Abstract:
A fixing device for fixing cameras and other optical devices to stands or for connecting them to other accessories, includes an adapter journal joined to the camera or other optical devices and a receiving device connected to the stand or other accessories and which is provided with an opening for receiving the adapter journal, and a rotatable locking device. The opening is configured as an insert opening on a part which can be displaced axially in an outward manner by means of housing part of the receiving device such that the adapter journal can be inserted radially into the insert opening.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This is a U.S. national phase application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP/2005/010427 filed Sep. 27, 2005, and claims the benefit of German Application No. 20 2004 015 006.9 filed Sep. 27, 2004, both of them are incorporated by reference in its entirety. The International Application was published in German as International Publication No. WO/2006/040005 under PCT Article 21(2).  
       FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     Fixing device for fixing cameras and other optical equipment to stands or for connection to other accessories  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     There are so-called quick-change adapters as fixing devices for quicker fixing of cameras and other optical equipment to stands or for connecting them to other accessory parts. These consist essentially of two parts: an adapter part, which is fixed in the stand screw thread of the camera or other optical equipment and amounting part, which is screwed onto a stand or another accessory part. For a secure but detachable connection of a camera and stand, the adapter is inserted into the mounting part and locked there.  
         [0004]     Most of the current solutions are based on the interlocking of a tapered guide. These devices are relatively bulky and heavy, which is of significance especially for the adapter part positioned below the camera, etc. Insertion to each other is only possible in one direction and the equipment must, therefore, be aligned accurately prior to the connection.  
         [0005]     Methods also exist with a round adapter part. An especially small device on the market is the “mini connect” made by Novoflex. The adapter journal in this case has a diameter of 24 mm at a height of 6 mm. However, this design apart from its size has serious disadvantages: By means of an inclined surface on the adapter, the latter is unilaterally connected to the mounting part by means of a lever arranged on it, where the lever swings out widely from the housing eccentrically toward the center of the mounting part and remains in this position even after locking. The manufacturer cautions in its user manual against touching the lever, because of the danger of inadvertent disengagement of the camera from the stand, especially if the camera is carried with the stand (or by the shoulder support). Moreover, the adapter is still able to shift in the recess, even after it is inserted into the mounting part. In the worst case this has the effect that the locking lever will hold the adapter in an area of only slightly more than 2 mm. This is very dangerous, considering the fact that camera-lens combinations can easily weigh several kilograms. Moreover, this device offers no protection against accidental dropping if the camera is not locked. In the interlocked condition, the lock can be loosened by an action of medium torsion on the camera housing.  
         [0006]     In view of recent technical requirements due to the increasing popularity of compact and ultra-slim digital cameras, the size of the quick-action fixing devices must also be reevaluated. To be able to manufacture digital cameras as small as possible, functional parts, such as the battery compartment or memory card slot are in many cases located on their underside, often directly next to the stand screw thread. Adapters with a diameter significantly larger than that of the thread insert of such cameras (approximately 10 mm), must consequently always be unscrewed, to be able to reach these parts. As a result, most of their application advantages, that is, the time saved by the quick connection are lost. Additionally, the screw thread in most cameras is located at the outer edge of the camera housing, where stable locking with an adapter that protrudes out beyond the edge is no longer assured.  
         [0007]     Finally, the size of the adapter also plays a role in storage and transportation. As the adapter is intended to stay at all times under the camera, so as to fully utilize its primary advantage, this is not possible, if the camera with the attached adapter can no longer fit into a camera, shirt or pants pocket which is possible in particular with compact digital cameras or if the adapter&#39;s size is somewhat “awkwardly” disproportionated to the delicate design of the camera.  
         [0008]     The problem of the invention is, therefore, the creation of a quick-action fixing device, which is small enough not to impede the other functions, which permits a spontaneous combination of camera and stand without prior special alignment, which is mechanically stable and also provides mechanically stable support to heavy camera-lens combinations and can be secured against operating errors. Finally, the adapter should be in proper proportion with the design of modern digital cameras, as a prerequisite for remaining constantly mounted to the camera housing.  
         [0009]     This problem is solved by the features of the embodiments of the invention found below.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     Advantages of the present invention should be considered that a diameter of only 14 mm and a height of 4 mm are required for the adapter journal. Even in a case where the adapter and the mounting device are connected, it is not necessary to fix the adjustment of the horizontal orientation of the camera, and no matter what the adjustment state is, it would be possible to connect both. The interlocking force acts simultaneously on approximately two-thirds of the circumferential holding area of the adapter journal (approximately 50 mm 2 ) and on two opposing sides.  
         [0011]     After the camera is mounted to the adapter housing, the journal is automatically locked to prevent falling out. Because the locking lever moves concentrically toward the center of the mounting device, it always protrudes from the housing by the same distance needed for activation and can therefore be locked in any position against accidental loosening. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0012]     The embodiments of the present invention are described in the following according to the drawings.  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a plan view from the top of the lower part of the fixing device;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a plan view from below of the top part of the fixing device;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a plan cross sectional view through the fixing device with released retaining spring;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a cutout plan cross sectional view of the fixing device at a height of the locking lever with tensioned retaining spring (mounting position);  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is a vertical sectional view of the fixing device at a height of the locking lever;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5A  is an enlarged view of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a vertical sectional view of the fixing device at a height of the stop pin;  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  is an exploded view of the arrangement of individual elements of  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the arrangement of individual elements of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 9  is a partly dissassembled view with the inner tube pushed upward (mounting position);  
         [0023]      FIG. 10  is a perspective detailed view of the upper housing plate;  
         [0024]      FIG. 11  is a perspective detailed view of the inner ring;  
         [0025]      FIG. 12  is a perspective detailed view of an inner tube;  
         [0026]      FIG. 13  is a perspective detailed view of the locking lever; and  
         [0027]      FIG. 14  is a perspective detailed view of an outer ring. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0028]     The quick-acting fixing device consists of two main parts: An adapter journal  29  to be screwed into the screw thread of the unillustrated camera and a mounting device  34 , shown in detail, especially in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 .  
         [0029]     A primary feature of the mounting device  34  is an inner tube  26 , which retains the adapter journal  29 . For this purpose, one side of the inner tube  26  is formed with an insert opening  15 , similar to a hotshoe (flash connector), i.e. with a circumferential overlapping edge up to the insert opening  15  opened at one side, below which the adapter journal  29  is inserted. The other side the inner tube  26  has a recess  26   a  for retaining a compression spring  23 . Two opposite locking pins  16   a  and  16   b  respectively are provided on the curved sides of the inner tube  26 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  show that the inner tube  26  is enclosed by an inner ring  12 . This inner ring  12  has, as a primary feature, laterally opposite slits  25   a  and  25   b  respectively, extending obliquely in the longitudinal direction to the top edge and bottom edge of the ring respectively and corresponding openings  17   a  and  17   b  each, connected with the slits  25   a  and  25   b  respectively at their beginning, as can be seen in particular by the detailed drawing of  FIG. 11 . These openings  17   a  and  17   b  each serve for retaining locking pins  16   a  and  16   b  respectively, when the inner tube  26  in the center opening of the inner ring  12  is moved downwards.  
         [0031]     A locking lever  21  is connected with the inner ring  12 .  
         [0032]     From this configuration the essential features of the present invention, that is as soon as locking pins  16   a  and  16   b  at the inner tube  26  are retracted into openings  17   a  and  17   b  on the upper side of the inner ring  12  and the locking lever  21  is activated, the inner ring  12  and the slit  25  are rotated, thereby pressing with its inclined surface at the slits  25  the locking pins  16   a  and  16   b  and thus, the inner tube  26  downward.  
         [0033]     Inner tube  26  and inner ring  12  are embedded between the upper housing plate  7  and the lower housing plate  1  (see  FIG. 5  to  FIG. 8 ). The housing plates  1  and  7  are rigidly connected to one another by bolts  14   a - c.  The lower housing plate  1  has in its center a stand screw thread  4  and a cork or rubber overlay  24  is provided for the upper housing plate as a preferred embodiment, which serves as a slip-stopper for the camera. A compression spring  23  is provided between the housing plate  1  and the recess  26   a  in the inner tube  26 , which pushes the inner tube  26  outward through the center hole  10  of the upper housing plate  7  up to the limit stop of pins  16   a  and  16   b  in correspondingly shaped recesses  9   a  and  9   b  respectively on the underside of the upper housing plate  7 .  
         [0034]     Furthermore, the embodiment of the present invention provides an outer ring  11 , which is centered through the sockets  2   a  and  2   b  at the upper and lower housing plates  7  and  1 . This ring has in essence the following two functions:  
         [0035]     First, it closes off the entire internal area of the mounting device  34  to the outside. It can be rotated around the center axis of the housing plates  1  and  7  respectively and thereby follows the rotating movement of the locking lever  21 , which is guided through the outer ring  11  to the inner ring  12 .  
         [0036]     Second, it holds a retaining spring  13  provided between sockets  2   a  and  2   b  in the recesses  18   a  and  18   b  of the lower and upper housing plates  1  and  7  respectively.  
         [0037]     In this case, locking in place the adapter-camera unit at this time is carried out according to the following procedures:  
         [0038]     To connect with the unillustrated camera fitted with the adapter journal  29  and the mounting device  34 , the locking lever  21  is first moved clockwise into the recess  18   a  and  18   b  up to the limit stop on the housing plates  1  and  7  ( FIG. 4 ) respectively. The retaining spring  13  is tensioned in the process. Simultaneous turning of the inner tube  26  through friction on the inner ring  12  is prevented here by at least one stop pin  27 , which is fixed in a bore  6  of the lower housing plate  1  and guided through a bore  32  in the inner tube  26 . In this position, the openings  17   a  and  17   b  of the inner ring  12  are located above the pins  16   a  and  16   b,  so that the inner tube  26  is pushed out of the housing unit by the compression spring  23  through the center hole  10  ( FIG. 6 ). If the locking lever  21  is released, the retaining spring  13  presses back counterclockwise the lever and thereby also the inner ring  12 . Thus the openings  17   a  and  17   b  are no longer positioned below pins  16   a  and  16   b  on the inner ring  12 . If the adapter journal  29  with camera is now pushed into the insert opening  15  of the inner tube  26 , the inner tube  26  cannot be deflected downward, as locking pins  16   a  and  16   b  of the tube are propped up against the upper edge of the inner ring  12  ( FIG. 6 ). In this manner, quick and reliable insertion of the round adapter journal  29  into the hot-shoe-like fixture is possible in any horizontal camera position.  
         [0039]     With a counteracting reactivation of lever  21 , the inner ring  12  is turned correspondingly backward, and the inner tube  26   a  with locking pins  16   a  and  16   b,  the mounted adapter journal  29  and the camera connected to it can be pushed in with pins  16   a  and  16   b  through the openings  17   a  and  17   b  positioned below, by the lever movement into the mounting unit  34  up to the dead stop of the camera on the upper camera housing part. In the case of inadvertent release of the locking lever  21 , the retaining spring  13  would immediately guide the slits  25   a  and  25   b  of the inner ring  12  through the lever-inner ring combination slightly above the pins  16   a  and  16   b  on the inner tube  26 , as a result of which accidental falling out of the camera-adapter unit is prevented. For this reason the slits  25  are formed to be straight for a small distance at the beginning, before the inclined surface starts.  
         [0040]     By pushing down the inner tube  26  after the camera-adapter unit is inserted, stop pin  27  is moved out of its bore  6  in the inner tube  26 , thereby a second function is performed. That is, it prevents any kind of shifting of the adapter journal  29 , as long as the camera is not locked tight, but continues to permit rotating movements around the adapter-camera axis.  
         [0041]     To achieve locking of the camera, the locking lever  21  is operated in the counterclockwise direction, so that locking pins  16   a  and  16   b  are pushed downward by the rotating movement of the inner ring  12  into the inclined surface of slits  25 , with the inner ring  12  being supported at the front by the upper housing plate  7 , whereby the wall existing between slit  25  and the front side of the inner ring  12  experiences the counterpressure of the mating surface of the inner ring  12  on the underside of the housing plate  7  in recess  35  to the force of the locking pins  16 . In this manner the camera-adapter unit is pulled through the inner tube  26  against the cork support at the upper housing plate  7  and thus creates a very firm connection across a large contact surface with the mounting unit  34 .  
         [0042]     A further advantageous embodiment of the invention for additional security against release is provided by a turnable grip  20  (see  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 13 ) on the locking lever  21 , with which the lever can be fixed in any position.  
         [0043]     In an additional, unillustrated, simplified form of execution, the outer ring  11  and the locking lever  21  are omitted, wherein the slits  25  are then only formed at the inner circumference of inner ring  12  and the outer circumference of inner ring  12 , provided with knurls or corrugation, serves directly as a working surface for twisting the inner ring  12  against the axially movable inner tube  26 . A spring replacing the retaining spring  13  could in this case be formed, for example, as a torsion spring acting in an annular groove between the upper housing plate  7  or the lower housing plate  1  and the inner ring  12  (this description would in that case be somewhat misleading, because it would form an outer ring at the same time). In the case that the pitch of slits  25  falls below the self-retention limit of the selected material pairing between the wall of slits  25  and the locking pins  16 , the additional detention through the rotary and locking grip  20  could also be eliminated, because in this version there would be no protruding locking lever  21  on which one could inadvertently get caught, thus causing the lock to be released.