Patent Application
20070031187
This invention pertains to a connection device used to connect together various sections of tubing when assembling a frame structure.
The use of tubular connection inserts to join together a first and second piece of tubing in order to construct a frame such as the type used with an exhibit display at a convention or trade show are well known in the art. Known inserts are made of metal and have a slot that extends the full diameter of the insert where it is terminated only by the outer surface insert itself. This design results in the outer surface of the insert acting as the flex area of the connector when it is tightened into position.
The current connector design has many shortcomings including the fact that the inserts are heavy, the flex area is prone to splitting, and the connectors allow for rotation of the connected pieces of tubing even when the connector is at its maximum expansion point. Furthermore, the manufacturing process required to make the known connectors is labor intensive and utilizes costly materials.
Another shortcoming of the prior art is that expansion of the connector may cause ovilization of the pieces of tubing being connected (i.e., change the shape of the tube from circular to oval). This results from the fact that the known connectors do not contact the inner wall of the tubing pieces throughout a majority of the 360° of the tubing's inner diameter, but only at two oppositely opposed areas. This problem becomes more egregious if you attempt to reduce the weight of the known connectors by reducing their outside diameter in an attempt to reduce their material weight. For these reasons a lightweight connector that has a resilient flex area, is easy to install, and will not deform the shape of the tubing pieces that are being connected together would be an important improvement in the art.
The invention involves a connector used to secure together a first and second piece of tubing. The connector is comprised of a tubular section that includes a slot in a first side, and at least one opening in a second side that is substantially perpendicular to the first side. The slot is defined by a first and second side wall that are spaced apart from each other and a rounded bottom wall that connects the two side walls. The first side wall has an opening aligned with the at least one opening in the second side of the tubular section. The slot extends into the tubular section from the first side to a depth greater than half a diameter, but less than a full diameter of the section. An engagement screw is positioned within the at least one opening.
As shown in
As seen in
When in operation, the connector 10 is inserted in an opening 22 in one end 36 of a section or piece of tubing 12. The engagement screw 34 is then inserted into the connector 10 through a second opening 40 in the section of tubing 12 that is aligned with the at least one opening 22 in the second side 24 of the connector 10. When toque is applied to the first end 42 of the engagement screw 34, the second end 44 screws through the first side wall 26 across the slot 18 and contacts the second side wall 28. As torque continues to be applied, the second end 44 of the engagement screw 34 forces the second side wall 28 away from the first 26. This increases the distance between the first and second side walls 26, 28 and forces the outer surface 46 of the connector 10 against the inner surface 48 of the section of tubing 12, thereby securing the connector 10 within the tubing 12, as shown in
In an embodiment, as shown in
The connector 10 can be made of any suitable material without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, in one embodiment, the tubular section 16 may be made from a malleable material. In another embodiment, the tubular section 16 may be made of a molded plastic. The plastic may be any number of compounds including polyurethane and any thermal plastic resin.
The use of plastic or other more malleable materials allows the connector 10 to flex and expand more easily when tightened into position within the tubing pieces 12, 14. This results in a greater portion of the outer wall 46 of the connector 10 contacting the inner wall 48 of the tubing 12, thereby providing a more even distribution of the expansion force generated by the connector 10 on the tubing 12. This even distribution of the expansion force allows the tubing 12 to maintain a more circular shape thus preventing ovilization of the tube 12.
Depending on the length of the connector 10, a second opening 52 may be defined in the second side 24 of the tubular section 16, as shown in
As shown in
In another embodiment of the invention, a threaded sleeve 58 may be inserted into the at least one opening 22, as shown in
With respect to the slot 18, as seen in
As shown in
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. It should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.
