US 7,441,981 B2Granted

Coupler for a mount system

AssigneeCrain Enterprises, Inc.

InventorsStephen B. Crain, Ralph C. Mize

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Abstract

A coupler comprises a male component and a female component including an interior chamber for receiving the male component. A catch extends into the interior chamber for cooperating with the male component to axially secure the male component with respect to the female component. A release comprises a slide located adjacent the catch, whereby depression of a button on the catch causes the catch to resiliently deform and move along the slide to a position free of engagement with the male component. The coupler can be used to attach a holder for holding an auxiliary device to a clamp. The coupler has a first position wherein the holder is spaced a first distance from the clamp and is fixed rotationally relative to the clamp, and a second position wherein the holder is spaced a second distance from the clamp and is free to rotate with respect to the clamp while remaining coupled to the clamp.

A coupler comprising:

a male component including a first portion, a second portion moveable with respect to the first portion, an annular groove defined at least in part by said first and second portions, and a projection extending outward from the first portion;
a female component including an interior chamber sized and shaped for receiving at least part of the male component and a projection extending inward into the interior chamber selectively positionable for engagement with the projection of the first portion of the male component to inhibit the female component from rotating with respect to the first portion of the male component;
and
a catch extending into the interior chamber of the female component co-operable with the groove defined by said first and second portions of the male component to axially connect the second portion of the male component to the female component, the catch including a button, at least one leg extending from the button and at least one ear projecting inwardly from the leg and positioned for engaging the groove defined by said first and second portions of the male component, the button being selectively operable to disengage the ear from the groove to release the male component allowing the male component to be removed from the female component;
wherein the coupler is selectively reconfigurable by moving the first portion of the male component relative to the second portion of the male component between a first configuration in which the projection of the female component engages the projection of the male component to inhibit rotation of the female component with respect to the first portion of the male component and a second configuration in which the projection of the female component is disengaged from the projection of the male component permitting rotation of the female component with respect to the first portion of the male component;
and
wherein the catch selectively connects said female component to said male component in both the first and second configurations of the coupler.

4 more elements

Facts

Application

11/107,122Filed 15 Apr 2005

Published

US 2006/0233601 A119 Oct 2006

Granted

28 Oct 2008

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

E06C 7/14
Component parts, supporting parts, or accessories: holders for pails or other equipment on or for ladders
F16B 2/12
External, i.e. with contracting action: using sliding jaws
F16B 31/02
Screwed connections specially modified in view of tensile load; Break-bolts: for indicating the attainment of a particular tensile load or…
F16M 11/041
Means for attachment of apparatus; Means allowing adjustment of the apparatus relatively to the stand: allowing quick release of the apparatus

Abstract

Claims17