Ball-and-socket assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A ball-and-socket assembly having:
- a ball element including a base and a ball portion spaced apart from the base by a support portion extending from the base;
a socket housing including a socket formed by a flexible socket wall for receiving and releasably retaining the ball portion in the socket;
a sleeve slidably mounted on the socket housing and movable relative to the socket between an engaged position, in which the sleeve reinforces the flexible socket wall such that the socket wall retains the ball portion in the socket, and a disengaged position, in which the socket wall is not reinforced by the sleeve and the ball portion is receivable in the socket and releasable from the socket;
the socket housing being coaxial with a housing longitudinal axis and the ball element being coaxial with a ball element longitudinal axis; and
the socket wall and the sleeve including at least one slot each, said slots being alignable with each other when the ball portion is received in the socket and the sleeve is in the engaged position to permit the socket housing to move relative to the ball portion such that the housing longitudinal axis is positionable between approximately 180°
relative to the ball element longitudinal axis and approximately 90°
relative to the ball element longitudinal axis.
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Abstract
The invention provides a ball-and-socket assembly having a ball element including a ball portion and a socket housing including a socket formed by a flexible socket wall for receiving and releasably retaining the ball portion in the socket. The ball-and-socket assembly also includes a sleeve mounted on the socket housing and movable relative to the socket between an engaged position, in which the sleeve reinforces the flexible socket wall such that the socket wall retains the ball portion in the socket, and a disengaged position, in which the socket wall is not reinforced by the sleeve and the ball portion is receivable in the socket and releasable from the socket.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A ball-and-socket assembly having:
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a ball element including a base and a ball portion spaced apart from the base by a support portion extending from the base;
a socket housing including a socket formed by a flexible socket wall for receiving and releasably retaining the ball portion in the socket;
a sleeve slidably mounted on the socket housing and movable relative to the socket between an engaged position, in which the sleeve reinforces the flexible socket wall such that the socket wall retains the ball portion in the socket, and a disengaged position, in which the socket wall is not reinforced by the sleeve and the ball portion is receivable in the socket and releasable from the socket;
the socket housing being coaxial with a housing longitudinal axis and the ball element being coaxial with a ball element longitudinal axis; and
the socket wall and the sleeve including at least one slot each, said slots being alignable with each other when the ball portion is received in the socket and the sleeve is in the engaged position to permit the socket housing to move relative to the ball portion such that the housing longitudinal axis is positionable between approximately 180°
relative to the ball element longitudinal axis and approximately 90°
relative to the ball element longitudinal axis.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A ball-and-socket assembly for coupling a boat top frame to a boat body, the ball-and-socket assembly having:
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a ball element adapted for attachment to the boat body, the ball element including a base and a ball portion spaced apart from the base by a support portion extending from the base;
a socket housing adapted for attachment to the boat top frame, the socket housing including a socket formed therein by a flexible socket wall for receiving and releasably retaining the ball portion in the socket; and
a sleeve mounted on the socket housing and movable relative to the socket between an engaged position, in which the sleeve reinforces the flexible socket wall such that the socket wall retains the ball portion in the socket, and a disengaged position, in which the socket wall is not reinforced by the sleeve and the ball portion is receivable in the socket and releasable from the socket, whereby the ball portion is retained in the socket and the socket housing is movable relative to the ball portion when the ball portion is received in the socket and the sleeve is in the engaged position. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A boat top including:
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a collapsible boat top frame movable between a down position and an up position;
a boat top cover adapted for attachment to the boat top frame, the cover being stretched over the boat top frame and supported by the boat top frame when the boat top frame is in the up position;
at least one ball element adapted for attachment to a boat body;
the boat top frame including at least one socket housing for coupling the boat top frame to the boat body, the socket housing including a socket formed therein by a flexible socket wall for receiving and releasably retaining the ball portion in the socket; and
a sleeve slidably mounted on said at least one socket housing and movable relative to the socket between an engaged position, in which the sleeve reinforces the flexible socket wall such that the socket wall retains the ball portion in the socket, and a disengaged position, in which the socket wall is not reinforced by the sleeve and the ball portion is receivable in the socket and releasable from the socket, whereby the ball portion is retained in the socket and said at least one socket housing is movable relative to the ball portion when the ball portion is received in the socket and the sleeve is in the engaged position. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. In a ball-and-socket assembly for coupling a boat top frame to a boat body, the ball-and-socket assembly including a ball element adapted for attachment to the boat body and a socket housing adapted for attachment to the boat top frame, the ball element including a base and a ball portion spaced apart from the base by a support portion, the socket housing including a socket formed therein by a flexible socket wall for receiving and releasably retaining the ball portion, the improvement comprising a sleeve slidably mounted on the socket housing and movable relative to the socket between an engaged position, in which the sleeve reinforces the socket wall such that the socket wall retains the ball portion in the socket, and a disengaged position, in which the socket wall is not reinforced by the sleeve and the ball portion is receivable in the socket and releasable from the socket, whereby the ball portion is retained in the socket and the socket housing is movable relative to the ball portion when the ball portion is received in the socket and the sleeve is in the engaged position.
Specification