Clamping apparatus and unmanned aerial vehicle gimbal

• US 10,550,991 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2018
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autel Robotics Co., Ltd (Autel Intelligent Technology Corp., Ltd. (f/k/a Autel Intelligent Technology Company Limited))
• Original Assignee: Autel Robotics Co., Ltd (Autel Intelligent Technology Corp., Ltd. (f/k/a Autel Intelligent Technology Company Limited))
• Inventors: Qiu, Longxue, Wang, Jiakun, Wang, Zengfei
• Primary Examiner(s): Millner, Monica M
• Application Number:
  US16/004,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20180292042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• 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 11/041 Allowing quick release of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/06 allowing pivoting
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/02 for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/025 for translational movement

Abstract

A clamping apparatus includes a carrier portion formed on a regularly shaped panel, where a track slot is formed in a length direction in the carrier portion; a movable unit, mounted at an end of the carrier portion and capable of being separated from the carrier portion along a length direction of the track slot; and a clamping unit, mounted on a movable unit and configured to prevent, in at least four directions, a clamped object from being separated from the carrier portion. The problem that a size range of clamped objects applicable to the clamping apparatus is limited. The clamping unit is configured to prevent, in the at least four directions, the clamped object from being separated from the carrier portion, effectively preventing the clamped object from being separated from the carrier portion and allowing the clamped object to be protected even in a complex environment.

Claims

1. A clamping apparatus, which comprises:

a carrier portion, which is formed on a panel, wherein a track slot is formed in a length direction in the carrier portion;

a movable unit, mounted at an end of the carrier portion and capable of being separated from the carrier portion along a length direction of the track slot; and

a clamping unit, mounted on a movable unit and configured to prevent a clamped object from being separated from the carrier portion;

wherein the movable unit comprises;

a first sliding component and a second sliding component disposed in the carrier portion, wherein the first sliding component extends out of an end of the carrier portion along the length direction of the track slot and the second sliding component extends out of the other end of the carrier portion along the length direction of the track slot;

a first connecting member and a second connecting member, wherein the first connecting member is disposed at an end of the first sliding component, the second connecting member is disposed at an end of the second sliding component;

wherein the clamping unit comprises a swing component mounted on the first connecting member and a clamping member mounted to the second connecting member;

wherein the swing component comprises two swing rods, each of the two swing rods has one end connected to the first connecting member by using a rotating shaft, each of the two swing rods comprises two stopping members disposed at two ends of the swing rod, when the clamped object being placed on the carrier portion, a portion of the clamped object protruding into a position between the swing rod and the stopping member so that preventing the clamped object from being separated from the carrier portion in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction;

wherein one end of the clamping member is rotabably connected to the second connecting member by using a L-shaped panel in such a manner that when the clamping member is rotated to a first position, the clamping member prevents the clamped object from being separated from the carrier portion in the vertical direction, and when the clamping member is rotated to a second position, the clamping member prevents the clamped object from being separated from the carrier portion in the horizontal direction.

2. The clamping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable unit comprises:

a first elastic component and a second elastic component, wherein the first elastic component is sleeved over or connected to the first sliding component, the second elastic component is sleeved over the second sliding component and the first elastic component and the second elastic component each keep applying an elastic force to the first sliding component and the second sliding component.

3. The clamping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two swing rods comprises a first swing rod and a second swing rod, a first stopping member and a second stopping member being respectively mounted at two ends of the first swing rod and the first stopping member and the second stopping member being arranged at opposite positions of the first swing rod, so that when an interaction force is generated between the first stopping member and the clamped object, the second stopping member moves with the first swing rod until the second stopping member comes into contact with the clamped object.

4. The clamping apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a third stopping member and a fourth stopping member are respectively mounted at two ends of the second swing rod and the third stopping member and the fourth stopping member are arranged at opposite positions of the second swing rod, so that when an interaction force is generated between the third stopping member and the clamped object, the fourth stopping member moves with the second swing rod until the fourth stopping member comes into contact with the clamped object.

5. The clamping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clamping member is dented inward to form a recess and the recess is configured in such a manner that the clamped object is allowed to partially protrude into the recess.

6. The clamping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a connector is disposed at an end of the clamping member and the connector is flush with the end of the clamping member.

7. The clamping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first limiting member and a second limiting member are mounted on the first connecting member and the first limiting member and the second limiting member are configured to prevent the first swing rod and the second swing rod from being excessively far away from the carrier portion.

8. The clamping apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a portion of the first swing rod close to the first limiting member is configured in such a manner that the first swing rod is not in contact with or not limited by the first limiting member when the first swing rod is away from the carrier portion by a specific range;

and

a potion of the second swing rod close to the second limiting member is configured in such a manner that the second swing rod is not in contact with or not limited by the second limiting member when the second swing rod is away from the carrier portion by a specific range.

9. The clamping apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stopping members are T-shaped nuts.