Pivot connection

• US 8,157,468 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Original Assignee: SMR Patents Sarl (SMR Patents)
• Inventors: Lynn, Tim, Davies, Graham, Flynn, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): KENNEDY, JOSHUA T
• Application Number:
  US11/718,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20090123223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,360 Days
• Field of Search: 403/119, 403/121, 403/150, 403/152, 403/159, 403/289, 359/873, 359/874, 359/877, 151/441
• US Class Current: 403/152
• 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 motor mechanism (10) comprising:

a cover plate (13) including a socket (15) having an opening in said cover plate (13) with first surfaces (19) located on either side of said socket (15) and second surfaces (20) defining U-shaped recesses at either end of said socket (15) and diametrically opposing said first surfaces (19), said opening being an elongated slot which is formed in said cover plate (13) and separates said first surfaces (19) as well as said second surfaces (20), and said cover plate (13) including an elongated aperture (22) which is formed in said cover plate (13) transverse to and at one of said ends of said socket (15) to form a resiliently flexible portion (21), said elongated aperture (22) extending beyond said first surfaces (19) of said socket (15);

a cylindrical head (14) pivotally engagable within said socket (15), said cylindrical head (14) having a chamfered ends (17) to facilitate engagement of said cylindrical head (14) by said first (19) and second (20) surfaces of said socket (15), with said flexible portion (21) flexing outwardly during insertion of said cylindrical head (14) into said socket (15); and

a rack (11) extending out of said cylindrical head (14), said rack (11) being pivotal with respect to said cover plate (13) as said cover plate (13) moves with respect to said motor mechanism (10).

2. A motor mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said first surface comprises a surface that restrains said cylindrical head within said U shaped recesses.

3. A motor mechanism according to claim 2 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.

4. A motor mechanism according to claim 3 wherein said cover plate is pivotally connected to a second member, wherein said cylindrical head has attached said rack that is used to control movement of said cover plate with respect to said second member.

5. A motor mechanism according to claim 4 wherein said rack is a gear toothed rack that operatively engages said motor mechanism in said second member.

6. A motor mechanism according to claim 5 wherein said second surfaces are located at ends of said socket.