AU1836101A

AU1836101A - Improvements relating to positioning devices

Info

Publication number: AU1836101A
Application number: AU18361/01A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gary Henry Lewis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-02-08
Filing date: 2001-02-08
Publication date: 2002-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 2021-02-08
Also published as: AU756186B2; NZ517103A

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT, 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name of Applicant: GARY HENRY LEWIS Actual Inventor: Address for service in Australia: Invention Title: GARY HENRY LEWIS A J PARK, Level 11, 60 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601 IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO POSITIONING DEVICES The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me *IP A ustr aia 7.

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B3atch .7 7- -1- IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO POSITIONING DEVICES FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a device for adjusting the orientation of an apparatus supported by the device while an axis of the apparatus remains passing through a fixed point external to both the device and the apparatus.

In a typical application, a remotely adjustable mounting device for a covert surveillance camera is positioned behind a small aperture in a concealing surface. The device allows the field of view of the camera to be adjusted, for example by tilting or panning the camera, while the axis of the lens of the camera remains aimed through the aperture.

SBACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION oo The effectiveness of covert surveillance depends in part upon the ability to conceal surveillance equipment whilst maintaining effective operation. Many surveillance cameras, if concealed, cannot be used to pan or tilt over a usefully wide range of angles without having a large clear opening through which the camera lens can scan. This results from the 20 use of a typical tilt and pan head which rotates the camera about one or more axes which pass through the head. The relatively large opening required to accommodate the camera movement can make these installations conspicuous, or at least difficult to conceal.

ooooo Current camera technology, including miniaturisation of the camera and of the minimum viewing aperture required, provides effective surveillance images even when viewing through an inconspicuous aperture or from a location that a target person would not be expecting a camera to operate. For example, pinhole cameras can operate unobtrusively from behind a wall or inside a wall cavity.

If a camera is to be installed behind, and aimed through, a small aperture while being tilted or panned over a usefully wide range of angles, the camera must remain aimed through the aperture. The present invention addresses the latter situation where the aiming or pointing of the camera through the aperture is maintained while the camera angle is adjusted. Prior art devices have not permited the aiming to be maintained while performing the adjustment remotely.

US 5,032,856 discloses an adjustable camera mount. The camera is held in a tube clamped in a slot in an adjustably rotatable hemi-spherical shell, allowing the camera angle to be pre-adjusted to a fixed orientation while remaining aimed through an aperture at a fixed point. There is no disclosure of a remotely controlled adjustment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which enables an apparatus to be supported and adjusted so that an axis of the apparatus is adjustable over a range of angles while the axis remains passing through a fixed point external to both the device and the apparatus, or to provide an alternative to existing adjustable support devices, or to provide the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly in a first aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in an adjustable support by which an apparatus having an axis therethrough and when supported by the adjustable support may be moved while the adjustable support maintains the axis aimed through a fixed point outside the confines of the adjustable support and the apparatus.

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Preferably the adjustable support maintains the axis aimed through the fixed point for 20 movement of the apparatus along at least two meridians.

o° Preferably the movement of the supported apparatus is remotely controllable.

Preferably the adjustable support includes a fixed part, and a relatively moveable supporting part for adjustably supporting the apparatus, the fixed point being fixed relative to the fixed part.

In a second aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in an adjustable support for supporting an apparatus and permitting adjustment of the orientation of an axis of the apparatus while keeping the axis passing through a point which is substantially fixed with respect to the support and outside the confines of both the support and the supported apparatus, the support comprising a base member and a support member, an actuator and, optionally, a number of intermediate joint members, the base member having contact surfaces lying substantially on a first imaginary spherical surface and which together at least partly surround an opening in the base member through which axes radial to the first imaginary spherical surface pass, the support member having contact surfaces lying substantially on a second imaginary spherical surface and which together at least partly surround an opening in the support member through which axes radial to the second imaginary spherical surface pass, the first and second imaginary spherical surfaces having substantially coincident centres of curvature, the or each optional intermediate joint member comprising a semi-spherical shell which at least partly surrounds an opening in the shell and has a semi-spherical inner concave contact surface and a semi-spherical outer convex contact surface with respective centres of curvature being substantially coincident with those of the imaginary spherical surfaces, the base and support members being nested together with the optional intermediate joint members, if present, nested therebetween, adjacent contact surfaces of respective nested joint members having substantially similar radii of curvature and being substantially in mating contact, the actuator being operable to move the support member, and the apparatus when attached thereto, relative to the base member while the respective mating contact surfaces remain substantially in mating contact and the apparatus axis passes substantially through the centres of curvature of the imaginary spherical surfaces, the openings of the base and support members and the openings of the optional intermediate joint members, if present, the substantially coincident centres of curvature being located outside the confines of both the support and the apparatus.

In a third aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in an adjustable support comprising a support member for supporting an apparatus having an axis therethrough, and a base member, the support member and the base member having respective contact surfaces in mating contact, the support member being moveable relative to the base member while the adjustable support maintains the mating contact, so that the axis of the apparatus when supported on the support member is rotatable in any direction about a point fixed relative to the base member, the axis remaining clear of the adjustable support, the fixed point being outside the confines of both the adjustable support and the apparatus when supported thereby.

-4- Preferably the contact surfaces of the support member and the base member are concave and convex semi-spherical surfaces respectively.

Preferably the adjustable support includes an actuator operable to provide said movement of the support member relative to the base member.

Preferably the actuator allows the movement of the support member relative to the base member to be remotely controlled.

Preferably the actuator includes a driver means and a plurality of elongate elements, each elongate element being driven at a first end by the driver means and attached at a second end to one of the support or base members and being routed via a respective location on the other of the support or base members.

Preferably the base member comprises a first contact part which includes the contact surface of the base member, a second base part and a compression spring, the compression spring being fitted between the contact part and the base part to urge the contact part away from the base part and toward the support member to tension the elongate elements and substantially maintain the mating contact between the support and base members.

Preferably the actuator is manually operable.

Preferably the manually operable actuator includes first and second driver members having contact surfaces lying substantially on an imaginary spherical surface, the contact surfaces of the respective driver members being substantially in mating contact, the first ends of the elongate elements being attached to one of the driver members and routed via respective locations on the other driver member, and the adjustable support being adapted so that relative movement of the first and second driver members provides a corresponding movement of the support member relative to the base member.

Alternatively the actuator is motorised.

Preferably the support is a camera support, the apparatus is a camera and the apparatus axis is an optical axis.

The invention may also broadly be said to consist in any alternative combination of parts or features which are mentioned in the specification or shown in the accompanying drawings. Equivalents of these parts or features which are not expressly indicated are nevertheless deemed to be included.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of one preferred embodiment of an adjustable mount according to the present invention, Figures 2A-C show cross-sectional views of parts of the preferred embodiment of Figure 1 in three different operating positions, Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a driver for remotely controlling the adjustable mount of Figures 1 and 2, Figure 4 shows a plan view of an alternative adjustable mount using two motors, Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative arrangement using a compression spring, Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a further alternative arrangement using an intermediate shell, Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of another alternative arrangement in which the convex part interacts with a cylindrical part, and Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of yet another alternative arrangement in which the concave part interacts with a cylindrical part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the figures it will be appreciated that the invention can be implemented in many forms for a wide variety of users without departing from the scope of the claims.

Preferred forms are given here by way of example only.

-6- Like features appearing in the Figures are generally labelled with like labels. Descriptions of features given in respect of one Figure are to be understood as applying, where not inappropriate, to like features with like labels appearing in other Figures.

Figure 1 shows an adjustable support device which includes a support plate 1 to which an apparatus (not shown in Figure such as a camera, may be mounted. The support plate has a concave semi-spherical contact surface (not seen in Figure 1) which engages a convex semi-spherical contact surface 2 of a base 3. The concave and convex contact surfaces are concentric and have substantially the same radius of curvature.

In this specification, the use of "semi" in "semi-spherical" is to be understood as including the meanings of "partly" and "incompletely". That is, a surface described as semi-spherical includes a surface that is less than the surface of a half sphere.

A cover plate 4 is fitted to the base. The support plate, the base and the cover plate have respective through apertures or openings 5, 6 and 7.

The respective contact surfaces of the support plate 1 and the base 3 are in mating contact.

A camera can be mounted on the back surface 8 of the support plate with the optical or lens axis passing through the respective openings 5, 6 and 7 in the support plate, the base and the cover plate, and passing through the concentric centres of curvature of the concave and convex contact surfaces.

The support plate 1 is able to be moved over the convex surface of the base 3 while maintaining the mating contact between the support plate and the base and while maintaining the camera axis passing clear through the openings 5, 6, 7 in the support plate, the base and the cover plate, and passing through the concentric centres of curvature of the concave and convex contact surfaces.

The spherical nature of the contact surfaces allows the camera axis to be rotated in any direction about the concentric centres of curvature of the concave and convex contact surfaces, which centres lie beyond the cover plate 4 outside the confines of both the adjustable support device and the camera.

-7- The support device of Figure 1 is moveable by three Bowden cables 10 which are fitted into channels (not shown in Figure pass through respective holes 11 in the base and through respective holes 12 in the support plate where they are terminated, for example by threaded end ferrules 13. The Bowden cables are carried in a sheath 14 to a remote driver (not shown).

The cover plate 4 is fixed to the base by screws (not shown) to retain the Bowden cables and the sheath in place, the latter partly in a channel 16 in the cover plate.

When the adjustable support device is secured over an aperture, for example in a wall surface (not shown), the camera angle may be adjusted, for example the camera may be tilted and panned, while always pointing through the aperture.

Some features of the adjustable support device shown in Figure 1 may be more readily apparent in Figures 2A-C.

Figures 2A-C show three views, each being a cross-section at a vertical plane centrally through the support plate, the base and the cover plate shown in Figure 1. The Bowden cables are not shown in Figures 2A-C.

Figures 2A-C show one of the holes 11 and one of the holes 12 through which one of the Bowden cables passes. The holes 11 are radiused 17 to ease the pathway of the Bowden cables and reduce interference to smooth cable operation.

Figures 2A-C show channel 19 for accommodating one of the Bowden cables and channels 16 and 18 for accommodating the sheath (not shown in Figures 2).

The camera 20 is represented in Figures 2A-C by broken lines. The camera axis 21 passes through the coincident centres of curvature 22 of the concave contact surface 23 (labelled in Figure 2A) of the support plate 1 and the convex contact surface 2 of the base 3.

The support plate is moveable by operation of the Bowden cables. By selectively increasing the tension in one or two of the three Bowden cables and relaxing the tension in the remaining cable or cables, the support plate may be moved relative to the base from a -8central position as represented in Figure 2B to angularly offset positions as represented in Figures 2A and 2C.

In an alternative arrangement (not shown) the Bowden cables are routed via the support plate 1 and are terminated at the base 3 of the adjustable support device. In this arrangement the base thickness can be reduced and the base cover plate can be dispensed with. This allows the adjustable support device to be fitted to a thicker wall surface and/or allows a wider range of adjustable camera angles to be accommodated and/or an increase in the radii of curvature in the pathway of the Bowden cables.

Where the device is fitted to the rear surface of a relatively thick wall panel, the aperture is preferably tapered from a relatively inconspicuous small diameter in the front surface to a larger diameter at the rear surface of the wall panel to allow the camera to be swung over a wide range of angles. The device is advantageously installed with the concentric centres of curvature coincident with the small diameter aperture in the front wall surface.

Although three Bowden cables are used in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, other numbers of cables may be used. For example, four cables may be used, with two pairs working in respective orthogonal XY-style axes.

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a manually-operated driver by which the adjustable support device is remotely controlled via the Bowden cables shown in Figure 1.

The remote driver has a base part 30 with a convex semi-spherical surface 31 to which is fitted a manually-actuatable part 32 having a concave semi-spherical surface 33. The two semi-spherical surfaces have substantially similar radii of curvature and coincident centres of curvature and are in mating contact. Bowden cables (not shown in Figure 3) are routed via either the actuator base part 30 or the manually-actuatable part 32 and are terminated at the other of the actuator base part base and the manually actuatable part, in a manner similar to that as shown and described in respect of Figure 1.

The manually-actuatable part has a handle 34 which can be angularly moved relative to the actuator base part and about the centre of curvature of the actuator base part, maintaining the mating contact of the concave and convex surfaces of the remote actuator. This movement causes a corresponding movement in the support plate, for example support plate 1 relative to the base 3 of the adjustable support device shown in Figures 1 and 2A-C.

Alternatively, the remote driver can be motorised to provide the relative movements of the support plate and the base of the adjustable support device.

The optical axis of a camera, when fitted to the support plate, can therefore be remotely angularly adjusted while maintaining the axis through the fixed point at the centres of curvature of the semi-spherical contact surfaces.

Alternatively, the camera axis angle can be locally adjusted either manually or by motors fitted to the adjustable support. The locally fitted motors can be remotely controlled.

Figure 4 shows an axial view of one arrangement using two drive cords 40, 41 driven by respective local motors. A first cord 40 is wound around a motor-driven drum 42 mounted on the base 3. Respective ends of the cord 40 are attached at radially opposite points 43, 44 on the support plate 1. The second cord 41 is wound around a second motor-driven drum 45 mounted on the base 3 and has respective ends attached at radially opposite points 46, 47 on the support plate 1. Each cord is guided, for example around pulleys or smooth bollards 48 mounted on the base 3, so that the drums may be driven to move the support plate 1, and a camera 20 if fitted thereto, in any direction about the coincident centres of curvature of the semi-spherical surfaces.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2A-C, the relative lengths of the inner cables and outer sheaths of the individual Bowden cables are adjusted to tension the cables for smooth, low friction operation without excessive free play or sloppiness when adjusting the position of the support plate relative to the base of the adjustable device. The tensioning of the Bowden cables utilises their inherent elasticity to provide for this smooth operation while maintaining the convex and concave surfaces of the support plate and the base in close mating contact.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a modification of the embodiments using Bowden cables. In this arrangement the base is provided as two parts, a convex surface base part 3a and a flat base part 3b. The convex surface base part 3a has an opening 6a and a groove concentric with the opening 6a.

The flat base part 3b has an opening 6b and a groove 51 concentric with the opening 6b.

A compression spring 52 is fitted in the grooves to bias the convex surface base part 3a away from the flat base part 3b and towards the concave surface 23 of the support plate 1.

The length of the Bowden cables are selected or adjusted to maintain the concave surface of the support plate 1 and the convex surface of the base part 3a in close mating contact against the bias of the spring 52.

In this and other arrangements, the close mating contact may be maintained or enhanced by magnetic attraction between, for example, the support plate and the base which could include embedded magnets (not shown) or could be magnetised for the purpose. The magnetic attraction could be used in addition to the use of tensioned Bowden cables or cords to maintain the mating contact. Alternatively, the magnetic attraction could be used alone for this purpose.

Figure 6 shows a further modification of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2A-C. A thin walled shell 60 is fitted intermediate the support plate 1 and the base 3. The shell has an inner concave surface 61 and an outer convex surface 62 which are concentric with the convex surface 2 of the base member 3 and with the concave surface 23 of the support plate 1. Multiple thin-walled shells (not shown) may be used in similar fashion to the one shown in Figure 6.

The inner concave surface 61 of the shell 60 and the convex surface 2 of the base member 3 are of similar radii. The outer convex surface 62 of the shell 60 and the concave surface 23 of the support plate 1 are of similar radii.

The support plate 1, the intermediate shell 60 (or shells where there are more than one) and the base member 3 nest together with adjacent semi-spherical surfaces in mating contact.

The use of one or more intermediate shells allows the use of wider openings 5, 6, 7 through the support plate 1, base 3 and cover plate 4. This in turn allows the axis 21 of the camera or other device supported by the support plate to be moved over a wider angular range.

The outer edge of the convex surface of the shells may be fitted with a lip (not shown) to be engaged by the perimeter of the adjacent concave surface so that the nesting configuration is maintained as the support plate moves between extreme positions.

-11- Figures 7 and 8 show cross-sectional views of further alternatives in which one of the concave surface of the support plate 1 and the convex surface of the base 3 are replaced by an engagement surface which can be annular and is conveniently provided by the end of a cylindrical extension 71, 81 as shown.

Alternatively, the cylinder 71, 81 can be replaced by at least three fingers or protuberances (not shown) to provide the engagement surface.

The engagement surface can be radiused to provide a smooth convex surface. These arrangements do not require two, closely toleranced, matching concave and convex surfaces.

In Figure 7 the support plate 70 has a cylindrical extension 71, a terminal end 72 of which provides the engagement surface which contacts the convex surface 2 of the base 3.

In Figure 8 the base 80 has a cylindrical extension 81, a terminal end 82 of which provides an annular engagement surface which contacts the concave surface 23 of the support plate 1.

The adjustable support device has particular application in covert surveillance operations.

A camera is attached to the support plate with its optical axis aligned through the openings 6 and 7 in the support plate, the base and the cover plate, and through the coincident centres of curvature of the of the semi-spherical surfaces of the support plate and the base.

The device is installed behind a wall or other concealing surface, with the coincident centres curvature of the semi-spherical surfaces positioned in an aperture in the wall. The device may then be operated to aim the camera over a range of angles in any direction while maintaining the aim of the camera through the aperture.

Thus the camera may be moved along two or more meridians while maintaining the camera aim through a small aperture in a concealing surface located beyond the confines of the adjustable support device and the camera, and while the view from the camera remains clear of any part of the adjustable support device.

Claims

1. An adjustable support by which an apparatus having an axis therethrough and when supported by the adjustable support may be moved while the adjustable support maintains the axis aimed through a fixed point outside the confines of the adjustable support and the apparatus.

2. The adjustable support as claimed in claim 1 wherein the adjustable support maintains the axis aimed through the fixed point for movement of the apparatus along at least two meridians.

3. The adjustable support of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the movement of the supported apparatus is remotely controllable.

4. The adjustable support of claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the adjustable support includes a fixed part, and a relatively moveable supporting part for adjustably supporting the apparatus, the fixed point being fixed relative to the fixed part. An adjustable support for supporting an apparatus and permitting adjustment of the orientation of an axis of the apparatus while keeping the axis passing through a point which is substantially fixed with respect to the support and outside the confines of both the support and the supported apparatus, the support comprising a base member and a support member, an actuator and, optionally, a number of intermediate joint members, the base member having contact surfaces lying substantially on a first imaginary spherical surface and which together at least partly surround an opening in the base member through which axes radial to the first imaginary spherical surface pass, the support member having contact surfaces lying substantially on a second imaginary spherical surface and which together at least partly surround an opening in the support member through which axes radial to the second imaginary spherical surface pass, the first and second imaginary spherical surfaces having substantially coincident centres of curvature, the or each optional intermediate joint member comprising a semi-spherical shell which at least partly surrounds an opening in the shell and has a semi-spherical inner concave contact surface and a semi-spherical outer convex contact surface with respective 13 centres of curvature being substantially coincident with those of the imaginary spherical surfaces, the base and support members being nested together with the optional intermediate joint members, if present, nested therebetween, adjacent contact surfaces of respective nested joint members having substantially similar radii of curvature and being substantially in mating contact, the actuator being operable to move the support member, and the apparatus when attached thereto, relative to the base member while the respective mating contact surfaces remain substantially in mating contact and the apparatus axis passes substantially through the centres of curvature of the imaginary spherical surfaces, the openings of the base and support members and the openings of the optional intermediate joint members, if present, the substantially coincident centres of curvature being located outside the confines of both the support and the apparatus.

6. An adjustable support comprising a support member for supporting an apparatus having an axis therethrough, and a base member, the support member and the base member having respective contact surfaces in mating contact, the support member being moveable relative to the base member while the adjustable support maintains the mating contact, so that the axis of the apparatus when supported on the support member is rotatable in any direction about a point fixed relative to the base member, the axis remaining clear of the adjustable support, the fixed point being outside the confines of both the adjustable support and the apparatus when supported thereby.

7. The adjustable support as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the contact surfaces of the support member and the base member are concave and convex semi-spherical surfaces respectively.

8. The adjustable support as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 including an actuator operable to provide said movement of the support member relative to the base member.

9. The adjustable support as claimed in claim 5 or claim 8 wherein the actuator allows the movement of the support member relative to the base member to be remotely controlled. -14- The adjustable support as claimed in claim 9 wherein the actuator includes a driver means and a plurality of elongate elements, each elongate element being driven at a first end by the driver means and attached at a second end to one of the support or base members and being routed via a respective location on the other of the support or base members.

11. The adjustable support as claimed in claim 10 wherein the base member comprises a first contact part which includes the contact surface of the base member, a second base part and a compression spring, the compression spring being fitted between the contact part and the base part to urge the contact part away from the base part and toward the support member to tension the elongate elements and substantially maintain the mating contact between the support and base members.

12. The adjustable support as claimed in any one of claim 5 and claims 8 to 11 wherein the actuator is manually operable.

13. The adjustable support as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11 wherein the actuator is manually operable and includes first and second driver members having contact surfaces lying substantially on an imaginary spherical surface, the contact surfaces of the respective driver members being substantially in mating contact, the first ends of the elongate elements being attached to one of the driver members and routed via respective locations on the other driver member, and the adjustable support being adapted so that relative movement of the first and second driver members provides a corresponding movement of the support member relative to the base member.

14. The adjustable support as claimed in any one of claim 5 and claims 8 to 11 wherein the actuator is motorised.

15. The adjustable support as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the support is a camera support, the apparatus is a camera and the apparatus axis is an optical axis.

16. An adjustable support substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. Each and every invention herein described. GARY HENRY LEWIS 9 FEBRUARY 2001