Stabilized equipment support, primarily for use with hand-held cameras
First Claim
1. An equipment support which is capable of being hand-held with improved stability against angular deviations in pan, tilt and roll to isolate equipment for use with said equipment support, including equipment to be oriented and equipment associated with said equipment to be oriented, from unwanted angular movements caused by motion of the equipment support when in use, comprising:
- equipment support means for receiving said equipment, wherein said equipment support means is foldable between a folded position in which said equipment support means and said associated equipment closely surround said equipment to be oriented, and a deployed position in which said equipment support means develops an expanded, balanced arrangement which provides an accessible center of gravity; and
handle means for engagement by at least one hand of an operator and for attachment to said equipment support means to access said center of gravity, including a gripping portion for supporting and transporting the weight of said equipment and said equipment support means, and an orienting portion for orienting said equipment to be oriented, coupled by means for isolating said orienting portion from unwanted angular movements of said gripping portion caused by movements of said handle means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A stabilized equipment support which is both small and light-weight in construction, for receiving equipment (e.g., a camera) with which it is to be used upon an expanded support network which complements the supported equipment in a manner which not only alters the position of the center of gravity for effective support of the resulting assembly, but which further ensures that the equipment support can be folded into a compact arrangement which does not significantly increase the profile, or overall size of the assembled combination, yet which is easily deployed to assume an expanded balanced arrangement which is appropriate for stabilized operations of the resulting assembly in simple and straightforward fashion, while minimizing the potential for precession during such use.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. An equipment support which is capable of being hand-held with improved stability against angular deviations in pan, tilt and roll to isolate equipment for use with said equipment support, including equipment to be oriented and equipment associated with said equipment to be oriented, from unwanted angular movements caused by motion of the equipment support when in use, comprising:
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equipment support means for receiving said equipment, wherein said equipment support means is foldable between a folded position in which said equipment support means and said associated equipment closely surround said equipment to be oriented, and a deployed position in which said equipment support means develops an expanded, balanced arrangement which provides an accessible center of gravity; and handle means for engagement by at least one hand of an operator and for attachment to said equipment support means to access said center of gravity, including a gripping portion for supporting and transporting the weight of said equipment and said equipment support means, and an orienting portion for orienting said equipment to be oriented, coupled by means for isolating said orienting portion from unwanted angular movements of said gripping portion caused by movements of said handle means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. An equipment support which is capable of being hand-guided with improved stability against angular deviations in pan, tilt and roll to isolate equipment for use with said equipment support, including equipment to be oriented and equipment associated with said equipment to be oriented, from unwanted angular movements caused by motion of the equipment support when in use, comprising:
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equipment support means for receiving said equipment, wherein said equipment support means is foldable between a first position in which said equipment support means and said associated equipment closely surround said equipment to be oriented, and a second position in which said equipment support means develops an expanded, balanced arrangement which provides an accessible center of gravity; and handle means for supporting the weight of said equipment and said equipment support means, and including isolation means for coupling said handle means with said equipment support means while isolating said equipment support means from said unwanted angular movements caused by motion of said equipment support means responsive to movement of said handle means, and means for orienting said supported equipment for controlled pan, tilt and roll free from said unwanted angular movements and aligned with said isolation means and said equipment to be oriented. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49)
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50. A method for trimming an equipment support which is capable of being hand-held with improved stability against angular deviations in pan, tilt and roll to isolate equipment for use with said equipment support, including equipment to be oriented and equipment associated with said equipment to be oriented, from unwanted angular movements caused by motion of the equipment support when in use;
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said equipment support comprising equipment support means for receiving said equipment and including a platform for receiving said equipment to be oriented, wherein said platform includes means for adjustably positioning a handle for engagement by at least one hand of an operator relative to said platform, a first strut having a proximal end which is pivotally connected to forward portions of said platform and a distal end which pivotally receives means for mounting a battery for operating said equipment, and a second strut having a first end pivotally connected to said first strut and a second end for pivotally receiving a viewfinding device; and said method comprising the steps of locating a center of mass defined by said viewfinding device approximately at the same horizontal level as a center of gravity defined by said equipment support, locating a center of mass defined by said equipment to be oriented and a center of mass defined by said battery aft of a central axis extending through said handle and said center of gravity, rapidly panning said equipment support, and moving the center of mass defined by said battery fore and aft responsive to precessions of said equipment support about said central axis. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53)
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Specification