Rearview mirror assembly mounting element

Abstract

A method and system for mounting a rearview mirror assembly to a vehicle having additional features is provided. [Solution] A mounting element for a rearview mirror assembly includes a mount removably attachable to a button and having a tapered path in a first end, a pivot portion having a first end and a pivot ball capable of supporting the rearview mirror assembly, a pivot cup at least partially disposed within the tapered path of the mount, the pivot cup having fingers extending from the first end and an annular surface having an outer diameter at a second end, the pivot cup at least partially receiving the pivot ball and operable to apply a pivot torque to the pivot ball, and a coil spring having a first end, a second end and an outer diameter similar to the outer diameter of the annular surface of the pivot cup, the coil spring being disposed within the mount, with the first end of the coil spring being pressed against the annular surface of the pivot cup.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 235,965, entitled "Rearview Assembly Mounting Element", filed on August 23, 2021.

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for attaching a rearview mirror assembly to a vehicle, and more particularly, to methods and systems for attaching a rearview mirror assembly having additional features to a vehicle.

Background Art

[0003] For improving the safety functions of vehicles, an increasing number of cameras and sensors are being used, which can be disposed on the front windshield. This can reduce the space available for the rearview mirror assembly mounting system. Further, it may be desirable to remove some existing components from within the rearview mirror assembly to allow additional features to be included within the rearview mirror assembly.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect, an attachment element for a rearview mirror assembly is a mount detachably attachable to a button, the mount having a first end and a second end defining a tapered path, and a pivot portion having a first end configured to support a housing of the rearview mirror assembly and a pivot ball. A pivot cup is at least partially disposed within the tapered path defined by the first end of the mount, the pivot cup having a finger portion extending from the first end and a generally flat annular surface having an outer diameter at the second end, the pivot cup at least partially receiving the pivot ball and being operable to apply a pivot torque to the pivot ball. A coil spring having an outer diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the first end, the second end, and the generally flat annular surface of the pivot cup is disposed within the mount, and a first end of the coil spring is pressed against the generally flat annular surface of the pivot cup. It may include a coil spring.

[0005] The attachment element further includes a separating spring at least partially disposed within a cavity defined by the second end of the mount and configured to abut the second end of the coil spring, the separating spring being configured to secure the attachment element to the surface of the vehicle. The attachment element may further include a cover plate fixed to the separating spring. The attachment element may further include at least one cover screw, and the at least one cover screw may be configured to fix the cover plate to the mount. The at least one cover screw may be adjustable, and by adjusting the at least one cover screw, the cover plate can be moved relative to the mount. By moving the cover plate relative to the mount, the second end of the coil spring can be moved relative to the mount, and by moving the second end of the coil spring relative to the mount, the pivot cup can be moved relative to the mount. By moving the pivot cup relative to the mount, the pressure applied to the pivot ball by the finger portion can change, thereby changing the pivot torque of the pivot. By tightening or loosening the at least one cover screw, it may be operable to change the amount of pivot torque on the pivot ball.

[0006] According to another aspect, the rearview mirror assembly includes a housing that supports at least one of a mirror element, a display element, and an electro-optical element, a mount that is removably attachable to the button and has a first end and a second end that define a tapered path, a pivot portion that can support the housing of the rearview mirror assembly and can have a first end and a pivot ball, a pivot cup that is at least partially disposed within the tapered path defined by the first end of the mount and has a finger portion extending from the first end and a generally flat annular surface having an outer diameter at the second end, the pivot cup at least partially accommodating the pivot ball and being operable to apply a pivot torque to the pivot ball, and a coil spring having an outer diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the first end, the second end, and the generally flat annular surface of the pivot cup, the coil spring being disposed within the mount and having a first end of the coil spring pressed against the generally flat annular surface of the pivot cup.

[0007] The rearview mirror assembly may further include a separating spring that is at least partially disposed within a cavity defined by a second end of the mount and configured to abut against a second end of the coil spring, and the separating spring is configured to fix the mounting element to the surface of the vehicle. The rearview mirror assembly may further include a cover plate fixed to the separating spring and at least one cover screw configured to fix the cover plate to the mount. The at least one cover screw may be adjustable, and by adjusting the at least one cover screw, the cover plate can be moved relative to the mount. By moving the cover plate relative to the mount, the second end of the coil spring can be moved relative to the mount. By moving the second end of the coil spring relative to the mount, the pivot cup can be moved relative to the mount. By moving the pivot cup relative to the mount, the pressure applied to the pivot ball by the finger portion can change, thereby the pivot torque of the pivot portion can change. By tightening or loosening the at least one cover screw, it can be operable to change the amount of pivot torque on the pivot ball.

[0008] According to one aspect, a method for adjusting the pivot torque on the pivot part of a rearview mirror assembly is to provide a mounting element for the rearview mirror assembly, the mounting element being a mount detachably attachable to a button, the mount having a first end and a second end defining a tapered path, a pivot part capable of supporting the rearview mirror assembly and having a first end and a pivot ball, a pivot cup at least partially disposed within the tapered path defined by the first end of the mount, the pivot cup having a finger extending from the first end and a generally flat annular surface having an outer diameter at the second end, the pivot cup at least partially accommodating the pivot ball and being operable to apply a pivot torque to the pivot ball, a coil spring having an outer diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the first end, the second end, and the generally flat annular surface of the pivot cup, the coil spring being disposed within the mount and the first end of the coil spring being pressed against the generally flat annular surface of the pivot cup, a separating spring at least partially disposed within a cavity defined by the second end of the mount, abutting against the second end of the coil spring and configured to fix the mounting element to the vehicle surface, a cover plate fixed to the separating spring, and at least one cover screw configured to fix the cover plate to the mount, the at least one cover screw being adjustable, including providing and adjusting the at least one cover screw.

[0009] The method may further include moving the cover plate relative to the mount in response to adjustment of the cover screw. The method may further include moving the second end of the coil spring relative to the mount in response to movement of the cover plate. The method may further include moving the pivot cup relative to the mount in response to movement of the second end of the coil spring. The method may further include changing the pressure applied to the pivot ball by the finger in response to movement of the pivot cup relative to the mount, thereby changing the pivot torque of the pivot part.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1A

Figure 1B

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] By moving some of the components used to attach the rearview mirror assembly to the vehicle out of the housing of the rearview mirror assembly, more space within the housing of the rearview mirror assembly can be made available for additional features such as driver monitoring and authentication modules. The removed components can be moved to the mounting element of the rearview mirror assembly, thereby making the same functions available while increasing the internal space of the rearview mirror assembly itself. Due to the increasing number of sensors and imaging devices related to vehicle monitoring and safety functions within the rearview mirror assembly, it may be desirable to streamline the mounting element of the rearview mirror assembly.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the mounting element for the rearview mirror assembly is generally designated by reference numeral 10. The mounting element 10 may be configured to secure the housing 24 of the rearview mirror assembly 20 to the interior surface of a vehicle (not shown). As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting element 10 may include a mount 28, a pivot portion 32, a pivot cup 36, a pivot coil spring 40, a cover plate 44, and at least one cover screw 48. The mounting element 10 may further include a separating spring 52 and a spring screw 56. The mounting element 10 may be configured to be fixed to the vehicle surface and to be fixed to a mounting button 60 that may be held in place via a button screw 64.

[0013] The mount 28 may have a first end 28A, a second end 28B, and a button opening 68 and may be configured to surround the various components of the mounting element 10. The first end 28A of the mount 28 may define a tapered path 72. The tapered path 72 may have a generally circular contour. The button opening 68 of the mount 28 may be configured to be selectively fixable to the mounting button 60.

[0014] Referring to FIGS. 3-7, the pivot portion 32 may have a first end 32A and a second end including a pivot ball 76. The pivot ball 76 may extend into and be received within the first end 28A of the mount 28. The first end 28A of the mount 28 may partially surround the pivot ball 76 to fix it in place. The first end 32A of the pivot portion 32 may be configured to support the housing 24 of the rearview mirror assembly 20 and may extend beyond the mount 28 with the pivot ball 76 at least partially within the tapered path 72 defined by the first end 28A of the mount 28.

[0015] The pivot cup 36 may be generally cylindrical and may have a first end 36A and a second end 36B. The pivot cup 36 may be at least partially disposed within the tapered path 72 defined by the first end 28A of the mount 28. The pivot cup 36 may be configured to receive at least a portion of the pivot ball 76. Fingers 80 may extend from the first end 36A of the pivot cup 36 and may partially surround the pivot ball 76. The second end 36B of the pivot cup 36 may have a generally flat annular surface 84 with an outer diameter.

[0016] The pivot coil spring 40 may have a coil spring and may have an outer diameter, a first end 40A, and a second end 40B. The outer diameter of the pivot coil spring 40 may be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the generally flat annular surface 84 of the second end 36B of the pivot cup 36. This may enable the attachment element 10 to be relatively small and compact. The first end 40A of the pivot coil spring 40 may be configured to rest on the generally flat annular surface 84 of the second end 36B of the pivot cup 36.

[0017] The separation spring 52 may include springs with 2, 3, or 4 turns, or other forms of springs known in the art. The separation spring 52 may be configured to fix the mount 28 to the mounting button 60, thereby fixing the rearview mirror assembly 20 to the vehicle surface. The separation spring 52 may be further fixed to the mount 28. The separation spring 52 may be at least partially disposed within a cavity (not shown) defined by the second end 28B of the mount 28 and may extend toward the button opening 68. The spring screw 56 may fix the separation spring 52 to the cover plate 44.

[0018] In a fixed position, the separation spring 52 may be pressed against the second end 40B of the coil spring, compressing the coil spring, whereby the coil spring may space the pivot cup 36 from the second end 28B of the mount 28 and push it toward the first end 28A of the mount 28. The tapered path 72 at the first end 28A of the mount 28 may push the finger 80 of the pivot cup 76 inward toward the center of the tapered path 72, thereby enabling the finger 80 to be gripped by the pivot ball 76. In some embodiments, the separation spring 52 may be adjustable and movable in the distance between the first end 28A and the second end 28B of the mount 28. In some embodiments, the cover plate 44 may be forced against the coil spring 40. When adjusted, the separation spring 52 may be capable of applying various amounts of force to the pivot coil spring 40. When force is applied to the pivot coil spring 40, the separation spring 52 may further compress the coil spring, thereby further pushing the pivot cup 36 toward the first end 28A of the mount 28. As the pivot cup 36 moves further toward the first end 28A of the mount 28, it moves further into the tapered path 72, further moving the finger 80 toward the center of the tapered path 72, thereby causing the finger 80 to grip the pivot ball 76 more tightly and increasing the friction. Thereby, the pivot torque of the mounting element 10, or the amount of torque required to move the pivot ball 76 within the pivot cup 36, may increase.

[0019] The pivot torque of the attachment element 10 can be adjusted by adjusting the position of at least one of the separation spring 52 and the cover plate 44. The adjustment for the separation spring 52 can be achieved by adjusting the distance between the cover plate 44 and the mount 28. The adjustment can be achieved via at least one cover screw 48. The cover plate 44 may be fixable to the mount 28 by at least one cover screw 48. The gap 88 between the cover plate 44 and the mount 28 may allow the cover plate 44 to move towards or away from the first end 28A of the mount 28, thereby adjusting the distance between the cover plate 44 and the mount 28 and thus adjusting the amount of torque required to move the pivot ball 76 within the pivot cup 36. For example, by tightening at least one cover screw 48, the cover plate 44 can be brought closer to the first end 28A of the mount 28, thereby reducing the gap 88. Thereby, the separation spring 52 can be forced to press more strongly against the pivot coil spring 40, thereby compressing the coil spring. As the coil spring is compressed, the pivot cup 36 can be forced towards the first end 32A of the pivot portion 32, and the fingers 80 of the pivot cup 36 can be oriented along the pivot ball 76 towards the first end 32A of the pivot portion 32 by the tapered path 72 of the mount 28, thereby gripping the pivot ball 76 more strongly. Thus, a greater torque may be required to move the pivot ball 76 within the pivot cup 36.

[0020] In another example, by loosening at least one cover screw 48, the cover plate 44 may be movable to be spaced apart from the first end 28A of the mount 28, the gap may become larger, and the separation spring 52 may be movable to be spaced apart from the first end 28A of the mount 28, whereby the force applied to the pivot coil spring 40 is reduced and the pivot coil spring 40 may be able to extend. As the pivot coil spring 40 extends, the pressure on the pivot ball 76 may decrease, and as the finger portion 80 moves away from the center of the tapered path 72, the pivot cup 36 may be movable toward the second end 28B of the mount 28, thereby reducing the pressure on the pivot ball 76 and as a result reducing the pivot torque.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 8, in some embodiments, the cover plate 44 may be pressed directly against the coil spring 40. Adjustment to the cover plate 44 may be achieved by tightening or loosening the cover screw 48, thereby enabling the cover plate 44 to compress the coil spring 40. As described above, the gap 88 between the cover plate 44 and the mount 28 may allow the cover plate 44 to move towards or away from the first end 28A of the mount 28, thereby adjusting the distance between the cover plate 44 and the mount 28 and thus adjusting the amount of torque required to move the pivot ball 76 within the pivot cup 36. For example, by tightening at least one cover screw 48, the cover plate 44 may be forced closer to the first end 28A of the mount 28, thereby reducing the gap 88. This may force the separating spring 52 to press more strongly against the pivot coil spring 40, thereby compressing the coil spring. The compressed coil spring may force the pivot cup 36 towards the first end 32A of the pivot portion 32, and the fingers 80 of the pivot cup 36 may be oriented along the tapered path 72 of the mount 28 towards the first end 32A of the pivot portion 32 along the pivot ball 76, thereby gripping the pivot ball 76 more strongly. Thus, more torque may be required to move the pivot ball 76 within the pivot cup 36. In another example, by loosening at least one cover screw 48, the cover plate 44 may be able to move away from the first end 28A of the mount 28, increasing the gap and allowing the separating spring 52 to move away from the first end 28A of the mount 28, thereby reducing the force applied to the pivot coil spring 40 and allowing the pivot coil spring 40 to be able to extend.As the pivot coil spring 40 extends, the pressure on the pivot ball 76 can decrease, such that as the finger portion 80 moves away from the center of the tapered path 72, the pivot cup 36 can move toward the second end 28B of the mount 28, thereby reducing the pressure on the pivot ball 76 and as a result reducing the pivot torque that can occur.

[0022] As used herein, a “rearview mirror assembly” is a structure that can provide an image of the scenery behind the driver. The rearview mirror assembly 20 can include a mirror element such as a prism mirror. The rearview mirror assembly 20 can include an electro-optical rearview mirror element. Additionally or alternatively, the rearview mirror assembly 20 can include a display element for displaying an image sensed by a rear-facing camera or other imaging system (see, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 6,550,949, entitled “SYSTEMS AND COMPONENTS FOR ENHANCING REAR VISION FROM A VEHICLE,” filed Sep. 15, 1998, and assigned to the assignee of the present application and inventors Frederick T. Bauer et al. The entire disclosure thereof is incorporated herein by reference). Additionally or alternatively, the rearview mirror assembly 20 can include both an electro-optical rearview mirror element and a display element for providing an image from a rear-facing camera or other imaging system. Thus, a “rearview mirror assembly” need not include a mirror element. Generally, the rearview mirror assembly can include a housing 24 having a wide variety of possible designs, such as, for example, a mirror housing as described and claimed in U.S. Patent No. 5,448,397. The rearview mirror assembly can also include at least one of a mirror element, an electro-optical element, and a display element (not shown) attached to the housing 24, and an attachment element 10 configured to attach the housing 24 to the vehicle.

[0023] In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the separation spring 52 may be fixed to the cover plate 44. The coil spring 40 may be placed on the cover plate 44. The spring screw 86 may fix the separation spring to the cover plate 44. A part of the cover plate 44 may be placed on the mounting area of the mount 28, thereby fixing the cover plate 44 in place.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 9, a method 100 for adjusting the pivot torque of the pivot portion 32 of the rearview mirror assembly 20 may include providing the mounting element 10 described above in step 110. In step 120, at least one cover screw 48 may be adjusted. In step 130, the cover plate 44 may be moved relative to the mount 28 in response to the adjustment of the cover screw 48. In step 140, also in response to the movement of the cover plate 44, the second end 40B of the pivot coil spring 40 may move relative to the mount 28 in the same direction as the cover plate 44. In step 150, also in response to the movement of the second end 40B of the pivot coil spring, the pivot cup 36 may move relative to the mount 28 in the same direction as the cover plate 44. In step 160, also in response to the movement of the pivot cup 36 relative to the mount 28, the pressure applied to the pivot ball 76 by the finger portion 80 may change, thereby changing the pivot torque of the pivot portion 32.

[0025] The above description is to be considered only as pertaining to the preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art and the manufacturers or users of the present disclosure will come up with modifications to the present disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It is understood that the scope of the present invention is defined by the following claims, which are construed in accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents. In the present disclosure, only a few embodiments of the present innovation have been described in detail. However, those skilled in the art considering the present disclosure will readily recognize that numerous modifications (e.g., changes in the size, dimensions, structure, shape and ratio of various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, color, orientation, etc.) can be made without departing significantly from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may be composed of a plurality of parts, or elements shown as a plurality of parts may be integrally formed, the operation of the interface may be reversed, or otherwise changed, and the structure of the system and / or the length or width of the members or connectors or other elements may be changed, and the nature or number of adjustment positions provided between the elements may be changed. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovation. Without departing from the spirit of the present innovation, other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments.

[0026] In this document, terms indicating relationships, such as first and second, upper and lower, front and rear, left and right, vertical, horizontal, etc., are used alone to distinguish one component or operation from another component or operation, and no actual such relationship, order, or number among such components or operations is necessarily required or implied. Since these terms can be differently applied by various elements in various applications, they are not intended to limit the elements they describe. Further, unless explicitly specified to the contrary, the apparatus should be understood to be capable of various adaptations and sequences of steps. It should also be understood that the specific apparatus and processes illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification are merely exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept defined in the appended claims. Thus, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered limiting unless explicitly stated otherwise in the claims.

[0027] Of course, any described process or steps within a described process can be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form a structure within the scope of the present disclosure. The exemplary processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting. It should also be understood that variations and modifications can be made to the foregoing methods without departing from the concept of the present disclosure, and further, such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless explicitly otherwise defined in the language of those claims.

[0028] As used herein, the term "and / or" when used in a listing of two or more items means that any one of the listed items can be used alone or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be used. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and / or C, the composition can contain A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B in combination, A and C in combination, B and C in combination, or A, B, and C in combination.

[0029] As used herein, the term "about" means that a quantity, size, formulation, parameter, and other quantities and characteristics are not exactly or necessarily exactly, but optionally, reflect tolerances, conversion factors, rounding, measurement errors, etc., and other factors known to those skilled in the art, and can be approximate and / or larger or smaller. When the term "about" is used to describe an endpoint of a value or range, it should be understood that the present disclosure includes the particular value or endpoint being referred to. Whether or not a numerical value or endpoint in the present specification is described with "about", the numerical value or endpoint is intended to include two embodiments, namely, those modified by "about" and those not modified by "about". It will be further understood that each of the endpoints of the range is important in both its relationship to the other endpoint and independently of the other endpoint.

[0030] As used herein, the terms "substantially", "substantially" and their variations are intended to draw attention to the fact that the described features are equal to or approximately equal to the values or descriptions. For example, a "substantially flat" surface is intended to indicate a flat or approximately flat surface. Further, "substantially" is intended to indicate that two values are equal or approximately equal. In some embodiments, "substantially" may indicate values within at least one of 2%, 5%, and 10% of each other.

Claims

1. An attachment element for a rearview mirror assembly, comprising: A mount detachable from a button, having a first end and a second end, the first end defining a tapered path; a mount; A pivot portion having a first end and a pivot ball, the first end configured to support a housing of the rearview mirror assembly; a pivot portion; A pivot cup at least partially disposed within the tapered path of the first end of the mount, having a finger portion extending from a first end and a generally flat annular surface having an outer diameter at a second end, the pivot cup at least partially receiving the pivot ball and operable to apply a pivot torque to the pivot ball; A coil spring having a first end, a second end, and an outer diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the generally flat annular surface of the pivot cup, disposed within the mount, the first end of the coil spring being pressed against the generally flat annular surface of the pivot cup; a coil spring; Further comprising a separation spring at least partially disposed within a cavity defined by the second end of the mount and configured to abut the second end of the coil spring, the separation spring configured to fix the attachment element to a surface of a vehicle. An attachment element.

2. The attachment element according to claim 1, further comprising a cover plate fixed to the separation spring.

3. Further comprising at least one cover screw, the at least one cover screw configured to fix the cover plate to the mount. The attachment element according to claim 2.

4. The at least one cover screw is adjustable, By adjusting the at least one cover screw, the cover plate is moved relative to the mount. The attachment element according to claim 3.

5. The attachment element is configured to move the second end of the coil spring relative to the mount by moving the cover plate relative to the mount, and to move the pivot cup relative to the mount by moving the second end of the coil spring relative to the mount. The attachment element according to claim 4.

6. The mounting element according to claim 5, wherein moving the pivot cup relative to the mount changes the pressure applied to the pivot ball by the finger portion, thereby changing the pivot torque of the pivot portion.

7. The mounting assembly according to claim 3, operable to change the amount of pivot torque on the pivot ball by tightening or loosening the at least one cover screw.

8. A rearview mirror assembly, a housing that supports at least one of a mirror element, a display element, and an electro-optical element; a mount detachably attachable to a button, the mount having a first end and a second end that define a tapered path; a pivot portion capable of supporting the housing of the rearview mirror assembly, the pivot portion having a first end and a pivot ball; a pivot cup at least partially disposed within the tapered path defined by the first end of the mount, the pivot cup having a finger portion extending from the first end and a generally flat annular surface having an outer diameter at the second end, the pivot cup at least partially receiving the pivot ball and operable to apply a pivot torque to the pivot ball; a coil spring having an outer diameter substantially the same as the first end, the second end, and the generally flat annular surface of the pivot cup, the coil spring being disposed within the mount and the first end of the coil spring being pressed against the generally flat annular surface of the pivot cup; The rearview mirror assembly further includes a separating spring at least partially disposed within a cavity defined by the second end of the mount and configured to abut the second end of the coil spring, the separating spring being configured to secure the mounting element to the surface of the vehicle.

9. a cover plate fixed to the separating spring; at least one cover screw configured to fix the cover plate to the mount; the at least one cover screw is adjustable; The rearview mirror assembly according to claim 8, wherein adjusting the at least one cover screw moves the cover plate relative to the mount.

10. Moving the cover plate relative to the mount moves the second end of the coil spring relative to the mount, Moving the second end of the coil spring relative to the mount moves the pivot cup relative to the mount, Moving the pivot cup relative to the mount changes the pressure exerted on the pivot ball by the finger portion, thereby changing the pivot torque of the pivot portion. The rearview mirror assembly according to claim 9.

11. The rearview mirror assembly according to claim 9, which is operable to change the amount of pivot torque on the pivot ball by tightening or loosening the at least one cover screw.

12. A method of adjusting the pivot torque on the pivot portion of a rearview mirror assembly, Providing a mounting element for a rearview mirror assembly, the mounting element comprising A mount detachably attachable to a button, the mount having a first end and a second end defining a tapered path, A pivot portion capable of supporting the rearview mirror assembly, having a first end and a pivot ball, A pivot cup at least partially disposed within the tapered path defined by the first end of the mount, the pivot cup having a finger portion extending from the first end and a generally flat annular surface having an outer diameter at the second end, the pivot cup at least partially receiving the pivot ball and being operable to apply a pivot torque to the pivot ball, A coil spring having a first end, a second end, and an outer diameter generally the same as the generally flat annular surface of the pivot cup, the coil spring being disposed within the mount, the first end of the coil spring being pressed against the generally flat annular surface of the pivot cup, A separation spring at least partially disposed within a cavity defined by the second end of the mount, the separation spring abutting the second end of the coil spring and configured to secure the mounting element to the surface of a vehicle, A cover plate fixed to the separation spring, At least one cover screw configured to fix the cover plate to the mount, The at least one cover screw is adjustable, providing A method comprising adjusting the at least one cover screw. **Claim 13** The method according to claim 12, further comprising moving the cover plate relative to the mount in response to the adjustment of the cover screw. **Claim 14** The method according to claim 13, further comprising moving the second end of the coil spring relative to the mount in response to the movement of the cover plate. **Claim 15** The method according to claim 14, further comprising moving the pivot cup relative to the mount in response to the movement of the second end of the coil spring. **Claim 16** The method according to claim 15, further comprising changing the pressure applied to the pivot ball by the finger portion in response to the movement of the pivot cup relative to the mount, thereby changing the pivot torque of the pivot portion.

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