The invention relates to a mechanical construction connecting a bottom part of the construction with a top part of the construction, wherein the bottom part of the construction is provided with a receptacle which is dimensioned for receiving the top part of the construction, and which receptacle has a sidewall or sidewalls provided with at least one recess, and the top part of the construction is provided with at least one aperture, wherein each recess in the side wall or sidewalls of the bottom part of the construction is aligned with one of the apertures in the top part of the construction, and wherein at least one combination of an aligned recess and aperture holds a ball to prevent displacement of the bottom part of the construction and the top part of the construction with respect to each other, wherein the top part of the construction comprises a channel through which the ball is movable and provides access to the aperture and recess, and wherein the channel is essentially vertical so as to arrange that, in the absence of a hindrance, gravity causes the ball to move into or to be maintained in the aligned recess and aperture.

The phrase "the channel is essentially vertical" as used herein means that the channel does not have to be 90° vertical, it can also have an inclination that is almost vertical and still allows the ball to drop to the desired location.

US2016 / 0032952 entitled 'quick release blind fastener' discloses such a mechanical construction.

It is an object of the invention to provide such a mechanical construction which may be easily and repeatedly assembled and disassembled.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a mechanical construction which can be assembled and disassembled in a fool-proof manner.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide such a mechanical construction which is not sensitive to wear and tear.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a mechanical construction which can be quickly implemented. These and other objects of the invention as well as further advantages that may become apparent from the following disclosure, are provided with a mechanical construction as specified in the appended claims. Moreover the invention is also embodied in a method of assembling and/or disassembling the mechanical construction of the invention, as will be explained hereinafter .

According to the invention the ball that is used to fit into the aligned recess and aperture is magnetizable. Many magnetizable materials are feasible, but in particular it is preferred that the ball is of ferromagnetic material.

Assembling the construction then only requires the release of the ball, i.e. the removal of the hindrance that prevents the ball to move into the aligned recess and aperture. The hindrance needs not always to be present, but a possible hindrance is for instance a magnetic field that can be applied to prevent the ball from moving down the channel. On the other hand this also provides the opportunity of easy disassembling the construction by applying a temporary or permanent magnet to attract the ball and move it against the force of gravity away from its position in a recess in the first portion of the construction that is aligned and cooperates with an aperture in the second portion of the construction.

In a particular embodiment the top part of the construction is a shaft with an open top end. As already mentioned there needs not be any hindrance that prevents the ball from moving down the shaft towards the cooperating recess and aperture in the first and second portion of the construction. The open end then makes assembling very easy by inputting a ball via the open top end into the shaft which ball can then travel to the aligned recess and aperture.

In another embodiment the top part of the construction is a shaft with a closed top end. The ball can then be already present in the shaft of the top part of the construction, wherein its movements in the shaft are dictated by external forces, i.e. magnetic field lines and gravity.

With the ball being attractable by magnetic field lines it is preferred that the bottom part of the construction and the top part of the construction are permeable for such magnetic field lines so as to enable that such magnetic field lines from a temporary or permanent magnet are capable to act on the ball. Usually the magnet is external of the mechanical construction. When the magnet is switchable it can however also be made a part of the mechanical construction, by implementing it in the wall of the shaft the top part of the construction.

Although it is possible that already a single ball may suffice to provide a mechanical connection between a bottom part and a top part of the construction, it is preferred that plural balls are applied, and that the top part has a central elevation and extending from said central elevation downwardly sloping guide faces for directing the respective balls to plural sets of aligned recesses and apertures. In this way each combination of a recess and an aperture can receive a single individual ball.

Suitably the sets of aligned recesses and apertures, and correspondingly the downwardly sloping guide faces to said sets of aligned recesses and apertures are regularly distributed in an arrangement covering a 360° area.

In order to promote a reliable assembly of the mechanical construction of the invention it is preferred that the vertical channel in the top part of the construction widens as seen in the direction of the bottom part of the construction. The respective balls can then easily find their way to the respective aligned recesses and apertures.

Further it is remarked that although the top part of the construction may be assembled from multiple pieces, it is preferred that the top part of the construction is a unitary single piece.

The invention will hereinafter be further elucidated with reference to the drawing of an exemplary embodiment of a mechanical connection according to the invention that is not limiting as to the appended claims.

In the drawing:

-figure 1, 2 and 3 show a bottom part, a top part, and an assembly of the bottom and top part of the construction according to the invention in a sectional side view and top view respectively;

-figure 4 shows an assembly sequence A - D of the me- chanical construction according to the invention;

-figure 5 shows a disassembly sequence A - C of the mechanical construction according to the invention; and -figures 6 and 7 provide an overview of two alternative embodiments of the mechanical construction according to the invention.

Whenever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts.

Turning first to figure 3, this figure shows a mechanical construction 1 according to the invention connecting a bottom part 2 of the construction 1 which is separately shown in figure 1, with a top part 3 of the construction 1 which is separately shown in figure 2. Figure 6 shows an overview of this mechanical construction according to the invention, whereas figure 7 shows an alternative embodiment.

With particular refence to figure 1, the bottom part 2 of the construction is provided with a receptacle 4 which is dimensioned for receiving the top part 3 of the construction. It is clearly shown that the receptacle 4 has a sidewall or sidewalls 5. Said sidewall or sidewalls 5 of the bottom part 2 of the construction 1 is provided with at least one recess 6, however in the shown embodiment there are three regularly distributed recesses 6. The top part 3 of the construction 1 is correspondingly provided with at least one aperture 7, i.e. in the shown embodiment there are three regularly distributed apertures 7. It is clear from the figures that the recess (es) 6 in the side wall or sidewalls 5 of the bottom part 2 of the construction 1 is/are aligned with the aperture (s) 7 in the top part 3 of the construction 1.

Each combination of the aligned recess (es) 6 and aperture (s) is intended to hold a ball 8 to prevent mutual displacement of the bottom part 2 of the construction 1 with reference to the top part 3 of the construction 1. In the figures 1 - 3 the balls 8 are shown before they have occupied their position in the respectively aligned recesses 6 and apertures 7.

With further reference to the figures 2 and 3, it is clearly shown that the top part 3 of the construction 1 comprises a channel 9 through which the ball or balls 8 are movable, which channel 9 provides access to the aperture (s) 7 and recess (es ) 6.

It will be clear from the figures that the top part 3 of the construction 1 is mounted on top of the bottom part 2, wherein the channel 9 is essentially vertical so as to arrange that in the absence of a hindrance, gravity causes the ball or balls 8 to move into or to be maintained in the aligned recess (es) 6 and aperture (s) 7.

Providing the balls 8 into the channel 9 can be easily achieved by arranging that the top part 3 of the construction 1 is a shaft with an open top end that gives access to the channel 9 and is capable to receive the balls. In another embodiment as is shown in the drawing the top part 3 of the construction 1 is however a shaft with a closed top end 10, in which case the balls are already present within the shaft and their movement is governed by magnetic forces as explained herein.

Other notable features of the mechanical construction 1 according to the invention are:

- that the ball or balls 8 are magnetizable,

- that the ball or balls 8 are of ferro-magnetic material, and

- that the bottom part 2 of the construction and the top part 3 of the construction are permeable for magnetic field lines so as to enable that such magnetic field lines from a temporary or permanent magnet are capable to act on the ball or balls 8.

With reference again to figure 2 and figure 3, it is shown that the top part 3 has a central elevation 11 and extending from said central elevation 11 downwardly sloping guide faces 12 for directing the respective balls 8 to the respective sets of aligned recesses 6 and apertures 7. Suitably the sets of aligned recesses 6 and apertures 7, and correspondingly the downwardly sloping guide faces 12 to said sets of aligned recesses 6 and apertures 7 are regularly distributed in an arrangement covering a 360° area. This means that with three recesses 6 and three apertures 7, between each of the recesses and apertures there is an angle of 120° . It is further shown that the vertical channel 9 in the top part 3 of the construction 1 widens as seen in the direction of the bottom part 2 of the construction 1. Preferably the top part 3 of the construe- tion is a unitary single piece.

Making reference to figure 4, an example of assembling the mechanical construction of the invention is shown. Figure 4A shows the top part 3 of the construction, with an external magnet 13 to attract the balls 8 towards an upper portion of the top part 3. A previously applied cap 15 which was used to close off the apertures 7 at the bottom of the top part 3 can then be removed as is shown in figure 4A.

Figure 4B shows a subsequent step wherein a bottom part 2 or bottom part is positioned below the top part 3, and in figure 4C it is shown that the top part 3 is placed snugly fitting into the receptacle 4 of the bottom part 2. When arrived at the situation shown in figure 4C, the magnet 13 can be removed or switched off, so that the balls 8 are released to move towards and into the respective combinations of aligned recesses 6 and apertures 7, as guided by the downwardly sloping guide faces 12 that extend from the central elevation 11 in the top part 3 of the construction.

Figure 5 depicts the method for disassembling the mechanical construction according to the invention, wherein figure 5A correspond to figure 4D. For disassembly figure 4B shows that first a magnet 13 is brought into the vicinity of the top part 3 of the construction so as to attract the balls 8 and move the balls 8 against the force of gravity away from their positions as occupied in the respective cooperating recesses 6 in the first portion 2 and apertures 7 in the second portion 3 of the construction. Once the balls 8 are thus removed, it is possible to separate the bottom part 2 from the top part 3 of the construction, as shown in figure 5C. By thereafter replacing the cap 15 (shown in fig. 4A) , the balls 8 can be prevented from escaping the top part 3, and the magnet 13 can then be shut off or removed.

Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the mechanical construction of the invention, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention. The discussed exemplary embodiment shall therefore not be used to construe the appended claims strictly in accordance therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the wording of the appended claims without intent to limit the claims to this exemplary embodiment. The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be construed in accordance with the appended claims only, wherein a possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment .