Patent ID: 8596900

Claim:
An articulation device ( 1 ) comprising: a pivot pin ( 2 ) with a spherical head area ( 3 ) having a center point, in an assembled condition, the head area ( 3 ) of the pivot pin ( 2 ) is retained within a housing ( 5 ) by a receiving joint cup ( 4 ), the housing defining a longitudinal axis, the joint cup ( 4 ) engages and radially, captively surrounds a maximum diameter of the head area ( 3 ), the maximum diameter of the head area ( 3 ) passes through the center point, and the head area is retained by the joint cup within the housing such that the center point is fixed along the longitudinal axis, and the joint cup has a cross sectional profile that is symmetric in relation to a lateral line that extends through the center point of the head area and is normal to the longitudinal axis, the joint cup ( 4 ) and the head area ( 3 ) of the pivot pin ( 2 ) being axially slidable together within an accommodating space and relative to the housing ( 5 ), the housing ( 5 ) radially delimits the accommodating space, in relation to axial sliding movement of the joint cup ( 4 ) and the head area of the pivot pin within the housing ( 5 ), the articulation device ( 1 ) acts as at least one of a gas pressure spring and a damper, the accommodating space is axially delimited at a lower end thereof by the joint cup ( 4 ) and the head area of the pivot pin and at an upper end of the accommodating space by an end cover of the housing ( 5 ), and the accommodating space is a pressure-tight space ( 6 ); a gas is contained within the pressure-tight space ( 6 ) and compressed by the axial sliding movement of the joint cup ( 4 ) and the head area ( 3 ) of the pivot pin ( 2 ) toward the end cover of the housing ( 5 ), and the end cover ( 9 ) is fixed at the upper end of the accommodating space to the housing ( 5 ) and the end cover ( 9 ) has a convex curvature ( 11 ) that forms a stop which can directly abut against the head area ( 3 ) so as to prevent further axial sliding movement of the joint cup ( 4 ) within the housing ( 5 ), and the head area of the pivot pin is directly exposed to the pressure-tight space.