Patent ID: 7008069

Claim:
A mirror mount for forming a ball-and-socket connection for adjustably supporting a vehicle rearview mirror head, comprising: a first mount component including a washer-like base with a flat surface defining an attachment plane, a locator on the flat surface and adapted to orient the mount component during attachment of the mount component to the mirror head such that the flat surface is in facing engagement with at least a part of the mirror head, a stem extending from a side of the washer-like base opposite the attachment plane, and a ball section on an end of the stem; the ball section being larger in diameter than the stem and defining a circumferential circular clearance area around the stem at a bottom of the ball section, the clearance area being shaped and adapted to receive an end of a socket-forming component that adjustably receives and engages the ball section to form the ball-and-socket connection; the mount component including a bore extending perpendicular to the attachment plane through the washer-like base and into the stem for receiving an attachment screw; the stem defining a first longitudinal centerline and the bore defining a second longitudinal centerline that extends at an acute angle to the first longitudinal centerline, with the circumferential circular clearance area defining a second plane that extends perpendicular to the first longitudinal centerline but that extends at the acute angle to the attachment plane.