Panhead for camera
US4955568A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 20, 1989 |
| Grant date | Sep 11, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 20, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF16M2200/041
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A camera panhead, for panning the camera about a vertical axis and tilting the camera about a horizontal axis, including fluid drag systems and a counterbalance system. The fluid drag systems each include a drag disk assembly secured to the rotating shaft and drag sector assemblies pivotally mounted to the housing and disposed about the circumference of the disk assembly to define a space containing viscous fluid. The level of drag exerted may be adjusted by pivoting the sector assemblies toward or away from the disk assembly to vary the space containing viscous fluid. The counterbalance system includes two spring sets mounted in planes perpendicular to the tilt axis. As the camera tilts, one end of each of the springs remains relatively stationary as the opposite ends rotate about the tilt axis to exert a restoring torque to counterbalance the camera. The system may be adjusted to vary the level of restoring torque exerted.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.