Selectively adjustable mounting assembly

• US 7,568,672 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TDG Acquisition Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: Vuzix Corporation
• Inventors: Glaser, Stephen, Vogler, David Alan, Ferrer, Vincent J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDUFFIE, MICHAEL D
• Application Number:
  US11/760,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20080302937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 248/229.1, 248/229.11, 248/229.14, 248/229.2, 248/229.21, 248/288.31, 248/688, 248/278.1
• US Class Current: 248/288.31
• 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 2200/022 by friction
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/027 by friction

Abstract

An adjustable attachment mechanism includes an elongate shaft, first and second seats disposed on opposite ends of the shaft, first and second collars, and an actuator. The first and second collars are disposed to translate along the elongate shaft. An inner surface of the first collar cooperates with the first seat to define a first receptacle and an inner surface of the second collar cooperates with the second seat to define a second receptacle. The actuator is in communication with the first and second collars and is actuable to selectively traverse the first and second collars along the shaft in a first direction away from each other and in a second direction toward each other, the movement in the first direction loosening the first and second receptacles and the movement in the second direction tightening the first and second receptacles.

Claims

1. An adjustable attachment mechanism comprising:

an elongate shaft;

first and second seats disposed on opposite ends of the shaft;

first and second collars disposed to translate along the elongate shaft, an inner surface of the first collar cooperating with the first seat to define a first receptacle and an inner surface of the second collar cooperating with the second seat to define a second receptacle;

an actuator in communication with the first and second collars actuable to selectively traverse the first and second collars along the shaft in a first direction away from each other and in a second direction toward each other, the movement in the first direction loosening the first and second receptacles and the movement in the second direction tightening the first and second receptacles; and

a shroud covering a portion of the receptacle.

2. An adjustable attachment mechanism comprising:

an elongate shaft;

first and second seats disposed on opposite ends of the shaft;

first and second collars disposed to translate along the elongate shaft, an inner surface of the first collar cooperating with the first seat to define a first receptacle and an inner surface of the second collar cooperating with the second seat to define a second receptacle; and

an actuator in communication with the first and second collars actuable to selectively traverse the first and second collars along the shaft in a first direction away from each other and in a second direction toward each other, the movement in the first direction loosening the first and second receptacles and the movement in the second direction tightening the first and second receptacles,

wherein the actuator comprises mating threads formed on the first and second collars and the actuator.

3. The mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the threads on the first collar are opposite the threads formed on the second collar.

4. The mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the surface of the first collar is one of frusto-spherical and frusto-spheroidal to receive a ball joint of a device to be mounted.

5. An adjustable attachment mechanism comprising:

an elongate shaft having a first seat at one end and a second seat at the other end;

first and second collars disposed on the shaft and translatable along a length of the shaft, the first and second collars each having a receiving area and a threaded portion, the first and second collars being disposed on the shaft such that the receiving area of the first collar and the first seat define a first receptacle and the receiving area of the second collar and the second seat define a second receptacle; and

an actuator rotatable about the elongate shaft, the actuator having a first threaded portion disposed to cooperate with the threaded portion of the first collar and a second threaded portion disposed to cooperate with the second threaded portion of the second collar,

wherein the threaded portion of the first collar and the threaded portion of the second collar are oppositely threaded such that when the actuator is rotated in a first direction, the threaded engagements of the actuator to the first and second collars cause the first and second collars to move along the shaft away from each other, and when the actuator is rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction, the threaded engagements of the actuator to the first and second collars cause the first and second collars to move along the shaft toward each other.

6. The attachment mechanism of claim 5, wherein the actuator comprises a substantially cylindrical inner wall, the first and second threaded portions being formed on an inner surface of the cylindrical wall.

7. The attachment mechanism of claim 5, further comprising a shroud covering a portion of one of the first receptacle and the second receptacle.

8. The attachment mechanism of claim 5, wherein the first collar and second collar have apertures therethrough, the apertures being shaped for slidable registration along the elongate shaft.

9. The attachment mechanism of claim 5, wherein the elongate shaft has a dimension along its length and a cross-section of the elongate shaft transverse to the dimension is non-circular.

10. The attachment mechanism of claim 9, wherein the first and second collars have an aperture forming a clearance fit with the elongate shaft.

11. The attachment mechanism of claim 10, wherein the openings of the first and second collars have cross-sections substantially the same as the cross-section of the elongate shaft.

12. An adjustable attachment mechanism for adjustably attaching two members, each of the members having a substantially spherical portion, the mechanism comprising:

an elongate shaft;

a first collar translatable along the elongate arm and arranged proximate a first end of the elongate arm, a portion of the first collar being threaded;

a second collar translatable along the elongate arm and arranged proximate a second end of the elongate arm, a portion of the second collar being threaded;

an actuator having a first threaded portion proximate an end and a second threaded portion proximate the other end, the first threaded portion of the actuator registering with the threaded portion of the first collar and the second threaded portion of the actuator registering with the threaded portion of the second collar, the first and second threaded portions having opposite thread orientations;

a first cap secured to the first end of the elongate arm maintaining registration of the first collar with the elongate arm;

a second cap secured to the second end of the elongate arm maintaining registration of the second collar with the elongate arm;

a first containment mechanism secured to the first collar; and

a second containment mechanism secured to the second collar,

wherein one of clockwise rotation and counter-clockwise rotation of the actuator translates the first collar and the second collar along the elongate arm away from each other and the other of clockwise rotation and counter-clockwise rotation of the actuator translates the first collar and the second collar along the elongate arm toward each other.

13. The mechanism of claim 12 wherein the first collar and the first seat define a first receptacle and the second collar and the second seat define a second receptacle.

14. The mechanism of claim 12 wherein one or both of the first collar and the second collar comprises an outer wall and a portion of the outer wall is threaded.