Connector system for structural framework

• US 9,458,874 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eltronix Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Eltronix Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Sim, Boon Keng
• Primary Examiner(s): SKROUPA, JOSHUA A
• Application Number:
  US14/233,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20140241794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 526/551, 526/552, 403169-178, 403/205, 403/217, 403/218, 403348-350, 403/353, 403/382, 403/403, 446/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 47/0016 Node corner connectors, e.g. cubic
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/1912 with central cubical connecting element
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/5831 of substantially rectangular form
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/1957 Details of connections between nodes and struts
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/5881 using an undercut groove, e.g. dovetail groove
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2012/446 with three-dimensional corner element, the legs thereof being inserted in hollow frame members
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/044 for rods or tubes being in angled relationship
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/20 using bayonet connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/342 Polyhedral
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/347 Polyhedral
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/44 Three or more members connected at single locus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7005 Lugged member, rotary engagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7007 Bayonet joint

Abstract

A connector system of a structural frame work for display structures. The system includes a socket device and a plug device that can be coupled to the socket device. The socket device includes an outer housing and a socket member in the socket housing, the socket member having a socket hole of non-circular cross-section disposed in a distance behind a coupling hole that is bordered by a retainer wall of the outer socket housing. The plug device includes a plug body and a coupling sleeve slidably and rotatably fitted onto the plug body that includes an exposed plug end portion axially projecting out of the coupling sleeve to fit into the socket hole of the socket member, the coupling sleeve including at least one radial locking nose projecting outwardly from the free end portion of the coupling sleeve that fits through the coupling hole of the socket housing.

Claims

1. A connector system of a structural framework, the system comprising a socket device and a plug device that can be coupled to the socket device,

the socket device including an outer socket housing and a socket member in the socket housing, the socket housing having a coupling hole bordered by a retainer wall, and the socket member having a socket hole of non-circular cross-section, the socket hole disposed in a distance behind the coupling hole,

the plug device comprising a plug member and a coupling sleeve, the plug member including a plug body that is cylindrical slidably inserted into the coupling sleeve and that includes an exposed plug end portion axially projecting out of a free end portion of the coupling sleeve and having a non-circular cross-section designed to fit into the socket hole of the socket member, the free end portion including at least one radial locking nose radially projecting outwardly on an outer peripheral surface of the free end portion of the coupling sleeve and having a limited circumferential width equal to or smaller than a half of the circumferential length of the outer peripheral surface of the free end portion, the coupling sleeve designed to be axially displaceable relative to the plug member between a release position and a coupling position,

wherein the free end portion of the coupling sleeve inclusive of the locking nose axially fits through the coupling hole of the socket housing when the coupling sleeve is in the release position, and the retainer wall includes a locking portion radially projecting by the radial projecting length of the locking nose into the coupling hole, and

wherein the plug body and the coupling sleeve include axial cam members engaging each other to cooperate upon a rotation of the coupling sleeve for said axial displacement of the coupling sleeve between the release position and the coupling position so that the plug end portion of the plug member can be fitted into the socket hole of the socket member while the free end portion of the coupling sleeve inclusive of the locking nose is inserted through the coupling hole into the socket housing, and the locking nose is displaced towards and against the locking portion of the retainer wall of the socket housing upon and during a relative rotation of the plug device and the socket device.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug device further includes a pressure spring member that is operatively connected axially between the plug body and the coupling sleeve.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spring member is a conical spring member that is supported on the underside of the bottom wall of the coupling sleeve.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling hole is formed in the retainer wall of the socket device to include a circular center portion and at least one recess portion radially outwardly of the center portion, the center portion having a diameter that corresponds to an outer diameter of the coupling sleeve, and the recess portion having a width in a circumferential direction of the coupling hole that corresponds at least to the circumferential width of the locking nose, the recess portion having a radial length of at least equal to the radial projection length of the locking nose and an axial shape corresponding to axial shape of nose in axial view, so that the locking nose axially fits through the recess portion, wherein the recess portion is bordered by the locking portion of the retainer wall in a circumferential direction of the coupling hole.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the free end portion of the coupling sleeve includes a plurality of locking noses that are spaced from each other in circumferential direction of the coupling sleeve, wherein the coupling hole in the retainer wall of the socket housing includes a plurality of recess portions that correspond to the plurality of locking noses of the coupling sleeve, so that the plurality of recess portions and locking portions of the retainer wall alternate each other around the center portion of the coupling hole.

6. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the recess portions have a width that corresponds to the width (W) of each of the locking noses.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking noses have axial locking faces that face away from the plug end portion of the plug member and are at least approximately in a radial plane of the plug member or the coupling sleeve, the locking faces are axially displaced in a direction away from said plug end portion of the plug member upon and during a relative rotation of the coupling sleeve and the plug member from the release position into the coupling position to axially move in a direction toward the retainer wall of the socket housing when the free end portion of the coupling sleeve has been inserted through the coupling hole into the socket housing.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cam members are end cams having axially facing cam profiles that face each other are arranged in a circle around the axis of relative rotation of coupling sleeve and plug member and each include at least one trough and at least one crest that alternate along the circle to axially engage each other and alternately change the direction of said axial displacement of the coupling sleeve upon a unidirectional rotation of the coupling sleeve.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the crest of at least one of the cam members is flattened to hold the coupling sleeve in the coupling position.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling sleeve includes a bottom wall and the cam members are disposed between the bottom wall and an axial face of the plug body.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cam profiles are of a sinusoidal waveform having at least one crest and at least one trough.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cam profile has four crests and four troughs.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cam profile has two crests and two troughs.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the socket member is held within the socket housing by supporting arms to leave a space between the socket member and the retainer wall, wherein each supporting arm is connected on a corner of the socket housing and to a corner of the socket housing.

15. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the socket housing is a cube having a plurality of corners and side walls, and the socket member is a hollow cube having a plurality of corners and side walls, wherein each of a plurality of the side walls of the socket housing includes the retainer wall and includes a coupling hole in the retainer wall for receiving the free end portion of the coupling sleeve in the release position thereof, and each of a plurality of sides of the socket member includes a socket hole for receiving the plug end portion of the plug member.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the socket member is held within the socket housing by supporting arms to leave a space between the socket member and the retainer wall, wherein each supporting arm is connected on a corner of the socket member and to a corner of the socket housing, and wherein each of the socket housing and the socket member includes two halves that are releasably interconnected, and wherein the supporting arms are integrally formed on the corners of the socket member halves.

17. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug body includes an axial extension rod that is rotatably received in the plug device and rotatable relative to the coupling sleeve.

18. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plug device is inserted into a hollow end portion of a bar member in an axially and rotatably fixed condition.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the plug device is a first plug device and a second plug device that is identical to the first plug device is inserted in a second hollow end portion of the bar member in an axially and rotatably fixed condition, wherein the cam members of the plug devices are aligned to each other in a synchronized condition such, that the coupling sleeves of both plug devices are in the release position, when the bar member is in a first rotation position, and both plug devices enter the coupling position when the bar member is rotated from the first rotation position into a second rotation position.

20. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising releasably cooperating latching members including a male member on one of the locking nose and the locking wall portion and a female member on the other of the locking nose or locking wall portion, cooperating to engage into each other when the coupling sleeve is in the coupling position.