Articulated joint system

Inventors: Anisha Vyas (Orlando, FL); Timothy J. Eck (Windermere, FL); Haz Minor (Wyoming, OH); Phil Said (South Lyon, MI); Le Phan (Winter Park, FL); David Gerard Majdali (Orlando, FL)

Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC

B25J9/106 B25J15/0009

View Patent ↗

Loading inventors, assignments & file history…

Monitor This Case

Get email alerts when status or documents change.

Order Certified Copies

Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.

Order via The Patent Place →

Pre-filled with this patent's details

Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12697715
App. No.: 17/957,582
Granted: Aug 4, 2026
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to an articulated joint. The articulated joint includes a first rotatable joint member including a first socket cavity, and a second rotatable joint member including a second socket cavity. The articulated joint further includes an elongated member including a first end having a spherical shape and a second end having the spherical shape, the first end of the elongated member being moveably secured in the first socket cavity and the second end of the elongated member being moveably secured in the second socket cavity. The elongated member is configured to rotate the second rotatable joint member in response to a rotation of the first rotatable joint member.

Claims (25)

1 . An articulated joint, comprising:

a first rotatable joint member including a first socket cavity situated between a first wall defining a first recessed region and a second wall defining a second recessed region, the first wall opposing the second wall such that the first recessed region is aligned with the second recessed region and spaced apart by a first distance, wherein the first rotatable joint member comprises a first axis offset from the first recessed region in a first direction transverse to the first distance;

a second rotatable joint member including a second socket cavity situated between a third wall defining a third recessed region and a fourth wall defining a fourth recessed region, the third wall opposing the fourth wall such that the third recessed region is aligned with the fourth recessed region and spaced apart by a second distance, wherein the second rotatable joint member comprises a second axis offset from the third recessed region in a second direction transverse to the second distance; and

an elongated member including a first end having a first spherical shape and a second end having a second spherical shape, wherein the first socket cavity is configured to forcibly receive the first spherical shape of the first end between the first recessed region and the second recessed region and the second socket cavity is configured to forcibly receive the second spherical shape of the second end between the third recessed region and the fourth recessed region,

wherein the elongated member is configured to rotate the second rotatable joint member about the second axis in response to a rotation of the first rotatable joint member about the first axis.

2 . The articulated joint of claim 1 , wherein the first recessed region is formed by a first passage extending through the first wall of the first rotatable joint member and the second recessed region is formed by a second passage extending through the second wall of the first rotatable joint member.

3 . The articulated joint of claim 1 , wherein the third recessed region is formed by a third passage extending through the third wall of the second rotatable joint member and the fourth recessed region is formed by a fourth passage extending through the fourth wall of the second rotatable joint member.

4 . The articulated joint of claim 1 , further comprising:

an actuator device coupled to the first rotatable joint member, the actuator device configured to perform the rotation of the first rotatable joint member.

5 . The articulated joint of claim 1 , wherein the elongated member comprises a rod coupled to and extending between the first spherical shape of the first end and the second spherical shape the second end.

6 . The articulated joint of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first end or the second end of the elongated member includes a hole, and wherein a retaining line is fed through the hole.

7 . The articulated joint of claim 6 , wherein the hole includes a conical opening.

8 . The articulated joint of claim 1 , further comprising a socket joint retainer fitted over the first rotatable joint member or the second rotatable joint member, wherein the socket joint retainer is configured to maintain the elongated member in the first rotatable joint member or the second rotatable joint member.

9 . The articulated joint of claim 1 , wherein the first rotatable joint member or the second rotatable joint member includes support wall, wherein the support wall increases a rigidity of the first wall and the second wall of the first rotatable joint member or the third wall and the fourth wall of the second rotatable joint member.

10 . An articulated joint, comprising:

a rotatable joint member including a socket cavity situated between a first wall defining a first recessed region and a second wall defining a second recessed region, wherein the first wall opposes the second wall and is spaced apart from the second wall by a distance, and the rotatable joint member is configured to rotate about an axis; and

an elongated member including at least one end having a spherical shape, wherein the socket cavity is configured to forcibly receive the at least one end between the first recessed region and the second recessed region, and wherein angular and/or linear movement of the elongated member is configured to rotate the rotatable joint member about the axis.

11 . The articulated joint of claim 10 , wherein the first recessed region is disposed in the first wall of the rotatable joint member and the second recessed region is disposed in the second wall of the rotatable joint member.

12 . The articulated joint of claim 10 , wherein the rotatable joint member includes a support wall, wherein the support wall increases a rigidity of the first wall and the second wall of the rotatable joint member.

13 . The articulated joint of claim 10 , wherein the elongated member is configured to rotate the rotatable joint member about the axis in response to an operation of an actuator device.

14 . The articulated joint of claim 10 , wherein the elongated member includes a first end having the spherical shape and a second end having the spherical shape, wherein the first end having the spherical shape is moveably secured in the socket cavity of the rotatable joint member and the second end having the spherical shape is moveably secured in an additional socket cavity of a fixed joint member.

15 . The articulated joint of claim 14 , wherein the elongated member is configured to rotate the rotatable joint member about the axis in response to a movement of the rotatable joint member.

16 . The articulated joint of claim 10 , wherein the articulated joint is included in an articulated finger of an articulated hand.

17 . The articulated joint of claim 10 , further comprising:

a socket joint retainer fitted over the rotatable joint member, wherein the socket joint retainer is configured to maintain the elongated member in the rotatable joint member.