Safety connector
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorJeffrey C. Bishop
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A safety connector (2) comprising: a first member (4) and a second member (6) movably coupled to one another; wherein the first and/or second members (4, 6) comprise a retention mechanism (14a, 14b, 16); wherein the retention mechanism (14a, 14b, 16) has a first configuration which prevents relative movement between the first and second members (4, 6) and a second configuration which allows relative movement between the first and second members (4, 6); and wherein the retention mechanism (14a, 14b, 16) changes from the first configuration to the second configuration when a force between the first and second members (4, 6) exceeds a predetermined threshold force.
Claims9
A safety connector comprising:
- a first member and a second member movably coupled to one another;
- wherein the first and/or second-members comprises a retention mechanism;
- wherein the retention mechanism has a first configuration which prevents relative movement between the first and second members and a second configuration which allows relative movement between the first and second members;
- and
- wherein the retention mechanism changes from the first configuration to the second configuration when a force between the first and second members exceeds a predetermined threshold force;
- wherein the retention mechanism comprises a biasing arrangement which biases a part of the retention mechanism towards the first configuration, the biasing arrangement comprising a plurality of beam-springs, and
- wherein the retention mechanism comprises a plurality of indentations and the second member comprises a plurality of protrusions, which interlock with one another in the first configuration when the second member is inserted into the first member, wherein the plurality of protrusions of the second member do not move transversely relative to the axial direction, each of the indentations being defined by a forward facing surface and a rearward facing surface, each of the protrusions being defined by a forward facing surface and a rearward facing surface;
- and wherein each of the protrusions interlock with a corresponding one of the indentations, with the forward facing surfaces of the protrusions contacting the rearward facing surfaces of the indentations, and the rearward facing surfaces of the protrusions contacting the forward facing surfaces of the indentations.
A safety connector comprising:
- a first member and a second member movably coupled to one another;
- wherein the first member comprises a retention mechanism;
- wherein the retention mechanism has a first configuration which prevents relative movement between the first and second members and a second configuration which allows relative movement between the first and second members;
- and
- wherein the retention mechanism changes from the first configuration to the second configuration when a force between the first and second members exceeds a predetermined threshold force;
- wherein the retention mechanism comprises a biasing arrangement which biases a part of the retention mechanism towards the first configuration, the biasing arrangement comprising a plurality of beam-springs, and
- wherein the retention mechanism comprises a plurality of indentations and the second member comprises a plurality of protrusions, which interlock with one another in the first configuration, wherein the retention member is non-pivoting such that all of the protrusions engage and release corresponding ones of the indentations at the same time, each of the indentations being defined by a forward facing surface and a rearward facing surface, each of the protrusions being defined by a forward facing surface and a rearward facing surface;
- and wherein each of the protrusions interlock with a corresponding one of the indentations, with the forward facing surfaces of the protrusions contacting the rearward facing surfaces of the indentations, and the rearward facing surfaces of the protrusions contacting the forward facing surfaces of the indentations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.