Two-carriage camera slider with travel extension mechanism

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of design and manufacture of motion picture equipment and in particular to a mechanism for increasing the movement path of the camera in sliders when mounted on a tripod. The technical problem with conventional sliders is that the effective movement length of the camera is limited to the physical size of the rail. In this invention, the technical solution is provided by using two separate carriages, a belt and pulley assembly, and grooved rails. The first carriage carries the camera and the second carriage is fixed as a support on the tripod. As the first carriage moves, the belt connected by a pulley causes the rail to move relative to the tripod; as a result, the effective path of the camera movement increases without changing the physical length of the rail. This system is completely mechanical and can be used in professional cinema and television filming.

Description

Description of the invention Title of the invention Double carriage camera slider with travel extension mechanism Technical background of the relevant invention This invention relates to the field of design and manufacture of motion picture and television equipment, and more specifically to the manufacture of camera sliders, which are used to create smooth, controlled linear movements in horizontal axes. In existing technologies, sliders have fixed rails of a certain length that limit the movement of the camera to that length. Technical problem and stating the objectives of the invention The main technical problem with conventional slider equipment is that the camera's movement distance is limited by the physical length of the rail. This means that the director or cinematographer must use longer rails or make frequent adjustments to achieve longer movements. Such a process not only makes transportation and installation difficult, but is also practically impossible in confined spaces. The aim of this invention is to design an innovative mechanism that increases the effective travel distance of the camera without increasing the length of the rail. This goal is achieved by using a two-carriage reactive system, in which the main carriage carrying the camera and the carriage connected to the tripod move independently but in harmony to provide a longer travel distance in a limited space. A description of the state of the prior art and the history of developments related to the claimed invention. Since one of the main requirements for patent registration is to have innovation at a global level, a search was conducted in international patent databases to ensure that the subject matter of the invention was not disclosed. Accordingly, reviews were conducted in WIPO - Patentscope, Google Patents, USPTO, Espacenet, Lens.org, and other scientific sources, including technical articles and studies. The results of this search show that there are numerous examples in the field of designing and manufacturing camera sliders and cinematic motion equipment, each with its own unique characteristics. In the following, the closest technical records to the present invention are introduced separately: 1. Patent number US 10151966B2 was disclosed in 2018 by Edelkrone. This invention introduces a balanced camera slider that includes a mechanical arm with a counterweight at the end to allow the camera to move in a horizontal axis without shaking. The distinguishing feature of this design is the use of a Dynamic Balance mechanism, but the effective movement of the camera is still limited to the physical length of the arm, and there is no possibility of increasing the movement path without increasing the length of the rail. 2. Patent number US 7891888B2 was registered in 2011 under the title Camera Slider System. In this design, the camera is mounted on a moving carriage that moves between two parallel rails. The system uses adjustable links to control the camera's angle and height. The main purpose of the invention is stability and adjustment of the camera's position, and the issue of increasing the length of the travel path with a combined two-carriage mechanism is not mentioned. 3. Patent number US 20150234258A1 was published in 2015 under the title Slider Apparatus for Filming. In this invention, camera movement on inclined rails with an electronically controlled axis has been investigated. Although it provides smooth and controlled movement, the path of movement is still dependent on the length of the main rail and no responsive structure has been introduced to extend the track. 4. Patent number US 10054257B1 was published in 2018 under the title Collapsible Curved Support Track System for Camera Slider Dolly. This invention relates to curved, retractable rails used for specific cinematic movements. Although this plan is innovative in terms of track diversity, it is not possible to increase the effective track without increasing the physical length of the rail or adding new sections. 5. Patent number US 11725678B2 was registered in 2023. In this invention, the design of a modular and connectable rail (Expandable Rail Element) is presented, which increases the length of the rail by connecting several pieces. Although this system results in increased travel distance, it is based on adding or replacing rail sections and does not use an internal mechanism to effectively increase the track. 6. Scientific article: “Design and Creation of an Economical Camera Slider for Photography” published on the ResearchGate website in 2022. This study focuses on economical design and simplification of slider manufacturing to reduce production cost. Despite its importance in the field of application, it lacks innovation in increasing the camera's travel path or using two reactive carriages. The differences and advantages of the present invention over the prior art are that in all of the above-mentioned examples, the movement of the camera is dependent on the physical length of the rail or moving arm. None of the existing records have presented a combined mechanism of two carriages with independent and reactive movement that increases the movement path of the camera without changing the length of the rail. The present invention, by designing a system of two carriages connected to a belt and a reactive movement transmission structure, allows for the expansion of the effective movement path when mounted on a tripod without increasing the length of the rail; a feature that has not been observed in the prior art records. Therefore, this design has technical innovation, simplicity of construction, and greater usability than existing examples. Providing a solution to an existing technical problem along with an accurate, sufficient, and integrated description of the invention The present invention is a cinematic motion slider with a two-carriage reaction mechanism designed to extend the camera's travel path without increasing the physical length of the rail. In this system, all mechanical components and connections are designed in such a way that the user can provide smooth, precise, and wide-ranging camera movement when mounted on a tripod or in ground mode. The components and operation of the device are described step by step below: 1. Main body The body consists of two parts, right and left, identified by the codes (1) and (2). These two parts are symmetrically located on the sides of the main structure and are the support for the rails. Inside these bodies, there are holes in which the right rail (3) and the left rail (4) — both made of engineered profiles with precise grooves — are placed. The rails are secured to the body by screws (5), ensuring the structural stability of the assembly. 2. Body mounts and connections At the four corners of the body, rotatable feet (6) are installed, which are connected to the body by nuts (7). These feet allow the angle, level, and rotation of the body to be adjusted so that the device can be used at different angles or on uneven surfaces. 3. Belt and pulley drive system A pulley (8) is installed in the inner part of the body, which is responsible for directing and transmitting the driving force to the belt (9). The belt (9) moves in a closed form inside the structure and its two ends are connected to the first carriage (10) and the second carriage (11). On the opposite side, the second belt (12) is connected to both carriages in a similar manner to ensure a perfectly balanced reciprocating motion. This two-belt structure ensures coordination and stability in the linear motion of the two carriages. 4. The wagon system and how it is connected to the rails The first carriage (10), which carries the camera, is connected to two separate connecting pieces via three screws (13): Right rail connection piece (14) Left rail connection piece (15) These two pieces are placed on the upper and lower grooves of the rails with the help of bearings (16), ensuring smooth and vibration-free movement of the wagon on the rails. The second carriage (11) also has special bearings (17) that move within the internal grooves of the rail. In normal mode, this carriage acts as a fixed support on the tripod, but in special conditions (ground mode), it moves independently and simultaneously with the first carriage. 5. Camera and tripod connections On the first carriage (10), a standard connection (18) is provided for installing various types of video and photographic cameras. The second carriage (11) also has a standard tripod mount (19) that provides stability to the system when used at height. 6. The device operates in two main modes. A) Ground mode (without tripod): In this case, both carriages move on the rails. When the first carriage (the camera carrier) reaches the end of its track, the second carriage simultaneously moves in the opposite direction and reaches the other end. This mutual movement creates a kinetic balance and distributes the force in both directions. b) Tripod mounting mode: In this position, the second carriage (11) is connected and fixed to the tripod. When the first carriage (10) starts moving, the entire rail is pulled in the opposite direction by the connection of the belts (9 and 12) and the power transmission mechanism via the pulley (8). As a result, despite the rail being fixed on the tripod, the effective path of camera movement is increased and the actual movement length of the camera will be greater than the physical length of the rail. This feature is considered the most important innovation of the invention and has not been seen in any similar products. 7. Technical performance summary: In short, this invention has designed a mechanism that, with the help of two carriages connected to coordinated belts, allows the user to increase the effective movement length of the camera without increasing the physical length of the rail. This design not only increases range of motion, but also has a significant technical and practical advantage over conventional sliders by reducing weight, maintaining balance, and allowing use in small spaces. Explanation of maps In the following, in order to better understand the structure and operation of the device, the attached figures and maps are explained: Figure 1 – shows a perspective view of the entire slider assembly, consisting of two carriages (10) and (11), right (3) and left (4) rails, and main bodies (1) and (2) in the mounted position on the stands (6). This figure provides an overview of how the components are positioned when in use on the ground. Figure 2 – Shows how the carriages are connected to the rails. The first carriage (10) is connected to the right rail connector (14) and the left rail connector (15) by three bolts (13). These parts are placed on the upper and lower grooves of the rails using bearings (16) and provide smooth and precise movement of the carriage. The second carriage (11) also moves similarly using bearings (17) in the inner grooves of the rails. Figure 3 - General view of the device and complete details, where the first carriage (10) is fixed to the tripod by a standard connection (18) carrying the camera and the second carriage (11) is fixed to the tripod by a standard connection (19). The movement of the first carriage causes the smooth movement and transfer of the entire structure on the rail axes. Details of the body (1) and (2) and the method of connecting the rails (3) and (4) In this section, the rails are placed in the holes embedded in the body and are secured by screws (5). At the corners of the body, adjustable legs (6) are installed by nuts (7) and allow rotation and angle adjustment. How the pulley (8), belt (9) are placed and the belt movement path, the pulley is installed on the body and, with its rotation, causes the coordinated movement of the belt (9). One end of the belt is connected to the first carriage (10) and the other end to the second carriage (11). The second belt (12) also operates in reverse and maintains the balance of motion between the two wagons. A clear and precise statement of the advantages of the claimed invention over prior inventions. The present invention has significant advantages and technical improvements over previous examples, which are described below: 1. Increasing the length of the moving track without increasing the physical length of the rail: In existing systems, the camera's movement length is limited to the length of the physical rail. In this invention, by designing a dual-drive movement mechanism and using reciprocal belts, the effective length of the camera's movement path is dynamically increased, allowing the user to enjoy a greater movement distance in a smaller space. 2. Smooth, continuous and vibration-free movement: The use of precision bearings and symmetrical force distribution in the two carriages eliminates vibration and sudden movement, improving imaging quality. 3. Can be used in two modes with and without a base: The device is designed to be used both on a tripod and independently (on the ground or flat surfaces) and maintains its full functionality. 4. Increase stability and accuracy in movement: The engineered profile of the rails and the sturdy body with specially designed grooves increase movement accuracy and resistance to angle changes during movement. 5. Weight reduction and ease of transportation: Due to the more compact design and the replacement of parts of the rail with an intelligent movement mechanism, the overall weight of the device has been reduced and transportation has become easier for filmmaking teams. 6. Innovation in reciprocal motion mechanism: The double-sided belt system allows two carriages to move simultaneously in opposite directions, which is not seen in any similar products on the market and is the basis of the main innovation of the present invention. Description of at least one implementation method for implementing the invention The method of implementing the invention is as follows: 1. First, the slider is mounted on a standard film tripod, so that the second carriage (11) is fixed to the tripod by means of the connection (19). 2. The camera is attached to the first carriage (10) using a standard connection (18). 3. The belts (9) and (12) are located on the pulley (8) and their tension is adjusted in the standby mode. 4. By applying manual or motorized movement to the first carriage, the belts are pulled in a reciprocal manner; the second carriage acts as a fulcrum and causes the rail to move gradually on the tripod. 5. As a result, the effective movement path of the camera increases by about 1.5 to 2 times the physical length of the rail, creating smooth and uniform movement in the image. 6. In the tripodless mode, both carriages move simultaneously in opposite directions and the normal slider function is maintained. This process is completely mechanical and does not require complex electronic or motor systems, resulting in simplicity, durability, and lower cost. Explicit mention of the industrial application of the invention The present invention is applicable in the field of cinematic motion equipment and professional imaging, and its uses include: 1. Cinema and Television Industry: To create smooth, linear, and controlled movements in filming cinematic, documentary, commercial, and television scenes. 2. Content production and digital studios: In recording industrial, advertising, educational videos and social media content to achieve professional camera movements. 3. Smart and portable video recording: Due to its light weight and compact structure, it can be easily used in field filming projects or small spaces. 4. Filmmaking peripheral equipment and industrial design of cinema equipment: As an expandable motion module, it can be used in the design of motorized slider systems, motion arms, and filming robots, even in the medical industry.

Claims

Claim What is claimed: Claim No. 1) A camera imaging slider used to create smooth and controlled linear movements in horizontal axes. And it has a two-carriage movement mechanism, which consists of the following components: -Two main bodies (1) and (2), -Two parallel rails (3) and (4) of the type of engineering profile with grooves, -Two independent moving carriages (10) and (11), -A set of power transmission belts (9) and (12), -Drive pulleys (8), -Adjustable legs (6) with a rotational connection through nuts (7), -And standard connections (18) and (19) for installing the camera and tripod, -In such a way that the belts connected to each carriage act reciprocally and cause simultaneous and reverse movement of the two carriages in two opposite directions, in such a way that when mounted on a tripod, with the second carriage remaining stationary, the movement of the first carriage causes the entire rail to gradually move on the tripod and the effective movement path of the camera increases relative to the physical length of the rail. Claim No. 2): According to claim 1, the pulleys (8) mounted on the body act as a power transmission center and, by rotating, cause the belts (9) and (12) to move in two opposite directions, as a result of which, the movement of the first carriage (10) automatically causes the coordinated movement of the second carriage (11). Claim No. 3): According to claims 1 and 2, when using a tripod, the second carriage acts as a fixed support and the movement of the first carriage causes the entire rail to gradually move relative to the tripod base, so that the camera's path of motion extends beyond the physical length of the rail, allowing for long-term linear imaging without the need to increase the length of the rail.

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