Joints and connections – Articulated members – Pivoted
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-07
2001-02-13
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Articulated members
Pivoted
C403S322200, C280S511000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186693
ABSTRACT:
ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
The invention described herein was made by an employee of the United States Government and may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for Government purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to capture joints wherein two structural elements are joined together. More particularly, this invention relates to a passive capture joint wherein two structural elements are joined together solely by moving the two elements into position, and which when joined together have rotation in all three axes.
2. Description of Related Art
Presently, devices in this field consist of passive capture joints with varying degrees of freedom, from fixed joints with one degree of rotation, to the crude three degree of freedom joint used on trailer hitches. No similar passive capture joint with three degrees of rotation currently exists.
There is another similar class of joints which includes ball type joints. This is the snap-fit ball joint used in automotive linkages. This type of joint is characterized by low cost and very low strength in the axial direction. These are generally used to transmit forces in a plane normal to the installation axis. This joint is not considered to be a passive capture joint, as it requires more force to assemble than it can safely transmit in the axial direction.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and allows three degrees of axial rotation without the additional action, power or control signal necessary in manually or power actuated active joints.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved passive capture joint with three degrees of freedom.
Other aspects, objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from a study of the preferred embodiment as set forth in the specifications, drawings and the appended claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The instant invention presents a passive capture joint consisting of two halves: 1) a joint ball mounted on a stem as in a common trailer hitch, and; 2) a socket. The socket contains all of the moving parts and is an important part of the invention. The socket consists of a base having an exterior wall and forming an interior chamber, the chamber having a top end and a bottom end, and an interior wall. The chamber is open at the top end, and forms a spherical cup at the bottom end. The socket base's interior chamber is sized to accept the joint ball. The base also forms at least one bore at an acute angle away from the interior chamber's open end. The bores have a first opening in the interior wall of the chamber, and a second opening in the exterior wall of the base. Retaining balls sized to fit within the bores, but to only partially pass through the first opening, are moveably housed within the bores. The retaining balls are moveably held in the first opening by a compression spring housed in the bore. As the joint ball is inserted in the chamber it forces the retaining balls back into the bore until the equator of the joint ball passes. Because the bore is at an acute angle to the chamber the joint ball cannot exit the chamber without the joint being unlocked. The joint is unlocked by rotating a locking ring which encircles the base and covers the second opening. The locking ring has a radial slot for each retaining ball, disposed angularly from the base, and sized to allow passage of the retaining ball in the radial direction when the locking ring is rotated to align the radial slot with the second opening.
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Richard Cloyd and Bruce Weddendorf, Passive Capture Joint with Three Degrees of Freedom,NASA Tech Briefs, Jul. 1998, p. 65, vol. 22 #7, Associated Business Publications Company, Ltd.
Cloyd Richard A.
Weddendorf Bruce
Browne Lynne H.
Cottingham John R.
McGroary James J.
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator
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