Spherical Head Assembly With Guided Leveling and Torque Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spherical head assemblies for optical and electronic devices on tripods face challenges with adjustability, including high force requirements, distortion during adjustment, limited design flexibility, tilting torque issues, and increased size and cost, particularly when transitioning between two and three degrees of freedom, and the need for a more compact leveling solution.
Innovation Solution
A spherical head assembly with a cylindrical cavity and a guiding insert allowing movement with two degrees of freedom, featuring a slot for compression-based adjustment and a counter-torque mechanism, along with interchangeable parts for easy transition between two and three degrees of freedom, and a compact design for leveling without a large housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a slot extends through almost the whole body of the spherical head to allow adjustment, then adjustability is improved, but the sphere size becomes small relative to the housing requiring high pushing forces
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical head body is divided into two halves by a slot, allowing independent movement and adjustment of each half. This segmentation enables the sphere to be adjusted without requiring high pushing forces on a small sphere, as each half can move independently within the housing.
2Ease of operation
If the spherical head body is divided into two halves for adjustment, then adjustability is improved, but the sphere shape distorts during tearing apart
Solution Approach 1:
The two halves of the spherical head are pre-formed with complementary surfaces that maintain the spherical shape even when separated. The slot is designed with appropriate geometry and the halves are shaped in advance to ensure that when torn apart for adjustment, the spherical shape is preserved rather than distorted.
3Ease of operation
If a slot is provided in the spherical head for adjustment, then adjustability is improved, but the interior design freedom is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the spherical head into two halves via a slot provides access to the interior space while maintaining design freedom. Each half can be independently designed and configured with necessary internal elements, allowing flexible interior design while still enabling adjustment functionality through the slot mechanism.
4Ease of operation
If the spherical head is pressed outward for adjustment, then adjustability is improved, but the device experiences lurching in front-rear direction
Solution Approach 1:
A guiding insert is introduced as an intermediary element between the spherical head and the housing. This guiding insert constrains the movement of the spherical head during adjustment, preventing lurching in the front-rear direction while still allowing necessary adjustment movements. The guiding insert mediates the adjustment process to maintain device stability.
5Ease of operation
If a large housing is used to accommodate the spherical head assembly, then adjustability is improved, but the device size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing and the spherical head assembly are merged into a more compact integrated structure. The guiding insert and adjustment mechanisms are designed to fit within a smaller overall volume by optimizing the spatial arrangement and combining functions. This merging allows full adjustability functionality while reducing the overall device size and associated costs.
Data Source
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AI summary
Spherical head assembly for attaching an optical and/or electronic device to a stander with an adjustability in at least two degrees of freedom, which has a first part that can be releasably connected to the stander and a second part which is provided with a support element for the releasable connection of the device to be held thereby, and one of the two parts is a spherical head (20, 100) that has a body (21, 99) which has at least in part a spherical shape, and the other part comprises a cavity formed as a spherical segment which encircles the spherical head (20, 100) at least in part and is fitted thereto, and comprises an adjusting means for coupling the two parts together and releasing the same coupling, and in the initial position of intended use the held device is adjusted in horizontal or almost horizontal position. In the second part a groove (24, 108) is provided that has a vertical central plane and extends along the largest diameter of the spherical segment, and on the first part a circularly symmetrical stud (25, 103) is provided at a position that corresponds to the vertical diameter of the spherical segment and the stud (25, 103) can be fitted in the groove (24, 108), and in the fitted position the stud (25, 103) allows the displacement of the two parts along the groove (24, 108), and the stud (25, 103) allows the turning of the two coupled spherical fitted segments around the vertical axis of the stud (25, 103) at each of the adjusted positions, and the adjusting means is arranged on that one of the two parts which has the spherically shaped cavity, and when the position of two parts are fixed the adjusting means presses the cavity to the spherical body (21, 99).