Bayonet Mount Adapter Geometry for Flange Distance Compatibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera systems face issues with erroneous mounting of accessories due to incompatible flange focal distances, leading to potential misalignment of optical images, and existing solutions increase manufacturing costs or complexity.
Innovation Solution
An adapter device with specific mount configurations, including claws and recesses with controlled angular ranges and biasing members, ensures compatible mounting by limiting angular overlap and using screws for attachment, preventing incorrect attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a bayonet coupling system is used to mount accessories to cameras, then the mounting and demounting operation becomes easier, but erroneous mounting of incompatible accessories (with different flange focal distances) cannot be prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by making the angular ranges of mount claws and recesses asymmetric and non-matching between compatible and incompatible accessories. Specifically, the angular range of at least one claw is made smaller than the angular range of the corresponding recess, creating a geometric key-lock mechanism that only fits compatible combinations, thereby preventing erroneous mounting while maintaining ease of operation for correct combinations
2Manufacturing precision
If compatibility restrictions are imposed on camera-accessory combinations, then optical alignment accuracy is improved, but the versatility of the system decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the mount interface by defining specific angular ranges for claws and recesses that correspond to different flange focal distances. By encoding compatibility information in these angular parameters, the system maintains high optical alignment precision for compatible accessories while still allowing versatility through the standardized mount interface that can accommodate different accessory types when properly matched
3Reliability
If multiple mount claws and recesses with different angular ranges are provided, then prevention of erroneous mounting is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mount interface into multiple discrete claws and recesses, each with specific angular ranges. This segmentation allows the complex compatibility verification to be distributed across multiple simple geometric elements, where each claw-recess pair independently contributes to the overall compatibility determination, making the complex function achievable through simple individual components
Data Source
AI summary
An adapter device includes a first mount and a second mount. The first mount is fastened to the adapter device by multiple screws, and has first through third mount recesses and first through third mount claws disposed following a circumferential direction. The second mount is fastened to the device by multiple screws, and has fourth through sixth mount claws and fourth through sixth mount recesses disposed following the direction. The first through third mount claws are insertable to mount recesses on an imaging apparatus, the fourth through sixth mount claws are insertable to mount recesses on an accessory, and the smallest angle range of the first through third mount recesses in the direction of the first mount is not greater than the smallest angle range of the fourth through sixth mount claws in the direction of the second mount.