Connector apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637931-B2
Application number	US-201314067779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2013
Priority date	Oct 30, 2013
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A connector apparatus has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion mounts to an upright that has knobby hand grip protrusions. The second portion provides a connection for a laterally extending cross-member. The first portion interacts with the knobby hand grip protrusions to have a combination of a first degree of freedom permitting motion in one direction, while inhibiting motion in a second degree of freedom. The second portion has a releasable connection to the cross-member, and when engaged, has a degree of freedom of motion about an axis of the second portion cross-wise to the axis of the upright. The second portion has a releasable, retained, pin connector with a quarter-turn lock to prevent accidental disengagement. The connection of the second portion is offset such that when two connectors are seated back-to-back their cross-tie connections stand in substantially the same horizontal plane relative to the ground.

First claim

We claim:

1. The combination of an upright having a gripping array and a cross-tie member connector, wherein:
said gripping array has members thereof defining a plurality of indexing members spaced axially therealong;
said connector has a body selectively seatable about said upright, said body having an indexing member co-operably engageable with at least one of said plurality of indexing members of said gripping array of said upright; and when so co-operably engaged, said connector body having one of
(a) a first degree of freedom permitting angular displacement in a circumferential direction about said upright, while being inhibited from displacement in a second degree of freedom along said upright in an axial direction; and
(b) a first degree of freedom permitting motion along said upright in an axial direction, while being inhibited from angular displacement in a second degree of freedom of motion in a circumferential direction about said upright;

said connector body also having a cross-tie mount having a rotational degree of freedom about an axis cross-wise to the axial direction of said upright.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said gripping array includes a plurality of sets of rings of outwardly extending protrusions, and said connector body defines a seat for engagement with at least a first of said sets.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said seat has abutment members that interact with said first of said sets.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said connector has at least a first end face, and said cross-tie mount is offset to align with said first end face.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said connector is a first connector, and said combination includes a second connector having the same features as the first connector, said second connector being inverted and mounted back-to-back with said first connector whereby said cross-tie mount of said first connector and said cross-tie mount of said second connector align.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein
said connector is a first said connector, and said combination includes a second said connector;
said first connector has a first degree of freedom permitting angular displacement in a circumferential direction about said upright, while being inhibited from displacement in a second degree of freedom along said upright in an axial direction; and
said second connector has a first degree of freedom permitting motion along said upright in an axial direction, while being inhibited from angular displacement in a second degree of freedom of motion in a circumferential direction about said upright.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said second connector is located above said first connector.

8. The combination of claim 6 wherein:
said first connector has at least a first end face, and said cross-tie mount of said first connector is offset to align with said first end face of said first connector;
said second connector has at least a first end face, and said cross-tie mount of said second connector is offset to align with said first end face of said second connector; and
said second connector is located on said upright above said first connector.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said second connector is inverted and said first end face of said second connector and said first end face of said first connector face toward each other, and, when seated in abutment said cross-tie mount of said second connector aligns with said cross-tie mount of said first connector.

10. The combination of claim 1 wherein said indexing member of said connector body matingly engages at least one of the indexing members of the upright, and, when so engaged, said body being axially retained along the upright and being circumferentially movable about the upright.

11. The combination of claim 1 wherein the gripping array has radially outwardly extending protrusions, and said indexing member of said body is a radially inwardly protruding member.

12. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body has a first annulus defined therein, said annulus providing a clearance space for said indexing members of said gripping array of said upright whereby to permit circumferential motion of said body about said upright.

13. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body has a first portion and a second portion, said first portion and said second portion being separable to permit installation on the upright, and securable together on installation.

14. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cross-tie mount includes one of: (a) a clevis for mating engagement with a tongue of a cross-tie; and (b) a tongue for mating engagement with a clevis of a cross-tie.

15. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body of said connector has at least a first end face extending cross-wise to the upright, and said cross-tie mount has an axis of said rotational degree of freedom thereof offset toward said first end face.

16. The combination of claim 1 wherein said connector is a first said connector, and said combination includes a second said connector, said second connector being placed in inverted orientation relative to said first connector, and placed adjacent thereto, and, when so placed, said axes of rotational degrees of freedom of their respective cross-tie mounts are offset toward each other at corresponding heights relative to the upright.

17. The combination of claim 1 , wherein:
said gripping array includes a first set of radially outwardly protruding members and a second set of radially protruding members;
said first set of radially outwardly protruding members is axially spaced from said radially outwardly protruding members;
said body has a first internal annulus sized to accommodate said first set of radially outwardly protruding members, whereby to permit circumferential motion of said body about said first set of radially outwardly protruding members; and
said indexing member of said body being a radially inwardly extending member, said radially inwardly extending member being inhibited from passing said first set of radially outwardly protruding members of said gripping array.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein said body has a second internal annulus sized to accommodate said second set of radially outwardly protruding members of said gripping array; and said radially inwardly extending member seats axially between said first and second sets of radially outwardly protruding members of said gripping array.

19. The combination of claim 1 wherein cross-tie mount has a degree of freedom permitting motion predominantly cross-wise to the permitted range of motion of the second degree of freedom of the body and also having a rotational degree of freedom about an axis cross-wise to the axial direction of said upright.

20. The combination of claim 1 wherein said connector apparatus includes a securement fitting by which to connect objects at said cross-tie mount.

21. The combination of claim 1 wherein said cross-tie mount has an axis of pivotal motion on a circumferential tangent relative to said upright.

22. The combination of claim 1 wherein said connector body is a connector body according to branch (b) of claim 1 , and said cross-tie mount has an axis of pivotal motion substantially parallel to said upright.

Assignees

• Univ Health Network

Inventors

• Hart Andrew John
• Fernie Geoffrey Roy
• Smyth T Daniel
• Komisar Victoria P
• King Emily Catherine
• Murray Peter George

Classifications

• E04G7/02

  with separate coupling elements · CPC title

• E05B65/0007

  for gates (for wire gates E06B11/021) · CPC title

• E04F11/1834 Primary

  with adjustable angle, e.g. pivotal connections · CPC title

• E04F11/1865

  Collapsible or portable balustrades · CPC title

• Y10T403/7007

  Bayonet joint · CPC title