Patent ID: 7993070

Claim:
A coupling member for pivotally coupling an end of a device to a mounting ball, comprising: a body connectable to the end of the device and defining a socket for receiving a mounting ball, said body having slots communicating with said socket; a sliding element arranged in a longitudinal groove of said body, said sliding element movable in a longitudinal direction of said groove from a first position to a second position in said groove, said sliding element having a first surface facing the body and a second surface facing away from said body; and a C-shaped spring having two ends and a center section between said two ends, wherein said ends of said spring are received through said slots and project into said socket for holding the mounting ball in said socket, said sliding element interacts with said center section of said spring when said sliding element is moved to said second position such that said sliding element is between said body and said C-shaped spring and said second surface of said sliding element contacts a side of the center section of said C-shaped spring facing said body so that said ends of said spring are drawn out from said socket to release the mounting ball from said socket, whereby the mounting ball is releasable from said socket without external tools, wherein said sliding element is wedge-shaped and said second surface comprises an inclined surface having a proximal end and a distal end, said inclined surface interacting with said side of the center section of the C-shaped spring facing said body to move said center section of said C-shaped spring away from said body when said sliding element moves to the second position.