Extensible four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera holder and underwater vehicle

Abstract

This invention discloses an extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket and an underwater vehicle, including a base, a telescopic arm, a horizontal turntable, and a pitch mount. The base is fixed to an external underwater vehicle. One end of the telescopic arm is detachably fixed to the base. The telescopic arm has multiple mounting positions on the base, each corresponding to a horizontal angle between the telescopic arm and the underwater vehicle. The telescopic arm's length can be adjusted as needed. The horizontal turntable is detachably fixed to the other end of the telescopic arm. The pitch mount is fixed to the horizontal turntable, and the underwater camera is fixed to the pitch mount, which adjusts the camera's pitch angle. Multiple mounting positions are provided between the horizontal turntable and the telescopic arm, each corresponding to a horizontal angle between the telescopic arm and the camera. This design meets the needs of underwater applications, featuring a long underwater service life, deep operating depth, high rigidity to suppress camera shake, and flexible adjustment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of underwater machinery technology, specifically to an extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket and an underwater vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] The development of underwater exploration and operations has led to the widespread use of underwater cameras, creating a demand for underwater mounting and easily adjustable supports. Currently, the market is dominated by omnidirectional and fixed supports. Omnidirectional supports have relatively low rigidity requirements and cannot meet the high rigidity requirements of underwater exploration and navigation in terms of water pressure resistance, seawater corrosion resistance, and vibration resistance, and also have significant limitations in terms of adjustment. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research on dedicated underwater camera supports to meet the needs of underwater applications. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned shortcomings of existing technologies, an extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket is provided, which meets the needs of underwater applications and features a long underwater service life, deep operating depth, high rigidity to suppress camera shake, and flexible adjustment.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows: Firstly, an extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket, including... The base is fixed to the external underwater vehicle; The telescopic boom has one end detachably fixed to the base; the telescopic boom has multiple mounting positions on the base, each corresponding to a horizontal angle between the telescopic boom and the underwater vehicle; the telescopic boom can adjust its length as needed. A horizontal turntable is detachably and fixedly connected to the other end of the telescopic arm. The tilt mount is fixed on the horizontal turntable, and the underwater camera is fixed on the tilt mount. The tilt mount adjusts the tilt angle of the camera. There are multiple mounting positions between the horizontal turntable and the telescopic arm, and each mounting position has a different horizontal angle between the telescopic arm and the camera.

[0005] According to the above technical solution, the base includes a base plate fixed to an external underwater vehicle, two parallel mounting plates fixed to the base plate, and a first fixing bolt assembly; multiple first mounting through holes are provided on the two mounting plates, and multiple second mounting through holes of the same size as the first mounting through holes are provided at one end of the telescopic arm; at least two first mounting through holes and at least two second mounting through holes constitute a mounting position, and multiple mounting positions are included between the telescopic arm and the mounting plate.

[0006] According to the above technical solution, a first mounting through hole is located in the middle as the center, and the remaining first mounting through holes are distributed around the first mounting through hole located at the center, and the distance between the remaining first mounting holes and the first mounting through hole at the center is equal. A second mounting through hole is located in the middle as the center, and the remaining second mounting through holes are distributed around the second mounting through hole located at the center, and the distance between the remaining second mounting holes and the second mounting through hole at the center is equal.

[0007] According to the above technical solution, it includes five first mounting through holes and nine second mounting through holes; the four first mounting through holes are distributed around the periphery of the first mounting through hole located at the center of the circle, with the included angles of the corresponding circles being 105°, 75°, 45°, and 120° respectively; and the line connecting the center of one of the first mounting through holes and the center of the first mounting hole located at the center of the circle, and the perpendicular line perpendicular to the mounting surface of the substrate on the underwater vehicle, form an angle of 15°. The eight second mounting through holes are distributed around the first mounting through hole located at the center, and the included angle between the centers is 45°.

[0008] According to the above technical solution, the telescopic arm includes a large arm, a small arm, and a second fixing bolt assembly; the large arm is sleeved on the small arm, and multiple positioning holes are provided at intervals on both the large arm and the small arm; after determining the overlap length between the large arm and the small arm, the second fixing bolt assembly passes through the positioning holes of the large arm and the small arm to realize the fixed connection between the two; the second mounting through hole is provided at the end of the large arm.

[0009] According to the above technical solution, the horizontal turntable includes a horizontal rotating plate and a third fixing bolt assembly; a first central hole and multiple first adjustment holes are provided at the end of the forearm, and several first adjustment holes are equally spaced around the first central hole; a second central hole and a second adjustment hole are provided on the horizontal turntable, a third fixing bolt assembly passes through the first central hole and the second central hole, and a third fixing bolt assembly passes through one of the first adjustment holes and the second adjustment hole.

[0010] According to the above technical solution, the pitch mount includes a lower base, an upper mounting plate, a rotating shaft pin, and an adjusting screw. The lower base is fixed on a horizontal rotating plate, and the upper mounting plate is rotatably connected to the lower base through the rotating shaft pin. A limiting hole is provided on the lower base, and an arc-shaped adjusting hole is provided on the upper mounting plate. The adjusting screw passes through the limiting hole and the arc-shaped adjusting hole to adjust the pitch angle of the upper mounting plate. The camera is fixedly mounted on the upper mounting plate.

[0011] According to the above technical solution, two vertically arranged and parallel support plates are provided on the lower base, and horizontally arranged rotation holes and limiting holes are provided on the support plates; a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate are vertically arranged at the bottom of the upper mounting plate, with a rotation hole on the first mounting plate and an arc-shaped adjustment hole on the second mounting plate. The first mounting plate and the second mounting plate are located between mutually parallel support plates.

[0012] According to the above technical solution, the base, telescopic arm, horizontal turntable, and pitch seat are all made of stainless steel and have no sealed cavities inside.

[0013] Secondly, underwater vehicles, including extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera mounts as described in any of the above descriptions.

[0014] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. By adjusting the mounting position between the telescopic arm and the base, determine the approximate horizontal orientation of the camera to be captured; adjust the length of the telescopic arm to determine the distance the camera extends beyond the underwater vehicle; further adjust the specific horizontal orientation of the camera to be captured by adjusting the mounting position between the telescopic arm and the horizontal turntable; finally, adjust the shooting angle of the camera in the vertical plane by adjusting the pitch mount.

[0015] Based on the above measures, the bracket can be easily extended and adjusted over a wide range through four degrees of freedom. After adjustment, the shooting angle of the camera can be quickly fixed by fasteners. The bracket has the characteristics of high structural strength and flexible shooting angle adjustment.

[0016] 2. Five first mounting through holes and nine second mounting through holes are set. Through the cooperation between the first mounting through holes and the second mounting through holes, the horizontal angle between the telescopic arm and the vertical symmetry plane of the base plate can be adjusted to any angle among 0°, ±15°, ±30°, ±45°, ±60°, ±75°, and ±90°, ensuring that the angle of the camera extending out of the underwater vehicle is more varied, and the angle adjustment is more flexible and precisely controllable.

[0017] 3. The bracket is secured with fasteners such as bolts, nuts, spring washers, etc., providing high rigidity and the ability to withstand underwater current impacts without loosening, while ensuring minimal camera video shake. Furthermore, the bracket is made of stainless steel, offering high structural strength and a long underwater lifespan, facilitating secure installation on moving underwater objects.

[0018] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it according to the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific embodiments of the present invention are given in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention.

[0020] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment provided by the present invention; Figure 2 This is an unfolded schematic diagram of an embodiment provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the base provided in an embodiment of the present invention; In the diagram, 1. Base; 1-1. Base plate; 1-2. Mounting plate; 1-3. First fixing bolt assembly; 1-4. First mounting through hole; 2. Telescopic arm; 2-1. Upper arm; 2-2. Lower arm; 2-3. Second fixing bolt assembly; 2-4. Second mounting through hole; 2-5. Positioning hole; 2-6. First center hole; 2-7. First adjustment hole; 3. Horizontal turntable; 3-1. Horizontal rotating plate; 3-2. Third fixing bolt assembly; 3-3. Second adjustment hole; 4. Tilting seat; 4-1. Lower base; 4-2. Upper mounting plate; 4-3. Rotary shaft pin; 4-4. Adjusting screw; 4-5. Limiting hole; 4-6. Arc-shaped adjustment hole; 5. Camera. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-3 The principles and features of the present invention are described below. The examples given are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The invention is described more specifically in the following paragraphs by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the invention will become clearer from the following description and claims. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the invention.

[0022] It should be noted that when a component is described as "fixed to" another component, it can be directly on the other component or may have a component in between. When a component is considered "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or may have a component in between. When a component is considered "set on" another component, it can be directly set on the other component or may have a component in between. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0024] Example 1 Reference Figures 1-3As shown, the extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket provided by the present invention includes... Base 1, the base is fixed to the external underwater vehicle; Telescopic boom 2, one end of which is detachably fixed to the base; the telescopic boom has multiple mounting positions on the base, each mounting position corresponding to a horizontal angle between the telescopic boom and the underwater vehicle; the telescopic boom can adjust its length as needed; Horizontal turntable 3 is detachably and fixedly connected to the other end of the telescopic arm. The pitch mount 4 is fixed on the horizontal turntable, and the underwater camera is fixed on the pitch mount. The pitch angle of the camera 5 is adjusted by the pitch mount. There are multiple mounting positions between the horizontal turntable and the telescopic arm, and each mounting position has a horizontal angle between the telescopic arm and the camera.

[0025] By adjusting the mounting position between the telescopic arm and the base, the approximate horizontal orientation of the camera to be captured is determined; by adjusting the length of the telescopic arm, the distance the camera extends beyond the underwater vehicle is determined; by adjusting the mounting position between the telescopic arm and the horizontal turntable, the specific horizontal orientation of the camera to be captured is further adjusted; finally, the shooting angle of the camera in the vertical plane is adjusted by the pitch mount.

[0026] Based on the above measures, the bracket can be easily extended and adjusted over a wide range through four degrees of freedom. After adjustment, the shooting angle of the camera can be quickly fixed by fasteners. The bracket has the characteristics of high structural strength and flexible shooting angle adjustment.

[0027] In the above embodiment, the base includes a base plate 1-1 fixed to an external underwater vehicle, two parallel mounting plates 1-2 fixed to the base plate, and a first fixing bolt assembly 1-3; a plurality of first mounting through holes 1-4 are provided on the two mounting plates, and a plurality of second mounting through holes 2-4 of the same size as the first mounting through holes are provided at one end of the telescopic arm; at least two first mounting through holes and at least two second mounting through holes constitute a mounting position, and multiple mounting positions are included between the telescopic arm and the mounting plate.

[0028] Align at least two first mounting through holes and at least two second mounting through holes, then pass a first fixing bolt assembly through the aligned mounting through holes to secure the telescopic arm and base. The required alignment of the first and second mounting through holes is determined based on the horizontal angle between the telescopic arm and the base plate.

[0029] Preferably, a first mounting through hole is located in the middle as the center, and the remaining first mounting through holes are distributed around the first mounting through hole located at the center, and the distance between the remaining first mounting holes and the first mounting through hole at the center is equal; a second mounting through hole is located in the middle as the center, and the remaining second mounting through holes are distributed around the second mounting through hole located at the center, and the distance between the remaining second mounting holes and the second mounting through hole at the center is equal.

[0030] In this structure, two first fixing bolt assemblies are used. One of the first fixing bolt assemblies passes through the first mounting through hole and the second mounting through hole located at the center of the circle. The other first fixing bolt assembly is inserted into one of the remaining first mounting through holes and one of the remaining second mounting through holes. The first mounting through holes and the second mounting through holes correspond to each other to form multiple mounting positions, thereby meeting the various angle requirements between the telescopic arm and the base plate.

[0031] As shown in the figure, it includes five first mounting through holes and nine second mounting through holes; the four first mounting through holes are distributed around the periphery of the first mounting through hole located at the center of the circle, with the included angles of the corresponding centers being 105°, 75°, 45°, and 120° respectively; and the line connecting the center of one of the first mounting through holes and the center of the first mounting hole located at the center of the circle forms an angle of 15° with the perpendicular line perpendicular to the mounting surface of the substrate on the underwater vehicle; the eight second mounting through holes are distributed around the periphery of the first mounting through hole located at the center of the circle, with the included angle of the corresponding centers being 45°.

[0032] Through various combinations of the first and second mounting through holes, the horizontal angle between the telescopic arm and the vertical symmetry plane of the substrate can be one of the following: 0°, ±15°, ±30°, ±45°, ±60°, ±75°, ±90°. Here, 0° represents the telescopic arm being perpendicular to the substrate, and ±90° represents the telescopic arm being parallel to the substrate.

[0033] In some of the above embodiments, the telescopic arm includes a large arm 2-1, a small arm 2-2, and a second fixing bolt assembly 2-3; the large arm is sleeved on the small arm, and multiple positioning holes 2-5 are provided at intervals on both the large arm and the small arm; after determining the overlap length between the large arm and the small arm, the second fixing bolt assembly passes through the positioning holes of the large arm and the small arm to realize the fixed connection between the two; the second mounting through hole is provided at the end of the large arm.

[0034] As shown in the figure, there are five positioning holes between the upper arm and the forearm, which allows the telescopic arm to have five different lengths.

[0035] In some of the above embodiments, the horizontal turntable includes a horizontal rotating plate 3-1 and a third fixing bolt assembly 3-2; a first central hole 2-6 and a plurality of first adjustment holes 2-7 are provided at the end of the forearm, and the plurality of first adjustment holes are equally spaced around the first central hole; a second central hole (not shown in the figure) and a second adjustment hole 3-3 are provided on the horizontal turntable, a third fixing bolt assembly passes through the first central hole and the second central hole, and a third fixing bolt assembly passes through one of the first adjustment holes and the second adjustment hole.

[0036] As shown in the figure, 16 second adjustment holes are equally spaced around the first central hole, so that the camera can collect video data at any angle of 360° on the horizontal plane at the other end of the telescopic arm.

[0037] In some of the above embodiments, the pitch mount includes a lower base 4-1, an upper mounting plate 4-2, a rotating shaft pin 4-3, and an adjusting screw 4-4. The lower base is fixed on a horizontal rotating plate, and the upper mounting plate is rotatably connected to the lower base via the rotating shaft pin. A limiting hole 4-5 is provided on the lower base, and an arc-shaped adjusting hole 4-6 is provided on the upper mounting plate. The adjusting screw passes through the limiting hole and the arc-shaped adjusting hole to adjust the pitch angle of the upper mounting plate. The camera is fixedly mounted on the upper mounting plate.

[0038] As shown in the figure, two vertically arranged and parallel support plates are provided on the lower base. The support plates are provided with horizontally arranged rotation holes and limiting holes. At the bottom of the upper mounting plate, a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate are arranged vertically. The first mounting plate is provided with rotation holes, and the second mounting plate is provided with arc-shaped adjustment holes. The first mounting plate and the second mounting plate are located between mutually parallel support plates.

[0039] In the above embodiments, the base, telescopic arm, horizontal turntable, and pitch seat are all made of stainless steel and have no sealed cavities inside. The first fixing bolt assembly, the second fixing bolt assembly, and the third fixing bolt assembly each include a screw, a spring washer, and a nut.

[0040] Example 2 The present invention also provides an underwater vehicle including an extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket as described in any of the above.

[0041] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Those skilled in the art can readily implement the present invention based on the accompanying drawings and the above description. However, any modifications, alterations, or variations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention, utilizing the disclosed technical content, are equivalent embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, any modifications, alterations, or variations made to the above embodiments based on the essential technology of the present invention are still within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket, characterized in that: include The base is fixed to the external underwater vehicle; The telescopic boom has one end detachably fixed to the base; the telescopic boom has multiple mounting positions on the base, each corresponding to a horizontal angle between the telescopic boom and the underwater vehicle; the telescopic boom can adjust its length as needed. A horizontal turntable is detachably and fixedly connected to the other end of the telescopic arm. The tilt mount is fixed on the horizontal turntable, and the underwater camera is fixed on the tilt mount. The tilt mount adjusts the tilt angle of the camera. There are multiple mounting positions between the horizontal turntable and the telescopic arm, and each mounting position has a different horizontal angle between the telescopic arm and the camera.

2. The extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base includes a base plate fixed to an external underwater vehicle, two parallel mounting plates fixed to the base plate, and a first fixing bolt assembly; multiple first mounting through holes are provided on the two mounting plates, and multiple second mounting through holes of the same size as the first mounting through holes are provided at one end of the telescopic arm; at least two first mounting through holes and at least two second mounting through holes constitute a mounting position, and multiple mounting positions are included between the telescopic arm and the mounting plate.

3. The extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first mounting through hole is located in the middle as the center, and the remaining first mounting through holes are distributed around the first mounting through hole located at the center, and the distance between the remaining first mounting holes and the first mounting through hole at the center is equal. A second mounting through hole is located in the middle as the center, and the remaining second mounting through holes are distributed around the second mounting through hole located at the center, and the distance between the remaining second mounting holes and the second mounting through hole at the center is equal.

4. The extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket according to claim 3, characterized in that: It includes five first mounting through holes and nine second mounting through holes; the four first mounting through holes are distributed around the periphery of the first mounting through hole located at the center of the circle, with the included angles of the corresponding circles being 105°, 75°, 45°, and 120° respectively; and the line connecting the center of one of the first mounting through holes and the center of the first mounting hole located at the center of the circle, and the perpendicular line perpendicular to the mounting surface of the substrate on the underwater vehicle, form an angle of 15°. The eight second mounting through holes are distributed around the first mounting through hole located at the center, and the included angle between the centers is 45°.

5. The extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The telescopic boom includes a main boom, a forearm, and a second fixing bolt assembly; the main boom is fitted onto the forearm, and multiple positioning holes are provided at intervals on both the main boom and the forearm; after determining the overlap length between the main boom and the forearm, the second fixing bolt assembly passes through the positioning holes of the main boom and the forearm to achieve a fixed connection between the two; a second mounting through hole is provided at the end of the main boom.

6. The extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket according to claim 5, characterized in that: The horizontal turntable includes a horizontal rotating plate and a third fixing bolt assembly; a first central hole and multiple first adjustment holes are provided at the end of the forearm, and several first adjustment holes are equally spaced around the first central hole; a second central hole and a second adjustment hole are provided on the horizontal turntable, a third fixing bolt assembly passes through the first central hole and the second central hole, and a third fixing bolt assembly passes through one of the first adjustment holes and the second adjustment hole.

7. The extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket according to claim 6, characterized in that: The pitch mount includes a lower base, an upper mounting plate, a rotating shaft pin, and an adjusting screw. The lower base is fixed to a horizontal rotating plate, and the upper mounting plate is rotatably connected to the lower base via the rotating shaft pin. The lower base has a limiting hole, and the upper mounting plate has an arc-shaped adjusting hole. The adjusting screw passes through the limiting hole and the arc-shaped adjusting hole to adjust the pitch angle of the upper mounting plate. The camera is fixedly mounted on the upper mounting plate.

8. The extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket according to claim 7, characterized in that: The lower base has two vertically arranged and parallel support plates, with horizontally arranged rotation holes and limiting holes on the support plates; the bottom of the upper mounting plate has a vertically arranged first mounting plate and a second mounting plate, with a rotation hole on the first mounting plate and an arc-shaped adjustment hole on the second mounting plate. The first mounting plate and the second mounting plate are located between mutually parallel support plates.

9. The extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base, telescopic arm, horizontal turntable, and pitch seat are all made of stainless steel and have no sealed cavities inside.

10. An underwater vehicle, characterized in that: Including the extendable four-degree-of-freedom underwater camera bracket as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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