Adjustable stand and use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11194233-B2
Application number	US-202017009796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 2, 2020
Priority date	Mar 7, 2018
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a stand. The stand may include a supporting component, a rotation component, a rotation limiting component, and an adapter ring. The rotation component may be rotatably connected to the supporting component and may be configured to rotate about a first rotation axis. The adapter ring may be placed between the rotation component and the rotation limiting component. The rotation component may include first ratchet teeth on a first side of the rotation component. The rotation limiting component may include second ratchet teeth on a second side of the rotation limiting component facing the first side. The adapter ring may include third ratchet teeth and fourth ratchet teeth on a third side and a fourth side of the adapter ring, respectively. The third ratchet teeth may be engaged with the first ratchet teeth and the fourth ratchet teeth may be engaged with the second ratchet teeth.

First claim

We claim:

1. A stand, comprising:
a supporting component;
a rotation component rotatably connected to the supporting component,
configured to rotate about a first rotation axis, wherein the rotation component includes a plurality of first ratchet teeth arranged along a first circle on a first side of the rotation component;
a rotation limiting component, wherein the rotation limiting component includes a plurality of second ratchet teeth arranged along a circle on a second side of the rotation limiting component, the second side of the rotation limiting component facing the first side of the rotation component; and
an adapter ring placed between the rotation component and the rotation limiting component, wherein the adapter ring includes a plurality of third ratchet teeth arranged along a third circle on a third side of the adapter ring and a plurality of fourth ratchet teeth arranged along a fourth circle on a fourth side of the adapter ring,
wherein the plurality of third ratchet teeth are engaged with the plurality of first ratchet teeth and the plurality of fourth ratchet teeth are engaged with the plurality of second ratchet teeth.

2. The stand of claim 1 , wherein
each of at least some of the plurality of third ratchet teeth and at least some of the plurality of fourth ratchet teeth includes a steep slope and a gradual slope,
the steep slope and the gradual slope form a tooth tip, and
a first angle formed between two teeth tips of two adjacent third ratchet teeth with respect to a center of the third circle is different from a second angle formed between two teeth tips of two adjacent fourth ratchet teeth with respect to a center of the fourth circle.

3. The stand of claim 2 , wherein a difference between the first angle and the second angle is between 0.3 and 0.7 degrees.

4. The stand of claim 1 , wherein a rotation direction of the third ratchet teeth is the same as a rotation direction of the fourth ratchet teeth.

5. The stand of claim 1 , wherein the supporting component is rotatably connected to a base, and the supporting component rotates about a second rotation axis perpendicular to the first rotation axis.

6. The stand of claim 1 , wherein the rotation component is operably connected to a camera.

7. The stand of claim 1 , further includes:
a fastener configured to limit movement of at least one of the supporting component, the rotation component, the adapter ring, or the rotation limiting component about the first rotation axis.

8. The stand of claim 7 , wherein each of the supporting component, the rotation component, the adapter ring, and the rotation limiting component includes a hole along the first rotation axis, and
the fastener includes:
a bolt passing through the holes of the supporting component, the rotation component, the adapter ring, and the rotation limiting component; and
a nut paired with the bolt, configured to limit the movement of the supporting component, the rotation component, the adapter ring, and the rotation limiting component about the first rotation axis.

9. The stand of claim 8 , wherein the fastener further includes:
a spring installed on the bolt between a head of the bolt and the holes,
configured to force an engagement between the plurality of third ratchet teeth and the plurality of first ratchet teeth or an engagement between the plurality of fourth ratchet teeth and the plurality of second ratchet teeth.

10. The stand of claim 1 , wherein
when the rotation component rotates at a first direction about the first rotation axis, the adapter ring is static with respect to the rotation component; and
when the rotation component rotates at a second direction about the first rotation axis, the adapter ring is static with respect to the rotation limiting component, the second direction being different from the first direction.

11. A system, comprising:
an imaging apparatus; and
a stand connected to the imaging apparatus, the stand comprising:
a supporting component;
a rotation component rotatably connected to the supporting component,

configured to rotate about a first rotation axis, wherein the rotation component includes a plurality of first ratchet teeth arranged along a first circle on a first side of the rotation component;
a rotation limiting component, wherein the rotation limiting component includes a plurality of second ratchet teeth arranged along a circle on a second side of the rotation limiting component, the second side of the rotation limiting component facing the first side of the rotation component; and
an adapter ring placed between the rotation component and the rotation limiting component, wherein the adapter ring includes a plurality of third ratchet teeth arranged along a third circle on a third side of the adapter ring and a plurality of fourth ratchet teeth arranged along a fourth circle on a fourth side of the adapter ring,
wherein the plurality of third ratchet teeth are engaged with the plurality of first ratchet teeth and the plurality of fourth ratchet teeth are engaged with the plurality of second ratchet teeth.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein
each of at least some of the plurality of third ratchet teeth and at least some of the plurality of fourth ratchet teeth includes a steep slope and a gradual slope,
the steep slope and the gradual slope form a tooth tip, and
a first angle formed between two teeth tips of two adjacent third ratchet teeth with respect to a center of the third circle is different from a second angle formed between two teeth tips of two adjacent fourth ratchet teeth with respect to a center of the fourth circle.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein a difference between the first angle and the second angle is between 0.3 and 0.7 degrees.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein a rotation direction of the third ratchet teeth is the same as a rotation direction of the fourth ratchet teeth.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the supporting component is rotatably connected to a base, and the supporting component rotates about a second rotation axis perpendicular to the first rotation axis.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the rotation component is operably connected to the imaging apparatus.

17. The system of claim 11 , further includes:
a fastener configured to limit movement of at least one of the supporting component, the rotation component, the adapter ring, or the rotation limiting component about the first rotation axis.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein each of the supporting component, the rotation component, the adapter ring, and the rotation limiting component includes a hole along the first rotation axis, and
the fastener includes:
a bolt passing through the holes of the supporting component, the rotation component, the adapter ring, and the rotation limiting component; and
a nut paired with the bolt, configured to limit the movement of the supporting component, the rotation component, the adapter ring, and the rotation limiting component about the first rotation axis.

19. The stand of claim 18 , wherein the fastener further includes:
a spring installed on the bolt between a head of the bolt and the holes,
configured to force an engagement between the plurality of third ratchet teeth and the plurality of first ratchet teeth or an engagement between the plurality of fourth ratchet teeth and the plurality of second ratchet teeth.

20. The stand of claim 11 , wherein
when the rotation component rotates at a first direction about the first rotation axis, the adap

Assignees

• Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co

Inventors

• Dong Liang
• Luo Zhengchun
• Zhang Zhiyong

Classifications

• G03B17/561 Primary

  Support related camera accessories · CPC title

• F16M2200/024

  by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections · CPC title

• F16M13/02

  for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle · CPC title

• F16M11/04

  Means for attachment of apparatus; Means allowing adjustment of the apparatus relatively to the stand · CPC title

• G03B17/56

  Accessories (carrying-cases A45C11/38) · CPC title