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US 2014/0270915 A1Published application
Connector devices
AssigneePlay From Scratch, LLC
InventorJeffrey Freeland Nelson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A variety of connectors can be used to connect cylindrical or other shaped tubes to one another. The connectors incorporate features that may facilitate connecting the tubes at a wide range of angles to form a variety of multi-dimensional shapes, while obviating the need to use tape or glue. Such features can potentially improve the aesthetics and simplify the assembly of objects produced using the connectors disclosed herein. Further, structures produced using the connectors disclosed herein can be disassembled, facilitating reuse of, e.g., the paper-based tubes of exhausted household products.
Claims35
A connector comprising:
- a flat connector body having a uniform thickness, the connector body comprising:
- a central region;
- two or more arms extending distally from the central region, wherein at least one of the arms comprises:
- a width configured to be press fit into a tubular element of a household product, and
- at least one slotted notch extending proximally from a distal end of the arm, wherein the at least one slotted notch comprises a slot portion comprising a width that is less than or equal to the thickness of the connector body.
2 more elements
A connector comprising:
- a substantially toric connector body comprising:
- a uniform thickness;
- at least one triangular notch;
- and
- an inner diameter sized to receive a tubular element of a household product.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- a first connector comprising:
- a flat connector body having a uniform thickness, the connector body comprising:
- a central region;
- two or more arms extending distally from the central region, wherein at least one of the arms comprises:
- a width configured to be press fit into a tubular element of a household product, and
- at least one slotted notch extending proximally from a distal end of the arm;
- and
- a second connector comprising:
- a substantially toric connector body comprising:
- a uniform thickness;
- at least one triangular notch;
- and
- an inner diameter sized to receive a tubular element of a household product
- wherein the at least one slotted notch comprises a slot portion comprising a width that is less than or equal to the thickness of the flat connector body and less than or equal to the thickness of the toric connector body.
11 more elements
A connector comprising:
- a flat connector body having a uniform thickness, the connector body comprising:
- a central region;
- two or more arms extending distally from the central region, wherein at least one of the arms comprises:
- a width configured to be press fit into a tubular element of a household product, and
- at least one slotted notch extending proximally from a distal end of the arm, wherein the at least one slotted notch comprises a slot portion comprising:
- a distal protrusion defining a first width of the slot portion;
- a proximal protrusion defining a third width of the slot portion;
- and
- an intermediate protrusion defining a second width of the slot portion,
- wherein the intermediate protrusion is arranged between the distal and proximal protrusions and wherein the third width is less than the thickness of the connector body.
7 more elements
A connector comprising:
- a flat connector body having a uniform thickness, the connector body comprising:
- a central region;
- two or more arms extending distally from the central region, wherein at least one of the arms comprises:
- a width configured to be press fit into a tubular element of a household product, and
- at least one slot extending proximally from a distal end of the arm, wherein the at least one slot comprises:
- a proximal protrusion defining a first width of the slot;
- and
- an intermediate protrusion arranged between the proximal protrusion and the distal end of the arm, the intermediate protrusion defining a second width of the slot, and the proximal and intermediate protrusions together defining a third width of the slot,
- wherein the first and second widths are each greater than or equal to the thickness of the connector body and the third width is less than the thickness of the connector body.
6 more elements
A connector comprising:
- a flat connector body having a uniform thickness, the connector body comprising:
- a central region;
- two or more arms extending distally from the central region, wherein at least one of the arms comprises:
- a width configured to be press fit into a tubular element of a household product, and
- a slot extending proximally from a distal end of the arm, the slot comprising three successively opposing protrusions that define two reduced slot widths comprising a first width equal to a distance between one protrusion and an opposing side of the slot and a second width equal to a distance between two protrusions, the first width being greater than or approximately equal to the thickness of the connector body, and the second width being less than the thickness of the connector body.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.