Releasable coupling or attachment device
First Claim
1. A coupling or attachment device comprising a head portion and a hollow shank projecting therefrom for plugging into a receptor socket, the shank being provided with locking means movable transversely thereof between a projecting locked condition and a retracted free condition, and control means movably mounted within the shank between a first position maintaining the locking means in said locked condition and a second position allowing movement of said locking means to said free condition, said head portion having a release mechanism comprising actuator means for moving said control means from said first position to said second position and releasable means cooperating with the actuator means or the control means and adapted to prevent operation of said control means by an inadvertent or accidental engagement with the actuator means;
- wherein said actuator means comprise a pivotally mounted release lever having a portion interlinked with said control means, said lever having a portion projecting from said head portion allowing a manual manipulation of the release lever to move said control means from said first position to said second position thereof; and
wherein said releasable means comprise a pivotally mounted second lever having an abutment portion engaging a portion of said release lever to prevent movement thereof to move said control means from said first position to said second position thereof, said second lever having a portion projecting from said head portion allowing a manual manipulation of the second lever to remove said abutment portion from its position obstructing operation of said release lever.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A plug-in connector device comprises a ring-like head portion and a hollow shank. The shank has locking balls which can be held to project outwardly of the shank in a locked condition of the device, and can also move to a retracted position under the control of an axially slidable probe, the movement of which is controlled by an actuator lever on the head portion which can only be moved to release the locking balls from their locked condition on a separate manipulation of a second lever, or in other embodiments a safety catch button, also mounted on the head portion.
41 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A coupling or attachment device comprising a head portion and a hollow shank projecting therefrom for plugging into a receptor socket, the shank being provided with locking means movable transversely thereof between a projecting locked condition and a retracted free condition, and control means movably mounted within the shank between a first position maintaining the locking means in said locked condition and a second position allowing movement of said locking means to said free condition, said head portion having a release mechanism comprising actuator means for moving said control means from said first position to said second position and releasable means cooperating with the actuator means or the control means and adapted to prevent operation of said control means by an inadvertent or accidental engagement with the actuator means;
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wherein said actuator means comprise a pivotally mounted release lever having a portion interlinked with said control means, said lever having a portion projecting from said head portion allowing a manual manipulation of the release lever to move said control means from said first position to said second position thereof; and wherein said releasable means comprise a pivotally mounted second lever having an abutment portion engaging a portion of said release lever to prevent movement thereof to move said control means from said first position to said second position thereof, said second lever having a portion projecting from said head portion allowing a manual manipulation of the second lever to remove said abutment portion from its position obstructing operation of said release lever. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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2. A coupling or attachment device comprising a head portion and a hollow shank projecting therefrom for plugging into a receptor socket, the shank being provided with locking means movable transversely thereof between a projecting locked condition and a retracted free condition, and control means movably mounted within the shank for motion in a direction between a first position maintaining the locking means in said locked condition and a second position allowing movement of said locking means to said free condition, said head portion having a release mechanism comprising actuator means for moving said control means from said first position to said second position and releasable means cooperating with the actuator means or the control means and adapted to prevent operation of said control means by an inadvertent or accidental engagement with the actuator means;
wherein said releasable means comprise manually operable means located on said head portion and having an abutment portion projecting inwardly of said shank with a surface facing in the direction of motion of said control means and engaging an opposed surface of said control means, said manually operable means cooperating with said control means to selectively mechanically lock said control means so as to prevent movement thereof from said first position to said second position, said manually operable means being movable, when manually operated, to remove said surface of the abutment portion from engagement with said control means thereby allowing movement of said control means to said second position upon actuation of said release lever. - View Dependent Claims (3, 12)
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4. A coupling or attachment device comprising a head portion and a hollow shank projecting therefrom for plugging into a receptor socket, the shank being provided with locking means movable transversely thereof between a projecting locked condition and a retracted free condition, and control means movably mounted within the shank between a first position maintaining the locking means in said locked condition and a second position allowing movement of said locking means to said free condition, said head portion having a release mechanism comprising actuator means for moving said control means from said first position to said second position and releasable means cooperating with the actuator means or the control means and adapted to prevent operation of said control means by an inadvertent or accidental engagement with the actuator means;
wherein said actuator means and said releasable means comprise manually depressable catch members located on opposite sides of said head portion and linked to said control means so that sliding movement of the catch members cause said control means to move from said first position to said second position thereof, and abutment means on respective opposite sides of said head portion to prevent said sliding movement of the catch member until both catch members have been manually depressed.
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5. A coupling or attachment device comprising a head portion and a hollow shank projecting therefrom for plugging into a receptor socket, the shank being provided with locking means movable transversely thereof between a projecting locked condition and a retracted free condition, and control means movably mounted within the shank between a first position maintaining the locking means in said locked condition and a second position allowing movement of said locking means to said free condition, said head portion having a release mechanism comprising actuator means for moving said control means from said first position to said second position and releasable means cooperating with the actuator means or the control means and adapted to prevent operation of said control means by an inadvertent or accidental engagement with the actuator means;
wherein said actuator means comprise a pivotally mounted release lever having a portion interlinked with said control means, said releasable means comprising a head portion adapted to contain said release lever internally thereof thereby to shield the release lever from accidental actuation, and operating means provided to enable the release lever to be operated only with a suitably shaped tool. - View Dependent Claims (6)
Specification