Antenna attachment jig for tripod

Abstract

To provide an antenna mounting jig for a tripod capable of installing a satellite positioning antenna by using an inexpensive tripod SOLUTION: An antenna attachment jig 3 for a tripod includes an insertion portion 23 to be inserted into a through hole formed in a hub of the tripod, an antenna fixing portion 21 to which a screw for fixing the satellite positioning antenna is formed, and an intermediate portion 22 formed between the insertion portion 23 and the antenna fixing portion 21 and having a diameter larger than that of the insertion portion 23, and a notch portion 25 is formed so that a string entering from the intermediate portion 22 comes out from a position overlapping a center line O1 passing through the center of the screw on a distal end surface of the insertion portion 23. For example, the cutout portion 25 forms a horizontal groove portion orthogonal to the center line O1 at the position of the intermediate portion 22, and a vertical groove portion orthogonal to the horizontal groove portion along the center line O1 from the intermediate portion 22 to the insertion portion 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tripod antenna mounting jig that enables a satellite positioning antenna to be mounted on a general-purpose tripod. [Background technology]

[0002] In surveying for construction and civil engineering, satellite positioning systems using GNSS, such as GPS and QZSS, are used to obtain position information. For such surveying, a dedicated tripod, such as that described in Patent Document 1 below, is used to accurately install a satellite antenna. The GNSS antenna, which receives signals from GNSS satellites, must be installed in a correctly positioned vertically above the measurement point. Therefore, conventional tripods are configured such that an inclination angle sensor is attached to the surveying pole with the satellite positioning antenna, and two of the tripod legs are used as control legs that are extended and retracted by a motor. A control device then controls the length of the two control legs based on the inclination angle sensor, thereby maintaining the surveying pole vertical. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-181542 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The tripods for the conventional satellite positioning antennas described above are equipped with tilt angle sensors and motors for controlling extension and retraction, and adjustment control connected to a control device allows for accurate installation of satellite positioning antennas in a short time in various locations. However, these tripods have a complex structure and require a control device for use, making them expensive. Tripods for use with satellite positioning antennas, including those in the conventional example, are made as dedicated products and are all more expensive than general tripods. On the other hand, tripods used for installing satellite positioning antennas are used infrequently and have poor cost-effectiveness.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve this problem, an object of the present invention is to provide an antenna mounting jig for a tripod that enables installation of a satellite positioning antenna using an inexpensive tripod. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The tripod antenna mounting jig of the present invention has an insertion section that is inserted into a through hole formed in the hub of the tripod, an antenna fixing section formed with a screw for fixing to a satellite positioning antenna, and an intermediate section formed between the insertion section and the antenna fixing section and with a larger diameter than the insertion section, and a notch is formed so that a string entering from the intermediate section can exit from a position on the tip surface of the insertion section that overlaps with the center line passing through the center of the screw. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] With this configuration, a string can be passed from the middle part to the tip face of the insertion part through the notch, and the tripod antenna mounting jig with the string passed through is inserted into a through-hole formed in the hub of the tripod, with the insertion part and the string together, and the satellite positioning antenna is fixed to the antenna fixing part. Then, by hanging a weight on the string that passes through the hub and extends from the tip face of the insertion part, the center of the satellite positioning antenna can be aligned with the measurement point, making it possible to install the satellite positioning antenna even on an inexpensive tripod. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a simplified view of a typical tripod. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the tripod antenna mounting jig from one direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the tripod antenna mounting jig from another direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the tripod antenna mounting jig when using a downward swing. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view at the center showing the tripod antenna mounting jig when using a downward swing. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a satellite positioning antenna attached to a tripod using a tripod antenna attachment jig. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment of an antenna mounting jig for a tripod according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a simplified perspective view of a typical tripod used for camera photography and the like. Tripod 1 is a commercially available, general-purpose product that can be obtained inexpensively. Tripod 1 is composed of three legs 11 integrally connected to a hub 12. The three legs 11 are evenly spaced at 120-degree intervals from the central hub 12, and each leg 11 is pivotally supported on hub 12 so that the angle θ with respect to the center line 0 can be freely adjusted. The length of each leg 11 is continuously adjustable, allowing adjustment of each length to accommodate the installation height of the camera and the conditions of the installation surface.

[0010] Hub 12 is a hollow cylindrical member, and a columnar center pole 13 to which a camera platform 15 is attached is inserted into its through-hole. Although not shown in the drawings, camera platform 15 can be fixed and the angle of the camera can be adjusted freely. Furthermore, the installation height of the camera attached to camera platform 15 can be adjusted not only by changing the length of the three legs 11, but also by moving center pole 13 up and down relative to hub 12.

[0011] The center pole 13 can be moved relative to the hub 12 using, for example, a handle type in which the center pole 13, which is provided with a rack gear, is raised and lowered via a pinion gear by turning the handle. Alternatively, there is also a slide type in which the sliding center pole 13 is fixed by tightening a setscrew threaded into the hub 12, and the center pole 13 is manually raised and lowered by loosening the setscrew. The tripod 1 used in this embodiment is the latter slide type. That is, by attaching a tripod antenna mounting jig to the hub 12 from which the center pole 13 with the pan head 15 has been removed, the satellite positioning antenna 5 (see FIG. 6) can be installed.

[0012] Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the tripod antenna mounting jig from different directions. Figure 4 is a side view showing the tripod antenna mounting jig using a downward swing, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view at the center of the tripod antenna mounting jig also using a downward swing. This tripod antenna mounting jig 3 (hereinafter simply referred to as "mounting jig 3") is a single member made of resin, consisting of an antenna fixing portion 21, an intermediate portion 22, and an insertion portion 23.

[0013] The antenna fixing portion 21 is a male threaded portion that screws into the female thread on the mounting portion side of the satellite positioning antenna 5. The insertion portion 23 is the portion that is inserted into the hub 12 of the tripod 1, similar to the center pole 13 shown in Figure 1, and has a taper 231 formed at its tip to make it easier to insert into the through-hole. The middle portion 22 has a larger diameter than the antenna fixing portion 21 and the insertion portion 23, and is the portion that abuts against the top surface of the hub 12 to position the mounting jig 3 relative to the tripod 1.

[0014] The insertion portion 23 is formed to match the cross-sectional shape of the through-hole formed in the hub 12. For example, the tripod 1 is configured so that the center pole 13 inserted into the hub 12 does not rotate, and the insertion portion 23 is also formed to match that shape. Specifically, the insertion portion 23 has a cylindrical shape and a flat portion 233 that is parallel to the center line O1. The flat portion 233 stabilizes the mounting jig 3 and prevents it from rotating within the hub 12, and a setscrew that reaches the through-hole is threaded into the hub 12, and the mounting jig 3 is fixed to the tripod 1 by tightening the setscrew.

[0015] Here, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the satellite positioning antenna 5 attached to the tripod 1 using the attachment jig 3. To install the satellite positioning antenna 5, it is necessary to align it with a cross-shaped measurement point 7 indicated on a surveying stake or the like. In this embodiment, a downward swing is used, in which a conical weight 31 is hung by a string 32. The attachment jig 3 has a slit 25 cut out, as shown in Fig. 3, etc., as a structure for using such a downward swing.

[0016] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3, cut at the position of the slit 25. As can be seen from this figure, the mounting jig 3 has a non-notched portion 26, indicated by hatching, formed by the slit 25. That is, the mounting jig 3 has a large slit 25 extending from the antenna fixing portion 21 to the intermediate portion 22 and the insertion portion 23 so that the string 32 can be hung around this non-notched portion 26. Therefore, the string 32 hung around the mounting jig 3 (non-notched portion 26) enters from the side of the intermediate portion 22, is bent 90 degrees, and hangs down vertically downward along the center line O1. The slit 25, which is a cutout portion, is formed with a constant width that allows the string 32 to be inserted without difficulty and is not so wide that the string 32 becomes misaligned.

[0017] The slit 25 has a horizontal groove 251 located at the top of the non-notched portion 26, which is formed as a U-shaped groove so that the inserted string 32 is stabilized. Furthermore, a vertical groove 252 perpendicular to the horizontal groove 251 is parallel to the center line O1 passing through the center of the male screw formed in the antenna fixing part 21. In particular, the position of the corner 255 between the horizontal groove 251 and the successive vertical groove 252 is designed so that the string 32 hangs down at a position coinciding with the center line O1. Therefore, the string 32 pulled by the weight 31 and fed through the bottom of the horizontal groove 251 hangs down so as to overlap the center line O1 at the vertical groove 252.

[0018] Next, downward swing using weight 31 and string 32 as shown in Figure 6 is performed as follows. First, the mounting jig 3, with string 32 threaded through slit 25, has its insertion portion 23 inserted into the through-hole of hub 12. At this time, string 32 is threaded through slit 25 of mounting jig 3, so that the tip of string 32, to which weight 31 is tied, passes from top to bottom through the through-hole of hub 12. Therefore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the tip of string 32 extends downward from the bottom end of mounting jig 3, and the rear end protrudes from the side of middle portion 22 of hub 12. Weight 31 is attached to the tip of string 32, and the rear end is fixed so that weight 31 is positioned at an appropriate height.

[0019] The rear end of the string 32 is simply wound around the winding member 35, so it must not be pulled by the weight of the weight 31. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 , the mounting jig 3 has a hook screw 27 threaded into the middle section 22 to secure the string 32. The string 32 extending from the side of the middle section 22 is wound along the surface of the middle section 22 to the hook screw 27 and wound around the threaded portion of the hook screw 27. This secures the string 32 and enables it to support the weight 31. If simply winding the string 32 is insufficient, the hook screw 27 can be tightened to sandwich the string 32 between the middle section 22 and the head of the hook screw 27, thereby firmly securing the string 32. This securement of the string 32 is performed in conjunction with the height adjustment of the weight 31. Although the hook screw is a Phillips head screw in FIG. 4 , the present invention is not limited to this. The screws may be slotted screws, hex screws, or hand screws for easy tightening and loosening.

[0020] Next, to perform accurate surveying, the satellite positioning antenna 5 must be installed correctly relative to the measurement point 7. In other words, the center position of the satellite positioning antenna 5 must coincide with the center position of the cross that is the measurement point 7. For this reason, as mentioned above, a downward swing is used to install the satellite positioning antenna 5 mounted on the tripod 1. Alignment using a downward swing requires that the center line of the satellite positioning antenna 5 is vertical. For this reason, some commercially available tripods are equipped with a spirit level at the hub position.

[0021] If the tripod 1 is equipped with a spirit level, the center line O1 of the mounting jig 3 will coincide with the center line of the hub 12, and the center line O1 will be vertical when leveled based on the spirit level. However, if a less expensive tripod is used, such a spirit level will not be provided. The tripod 1 of this embodiment corresponds to such a tripod. Therefore, the mounting jig 3 is provided with an adjustment means for verticalizing the center line O1 during installation using a downward swing.

[0022] Specifically, this is the slit 25 described above, and further, the vertical groove 28 shown in Fig. 4 formed on the surface of the insertion portion 23. The vertical line portion 253 of the slit 25 shown in Fig. 3 and the vertical groove 28 positioned 90 degrees away from the vertical line portion 253 are both parallel indication means formed parallel to the center line O1 of the mounting jig 3. The position and number of vertical grooves 28 can be changed arbitrarily, and for example, three vertical grooves 28 may be formed at 90-degree intervals. Furthermore, since the vertical grooves 28 and the vertical line portion 253 of the slit 25 are to be seen to coincide with the string 32 hanging down vertically, it is preferable to color them for easy recognition.

[0023] Next, the installation work of the satellite positioning antenna 5 on the tripod 1 is performed by adjusting the tip of the conical weight 31 so that it coincides with the center position of the measurement point 7. At the same time, the string 32 hanging vertically from the mounting jig 3 is adjusted so that it coincides with the vertical line portion 253 of the slit 25 and the straight line of the vertical groove 28. When the straight line of the string 32 and the straight lines of the vertical line portion 253 and vertical groove 28 coincide, the center of the satellite positioning antenna 5 will coincide with the central position of the measurement point 7.

[0024] Therefore, according to this embodiment, by using the mounting jig 3, it is possible to install the satellite positioning antenna 5 using an inexpensive tripod 1 used for cameras, etc., without using an expensive tripod for satellite positioning antennas. The mounting jig 3 itself has a simple shape and can be made of resin, so it can be obtained inexpensively. Furthermore, the weight 31 and string 32 used to install the satellite positioning antenna 5 can also be obtained inexpensively.

[0025] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the shape of the slit 25 is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be any shape that allows the string 32 to hang down along the center line O1. Further, instead of using the hook screw 27 to fix the string 32, a stopper that does not pass through the slit 25 may be attached to the string 32. Furthermore, the parallel display means may be a pin member fixed to the tip of the insertion part 23 instead of the vertical groove 28 formed in the insertion part 23 . Also, although the antenna fixing portion 21 is a male screw, if the mounting portion of the satellite positioning antenna is a male screw, the antenna fixing portion 21 will be a female screw. [Explanation of symbols]

[0026] 1...Tripod 3...Tripod antenna mounting jig 5...Satellite positioning antenna 11...Leg 12...Hub 21...Antenna fixing portion 22...Intermediate portion 23...Insertion portion 25...Slit 26...Non-notched portion 31...Sinker 32...String

Claims

1. an insertion portion to be inserted into a through hole formed in the hub of the tripod; an antenna fixing portion having a screw formed thereon for fixing to the satellite positioning antenna; an intermediate portion formed between the insertion portion and the antenna fixing portion and having a diameter larger than that of the insertion portion; and The tripod antenna mounting jig has a notch formed so that the string inserted from the intermediate portion can exit from a position on the tip surface of the insertion portion that overlaps with the center line passing through the center of the screw.

2. 2. The antenna mounting jig for a tripod according to claim 1, wherein the cutout portion forms a horizontal groove portion perpendicular to the center line at the intermediate portion, and a vertical groove portion perpendicular to the horizontal groove portion along the center line from the intermediate portion to the insertion portion.

3. 3. The antenna mounting jig for a tripod according to claim 2, wherein the horizontal groove is a U-shaped groove, and a corner is formed with the vertical groove so that when a weighted string hangs down along the vertical groove, the string coincides with the center line.

4. 4. The antenna mounting jig for a tripod according to claim 1, further comprising parallel display means for indicating parallelism with said center line.

5. 5. The antenna mounting jig for a tripod according to claim 4, wherein the cutout portion is a slit of a constant width formed in a straight line along the center line across the antenna fixing portion, the intermediate portion and the insertion portion, and the slit functions as the parallel indication means.

6. 5. The antenna mounting jig for a tripod according to claim 4, wherein said parallel indication means is one or more vertical grooves formed on the surface of said insertion portion and parallel to said center line.

7. 2. The tripod antenna mounting jig according to claim 1, wherein a hook screw for fastening a string is screwed into said intermediate portion.

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