Float connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9951801-B2
Application number	US-201414523861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2014
Priority date	Oct 25, 2013
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A floatation device includes at least one connector that intertwines with a connector of another floatation device to couple the floatation devices together.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connector of a connector pair including
a connector base having an axis,
a loop coupled to the connector base and configured to receive a flexible line,
an extension centered on the axis,
a plurality of arms extending from the connector base and cooperating to define a space therebetween sized to receive an extension of another connector of the connector pair, wherein each of the plurality of arms includes at least one finger extending from each of the arms, and
a rib configured to engage with a recess of the other connector of the connector pair to prevent rotation, the rib being integrally formed as a single one-piece structure with the connector and configured to be positioned radially between a radially interior surface of one of a plurality of arms of the other connector and a radially exterior surface of the extension of the connector when the connector pair is coupled together.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the extension of the connector is cylindrical and the space is at least partially cylindrical.

3. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the extension of the connector and at least one of the plurality of arms cooperate to define a detent pair.

4. The connector of claim 3 , wherein the detent pair includes a recess and the rib spaced apart from the recess.

5. The connector of claim 1 , wherein each of the fingers and the connector base cooperate to define a space between each finger and the connector base, each space between each of the fingers and the connector base sized to receive a finger of the other connector of the connector pair.

6. The connector of claim 5 , wherein the extension of the connector includes half of a detent pair positioned adjacent to the space between each of the fingers and the connector base.

7. The connector of claim 6 , wherein the half of the detent pair is the rib.

8. The connector of claim 1 further including the flexible line, wherein the flexible line is configured to be received by the loop.

9. A connector of a connector pair including
a connector base having an axis,
a loop coupled to the connector base and configured to receive a flexible line,
an extension centered on the axis,
a plurality of arms extending from the connector base, each of the plurality of arms including at least one finger extending from each of the arms, each of the fingers and the connector base cooperating to define a finger-receiving space between each finger and the connector base, each finger-receiving space sized to receive a finger of another connector of the connector pair, and
at least one detent configured to couple with a corresponding detent of the other connector of the connector pair through rotation of the at least one finger of each of the arms of the connector into a finger-receiving space of the other connector and to be positioned radially between the radially interior surface of one of a plurality of arms of the other connector and a radially exterior surface of the extension of the connector when the connector pair is coupled together, wherein the at least one finger of each of the arms of the connector is configured to flex radially outward during the rotation, and the radially interior surface faces an axis of a connector base of the other connector.

10. The connector of claim 9 , wherein the at least one finger of each of the plurality of arms is C-shaped.

11. The connector of claim 10 , wherein the at least one C-shaped finger of each of the plurality of arms defines a quadrant.

12. The connector of claim 9 , wherein adjacent arms cooperate to define a space, the finger-receiving space and the space between adjacent arms defining an L-shaped space configured to receive an arm of the other connector of the connector pair.

13. The connector of claim 12 , wherein the L-shaped space includes first and second legs, and the second leg includes the finger-receiving space.

14. The connector of claim 13 , wherein the second leg of the L-shaped space is C-shaped.

15. The connector of claim 9 , wherein the at least one finger of each of the plurality of arms includes half of a detent pair.

16. The connector of claim 9 , wherein the finger-receiving space is positioned between the at least one finger of each of the plurality of arms and the loop.

17. The connector of claim 9 wherein the at least one detent comprises a first detent and a second detent, the first detent extending from a top end to a bottom end of the extension centered on the axis of the connector base and the second detent extending from a top end to a bottom end of at least one of the fingers.

18. The connector of claim 9 , wherein the at least one detent is a rib and the corresponding detent is a recess, and wherein the at least one finger of each of the arms of the connector is configured to flex when rotated over the rib.

19. The connector of claim 9 , wherein the at least one detent is positioned along an interior surface of the at least one of the plurality of arms.

20. The connector of claim 9 , wherein the flexible line is coupled to a flotation device.

21. A connector of a connector pair including
a connector base having an axis,
an opening member coupled to the connector base and defining an opening sized to receive a flexible strap,
an extension centered on the axis,
a plurality of arms extending from the connector base, each of the plurality of arms including at least one finger extending from each of the arms, each of the fingers and the connector base cooperating to define a finger-receiving space between each finger and the connector base, each finger-receiving space sized to receive a finger of another connector of the connector pair,
a first detent positioned on a radially exterior surface of the extension, and
a second detent positioned on a radially interior surface of at least one of the plurality of arms, the radially interior surface being opposite a radially exterior surface of the at least one of the plurality of arms,
wherein the first and second detents are configured to engage with detents of the other connector of the connector pair.

22. The connector of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of arms and fingers are configured to intertwine with a plurality of arms and fingers of the other connector of the connector pair when the connectors are engaged with each other.

23. The connector of claim 21 , wherein the flexible strap is coupled to a flotation device.

24. A connector pair including a first connector and a second connector, each of the connectors including:
a flexible line,
a connector base,
a loop coupled to the connector base and configured to receive the flexible line, and
means for intertwining the connector pair, the intertwining means of each connector including half of at least one detent pair and configured such that, when the at least one detent pair is coupled through forward rotation of the first connector relative to the second connector, the at least one detent pair is coupled and obscured by the forward rotation while an empty space extends between an entire rearward surface of the first connector and an entire opposing surface of the second connector, wherein the entire rearward surface is opposite the forward rotation.

25. The connector pair of claim 24 , wherein the intertwining means of each connector includes a pair of spaced-apart arms.

26. The connector pair of claim 25 , wherein each of the spaced-apar

Assignees

• Intex Recreation Corp
• Intex Marketing Ltd

Inventors

• Hsu Yaw Yuan
• Hsu Kun Chao
• You Jinqie

Classifications

• F16B3/00 Primary

  Key-type connections; Keys (F16B2/00 takes precedence; for rods or tubes mutually F16B7/00) · CPC title

• Y10T403/7005

  Lugged member, rotary engagement · CPC title

• B63B35/38 Primary

  Rigidly-interconnected pontoons · CPC title

• B63B22/04

  {Fixations or other} anchoring arrangements · CPC title