Patent ID: 7735196

Claim:
A retention hinge for positioning an outside mirror on a vehicle including: a first retaining arm having an upper and a lower bearing housing, at least one of said bearing housings having a retention surface; a second retaining arm including a bearing block comprising a casing having upper and lower openings, said bearing block being located between said upper and lower bearing housings; a hinge axle comprising a retaining element passing through said bearing block and casing along a pivot axis and engaging in said upper and lower bearing housings securing together and pivotally linking said first and second retaining arms together in relative fixed positions; said retaining element comprising axially movable and longitudinally spaced first and second retainers, with at least one of said spaced retainers having a retention surface on an outer end face adapted to engage with said retention surface of said at least one bearing housing; wherein said first spaced retainer includes a series of circumferentially arranged and spaced projections extending longitudinally along said pivot axis from an inner end surface opposite said retention surface with a series of recesses defined between said projections, and said second spaced retainer having a complementary arrangement of spaced projections and recesses extending longitudinally along said pivot axis toward said first spaced retainer within said casing; wherein said projections from said first spaced retainer are received into said recesses of said second spaced retainer and said projections from said second retainer are received into said recesses of said first retainer when said spaced first and second retainers are moved axially toward each other; a spring member located between said longitudinally spaced first and second retainers, said spring urging said longitudinally spaced retainers outwardly along said pivot axis positioning said retention surface of said at least one spaced retainer and said bearing housing in engagement locking said first and second retaining arms against rotation.