The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 31, 2010
Filed:
Apr. 07, 2003
Wayne Rumsey, Zeeland, MI (US);
John W. Carter, Holland, MI (US);
Wayne Rumsey, Zeeland, MI (US);
John W. Carter, Holland, MI (US);
Gentex Corporation, Zeeland, MI (US);
Abstract
An apparatus includes a mirror head assembly including a rearwardly-extending ball section, and a mirror support assembly including a tube having a larger-diameter mid-section and a smaller-diameter tapered end section. A socket on the mirror support assembly, when in the end section, captures the ball section with friction to permit angular adjustment but with enough friction to maintain a selected angular position. A spring biases the socket from the mid-section into the end section, but is compressible so that assembly is possible by pressing the ball section against the socket, causing the socket to move from the end section into the mid-section where the ball section snaps into the socket. It is conceived that the ball section and socket components can be reversed, and also that the mirror support assembly can include a two-ball mount, with a ball-and-socket connection at each end.