Articulated Camera Mount With Captive Fasteners for Flexible Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image capture device mounts restrict maneuverability and visibility by maintaining the device close to the user, and existing attempts at increasing separation often result in rigidity, which can lead to visibility issues in captured images/video.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible and expandable mounting system with pivotably connected arms and a ball-and-socket joint, allowing for adjustable positioning and secure attachment of the image capture device, featuring cam fasteners for locking mechanisms and a hard stop to prevent excessive movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the image capture device is maintained in close physical proximity to the user, then the mount is compact and easy to carry, but maneuverability and field-of-view are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system employs multiple arms with pivotable connections that allow dynamic adjustment of the separation distance between the user and image capture device. The arms can be reconfigured from a compact folded state for portability to an extended state for increased maneuverability and field-of-view, resolving the contradiction between compactness and operational flexibility.
2Ease of operation
If the separation between user and image capture device is increased, then maneuverability and field-of-view improve, but the mount becomes rigid and visible in captured images/video
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains flexibility through pivotable arm connections that allow the mount to adapt its configuration. When extended for improved maneuverability, the arms can be positioned to minimize visibility in the captured field-of-view, and when retracted, the compact profile reduces visual presence, thus resolving the contradiction between operational effectiveness and visual intrusiveness.
3Reliability
If multiple fasteners are used to secure the image capture device, then connection reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting system divides the connection function across multiple segments: a first fastener secures the image capture device to the first arm, while a second fastener secures the first arm to the second arm. This segmentation allows each fastener to perform a specific securing function, improving overall connection reliability while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
Data Source
AI summary
A mounting system for an image capture device that includes three pivotably connected arms is disclosed. The first arm includes a first fastener that is lockable and unlockable to allow for connection and disconnection of the image capture device, and a second fastener that is lockable and unlockable to regulate the position of the image capture device relative to the first arm. The mounting system further includes a third fastener that is lockable and unlockable to regulate the relative positioning between the first arm and the second arm, and a fourth fastener that is lockable and unlockable to regulate the relative positioning between the second arm and the third arm. Whereas the first fastener is removable, each of the second, third, and fourth fasteners is captive to (nonremovable from) the mounting system.