REARVIEW MOUNTING DEVICE

• US 20140097320A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Rizk, Peter N., Ypma, Kenton J., Filipiak, Kenneth R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,960,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/475.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• 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 13/02 for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/021 for rotational movement
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/022 by friction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/024 by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/041 for balancing rotational movement of the head

Abstract

A rearview device mounting assembly includes a bracket having a windshield engagement surface. The bracket further includes a neck with a ball. The ball has at least one of either a knurled patch or a striation and the ball is configured to engage a socket in the rearview device. The socket of the rearview device includes fingerlike projections and a ball engaging surface. The ball engaging surface has raised features to frictionally engage the ball and minimize or eliminate droop of the rearview device.

Claims

1. A rearview device mounting assembly comprising:

a mount;

a neck extending from the mount and including a ball on a distal end thereof;

at least one of a striation or a knurled patch disposed on an outer circumference of the ball; and

a socket configured to closely receive the ball.

2. The rearview mounting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one striation is parallel to the equator of the ball 20.

3. The rearview mirror mounting device of claim 2, wherein the at least one striation is a shaped groove.

4. The rearview mounting device of claim 3, wherein the depth of the groove is from about 0.15 mm to about 0.5 mm.

5. The rearview mounting device of claim 3, wherein the shape of the groove is triangular, square or circular.

6. The rearview mounting device of claim 1, wherein the at least one striation comprises a partial groove that does not fully circumscribe the ball.

7. The rearview mounting device of claim 6, wherein the at least one striation is present on a top area of the ball and a bottom area of the ball.

8. The rearview mirror mounting device of claim 1, wherein the socket further comprises fingerlike projections which engage the at least one striation.

9. The rearview mirror mounting device of claim 1, having at least two knurled patches, with one present on a top area of the ball and another present on a bottom area of the ball.

10. A rearview device assembly, comprising:

a rearview device; and

a socket extending from the rearview device, wherein the socket has fingerlike projections to closely receive a ball, and which has a ball engagement surface with raised features thereon to frictionally engage the ball.

11. The rearview device of claim 10, wherein the raised features include a plurality of raised bumps.

12. The rearview device of claim 10, wherein the raised features include a plurality of crosses having a first pair of arms and a second pair of arms, wherein the second pair of arms extend generally perpendicularly from the first pair of arms.

13. The rearview device of claim 12, wherein the socket is configured to receive the ball from a first direction, and wherein the first pair of arms extends generally parallel to the first direction.

14. The rearview device of claim 10, wherein the raised features include a plurality of thin ribs.

15. The rearview device of claim 14, wherein the socket is configured to receive the ball from a first direction, and wherein the thin ribs extend generally parallel to the first direction.

16. A rearview device mounting assembly, comprising:

a socket having a ball engaging surface;

a ball having an exterior surface which fits in close engagement with the ball engaging surface; and

wherein at least one of the ball or the socket has a rotational resistance feature, wherein the rotation resistance feature includes one of a textured ball engaging surface and a textured exterior surface.

17. The rearview device mounting assembly of claim 17, wherein the rotational resistance feature includes a plurality of raised protrusions that extend inwardly from the ball engaging surface and frictionally engage the ball.

18. The rearview device mounting assembly of claim 17, wherein the raised protrusions include one of a rounded top surface and a flattened top surface.

19. The rearview device mounting assembly of claim 17, wherein the torsional resistance about a horizontal axis extending through the ball is substantially equal to the torsional resistance about a vertical axis extending through the ball.

20. The rearview device mounting assembly of claim 17, wherein the socket comprises a plurality of fingerlike projections, and wherein the raised protrusions include a plurality of raised crosses, with one cross disposed on each of the fingerlike projections.