Support tubes for photography equipment, selfie sticks and photography stands

Abstract

To provide a support tube, a selfie stick and a photography stand for photography equipment. [Solution] The support tube includes a tube body 1, which includes an inner metal tube 11 located on the inner layer and an outer carbon fiber tube 12 integrally attached to the outer periphery of the inner metal tube. This design allows the tube for photography equipment to be structurally designed with a carbon fiber outer tube covering the inner metal tube, offering the advantages of greater structural strength and greater bending capacity than a pure carbon fiber tube of the same size, and a lighter overall weight and easier portability than a pure metal tube of the same size. Furthermore, the outer carbon fiber tube is self-lubricating. When the two tube layers slide relative to each other, the carbon fiber outer tube outside the inner tube and the inner metal tube inside the outer tube form a friction pair with a relatively low friction coefficient, facilitating smooth extension between the two tubes. This allows the support tube to be widely used in photography accessories such as selfie sticks and photography stands.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of photography equipment, and more particularly to a support tube, a selfie stick and a photography stand for photography equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventional photographic equipment on the market, such as selfie sticks and stand restraining brackets, often use a single carbon fiber tube or metal tube for the tube body. Carbon fiber tubes have low structural strength and insufficient bending ability, while pure metal tubes have structural strength but are heavy and inconvenient to carry. Therefore, there is a need to design a support tube for photographic equipment that has high structural strength and a relatively light weight.

[0003] Carbon fiber clad metal tubes solve the problems of carbon fiber tubes, such as their poor structural performance and weak bending ability, and the high cost and heavy weight of pure metal tubes. The outer carbon fiber tube also has self-lubricating properties, which allows the upper and lower carbon fiber clad metal tubes to be stretched smoothly. The bending strength of carbon fiber clad metal tubes can reach 2.2 times that of carbon fiber tubes of the same size, and carbon fiber clad metal tubes are lighter than pure metal tubes. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Therefore, the technical problem that the present invention aims to solve is to overcome the drawback that conventional tubes for photographic equipment cannot have both high structural strength and light weight, and thereby provide a support tube, selfie stick, and photography stand for photographic equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A support tube for a photographic device includes a tube body, the tube body including a metal inner tube located in an inner layer and a carbon fiber outer tube integrally provided on the outer periphery of the metal inner tube.

[0007] Furthermore, the carbon fiber outer tube has a thickness of 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm.

[0008] Furthermore, the thickness of the carbon fiber outer tube is 0.5 mm.

[0009] Furthermore, the contact surface between the metal inner tube and the carbon fiber outer tube is rough.

[0010] Furthermore, the carbon fiber outer tube is adhesively fixed to the outer periphery of the metal inner tube.

[0011] Furthermore, the pipe body is fitted in multiple layers from the inside to the outside, and two adjacent layers of the pipe body are arranged to be expandable and contractible in the axial direction, and each layer of the pipe body includes an inner metal tube and a carbon fiber outer tube integrally formed on the outer periphery of the inner metal tube.

[0012] Furthermore, the support tube further includes a friction sleeve elastically disposed between the two adjacent layers of the tubes and moving synchronously with the tubes located in the outer layer.

[0013] Furthermore, the support tube further includes an elastic damping structure arranged between two adjacent layers of the tube bodies, each of the two adjacent tube bodies being an inner tube and an outer tube, the elastic damping structure including a damping member and an elastic member, the damping member being arranged between the end of the inner tube and the inner wall of the outer tube, one end of the elastic member abutting against the damping member and the other end abutting against the inner wall of the inner tube, the elastic force of the elastic member bringing the inner tube, the damping member and the outer tube into close contact, thereby forming frictional damping between the damping member and the inner wall of the outer tube, the inner tube sliding along the inner wall surface of the outer tube by the damping member and being held in its relative position after sliding by the damping member.

[0014] A selfie stick, the selfie stick including a support tube for the above-mentioned photographic device, and a coupling mechanism connected to the support tube and for attaching the photographic device.

[0015] A photography stand, the photography stand including a support tube for the photography equipment described above, and a platform mechanism connected to the support tube for mounting the photography equipment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The technical solution of the present invention has the following advantages: The tube for photography equipment of this application adopts a structural design in which a carbon fiber outer tube covers a metal inner tube, which has the advantages of higher structural strength and stronger bending capacity than a pure carbon fiber tube of the same size, and is lighter in overall weight and easier to carry than a pure metal tube of the same size. Furthermore, the carbon fiber outer tube located on the outer layer is self-lubricating, so that when the two tube layers slide relative to each other, the carbon fiber outer tube outside the inner tube and the metal inner tube inside the outer tube form a friction pair with a relatively low friction coefficient, making the extension movement between the two tubes smoother, and the tube can be widely used as a support tube for photography accessories such as selfie sticks and photography stands. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] In order to more clearly describe the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces drawings that need to be used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art. It is obvious that the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can further derive other drawings based on these drawings without any creative work. [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a tube body of a support tube according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a selfie stick according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a selfie stick according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The following clearly and completely describes the technical solutions of the present invention with reference to the drawings, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments, and all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without any creative work are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] In describing the present invention, it should be understood that orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings and are intended solely for ease of and simplification of the present invention, and do not indicate or suggest that such devices or elements must have a particular orientation or be constructed or operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used solely for explanatory purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting relative importance.

[0020] In describing the present invention, it should be understood that unless otherwise clearly specified or limited, the terms "attached," "coupled," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, and may refer to, for example, a fixed connection, a detachable connection, an integral connection, a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate medium, or internal communication between two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention according to specific circumstances.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, an embodiment of the present invention provides a support tube for a photographic device, comprising a tube body 1, which includes an inner metal tube 11 located inside and an outer carbon fiber tube 12 integrally attached to the outer periphery of the inner metal tube 11. The inner metal tube 11 may be an aluminum alloy tube, a stainless steel tube, or a tube made of other metal materials, and the contact surface between the inner metal tube 11 and the outer carbon fiber tube 12 is rough. The outer carbon fiber tube 12 is adhesively fixed to the outer periphery of the inner metal tube 11, and the thickness of the outer carbon fiber tube 12 is 0.4mm to 0.6mm. Preferably, the thickness of the outer carbon fiber tube 12 is 0.5mm.

[0022] When manufacturing such a tube for a photographic device, it is necessary to ensure that the adhesive strength between the metal inner tube 11 and the carbon fiber outer tube 12 is sufficiently high. First, to form a microscopically rough anchor surface and increase the bonding area, the outer surface of the inner metal pipe 11 must be roughened using a mechanical treatment such as sandblasting or polishing. If the inner metal pipe 11 is made of an aluminum alloy, a rough and porous oxide layer can be formed on the surface of the inner metal pipe 11 by anodizing, improving the mechanical interlocking force and chemical bonding strength with the adhesive. Next, a special coupling agent or primer is applied to the treated surface of the inner metal pipe 11. The functional group at one end of the coupling agent or primer bonds with the metal surface, and the functional group at the other end bonds with the subsequent epoxy resin base, significantly improving the interfacial chemical bonding strength and environmental resistance. Next, carbon fiber bundles pre-impregnated with epoxy resin are wound around the outer circumference of the inner metal pipe 11. After the winding of the carbon fiber bundles is completed, the inner metal pipe 11 is heated and cured. The epoxy resin undergoes a chemical reaction and hardens, coating the carbon fiber bundles on the outer circumference of the inner metal pipe 11 to form the outer carbon fiber pipe 12, and the outer carbon fiber pipe 12 and the inner metal pipe 11 are integrated into the pipe body 1.

[0023] Such a tube body for a photographic device adopts a structural design in which a carbon fiber outer tube 12 covers a metal inner tube 11, and has the advantages of higher structural strength and stronger bending ability than a pure carbon fiber tube of the same size, and is lighter in overall weight than a pure metal tube of the same size, making it easier to carry.

[0024] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a selfie stick, which, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, includes a support tube for the above-mentioned photography device. The support tube includes multiple layers of tube bodies 1 that are fitted from the inside to the outside and are axially expandable, with each layer of tube body 1 including an inner metal tube 11 and an outer carbon fiber tube 12 integrally attached to the outer periphery of the inner metal tube 11. The outer carbon fiber tube 12 is self-lubricating, so when the two tube bodies 1 slide relative to each other, the carbon fiber outer tube 12 outside the inner tube body 1 and the inner metal tube 11 inside the outer tube body 1 form a friction pair with a relatively low friction coefficient, facilitating smooth extension between the two tube bodies 1. This allows the support tube to be widely used in photography accessories such as selfie sticks and photography stands.

[0025] The support tube further includes a friction sleeve, which is elastically mounted between the two adjacent layers of tubes 1 and moves synchronously with the outer tube 1. The friction sleeve is typically made of a non-metallic material with a certain degree of elasticity. The main function of the friction sleeve is to lock and position the two adjacent tubes 1 by generating a controllable friction force. The friction sleeve deforms under pressure and fits tightly between the inner wall of the outer tube 1 and the outer wall of the inner tube 1, generating sufficient friction to lock the inner tube 1 and prevent it from automatically sliding off. At the same time, the friction sleeve reduces hard friction between the metal inner tube 11 of the outer tube 1 and the carbon fiber outer tube 12 of the inner tube 1, thereby protecting the surface of the tube 1.

[0026] 2 and 3, in some embodiments, the support tube includes a first-layer tube 1a, a second-layer tube 1b, a third-layer tube 1c, a fourth-layer tube 1d, and a fifth-layer tube 1e, which are fitted from the inside to the outside and are axially expandable and contractible. The friction sleeves include a first friction sleeve 2a elastically provided between the first-layer tube 1a and the second-layer tube 1b, a second friction sleeve 2b elastically provided between the second-layer tube 1b and the third-layer tube 1c, a third friction sleeve 2c elastically provided between the third-layer tube 1c and the fourth-layer tube 1d, and a fourth friction sleeve 2d elastically provided between the fourth-layer tube 1d and the fifth-layer tube 1e. During the manufacturing process, slight tolerances inevitably exist between the inner diameter of the outer-layer tube 1 and the outer diameter of the inner-layer tube 1. The elasticity of the friction sleeves can compensate for these size tolerances, ensuring stable relative sliding between the inner and outer-layer tubes 1 and reliable locking.

[0027] 2 and 3, in some embodiments, the support tube further includes an elastic damping structure provided between any two adjacent layers of pipes 1. The elastic damping structure includes a damping member 31 and an elastic member 32. Take the elastic damping structure between the first layer pipe 1a and the second layer pipe 1b as an example. The damping member 31 is provided between the end of the first layer pipe 1a and the inner wall of the second layer pipe 1b. One end of the elastic member 32 abuts against the damping member 31 and the other end abuts against the inner wall of the first layer pipe 1a. The elastic force of the elastic member 32 tightly couples the first layer pipe 1a, the damping member 31, and the second layer pipe 1b, thereby forming frictional damping between the damping member 31 and the inner wall of the second layer pipe 1b. The first layer pipe 1a slides along the inner wall of the second layer pipe 1b due to the damping member 31 and is held in its relative position after sliding due to the damping member 31. The elastic damping structure between any other two layers of pipes 1 is the same as the elastic damping structure between the first layer pipe 1a and the second layer pipe 1b.

[0028] 2 and 3, in some embodiments, the selfie stick further includes a coupling mechanism connected to the support tube for attaching a photographic device, the coupling mechanism including a female thread structure on the inner wall at the upper end of the first tubular body 1a, a bolt joint 4 one end of which is threaded into the female thread structure on the inner wall at the upper end of the first tubular body 1a, and an upper joint 5 which is fitted and fixed to the outer periphery of the first tubular body 1a and the bolt joint 4, the threaded end of the bolt joint 4 protruding upward being used to attach a photographic device such as a camera. In other alternative embodiments, the coupling mechanism for attaching a photographic device is not limited to the above-described bolt joint 4 and upper joint 5 structure, and may be various structural types such as a quick-release plate mechanism, a clamping mechanism, a suction holding mechanism, or a pan head locking mechanism, as long as it is capable of attaching and fixing the photographic device.

[0029] 2 and 3, in some embodiments, the inner wall of the lower end of the fifth-layer tube 1e is provided with a female thread structure, and the selfie stick further includes a lower joint 6 that is screwed into the female thread structure on the inner wall of the lower end of the fifth-layer tube 1e and is used to secure the lower end of the support tube to a bottom support member such as a base. A handle glove 7 is further fitted to the outer periphery of the fifth-layer tube 1e to prevent slipping.

[0030] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a photography stand, which includes a support tube for the above-mentioned photography equipment, and a pan head mechanism connected to the support tube for mounting the photography equipment. The main differences between a photography stand and a selfie stick are as follows: a selfie stick is a photography aid that is held by hand, while a photography stand is a photography aid that is supported on the ground and does not require hand-held photography, and the photography stand can be a single stand or a tripod.

[0031] As described above, in the support tube for photography equipment, selfie stick, and photography stand provided by the embodiments of the present invention, the tube body 1 adopts a structural design in which a carbon fiber outer tube 12 encases a metal inner tube 11, which has the advantages of higher structural strength and stronger bending capacity than a pure carbon fiber tube of the same size, and is lighter in overall weight and easier to carry than a pure metal tube of the same size. Furthermore, the carbon fiber outer tube 12 located on the outer layer is self-lubricating, so that when the two-layer tube body 1 slides relative to each other, the carbon fiber outer tube 12 outside the inner-layer tube body 1 and the metal inner tube 11 inside the outer-layer tube 1 form a friction pair with a relatively low friction coefficient, making the extension movement between the two tube bodies 1 smoother, and the support tube can be widely used for photography aids such as selfie sticks and photography stands.

[0032] It should be understood that the above examples are merely illustrative for the purpose of clarity and are not limiting of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make other different modifications or variations based on the above description. It is not possible or necessary to comprehensively list all the embodiments here. Any obvious modifications or variations derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of the invention and creation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 Tube body, 11 Metal inner tube, 12 Carbon fiber outer tube, 1a First layer tube body, 1b Second layer tube body, 1c Third layer tube body, 1d Fourth layer tube body, 1e Fifth layer tube body, 2a First friction sleeve, 2b Second friction sleeve, 2c Third friction sleeve, 2d Fourth friction sleeve, 31 Damping member, 32 Elastic member, 4 Bolt joint, 5 Upper joint, 6 Lower joint, 7 Handle glove.

Claims

1. A support tube for a photographic device, comprising a tube body (1), the tube body (1) including a metal inner tube (11) located in an inner layer, and a carbon fiber outer tube (12) integrally formed on the outer periphery of the metal inner tube (11).

2. 2. The support tube for photographic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the carbon fiber outer tube (12) is 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm.

3. 2. The support tube for a photographic instrument according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface between the metal inner tube (11) and the carbon fiber outer tube (12) is rough.

4. 2. The support tube for a photographic instrument according to claim 1, wherein the carbon fiber outer tube (12) is adhesively fixed to the outer periphery of the metal inner tube (11).

5. 2. The support tube for a photographic device according to claim 1, wherein the tube body (1) is fitted in a plurality of layers from the inside to the outside, the tube body (1) of two adjacent layers is configured to be expandable and contractible in the axial direction, and the tube body (1) of each layer includes a metal inner tube (11) of the inner layer and a carbon fiber outer tube (12) integrally formed on the outer periphery of the metal inner tube (11).

6. The support tube for a photographic device according to claim 5, further comprising a friction sleeve elastically arranged between two adjacent layers of the tube body (1) and moving synchronously with the tube body (1) located in the outer layer.

7. 7. The support tube for a photographic device according to claim 6, wherein the support tube further includes an elastic damping structure provided between two adjacent layers of the tube bodies (1), the two adjacent tube bodies (1) being an inner tube and an outer tube, respectively, the elastic damping structure including a damping member (31) and an elastic member (32), the damping member (31) being provided between an end of the inner tube and the inner wall of the outer tube, one end of the elastic member (32) abutting against the damping member (31) and the other end abutting against the inner wall of the inner tube, the elastic force of the elastic member (32) bringing the inner tube, the damping member (31) and the outer tube into close contact, thereby forming frictional damping between the damping member (31) and the inner wall of the outer tube, and the inner tube sliding along the inner wall surface of the outer tube by the damping member (31) and being held in a relative position after sliding by the damping member (31).

8. A selfie stick comprising: a support tube for a photographic tool according to any one of claims 1 to 7; and a joint mechanism connected to the support tube for attaching the photographic tool.

9. A photography stand comprising: a support tube for a photography apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7; and a platform mechanism connected to the support tube for mounting the photography apparatus.

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