Gimbal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9904147-B2
Application number	US-201415129805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2014
Priority date	Mar 27, 2014
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

The present invention discloses a gimbal for carrying an imaging device. The gimbal comprises a first support frame, a locking device arranged on the first support frame, and a second support frame hinged with the first support frame and being capable of driving in rotation of the first support frame. The locking device is configured to carry the imaging device. The first support frame comprises two first struts. The gimbal further comprises at least one center of gravity (CG) adjusting unit, the at least one CG adjusting unit being arranged at least within one of the first struts. The at least one CG adjusting unit is configured to adjust the center of gravity of the first support frame. The gimbal of the present invention can adjust the center of gravity of the first support frame through the CG adjusting unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gimbal for carrying an imaging device, comprising
a first support frame, a second support frame hinged with the first support frame and being capable of driving a rotation of the first support frame, and a locking device arranged on the first support frame;
wherein the first support frame is configured to support the imaging device through the locking device, and the first support frame comprises two first struts;
wherein the gimbal further comprises at least one center of gravity (CG) adjusting unit, and wherein the at least one CG adjusting unit is arranged at least within one of the first struts to adjust the center of gravity of the first support frame;
wherein the CG adjusting unit comprises a rod and a weight through which the rod penetrates, and wherein the rod and the weight are arranged within the one of the first struts, and wherein the weight is configured to move along a longitudinal direction of the rod.

2. The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the rod is threaded and the weight is threadably connected with the threaded rod; and
wherein the CG adjusting unit additionally comprises a rotating device which is fixedly connected with one end of the threaded rod, so that when the rotating device rotates the threaded rod, the weight moves along the longitudinal direction of the threaded rod in accordance with the rotation of the rotating device.

3. The gimbal of claim 2 , wherein the first strut is a hollow cylinder, the weight is a corresponding cylinder, a sidewall of the weight is provided with at least one receiving groove; and wherein the CG adjusting unit further comprises at least one anti-slipping block and each of the at least one anti-slipping block is received in a corresponding one of the at least one receiving groove.

4. The gimbal of claim 3 , wherein the threaded rod comprises a threaded region and two unthreaded regions arranged respectively at two ends of the threaded region, the threaded region is provided with external thread, and the unthreaded regions are provided with no thread; wherein the length of the threaded rod is greater than the length of the first strut; and wherein the CG adjusting unit further comprises at least one attaching device; the threaded rod is provided with two attaching devices, the two attaching devices are respectively arranged at the two unthreaded regions located at two ends of the threaded rod and configured to lock the threaded rod within the first strut.

5. The gimbal of claim 4 , wherein each of the attaching devices comprises a central positioning member and an fastening member for receiving the central positioning member; wherein the central portion of the central positioning member is provided with a first through hole; wherein the fastening member comprises an abutting portion and an extension portion extending along the abutting portion; wherein the extension portion is provided with a positioning groove having a shape and a size matching with the central positioning member; wherein the central positioning member is received in the positioning groove and fixedly connected with the abutting portion; wherein a second through hole corresponding to the unthreaded region is provided at the central portion of the abutting portion of the fastening member; wherein the second through hole is in communication with the positioning groove; wherein the unthreaded region at one end of the threaded rod is sleeved in the second through hole and is capable of rotating within the second through hole; wherein the other one of the attaching devices is assembled to the other end of the first strut; wherein the length of the threaded rod is greater than the length of the first strut; and wherein the unthreaded region at the other end of the threaded rod protrudes out of the other one of the second through hole of the other one of the attaching devices and is fixedly connected with the rotating device.

6. The gimbal of claim 5 , wherein the central portion of the rotating device is provided with a fixing hole, and a side of the rotating device is provided with a side threaded hole in communication with the fixing hole; the portion of the unthreaded region of the threaded rod protruding out of the other one of the second through holes is received in the fixing hole and threadably connected with the side threaded hole through a bolt; and wherein one end of the bolt abuts against the unthreaded region within the fixing hole to fixedly connect the rotating device with the threaded rod.

7. The gimbal of claim 2 , wherein the first strut and the weight are cuboid or cube in shape.

8. The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein the first support frame further comprises two guiding posts and two first fastening devices; wherein the two guiding posts are arranged roughly perpendicular to the two first struts and moveable along the longitudinal direction of the first struts; and wherein the two guiding posts can be fixed to the first struts through the first fastening devices.

9. The gimbal of claim 8 , wherein the locking device is movably arranged on the guiding posts; wherein the locking device comprises a quick release plate, a sliding seat and a locking component; wherein the quick release plate is slidably connected with the sliding seat; wherein the locking component is connected to the sliding seat and locks the quick release plate with the sliding seat; wherein the quick release plate fastens the imaging device; the sliding seat comprises a central portion and two elastic clamping portions respectively arranged on two sides of the central portion; and wherein the elastic clamping portions respectively clamp one of the guiding posts.

10. The gimbal of claim 8 , wherein the guiding posts are marked with scales; and wherein the elastic clamping portion is provided with an alignment mark, the alignment mark matches the scales of the guiding posts and configured to mark the position of the sliding seat on the guiding post.

11. The gimbal of claim 1 , wherein each of the first struts comprises a connecting end, the connecting end is provided with a through hole; wherein the through hole is provided with a rotating shaft therein, one end of the rotating shaft is received in and protrudes out of the through hole; and wherein the second support frame comprises two second struts, a driving device and an assembly frame; one of the second struts is directly hinged with a rotating shaft of one of the first struts, and the other one of the second struts is hinged with a rotating shaft of the other one of the first struts through the driving device.

12. The gimbal of claim 11 , wherein the axial direction of the through hole is roughly perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first struts; wherein the axial direction of a driving shaft of the driving device is roughly perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the second struts; wherein the driving device is fixed to the end of the second struts adjacent to the first struts; and wherein a driving shaft of the driving device is fixedly connected with a rotating shaft of one of the first struts to drive a rotation of the rotating shaft, and to drive a rotation of the first support frame.

13. The gimbal of claim 12 , wherein the second support frame further comprises an assembly frame; wherein the assembly frame is fixedly arranged at the end of the second struts far from the first struts; wherein two receiving holes are provided in the assembly frame at positions corresponding to the second struts; wherein the two second struts are respectively received in the two receiving holes; and wherein the gimbal further comprises a support, the support is fixedly arranged between the two gui

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd
• Sz Dji Osmo Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhao yan chong

Classifications

• F16M11/045

  adapted to left-right translation movement · CPC title

• F16M11/048

  adapted to forward-backward translation movement · CPC title

• F16M2200/025

  for translational movement · CPC title

• G03B17/561 Primary

  Support related camera accessories · CPC title

• F16M13/022

  repositionable · CPC title