Patent ID: 8277505

Claim:
A device for providing at least one and up to three rotational degrees of freedom and at east one and up to three linear degrees of freedom comprising: a prismatic pair, with a cranial end and a caudal end, having, an inferior plate wherein the cranial end forms an upper wall surface and wherein a cavity is fainted within the inferior plate with one or more tab cavities peripheral to and contiguous with the cavity, such that the cavity and the one or more tab cavities are open at the cranial end; a ball-cylinder having a ball-cylinder wall, wherein one or more tabs are fixedly attached at or about the periphery of the caudal end of the ball-cylinder wall and the cranial end comprises a ball portion with a spherical cavity formed therein, which opens to the cranial end, such that the caudal end of the ball-cylinder wall and the one or more tabs can be inserted into and slide within the cavity and the one or more tab cavities, respectively, within the inferior plate; a ball-cylinder retainer with an opening there through that can be placed over the cranial end of the ball-cylinder, such that the ball portion extends through the opening, and the ball-cylinder retainer can be fixedly attached to the upper wall surface and cover the tab cavities, so that the tabs are retained within the tab cavities and the ball-cylinder is prevented from disconnecting from the inferior plate; a spherical slider having a cranial end and a caudal end and at least one lateral curvate surface, wherein the caudal end is moveably retained within the spherical cavity such that the cranial end of the spherical slider extends through the spherical cavity opening; a socket having a cranial end and a caudal end with a curvate raceway cavity there between, wherein the cranial end has a superior planar surface and the caudal end has a concave inferior surface having a curvature that is compatible with and movable on the ball portion of the ball-cylinder; and a socket cavity formed within the socket with an opening onto the concave inferior surface at the caudal end, such that the cranial end of the spherical slider can be moveably retained within the socket cavity, so that the device when assembled forms a kinematic chain characterized by inseparably connected, articulating components.