Extendible L-Plate Bracket for Camera Orientation and Cable Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Changing the orientation of camera equipment from landscape to portrait or vice versa using existing quick-release systems can destabilize the support and complicate the setup, especially with heavy cameras, and digital cameras face issues with cable clearance when using L-plates.
Innovation Solution
An extendible L-plate bracket with a base and side member that securely attaches to the camera, allowing for 90-degree rotation without a ballhead drop notch, and includes a mechanism to provide clearance for cables by sliding the base and side plates relative to each other.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a ballhead drop notch is used to enable 90-degree rotation for orientation changes, then the camera can be rotated between landscape and portrait orientations, but the support becomes destabilized and the setup is complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The L-plate is divided into two separate plates (first plate and second plate) that can be independently positioned. The first plate attaches to the camera body bottom, while the second plate wraps around the camera body side, allowing each plate to perform its specific function without interfering with support stability
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of rotating the entire camera assembly through a ballhead mechanism that destabilizes the support, the invention uses a second plate that wraps around the camera body in a dimension perpendicular to the first plate, enabling orientation change while maintaining support stability
2Stability of the object's composition
If an L-plate is used for orientation changes, then the support stability is maintained, but cable clearance becomes problematic for digital cameras
Solution Approach 1:
The second plate is designed to be movable relative to the first plate along the longitudinal axis, allowing the distance between the L-plate and camera body to be adjusted dynamically. This enables cable clearance when needed while maintaining compact form when not in use
Solution Approach 2:
The second plate can be positioned to wrap around the camera body, effectively nesting the cable management function within the existing L-plate structure without requiring additional external components
3Ease of operation
If a quick-release system with clamp is used to secure the camera plate, then the mounting and dismounting process is simplified, but additional components increase device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The L-plate design integrates multiple functions into the plate structure itself: the first plate provides attachment to the camera body, the second plate provides wrapping engagement with the receiver, and together they enable both secure mounting and orientation changes without requiring separate specialized components for each function
Data Source
AI summary
A plate provides clearance between a camera and a quick-release receiver securing the camera to a support.