Balanced Camera Slider with Counterweight Carriage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera cranes and sliders face challenges in being lightweight, compact, and versatile, particularly in confined spaces, due to weight limitations and lack of counterbalancing systems, which restrict their use in filming applications.
Innovation Solution
A telescoping camera crane design that incorporates a counterweight carriage, trim weight tray, and adjustable cable and chain systems to maintain balance, allowing conversion into a camera slider with a slider counterweight and telescoping locking strut for versatile operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If existing telescoping camera cranes are designed to be lightweight and compact, then they can be used in confined spaces with small portable dollies, but they have reduced capability to resist unintended camera movements due to bending, flexing, twisting, or vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a telescoping arm mechanism where inner arm sections are nested within outer arm sections. This allows the crane to be compact when retracted and extended when needed, achieving both lightweight portability and sufficient structural strength when deployed. The nested structure enables the crane to maintain rigidity during operation while remaining transportable in confined spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a counterweight system with adjustable counterweights positioned at the rear of the crane arm. This counterbalances the camera payload and arm weight, reducing stress on the structural components. By offsetting gravitational forces, the counterweight system allows the use of lighter, more compact materials while maintaining structural integrity and resistance to vibration and flexing during operation.
2Device complexity
If camera sliders lack counterbalancing systems, then they have simpler structure, but they have limited payload capacity and are time consuming to set up and use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates a counterweight carriage that moves along the arm with the camera payload. As the payload moves forward or backward, the counterweight moves in the opposite direction to maintain balance. This dynamic counterbalancing system significantly increases payload capacity compared to non-counterbalanced sliders, while the counterweight can be adjusted to match different payload weights and positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the crane arm to serve dual functions: as a telescoping crane for vertical and angular camera movements, and as a slider for linear camera movements along the arm. The same arm structure supports both crane operations (with counterweights at the rear) and slider operations (with counterweight carriage moving with payload), eliminating the need for separate equipment and reducing overall system complexity.
3Length of moving object
If telescoping camera cranes are made smaller and lighter, then they can be used with small portable dollies, but engineering challenges remain in maintaining stability against bending, flexing, twisting, or vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The telescoping arm design allows the crane to achieve full operational length only when needed for filming, while maintaining a compact nested form factor for transport. The nested structure with multiple telescoping sections provides inherent structural reinforcement, as each section supports the others, reducing bending and flexing even at full extension. This enables use with small portable dollies while maintaining camera position stability during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable counterweight system compensates for the reduced structural mass of the smaller, lighter crane design. By positioning counterweights at the rear of the arm, the system creates opposing moments that counteract bending, flexing, and twisting forces on the arm. This allows the crane to maintain stability and resist vibration even with lighter, more compact construction suitable for small portable dollies.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enables a lightweight, compact camera crane that can be used as both a telescoping crane and slider, maintaining balance and reducing weight by up to 50% in slider mode, allowing for stable operation on small dollies and in confined spaces.
Implementation Method 1
The crane arm is pivotally supported on a base to allow the crane arm to tilt up and down about a tilt axis and from side-to-side about a pan axis. The base is typically supported on a camera dolly, wheeled mobile base, or truck.
Implementation Method 2
Telescoping camera cranes have a telescoping arm that can extend and retract, providing far more capability than fixed length crane arms.
Implementation Method 3
The crane arm is pivotally supported on a base to allow the crane arm to tilt up and down about a tilt axis and from side-to-side about a pan axis.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A camera is mounted on a slider (200) having a base (24) and a tubular hollow arm (20) pivotally attached to the base. A counterweight carriage (34) is supported on the arm on carriage rollers (46, 48). An electric drive motor (102) moves the counterweight carriage linearly on top of the arm. A slider counterweight (218) is movable from a first position, wherein the counterweight carriage is at or adjacent to a first end of the arm and the slider counterweight is at or adjacent to a second end of the arm, and a second position wherein the counterweight carriage is at the second end of the arm, opposite from the first end, and the slider counterweight is at or adjacent to the first end of the arm. The arm remains balanced regardless of the movement or position of the camera slider.