Apparatus for retaining a ball joint, and an assembly and a method thereof

• US 9,291,193 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Wainscott, Larry E., Roscoe, Mark, Gordon, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P
• Assistant Examiner(s): McMahon, Matthew R
• Application Number:
  US13/941,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20150016866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/00 Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor for lighting vehicle interior B60Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2200/32 Ball-joints
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/06 Ball-joints; Other joints having more than one degree of angular freedom, i.e. universal joints universal joints in which flexibility is produced by means of pivots or sliding or rolling connecting parts F16D3/16
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0623 Construction or details of the socket member
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0657 the socket member being mainly made of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/069 with at least one separate part to retain the ball member in the socket; Quick-release systems
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2362/00 Apparatus for lighting or heating in general F21 - F28
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49696 Mounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32196 Articulate joint is ball and socket
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32786 Divided socket-type coupling

Abstract

An assembly for enabling multi-adjustment of a lamp is provided. The assembly includes a frame to which the lamp is attachable, a ball joint, and an apparatus for retaining the ball joint. The ball joint has a head and a neck. The apparatus is attached to the frame, and includes a housing and a cap. The housing defines a chamber configured to receive the head of the ball joint. The housing may further define a slot in which the neck is slidable such that the ball joint is insertable into and removable from the chamber. The cap is configured to interlock with the housing to secure the ball joint such that they are substantially restricted to rotational movement with respect to each other. The cap and the housing may have retention tabs and retention ridges, respectively, configured to engage with each other to enable the interlocking.

Claims

1. An apparatus for retaining a ball joint having a head and a neck, the ball joint allowing adjustment of a lamp having a frame, the apparatus comprising:

a housing defining a chamber configured to receive the head of the ball joint, wherein the housing includes a first end wall, a second end wall opposite the first end wall, and at least one protrusion extending from the second end wall in a direction away from the first end wall;

a cap configured to interlock with the housing to secure the ball joint such that the ball joint and the housing are substantially restricted to rotational movement with respect to each other, wherein the cap includes a first cap body and a second cap body coupled to the first cap body, the first cap body is disposed outside the housing, the second cap body is disposed inside the chamber of the housing, the first cap body includes a first outer end wall and a second outer end wall opposite the first outer end wall, the second outer end wall is closer to the second end wall of the housing than to the first end wall of the housing, and the second outer end wall is disposed outside the housing;

wherein the apparatus is attachable to the frame of the lamp;

wherein the housing further defines at least one fastener hole extending through the second end wall; and

an insert configured to be located between the frame and the housing, the insert comprising at least one indent and an insert hole, wherein the at least one indent receives the at least one protrusion of the housing such that the apparatus is substantially restricted from rotating with respect to the insert; and

a fastener comprising a shank, wherein the shank extends though the at least one fastener hole of the housing and the insert hole such that the fastener couples the housing and the insert together.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second cap body defines a concave portion configured to fit around at least a portion of the head of the ball joint.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing further defines a slot in which the neck of the ball joint is slidable such that the head of the ball joint is insertable into and removable from the chamber of the housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing further defines at least one opening disposed between the first end wall and the second end wall of the housing, and the cap comprises at least one retention tab partly disposed inside the at least one opening.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing defines an exterior housing surface and an interior housing surface opposite the interior housing surface, the interior housing surface defines the chamber, the housing defining a plurality of openings extending through the interior housing surface and the exterior housing surface, each of the openings is located between the first end wall and the second end wall, the cap includes a plurality of exterior retention tabs extending from the first cap body, each of exterior retention tabs includes an exterior leg and an exterior extension protruding from the exterior leg, each of the exterior legs is disposed outside the housing, and each of the exterior extensions is disposed inside one of the openings.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the cap further comprises a plurality of interior retention tabs extending from the first cap body, wherein each of the interior retention tabs includes an interior leg and an interior extension protruding from the interior leg, each of the interior legs is disposed inside the housing, and each of the interior extensions is disposed in one of the openings.

7. An assembly for enabling multi-angle adjustment of a lamp, the assembly comprising:

a frame to which the lamp is attachable, wherein the frame has a frame hole;

a ball joint having a head and a neck coupled to the head; and

an apparatus in which the ball joint is retained, the apparatus being attached to the frame and having;

a housing defining a chamber, wherein the housing defines a housing hole, and the head is disposed inside the chamber; and

a cap configured to interlock with the housing to secure the ball joint such that the ball joint and the housing are substantially restricted to rotational movement with respect to each other; and

a fastener partly disposed inside the chamber, wherein the fastener includes a shank; and

an insert located between the frame and the housing, wherein the insert defines an insert hole, wherein the shank extends through the frame hole, the housing hole, and the insert hole such that the fastener couples the frame, the housing, and the insert together;

wherein the housing defines an exterior housing surface and an interior housing surface opposite the interior housing surface, the interior housing surface defines the chamber, the housing defining a plurality of openings extending through the interior housing surface and the exterior housing surface, the cap includes a plurality of exterior retention tabs, each of exterior retention tabs includes an exterior leg and an exterior extension protruding from the exterior leg, each of the exterior legs is disposed outside the housing, and each of the exterior extensions is disposed inside one of the openings; and

wherein the cap further comprises a plurality of interior retention tabs, wherein each of the interior retention tabs includes an interior leg and an interior extension protruding from the interior leg, each of the interior legs is disposed inside the housing, and each of the interior extensions is disposed in one of the openings.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the cap of the apparatus defines a concave portion configured to fit around at least a portion of the head of the ball joint, and the concave portion is disposed inside the chamber of the housing.

9. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the frame hole, the housing hole, and the insert hole are substantially aligned with each other, and the frame is disposed outside the housing.

10. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the housing of the apparatus further defines a slot in which the neck of the ball joint is slidable such that the head of the ball joint is insertable into and removable from the chamber of the housing.

11. The assembly of claim 7 wherein the insert defines at least one indent.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the housing further comprises at least one protrusion disposed inside the at least one indent of the insert such that the apparatus is substantially restricted from rotating with respect to the frame.

13. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the the at least one indent includes a plurality of indents, and the indents are disposed around the insert hole.

14. An assembly comprising:

a frame including a frame body, wherein the frame defines a frame hole extending through the frame body;

a ball joint having a head and a neck coupled to the head;

an apparatus coupled to the ball joint, wherein the apparatus includes;

a housing including a first end wall and a second end wall opposite the first end wall, wherein the housing defines an open chamber extending from the first end wall to the second end wall, the head is disposed inside the open chamber, the housing has an exterior housing surface and an interior housing surface opposite the exterior housing surface, the interior housing surface defines the open chamber, the housing has an outer surface interconnecting the interior housing surface and the exterior housing surface, the housing defines at least one opening extending through the exterior housing surface and the interior housing surface, and the housing includes at least one protrusion extending from the second end wall in a direction away from the first end wall;

a cap covering the open chamber, wherein the cap includes a cap body resting on the outer surface such that the cap is partially disposed outside the housing, the cap includes at least one retention tab extending from the cap body, the at least one retention tab includes a retention leg and an extension protruding from the retention leg, the retention leg is disposed outside the housing, and the extension is disposed inside the at least one opening; and

an insert disposed between the frame and the apparatus, wherein the insert has at least one indent, and the at least one protrusion is disposed in the at least one indent; and

a fastener partly disposed in the open chamber, wherein the fastener includes a shank, the housing defines a housing hole extending through the second end wall, the insert has an insert hole, and the frame defines a frame hole, and the shank extends through the housing hole, the frame hole, and the insert hole.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the outer surface directly interconnects the interior housing surface and the exterior outer surface, the housing includes a first lateral wall, a second lateral wall, and a curved wall interconnecting the first lateral wall and the second lateral wall, the curved wall is opposite to the outer surface, the first lateral wall is parallel to the second lateral wall, and the shank is parallel to the at least one protrusion.