Coupling apparatus for structural members
First Claim
1. A coupling apparatus for structural members, comprising a pair of couplers which couples structural members independent of each other with each other, each of the pair of couplers including:
- a cylindrical inner coupler main body rotationaly mounted on the structural member at a predetermined position thereof, the structural member corresponding to the each coupler;
a cylindrical outer coupler main body rotatinally fitted on the outer periphery of the inner coupler main body;
a plurality of engaging projections disposed on each of the inner coupler main body and the outer coupler main body at the projecting end thereof opposite to the corresponding structural member, and projecting in a direction along the center line of each coupler main body from a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of each coupler main body;
an engaging hook projecting in one circumferential direction of the inner coupler main body from one side surface of the projecting end portion of each of the engaging projections of the inner coupler main body;
an engaging hook projecting in the other circumferential direction of the outer coupler main body from the other side surface of the projecting end portion of each of the engaging projections of the outer coupler main body; and
an urging unit interposed between the inner coupler main body and the outer coupler main body and urging the inner coupler main body and the outer coupler main body in opposite cicumferential directions, wherein, when the plurality of engaging projections of the inner coupler main body and the plurality of engaging projections of the outer coupler main body of one coupler are inserted into a plurality of recesses between the plurality of engaging projections of the inner coupler main body and a plurality of recesses between the plurality of engaging projections of the outer coupler main body of the other coupler, the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the inner coupler main body of the one coupler come into contact with the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the inner coupler main body of the other coupler to rotate the inner coupler main body of the one coupler and the inner coupler main body of the other coupler with respect to each other in the predetermined opposite circumferential directions against the urging force of the urging unit, and thereafter the inner coupler main body of the one coupler and the inner coupler main body of the other coupler are rotated in the anti-predetermined opposite circumferential directions by the urging force of the urging unit, thereby the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the inner coupler main body and the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the outer coupler main body of the one coupler are engaged with the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the inner coupler main body and the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the outer coupler main body of the other coupler in a direction where the couplers are separated from each other along the center line of each of them.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The coupling apparatus for structural members includes a paired couplers for coupling structural members with each other, and each coupler includes a cylindrical main body, engaging projections spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals in a circumferential direction at an end of the body and projecting along the center line of the body, and engaging hooks projecting in one circumferential direction at the projecting end portions of the projections. At least one coupler further includes a coupling direction changing mechanism which couples the at least one coupler with a predetermined position of a structural member corresponding thereto so that the center line of the body of the at least one coupler can be orientated in a desired direction.
36 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A coupling apparatus for structural members, comprising a pair of couplers which couples structural members independent of each other with each other,
each of the pair of couplers including: -
a cylindrical inner coupler main body rotationaly mounted on the structural member at a predetermined position thereof, the structural member corresponding to the each coupler;
a cylindrical outer coupler main body rotatinally fitted on the outer periphery of the inner coupler main body;
a plurality of engaging projections disposed on each of the inner coupler main body and the outer coupler main body at the projecting end thereof opposite to the corresponding structural member, and projecting in a direction along the center line of each coupler main body from a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of each coupler main body;
an engaging hook projecting in one circumferential direction of the inner coupler main body from one side surface of the projecting end portion of each of the engaging projections of the inner coupler main body;
an engaging hook projecting in the other circumferential direction of the outer coupler main body from the other side surface of the projecting end portion of each of the engaging projections of the outer coupler main body; and
an urging unit interposed between the inner coupler main body and the outer coupler main body and urging the inner coupler main body and the outer coupler main body in opposite cicumferential directions, wherein, when the plurality of engaging projections of the inner coupler main body and the plurality of engaging projections of the outer coupler main body of one coupler are inserted into a plurality of recesses between the plurality of engaging projections of the inner coupler main body and a plurality of recesses between the plurality of engaging projections of the outer coupler main body of the other coupler, the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the inner coupler main body of the one coupler come into contact with the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the inner coupler main body of the other coupler to rotate the inner coupler main body of the one coupler and the inner coupler main body of the other coupler with respect to each other in the predetermined opposite circumferential directions against the urging force of the urging unit, and thereafter the inner coupler main body of the one coupler and the inner coupler main body of the other coupler are rotated in the anti-predetermined opposite circumferential directions by the urging force of the urging unit, thereby the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the inner coupler main body and the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the outer coupler main body of the one coupler are engaged with the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the inner coupler main body and the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the outer coupler main body of the other coupler in a direction where the couplers are separated from each other along the center line of each of them. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A coupling apparatus for structural members, comprising a pair of couplers which couples structural members independent of each other with each other,
each of the pair of couplers including: -
an abutment member fixed to a predetermined position of the structural member corresponding to the each coupler, the abutment member having an abutment surface;
a cylindrical coupler main body disposed on the outer periphery of the abutment member and being rotational with respect to the predetermined position of the corresponding structural member;
a plurality of engaging projections disposed on the coupler main body at the projecting end thereof opposite to the corresponding structural member, and projecting in a direction along the center line of the coupler main body from a plurality of positions arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the coupler main body; and
an engaging hook projecting in one circumferential direction of the coupler main body from one side surface of projecting end portion of each of the engaging projections, and having an engaging surface slanting toward the projecting direction of the each engaging projection with respect to an imaginary surface orthogonal to the center line of the coupler maing body, wherein, when the structural members corresponding to the pair of couplers are coupled with each other by the pair of couplers, the abutment surfaces of the abutment members of the structural members corresponding to the pair of couplers are abutted against each other. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A coupling apparatus for structural members, comprising a pair of couplers which couples structural members independent of each other with each other,
each of the pair of couplers including: -
a cylindrical coupler main body;
a plurality of engaging projections disposed at the projecting end of the coupler main body and projecting along the center line of the cylindrical coupler main body from a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical coupler main body; and
an engaging hook projecting from the projecting end portion of each of the plurality of engaging projections in the predetermined one circumfential direction of the cylindrical coupler main body, wherein, after the plurality of engaging projections of the coupler main body of the one coupler are inserted into a plurality of recesses between the plurality of engaging projections of the coupler main body of the other coupler, the coupler main body of the one coupler is rotated in the predetermined one circumferential direction with respect to the coupler main body of the other coupler, thereby the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the one coupler are engaged with the plurality of engaging hooks of the plurality of engaging projections of the other coupler in a direction where the pair of couplers are separated from each other in a direction along the center line of each coupler main body, and at least one of the pair of couplers further includes a coupling direction changing mechanism which couples the at least one of the pair of couplers with the predetermined position of the corresponding structural member so that the center line of the coupler main body of the at least one of the pair of couplers can be orientated in a desired direction. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification