Pivoting Hook Mounting System for Camera Support Heads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for mounting video/photographic equipment on a support head require precise alignment and are difficult to operate due to the concealed nature of the mounting plate, making it challenging to balance and lock the equipment correctly.
Innovation Solution
A mounting system with a removable plate featuring a central body with a shelf-like and inclined plane profile, a sliding slot, and a pivoting hook mechanism that allows easy alignment and locking, enabling one-handed operation and reduced component count.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional dovetail seat with lateral guides is used, then the equipment can be locked in position, but the alignment between the plate and seat is difficult to achieve due to the concealed nature of the plate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional mounting approach by having the plate protrude from the equipment rather than being concealed. The plate extends beyond the equipment boundaries, making it visible and accessible for alignment with the seat on the support head. This inversion resolves the visibility issue while maintaining the locking function through the same dovetail mechanism.
2Manufacturing precision
If precise alignment is required for plate insertion, then the equipment can be properly balanced, but the operation becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The plate is pre-configured with a protruding geometry that guides its insertion into the seat. The lateral guides and dovetail profile are designed to automatically align the plate with the seat during insertion, eliminating the need for manual precision alignment. This preliminary configuration of the plate structure performs the alignment function automatically.
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral guides act as intermediary elements between the plate and the seat, facilitating the alignment process. These guides provide physical constraints that guide the plate into the correct position as it is inserted, mediating the alignment between the two components without requiring precise manual operation.
3Reliability
If a traditional locking mechanism is used, then the equipment can be secured, but the system requires multiple components increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the locking function with the seat structure itself. The dovetail seat integrates the locking mechanism into the support head, eliminating the need for separate locking components. The interlocking geometry of the dovetail profile provides both the mounting function and the locking function through a unified structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A system (1) for mounting video/photographic equipment (2) on a support head (3), the system comprising a mounting plate (4) which can be fixed to a lower part of the equipment and a seat (20) which is formed in a body (21) of the head and which can house the plate so that the plate can slide along a longitudinal axis (X). A hook (30) is provided on the head and is arranged to pivot between a first, seat-closing, position in which the plate is retained in the seat and a second, seat-opening, position in which the plate is free to enter or leave the seat along an insertion axis (Z) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X). The head further comprises locking means for locking the plate inside the seat (20) in a desired position on the longitudinal axis, which comprise a pin (35) which is fixed to the hook and can be translated relative thereto, and which is adapted to bear on the body of the head in order to urge the hook into the first position against the plate. The pin (35) comprises an operating appendage (36) projecting from the hook and operable to pivot the hook from the first to the second position.