Locking device, gimbal mechanism, and telescope device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12332500-B2
Application number	US-202318850059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2023
Priority date	Mar 30, 2022
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

Provided are a driven object side presser to press the first holder from a side where the driven object exists, a force transmitter to convert a tensile force to a pressing force with which the driven object side presser presses the first holder and to transmit the pressing force to the driven object side presser, a fixed member side presser to press the first holder from a side where the fixed member exists, a support fixed to the fixed member, a link to be connected to the force transmitter rotatably, the support, and the fixed member side presser and to move the fixed member side presser in a direction approaching the first holder when the force transmitter is moved in a direction away from the first holder, and a locking force generator to generate the tensile force, and to lock the first holder so as not to be moved.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A locking device in a gimbal mechanism including a first holder to hold a driven object, a second holder to hold the first holder so as to be rotatable around a first rotation axis, and a fixed member to hold the second holder so as to be rotatable around a second rotation axis that exists on a plane on which the first rotation axis exists and is orthogonal to the first rotation axis, the locking device locking the first holder so as not to be moved with respect to the fixed member or allowing the first holder to be moved with respect to the fixed member, the locking device comprising:
a driven object side presser to press the first holder from a side where the driven object exists;
a force transmitter having a portion penetrating the first holder and to convert a tensile force pulled toward a side where the fixed member exists to a pressing force with which the driven object side presser presses the first holder, and to transmit the pressing force to the driven object side presser;
a fixed member side presser to press the first holder from the side where the fixed member exists;
a support disposed between the force transmitter and the fixed member side presser when viewed from a vertical direction that is a direction perpendicular to the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis, the support being fixed to the fixed member;
a link connected to each of the force transmitter rotatably, the support, and the fixed member side presser, to move the fixed member side presser in a direction approaching the first holder when the force transmitter is moved in a direction away from the first holder, and to move the fixed member side presser in a direction away from the first holder when the force transmitter is moved in a direction approaching the first holder; and
a locking force generator to generate the tensile force, and to lock the first holder, sandwiched between the driven object side presser and the fixed member side presser, so as not to be moved with respect to the fixed member.

2. The locking device according to claim 1 , wherein a protrusion is provided on a surface of the driven object side presser on a side where the first holder exists so that the protrusion enters a recess provided on a surface of the first holder at a position to be in contact with the driven object side presser.

3. The locking device according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion is conical or frustoconical.

4. The locking device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
one force transmitter which is the force transmitter; and
three sets of the fixed member side presser, the support, and the link.

5. The locking device according to claim 4 , wherein each of the fixed member side pressers is disposed at a position of an apex of an equilateral triangle with the force transmitter as a center of gravity when viewed from the vertical direction.

6. The locking device according to claim 1 , further comprising a movement direction restrictor to restrict the force transmitter to be moved in the vertical direction.

7. The locking device according to claim 6 , wherein the movement direction restrictor includes two plate springs having a hole through which the force transmitter passes and fixed to the force transmitter, and a plate spring fixing portion to fix the two plate springs to the fixed member.

8. The locking device according to claim 1 , further comprising an elastic body provided between the force transmitter and the fixed member and compressed when the first holder is locked so as not to be moved with respect to the fixed member.

9. The locking device according to claim 1 , wherein the locking force generator includes a wire having one end connected to the force transmitter, and a wire fixer to apply the tensile force to the wire and to fix another end of the wire at a predetermined position.

10. A gimbal mechanism comprising:
the first holder;
the second holder;
the fixed member; and
the locking device according to claim 1 .

11. A gimbal mechanism comprising:
a first holder to hold a driven object;
a second holder to hold the first holder so as to be rotatable around a first rotation axis;
a fixed member to hold the second holder so as to be rotatable around a second rotation axis that exists on a plane on which the first rotation axis exists and is orthogonal to the first rotation axis; and
a locking device to lock the first holder so as not to be moved with respect to the fixed member or to allow the first holder to be moved with respect to the fixed member, wherein
the locking device includes
a driven object side presser to press the first holder from a side where the driven object exists,
a force transmitter having a portion penetrating the first holder and to convert a tensile force pulled toward a side where the fixed member exists to a pressing force with which the driven object side presser presses the first holder, and to transmit the pressing force to the driven object side presser,
a fixed member side presser to press the first holder from the side where the fixed member exists,
a support disposed between the force transmitter and the fixed member side presser when viewed from a vertical direction that is a direction perpendicular to the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis, the support being fixed to the fixed member,
a link connected to each of the force transmitter rotatably, the support, and the fixed member side presser, to move the fixed member side presser in a direction approaching the first holder when the force transmitter is moved in a direction away from the first holder, and to move the fixed member side presser in a direction away from the first holder when the force transmitter is moved in a direction approaching the first holder, and
a locking force generator to generate the tensile force, and to lock the first holder, sandwiched between the driven object side presser and the fixed member side presser, so as not to be moved with respect to the fixed member.

12. The gimbal mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein
the first holder is provided with a recess on a surface on the side where the driven object exists at a position where the driven object side presser comes into contact, and
the driven object side presser is provided with a protrusion on a side where the first holder exists at a position facing the recess on a surface.

13. The gimbal mechanism according to claim 12 , wherein the protrusion is conical or frustoconical.

14. The gimbal mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein the locking device includes one force transmitter which is the force transmitter and three sets of the fixed member side presser, the support, and the link.

15. The gimbal mechanism according to claim 14 , wherein each of the fixed member side pressers is disposed at a position of an apex of an equilateral triangle with the force transmitter as a center of gravity when viewed from the vertical direction in the locking device.

16. The gimbal mechanism according to claim 11 , the locking device includes a movement direction restrictor to restrict the force transmitter to be moved in the vertical direction.

17. The gimbal mechanism according to claim 16 , wherein the movement direction restrictor includes two plate springs having a hole through which the force transmitter passes and fixed to the force transmitter, and a plate spring fixing portion to fix the two plate springs to the fixed member.

18. The gimbal mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein the locking device includes an elastic body provided b

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Hattori Tomoya
• Kawaguchi Noboru
• Oikawa Atsumu
• Takeda Koichi

Classifications

• G02B23/02

  involving prisms or mirrors (G02B23/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01C19/26

  Caging, i.e. immobilising moving parts, e.g. for transport · CPC title

• B64G1/66

  Arrangements or adaptations of apparatus or instruments, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64G1/2228

  characterised by the hold-down or release mechanisms · CPC title

• F16M11/18

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