A tripod device

Abstract

The application discloses a tripod device, comprising: a rod, a three-cut seat is arranged at the lower part of the rod, three legs are distributed around the vertical center line of the three-cut seat, the legs can be rotated downward to an unfolded state or upward to a storage state, the rod is provided with a positioning sleeve which can slide up and down along the length direction of the rod, the positioning sleeve is slid upward to make the legs switch to the storage state, the positioning sleeve is slid downward to make the legs stable in the unfolded state, the rod or the three-cut seat is provided with a locking mechanism for locking or unlocking the position of the positioning sleeve. Compared with the way of aligning the rotation angle of the limiting rotating disc, the tripod device is more convenient to operate when switching the legs between the unfolded state and the storage state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a tripod device. Background Technology

[0002] A typical tripod includes a three-section base with three legs arranged in a circle around its vertical center line. To mount photography or projection equipment, an upward-extending rod is usually installed above the three-section base, with the upper end of the rod connected to a pan-tilt head for mounting the equipment.

[0003] To achieve tripod folding and storage, a limiting dial is typically installed between the tripod base and the legs. When the limiting dial rotates to its lower end against the leg, the leg is stabilized in the unfolded state; when the limiting dial rotates to its upper end against the leg, the leg is stabilized in the folded state. This type of tripod requires rotating the limiting dial to a preset angle to switch between unfolded and folded states, which is very inconvenient. Furthermore, the weight of external equipment on the tripod forces the lower end of the limiting dial against the side of the leg, resulting in weak load-bearing capacity.

[0004] In addition, the rods are usually made of tubing, with a mounting plate at the lower end of the tubing that closes the pipe opening. The three-way cut seat is fixed to the bottom of the mounting plate by bolts. This structure makes production and assembly inconvenient and costly. Moreover, the connection strength of the bolts connecting the three-way cut seat to the tubing is insufficient and it is difficult to withstand large loads. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a tripod device that facilitates operation when switching the legs between an extended state and a retracted state.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a tripod device includes: a rod, the lower part of which is provided with a three-section base, and three legs extending from the sides of the rod are distributed around the three-section base around its vertical center line. The legs are rotatable relative to the three-section base to an unfolded state or to an folded state that converges to the sides of the rod. The rod is provided with a positioning sleeve that can slide up and down along its length. The positioning sleeve slides upward relative to the rod to allow the legs to switch to the folded state, and slides downward relative to the rod to stabilize the legs in the unfolded state. The rod or the three-section base is provided with a locking mechanism for locking or unlocking the position of the positioning sleeve.

[0007] The tripod device according to embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0008] When the extended angle of the legs needs to be fixed, simply slide the positioning sleeve down along the rod to the preset position and lock it using the locking mechanism. The legs will then rest against the positioning sleeve, stabilizing them in the extended state. When the legs need to be folded and stored, simply unlock the positioning sleeve using the locking mechanism, slide the positioning sleeve up along the rod to avoid the legs, and the legs will rotate upwards to the side of the rod and be in the stored state. Compared to the method of aligning the rotation angle of the limiting turntable, this tripod device is more convenient to operate when switching between the extended and stored states of the legs.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, the locking mechanism includes a positioning member that is telescopically disposed along the side wall of the rod and an elastic member for driving the positioning member to extend out of the side wall of the rod, the positioning member being able to abut against the upper end of the positioning sleeve to prevent the positioning sleeve from sliding upward.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the elastic element and the positioning element are integrated as a spring screw, and multiple spring screws are provided. The multiple spring screws are circumferentially distributed around the vertical center line of the three-section seat, and the spring screws are located between two adjacent legs.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, an angle fixing mechanism is provided between the positioning sleeve and the support leg to stabilize the support leg in the unfolded state.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the angle fixing mechanism includes three positioning grooves respectively provided on each of the legs. The positioning grooves have a stop bottom surface and a stop side surface. The positioning sleeve can slide up and down along the rod to enter or leave the positioning groove. When the positioning sleeve enters the positioning groove, the lower end surface of the positioning sleeve abuts against the stop bottom surface, and the outer peripheral wall of the positioning sleeve abuts against the stop side surface.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the lower part of the rod has a cavity, the three-section seat is disposed inside the cavity, the side wall of the rod is provided with a notch groove communicating with the cavity, the support leg extends out of the rod along the notch groove to rotate up and down relative to the rod, and the positioning sleeve slides up and down along the outer peripheral wall of the rod to expose the notch groove or partially cover the notch groove.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the three-section base includes an upper base and a lower base mounted on the upper base. A laterally arranged pivot is provided at the end of the support leg. The pivot is sandwiched between the upper base and the lower base. The upper base and the lower base are respectively provided with a first default portion and a second default portion. The first default portion and the second default portion together form a limiting space that restricts the vertical rotation of the support leg. The first default portion has a first limiting surface that can abut against the upper sidewall of the support leg to stabilize the support leg in the retracted state. The second default portion has a second limiting surface that can abut against the lower sidewall of the support leg to stabilize the support leg in the unfolded state.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the inner peripheral wall of the cavity is consistent with the outer peripheral contour of the upper seat and the lower seat, the upper seat and the rod are connected and fixed by a pin, and the lower end of the rod is threadedly connected to a plug that closes the lower end of the cavity, and the plug pushes the lower seat against the upper seat upward.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the outer peripheral wall of the rod is fixedly provided with limiting rings sleeved at both ends of the pin, and the positioning sleeve slides upward to abut against the limiting rings so that the support leg can switch to the storage state.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, the positioning sleeve includes a metal sleeve movably sleeved on the outside of the rod and a plastic open ring disposed between the metal sleeve and the outer peripheral wall of the rod. The plastic open ring can elastically fit tightly against the outer peripheral wall of the rod to guide the positioning sleeve to slide up and down relative to the rod.

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the tripod device of the present invention with the legs in an extended state, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the embodiment with the legs in a stowed state;

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal cross-section at the three-section seat in the embodiment;

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal cross-section at the three-slotted seat in the embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0025] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", and "outer", indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting this invention.

[0026] In the description of this invention, "several" means one or more, "more than" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0027] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0028] See Figures 1 to 4An embodiment of the present invention provides a tripod device comprising: a rod 100, a three-section base 200 at the lower part of the rod 100, and three legs 300 extending from the sides of the rod 100 circumferentially distributed around the vertical center line of the three-section base 200. The legs 300 are rotatable downward relative to the three-section base 200 to an unfolded state, or rotatable upward relative to the three-section base 200 to a retracted state converging at the sides of the rod 100. The rod 100 is provided with a positioning sleeve 500 that can slide up and down along its length. The positioning sleeve 500 slides upward relative to the rod 100 to allow the legs 300 to switch to the retracted state, and slides downward relative to the rod 100 to stabilize the legs 300 in the unfolded state. The rod 100 or the three-section base 200 is provided with a locking mechanism 400 for locking or unlocking the position of the positioning sleeve 500.

[0029] When the extended angle of the legs 300 needs to be fixed in the tripod device described above, simply slide the positioning sleeve 500 down along the rod 100 to the preset position, and lock the positioning sleeve 500 using the locking mechanism 400. The legs 300 will then rest against the positioning sleeve 500 to stabilize them in the extended state. When the legs 300 need to be folded and stored, simply unlock the position of the positioning sleeve 500 using the locking mechanism 400, slide the positioning sleeve 500 up along the rod 100 to avoid the legs 300, and the legs 300 will rotate upwards to the side of the rod 100 to be in the stored state. Compared to the method of aligning the rotation angle of the limiting turntable, this tripod device is more convenient to operate when switching the legs 300 between the extended and stored states.

[0030] See Figure 3 and Figure 4In some embodiments of the present invention, the locking mechanism 400 includes a positioning member 410 that is telescopically disposed along the side wall of the rod 100 and an elastic member 420 for driving the positioning member 410 to extend out of the side wall of the rod 100. The positioning member 410 is capable of abutting against the upper end of the positioning sleeve 500 to prevent the positioning sleeve 500 from sliding upward. It should be noted that when switching the support leg 300 to the extended state, simply drive the positioning member 410 to move along the direction of the compression elastic member 420. After the positioning sleeve 500 slides down to pass the positioning member 410, the elastic member 420 drives the positioning member 410 to extend again. When subjected to the gravity of the external device on the rod 100, the lower end of the positioning sleeve 500 abuts against the support leg 300, and the positioning member 410 prevents the positioning sleeve 500 from sliding upward. When switching the support leg 300 to the retracted state, simply drive the positioning member 410 to move along the direction of the compression elastic member 420. After the positioning sleeve 500 slides up to pass the positioning member 410, the elastic member 420 drives the positioning member 410 to extend again. At this time, the positioning sleeve 500 is away from the support leg 300, and the support leg 300 can freely rotate upward to be retracted near the side of the rod 100. Preferably, when the user applies a certain external force to the positioning sleeve 500 along the length direction of the rod 100, the inner peripheral wall of the positioning sleeve 500 can drive the positioning member 410 to move along the direction of the compression elastic member 420, thereby achieving one operation without the need to unlock or lock the locking mechanism 400 separately.

[0031] In some embodiments of the present invention, the elastic element 420 and the positioning element 410 are integrated as a spring screw. Multiple spring screws are provided, circumferentially distributed around the vertical center line of the three-section base 200, and located between adjacent legs 300. It is understood that the spring screws are simple standard components, and the multiple circumferentially distributed spring screws help stabilize the position of the positioning sleeve 500 on the rod 100, preventing the positioning sleeve 500 from easily loosening. In this embodiment, the end of the positioning element 410 extending from the side wall of the rod 100 is hemispherical. When the user applies a certain external force to the positioning sleeve 500 along the length of the rod 100, the positioning element 410 is easily compressed and retracts into the rod 100, thereby unlocking the positioning sleeve 500.

[0032] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments of the present invention, in order to further maintain the angular position of the positioning sleeve 500 when it is in the unfolded state, an angle fixing mechanism is provided between the positioning sleeve 500 and the support leg 300 to stabilize the support leg 300 in the unfolded state.

[0033] See Figure 3 and Figure 4In some embodiments of the present invention, the angle fixing mechanism includes three positioning grooves 600 respectively provided on each of the support legs 300. The positioning groove 600 has a stop bottom surface 610 and a stop side surface 620. The positioning sleeve 500 can slide up and down along the rod 100 to enter or leave the positioning groove 600. When the positioning sleeve 500 enters the positioning groove 600, the lower end surface of the positioning sleeve 500 abuts against the stop bottom surface 610, and the outer peripheral wall of the positioning sleeve 500 abuts against the stop side surface 620. It should be noted that the external equipment on the rod 100 applies vertical downward pressure to the three legs 300 through the positioning sleeve 500. Since the legs 300 are inclined relative to the rod 100 and the positioning sleeve 500, if the positioning sleeve 500 acts directly on the side wall of the legs 300, the lower end of the positioning sleeve 500 will be in line contact with the legs 300, resulting in poor load-bearing capacity and making it difficult to keep the three legs 300 at the same unfolding angle. The above-mentioned angle fixing mechanism uses the wall of the positioning sleeve 500 with a certain thickness to be inserted into the positioning groove 600. The lower end face of the positioning sleeve 500 abuts against the stop bottom surface 610 to provide vertical support force. The outer peripheral wall of the positioning sleeve 500 abuts against the stop side surface 620 to prevent the leg 300 from continuing to open outward relative to the rod 100. At the same time, the elastic member 420 drives the positioning member 410 to extend out of the side wall of the rod 100 and abut against the upper end of the positioning sleeve 500, thereby achieving complete positioning of the positioning sleeve 500. It can also position and fix the unfolding angle of the leg 300 in multiple directions, thereby improving the load capacity of the tripod device.

[0034] See Figure 2 and Figure 4 In some embodiments of the present invention, the lower part of the rod 100 has a cavity, the three-section seat 200 is disposed inside the cavity, the side wall of the rod 100 is provided with a notch 111 communicating with the cavity, the support leg 300 extends out of the rod 100 along the notch 111 to rotate up and down relative to the rod 100, that is, the notch 111 restricts the range of angle of rotation of the support leg 300. When the positioning sleeve 500 slides upward along the outer peripheral wall of the rod 100, the notch 111 is exposed, and the support leg 300 can be rotated upward and stored near the rod 100. When the positioning sleeve 500 slides downward along the outer peripheral wall of the rod 100, it partially covers the notch 111 and abuts against the support leg 300. The three-section base 200 is integrated into the tube cavity, which realizes the integrated design of the three-section base 200 and the rod 100, reduces material costs, reduces the number of parts used to connect the three-section base 200 and the rod 100, simplifies the production and assembly process, and the three-section base 200 does not protrude radially along the rod 100. The tripod device is small in size after folding and storage, making it easy to carry and transport.

[0035] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments of the present invention, the three-section base 200 includes an upper base 210 and a lower base 220 mounted on the upper base 210. A horizontally arranged pivot 310 is provided at the end of the support leg 300. The pivot 310 is sandwiched between the upper base 210 and the lower base 220. The upper base 210 and the lower base 220 are respectively provided with a first default portion and a second default portion. The first default portion and the second default portion together form a limiting space that restricts the vertical rotation of the support leg 300. The first default portion has a first limiting surface 211 that can abut against the upper side wall of the support leg 300 to stabilize the support leg 300 in the retracted state. The second default portion has a second limiting surface 221 that can abut against the lower side wall of the support leg 300 to stabilize the support leg 300 in the unfolded state. Specifically, the upper seat 210 has an upper half-shaft groove opening downwards, and the lower seat 220 has a lower half-shaft groove opening upwards. The upper and lower half-shaft grooves fit together to form a shaft hole that matches the pivot member 310. The first default portion, the second default portion, and the notch groove 111 work together to limit the upward and downward rotation angles of the support leg 300, helping to prevent rigid collisions between the support leg 300 and the rod member 100. The first limiting surface 211 and the second limiting surface 221 respectively help the support leg 300 to remain in the retracted and extended states.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present invention, the inner peripheral wall of the cavity conforms to the outer peripheral contours of the upper seat 210 and the lower seat 220. The upper seat 210 and the rod 100 are connected and fixed by a pin 700. The lower end of the rod 100 is threadedly connected to a plug that closes the lower end of the cavity. The plug pushes the lower seat 220 upward against the upper seat 210. Specifically, the inner peripheral wall of the cavity is provided with a rib or a long groove extending along the length of the rod 100, so that the upper seat 210 and the lower seat 220 can be slidably fitted into the cavity without adjusting the angle of the upper seat 210 and the lower seat 220, which facilitates the assembly of the pin 700 and the pivot 310. The plug is also conveniently installed at the lower end of the rod 100 by a threaded connection.

[0037] See Figure 3 and Figure 4In some embodiments of the present invention, the outer peripheral wall of the rod 100 is fixedly provided with limiting rings 800 sleeved at both ends of the pin 700. The positioning sleeve 500 slides upward to abut against the limiting rings 800 so that the support leg 300 can switch to the retracted state. It should be noted that the two ends of the pin 700 are transversely inserted through the upper seat 210 and the rod 100. The limiting rings 800 can prevent the pin 700 from disengaging along its insertion direction. Moreover, the limiting rings 800 can also limit the upward sliding stroke of the positioning sleeve 500, preventing the positioning sleeve 500 from moving away from the support leg 300 and making it inconvenient to lock the position of the support leg 300 again. Therefore, the limiting rings 800 have a dual function.

[0038] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some embodiments of the present invention, the positioning sleeve 500 includes a metal sleeve 510 movably sleeved on the outside of the rod 100 and a plastic open ring 520 disposed between the metal sleeve 510 and the outer peripheral wall of the rod 100. The plastic open ring 520 can elastically fit tightly against the outer peripheral wall of the rod 100 to guide the positioning sleeve 500 to slide up and down relative to the rod 100. It should be noted that the positions where the three legs 300 contact the positioning sleeve 500 need to withstand a large load. Using the metal sleeve 510 to contact the legs 300 can improve the service life, while the plastic open ring 520 can prevent the metal sleeve 510 from directly contacting the rod 100 and causing metal scratches, and can also guide the positioning sleeve 500 to slide up and down along the rod 100, improving the stability of the positioning sleeve 500's up and down sliding.

[0039] It should be noted that in other embodiments, the locking mechanism 400 may also include a convex bulge slightly protruding from the outer wall of the rod 100 and the aforementioned plastic open ring 520. The plastic open ring 520 can deform radially along the rod 100. When the positioning sleeve 500 slides up and down, the inner peripheral wall of the plastic open ring 520 contacts the convex bulge and expands. When the plastic open ring 520 passes the convex bulge, it recovers its elastic deformation and shrinks. The convex bulge can then abut against the upper end of the positioning sleeve 500 or be located below the positioning sleeve 500. This locking mechanism 400 can also achieve the function of locking and unlocking the angular position of the support leg 300.

[0040] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0041] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A tripod device, characterized in that, include: A rod (100) has a three-section base (200) at its lower part. The three-section base (200) has three legs (300) extending outwards from the sides of the rod (100) circumferentially distributed around its vertical center line. The legs (300) can rotate downwards relative to the three-section base (200) to an extended state, or upwards relative to the three-section base (200) to a retracted state converging towards the sides of the rod (100). The rod (100) has a positioning sleeve (500) that can slide up and down along its length. The positioning sleeve (500) slides upwards relative to the rod (100) to allow the legs (300) to switch to the retracted state, and slides downwards relative to the rod (100) to stabilize the legs (300) in the extended state. The rod (100) or the three-section base... The base (200) is provided with a locking mechanism (400) for locking or unlocking the position of the positioning sleeve (500); the positioning sleeve (500) and the support leg (300) are provided with an angle fixing mechanism that can stabilize the support leg (300) in the unfolded state; the angle fixing mechanism includes three positioning grooves (600) respectively provided on each of the support legs (300), the positioning groove (600) has a stop bottom surface (610) and a stop side surface (620), the positioning sleeve (500) can slide up and down along the rod (100) to enter or leave the positioning groove (600), when the positioning sleeve (500) enters the positioning groove (600), the lower end surface of the positioning sleeve (500) abuts against the stop bottom surface (610), and the outer peripheral wall of the positioning sleeve (500) abuts against the stop side surface (620).

2. The tripod device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking mechanism (400) includes a positioning member (410) that extends and retracts along the side wall of the rod (100) and an elastic member (420) for driving the positioning member (410) to extend out of the side wall of the rod (100). The positioning member (410) can abut against the upper end of the positioning sleeve (500) to prevent the positioning sleeve (500) from sliding upward.

3. A tripod device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The elastic element (420) and the positioning element (410) together form a spring screw. Multiple spring screws are provided, and the multiple spring screws are distributed circumferentially around the vertical center line of the three-segment base (200), and the spring screws are located between two adjacent legs (300).

4. A tripod device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower part of the rod (100) has a cavity, the three-cut seat (200) is located inside the cavity, the side wall of the rod (100) is provided with a notch (111) communicating with the cavity, the support leg (300) extends out of the rod (100) along the notch (111) to rotate up and down relative to the rod (100), and the positioning sleeve (500) slides up and down along the outer peripheral wall of the rod (100) to expose the notch (111) or partially cover the notch (111).

5. A tripod device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The three-section base (200) includes an upper base (210) and a lower base (220) mounted on the upper base (210). A horizontally arranged pivot (310) is provided at the end of the support leg (300). The pivot (310) is sandwiched between the upper base (210) and the lower base (220). The upper base (210) and the lower base (220) are respectively provided with a first default part and a second default part. The first default part and the second default part together form a limiting space that restricts the up and down rotation of the support leg (300). The first default part has a first limiting surface (211) that can abut against the upper side wall of the support leg (300) to stabilize the support leg (300) in the retracted state. The second default part has a second limiting surface (221) that can abut against the lower side wall of the support leg (300) to stabilize the support leg (300) in the unfolded state.

6. A tripod device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inner peripheral wall of the cavity is consistent with the outer peripheral contour of the upper seat (210) and the lower seat (220). The upper seat (210) and the rod (100) are connected and fixed by a pin (700). The lower end of the rod (100) is threaded with a plug that closes the lower end of the cavity. The plug pushes the lower seat (220) upward against the upper seat (210).

7. A tripod device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The outer peripheral wall of the rod (100) is fixed with limiting rings (800) sleeved at both ends of the pin (700), and the positioning sleeve (500) slides upward to abut against the limiting rings (800) so that the support leg (300) can switch to the storage state.

8. A tripod device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning sleeve (500) includes a metal sleeve (510) movably sleeved on the outside of the rod (100) and a plastic open ring (520) disposed between the metal sleeve (510) and the outer peripheral wall of the rod (100). The plastic open ring (520) can elastically fit tightly against the outer peripheral wall of the rod (100) to guide the positioning sleeve (500) to slide up and down relative to the rod (100).

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