PIVOTING BALL MOUNT HAVING FOUR EQUALLY SPACED CONTACT POINTS

• US 20120070223A1
• Filed: 10/10/2011
• Published: 03/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wimberley, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wimberley, Inc.
• Inventors: Wimberley, David L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,419,309 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 403/90
• 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 2200/022 by friction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32196 Articulate joint is ball and socket
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32254 Lockable at fixed position
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32311 Ball and socket
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32631 Universal ball and socket
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32754 Variably preloaded
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7041 including set screw

Abstract

The present invention provides four essentially equal and (generally) evenly spaced constraints on the ball. It is the equivalent of a ball and socket joint in which the “socket” is composed of four small constraining pads of equal size and equally spaced around the surface of the ball or sphere. If a sphere is constrained by four equidistant points, each point will exert the same amount of force on the sphere. If additional pressure is applied to one point, the pressure exerted by the other points will rise to match this increased pressure. The effect of constraining a smooth ball by four equidistant points is to create the equivalent of a ball and socket joint in which the force required to rotate the ball at a particular rate is about the same in any direction. The ball is constrained by four equidistant points such that the relative movement between the ball and housing is smooth and predictable in any direction.

Claims

1. An articulating joint for joining a first element to a second element, such that the second element is rotatable around three axes relative to the first element, with controlled and even resistance around all three axes and lockable in any position within a range of articulation, the articulating joint comprising:

a housing for attaching the articulating joint to the first element;

a substantially spherical ball for attaching to the second element;

four substantially equally sized constraints mounted to the housing, and in contact with the substantially spherical ball, for restraining the substantially spherical ball while allowing the ball to rotate with controlled and even resistance around all three axes relative to the housing; and

wherein one or more of the four constraints further comprises at least one adjuster for adjusting pressure on a corresponding at least one of the four constraints to the substantially spherical ball, wherein the at least one adjuster tightens and adjusts the at least one of the four constraints, to control one or more of a clamping pressure and a level of drag.

2. The articulating joint of claim 1, wherein the four constraints are substantially equidistant from each other such that the articulating joint is rotatable around three axes with controlled and even resistance around all three axes.

3. The articulating joint of claim 1, wherein the four constraints comprise one or more of flat pads, convex pads, concave pads, rollers, balls, point contacts, ring contacts, and linear contacts.

4. The articulating joint of claim 1, wherein the four constraints comprise four substantially equally sized constraints having substantially equally sized contact areas.

5. The articulating joint of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjuster comprises a threaded rod mounted to at least one of the four constraints, the threaded rod threaded through a portion of the housing, the threaded rod having a knob for adjusting pressure on the at least one of the four constraints to the substantially spherical ball.

6. The articulating joint of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjuster includes a means for controlling frictional drag when the substantially spherical ball is not locked down, by constraining the motion of the at least one of the four constraints so that the at least one of the four constraints is capable of being backed off only a limited predetermined amount.

7. The articulating joint of claim 1, wherein the at least one adjuster further comprises:

at least one of a concentric ring and concentric partial ring surrounding one of the four constraints;

a drag adjuster, coupled to the at least one of a concentric ring and concentric partial ring, for controlling drag on the substantially spherical ball when the substantially spherical ball is not locked down by applying pressure to the at least one of a concentric ring and a concentric partial ring,

a lock down adjuster, locking down the substantially spherical ball by applying pressure from the one of the four constraints to the substantially spherical ball

8. The articulating joint of claim 1, wherein the adjuster comprises one of a lever, and an arm to apply selective pressure to the at least one of the four constraints.

9. The articulating joint of claim 1, wherein the four constraints comprise a first group of three constraints equidistant from one another, and one other constraint equidistant from each of the three constraints in the first group.

10. The articulating joint of claim 1, wherein the substantially spherical ball has a central axis intersecting a surface of the substantially spherical ball at a first point and at a second point, and the four constraints comprise:

a first pair of constraints on opposite sides of the central axis, each a predetermined distance from the first point and lying on a first plane intersecting the central axis; and

a second pair of constraints on opposite sides of the central axis, each the same predetermined distance from the second point and lying on a second plane intersecting the central axis,

wherein the first plane and the second plane are perpendicular to one another.