Ball joint orientation device applicable to unipod

Abstract

A ball joint orientation device applicable to a unipod includes a ball joint and stop members, in which one end of the ball joint is formed as a rotating part and is arranged in a ball joint seat in a universal swaying manner, and the other end extends to form a connecting part and is fixedly connected with a main rod; the stop members are arranged in the ball joint seat, and include a locking stop member located at the upper side of the rotating part; an orientation knob is sleeved on the connecting part and/or the main rod; when screwed toward the direction close to the ball joint seat, the ball joint is subjected to orienting locking and no longer rotates; and when screwed toward the direction away from the ball joint seat, and the orienting locking is released, so the ball joint is rotatable freely.

Claims

1. A ball joint orientation device applicable to a .[.unipod.]. .Iadd.monopod.Iaddend., comprising.Iadd.:.Iaddend. a ball joint; stop members; a ball joint seat; and a main rod; wherein, one end of said ball joint .[.is formed as.]. .Iadd.comprises .Iaddend.a rotating part and is arranged in said ball joint seat in a universal swaying manner, and the other end .Iadd.of said ball joint .Iaddend.extends to form a connecting part and is .[.fixedly.]. connected with said main rod; said stop members .[.are.]. .Iadd.being .Iaddend.arranged in said ball joint seat, and said stop members .[.comprise.]. .Iadd.comprising .Iaddend.a locking stop member located at .[.an upper.]. .Iadd.one .Iaddend.side of said rotating part.Iadd., wherein said locking stop member is a first ball joint stop ring and disposed at one end of said ball joint seat, and a surface of said ball joint seat abutting against a spherical surface of said rotating part.Iaddend.; said stop members .[.further comprise.]. .Iadd.comprising .Iaddend.a .[.lower.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.stop member adapted for limiting a position of the ball joint and located at a .[.lower.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.side of said rotating part, an upper surface of the .[.lower.]. .Iadd.first .Iaddend.stop member abuts against the rotating part.Iadd., wherein said first stop member is a second ball joint stop ring disposed in the ball joint seat.Iaddend.; .[.said device further comprises.]. an orientation knob sleeved around the connecting part .[.and/or said main rod.]. .Iadd.via a threaded connection.Iaddend., and said orientation knob .[.can be screwed.]. .Iadd.being transitioned .Iaddend.towards or away from said ball joint seat.[., so as to move upward or downward.].; .Iadd.wherein .Iaddend.said orientation knob .[.is able to abut.]. .Iadd.abuts .Iaddend.against an end face of said ball joint seat by .[.being screwed.]. .Iadd.moving .Iaddend.towards said ball joint seat, and, .Iadd.wherein .Iaddend.said locking stop member locks said ball joint.[., so as.]. to prevent said ball joint from rotating; .[.and.]. .Iadd.wherein .Iaddend.said orientation knob .[.becomes separated.]. .Iadd.separates .Iaddend.from said ball joint seat .[.by being screwed.]. .Iadd.in response to being transitioned .Iaddend.away from said ball joint seat.[., so as.]. to release said ball joint and allow the ball joint .[.to rotate.]. .Iadd.for rotating .Iaddend.freely, wherein said main rod and said connecting part are .[.fixedly.]. connected together through a main rod joint, one end of said main rod joint is sleeved around said main rod and in threaded connection with one end of said main rod, and the other end of said main rod joint is sleeved around said connecting part and in threaded connection with said connecting part.[.,.]..Iadd.; and.Iaddend. .[.said orientation knob is sleeved around said main rod joint, and in threaded connection with said main rod joint or said connecting part, said lower stop member is a ball joint lower stop ring made of plastic, and the ball joint lower stop ring is fixed in ball joint seat, said locking stop member is a ball joint upper stop ring made of rubber, and the ball joint upper stop ring is disposed inside said ball joint seat and located at the upper end of said ball joint seat, and the lower surface of said ball joint seat abuts against a spherical surface of said rotating part,.]. .[.the mutual contact surfaces of each of the ball joint upper and lower stop rings and the rotating part are curved surfaces.]. .Iadd.wherein the first ball joint stop ring engages the rotating part and the second ball joint stop ring engages the rotating part.Iaddend., wherein the locking stop member .[.is in the form of.]. .Iadd.comprises .Iaddend.a flange formed by extension of the end face of the ball joint seat toward .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.direction of .[.the.]. .Iadd.a .Iaddend.central axis, .Iadd.wherein said flange comprises .Iaddend.an inner diameter .[.of the flange is.]. .Iadd.being .Iaddend.smaller than a diameter of the rotating part of the ball joint and .[.is.]. .Iadd.being .Iaddend.larger than a diameter of the connecting part.

2. The ball joint orientation device of claim 1, wherein, recesses are respectively formed at both end ports of .[.the.]. .Iadd.an .Iaddend.inner wall of the orientation knob, and seal rings are respectively disposed in said recesses.

.Iadd.3. A ball joint orientation device applicable to a monopod, comprising a ball joint; stop members; a ball joint seat; and a monopod body; wherein, one end of said ball joint comprises a rotating part and is arranged in said ball joint seat in a universal swaying manner, and the other end of said ball joint extends to form a connecting part and is connected with said monopod body; said stop members being arranged in said ball joint seat, and said stop members comprising a locking stop member located at one side of said rotating part, wherein said locking stop member is a first ball joint stop member and disposed at one end of said ball joint seat, and a surface of said ball joint seat abutting against a spherical surface of said rotating part; said stop members comprising a first stop member adapted for limiting a position of the ball joint and located at a first side of said rotating part, an upper surface of the first stop member abuts against the rotating part, wherein said first stop member is a second ball joint stop member disposed in the ball joint seat; an orientation knob sleeved around the connecting part via a threaded connection, and said orientation knob being transitioned towards or away from said ball joint seat; wherein said orientation knob abuts against an end face of said ball joint seat by moving towards said ball joint seat, and, wherein said locking stop member locks said ball joint to limit said ball joint from rotating; wherein said orientation knob separates from said ball joint seat in response to being transitioned away from said ball joint seat to release said ball joint for rotating freely; wherein said monopod body and said connecting part are connected together through a monopod body joint, one end of said monopod body joint is sleeved around said monopod body and in threaded connection with one end of said monopod body, and the other end of said monopod body joint is sleeved around said connecting part and in threaded connection with said connecting part; and wherein the first ball joint stop member engages the rotating part and the second ball joint stop member engages the rotating part, wherein the locking stop member comprises a flange formed by extension of the end face of the ball joint seat toward a direction of a central axis, wherein said flange comprises an inner diameter being smaller than a diameter of the rotating part of the ball joint and being larger than a diameter of the connecting part..Iaddend.

.Iadd.4. A ball joint orientation device applicable to a monopod comprising a ball joint; stop members; a ball joint seat; and a monopod body; wherein one end of said ball joint comprises a rotating part and is disposed in said ball joint seat in a universal swaying manner, and the other end of said ball joint extends to form a connecting part; said stop members being disposed in said ball joint seat, and said stop members comprising a locking stop member disposed at one side of said rotating part, wherein said locking stop member comprises a first ball joint stop ring and disposed at one end of said ball joint seat, and wherein a surface of said ball joint seat abutting against a spherical surface of said rotating part; said stop members comprising a first stop member adapted for limiting a position of the ball joint and located at a first side of said rotating part, one surface of the first stop member abuts against the rotating part, wherein said first stop member is a second ball joint stop ring disposed in the ball joint seat; an orientation knob sleeved around the connecting part, in response to a force applied thereto, wherein said orientation knob transitions toward or away from said ball joint seat; wherein when one end of said orientation knob abuts against an end face of said ball joint seat by moving towards said ball joint seat, wherein said locking stop member locks said ball joint to limit said ball joint from rotating; wherein said orientation knob separates from said ball joint seat in response to another force applied thereto to move away from said ball joint seat to release said ball joint for rotating freely; wherein said monopod body and said connecting part are connected together through a monopod body joint, one end of said monopod body joint is in threaded connection with one end of said monopod body, and the other end of said monopod body joint is connected with said connecting part; and wherein the first ball joint stop ring engages the rotating part and the second ball joint stop ring engages the rotating part, wherein the locking stop member comprises a flange formed by extension of the end face of the ball joint seat toward a direction of a central axis, wherein said flange comprises an inner diameter being smaller than a diameter of the rotating part of the ball joint and being larger than a diameter of the connecting part..Iaddend.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Detailed description will be given below in conjunction with accompanying drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a ball joint orientation device of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a structural schematic view of the ball joint orientation device of the invention in its locked state;

(4) FIG. 3 is a structural schematic view of the ball joint orientation device of the invention in its unlocked state;

(5) FIG. 4 is a structural schematic view of the ball joint positioning device of the invention when it is used in combination with a unipod;

(6) Reference numerals in the figures are as follows: 1ball joint; 11rotating part; 12connecting part; 21locking stop member; 22lower stop member; 3orientation knob; 31recess; 32seal ring; 4main rod; 41main rod joint; and 5ball joint seat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

(7) The invention will be further discussed below using the following embodiments in conjunction with the drawings.

(8) As shown in FIGS. 1-4, a ball joint orientation device applicable to a unipod of one embodiment of the invention comprises a ball joint 1, stop members, a ball joint seat 5, and a main rod 4, wherein, one end of the ball joint 1 is formed as a rotating part 11 and is arranged in a ball joint seat 5 in a universal swaying manner, and the other end extends to form a connecting part 12 and is fixedly connected with a main rod 4; the stop members are arranged in the ball joint seat 5, and the stop members comprise a locking stop member 21 located at an upper side of the rotating part 11; the device further comprises an orientation knob 3 sleeved around the connecting part 12 and/or the main rod 4, and the orientation knob 3 can be screwed towards or away from said ball joint seat 5, so as to move upward or downward; the orientation knob 3 is able to abut against an end face of the ball joint seat 5 by being screwed towards the ball joint seat 5, and, the locking stop member 21 locks the ball joint 1, so as to prevent the ball joint from rotating; and the orientation knob 3 becomes separated from the ball joint seat 5 by being screwed away from the ball joint seat 5, so as to release the ball joint 1 and allow the ball joint to rotate freely. In the invention, the locking of the ball joint 1 is achieved by mutual cooperation of the three components, i.e., the orientation knob 3, the end face of the ball joint seat 5 and the locking stop member 21, i.e., with the abutting of the orientation knob 3 against the ball joint seat 5, an upward pull force is generated for the ball joint 1, so that the ball joint 1 and the locking stop member 21 are coupled with each other, thereby achieving orienting locking of the ball joint 1, and avoiding mutual friction between the ball joint 1 and a locking device, so as to achieve a firm locking effect.

(9) In the embodiment, the stop members may further comprise a lower stop member 22 located at the lower side of the rotating part 11, and the lower stop member 22 is able limit the ball joint 1 within a certain space of the ball joint seat 5, and prevent the ball joint 1 from sliding up and down along the axial direction of the ball joint seat 5 after the ball joint is unlocked, so that the swaying of the ball joint 1 in the ball joint seat 5 may be more flexible and smooth.

(10) In a preferred embodiment, the main rod 4 and the connecting part 12 are fixedly connected through a main rod joint 41, one end of the main rod joint 41 being sleeved on the main rod 4 and in threaded connection with an end of the main rod 4, and the other end of the main rod joint 41 is sleeved around the connecting part 12 and in threaded connection with the connecting part 12. The orientation knob 3 is sleeved around the main rod joint 41, and in threaded connection with the main rod joint 41.

(11) In an alternative embodiment, the main rod 4 is adapted for being directly in threaded connection with the connecting part 12, and the orientation knob 3 is adapted for being directly sleeved around the main rod 4 or the connecting part 12 and in threaded connection with the main rod 4 or the connecting part 12.

(12) In the embodiment, recesses 31 are respectively formed at two end ports of the inner wall of the orientation knob 3, and seal rings 32 are respectively disposed in the recesses 31; and the seal rings 32 is adapted for preventing sand or dust from entering the clearances between the orientation knob 3 and the main rod 4 or between the orientation knob 3 and the main rod joint 41, thereby ensuring smooth rotation of the orientation knob 3 during use.

(13) Further, in the embodiment, preferably the lower stop member 22 is a ball joint lower stop ring made of plastic, and the ball joint lower stop ring is fixedly disposed in ball joint seat 5, and the upper surface thereof abuts against the spherical surface of the rotating part 11; and the locking stop member 21 is a ball joint upper stop ring made of rubber, and the ball joint upper stop ring is disposed inside the ball joint seat 5 and located at the upper end of the ball joint seat 5, and the lower surface of the ball joint seat 5 abuts against a spherical surface of the rotating part 11.

(14) In a preferred embodiment, the mutual contact surfaces of each of the ball joint upper and lower stop ring and the rotating part 11 are curved surfaces, such that when being locked, the ball joint 1 can be in close fit with the ball joint upper stop ring, and the locking is firm, and at the same time, when being rotated, the ball joint 1 can be in fit with the curved surface of the ball joint lower stop ring, and can rotate smoothly.

(15) In an alternative embodiment of the locking stop member 21, the locking stop member 21 can also be designed in the form of a flange, which is formed by extension of an end face of the ball joint seat 5 toward the direction of the central axis, the inner diameter of the flange may be smaller than the diameter of the rotating part 11 of the ball joint 1 and larger than the diameter of the connecting part 12.

(16) While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.