Patent attributes
A rotation and detent mechanism includes a body defining a cavity and having a travel limiter with two fixed faces protruding into the cavity. A detent plate nests and rotates within the cavity and has two limiting surfaces between which the travel limiter of the body is disposed. One of the limiting surfaces engages a respective one of the travel limiting faces of the body at each extreme of angular rotation of the detent plate. The detent plate includes recesses for engaging one or more spring loaded ball plungers mounted in the body. Each ball plunger engages a recess in the detent plate at certain angular detent positions of the detent plate within the body. The mechanism further includes an axle on which the detent plate rotates, and a coil spring that engages the detent plate, resisting rotation of the detent plate in one rotational direction.