Damper

Abstract

This damper comprises a case, a first cushioning material provided on the bottom surface of the case, an isolator provided on the first cushioning material, a top plate provided on the isolator, and a camera-fixing part provided on the top plate.

Description

Damper

[0001] The present technology relates to dampers.

[0002] In the past, when trying to capture the scenery outside a car using a camera mounted on it while the car was moving, there was a problem that the image would be shaky due to vibrations from the road surface and engine vibrations.

[0003] To solve this problem, gimbals that can dampen vibrations are used. Two-axis or three-axis gimbals for general cameras are effective against long-term vibrations and can capture stable images with little shaking.

[0004] However, vibrations include not only transient vibrations caused by unevenness in the road surface, but also short-term vibrations that continue for a certain period of time due to engine vibrations or driving on gravel roads, and two-axis or three-axis camera gimbals have not been able to adequately dampen these short-term vibrations.

[0005] Therefore, a technology has been proposed to prevent deviation of the aim even when vibrations are transmitted to a photographing device such as a camera mounted in a car (Patent Document 1).

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-20184

[0007] However, the technology in Patent Document 1 does not actually damp vibrations, but rather transmits the vibrations to the camera. Therefore, further improvements in the vibration damping function of the damper that supports the camera are required to prevent the vibrations from being transmitted to the camera.

[0008] The present technology has been developed in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a damper that can attenuate vibrations transmitted to a camera.

[0009] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the first technology is a damper that includes a case, a first buffer material provided on the bottom surface of the case, an isolator provided on the first buffer material, a top plate provided on the isolator, and a camera fixing part provided on the top plate.

[0010] 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing the configuration of a gimbal 300, a damper 100, and a camera 400 mounted on an automobile 10. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of the damper 100, a support column 200, and the gimbal 300. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the entire damper 100. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the damper 100. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the damper 100. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the damper 100. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the damper 100. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of data transmission between a camera 400 and a vibration sensor.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present technology will be described with reference to the drawings. The description will be made in the following order: <Embodiment> [Configuration of the support column 200 and the gimbal 300] [Configuration of the damper 100] <Modification>

[0012] 1 , a damper 100 according to the present technology is mounted on an automobile 10 via a support pillar 200 and a gimbal 300. The gimbal 300 is fixed to the automobile 10 via the support pillar 200. A camera 400 is fixed to the damper 100.

[0013] The support pillar 200 is a metal pillar for supporting the gimbal 300, and is fixed to the frame of the automobile 10 by welding or with bolts and nuts.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the gimbal 300 is composed of an attachment portion 310 , an arm portion 320 , a mount portion 330 , and a damper support portion 340 .

[0015] The mounting portion 310 grips the support column 200 to mount and support the gimbal 300 on the support column 200. The height of the gimbal 300 can be changed by adjusting the mounting position on the support column 200 using the mounting portion 310. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 310 is mounted to the support column 200 at two points, but the number of mounting points may be one or three or more as long as the mounting portion 310 can support the gimbal 300, damper 100, and camera 400.

[0016] The arm portion 320 includes a hydraulic damper 321 that expands and contracts in the longitudinal direction and a spring 322. One end of the arm portion 320 is connected to the attachment portion 310 by being supported by a plurality of shafts 323, and the other end is connected to the mount portion 330 by a plurality of shafts 324.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are perpendicular to each other, and the longitudinal direction of the arm portion 320 is defined as the Y-axis, the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis is defined as the X-axis, and the height direction is defined as the Z-axis.

[0018] Arm unit 320 includes hydraulic damper 321 and spring 322, and operates so that its tip moves in the Z direction around shaft 323 as a fulcrum and returns to its original state while maintaining the posture of damper 100 in response to vibrations from automobile 10. This makes it possible to suppress vibrations transmitted to damper 100 and camera 400 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and to maintain the posture of camera 400.

[0019] The mount portion 330 is used to connect the damper support portion 340 to the arm portion 320. The mount portion 330 is configured in a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the side (when viewed in the X direction), with one end connected to the tip of the arm portion 320 and the damper support portion 340 fixed to the other end facing upward.

[0020] For example, a Custom Easy Raptor Z Pro, which is an integrated unit, can be used as the attachment unit 310, arm unit 320, and mount unit 330. However, any other device that can support the damper 100 and camera 400 on the automobile 10 may be used.

[0021] The damper support part 340 is fixed to the mount part 330 and supports the damper 100 on its upper surface. The damper support part 340 includes a spring 341 that expands and contracts in the X-axis direction and a spring 342 that expands and contracts in the Y-axis direction, and thereby swings in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction in response to vibrations of the automobile 10 and returns to its original state. This suppresses vibrations transmitted to the damper 100 and the camera 400 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and also maintains the posture of the camera 400. A Raptor XY2 by Custom Easy Inc. can be used as the damper support part 340. However, any device that can support the damper 100 and the camera 400 on the automobile 10 may be used.

[0022] In this embodiment, the gimbal 300 is a combination of Custom Easy's Raptor XY2 and Raptor Z Pro, but any device that can support the damper 100 and camera 400 on the automobile 10 may be used.

[0023] In addition, in the present technology, the support column 200 and the gimbal 300 are configured as separate members, but the support column 200 and the gimbal 300 may be configured as an integrated unit.

[0024] [Configuration of Damper 100] Next, the configuration of the damper 100 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 8. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the damper 100 is configured with a lower case portion 110, a first buffer material 120, an isolator 130, a top plate 140, a second buffer material 150, an upper case portion 160, a bottom raising member 170, and a camera fixing portion 180.

[0025] 5A, the lower case 110 is formed with a bottom 111 and four side surfaces 112 rising from the edges of the bottom 111, and has a generally rectangular shape in plan view with an open top. In this embodiment, the lower case 110 is made of steel, but may be made of other materials. In this embodiment, the thickness of the lower case 110 is approximately 3 mm, but the thickness is not limited to this value.

[0026] A bolt hole 113 is formed in the approximate center of the bottom surface portion 111, through which a bolt 131 passes to fix the isolator 130 to the damper support portion 340. As shown in FIG. 4 , the lower case portion 110 is installed by placing it on the damper support portion 340.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5B , a flat first buffer material 120 is provided on the inside of the bottom surface portion 111 of the lower case portion 110. In this embodiment, sorbothane is used as the first buffer material 120. However, other materials besides sorbothane, such as alpha gel and urethane, can also be used as the first buffer material 120. From the viewpoint of buffering effect, it is preferable that the thickness of the first buffer material 120 be 20 mm or more. However, the present technology is not limited to first buffer materials 120 having a thickness of 20 mm or more. A bolt hole 121 is formed in approximately the center of the first buffer material 120, through which a bolt 131 is passed to fix the isolator 130 to the damper support portion 340.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 6A , an isolator 130 is provided on the first buffer material 120. For example, the Vibration Isolator for 3-Axis Camera Gimbal by Proaim, which is a vibration isolator for shock absorption of a 3-axis gimbal, can be used as the isolator 130. The isolator 130 has the function of removing high-frequency vibrations and attenuating low-frequency vibrations. The isolator 130 is made of aluminum. The isolator 130 is not limited to a 3-axis gimbal, and a 2-axis gimbal may also be used. Furthermore, the isolator 130 is not limited to a Proaim product, and any isolator product having the function of attenuating vibrations may be used.

[0029] 4, the isolator 130 is configured so that a bolt 131 can be inserted into the center, and the bolt 131 is inserted into the damper support portion 340 through the bolt hole 121 of the first buffer material 120 and the bolt hole 113 of the lower case portion 110, thereby fixing the damper 100 to the damper support portion 340 of the gimbal 300. This allows the isolator 130 and the damper 100 to be fixed reliably in a stable state.

[0030] 6B, the top plate 140 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape in a plan view, and is fixed onto the isolator 130 with bolts, nuts, etc. In this embodiment, the top plate 140 is made of steel, but it may be made of other materials.

[0031] 7A , a second cushioning material 150 is provided in the shape of a substantially rectangular frame on the top surface of the top plate 140, following the edge of the top plate 140. In the present embodiment, sorbothane is used as the second cushioning material 150. However, other materials than sorbothane, such as alpha gel and urethane, can also be used as the second cushioning material 150. From the viewpoint of cushioning effect, the thickness of the second cushioning material 150 is preferably 20 mm or more, but the present technology does not exclude configurations with a thickness of less than 20 mm.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 7B , an upper case portion 160 is provided on the second cushioning material 150. The upper case portion 160 is formed with a generally rectangular shape in plan view, consisting of a top surface portion 161 and four side surface portions 162, and is open downward. The upper case portion 160 is configured to have a larger vertical and horizontal width in plan view than the lower case portion 110 in order to cover the lower case portion 110. The upper case portion 160 is fixed, for example, with bolts and nuts in the area where the side surface portions 162, the lower case portion 110, and the side surface portions 112 overlap. In this embodiment, the thickness of the upper case portion 160 is approximately 3 mm, the same as the lower case portion 110, but the thickness is not limited to this value.

[0033] A dustproof effect can be obtained by covering the first buffer material 120, the isolator 130, the top plate 140, and the second buffer material 150 with the lower case part 110 and the upper case part 160. In addition to the dustproof effect, the lower case part 110 and the upper case part 160 also serve to stabilize the isolator 130 housed therein by pressing it from the left and right, front and back, and top and bottom.

[0034] An approximately rectangular opening 163 is formed in the top surface 161 of the upper case portion 160 to expose the bottom raising member 170 provided on the top plate 140 and the camera fixing portion 180 provided on the bottom raising member 170.

[0035] 6A, the vibration damping effect of the damper 100 can be further enhanced by providing third buffer materials 191 inside the isolator 130. In this embodiment, four third buffer materials 191A, 191B, 191C, and 191D are provided by inserting them into the space inside the isolator 130. The four third buffer materials are made by stacking two sorbothane sheets each having a thickness of approximately 3 mm, resulting in a thickness of approximately 6 mm.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6A , providing fourth buffer materials 192 on the isolator 130 can further enhance the vibration damping effect of the damper 100. In this embodiment, four fourth buffer materials 192A, 192B, 192C, and 192D, each made of two sorbothane sheets each approximately 3 mm thick and stacked to form a sheet approximately 6 mm thick, are provided on the isolator 130. When the fourth buffer materials 192 are provided on the isolator 130, the fourth buffer materials 192 are positioned between the isolator 130 and the top plate 140. In this case, holes 193 for passing bolts are formed in the fourth buffer materials 192, and bolts 194 are passed through the holes 193 from the isolator to the top plate to secure the top plate 140 to the isolator 130. The holes in the four fourth buffer materials 192A, 192B, 192C, and 192D are designated as holes 193A, 193B, 193C, and 193D, respectively. The third buffer material 191 and the fourth buffer material 192 are not essential components, and the number and thickness thereof are merely examples, and the present technology is not limited thereto.

[0037] As with the first buffer material 120, the third buffer material 191 and the fourth buffer material 192 may be made of materials other than sorbothane, such as alpha gel or urethane.

[0038] 8A , a bottom-raising member 170 is provided in an area surrounded by second buffer material 150 on the upper surface of top plate 140. Bottom-raising member 170 is positioned so as to be exposed from opening 163 of upper case portion 160. Bottom-raising member 170 is formed in a generally rectangular shape in plan view to match the shape of camera fixing portion 180. In this embodiment, bottom-raising member 170 is made of aluminum, but it may be made of other materials.

[0039] The bottom raising member 170 raises the position of the camera fixing part 180 so that the lever 182 of the camera fixing part 180 does not hit the upper case part 160. The bottom raising member 170 is fixed to the top plate with, for example, bolts and nuts.

[0040] A camera fixing part 180 is provided on the bottom raising member 170. The camera fixing part 180 is fixed to the bottom raising member 170 with bolts, nuts, etc. A recessed part 181 into which the camera 400 is fitted is formed on the top surface of the camera fixing part 180. When taking pictures, the housing of the camera 400 is fitted into this recessed part 181, and the camera 400 is fixed to the camera fixing part 180 with bolts, nuts, etc. The camera fixing part 180 plays a role similar to that of a quick shoe that supports a camera on a tripod or the like. In this embodiment, the camera fixing part 180 is made of steel, but it may be made of other materials.

[0041] The camera fixing part 180 is provided with a lever 182 for operating a mechanism for fixing the attachment of the camera 400 .

[0042] For example, a VENICE digital cinema camera manufactured by Sony can be used as the camera 400. However, a product of a company other than Sony may be used as the camera 400, and a camera other than a digital cinema camera may also be used.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2 , a belt 195 may be provided on the damper 100. The belt 195 is intended to prevent the camera 400 from falling to the ground if it becomes detached from the camera fixing portion 180 due to an impact or the like. One method of using the belt 195 is to fix one end of the belt 195 to the upper case portion 160 and the other end to the camera 400. Another method is to fix one end of the belt 195 to one surface of the side surface portion 162 of the upper case portion 160, hold down the housing of the camera 400 with the belt 195, and fix the other end of the belt 195 to the opposite surface of the side surface portion 162 of the upper case portion 160. There may be one belt 195 as shown in FIG. 2 , or multiple belts 195 may be provided.

[0044] The damper 100 is configured as described above. According to the present technology, the damper 100 is provided with the first buffer material 120 and the isolator 130, thereby damping vibrations of the automobile 10 transmitted to the camera 400. This allows the camera 400 to capture images with little or no shaking. The present technology can exert a vibration damping effect, particularly on short-term vibrations.

[0045] Furthermore, the damper 100 is provided with the second buffer material 150, the third buffer material 191, and the fourth buffer material 192, thereby enhancing the vibration damping effect of the damper 100.

[0046] In this technology, by installing the gimbal 300 at the passenger seat position of the automobile 10 and adjusting the positions of the damper 100 and the camera 400, it is possible to use the camera 400 to capture video from the driver's perspective of the automobile 10. It is also possible to install the gimbal 300 at the rear seat position of the automobile 10 and adjust the positions of the damper 100 and the camera 400 to capture video from the passenger's perspective.

[0047] Furthermore, a plurality of cameras 400 may be fixed to the damper 100. By using a plurality of cameras 400, it is possible to simultaneously capture images in various directions. For example, by fixing two cameras to the damper 100 so that the lenses are oriented 180° apart, 360° capture is possible.

[0048] The video captured by the camera 400 mounted on the damper 100 of the present technology can be used for various purposes such as movies, dramas, videos for distribution services, commercials, etc. Furthermore, the video captured by the camera 400 mounted on the damper 100 of the present technology can be used as a video to be projected onto an LED (Light Emitting Diode) panel as a background in filming for virtual production.

[0049] Virtual production is a technique in which background images from scenes in movies, dramas, etc. are displayed on LED panels, and actors are filmed performing in front of the LED panels with a camera. It has the advantage of being able to create a realistic, three-dimensional effect from the background images displayed on the LED panels using lighting, drastically reducing the workload of editing after filming, and making it easier to visualize the finished video even during filming.

[0050] By displaying images captured by the camera 400 mounted on the damper 100 of the present technology on an LED panel, it is possible to shoot virtual production images with no or minimal shaking.

[0051] Furthermore, a vibration sensor that detects vibrations may be attached to the automobile 10 to sense vibrations of the body of the automobile 10. The vibration sensing data may be used to shake images displayed on an LED panel in virtual production, or to shake an automobile placed in front of an LED panel.

[0052] For example, consider a case where an image captured by a camera 400 mounted on the damper 100 of the present technology is displayed on an LED panel, and a driving scene of the automobile 10 is captured by placing the automobile 10 in front of the LED panel. In this case, vibration sensing data is used to shake the image displayed on the LED panel and also to shake the automobile placed in front of the LED panel. When capturing a driving scene, a lack of shaking creates an unnatural feeling. However, by using sensing data that detects actual shaking in this way, it is possible to capture an image with realistic shaking. This allows the image and the automobile being captured to shake in a manner similar to the shaking of the actual automobile 10, thereby enhancing the realism of the image.

[0053] The vibration sensor may be an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), an inertial sensor (a two-axis or three-axis acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a gyro sensor), etc. The vibration sensor may be installed in the body of the automobile 10 or in the damper 100.

[0054] When the vibration sensor is installed on the body of the automobile 10, the vibration sensor directly senses and records the vibration of the body of the automobile 10 without going through the damper 100, as shown in Figure 9. On the other hand, when the vibration sensor is installed on the damper 100, the vibration sensor records the sensing results when the damper 100 has damped the vibration of the body of the automobile 10.

[0055] Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the camera 400 fixed to the damper 100 records an image taken in a state in which the damper 100 damps the vibration of the body of the automobile 10.

[0056] 9 includes a recording medium for recording the sensing data output by the vibration sensor and a processing unit for executing recording processing. The sensing data recording unit may be provided in the vibration sensor, or may be installed in the automobile 10 as a separate device from the vibration sensor and connected to the vibration sensor by wire or wirelessly, or may be installed outside the automobile 10 and connected to the vibration sensor via a network.

[0057] 9 includes a recording medium for recording images captured by camera 400 and a processing unit for executing recording processing. The image recording unit may be provided in camera 400, or may be installed in automobile 10 as a separate device from camera 400 and connected to camera 400 by wire or wirelessly, or may be installed outside automobile 10 and connected to camera 400 via a network.

[0058] Furthermore, a camera other than camera 400 may be used as a sensor, and the road surface conditions may be photographed by the other camera, and the obtained image may be analyzed to obtain information about vibrations.

[0059] An image processing device that processes image data captured by the camera 400 may be installed in the automobile 10. The image processing device may be a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or a standalone dedicated image processing device.

[0060] <Modifications> Although the embodiments of the present technology have been specifically described above, the present technology is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications based on the technical ideas of the present technology are possible.

[0061] In this embodiment, the camera fixing part 180 is provided on the bottom-raising member 170, and the position of the camera fixing part 180 is raised, so that the lever 182 of the camera fixing part 180 does not come into contact with the upper case part 160. However, if the camera fixing part 180 is thick enough that the lever 182 does not come into contact with the upper case part 160 even without the bottom-raising member 170, or if the camera fixing part 180 does not have the lever 182, the bottom-raising member 170 is not necessary. If the bottom-raising member 170 is not present, the camera fixing part 180 is fixed to the top plate 140.

[0062] In the embodiment, the lower case part 110, the upper case part 160 and the top plate 140 are configured to be rectangular, but they may have other shapes, such as a circular shape.

[0063] In addition, the damper 100 may be mounted directly on the automobile 10 without the gimbal 300 .

[0064] In the embodiment, the damper 100 is mounted on the automobile 10 via the gimbal 300, but the damper 100 may also be mounted on a moving body other than the automobile 10, such as a drone, a motorcycle, a bicycle, an electric train, a steam locomotive, personal mobility, an airplane, a ship, a robot, construction machinery, or agricultural machinery.

[0065] The present technology may also be configured as follows. (1) A damper comprising: a case; a first buffer material provided on the inner bottom surface of the case; an isolator provided on the first buffer material; a top plate provided on the isolator; and a camera fixing portion provided on the top plate. (2) The damper according to (1), in which a second buffer material is provided between the top plate and the inner upper surface of the case. (3) The damper according to (1) or (2), in which the case is configured with a lower case portion that is open at the top and an upper case portion that is open at the bottom and covers the lower case. (4) The damper according to (3), in which the upper case portion is configured with a top surface portion and a side surface portion, and in which a portion of the top surface portion is open to expose the camera fixing portion. (5) The damper according to any of (1) to (4), in which a third buffer material is provided inside the isolator. (6) The damper according to any of (1) to (5), in which a fourth buffer material is provided between the isolator and the top plate. (7) The damper according to any one of (1) to (6), in which a camera is fixed to the camera fixing part. (8) The damper according to any one of (1) to (7), in which the isolator is provided on a gimbal. (9) The damper according to (8), in which the isolator is fixed to the gimbal. (10) The damper according to (8), in which the gimbal is fixed to a moving body. (11) The damper according to (10), in which the moving body is an automobile. (12) The damper according to (11), in which the gimbal is fixed to the passenger seat of the automobile.

[0066] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10: Automobile 100: Damper 110: Lower case part 120: First cushioning material 130: Isolator 140: Top plate 150: Second cushioning material 160: Upper case part 180: Camera fixing part 191: Third cushioning material 192: Fourth cushioning material 300: Gimbal

Claims

1. A damper comprising: a case; a first cushioning material provided on the inner bottom surface of the case; an isolator provided on the first cushioning material; a top plate provided on the isolator; and a camera fixing part provided on the top plate.

2. The damper according to claim 1, further comprising a second buffer material provided between the top plate and the inner upper surface of the case.

3. The damper according to claim 1, wherein the case is composed of a lower case part that is open at the top and an upper case part that is open at the bottom and covers the lower case.

4. The damper according to claim 3, wherein the upper case portion is constituted by a top surface portion and a side surface portion, and the camera fixing portion is exposed by opening a part of the top surface portion.

5. The damper according to claim 1, further comprising a third buffer material provided inside the isolator.

6. The damper according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth buffer material provided between the isolator and the top plate.

7. The damper according to claim 1, wherein a camera is fixed to the camera fixing part.

8. The damper according to claim 1, which is mounted on a gimbal.

9. The damper according to claim 8, wherein the isolator is fixed to the gimbal.

10. The damper according to claim 8, wherein the gimbal is fixed to a moving body.

11. The damper according to claim 10, wherein the moving object is an automobile.

12. The damper according to claim 11, wherein the gimbal is fixed at a passenger seat position of the automobile.

Images