JP6188901B1 - Free lock joint - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a free-lock joint that can easily install a device and the like so that the position of the device can be fixed even if a ball stud rotates after the position adjustment. A free lock joint includes a base, a ball stud having a head portion and a shaft portion, and a socket for rotatably holding the head portion with the shaft portion protruding from an opening. 3, a support member 4 disposed on the base 7 and supporting the head portion 20 in the socket 3, a sleeve 5 provided around the socket 3 and attached to the base 7 by screw coupling, the socket 3 and the sleeve The sleeve 5 includes a pressing plate 10 that compresses the elastic member 6 by being screwed into the base 7, and the socket 3 is restored by the restoring force of the elastic member 6 that compresses the elastic member 6. Pressed against the head portion 20. [Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a free lock joint used to install equipment such as lighting, a television, and a camera, a work table, a shelf, a foot of a scaffold, and the like so that the position thereof can be adjusted.

  For example, when using equipment such as lighting, TV and camera on a desk or table, or when working on objects on a work table, it is necessary to adjust the position of the device or work table. Various types of adjustment mechanisms have been proposed, but those using ball joints have been proposed.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a projector having a position adjustment mechanism using a ball joint. In this patent document 1, the purpose is to adjust the position of a device when the device is placed on a table or the like via two support plates, and the legs extending from each support plate are opened to open the device. Position adjustment is possible. A spherical ball joint that is rotatably fixed to the inside of the device via a fixing portion is connected to the tip of each leg portion. An adjusting lever is connected to the fixing lever of the fixing portion, and the fixing lever is operated by operating the adjusting lever. The fixed lever cooperates with the ball presser located at the upper part of the ball joint. When the fixed lever operates, the ball presser rotates around the support pin, and the ball joint stored in the fixed part is fixed by the ball presser. As a result, the ball joint becomes non-rotatable and the position of the device is fixed.

  However, in the position adjustment mechanism as described in Patent Document 1 described above, since the ball joint is fixed in the device, it can be used only for the device. Moreover, since the adjustment lever, the fixing lever, the ball presser and the like are used to fix the ball joint in a non-rotatable manner, there is a problem that the structure is complicated and the manufacturing cost is high.

  In view of this, the present applicant has proposed a free lock joint that has a simple structure and can easily adjust the position of a device or the like (see Patent Document 2). In the free lock joint of Patent Document 2, the head portion of the ball stud is sandwiched between the support member and the socket by screw connection between the socket and the base, and the ball stud is fixed, so that the adjusted position of the device or the like can be obtained. Fixed.

JP 2008-160595 A JP 2006-089923 A

  However, in the free lock joint disclosed in Patent Document 2, if the ball stud is rotated by some external force after position adjustment, the screw connection between the socket and the base is loosened by the friction between the ball stud and the socket, and the socket and the holding member are used. There is a possibility that the clamping force of the head part is weakened. As a result, the position of the adjusted device cannot be fixed because the ball stud easily rotates, so there is room for further improvement in the free lock joint of Patent Document 2.

  The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-described problems, and can easily install a device or the like so that the position of the adjusted device or the like can be fixed even if the ball stud rotates after the position adjustment. The purpose is to provide a free-lock joint.

  The object of the present invention is formed to have a base, a ball stud provided with a shaft portion provided so that at least a part of the outer peripheral surface protrudes from the head portion and the head portion, and a diameter smaller than that of the head portion at one end. A cylindrical socket that rotatably holds the head portion with the shaft portion protruding from the opening, and is disposed on the base and supports the head portion in the socket. A support member; a sleeve disposed around the socket and attached to the base by screw connection; and an elastic member disposed between the socket and the sleeve, wherein the sleeve is attached to the base. A pressing plate that compresses the elastic member by screwing, and the socket is pressed against the head portion by a restoring force of the compressing elastic member; It is achieved by Lee lock joint.

  In the free lock joint configured as described above, the head portion is formed integrally with the shaft portion and supported by the support member, and is formed separately from the shaft portion and the first portion, and It is preferable to consist of a 2nd part with which a socket is pressed.

  Moreover, it is preferable to further include a plurality of detent members that restrict rotation of the socket relative to the base.

  The socket has a flange at the end on the base side, the anti-rotation member has a rod-shaped main body, and one end of the main body passes through the flange of the socket. It is preferable to be fixed to the base.

  In addition, the pressing plate is formed separately from the sleeve, the anti-rotation member has a head having an enlarged diameter at the other end of the main body, and the pressing plate accommodates the head. It is preferable that a housing recess is provided, and a through-hole through which the main body protrudes is provided on the bottom surface of the housing recess.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said elastic member consists of coil springs and is arrange | positioned around the said main-body part of the said rotation stop member.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve is provided with at least one recess capable of hooking a tool for rotating the sleeve.

  According to the free lock joint of the present invention, it is possible to install an apparatus or the like so that the position of the apparatus can be easily adjusted, and even if the ball stud rotates after the position adjustment, the position of the adjusted apparatus or the like can be fixed.

It is a front view of the free lock joint concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of FIG. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. It is a front view of a ball stud. It is a front view of a socket. FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of FIG. 5. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. It is a front view of a supporting member. FIG. 10 is a plan view of FIG. 9. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of FIG. 9. It is CC sectional drawing of FIG. It is a front view of a sleeve. FIG. 14 is a plan view of FIG. 13. FIG. 14 is a bottom view of FIG. 13. It is DD sectional drawing of FIG. It is a front view of a base. It is a top view of FIG. It is a bottom view of FIG. It is EE sectional drawing of FIG. It is a front view of a rotation prevention member. It is a front view of a press plate. FIG. 23 is a plan view of FIG. 22. FIG. 23 is a bottom view of FIG. 22. It is FF sectional drawing of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the free lock joint after a sleeve is screwed into the base. It is a front view of the modification of a ball stud. FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of the freelock joint with the ball stud of FIG. 27 and after the sleeve has been screwed into the base. It is a front view of the state which applied the free lock joint to the work bench. It is a perspective view of the state where the free lock joint was applied to the shelf.

  Hereinafter, actual forms of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 and 2 show an external configuration of a free lock joint 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows an internal configuration of the free lock joint 1.

  The free lock joint 1 includes, for example, a work table 100 for working an object 101 shown in FIG. 29, a shelf 102 shown in FIG. It is used for installation with its position adjusted freely.

  The free lock joint 1 includes a ball stud 2, a socket 3, a support member 4, a sleeve 5 having a pressing plate 10, an elastic member 6 and a base 7. Furthermore, the free lock joint 1 includes a dust cover 8 and a rotation prevention member 9.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the ball stud 2 is made of a metal material such as non-ferrous metal other than iron or steel, and has a substantially spherical head portion 20 and a shaft portion provided so as to protrude from the head portion 20. 21. The shaft portion 21 is a portion to which equipment, a work table, a shelf, a foot of a scaffold, and the like are attached. A male screw 22 for connection is formed.

  The head portion 20 is formed in a spherical shape in which at least a part of the outer peripheral surface is curved in an arc shape in a cross-sectional view, and the spherical portion rolls smoothly in the socket 3 so that it can rotate. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the socket 3 is a substantially cylindrical member having openings 30 </ b> A and 30 </ b> B at both axial ends, and is formed of a metal material such as non-ferrous metal in addition to iron and steel. On the inner peripheral surface of the socket 3 on the side of the one opening 30 </ b> A, a protruding portion 31 protruding inward is provided, and the diameter of the opening 30 </ b> A of the socket 3 is smaller than the diameter of the head portion 20 of the ball stud 2. The protruding portion 31 prevents the head portion 20 from coming out of the socket 3. The head portion 20 of the ball stud 2 is rotatably held in the socket 3 and rotates while being sandwiched between the socket 3 (projecting portion 31) and the support member 4. Further, the shaft portion 21 of the ball stud 2 protrudes from one opening 30 </ b> A of the socket 3 to the outside. The surface of the protruding portion 31 of the socket 3 is formed on a curved surface along the spherical surface of the outer peripheral surface of the head portion 20 of the ball stud 2, whereby the head portion 20 rotates smoothly in the socket 3.

  On the outer peripheral surface of the socket 3 on the one opening 30A side, a concave groove 32 is formed over the entire circumference. This groove part 32 is for fixing the dust cover 8 mentioned later. Further, a flange portion 33 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the other opening 30B side (the end on the base 7 side in the drawing) of the socket 3 over the entire circumference. A plurality of through holes 34 (six in the figure) are formed in the flange portion 33 at a predetermined interval.

  The support member 4 is disposed on the base 7 and is accommodated in the socket 3. As shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, the support member 4 is made of a cylindrical member and is made of a metal material such as non-ferrous metal in addition to iron or steel. On one surface (the upper surface in the drawing) of the support member 4 is formed a recess 40 that is recessed along the spherical surface of the outer peripheral surface of the head portion 20 of the ball stud 2, and the head portion 20 is supported by the recess 40. doing. As a result, the head portion 20 of the ball stud 2 rotates smoothly while being sandwiched between the protruding portion 31 of the socket 3 on the support member 4. In the present embodiment, the support member 4 has a hollow structure having a cavity 41. However, the hollow structure is not necessarily required, and a solid structure without the cavity 41 may be used.

  The sleeve 5 is disposed around the socket 3. As shown in FIGS. 13 to 16, the sleeve 5 is a cylindrical member having an upper surface portion 50 at one end (the upper end in the drawing) and having the other end (the lower end in the drawing) opened. A through hole 51 that penetrates the upper surface portion 50 is formed at the center position of the upper surface portion 50 of the sleeve 5, and the socket 3 is inserted through the through hole 51. A male screw 52 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 5 to be screwed with a female screw 72 of the base 7 described later. Further, at least one recess 53 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 5 on the one end side of the male screw 52. In the present embodiment, four recesses 53 are provided at predetermined intervals. The concave portion 53 can hook a tool for rotating the sleeve 5 such as a hook pin spanner, for example, and the sleeve 5 can be easily rotated with respect to the base 7 by turning the tool.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the elastic member 6 is disposed between the socket 3 (specifically, the flange portion 33) and the sleeve 5 (specifically, a pressing plate 10 described later). In this embodiment, the elastic member 6 is comprised by the coil spring, and is arrange | positioned around the main-body part 90 of the rotation stopping member 9 mentioned later. The elastic member 6 is disposed between the socket 3 (flange portion 33) and the sleeve 5 (pressing plate 10) in a natural length state, and is compressed as the sleeve 5 moves downward. A restoring force (spring pressure) that the elastic member 6 tries to return acts on the socket 3. As a result, the socket 3 is biased toward the support member 4, so that the head portion 20 of the ball stud 2 is pressed against the support member 4 by the socket 3. In addition to the coil spring, various members can be used as the elastic member 6 as long as they have elasticity, such as a metal collar.

  As shown in FIGS. 17 to 20, the base 7 includes a bottom wall portion 70 having a circular shape in plan view and a peripheral wall portion 71 erected on the periphery of the bottom wall portion 70. The peripheral wall portion 71 is set to have an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the socket 3 (specifically, the flange portion 33) so that the socket 3 can be accommodated inside. On the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall portion 71, a female screw 72 that is screwed with the male screw 52 of the sleeve 5 is formed. A circular shallow recess 73 is provided at the center position of the bottom wall 70. The support member 4 is disposed in the recess 73, and the support member 4 is positioned. A plurality (six in the drawing) of through-holes 74 are formed around the recess 73 of the bottom wall portion 70 at a predetermined interval. In the present embodiment, the through hole 74 is a screw hole in which a female screw is formed on the inner peripheral surface. A plurality (four in the drawing) of bolt housing holes 75 are formed in the peripheral wall portion 71 at predetermined intervals. Bolts (not shown) are inserted into the bolt receiving holes 75, and the base 7 is fixed to a desk, a table, a floor, a plate, or the like using the bolts.

  The anti-rotation member 9 serves to regulate the rotation of the socket 3 with respect to the base 7. As shown in FIG. 21, in the present embodiment, the anti-rotation member 9 is provided integrally with a rod-shaped main body 90 having a male screw 92 formed at one end thereof and the other end of the main body 90. And an enlarged head 91. A plurality (six in the drawing) of the anti-rotation members 9 are formed such that one end of the main body 90 passes through the through-hole 34 of the flange 33 of the socket 3 and is screwed into the through-hole 74 of the base 7. 7, the rotation of the socket 3 with respect to the base 7 is restricted.

  The sleeve 5 includes a pressing plate 10 that compresses the elastic member 6 by screwing into the base 7, and the socket 3 is pressed against the head portion 20 of the ball stud 2 by the restoring force (spring pressure) of the compressing elastic member 6. It is done. The pressing plate 10 may be formed integrally with the sleeve 5 or may be formed separately from the sleeve 5. In this embodiment, the pressing plate 10 is formed separately. As shown in FIGS. 22 to 25, the pressing plate 10 has a predetermined thickness and is formed in a circular shape in plan view. A through hole 11 that is continuous with the through hole 51 of the sleeve 5 and has the same size is formed at the center position of the pressing plate 10, and the socket 3 is inserted through the through hole 11.

  The pressing plate 10 is provided with a plurality (six in the figure) of accommodating recesses 12 at a predetermined interval. A through hole 13 is formed at the center of the bottom surface of the housing recess 12. The accommodation recess 12 accommodates the head 91 of the anti-rotation member 90, and the main body 91 of the anti-rotation member 9 protrudes from the through hole 13.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the dust cover 8 is formed of an elastically deformable rubber material or a soft synthetic resin material, and covers the upper portion of the socket 3 and the head portion 20 of the ball stud 2 accommodated in the socket 3. ing. The dust cover 8 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 21 of the ball stud 2 at the opening edge of one end (the upper end in the drawing), and the other end (the lower end in the drawing) is fitted into the groove portion 32 of the socket 3 and fixed. Has been. The dust cover 8 prevents water, dust and foreign matter from entering the socket 3.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the sleeve 5 is not screwed into the base 7, the free lock joint 1 having the above-described configuration does not apply the urging force of the elastic member 6 to the socket 3, and the socket 3 is a ball. The stud 2 is not strongly pressed against the head portion 20. Therefore, the head portion 20 can freely rotate within the socket 3. Therefore, the direction of the shaft portion 21 of the ball stud 2 can be changed in all directions, up, down, left, and right, so that the positions of lighting, television and camera devices, work tables, shelves, scaffolding legs and stepladders can be adjusted. It can be adjusted freely.

  Then, after the position adjustment, as shown in FIG. 26, when the sleeve 5 is rotated by using a tool such as a hook pin spanner and screwed into the base member 7, the elastic member 6 is compressed by the pressing plate 10, and the elastic member A restoring force (spring pressure) generated by the compression of 6 acts on the socket 3. As a result, the head portion 20 of the ball stud 2 is pressed against the support member 4 by the socket 3, so that the head portion 20 is difficult to rotate within the socket 3. When the screwing amount of the sleeve 5 is increased, the head portion 20 is pressed more strongly against the support member 4 by the socket 3, so that the head portion 20 becomes more difficult to rotate within the socket 3, so that the ball stud 2 is fixed and the shaft The portion 21 does not move, and can hold the device attached to the shaft portion 21 at an adjusted position.

  As described above, according to the free lock joint 1 of the present embodiment, it can be used only for a specific device, and various devices, work tables, shelves, scaffolding legs and stepladders can be positioned. Can be installed adjustable. Moreover, since the pressing force of the ball stud 2 by the socket 3 is adjusted by adjusting the screwing amount of the sleeve 5 into the base 7, the position of the device or the like can be easily adjusted.

  In the free lock joint 1 of the present embodiment, the ball stud 2 is pressed by the socket 3 along with the screw connection between the sleeve 5 and the base 7 so that the ball stud 2 is difficult to rotate. Even if the stud 2 is rotated by some external force and the friction with the ball stud 2 acts on the socket 3, the rotation of the socket 3 is not directly related to the screw connection between the sleeve 5 and the base 7. 7 can be prevented from loosening the screw connection with the socket 7 and weakening the pressing force of the ball stud 2 by the socket 3. Therefore, since the ball stud 2 is still held in a state where it is difficult to rotate, the position of the adjusted device or the like can be fixed.

  Further, in the free lock joint 1 of the present embodiment, the rotation of the socket 3 with respect to the base 7 is restricted by the anti-rotation member 9. Therefore, the ball stud 2 is rotated by some external force after the position adjustment, and the socket 3 does not rotate even if the friction with the ball stud 2 acts on the socket 3, so that the screw connection between the sleeve 5 and the base 7 is loosened. There is nothing.

  As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various change is possible unless it deviates from the meaning of this invention. For example, in the free lock joint 1 of the above embodiment, the anti-rotation member 9 is provided, but the anti-rotation member 9 may not be provided. If the anti-rotation member 9 is not provided, the spring 6 does not necessarily need to be a coil spring, and a leaf spring or the like can be used. Further, the pressing plate 10 does not have to be a separate body from the sleeve 5 and may be integrated.

  Further, like the free lock joint 1 shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, the head portion 20 of the ball stud 2 is formed integrally with the shaft portion 21 and supported by the support member 4, and the first portion 20A. You may comprise by the 2nd part 20B which is formed separately from the part 20A and the axial part 21, and the socket 3 is pressed. The second portion 20B has a substantially hemispherical shape, and an insertion hole through which the shaft portion 21 can be inserted is formed.

  According to this embodiment, when the sleeve 5 is rotated and screwed into the base member 7, the head portion 20 of the ball stud 2 is pressed against the support member 4 when the second portion 20 </ b> B is pressed by the socket 3. Therefore, the rotation in the socket 3 is restricted in principle. Therefore, the shaft portion 21 does not move, and the device attached to the shaft portion 21 can be held at an adjusted position. However, since the first portion 20A of the head portion 20 can rotate in a plane orthogonal to the axial direction of the shaft portion 21 with respect to the second portion 20B, for example, as shown in FIG. Therefore, even after the position of the work table 100 is adjusted, if the object 101 is to be rotated in the direction of the arrow X or Y according to the work 101 of the object, the work table 100 can be rotated. It becomes easy to do.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Free lock joint 2 Ball stud 3 Socket 4 Support member 5 Sleeve 6 Elastic member 7 Base 9 Anti-rotation member 10 Pressing plate 12 Housing recessed part 13 Through-hole 20 Head part 20A 1st part 20B 2nd part 33 Flange part 53 Recessed part 90 Main body Part 91 head

Claims (7)

Base and
A ball stud provided with a shaft portion provided so that at least a part of the outer peripheral surface protrudes from the spherical head portion and the head portion;
A cylindrical socket having an opening formed at one end with a diameter smaller than that of the head part, and rotatably holding the head part in a state in which the shaft part protrudes from the opening;
A support member disposed on the base and supporting the head portion in the socket;
A sleeve disposed around the socket and attached to the base by a screw connection;
An elastic member disposed between the socket and the sleeve,
The sleeve includes a pressing plate that compresses the elastic member by being screwed into the base, and the socket is pressed against the head portion by a restoring force of the compressing elastic member.   The head part is formed integrally with the shaft part and supported by the support member, and the second part is formed separately from the shaft part and the first part and the socket is pressed against the first part. The free lock joint according to claim 1, comprising:   The free lock joint according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of detent members that restrict rotation of the socket relative to the base. The socket has a flange portion at an end on the base side,
4. The free lock joint according to claim 3, wherein the rotation preventing member has a rod-shaped main body portion, and one end portion of the main body portion passes through a flange portion of the socket and is fixed to the base. The pressing plate is formed separately from the sleeve,
The anti-rotation member has a head having a diameter expanded at the other end of the main body,
5. The free lock joint according to claim 4, wherein the pressing plate includes an accommodation recess that accommodates the head, and a through-hole through which the main body protrudes is provided on a bottom surface of the accommodation recess.   The free lock joint according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the elastic member is formed of a coil spring and is disposed around the main body portion of the detent member.   The free lock joint according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least one recess capable of hooking a tool for rotating the sleeve is provided on an outer peripheral surface of the sleeve.