LOCKABLE BALL-AND-SOCKET JOINT

Abstract: Lockable ball-and-socket joint, comprising a ball (9) and a socket, which is made as a piston (6) moveable in a chamber (5) with a hemispherical depression complementary to the ball. The diaphragm (14) on the side of the piston facing away from the ball bounds a compressed air chamber (16). When compressed air is supplied to the chamber (16), the socket is forced upwards under the influence of the diaphragm, and the ball is clamped securely between the socket and a spherical surface (9) of a bearing element (4).

Description: LOCKABLE BALL-AND-SOCKET JOINT The present invention relates to a lockable ball-and-socket joint, comprising a socket, a ball moveable mounted in the socket and having fastening means directed away from the socket, and a locking means for fixing the ball relative to the socket. The purpose of the present invention is in general to provide a lockable ball-and-socket joint of the abovementioned type, which is simple and reliable and which can be used with advantage as a support for a fixture or table which can be set at various angles. In particular, the purpose is to achieve a ball-and-socket joint which is suitable to be combined with a support device of the type shown and described in Swedish patent application 8903943-2 and which is operated by pressure medium for adjus¬ ting the height and which is provided with pressure medium controlled blocking means for locking the moving parts of the support relative to each other after height adjustment. This is achieved according to the invention in a ball-and- socket joint of the type described above by way of introduc¬ tion by virtue of the fact that the socket is formed of an element displaceably mounted in a chamber with a semi-spheri- cal depression receiving the ball, that the chamber on a side facing the fastening means is bounded by a bearing element with a sliding surface complementary to the ball and that means are provided for supplying pressure medium to an oppo¬ site side of the chamber so that the displaceably mounted element is displaced under the influence of pressure of the medium towards the bearing element to clamp the ball fixedly between itself and the bearing element. Such a ball-and-socket joint can be manufactured of few components and is simple in its construction. Contributing to this simplicity is the fact that it only has one moving part in addition to the ball, namely the socket, which has a double function, i.e. it functions both as a bearing element and as a locking element. Since the locking function is controlled by a pressure medium, the ball-and-socket joint can be combined with advantage with the support device shown in Swedish Patent Application 8903943-2. The means for sup- plying or draining the pressure medium from the ball-and- socket joint can be integrated into the control circuit for the support device for height adjustment or locking. The invention will be described below with reference to examples shown in the accompanying drawing, where Figures 1 and 2, respectively, show longitudinal sections through a first and a second embodiment, respectively, of a ball-and-socket joint, and Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of a pneumatic circuit for controlling the locking function. The ball-and-socket joint according to the invention compri¬ ses a housing with a general designation 1, consisting of a cylindrical portion 2, a bottom plate 3 and a bearing element 4, which are held to each other by means of screws. Said components define a chamber 5, in which a cylindrical element 6 is enclosed and is so dimensioned that it is vertically displaceable in the chamber 5. The cylindrical element 6 is provided with a hemispherical depression 7, in which a ball 8 is received. The bearing element 4 is provided with a slide surface 9 which is complementary to the spherical surface of the ball 8. In the embodiment according to Figure 1, the bearing element 4 has a relatively large central opening 10, which exposes a portion of the ball which is joined to a threaded stud 11, designed to support for example a fixture, a table or the like. The embodiment of Figure 2 differs from that in Figure 1 in that the bearing element 4 essentially encloses the entire upper half of the ball 8 and that instead of the opening 10 it has two perpendicularly arranged thro¬ ugh-slots 12 and 13, respectively, the width of which is adapted to the width of the stud 11. This embodiment provides a greater sliding or frictional surface on the bearing ele¬ ment but limits somewhat the freedom of adjustment. But repeated adjustment between various defined positions is, however, facilitated. A diaphragm 14 is mounted between the bottom plate 3 and the cylindrical portion 2 of the housing. The diaphragm, which can consist of a polymer material, divides the chamber 5 into an upper portion 15 communicating with the atmosphere and a lower portion 16 which is sealed relative to the atmosphere and which communicates via a channel 17 with a compressed air system shown in Figure 3. The compressed air system which is shown in Figure 3 compri- ses for example a foot pedal controlled "on-off" valve 30, which is connected to a pressure source 31 and controls a pneumatic valve 32, which, in the "off" position of the valve 30, establishes communication between the pressure source 31 and the chamber 16 via a pneumatic non-return valve 33. In the position shown in Figure 3 of the valves, the valve 30 is in its "off" position and in the chamber 16 there is thus the circuit pressure created by the pressure source 31, which means that the diaphragm 14 is pressed upwards and via the cylindrical element 6 presses the ball 8 against the bearing element 4. The pressure in the circuit is adapted so that a clamping force is obtained which is sufficient to fix the ball in its said position. The pressure, and thus the clam¬ ping force, is dependent on the friction between the compo¬ nents. The ball 8, the socket 6 and the bearing element 4 are preferably made of metal. The sliding surfaces can be coated with a frictional material, e.g. rubber, which makes it possible to use a lower pressure in the chamber 16 than if the sliding surfaces were clean metal surfaces. The pneumatic system also comprises a pressure regulating valve 34 and a quick venting valve 35. The non-return valve 33 is constantly under circuit pressure via a line 36 connec¬ ted to the pressure source and is kept open under the in¬ fluence of the circuit pressure. When the foot pedal control valve 30 is switched to the "on" position in order to unlock the ball 8, the valve 32 is switched so that the chamber 16 is in communication with the atmosphere via the quick venting valve 35. The pressure in the chamber 16 is thus rapidly reduced to the pressure determined by the pressure control valve 34 but not lower, since the non-return valve function of the valve 34 discontinues the venting as soon as the pressure in the chamber 16 tends to be lower than the pressu¬ re determined by the pressure control valve 34. This pressure is set so that the force acting on the membrane 14 at least balances the weight of the socket 6 and the ball 8. The non-return valve 33 functions to prevent sudden pressure drop in the chamber 16, thus unlocking the ball 8, e.g. if a fault should arise causing a pressure drop in the system. The chamber 16 is made with a somewhat smaller diameter than the cylindrical chamber 5, so that an annular edge surface is formed which can support the socket 6 via the diaphragm 14 if the chamber 16 should be vented to atmospheric pressure.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Lockable ball-and-socket joint, comprising a socket, a ball moveably mounted into the socket and having fastening means directed away from the socket, and locking means for fixing the ball relative to the socket, characterized in that the socket is formed of an element (6), displaceably mounted in a chamber (5) with a semi-spherical depression (7) recei¬ ving the ball (8), that the chamber on a side facing the. fastening means (11) is bounded by a bearing element (4) with a sliding surface (9) complementary to the ball, and that means (17) are provided for supplying pressure medium to an opposite side (16) of the chamber so that the displaceably mounted element (6) is displaced under the influence of pressure of the medium towards the bearing element to clamp the ball (6) fixedly between itself and the bearing element. 2. Ball-and-socket joint according to Claim 1, characterized in that a diaphragm (14) is fixed in a chamber (5) between the socket (6) and the means (17) for supplying pressure medium. 3. Ball-and-socket joint according to Claim 1 or 2, charac¬ terized in that the depression (7) in the socket is hemisphe¬ rical and that the sliding surface (9) of the bearing element (4) forms a spherical continuation of the depression in the socket. 4. Ball-and socket-joint according to one of Claim 1-3, characterized in that the socket (6), the ball (8) and the bearing element (4) are made of metal. 5. Ball-and-socket joint according to Claim 4, characterized in that the depression (7) of the socket (6) and the sliding surface (9) of the bearing element (4) have a coating of a frictional material. 6. Ball-and-socket joint according to one of Claims 1-5, characterized in that the chamber (16) is connected to a pressure medium circuit with valves (30, 32, 33, 34, 35) arranged in a first position to maintain such a pressure in the chamber that the ball (8) is clamped fixedly between the bearing element (4) and the moveable element (6) and a second position, in which a lower pressure is maintained, which at least balances the weight of the ball and the moveable ele- ment.

Inventors: ANDREASSON LEIF, DANIELSSON BJARNE, JAKOBSSON LARS, LARSSON JAN, LJUNG ORVAR, ANDREASSON, LEIF, DANIELSSON, BJARNE, JAKOBSSON, LARS, LARSSON, JAN, LJUNG, ORVAR
Applicants: VOLVO AB, AB VOLVO
Application year: 1991
Main classification: F16C11
IPC codes: F16C11, F16M11