Monopod support especially for video filming

A monopod support especially for video filming comprises a rod at the longitudinally opposite ends of which are provided a base and an attachment for a video-photographic apparatus, respectively. The rod is rotatable with respect to the base about a substantially longitudinal axis of the rod and at least one shock-absorbing element of the type having a viscous coupling is interposed between the base and the rod in order to damp the vibrations resulting from the rotational movement of the rod with respect to the base about the axis of the rod.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a monopod support devised especially for video filming, substantially reducing the shaking typical of manual filming.

BACKGROUND ART

When filming is carried out with hand-held video cameras and the like, it is inevitable that it will be subject to shaking in the three axes of three-dimensional space. For this reason, the use of supports which serve to improve filming quality by minimising such shaking is strongly recommended. Of these supports, those having a tripod configuration offer the best guarantees of image stability. Tripod supports, however, have the unavoidable disadvantage of being very bulky and heavy whereas the bulk and weight are much more modest in so-called monopod supports in which the filming apparatus is mounted at the top of a rod which is generally telescopically adjustable and the opposite end of which rests on the ground. The angles of oscillation in the vertical plane containing the axis of the rod and about the optical axis of the objective are minimised because they are related to the fulcrum of the oscillation which is in this case at a distance from the apparatus, at the point where the monopod rests on the ground (base). This allows a drastic reduction in the oscillation about the corresponding axes.

On the other hand, the oscillating movement in the so-called panoramic axis, about the axis of the rod of the monopod, remains substantially unchanged. The annoying shaking discussed above therefore persists in this movement. For this reason, monopod supports have hitherto been used to some extent in the field of still photography but they have not enjoyed as much success in the field of video filming.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a monopod support which is devised structurally and functionally to avoid all of the disadvantages discussed with reference to the mentioned prior art.

This object is achieved by the invention by means of a monopod support produced in accordance with the claims which follow.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

InFIG. 1,1indicates generally a monopod support especially for video filming, comprising a telescopic rod2formed by a plurality of rod elements2a,b,c,dwhich are telescopically slidable one inside the other and which are lockable in a manner known per se relative to each other in such a fashion as to vary the extension of the rod2as desired. A base3and an attachment4for a video-photographic apparatus5are provided at the respective longitudinally opposite ends of the rod2. The base3acts as a bearing on the ground for the support and comprises a cross-member6from which at least one and preferably three appendages7extend(s), these being articulated to the cross-member in such a manner that they can be pivoted about a respective pin8and temporarily snap-locked in a releasable manner into an operative position, extending substantially in the radial direction relative to the cross-member to form a tripod pedestal, or into a rest position, close to the rod2, by means of resilient tongues9which are cut partially out of the stem of the appendages7and which have at their ends a pin10which snap-engages in a corresponding recess11a, bof the cross-member6. The provision of even a single appendage enables the monopod support to be locked on the ground by pressing on the appendage7with the foot in order to obtain a markedly more stable hold of the monopod support than when the latter simply rests on the ground.

The base3further comprises an articulation12having a ball joint13, which articulation is interposed between the cross-member6and the rod2and by means of which the rod2can be oriented with respect to the base3. The joint13is connected by means of a shank thereof to a beaker-shaped member14in which the lower end of the rod2is engaged with the interposition of a sleeve15. A gap15ais defined between the beaker-shaped member14and the sleeve15, coaxially with the latter, and is closed in a leak-tight manner by an O-ring seal15band filled with a viscous fluid in order to define a shock-absorbing element having a viscous coupling, such as described, for example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,854 in the name of Cartoni. This shock-absorbing element, owing to the viscous fluid held in the gap15a, ensures that the rotation of the sleeve15with respect to the beaker-shaped member14involves the entrainment of the viscous fluid with the consequent damping of the associated vibratory phenomena. Although this type of shock-absorbing element is to be regarded as preferred, it will be appreciated that it may be replaced by friction shock-absorbers or other types of shock-absorber.

It is envisaged that all of the rod elements2a-dshould be rigid, but it is also provided that the first rod element2ashould be articulated in two portions16,17with the interposition of an articulation including a first fork-shaped element18which is articulated to a second articulation element19in a manner pivotable about an axis transverse to the rod2. Interposed between the articulation elements18,19are a balancing spring20, on one side of the fork, which tends to maintain the two articulation elements in a relative position such that the two portions16,17of the rod element2aare substantially aligned with each other, and a viscous coupling21, on the other side of the fork, which acts as a damper for any shaking and/or vibration in the relative pivoting of the articulation elements. This viscous coupling, which is known per se, is of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,854. In use, the monopod support is extended to the desired length, with the video camera fitted to the attachment5and with the base open in such a manner that all three of the appendages7extend radially with respect to the cross-member6.

The positioning and the movements of inclination downwards and upwards and also the lateral oscillations of the rod with respect to the base are permitted by the ability of the ball joint articulation to move. These movements, as indicated above, do not give rise to any appreciable vibratory phenomena owing to the distance between the centre of oscillation and the video camera and are unavoidable when searching for the vertical position when the monopod is resting on inclined ground.

The rotational movements about the so-called panoramic axis, which coincides substantially with the axis of the rod2, are, however, damped by the shock-absorbing element having a viscous coupling, which element is interposed between the rod and the base and the friction of which is, however, less than the resistance offered by the ball joint articulation. As a result, the movements of the video camera in the three axes indicated do not produce appreciable vibratory effects even though the support is of the monopod type.

Further advantages of the invention include the small bulk, the modest weight, the ease of positioning and the stability thereof, which is further improved by the presence of appendages on the base of the monopod.