The object of the invention relates to a camera stabilizer, which contains a camera- carrying unit adapted to be connected to the camera, and at least one support element for securing the camera stabilizer.

Whether considering amateur or professional use, one of the most fundamental expectations of videography and filmmaking is for the recording made to be a continuous series of images that can be easily understood by the viewer and that is free of shakes and swings. In the interest of this industry participants have developed various devices. In addition to software solutions (EIS - Electronic Image Stabilization ) and hardware systems integrated into the optics (OIS - Opticai Image Stabilization) the most widespread solution is the use of camera stabilizer devices especially developed for this purpose. The camera stabilizers used at present may be categorised into two main groups: mechanical stabilizers and electric stabilizers.

A significant element of mechanical stabilizers is the mechanical gimbal (pivot), which is responsible for uncoupling the camera from unwanted movements originating from the cameraman ^’ s hand movements. The counterweight placed on the vertical axle of the gimbal, characteristically positioned underneath it, is responsible for the vertical control and for maintaining the horizontal of the camera usually positioned above the gimbal. The products of the Glidecam (http://qndecam.com/) and Tiffen (https://tiffen.com/steadlcam/) companies provide examples of mechanical stabilizers. Such a solution is also disclosed by patent registration number US4474439A.

A problem occurs when due to the effect of a sudden, larger force, the counterweight, as well as the camera secured at the top of the vertical axle, swings out due to the inertia of the system, in the case of which the pendulum effect occurring prevents the usually underweighted stabilizer from regaining its balance position. Therefore, mechanical systems with counterweight are less effective mainly due to the pendulum effect, which often results in undesirable swaying or wobbling motions, as a result of which learning to use them requires extensive practice.

Contrary to this, electric stabilizers comprise a system consisting of complex electronics, sensors and electric motors, where an electric motor is used on each rotational axis that needs to be dampened. When the sensor detects turning on an axis of rotation, the motor endeavours to compensate for this movement, i.e. to neutralise the effect by rotating the given axle in the opposite direction. Examples of electric stabilizers may be found among the products of the DJI (https://www.dji.com/ronin), Freefly (https://freeflvsvstems.com/) and Zhiyun (http://www.zhlyun~tech.com/stabiiizer en/) companies, while such a solution is also disclosed by patent registration number US6536724B2.

The disadvantage of electric motor systems is that they are more vulnerable, require regular maintenance, need a power supply, and due to the small size that is expected of them the number of turns of the electromagnetic coils of the motors is limited, as a consequence of which the movement of the motors can be rough and“machine-like”, especially when under increased load. The production of such devices is very costly as a result of the complex electronics and their technical content; therefore, their price is an order of magnitude greater than their purely mechanical counterparts.

The invention is based on the recognition that by using the phenomenon of eddy current a camera stabilizer can be created that does not contain any devices that use electricity or are electrically active, such as an electric motor, nor a mechanical girnbal. The dampening required for stabilisation is achieved by the eddy current created in the electrically conducting subunit due to the effect of the relative movement of the magnets and the electrically conducting subunit located in the passive rotation-dampening units that are positioned on the rotational axes of the camera, and by the resulting braking force acting in the direction opposite to the movement.

On the basis of the above recognition the invention relates to a camera stabilizer that contains a camera-carrying unit adapted to be connected to a camera and at least one support element for securing the camera stabilizer. It is characteristic of the solution that it contains at least one electrically passive rotation-dampening unit provided with a rotational axis, which has a magnet-side part-unit and an electric conductor side part-unit connected to one another and which are rotatable relative to each other around the rotational axis of the rotation-damping unit, the electric conductor side part-unit contains an electrically conducting subunit, and the magnet side part-unit contains one or more permanent magnets adapted to induce an eddy current in the electrically conducting subunit due to the effect of the rotation of the magnet side part-unit and the electric conductor side part-unit as compared to each other, and the camera-carrying unit is connected to the support element via the at least one rotation-dampening unit in a rotatable manner relative to one another .

The objective of the present invention is to provide a camera stabilizer that is free of the disadvantages of the solutions according to the state of the art, in particular the creation of an effective, cheap camera stabilizer that is easy to use by anyone, which does not contain any electrically active elements, such as an electric motor, in other words that is not vulnerable, does not require any external energy source whatsoever, while it is much less affected by the phenomenon of the pendulum effect.

According to the invention, these objectives are achieved by a camera stabilizer according to claim 1 that utilises eddy currents.

Some preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Further details of the invention will be explained by way of exemplary embodiments with reference to the figures, wherein

Figure 1 a is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the camera stabilizer according to the invention,

Figure 1 b is another perspective view of the embodiment according to figure 1 a, Figure 2a is a perspective view of another possible embodiment of the camera stabilizer according to the invention,

Figure 2b is another perspective view of the embodiment according to figure 2a, Figure 3a is a perspective view of the magnet side part-unit of the rotation- dampening unit according to the invention,

Figure 3b is a perspective view of the electric conductor side part-unit of the rotation-dampening unit according to the invention,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rotation-dampening unit according to the invention,

Figure 5 is a side-cross-sectional view of the rotation-dampening unit according to the invention,

Figure 6a is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a preferred arrangement of the permanent magnets and the electrically conducting subunit with respect to each other,

Figure 6b is an orthographic projection of the arrangement according to figure 6a, Figure 6c is a side view of the arrangement according to figure 6a,

Figure 7a is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a second arrangement of the permanent magnets and the electrically conducting subunit with respect to each other, Figure 7b is an orthographic projection of the arrangement according to figure 7a Figure 7c is a side view of the arrangement according to figure 7a,

Figure 8a is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a third arrangement of the permanent magnets and the electrically conducting subunit with respect to each other,

Figure 8b is an orthographic projection of the arrangement according to figure 8a Figure 8c is a side view of the arrangement according to figure 8a.

A preferred embodiment of the camera stabilizer 100 according to the invention may be seen in figures 1 a and 1 b, which contains a camera-carrying unit 5 suitable for securing the camera 2 and adapted to be connected to the camera 2, and a support element 3 for securing the camera stabilizer 100 to other objects or for holding in the hand. In the context of the present invention camera 2 is understood to mean any device suitable for recording moving images, which may be a cinematographic camera, video camera, hand-held camera, action camera, smartphone or video-enabled still camera.

The support element 3 serves for the comfortable and secure holding of the camera stabilizer 100 in the hands or for securing it to any other object, which object may be, for example, a camera tripod, helmet, vehicle, bicycle, etc. The embodiments shown in figures 1 a, 1 b, 2a and 2b ensure single-handed gripping, but naturally, optionally a two-handed support element 3 may also be used (not shown).

The camera stabilizer 100 according to the invention contains at least one electrically passive rotation-dampening unit 1 that has a rotational axis 20, which has a magnet side part-unit 7 and electric conductor side part-unit 8 connected to each other and which are rotatable with respect to each other around the rotational axis 20 of the rotation-damping unit 1 . in the context of the present invention passive rotation-dampening unit 1 is understood to mean that the rotation-dampening unit 1 does not have any built in or external electricity supply (e.g. battery, mains power adapter, etc.), and no electric cable or wire is connected to it. it should be noted that in the context of the present invention, for example, an electric motor is not viewed as being electrically passive, not even when switched off.

Figures 3a and 3b present a preferred embodiment of the magnet side part-unit 7 and of the electric conductor side part-unit 8. The electric conductor side part-unit 8 contains an electrically conducting subunit 10, and the magnet side part-unit 7 contains one or more permanent magnets 9 adapted to induce eddy currents in the electrically conducting subunit 10 due to the effect of the rotation of the magnet side part-unit 7 and the electric conductor side part-unit 8 as compared to each other. The rotation-dampening unit 1 preferably has a bearing shaft 18 parallel to the rotational axis 20, around which the magnet side part-unit 7 and the electric conductor side part-unit 8 are able to rotate relative to each other. The magnet side part-unit 7 and the electric conductor side part-unit 8 do not come into direct contact with each other, the physical connection between them being preferably ensured by one or more bearings 14. The bearings 14 are preferably located in the center of the electric conductor side part-unit 8, on a flanged stub axle 13. The inside of the stub axle 13 is preferably bored, and by inserting a bolt 17 through it the internal ring of the bearings 14 may be secured to the electric conductor side part-unit 8, where preferably the head of the bolt 17 clamps the internal ring of the bearing 14 to the flange of the stub axle 13 (figure 5).

The external ring of the bearings 14 is preferably bonded to the bearing housing 18 formed in the center of the magnet side part-unit 7 for greater cohesion. In this way the magnet side part-unit 7 and the electric conductor side part-unit 8 are connected precisely on the bearing shaft 18, and are only able to carry out rotary movement around the bearing shaft 18.

Figure 4 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the rotation-dampening unit 1. In the case of this embodiment the electrically conducting subunit 10 of the electric conductor side part-unit 8 has a ring shape with the rotational axis 20 as axis of symmetry, which electrically conducting subunit 10 is covered from the outside with an external shell 15. The material of the electrically conducting subunit 10 may be any electrically conducting metal, such as aluminium or copper, or any other electric conductor, such as graphite. One or more permanent magnets 9 are positioned concentrically in the magnet side part-unit 7, which is preferabiy a varying polarity circle of magnets consisting of rectangular magnets, or preferabiy a multi-polar ring magnet with a hole in the center. In the case of an especially preferred embodiment the magnet side part-unit 7 of the rotation-dampening unit 1 contains a plurality of permanent magnets 9 forming a ring of magnets, which have a centre-point designated by the intersection point of the rotational axis 20 and a plane perpendicular thereto, and are arranged along a circular arc lying in the perpendicular plane in such a way that the polarity of the neighbouring permanent magnets 9 alternates. The maximum distance between the ring of magnets thus formed and the aluminium ring is preferably between 0.2 and 2 mm, and their surfaces are nowhere in contact with each other. In the case of the embodiment shown in figures 4 and 5, the inner diameter of the aluminium ring is larger than the external diameter of the ring of magnets (see also figures 6a, 6b, 6c). In the ease of another possible embodiment, the inner diameter of the ring of magnets is larger than the externai diameter of the aluminium ring, in other words the circle of magnets radially surrounds the electrically conducting subunit 10 formed as an aluminium ring, as it can be seen in figure 7a, 7b, and 7c.

The individual permanent magnets 9 of the ring of magnets to be found in the magnet side part-unit 7 are preferably positioned so that the directions of their magnetic moments are parallel to the normal vector of the surface of the electrically conducting subunit 10 of the electric conductor side part-unit 8 opposite the given permanent magnet 9, and perpendicular to the rotational axis 20 and to the bearing shaft 18 of the rotation-dampening unit 1 (according to figures 6a, 7a).

in the case of another preferred embodiment the directions of the magnetic moments of the individual permanent magnets 9 to be found in the magnet side part-unit 7 are parallel to the rotational axis 20 of the rotation-dampening unit 1 , in other words to the bearing shaft 18 of the rotation-dampening unit 1. In this case the electrically conducting subunit 10 is in the form of a disc with the rotational axis 20 as its axis of symmetry, and is perpendicular to the rotational axis 20, which, with respect to the ring of magnets, is arranged not radially but axially instead, as is illustrated in figures 8a, 8b and 8c. it should be noted that an embodiment is optionally conceivable in the case of which the electrically conducting subunit 10 located in the electric conductor side part-unit 8 of the rotation-dampening unit 1 consists of several separate pieces.

According to another preferred embodiment several rings of magnets or several ring magnets may be found in the magnet side part-unit 7, while several aluminium rings or several aluminium discs (not illustrated) may be found in the electric conductor side part- unit 8. In other words, two or more rings of magnets or two or more ring magnets may be found in the magnet side part-unit 7 of the rotation-dampening unit 1 , and two or more aluminium rings or two or more aluminium discs may be found in the electric conductor side part-unit 8.

In the case of a preferred embodiment of the rotation-dampening unit 1 , the magnet side part-unit 7 contains at least one direction-holding magnet 1 1 , and the electric conductor side part-unit 8 contains at least one direction-holding insert 12 attracting the at least one direction-holding magnet 1 1 , where, the direction-holding magnet 1 1 is a permanent magnet and the material of the direction-holding insert 12 is preferably a ferromagnetic metal or a permanent magnet. In the case of the possible embodiment presented in figure 5 a fiat circular ring shaped direction-hoiding insert 12 is installed in the electric conductor side part-unit 8 at a determined angle to the bearing shaft 18 and opposite the direction-hoiding magnet 1 1 , in this way the magnetic attractive force between the direction-holding magnet 1 1 and the direction-holding insert 12 has a maximum value at a specific relative position of the magnet side part-unit 7 and the electric conductor side part-unit 8, which position is considered to be the rest position of the rotation-dampening unit 1.

The rotation-dampening units 1 are responsible for dampening the undesirable rotating motions occurring as a result of ferees exerted on the moved camera 2. In the case of the camera stabilizer 100 according to the invention, the camera-carrying unit 5 is connected to the support element 3 via at least one rotation-dampening unit 1 in such a way that they may rotate as compared to each other. In other words the camera-carrying unit 5 is connected to one of the magnet side part-unit 7 and the electric conductor side part-unit 8, and the support element 3 is connected to the other of the magnet side part- unit 7 and the electric conductor side part-unit 8.

in the case of the preferred embodiments shown in figures 1 a, 1 b, 2a and 2b, the camera stabilizer 100 contains a plurality of rotation-dampening units 1 , and at least one of the magnet side part-unit 7 and the electric conductor side part-unit 8 of each of the rotation- dampening units 1 is connected to the magnet side part-unit 7 or the electric conductor side part-unit 8 of another rotation-dampening unit 1 , and the camera-carrying unit 5 is connected to the support element 3 through the rotation-dampening units 1 connected to each other in the case of a preferred embodiment, the camera stabiiizer 100 contains at least three rotation-dampening units 1 with rotational axis 20 that are perpendicular to each other and intersect each other at a single point. In other words, the rotation-dampening units 1 are connected to each other with spacer elements 4 in such a way that their rotational axis 20 are perpendicular to each other and intersect each other at a single point. The preferred embodiment according to figures 1 a and 1 b contains three rotation- dampening units 1 , the rotational axis 20 of which are located on three imaginary axes X, Y, Z that are perpendicular (orthogonal) to each other and intersect each other at a single point, which may be seen well in figure 1 a. In this way the rotational axis 20 of the various rotation-dampening units 1 cover all three 3-dimensional spatial axes. Preferably one rotation-dampening unit 1 is used for each of the various axes X, Y, Z, as it may be observed, for example, in figure 1 a. It should be noted that optionally embodiments may be conceived in the case of which two or more rotation-dampening units 1 on at least one of the axes X, Y, Z, in other words the rotational axis 20 of at ieast two rotation-dampening units 1 coincide or are parallel to each other. Figures 2a and 2b present the case of two rotation-dampening units 1 located on one rotational axis 20.

Several rotation-dampening units 1 located on one rotational axis 20 are connected to each other directly or with the help of a spacer element 4, however rotation-dampening units 1 with different rotational axis 20 may only be connected with spacer elements 4. The basic tasks of the spacer element 4 is the stable and rigid connection of the rotation- dampening units 1. The spacer elements 4 may be made from metal, plastic, or of any material with the appropriate strength it should be noted that the spacer elements 4 may be connected to the magnet side part-unit 7 and to the electric conductor side part-unit 8 using any known method (e.g. with adhesive, bolts, solder, etc.), as is obvious for a person skilled in the art.

Starting from the first rotation-dampening unit 1 secured to the support element 3, among the other rotation-dampening units 1 connected with the spacer elements 4, the last is secured to the camera-carrying unit 5 preferably with a screw connection or adhesive. The camera-carrying unit 5 is responsible for the stable, secure fixing of the camera 2, the structure and shape of which may be of several kinds depending on the various types and sizes of camera 2, as is known by a person skilled in the art.

The material of the magnet side part-unit 7, the electric conductor side part-unit 8, the camera-carrying unit 5, the support element 3 and of the spacer element 4 is preferably plastic, composite plastic, aluminium, carbon fibre composite, steel, wood or copper.

In the following the operation of the camera stabilizer 100 is presented. In order to use the camera stabilizer 100, the camera 2 needs to be placed into the camera-carrying unit 5 in such a way that their common centre of gravity falls as close as possible to the intersection point of the rotational axis 20 of the rotation-dampening units 1 . However, the various types and sizes of camera 2 have different weights and centres of gravity, the compensation of which is provided by a balancing unit 6 of the camera stabilizer 100. The balancing unit e is preferably connected to the camera-carrying unit 5, with the help of which the user is able to balance the camera stabilizer 100 for the given camera 2 per rotational axis 20. However, this centre of gravity compensation is only possible within a certain weight range, therefore preferably different camera stabilizers 100 with different sizes of rotation-dampening units 1 and spacer elements 4 need to be used for the different types of cameras (e.g. action camera, smartphone, DSLM camera, etc.). After the camera stabilizer 100 has been balanced for the camera 2, the camera stabilizer 100 may be used without any particular practice being required.

While making a film or video the camera 2 and therefore the camera stabilizer 100 are usually continuously moved. If the force exerted on the camera stabilizer 100 has a component causing torque on the given rotational axis 20, then this force forces the part- units 7, 8 of the rotation-dampening unit 1 belonging to the given rotational axis 20 connected by the bearing shaft 18 to rotate as compared to each other. As a result of the relative position - as presented previously - of the permanent magnets 9 in the magnet side part-unit 7 and the electrically conducting subunit 10 (preferably an aluminium ring) in the electric conductor side part-unit 8, the relative displacement of the electrically conducting subunit 10 always has a component that is perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic lines of force of the permanent magnets 9, therefore, according to Lenz’s law an eddy current is generated in the electrically conducting subunit 10. The eddy current generates a magnetic field in the electrically conducting subunit 10, which is opposite to the induction effect that creates it, therefore in the present case it exerts a braking force on the relatively moving permanent magnets 9 of the magnet side part-unit 7, in direct proportion to the speed of their relative movement. Due to this a form of dynamically changing“magnetic friction’’ occurs between the two part-units, which varying force forms the basis of the operation of the rotation-dampening unit 1.

it was recognised that the inertia of the weight to be dampened by the rotation- dampening unit 1 has a large influence on the effective operation of the rotation-dampening unit 1. A too strong eddy current as compared to the weight and its inertia is not preferable, as in this case an undampened, almost direct connection is created between the part-units 7, 8 of the rotation-dampening unit 1. However, an eddy current that is too small as compared to the inertia is unable to slow down the momentum. By selecting the number of permanent magnets 9, their size, the material of the electrically conducting subunit 10, as well as the arrangement of the electrically conducting subunit 10 with respect to the permanent magnets according to the weight of the camera to be used the eddy current created can be set, and thereby the magnitude of the rotation dampening to correspond with the purpose, as is obvious for a person skilled in the art.

It is also important from the point of view of use, that the magnet side part-unit 7 and the electric conductor side part-unit 8 of the rotation-dampening units 1 are always in the same position as compared to each other in the state of rest, in order to ensure that the user can properly control the camera 2. This task is carried out by the direction-holding magnet 11 and the direction-holding insert 12, because as a result of their material and arrangement presented previously, the electric conductor side part-unit 8 and the magnet side part-unit 7, in the case of their relative rotation, are forced to always take on the state of rest, as the magnetic attractive force between them is the greatest in the state of rest and decreases in proportion to the relative rotation of the two part-units with respect to each other. Their effect occurs simultaneously with the effect of the eddy current, therefore the magnitude of the interaction of the direction-holding magnet 1 1 and the direction-holding insert 12, i.e. primarily their material and arrangement are preferably adjusted to the magnitude of the eddy current.

One of the greatest advantages of the solution according to the invention is that its production is simpler than that of electric motor and most mechanical stabilizers; therefore, it is cheap as compared to them, although in terms of effectiveness it is able to compete with its most expensive competitors. Its installation and operation are simple, and it does not require any special practice nor maintenance either

Various modifications to the above disclosed embodiments will be apparent to a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection determined by the attached claims.