Patent ID: 6802275
Filing Date: 2004-10-12
Classification: B63B,F16C,Y10T

Abstract:
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 180Â° relative to the ball element longitudinal axis and approximately 90Â° relative to the ball element longitudinal axis.