Display Support Structure And Method

A display structure, comprising:

• at least two elongate structural members, each structural member having a pocket and a hole defined at one end thereof;
• a connector disposed to rigidly connect the two elongate structural members at their respective ends, the connector comprising:
• a body;
• a beam connection portion defined at a free end of the body;
• a cavity formed in the beam connection portion of the body, the cavity including a semi-cylindrical guide surface having a generally semi-circular cross sectional shape around a centerpoint;
• an opening defined in the body and being open to the cavity adjacent the semi-cylindrical guide surface, wherein the opening has an elliptical shape in which the difference between a major and a minor axis is an offset distance;
• an eccentric fastener rotatably disposed in the cavity, the eccentric fastener comprising:
• a head portion having a generally cylindrical shape, the head portion protruding from the opening and disposed in the hole;
• a cam portion having a generally cylindrical shape that is eccentrically disposed relative to the head portion, the camp portion configured to engage at least a portion of the semi-cylindrical surface when the eccentric fastener is rotated relative to the connector.

A method for connecting elongate structural members or beams end to end in a portable or permanent display structure, comprising:

• providing a pocket and a hole at the end of each beam;
• inserting a connector between at least two beams, the connector having a body inserted into the respective pockets of the at least two beams, by depressing a head of a fastener disposed on either of at least two ends of the connector such that the end of the beam can pass over the head portion while the fastener is in an unlocked position;
• extending the head portions of the fasteners through the hole in each respective end of the at least two beams;
• rotating the fasteners a respective locked position to engage the at least two beams onto the connector;
• wherein engagement between the connector and the at least two beams occurs by an eccentric rotation of the respective heads of the fasteners that occurs during rotation of the fasteners to their respective locked positions, and wherein the eccentric rotation of the head portions creates an engagement with the respective holes of the beams that operates to pull the beams deeper over the connector and in abutting contact with one another.