Snap joint and method of use
AssigneeUniversite Laval
InventorsLaurence PICARD, André BÉGIN-DROLET, Pierre BLANCHET
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A snap joint for securing construction modules together on a modular construction site, the snap joint comprising a male member mounted on a first construction module and a female member mounted on a second construction module. The female member housing locking members, a tumbler and biasing members biasing the locking members against the tumbler. The male member having shaft engageable within the female member, through a base stop of the tumbler, along a trigger path in a manner to push the tumbler out of interference with the locking members, thereby freeing the locking members to transversally engage with the shaft.
Claims20
A snap joint for securing construction modules together on a modular construction site, the snap joint comprising a male member mounted on a first construction module and a female member mounted on a second construction module,
- the female member housing a first locking member, a second locking member biased towards the first locking member, and a tumbler holding the second locking member against the bias, the tumbler having a cap stop held between a cap abutment of the first locking member and a cap abutment of the second locking member, and a base stop held between a base abutment of the first locking member and a base abutment of the second locking member, and a trigger path extending through the base stop to the cap stop,
- the male member having a shaft engageable through the base stop of the tumbler, along the trigger path, in a manner to push the tumbler out of interference with the locking members, thereby freeing the locking members to transversally engage with the shaft.
A method of securing construction modules together on a modular construction site with a snap joint comprising a male member mounted on a first construction module and a female member mounted on a second construction module, the female member housing a first locking member, a second locking member biased towards the first locking member, and a tumbler holding the second locking member against the bias, the tumbler having a cap stop held between cap abutments of the locking members, and a base stop held between base abutments of the locking members, and a trigger path extending through the base stop to the cap stop, the method comprising:
- moving a shaft of the male member lengthwisely, along the trigger path, and pushing the tumbler with the shaft along the trigger path;
- and
- moving a locking member, extending along a tumbler length, transversally into a spacing freed by the movement of the tumbler and into transversal engagement with the shaft, thereby locking the male member to the female member.
A snap joint for securing a first construction module to a second construction module at a modular construction site, the snap joint comprising:
- a shaft securable to the first construction module, the shaft having an external surface protruding lengthwisely from the first construction module and having a first locking feature defined transversally in the external surface;
- a housing securable to the second construction module, the housing having an aperture configured for receiving the shaft into the housing;
- a tumbler within the housing, having a cap stop lengthwisely spaced apart from a base stop, the tumbler having a shaft path leading from the aperture to the cap stop;
- and
- a locking member trapped between the tumbler and the housing, externally to the shaft path, the locking member having an internal surface being transversally biased against the tumbler, the locking member having a second locking feature defined transversally in the internal surface, the locking member further comprising a base stop recess defined transversally in the internal surface;
- configured such that when the shaft is received through the aperture, along the shaft path, and pushes the tumbler, the tumbler frees the locking member in a manner for the first locking feature to engage the second locking feature while the base stop simultaneously engages the base stop recess, the locking member remaining lengthwisely trapped within the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.