Swivel mechanism for a camera
A swivel mechanism ( 200 ) for orientating a camera includes a base ( 8 ) configured to attach to a support structure; a wedge mechanism comprising a first wedge ( 5 ) and a second wedge ( 6 ) each having an inclined surface ( 5 d, 6 b ) on one side, wherein the inclined surface of the first wedge ( 5 d ) is arranged on the inclined surface of the second wedge ( 6 b ), a back cover ( 1 ) configured to receive a camera head ( 100 ), the back cover ( 1 ) arranged at a side of the swivel mechanism ( 200 ) opposite to the base ( 8 ) in a direction of a pan axis (A 1 ), wherein the back cover ( 1 ) comprises a joint member ( 1 a ) connected to the wedge mechanism; a housing ( 40 ), arranged in the direction of the pan axis (A 1 ) between the base ( 8 ) and the back cover ( 1 ), wherein the housing ( 40 ) encloses the joint member ( 1 a ) and the wedge mechanism.
1. A swivel mechanism ( 200 ) for orientating a camera, the swivel mechanism comprising
a base ( 8 ) configured to attach the swivel mechanism ( 200 ) to a support structure;
a wedge mechanism comprising a first wedge ( 5 ) and a second wedge ( 6 ) each having an inclined surface ( 5 d , 6 b ) on one side, wherein the inclined surface of the first wedge ( 5 d ) is arranged on the inclined surface of the second wedge ( 6 b ),
a back cover ( 1 ) configured to receive a camera head ( 100 ), the back cover ( 1 ) arranged at a side of the swivel mechanism ( 200 ) opposite to the base ( 8 ) in a direction of a pan axis (A 1 ),
wherein the back cover ( 1 ) comprises a joint member ( 1 a ) connected to the wedge mechanism;
a housing ( 40 ), arranged in the direction of the pan axis (A 1 ) between the base ( 8 ) and the back cover ( 1 ), wherein the housing ( 40 ) encloses the joint member ( 1 a ) and the wedge mechanism,
wherein the first wedge ( 5 ) is configured to receive the joint member ( 1 a ) of the back cover ( 1 ) on a side opposite to the side having the inclined surface ( 5 d ), and the second wedge ( 6 ) is arranged with a side opposite to the side having the inclined surface ( 6 d ) towards the base ( 8 );
wherein the base ( 8 ) and the back cover ( 1 ) are movable relative to each other when the swivel mechanism is in an unlocked state, and the base ( 8 ) and the back cover ( 1 ) are locked relative to each other when the swivel mechanism is in a locked state,
wherein the swivel mechanism ( 200 ) is lockable by a coupling nut ( 3 ), which is configured to connect the housing ( 40 ) to the base ( 8 ), and
wherein the swivel mechanism ( 200 ) is lockable by a wedge mechanism activating device ( 11 ), which is configured to move the first wedge ( 5 ) relative to the second wedge ( 6 ).
2. The swivel mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the wedge mechanism activating device ( 11 ) comprises a fixation screw ( 11 ) having a screw axis and being screwed through the housing ( 40 ) into the first or the second wedge ( 5 , 6 ).
3. The swivel mechanism according to claim 2 , having a predetermined angle between the screw axis and the inclined surface ( 5 d , 6 b ) of the respective first or second wedge ( 5 , 6 ).
4. The swivel mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the housing has a cylindrical shape and/or the coupling nut ( 3 ) is configured to be slid over the housing ( 40 ) and tightened by hand.
5. The swivel mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling nut ( 3 ) is configured to engage with a flange ( 4 d ) arranged on an outer circumference of the housing ( 40 ), to pull the housing ( 40 ) toward the base ( 8 ) when being tightened.
6. The swivel mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein a force is acted on the joint member ( 1 a ) and the wedge mechanism ( 5 , 6 ) towards the base ( 8 ) by the housing ( 40 ) when the coupling nut is tightened.
7. The swivel mechanism ( 200 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling nut ( 3 ) comprises a plurality of grip ribs ( 3 b ) disposed on an outer surface thereof.
8. The swivel mechanism ( 200 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling nut ( 3 ) comprises a thread ( 3 a ) configured to engage with a thread ( 8 a ) of the base ( 8 ), and a locking screw ( 12 ) configured to be screwed through the coupling nut ( 3 ), wherein the screwed-in locking screw ( 12 ) is disposed perpendicular to the pan axis (A 1 ) in a groove ( 8 b ) of the base ( 8 ), and the groove ( 8 b ) is arranged on an outer side of the base ( 8 ) between the thread ( 8 a ) of the base ( 8 ) and a side of the base ( 8 ) attached to the support structure.
9. The swivel mechanism ( 200 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first wedge ( 5 ) comprises a recess ( 5 a ) for receiving the joint member ( 1 a ), wherein a sliding surface of the joint member ( 1 a ) and/or a sliding surface of the recess ( 5 a ) sliding on each other comprise a friction-enhancing coating.
10. The swivel mechanism ( 200 ) according to claim 1 , comprising a pan limiter ( 7 ) arranged between the base ( 8 ) and the back cover ( 1 ) and configured to limit a rotation of the back cover ( 1 ) around the pan axis (A 1 ) to a predetermined pan angle being provided by a first limited rotation of the pan limiter ( 7 ) relative to the base ( 8 ) around a first pan angle (R 8 ) and a second limited rotation of the back cover ( 1 ) relative to the pan limiter ( 7 ) around a second pan angle.
11. The swivel mechanism ( 200 ) according to claim 10 , wherein, the pan limiter ( 7 ) is formed as a washer having at least two downwardly bent lugs ( 7 b ) and an upwardly bent lug ( 7 c ) arranged on an inner circumference of the pan limiter ( 7 ), and a downwardly bent lug ( 7 a ) arranged on an outer circumference of the pan limiter ( 7 ).
12. The swivel mechanism ( 200 ) according to claim 11 , wherein
the at least two downwardly bent lugs ( 7 b ) on the inner circumference of the pan limiter ( 7 ) are configured to engage with a groove ( 8 d ) of the base ( 8 ) to fix the pan limiter ( 7 ), wherein the groove ( 8 d ) is arranged on an inner circumference of the base ( 8 ) on a side of the base opposite to a side attached to the support structure, and/or
the upwardly bent lug ( 7 c ) on the inner circumference of the pan limiter ( 7 ) is configured to impinge at a second protrusion ( 6 d ) of the second wedge ( 6 ) upon rotation around the pan axis,
wherein the second protrusion ( 6 d ) is arranged on a side of the second wedge ( 6 ) opposite to the side with the inclined surface ( 6 b ), and/or
the downwardly bent lug ( 7 a ) on the outer circumference of the pan limiter ( 7 ) is configured to move in a guide groove ( 8 c ) of the base ( 8 ) upon rotation around the pan axis (A 1 ) after the upwardly bent lug ( 7 c ) has impinged at the second protrusion ( 6 d ), wherein the guide groove ( 8 c ) has a predetermined length and is arranged on an outer circumference of the base ( 8 ) on the side of the base opposite to the side attached to the support structure.
13. The swivel mechanism ( 200 ) according to claim 12 , wherein the upwardly bent lug ( 7 c ) is arranged between two downwardly bent lugs on the inner circumference of the pan limiter ( 7 ), and the downwardly bent lug ( 7 a ) on the outer circumference of the pan limiter ( 7 ) is arranged opposite to the upwardly bent lug ( 7 c ) on the inner circumference of the pan limiter ( 7 ).
14. The swivel mechanism ( 200 ) according to claim 11 , wherein the upwardly bent lug ( 7 c ) is arranged between two downwardly bent lugs on the inner circumference of the pan limiter ( 7 ), and the downwardly bent lug ( 7 a ) on the outer circumference of the pan limiter ( 7 ) is arranged opposite to the upwardly bent lug ( 7 c ) on the inner circumference of the pan limiter ( 7 ).
15. The swivel mechanism ( 200 ) according to claim 1 , comprising a roll limiter ( 2 ) arranged between the base ( 8 ) and the back cover ( 1 ) and configured to limit a rotation of the back cover ( 1 ) around a roll axis (A 3 ) to a predetermined roll angle being provided by a first limited rotation of the roll limiter ( 2 ) relative to the base ( 8 ) around a first roll angle and a second limited rotation of the back cover ( 1 ) relative to the roll limiter ( 2 ) around a second roll angle.
16. The swivel mechanism ( 200 ) according to claim 15 , wherein the roll limiter ( 2 ) is formed as a semicircular ring having a first protrusion ( 2 a ) on an inner side and a second protrusion ( 2 b ) on an outer side, wherein the first protrusion ( 2 a ) is configured to impinge at a protrusion ( 1 c ) arranged on a surface of a neck ( 1 b ) of the back cover ( 1 ) opposite to the inner side of the roll limiter ( 2 ) upon rotation of the back cover ( 1 ) around the roll axis (A 3 ), and the second protrusion is configured to impinge at one side of the opening ( 4 c ) of the first housing part ( 4 ) upon rotation of the back cover ( 1 ) around the roll axis (A 3 ) after the first protrusion ( 2 a ) of the roll limiter ( 2 ) has impinged at the protrusion ( 1 c ) of the neck ( 1 b ).
17. A camera comprising the swivel mechanism ( 200 ) according to claim 1 , and a camera head ( 100 ) attached to the back cover ( 1 ) of the swivel mechanism ( 200 ).
18. A method for locking a swivel mechanism ( 200 ) according to claim 1 ,
wherein the swivel mechanism ( 200 ) is arranged between a base ( 8 ) and a back cover ( 1 ) configured to receive a camera head ( 100 ),
wherein a coupling nut ( 3 ) is configured to provisionally locking the swivel mechanism ( 200 ),
wherein an activating device is configured for durably locking the swivel mechanism ( 200 ), the activating device including a wedge mechanism activating device ( 11 ) configured for durably locking the swivel mechanism ( 200 ) by a wedge mechanism.