Multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism

Abstract

The invention provides a multi-angle adjusting ball joint mechanism which comprises a ball body and a shell capable of containing the ball body, a ball handle is arranged on the upper portion of the ball body, a U-shaped notch used for avoiding the ball handle is formed in one side of the upper end of the shell, an elastic device is further installed in the shell, and a base is arranged at the lower end of the shell. A conical surface or an arc surface is formed between the periphery of the circular truncated cone and the upper end surface of the upper cover; the ball body is of a hollow structure, a large round hole is formed in the lower portion of the ball body, a guide shaft and a movable cover capable of moving up and down along the guide shaft are arranged in the ball body, the movable cover is provided with a hollow pipe matched with the guide shaft, the peripheries of the guide shaft and the hollow pipe are sleeved with a spring, the elasticity of the spring is smaller than that of the elastic device, and the movable cover is in clearance fit with the large round hole. The outer side face of the movable cover is a spherical face. When the ball body deflects towards the U-shaped notch by about 90 degrees, the spring in the ball body pushes the movable cover to move outwards, so that the spherical surface of the movable cover and the ball body form a complete ball shape.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of ball joints, and in particular to a multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism. Background Art

[0002] A ball joint is a common mechanical structure that enables the object mounted on it to swing and rotate freely in multiple directions. For example, a pan / tilt head used to mount cameras and video cameras is a typical ball joint. A ball joint usually consists of a shell with a spherical mounting groove and a sphere, which is movably mounted in the shell.

[0003] The specification of Chinese invention patent No. 2023219062485 discloses a ball joint mechanism that can automatically return to its original position, including a sphere and a shell that can accommodate the sphere, a vertical ball handle is provided on the upper part of the sphere, and a ball holder, an elastic member and a support member are installed in the shell; the ball holder is used to support the sphere, and the support member provides elastic support to the ball holder through the elastic member, a horizontal section is formed at the lower part of the sphere, and a U-shaped notch is provided on one side of the upper end of the shell for avoiding the ball handle, so that the sphere can be deflected by about 90° relative to the shell, but because the sphere is not a complete sphere, when the sphere deflects about 90° toward the U-shaped notch, the horizontal section of the lower part of the sphere will be exposed, and the user can clearly see that there is a crescent-shaped gap between the sphere and the shell, which not only greatly affects the appearance, but also makes it easy for debris to fall in. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism with beautiful structure and reliable performance.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: a multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism, including a sphere and a shell capable of accommodating the sphere, a ball handle is provided on the upper part of the sphere, a U-shaped notch for avoiding the ball handle is provided on one side of the upper end of the shell, an elastic device is also installed in the shell, the elastic device includes an upper cover, an elastic member, and a lower cover from top to bottom, and a base is provided at the lower end of the shell; a raised frustum is provided in the middle part of the upper end surface of the upper cover, and a conical surface or an arc surface is formed between the periphery of the frustum and the upper end surface of the upper cover; the sphere is a hollow structure and a large circular hole is opened at the lower part, a guide shaft and a movable cover that can move up and down along the guide shaft are provided in the sphere, the movable cover has a hollow tube matched with the guide shaft, and a small spring is provided on the outer periphery of the guide shaft and the hollow tube, the elastic force of the small spring is less than the elastic force of the elastic member, the movable cover is clearance matched with the large circular hole, and the outer side surface of the movable cover is a spherical surface.

[0006] In the above technical solution, since a guide shaft and a movable cover that can move up and down along the guide shaft are provided in the sphere, the movable cover has a hollow tube that cooperates with the guide shaft, and a small spring is provided on the outer periphery of the guide shaft and the hollow tube. The elastic force of the small spring is smaller than the elastic force of the elastic member. When the handle of the sphere is in an upright state, the upper cover of the elastic device will push the movable cover into the sphere under the action of the elastic member. When the sphere deflects about 90° toward the U-shaped notch, the small spring in the sphere will push the movable cover to move outward, so that the spherical surface of the movable cover can form a complete spherical shape together with the sphere.

[0007] Furthermore, the sphere is made of aluminum alloy, and a stainless steel bushing is inlaid at the large circular hole of the sphere. When the sphere rotates, the periphery of the large circular hole often contacts and rubs with the upper cover, which is easy to cause wear. Inlaying the stainless steel bushing at the large circular hole can increase its wear resistance.

[0008] The upper cover can move up and down in the shell, and the position of the lower cover in the shell is adjustable or non-adjustable.

[0009] In one embodiment, a guide sleeve is disposed on the lower end surface of the upper cover, and a guide column that can be inserted into the guide sleeve is disposed on the upper end surface of the lower cover.

[0010] In one embodiment, a ball bushing extending downward is provided on the outer periphery of the upper cover, and the ball bushing is in contact with the inner wall of the shell.

[0011] In one embodiment, an inclined wedge is provided under the lower cover, and a screw hole is transversely provided in the middle of the inclined wedge. The inclined wedge is transversely mounted on an adjusting screw through the screw hole, and both ends of the adjusting screw are rotatably mounted on the shell. The lower surface of the inclined wedge is a plane, and the upper surface of the inclined wedge is an inclined surface with at least one inclined groove on the inclined surface. The lower surface of the lower cover is provided with an inclined guide rail engaged with the inclined groove; when the adjusting screw is turned, the inclined wedge can move left and right along the adjusting screw, and the inclined groove acts on the inclined guide rail to force the lower cover to move upward in the shell.

[0012] In one embodiment, the lower cover is installed in the housing by threaded connection, a hexagonal blind hole is provided on the lower surface of the lower cover, and a through hole is provided on the base.

[0013] In one embodiment, the lower cover is fixedly connected to the base by screws.

[0014] In one embodiment, the base can rotate circumferentially relative to the shell, and a locking screw is provided on the shell to limit the circumferential rotation between the shell and the base.

[0015] In one embodiment, the elastic member is a large spring; a degree of freedom conversion hole is provided on the side of the sphere, and a degree of freedom conversion pin is provided on the shell. When the degree of freedom conversion pin is inserted into the degree of freedom conversion hole of the sphere, the sphere can only move around the axis with the degree of freedom conversion pin as the axis; a damping pad is provided between the shell and the sphere, and a ball core locking mechanism that can clamp the sphere is provided on the shell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the top view of the ball joint mechanism in embodiments 1, 2 and 3 of the present invention; Figure 2 The sphere in Example 1 is in a natural state along Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the X-X' line; Figure 3 When the sphere in Example 1 is tilted 45°, Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the X-X' line; Figure 4 When the sphere in Example 1 is tilted 90°, Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the X-X' line; Figure 5 The sphere in Example 1 is in a natural state along Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the Y-Y' line; Figure 6 When the sphere in Example 1 is tilted 45°, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the Y-Y' line; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the lower cover structure in Example 1; Figure 8 for Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the left view structure; Fig. 9 for Figure 8 A schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of; Fig.10 Schematic diagram of the wedge structure in Example 1; Fig.11 for Fig.10 A right view structural diagram of ; Fig.12 for Fig.10 Schematic diagram of the left view structure; Fig.13 The sphere in Example 2 is in a natural state along Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the Y-Y' line; Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram of the external structure of the upper cover in Examples 2 and 3; Fig.15 The sphere in Example 3 is in a natural state along Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the sectional structure along the X-X' line.

[0017] The accompanying drawings are marked as follows: 1. Sphere; 1a. Guide shaft; 1b. Movable cover; 2. Shell; 3. Upper cover; 3a. Guide sleeve; 3b. Ball bearing sleeve; 4. Lower cover; 4a. Guide column; 4b. Inclined guide rail; 5. Base; 6. Adjusting screw; 7. Locking screw; 8. Small spring; 9. Large spring; 10. Damping pad; 11. Stainless steel bushing; 12. Wedge; 13. U-shaped notch; 14. Freedom conversion pin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the invention more clear, the invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the invention and are not limited to the invention. Example 1

[0019] like Figures 1 to 12 As shown, a multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism includes a ball 1 and a shell 2 capable of accommodating the ball 1. The ball 1 is provided with a ball handle on the upper part, and a U-shaped hole for avoiding the ball handle is provided on one side of the upper end of the shell 2. shaped notch 13, an elastic device is also installed in the shell 2, the elastic device includes an upper cover 3, an elastic member, and a lower cover 4 from top to bottom, the elastic member is a large conical spring 9, the upper cover 3 can move up and down in the shell 2, the position of the lower cover 4 in the shell 2 is adjustable or non-adjustable, and a base 5 is provided at the lower end of the shell 2; a raised frustum is provided in the middle of the upper end surface of the upper cover 3, and a conical surface or an arc surface is formed between the periphery of the frustum and the upper end surface of the upper cover 3; the sphere 1 is a hollow structure and a large circular hole is opened at the lower part, a guide shaft 1a and a movable cover 1b that can move up and down along the guide shaft 1a are provided in the sphere 1, the movable cover 1b has a hollow tube matched with the guide shaft 1a, and a small spring 8 is provided on the outer periphery of the guide shaft 1a and the hollow tube, the elastic force of the small spring 8 is less than the elastic force of the large spring 9, the movable cover 1b is clearance-matched with the large circular hole, and the outer side surface of the movable cover 1b is a spherical surface.

[0020] In the above technical solution, since the sphere 1 is provided with a guide shaft 1a and a movable cover 1b that can move up and down along the guide shaft 1a, the movable cover 1b has a hollow tube that matches the guide shaft 1a, and the outer periphery of the guide shaft 1a and the hollow tube is sleeved with a small spring 8, the elastic force of the small spring 8 is smaller than the elastic force of the large spring 9. When the handle of the sphere 1 is in an upright state, the upper cover 3 of the elastic device will push the movable cover 1b into the sphere 1 under the action of the large spring 9. When the sphere 1 deflects about 90° toward the U-shaped notch, the small spring 8 in the sphere 1 will push the movable cover 1b to move outward, so that the spherical surface of the movable cover 1b can form a complete spherical shape together with the sphere 1.

[0021] In order to reduce weight, the sphere 1 is made of aluminum alloy, and a stainless steel bushing 11 is inlaid in the large circular hole of the sphere 1. When the sphere 1 rotates, the periphery of the large circular hole often contacts and rubs with the upper cover 3, which is easy to cause wear. Inlaying the stainless steel bushing 11 in the large circular hole can increase its wear resistance.

[0022] like Figures 5 to 12 As shown, the lower end surface of the upper cover 3 is provided with a guide sleeve 3a, and the upper end surface of the lower cover 4 is provided with a guide column 4a which can be inserted into the guide sleeve 3a; an inclined wedge 12 is provided below the lower cover 4, and a screw hole is transversely provided in the middle of the inclined wedge 12. The inclined wedge 12 is transversely mounted on an adjusting screw 6 through the screw hole, and the two ends of the adjusting screw 6 are rotatably mounted on the shell 2. The lower surface of the inclined wedge 12 is a plane, and the upper surface of the inclined wedge 12 is an inclined surface and at least one inclined groove is provided on the inclined surface. The lower surface of the lower cover 4 is provided with an inclined guide rail 4b that is engaged with the inclined groove; when the adjusting screw 6 is turned, the inclined wedge 12 can move left and right along the adjusting screw 6, and the inclined groove acts on the inclined guide rail 4b to force the lower cover 4 to move upward in the shell 2, thereby realizing the adjustment of the position of the lower cover 4. In order to make the connection between the lower cover 4 and the inclined wedge 12 tighter, the inclined groove of the inclined wedge 12 can be set as a dovetail groove or a T-slot, and the shape of the inclined guide rail 4a can be set to a structure that matches the dovetail groove or the T-slot.

[0023] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the base 5 can rotate circumferentially relative to the shell 2 , and a locking screw 7 is provided on the shell 2 to limit the circumferential rotation between the shell 2 and the base 5 .

[0024] like Figure 5 , 6 As shown, a degree of freedom conversion hole is provided on the side of the sphere 1, and a degree of freedom conversion pin 14 is provided on the housing 2. When the degree of freedom conversion pin 14 is inserted into the degree of freedom conversion hole of the sphere 1, the sphere 1 can only move around the axis with the degree of freedom conversion pin 14 as the axis. like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, a damping pad 10 is provided between the shell 2 and the sphere 1 , and a locking mechanism capable of clamping the sphere 1 is provided on the shell 2 .

[0025] The working principle and process of this embodiment are as follows: the base 5 of the ball joint mechanism provided in this embodiment can be installed on a tripod, and the ball handle of the ball 1 is used to install the pan / tilt head. Since a large circular hole is opened at the bottom of the ball 1, the distance between the bottom of the ball 1 and the ball center is less than the distance between the spherical surface and the ball center. When the ball 1 is rotated in the housing 2 by hand so that the spherical surface contacts the upper surface of the upper cover 3, the ball 1 will push the upper cover 3 to move downward against the elastic force of the large spring 9. Once the hand is released, the elastic force of the large spring 9 will act on the upper cover 3 to push the ball 1 back to its original position, and push the movable cover 1b into the ball 1, so that the periphery of the large circular hole of the ball 1 contacts or corresponds to the upper surface of the upper cover 3. The coordinated arrangement of the guide sleeve 3a and the guide column 4a can prevent the upper cover 3 from deflecting and jamming during the up and down movement. A raised truncated cone is provided in the middle of the upper end surface of the upper cover 3, and a conical surface or an arc surface is formed between the periphery of the truncated cone and the upper end surface of the upper cover 3. The angle between the conical surface or the arc surface and the truncated cone is 15° to 30°. The provision of such a conical surface makes it convenient for the ball 1 to always act on the conical surface when the ball 1 is turned, so that the ball 1 and the upper cover 3 always maintain good contact, so that the ball 1 can be fixed due to sufficient clamping force after rotating to any state. Example 2

[0026] like Fig.13 , 14 As shown, the basic structure and principle of the ball joint mechanism provided in this embodiment are the same as those of Embodiment 1, except for the following two points: First, the guide sleeve 3a of the upper cover is eliminated, and a downwardly extending ball sleeve 3b is provided on the outer periphery of the upper cover 3. The ball sleeve 3b contacts and cooperates with the inner wall of the shell 2 through a plurality of balls, thereby avoiding jamming of the upper cover 3 when it moves; Second, the guide column 4a of the lower cover 4 is eliminated, and the large spring 9 is replaced with a cylindrical spring.

[0027] The ball joint mechanism provided in this embodiment can be made smaller in size than that in embodiment 1. Example 3

[0028] like Fig.14 , 15 As shown, the basic structure and principle of the ball joint mechanism provided in this embodiment are the same as those of Embodiment 2, and the structure is further simplified on the basis of Embodiment 2: First, the inclined wedge 12 is eliminated; Second, the inclined guide rail 4b of the lower cover 4 is eliminated, and the lower cover 4 is installed in the shell 2 by means of a threaded connection. The lower surface of the lower cover 4 is provided with an inner hexagonal blind hole, and the base 5 is provided with a through hole. When adjustment is required, an outer hexagonal wrench can be inserted into the inner hexagonal blind hole of the lower cover 4 through the through hole of the base 5, thereby twisting the lower cover 4 to move it upward or downward relative to the shell 2.

[0029] The ball joint mechanism provided in this embodiment is smaller in size than that in the second embodiment, but the adjustment of the lower cover 4 is not as convenient as that in the second embodiment. Example 4

[0030] This embodiment is a further improvement on the embodiment 3, that is, the lower cover 4 is fixedly connected to the base 5 by screws, or the lower cover 4 and the base 5 are integrated into one part, so that the overall structure is simpler. This structure is suitable for a smaller ball joint mechanism, and the position of the lower cover 4 does not need to be adjusted.

[0031] The above embodiments are preferred implementation schemes of the present invention. In addition, the present invention can also be implemented in other ways. Any obvious replacement without departing from the concept of the present technical solution is within the scope of the patent of the present invention.

[0032] In order to make it easier for ordinary technicians in the field to understand the improvements of the present invention over the prior art, some drawings and descriptions of the present invention have been simplified, and for the sake of clarity, some other elements are omitted in this application document. Ordinary technicians in the field should realize that these omitted elements may also constitute the content of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism, comprising a ball (1) and a shell (2) capable of accommodating the ball (1), wherein a ball handle is provided on the upper part of the ball (1), and a U-shaped notch (13) for avoiding the ball handle is provided on one side of the upper end of the shell (2), and an elastic device is also installed in the shell (2), and the elastic device comprises an upper cover (3), an elastic member, and a lower cover (4) from top to bottom, and a base (5) is provided at the lower end of the shell (2); characterized in that: A raised truncated cone is provided in the middle of the upper end surface of the upper cover (3), and a conical surface or an arc surface is formed between the periphery of the truncated cone and the upper end surface of the upper cover (3); the sphere (1) is a hollow structure and has a large circular hole at the bottom; a guide shaft (1a) and a movable cover (1b) movable up and down along the guide shaft (1a) are provided in the sphere (1); the movable cover (1b) has a hollow tube matched with the guide shaft (1a); a small spring (8) is provided on the outer periphery of the guide shaft (1a) and the hollow tube; the elastic force of the small spring (8) is smaller than the elastic force of the elastic member; the movable cover (1b) and the large circular hole are clearance matched; and the outer side surface of the movable cover (1b) is a spherical surface.

2. The multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sphere (1) is made of aluminum alloy, and a stainless steel bushing (11) is inlaid at the large circular hole of the sphere (1).

3. The multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The upper cover (3) can move up and down in the shell (2), and the position of the lower cover (4) in the shell (2) is adjustable or non-adjustable.

4. The multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lower end surface of the upper cover (3) is provided with a guide sleeve (3a), and the upper end surface of the lower cover (4) is provided with a guide column (4a) which can be inserted into the guide sleeve (3a).

5. The multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer periphery of the upper cover (3) is provided with a ball bearing sleeve (3b) extending downwards, and the ball bearing sleeve (3b) is in contact with and fits with the inner wall of the housing (2).

6. The multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: An inclined wedge (12) is provided below the lower cover (4), a screw hole is transversely provided in the middle of the inclined wedge (12), the inclined wedge (12) is transversely mounted on an adjusting screw (6) through the screw hole, the two ends of the adjusting screw (6) are rotatably mounted on the housing (2), the lower surface of the inclined wedge (12) is a plane, the upper surface of the inclined wedge (12) is an inclined surface and at least one inclined groove is provided on the inclined surface, the lower surface of the lower cover (4) is provided with an inclined guide rail (4b) engaged with the inclined groove; when the adjusting screw (6) is turned, the inclined wedge (12) can move left and right along the adjusting screw (6), and the inclined groove acts on the inclined guide rail (4b) to force the lower cover (4) to move upward in the housing (2).

7. The multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lower cover (4) is installed in the housing (2) by means of a threaded connection, a hexagonal blind hole is provided on the lower surface of the lower cover (4), and a through hole is provided on the base (5).

8. The multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lower cover (4) is fixedly connected to the base (5) by means of screws.

9. The multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The base (5) can rotate circumferentially relative to the shell (2), and a locking screw (7) is provided on the shell (2) to limit the circumferential rotation between the shell (2) and the base (5).

10. The multi-angle adjustable ball joint mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The elastic member is a large spring (9); a degree of freedom conversion hole is provided on the side of the sphere (1); a degree of freedom conversion pin (14) is provided on the shell (2); when the degree of freedom conversion pin (14) is inserted into the degree of freedom conversion hole of the sphere (1), the sphere (1) can only move around the axis with the degree of freedom conversion pin (14) as the axis; a damping pad (10) is provided between the shell (2) and the sphere (1); and a ball core locking mechanism capable of clamping the sphere (1) is provided on the shell (2).

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