PIVOT CONNECTION

• US 20090123223A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: Schefenacker Vision Systems USA Incorporated (The Sumi Motherson Group)
• Inventors: Davies, Graham, Lynn, Tim, Flynn, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,157,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 403/119
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/072 for adjusting the mirror relative to its housing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 55/18 Special devices for taking up backlash for gears having orbital motion F16H1/2863
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 55/28 Special devices for taking up backlash
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32606 Pivoted
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32877 Pin is integral with or secured to inner member

Abstract

A pivot connection comprising a substantially cylindrical head (14) to be pivotally located into a socket, at least one first surface on the socket that engages one side of the outer surface of the cylindrical head (14), and second surfaces that engage the ends of the cylindrical head (14) on a side substantially opposite to the at least one first surface to thereby retain the cylindrical head (14) within the socket.

Claims

1. A pivot connection comprising:

a substantially cylindrical head to be pivotally located,

a socket into which said cylindrical head pivotally locates,

at least one first surface on said socket that engages one side of the outer surface of said cylindrical head, and

second surfaces that engage the ends of said cylindrical head on a side substantially opposite to said at least one first surface to thereby retain said cylindrical head within said socket.

2. A pivot connection according to claim 1 wherein said second surfaces comprise U-shaped recesses.

3. A pivot connection according to claim 2 wherein said first surface comprises a surface that restrains said cylindrical head within said U-shaped recesses.

4. A pivot connection according to either claim 2 or claim 3 wherein a portion of said socket is resiliently flexible to allow insertion of said cylindrical head due to said resiliently flexible portion deflecting sufficiently to allow insertion of said cylindrical head into said second surfaces.

5. A pivot connection according to claim 4 wherein said cylindrical head has a chamfered surface to assist in initiating deflection of said resiliently flexible portion.

6. A pivot connection according to any one of the preceding claims for use in a first plate that is pivotally connected to a second member, wherein said cylindrical head has attached a projection that is used to control movement of said first plate with respect to said second member.

7. A pivot connection according to claim 6 wherein said projection is a gear toothed rack that engages with drive means in said second member.

8. A pivot connection according to either claim 6 or 7 wherein said socket comprises an elongate slot in said first plate, said first surface comprises a pair of projections on either side of said slot projecting inwardly each having a curved surface that engages the other surface of said cylindrical head.

9. A pivot connection according to claim 8 wherein said second surfaces are located at the end of said elongate slot.

10. A pivot connection according to claim 9 wherein a second slot is formed in said first plate transverse to and at the end of said elongate slot to form said resiliently flexible portion.

11. A pivot connection substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.