Dual Support Plate Structure for Cable-Free Camera Reorientation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing L-brackets for securing cameras on tripods are expensive, cumbersome, and inconvenient when cables are attached, as they hinder the camera's rotation by 90° and are not easily adaptable for portrait or landscape positions.
Innovation Solution
A double support plate with transversal inclined surfaces and wedge ribs that fit into ARCA or similar clamping elements, allowing stable fixation in any position without obstructing cable connections, and adaptable to various angles and sizes, including narrower options for smaller cameras.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If L-brackets are used to secure cameras on tripods, then the camera can be fixed in landscape or portrait positions, but the brackets become expensive and cumbersome to carry
Solution Approach 1:
The L-bracket is divided into two separate support plates that can be independently attached to the camera. Each plate can be used separately for landscape or portrait positioning, eliminating the need for a single complex L-shaped structure. This segmentation allows the user to carry only the necessary plate for the current shooting orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
Each support plate is designed with universal compatibility to work with both ARCA and Manfrotto clamping systems through standardized groove profiles. The plates can be used in multiple orientations and with different camera types, replacing the need for specialized L-brackets for each mounting scenario.
2Reliability
If L-brackets are used to hold cameras, then the camera can be secured to the tripod, but the cable connections become obstructed when rotating the camera by 90°
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the mounting function into two independent plates rather than a single L-bracket, the camera can be securely mounted in either orientation without requiring rotation of a fixed L-shaped structure. The cable connections remain accessible as the camera body doesn't need to rotate 90° to change orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The support plates enable dynamic reconfiguration of the camera orientation without physical rotation of the mounted camera. Users can simply attach the appropriate plate for the desired orientation, maintaining cable accessibility while achieving position changes.
3Reliability
If standard width ARCA plates (38 mm) are used, then they provide sufficient clamping stability, but they extend over the camera body width making grip inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The support plates are designed with non-uniform width distribution - narrower at the edges where they contact the camera body for improved grip, and wider in the central clamping region to maintain stability. This local variation in dimensions optimizes both grip comfort and clamping performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate width parameter is optimized to 25 mm instead of the standard 38 mm, changing the dimensional parameter to better fit modern smaller camera bodies while maintaining adequate clamping stability through the groove profile design.
4Ease of operation
If narrower plates (25 mm width) are used for smaller cameras, then the grip is improved, but the clamping stability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The plate features a widened bottom part specifically in the clamping region where the grooves engage with the clamping element, providing enhanced stability. The sides remain narrower for improved grip, creating a local quality variation that satisfies both requirements simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The plate design incorporates a thickness dimension of at least 8 mm, providing structural rigidity and clamping stability through the third dimension. This compensates for the reduced width while maintaining adequate grip comfort.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~7
AI summary
Double support plate for fixing an optical device in a grooved clamping element in two mutually normal positions that has an elongated flat body (29) having planar boundary surfaces, and at the sides thereof longitudinal grooves (24,25) are provided that have profiles fitting to the groove of the clamping element (1) and in the central part of the body (29) an opening (28) is provided for fixing the optical device, and at the two sides of an end portion of the body (29) transversal wedge ribs (22, 23) are provided which extend normal both to the longitudinal grooves (24, 25) and the plane of the body, wherein the profile of the wedge ribs (22, 23) is the same as the profile of the longitudinal grooves (24, 25).