Gimbal and locking structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11255481-B2
Application number	US-202016989336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2020
Priority date	Aug 27, 2015
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

A gimbal includes an axis structure including a locking structure, a rotating member including a rotor of a motor or a member fixedly connected to a rotor, and a bearing member rotatably connected to the rotating member and including a stator of the motor or a member fixedly connected to a stator. The axis structure is configured to be locked by the locking structure when the axis structure rotates to a preset position in a non-operational state of the gimbal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gimbal comprising:
an axis structure including:
a rotating member;
a bearing member rotatably connected to the rotating member; and
a locking structure including:
a positioning snap member movably provided on one of the rotating member and the bearing member and configured to engage with another one of the rotating member and the bearing member; and
an elastic member configured to provide an elastic restoring force to the positioning snap member, to automatically restore a position of the positioning snap member;

wherein the axis structure is configured to be locked by the locking structure when the axis structure rotates to a preset position in a non-operational state of the gimbal.

2. The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the locking structure further includes:
a locking switch coupled with the positioning snap member and configured to drive the positioning snap member to move to put the positioning snap member in a locked state or an unlocked state.

3. The gimbal of claim 2 , wherein the locking switch is slidably connected to the one of the rotating member and the bearing member, and is configured to drive the positioning snap member to slide relative to the other one of the rotating member and the bearing member, such that the positioning snap member is engaged with or disengaged from the other one of the rotating member and the bearing member.

4. The gimbal of claim 3 , wherein:
the positioning snap member is slidably connected to the locking switch; and
the positioning snap member is configured to be driven by the elastic member to slide relative to the locking switch to automatically enter the locked state.

5. The gimbal of claim 3 , further comprising:
a cover fixed at the one of the rotating member and the bearing member;
wherein the locking switch and the positioning snap member are slidably provided at the cover.

6. The gimbal of claim 5 , wherein the locking switch is received in a receiving slot formed between the cover and the one of the rotating member and the bearing member, and is slidable along the receiving slot.

7. The gimbal of claim 3 , further comprising:
a switch cap coupled to the locking switch and at least partially exposed to an outside of the locking switch and the one of the rotating member and the bearing member.

8. The gimbal of claim 7 , wherein the switch cap is received in an open slot of the one of the rotating member and the bearing member.

9. The gimbal of claim 2 , wherein one end of the positioning snap member is connected to the locking switch via the elastic member and another end of the positioning snap member includes a snap-fit portion configured to be snapped to the other one of the rotating member and the bearing member to effect an axis locking of the gimbal.

10. The gimbal of claim 9 , wherein the locking switch is configured to be pushed downwards to exert a pressure on the positioning snap member via the elastic member, such that the snap-fit portion of the positioning snap member is snapped to the other one of the rotating member and the bearing member under the pressure of the elastic member to effect the axis locking of the gimbal as the gimbal rotates about the axis until the snap-fit portion of the positioning snap member reaches a preset position of the other one of the rotating member and the bearing member.

11. The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the positioning snap member is configured to engage with the other one of the rotating member and the bearing member under an elastic force of the elastic member in response to the bearing member rotating relative to the rotating member to the preset position.

12. The gimbal of claim 2 , wherein the positioning snap member and the locking switch are configured to move relative to each other.

13. The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is configured to, at the preset position, push out the positioning snap member, such that the positioning snap member engages with the rotating member or the bearing member, realizing locking of the axis structure in the non-operational state of the gimbal.

14. The gimbal of claim 2 , wherein the elastic member includes a spring assembly, one end of the spring assembly being connected to the locking switch and another end of the spring assembly being connected to the positioning snap member.

15. The gimbal of claim 2 , wherein:
the locking switch includes a hollow-square structure having a cavity and an opening at one end of the hollow-square structure; and
the elastic member and one end of the positioning snap member connected with the elastic member are accommodated in the cavity of the locking switch, and another end of the positioning snap member passes through the opening of the hollow-square structure and is positioned exterior to the locking switch.

16. The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the axis structure includes a yaw-axis structure.

17. The gimbal of claim 16 , further comprising:
a roll-axis structure connected to the yaw-axis structure and configured to be rotated by the yaw-axis structure.

18. A handle gimbal comprising:
a handle; and
a gimbal including an axis structure coupled to the handle and including:
a rotating member;
a bearing member rotatably connected to the rotating member;
a locking structure including:
a positioning snap member movably provided on one of the rotating member and the bearing member and configured to engage with another one of the rotating member and the bearing member; and
an elastic member configured to provide an elastic restoring force to the positioning snap member, to automatically restore a position of the positioning snap member;

wherein the axis structure is configured to be locked by the locking structure when the axis structure rotates to a preset position in a non-operational state of the gimbal.

19. A gimbal comprising:
an axis structure including:
a rotating member;
a bearing member rotatably connected to the rotating member; and
a locking structure including a positioning snap member movably provided on one of the rotating member and the bearing member and configured to engage with another one of the rotating member and the bearing member, the positioning snap member being movable along a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the rotating member;

wherein the axis structure is configured to be locked by the locking structure when the axis structure rotates to a preset position in a non-operational state of the gimbal.

20. The gimbal of claim 19 , wherein the locking structure further includes:
an elastic member configured to provide an elastic restoring force to the positioning snap member, to automatically restore a position of the positioning snap member.

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yan Xin
• Zhao Xifeng
• Sun Rongjian
• Guo Zhuo

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• F16M13/02

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

• G03B17/56

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

• F16M11/18

  with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand · CPC title

• F16M11/123 Primary

  the axis of rotation intersecting in a single point, e.g. by using gimbals · CPC title