Track Connecting Assembly

• US 20080310911A1
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Conductix, Inc. (Delachaux Group SA)
• Original Assignee: Conductix, Inc. (Delachaux Group SA)
• Inventors: Jones, Mark, Roughley, Gregory David
• Application Number:
  US12/096,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20080310911A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 403/309
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/042 with a locking element, e.g. pin, ball or pushbutton, engaging in a hole in the wall of at least one tube
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/5761 Interrupted periphery, e.g., split or segmental, etc.

Abstract

A. track assembly includes two or more track sections (10, 11) the ends of which are inserted into a connecting sleeve (1). The shapes of the track sections and connecting sleeve match to enable easy sliding insertion, and they feature a continuous longitudinal slot (2, 12) in both the track sections and the connector sleeve to receive a guided element. The ends of the track sections are formed with a slot (15) and stop (17), and holes (7, 8) are provided symmetrically of a centre position (9) of the sleeve. Tines (21, 22) of a clip (20) are inserted through holes (7, 8) and engage in slots (15), to hold the ends of the track sections in place, and the clip (20) is retained by a resilient tongue (23) which engages the top of the sleeve.

Claims

1. A track assembly comprising at least two track sections (10, 11), and at least one connector sleeve (1) to facilitate end-to-end connection of any two of the track sections, the connector sleeve (1) having an open end at each end to receive ends of the respective track sections (10, 11) characterised in that each track section (10, 11) has detent means (15, 17) adjacent its end to be received in the connector sleeve (1), the sleeve having at least two apertures (7, 8) for insertion of engagement members to engage with said detent means (15), and a clip member (20) having tine members (21, 22) providing said engagement members, and a resilient member (23) engaging externally with the sleeve to retain the clip when inserted.

2. A track assembly according to claim 1, characterised in that the connecting sleeve (1) has an internal cross-sectional shape which matches the external cross section of the outer surface of the track sections (10, 11).

3. A track assembly according to claim 1 characterised in that the sleeve (1) is a hollow open ended structure defined by an outer wall, said wall being such as to form a sleeve structure formed with a longitudinal slot (2) which matches in position and width a longitudinal slot (12) in each of the track sections.

4. A track assembly according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve (1) has an indentation (3) in its outer wall which extends longitudinally of the sleeve.

5. A track assembly according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve (24) is provided with a raised ridge (14) which extends throughout the length of the sleeve or any part thereof.

6. A track assembly according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is straight, curved, u-shaped, right-angled, cross, or t-shaped.

7. A track assembly according to claim 1 wherein the apertures (7, 8) in the sleeve wall, are arranged longitudinally with respect to the sleeve, and are located symmetrically with respect to the central point of the sleeve, longitudinally of the sleeve.

8. A track assembly according to claim 7 wherein the apertures (J, 8) comprise aligned apertures in opposed side walls (5, 6) of the sleeve.

9. A track assembly according to claim 1, wherein the track members (10, 11) are each provided with an end region which is hollow, or are hollow throughout their length.

10. A track assembly according to claim 9, wherein each track member (10, 11) is defined by an outer wall which is provided with a gap or slot (12) extending longitudinally therealong, and matching the slot (2) in the sleeve (1).

11. A track assembly according to claim 10, wherein each track member comprises one or more raised ridge portions (14) extending longitudinally thereof.

12. A track assembly according to claim 1, wherein the respective engagement member (15) of each end of each track member comprises a slot formed in an upper part of the track member, and a stop consisting of a raised portion (17) at the terminus of the track member.

13. A track assembly according to claim 1 wherein the clip member (20) constitutes a releasable locking means and provides a snap fit clip comprising two or more tine members (21, 22) one for each aperture (7, 8) and at least one for each track member, and the resilient member (23) which is adapted to resiliently engage the side of the sleeve member (10) opposed to the slot (2).

14. A track assembly according to claim 13 wherein the tine members are disposed parallel to each other.

15. A track assembly according to claim 13 wherein the tine members are formed from suitably configured flat strips.

16. A track assembly according to claim 13 wherein one of the tine members is longer than the other or others.

17. A method for releasably connecting two or more track members (10, 11) in a track assembly comprising inserting one end region of each of two track members (10, 11) into a connecting sleeve (1), characterised in that the track members (10, 11) are retained by means of a releasable locking device (20) which has at least one tine to engage with a detent means (15) in each track member, through respective holes (J, 8) in the sleeve member (1), and a resilient member (23) to retain the locking device in position.

18. A track assembly which comprises two or more track sections (10, 11) the ends of which are inserted into a connecting sleeve (1), the shapes of the track sections and connecting sleeve matching to enable easy sliding insertion, characterised in that the ends of the track sections are formed with a slot (15) and stop (17), and holes (7, 8) are provided symmetrically of a centre position (9) of the sleeve (1) and in that tines (21, 22) of a clip (20) are inserted through said holes (J, 8) and engage in the slots (15) to hold the ends of the track sections (10, 11) in place, and the clip (20) is retained by a resilient tongue (23) which engages a surface of the sleeve (1).

19. A track assembly according to claim 18, wherein the track sections and sleeve are all provided with a longitudinal slot for reception of a guided element.