Patent ID: 7670072

Claim:
A locking positioning mechanism, comprising: a pair of concentric locking elements disposed concentrically with respect to each other, wherein in an assembled form of the locking positioning mechanism at least one of the concentric locking elements is rotatable with respect to the other concentric locking element about an axis of rotation between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration; an outer surface of an inner one of said concentric elements having a cam surface geometry; and an inner surface of an outer one of said concentric elements having a cam surface geometry complementary to said cam surface geometry of said inner concentric element, wherein the cam surface geometry of at least one of said concentric elements comprises an undulating contour defined circumferentially about the axis of rotation and including a plurality of saw-tooth-shaped portions arranged on the undulating contour, wherein in the locked configuration of the assembled locking positioning mechanism, the saw-tooth-shaped portions arranged on the undulating contour of said at least one concentric locking element are frictionally engaged with the cam surface of the other concentric element to limit relative rotation of the concentric locking elements, and wherein in the unlocked configuration of the assembled locking positioning mechanism, the saw-tooth-shaped portions arranged on the undulating contour of said at least one concentric locking element are disengaged from the cam surface of the other concentric element to (i) permit relative rotation of the concentric locking elements about the axis of rotation, and (ii) permit relative axial translation of the concentric locking elements in a direction along the axis of rotation.