Compact Tripod Ball Head With Progressive Locking and Wider Tilt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tripods suffer from limited contact area, susceptibility to loosening, inadequate adjustment accuracy, complex locking structures, structural instability, and operational shortcomings during installation and use.
Innovation Solution
A compact tripod design featuring a clamping mechanism with a buffer component and ball holder, incorporating deformable chambers and a quick-clamper system for progressive locking, allowing for expanded tilt angle adjustments and secure fit through a combination of a ball head, central support seat, and U-shaped opening, ensuring ease of operation and adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional locking mechanism is used, then the structure is simple, but the contact area is limited and susceptibility to loosening increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is divided into multiple segments including a clamping mechanism with clamping plates, a ball head with deformable chambers, and a buffer component. This segmentation allows for increased contact area through multiple contact points while maintaining structural simplicity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The ball head component utilizes a spherical geometry with a curved outer surface that interacts with a concave recess in the central support seat. This spherical design increases the contact area between the ball head and the support seat, improving locking reliability while distributing forces more evenly.
2Measurement precision
If a complex locking structure is used, then the adjustment accuracy improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The deformable chambers in the ball head automatically deform under load to engage with the clamping mechanism, providing self-adjusting locking action. This self-service mechanism achieves accurate adjustment without requiring complex external control systems or multiple adjustment components.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable chambers change their physical state from undeformed to deformed under applied load, allowing the ball head to transition between locked and adjusted positions. This parameter change (deformation) provides precise adjustment capability while keeping the structure relatively simple.
3Reliability
If the contact area is increased, then the locking reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping mechanism and ball head are merged into an integrated assembly where the clamping plates directly engage with the ball head's deformable chambers. This merging increases contact area and locking reliability while avoiding the complexity of separate, independently controlled locking systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical ball head with its curved outer surface provides inherent multi-point contact capability when engaged with the concave recess, increasing contact area without requiring additional complex contact surfaces or mechanisms.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the tilt angle adjustment range is expanded, then the adaptability improves, but the structural stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical ball head allows rotation and tilting in multiple directions while maintaining continuous contact with the concave recess through its curved surface. This spherical geometry enables an expanded tilt angle range (5 to 35 degrees) while the concave recess provides structural constraint to maintain stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable chambers in the ball head are designed to undergo repeated deformation cycles during adjustment and locking operations. These chambers absorb the mechanical stresses of frequent adjustment movements, protecting the overall structural integrity and stability of the tripod.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a straightforward, compact, and user-friendly tripod with enhanced safety, reliability, and aesthetically pleasing appearance, offering swift functionality and adjustable tilt angles from 5 to 35 degrees, addressing the shortcomings of prior tripods.
Implementation Method 1
The buffer component is elastically pressed against the clamping mechanism by the ball head, facilitating a progressive locking mechanism
Implementation Method 2
the buffer component includes multiple deformable chambers designed to accommodate extrusion deformation to ensure a secure fit between the buffer component, the ball head, and the clamping mechanism
Implementation Method 3
Through the dynamic interaction between the curved outer surface and the concave recess, the range of tilt angle adjustments of the clamping mechanism relative to the central support seat can be expanded
Data Source
AI summary
A compact tripod, comprising a clamping portion, a ball head, a buffer portion and an accommodating ball support portion; the buffer portion is pressed by the ball head and elastically abuts the clamping portion, thus gradually locking; the clamping portion and the ball head are combined to form a through-cavity from top to bottom; the accommodating ball support portion provides an accommodation cavity for the ball head, and the accommodating ball support portion is placed on a central support base; the central support base acts in concert with an arcuate outer wall of the accommodating ball support portion to provide a cup cavity; movable cooperation of the arcuate outer wall and cup cavity expands the adjustment incline angle of the clamping portion relative to the central support base. The tripod has the advantages of being simple and compact in structure, convenient to use and adjust, fast in operation, safe and reliable, aesthetically pleasing, etc.