Universal joint arrangement between an apparatus holder and a support arm or a console

• US 20060175501A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Harald Richter
• Original Assignee: Harald Richter
• Inventors: Richter, Harald
• Application Number:
  US11/133,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20060175501A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/288.310
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0661 the two co-operative parts each having both convex and concave interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/106 for ball joints
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/14 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06 ; adjustable mountings employing universal joints for lighting devices F21V21/26 - F21V21/30
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2064 for tilting and panning F16M11/2078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/022 by friction

Abstract

In a universal joint arrangement between an apparatus holder and an apparatus support console including a receiver element mounted to the console, a ball joint element projecting from the holder, a ball element for engaging the ball joint element and the receiver element and a clamping mechanism comprising a bolt and a nut, the bolt extends through the ball joint element and the receiver element and the nut or the bolt head is retained in an operating wheel which is disposed adjacent the receiver element so as to be rotatable by the fingers of a user for adjusting the clamping force engaging the ball joint element between the receiver element and the ball element.

Claims

1. A universal joint arrangement (12, 22, 32) between an apparatus holder (1) and an apparatus support console (4) comprising:

a receiver element (22) mounted to one end of the console (4), a ball joint element (32) projecting from the holder (1), a ball element (32) for engaging the ball joint element (32) and the receiver element (22) and the receiver element (22) and a clamping mechanism (3) comprising a bolt (33) and nut (35) of which one is mounted to the ball element (32) and the other provides an engagement force for engaging the ball joint element (12) between the receiver element (22) and the ball element (32), said bolt (33) extending through the ball joint element (12) and the receiver element (22) with one of the bolt (33) and the nut (35) being engaged with the ball element (32) and the other of the bolt (33) and the nut (35) being supported and retained in an operating wheel (36) which is disposed adjacent the receiver element (22) so as to be finger rotatable for adjusting the clamping force engaging the ball joint (12) between the receiver element (22) and the ball element (32).

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the receiver element (22) is a bowl-shaped member and the ball joint element (12) is received in the bowl-shaped member and has a center opening (13) through which the bolt (33) passes and which is sufficiently large to provide a desired pivot range for the holder (1) on the support console (4).

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the receiver element (22) includes an axially projecting sleeve (31) receiving the bolt (33) and the ball element (32) has a recess (32′

) receiving an end portion of the axially projecting sleeve (31) for axially movably guiding the ball element (32).

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the bolt (33, 34) is firmly connected to the ball element (32) and the nut (35) is mounted for rotation with the nut (35) threaded onto the bolt (33).

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the bolt has a bolt head (34) which is snugly engaged in the ball element (32) so as to be rotationally fixed therewith.