Ball socket connector
US5833383A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 23, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 10, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 23, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T403/32795
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A ball socket connector particularly adapted for connecting a gas spring shaft with a vehicle so that the gas spring may be used to hold open the vehicle's truck lid, deck lid, hood, lift glass, hatch door (in hatch type vehicles) or the rear door or gate (in minivan or sports utility type vehicles). A manually slidable plate, which is mounted on and slidable with respect to the connector body, retains the ball on a ball stud in an internal cavity in a connector body. The ball stud projects from the internal cavity through an elongated open slot in the connector body so as to permit the ball socket connector to provide four degrees of freedom of motion between the gas spring and vehicle.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.