Coupling device and method for coupling panels
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsBrian E. Dressel, So Nakaura, Satoshi Hayashi, Travis W. Cannady, Geemay Chia
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A coupling device and method for removably coupling frames of a modular panel system includes a first coupling body fixedly and rotatably connected to a first panel frame of a first panel and a second coupling body fixedly and rotatably connected to a second panel frame of a second panel. The first and second coupling bodies are removably coupled to one another in a coupled state to thereby couple the first panel and the second panel together and are decoupled from one another in a decoupled state to thereby decouple the first panel and the second panel from one another.
Claims17
A coupling device for coupling panels of a modular panel system, the device comprising:
- a first coupling body fixedly and rotatably secured to a first panel frame of a first panel at an end edge portion of the first panel;
- a second coupling body fixedly and rotatably secured to a second panel frame of a second panel at an end edge portion of the second panel, wherein the first and second coupling bodies are removably coupleable together to removably couple the associated first and second panels to one another;
- a gear member rotatably fixed to the first panel;
- and
- a gear locking member rotatably fixed to the first coupling body for selectively engaging the gear member to rotatably lock the first coupling body and the first panel to one another.
A coupling device for coupling frames of panels, comprising:
- a first panel having a first panel frame;
- a second panel having a second panel frame;
- a first coupling body fixedly and rotatably connected to the first panel frame of the first panel at an end edge portion of the first panel;
- a second coupling body fixedly and rotatably connected to the second panel frame of the second panel at an end edge portion of the second panel, wherein the first and second coupling bodies are removably coupled to one another in a coupled state to thereby couple the first panel and second panel together and are decoupled from one another in a decoupled state to thereby decouple the first panel and the second panel from one another;
- and
- a locking mechanism including:
- a locking pin disposed on the first coupling body that is removably lockable in a locking pin aperture disposed on the second coupling body to align and removable lock the first and second coupling bodies relative to one another, and
- a rotational locking member slidably disposed on the first coupling body and movable between a lock position and an unlock position, wherein in the lock position the rotational locking member prevents rotation between the first coupling body and the first panel frame, and wherein in the unlock position the first panel is rotatable relative to the first coupling body.
A method for removably coupling panels of a modular panel system, comprising:
- providing a first panel having a first panel frame;
- providing a second panel having a second panel frame;
- providing a first coupling body fixedly and rotatably secured to the first panel frame at an end edge portion of the first panel and a second coupling body fixedly and rotatably secured to the second panel frame at an end edge portion of the second panel;
- removably coupling the first coupling body and the second coupling body together to removably couple the first and second panels to one another, and
- sliding a rotational locking member on the first coupling body to an unlock position;
- rotating the first panel relative to the first coupling body while the rotational locking member is in the unlock position;
- and
- sliding the rotational locking member to a lock position after rotating the first panel to a desired position, wherein in the lock position the rotational locking member prevents rotation between the first coupling body and the first panel frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.