Headlamp bearing

Claim 2

A one-piece, thin, lubricious plastic bearing member adapted to be positioned between two relatively movable truncated spherical segments and having a generally planar triangularly shaped body adapted to intimately engage one side of the truncated end surface of one of said segments, three thin leg members extending angularly outwardly from the apices of said body, and adapted to embrace the spherical portion of said segment adjacent said truncated end surface, shoulder means extending outwardly from said body and adapted to engage the opposite side of said truncated end surface of said one segment to mount said bearing member in fixed relation to said one segment, each of said legs carrying convexly curved bearing surfaces extending outwardly away from the direction of said body and adapted to slidingly engage the interior surface of said other spherical segment.

Claim 3

In a headlamp assembly of the ball-and-socket type including a housing having an annular flange laterally extending from one end of a cup shaped body portion, said body portion having a spherical segment terminating at its end opposite said flange in an apertured base extending radially inwardly from said body portion, a mounting ring having a complimentary portion adapted to matingly accept said spherical segment in an adjustable manner, and lubricious bearing means including an apertured plate-like portion, means for retaining said plate-like portion in juxtaposed mounted relation to one surface of said base, means for preventing rotation between said plate-like portion and said base, and three leg members extending angularly away from the plane of said plate-like portion embracing said spherical segment and carrying protuberance means adapted to be positioned between said housing and said ring to form a bearing surface between the housing and ring to permit ease of adjustment of said housing relative to said ring.

Claim 4

In a headlamp assembly of the ball-and-socket type including a housing having an annular flange laterally extending from one end of a cup shaped body portion, said body portion having a spherical segment terminating at its end opposite said flange in an apertured base extending radially inwardly from said body portion, a mounting ring having a complimentary portion adapted to matingly accept said spherical segment in an adjustable manner, and lubricious bearing means including an apertured plate-like portion, means for retaining said plate-like portion in juxtaposed mounted relation to one surface of said base, means for preventing rotation between said plate-like portion and said base, and three leg members extending angularly away from the plane of said plate-like portion embracing said spherical segment and carrying protuberance means adapted to be positioned between said housing and said ring to form a bearing surface between the housing and ring to permit ease of adjustment of said housing relative to said ring.

Claim 5

An assembly of the type claimed in claim 1 wherein said aperture in said base includes at least one laterally extending slot for engagement by said retaining means and said rotation preventing means.

Claim 6

An assembly of the Type claimed in claim 3 wherein said means for preventing rotation includes rib means carried by said plate-like portion for rotation preventing engagement with said at least one laterally extending slot.

Claim 7

A device of the type claimed in claim 2 wherein said plate-like portion has a generally thin, planar, and triangular configuration, said leg members each extending outwardly from an apex of said triangular configuration.

Claim 8

An assembly of the type claimed in claim 1 wherein said retaining means includes at least two stepped shoulder means extending laterally from the margin of said plate-like portion and adapted to extend through the aperture in said base and engage the opposite surface of said base.

Claim 9

A device of the type claimed in claim 2 wherein said legs are thin members adapted to have one side lie flat against said spherical segment and said protuberance means extending outwardly from the opposite side of each leg having a curved button bearing surface resting against said ring.

Claim 10

An assembly of the type claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing base aperture is generally circular in configuration and includes a pair of generally oppositely extending slot means communicating with said aperture, said bearing means plate-like portion being a thin, planar, triangularly shaped element with the three legs extending generally from the apices thereof, each leg being relatively thin and adapted to embrace said spherical segment, said protuberance being convex toward said ring and providing a bearing surface of limited contact, said retaining means including at least two stepped shoulder members extending both axially and laterally from said plate-like portion and adapted to engage the opposite surface of said base, and axially extending means adapted to engage the edges of one of said slots to serve as said anti-rotation means.

Claim 11

An assembly of the type claimed in claim 8 wherein there are three stepped shoulder members each positioned intermediate a pair of legs, one of said shoulder members being positioned within one of said slots while said other two shoulder members engage the edge of said aperture and said axially extending means being in the form of a rib having a configuration adapted to engage the edges of said other slot to assist in the prevention of rotation relative to said base.