Joints and connections – Biased catch or latch – Leaf spring
Patent
1997-12-11
1999-09-07
Wilkens, Janet M.
Joints and connections
Biased catch or latch
Leaf spring
403326, 108 64, 108 65, 24588, 24625, F16B 202
Patent
active
059476281
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a connector for table tops or table-top parts, as well as the use of such connectors.
BACKGROUND ART
When arranging tables in rooms or halls for meetings, assemblies or parties, it is frequently necessary to be able to arrange the tables in different ways, e.g. in successive rows, in "horseshoe shape", in an open rectangle or in a manner adapted to the wall limits of said room or hall, and in order to avoid that the individual tables in the arrangements come out of position, it may be desirable to connect or couple adjacent edges of the table tops to each other. Likewise, it is often desirable to be able to use insert table tops between the individual independent tables in such an arrangement, partly to avoid the inconvenience otherwise occurring that some participants are placed facing two closely adjacent table legs, partly because in this manner, it is possible using a smaller number of independent tables to achieve a table arrangement with a greater length and also, depending on the shape of certain of the insert table tops, to achieve a more appropriate and varied shape of the table arrangement. Obviously, to achieve this, it is necessary to be able to interconnect the edges of the tops of independent tables with the edges of the insert table tops placed between them.
Connectors having been used up to the present for interconnecting independent tables or connecting table tops on independent tables with insert table tops between them are frequently large and clumsy and have to be assembled manually from the lower side of the table using the fingers or special tools. To this must be added that, when the independent tables are not connected to each other or to insert table tops but used singly, the previously known connectors are highly visible and give the table an unpleasant "technical" appearance.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide a connector for releasably interconnecting a table top or a table-top part with another table top or table-top part edge-to-edge, said connector comprising a first connector element to be secured below an edge of the first-mentioned table top or table-top part, and a second connector element adapted to cooperate with said first connector element and to be secured below an edge of said other table top or table-top part that disconnecting the table tops or table-top parts to each other or from each other, respectively, occurs so to speak automatically and practically without any effort, and
At the same time, the connector according to the present invention should be capable of being manufactured easily and in a low-cost manner from commercially currently available sheet-metal material by means of simple and well-known shaping and machine methods.
This object is achieved according to the invention with a connector of the kind referred to, which is characterized in that an elongate coupling member with substantially the same cross-sectional shape as the channel formed by said first connector element, said member comprising an offset step and being rotatable relative to said anchor member between an engagement position, in which position its longitudinal axis substantially coincides with the central axis of said channel in said first connector element to be connected to said first-mentioned table top or table-top part, and an inactive position, in which said coupling member is completely covered by said other table top or table-top part that it is intended to be connected to that said coupling member is elastically compressible, at least at its end adapted to engage with said first connector element and that said coupling member comprises locking means for releasable locking engagement with said first connector element to be connected to said first-mentioned table top or table-top part.
It is another object of this invention to provide a connector in which the connector elements are guided into mutual engagement in an easy and unproblematic manner during the connecting operation
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patent: 4064814 (1977-12-01), Pokorny et al.
patent: 4266882 (1981-05-01), Wilhelmi et al.
patent: 5182996 (1993-02-01), Gutgsell
patent: 5438937 (1995-08-01), Ball et al.
patent: 5560302 (1996-10-01), Diffrient et al.
patent: 5678948 (1997-10-01), White
Siso A/S
Wilkens Janet M.
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