Patent attributes
An orientable support head (1) for optical or video-photographic equipment comprises a first articulation element (2) and a second articulation element (3) which can be fixed to a support element and to the equipment, respectively, and which can be mutually moved, the first articulation element (2) comprises a member (10) which is internally hollow and which defines a receiving cavity (11) for the second articulation element (3), with a support element (15) for receiving in abutment the second articulation element (4) and an abutment element (14) for the second articulation element (4), locking means (20) which can be actuated in order to move the second articulation element (4) along a locking axis (X) between a release position (W), in which the second articulation element (4) is free to slide in the cavity (11), and a locking configuration (W′), in which the second articulation element (4) is urged against the abutment element (14) and is locked in the cavity (11), the locking means (20) further comprising a first guide element (34) and a second guide element (35) which are positioned in the member (10) and a pushing element (23) which is interposed therebetween along the locking axis (X) and which can be moved in translation with respect to those guide elements along an axis of translation (Y) which is transverse to the locking axis (X), the first guide element (34) being operatively interposed between the pushing element (23) and the support element (15), wherein there is provided a rolling member (31, 33) which is interposed between the pushing element (23) and the first guide element (34) and/or the second guide element (35), and the pushing element (23) is provided, on at least one base surface (S1, S2) which is directed towards the first guide element (34) or the second guide element (35), with at least one groove (30, 32) which cooperates with another groove (36, 37) which is defined in the first guide element (34) or the second guide element (35) in order to form a pair of guides (50) for the sliding receiving of the rolling member (31, 33), in which the base portion (30′, 32′, 36′, 37′) of at least one groove (30, 32, 36, 37) is inclined with respect to the locking axis (X) in such a manner that, following the translation movement of the pushing element (23), there is generated a movement of the second articulation element (4) along the locking axis (X).
