Application Number:
  US12/226,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20090317071A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/428
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/14 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06 ; adjustable mountings employing universal joints for lighting devices F21V21/26 - F21V21/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/022 by friction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/024 by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/563 Camera grips, handles means in general for steadying hand-held apparatus F16M13/00

Abstract

This invention describes a system for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment comprising an adjustable head for mounting by adjustable setting-up of optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment, at least one servomechanism for locking and/or unlocking and/or setting up a movable part of the head in relation to a fixed part thereof, as well as remote control means of said servomechanism for setting up the head comprising at least one pushbutton control, remote in relation to the servomechanism, that can be operated by the user while he is holding said equipment.

Claims

1. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment comprising:

an adjustable head for mounting by adjustable setting-up of optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment, at least one servomechanism for locking and/or unlocking and/or setting up a movable part of said head in relation to a fixed part thereof, remote control means of said servomechanism for setting up said head comprising at least one pushbutton control, remote in relation to said servomechanism, that can be operated by the user while he is holding the equipment.

2. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 1, wherein said pushbutton control is located on said motorised head near a fixing plate of the equipment.

3. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprise a remote control support including said pushbutton control which can be placed between the user'"'"'s fingers and the equipment when the user is holding the latter.

4. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 3, wherein said remote control support is a technical glove.

5. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 1, wherein said head comprises a handle which extends from a body of the head and wherein said control means are arranged on the handle.

6. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 1, wherein said pushbutton control comprises fixing means so as to be removably fixed to said equipment.

7. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 1, wherein said control means include a transmitter to send a control signal from the pushbutton control to said servomechanism.

8. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 7, wherein the transmitter is built into a technical glove.

9. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 7, wherein said transmitter is built into a handle.

10. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 7, wherein the transmitter is positioned on said head near a fixing plate of the equipment.

11. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claims 7, wherein said transmitter is a radiofrequency or infrared transmitter.

12. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the control means include a transmitter and wherein said transmitter comprises gripping means to be removably fixed to the equipment.

13. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the head comprises at least one articulated joint that enables connection between the head and a support and is capable of adjusting the inclination of said head about a given number of axes.

14. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 13, wherein the joint is a ball joint.

15. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 13, wherein said servomechanism is positioned in said joint.

16. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the remote control means are connected by means of an electrical wire to said servomechanism.

17. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 6, including a receiver connected to said servomechanism capable of receiving signals sent by the transmitter.

18. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 16, wherein a receiver is built into said head.

19. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 1, comprising a power source and wherein the servomechanism is connected to said power source.

20. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 19, wherein the power source is built into said head.

21. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the servomechanism comprises locking/unlocking actuator means of the movable part of the head in relation to the fixed part that can be controlled by said remote control means.

22. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 21, wherein the locking/unlocking actuator means include means to apply a friction locking load to the joint.

23. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head for optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the servomechanism comprises setting-up means of the movable part of said head in relation to the fixed part capable of controlling a movement of the movable part (along one or more axes of rotation of said articulated joint, said setting-up means being controllable via the remote control means.

24. System for the remote control of setting up an adjustable head or optical and/or photo-cinematographic equipment according to claim 23, wherein the setting-up means comprise sliding means of a column, capable of controlling an axial translation movement of a column inserted sliding in a crosspiece of a tripod supporting the equipment, said sliding means being controllable by said remote control means.