Apparatus for retaining a ball joint, and an assembly and a method thereof

An assembly for enabling multi-angle adjustment of a lamp, the assembly comprising:

• a frame to which the lamp is attachable, wherein the frame has a frame hole;
• a ball joint having a head and a neck coupled to the head;
• and
• an apparatus in which the ball joint is retained, the apparatus being attached to the frame and having:
• a housing defining a chamber, wherein the housing defines a housing hole, and the head is disposed inside the chamber;
• and
• a cap configured to interlock with the housing to secure the ball joint such that the ball joint and the housing are substantially restricted to rotational movement with respect to each other;
• and
• a fastener partly disposed inside the chamber, wherein the fastener includes a shank;
• and
• an insert located between the frame and the housing, wherein the insert defines an insert hole, wherein the shank extends through the frame hole, the housing hole, and the insert hole such that the fastener couples the frame, the housing, and the insert together;
• wherein the housing defines an exterior housing surface and an interior housing surface opposite the interior housing surface, the interior housing surface defines the chamber, the housing defining a plurality of openings extending through the interior housing surface and the exterior housing surface, the cap includes a plurality of exterior retention tabs, each of exterior retention tabs includes an exterior leg and an exterior extension protruding from the exterior leg, each of the exterior legs is disposed outside the housing, and each of the exterior extensions is disposed inside one of the openings;
• and
• wherein the cap further comprises a plurality of interior retention tabs, wherein each of the interior retention tabs includes an interior leg and an interior extension protruding from the interior leg, each of the interior legs is disposed inside the housing, and each of the interior extensions is disposed in one of the openings.

An assembly comprising:

• a frame including a frame body, wherein the frame defines a frame hole extending through the frame body;
• a ball joint having a head and a neck coupled to the head;
• an apparatus coupled to the ball joint, wherein the apparatus includes:
• a housing including a first end wall and a second end wall opposite the first end wall, wherein the housing defines an open chamber extending from the first end wall to the second end wall, the head is disposed inside the open chamber, the housing has an exterior housing surface and an interior housing surface opposite the exterior housing surface, the interior housing surface defines the open chamber, the housing has an outer surface interconnecting the interior housing surface and the exterior housing surface, the housing defines at least one opening extending through the exterior housing surface and the interior housing surface, and the housing includes at least one protrusion extending from the second end wall in a direction away from the first end wall;
• a cap covering the open chamber, wherein the cap includes a cap body resting on the outer surface such that the cap is partially disposed outside the housing, the cap includes at least one retention tab extending from the cap body, the at least one retention tab includes a retention leg and an extension protruding from the retention leg, the retention leg is disposed outside the housing, and the extension is disposed inside the at least one opening;
• and
• an insert disposed between the frame and the apparatus, wherein the insert has at least one indent, and the at least one protrusion is disposed in the at least one indent;
• and
• a fastener partly disposed in the open chamber, wherein the fastener includes a shank, the housing defines a housing hole extending through the second end wall, the insert has an insert hole, and the frame defines a frame hole, and the shank extends through the housing hole, the frame hole, and the insert hole.