GB2299370A

GB2299370A - Connector device

Info

Publication number: GB2299370A
Application number: GB9520900A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Edwin Ayre
Original assignee: Kee Klamps Ltd
Current assignee: Kee Klamps Ltd
Priority date: 1995-03-31
Filing date: 1995-10-12
Publication date: 1996-10-02
Anticipated expiration: 2015-10-12
Also published as: GB9506729D0; GB9520900D0; GB2299370B

Abstract

A connector device suitable for structurally interconnecting two rigid members comprises a body portion 2 for association with one of the members, said body portion having associated therewith a head portion 4 and a socket portion 8, the head and socket portions being arranged substantially to lie at respective sides of a swivel plane 5 that intersects with the body portion, the head portion having a part hemispherical convex surface 6 which extends for at least 180{ about a pivot axis 7 which lies perpendicular to the swivel plane, the socket portion 8 having at least a part hemispherical concave recess which may comprise a surface 9 which extends through at least 45{ about the pivot axis with the radius of curvature of the concave surface 9 of the socket portion being substantially the same as and not substantially less than that of the convex surface 6 of the head portion. A connector unit may comprise two connector devices connected together by a location device, with the head portion of each device lying in the socket portion of the other device. The location device may lock together the two connector devices, or allow for their relative pivotal movement.

Description

"CONNECTOR DEVICE" The present invention relates to a connector device for forming a structural interconnection between two members and which permits variation of the angle of interconnection.

The invention relates also to an assembly of two nembers interconnected by at least one said connector device and to an adjustable connector unit comprising two said connector devices releasably securable relative to one another in any one of a range of relative orientations.

One exanple of an application for which the present invention seeks to provide an uprosed connector device is that of a tubular structure such as a balustrade or safety rail. Such structures ecnnnnly require a structural intereonneetion between a first, tubular type merger and a second member which may also be of a tubular type.

Many types of tube conntors have been proposed and used successfully for such structures. Sake are cheap to manufacture and easy to use, but lack the ability to provide a relatively smooth and/or an especially visually pleasing interconnection. An example of this type of connector is one made fran cast malleable iron and having boss formations for location of grub screws whereby two tubular members slid into housings formed by the cast iron connector may be locked into position.The connector coers an end of one or each of the inberzonnected tubes and therefore it is not necessary accurately to cut to length either of the tubers. Other types of known tube connectors nize readily facilitate the provision of a smooth and/or visually pleasing interconnection, but are expensive to manufacture and difficult to use.In particular on-site difficulties can arise because of the need accurately to cut the tubes to length so that a smooth continuous joint is formed between tubes when integrated together in an assembly The present invention seeks to provide a connector device, an adjustable connector unit comprising two said connector devices, and an assembly incorporating said connector device, which facilitates provision of an adjustable structural interconnection that is visually more pleasing than that achievable using known cast components whilst nevertheless avoiding or mitigating the on-site assembly difficulties associated with presently knows in line type connections.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a connector device comprising a body portion for association with one of two members to be interconnected by the connector device, said body portion having associated therewith a head portion and a socket portion, the head and socket portions being arranged substantially to lie at respective sides of a swivel plane that intersects with the body portion, the head portion having a part hemispherical convex surface which extends for at least 1800 about a pivot axis which lies perpendicular to said plane and the socket portion calprising at least a part hemispherical concave recess.

Preferably the concave recess is defined at least in part by a concave surface which extends though at least 45 about said pivot axis and the radius of curvature of the concave surface of the socket portion being substantially the same as and not substantially less than that of the convex surface of the head portion.

Preferably the 1)-nis-ical convex surface of the head portion extends through at least 270 about the pivot axis. Preferably the hemispherical concave surface of the socket portion extends through at least 900 about the pivot axis.

The body portion nay be of a type hawing a priory axis. That axis nay be contained by the swivel plane. The body portion nay be elongate and the primary axis may be the longitudinal axis of the body portion. The body portion nay have an outwardly facing surface which is a surface of revolution and the primary axis nay be the major axis of that surface of revolution.

The body portion preferably can rises a tapered zone at an end region in the vicinity of the pivot axis. The region of maximum axial extent of the tapered zone preferably lies an a plane which contains said prinary axis and said pivot axis.

The tapered end zone may comprise a taper surface which is stbetantially planar. Preferably the tapered end zone comprises a pair of taper surfaces xiqrnQP to lie at respective sides of said plane which contains the primary and pivot axes. Mare preferably the surfaces of said pair are disposed symmetrinally relative to said plane.

The invention envisages therefore that, as viewed in the direction of the pivot axis, the body portion nay have an end region which is of a wedgelike form. The wedge form nay have an apex angle which is less than or equal to 900.

The region of maximum axial extent of the tapered zone may extend to said pivot axis or may terminate short of the pivot axis, for exanple by a distance which is one fifth or less of the radius of curvature of said part hemispherical concave surface.

The head portion preferably has a substantially planar abutment face, which may be annular, to confront and bear against a corresponding surface of the head portion of another connector device when two connector devices are assembled together.

The head portion preferably comprises location means whereby that head portion may be pivotally connected to anther connector device provided with a corresponding head portion locatable in the aforementioned socket portion.

The location means nay be an aperture for location of a hinge pin means which nay be arranged to extend into association with the head portion of another coonetor device.

The body portion nay be tubular. It nay comprise retention means to enable it to be secured to an end of a rod ar tube. Alternatively the body portion nay be in the form of a flange securable to one of two members to be interconnected. A tubular body portion may be closed in the vicinity of the head portion to restrain ingress of moisture. It nay be closed at least in part by material which forms the head portion andlor a concave surface of a concave recess.

The body portion nay be tubular and nay be orientated to extend in a direction away fran the head and socket portions. Thus the longitudinal axis of the body portion may lie perpendicular to and intersect the pivot axis; it my lie in the swivel plane of the device.

The body portion may be tubular and have a cylindrical outer surface the radius of curvature of which is substantially equal to that of the part hemispherical convex surface of the head portion.

In an alternative configuration the body portion again my be tubular but be arientated with the longitudinal axis of the body portion displaced from the pivot axis. It my, for exanple, be orientated to extend in a direction which is perpendicular relative to the pivot axis; it may lie in the swivel plane of the device. The device may be of an offset type configuration; for exanple the body portion my lie substantially wholly to one side of said swivel plane.

The connector device my be made frrrn cast or moulded material.

Suitable materials for forming the connector device include aluminium and high strength plastics.

The invention Frovides also an adjustable connetor unit comprising two connector devices of the present Invention arranged with the head portion of each device lying in a respective socket portion of the other device and a location device to hold together the two connector devices and allow for their relative pivotal movement.

In the connector unit the respective confronting convex and concave surfaces of head and socket portions my lie in contact, thereby to act as bearing surfaces which my slide relative to one another upon relative pivotal mcvement of the two cxenYctor devices. Thus it is envisaged that the respective confronting convex and concave surfaces my have the - radius of curvature.Alternatively a convex surface may have a radius of curvature which is slightly less than that of a confronting concave surface, in which case, although said surfaces my be in contact, preferably they are maintained spaced apart, for exanple by the location device. That is, the location device my be arranged to ensure that the two connector devices are restrained fran relative movement in a direction parallel with the swivel plane.

The location device may be of a kind which restrains relative separation of the two conoetor devices only in directions parallel with the swivel plane. Separation of the confronting head portions in the direction of the length of the pivot axis will then be restrained by the interlock configuration in which the head portion of one device lies between the head portion and the concave surface of the socket portion of the other device.

Alternatively the location device nsly be of a kind which restrains relative separation of the two devices in directions parallel with the swivel plane and also in the direction of the pivot axis.

The location device my be a locking device which can lock together the two connector devices when they lie at a desired relative angle.

The invention provides also an assembly comprising two members interconnected by a connector device or a connector unit of the present invention. The two nembers my be elongate and may be interconnected in line at a selected angle of relative orientation or may be interconnected in a T form in which a branch nEmber lies at a selected angle relative to the other member.

Embodiments of the invention are now described, by way of example, with reference to the Drawings in which Figures l(a) to (e) are orthogonal and sectional views of a connector device of a first embodiment; Figure 2(a) is a perspective view of a connector unit; Figure 2(b) is a top view of the connector unit of Figure 2; Figures 2(c) & (d) are end and side views of one of the connector devices of the unit of Figures 2(a) and (b); Figures 3(a) to (e) are orthogonal and sectional views of a connector deice of the third embodiment; Figure 4(a) is a perspective view of another connector unit; Figures 4(b) to (d) are top end and side views of one of the connector devices of the unit of Figure 4(a);; Figure 5(a) is a perspective view of yet another connector unit; Figures 5(b) to (d) are end, side and top views of one of the connector devices of the unit of Figure 5(a); Figure 6(a) is a perspective view of a T junction connector; Figures 6(b) to (d) are side, end and top views of one of the connector devices of the unit of Figure 6(a); Figure 7(a) is a perspective view of a T junction connector having two of the connectcr devices of Figures 6(b) to (d), Figures 7(b) to (d) are side, end and top views of two of the connector devices of the unit of Figure 7(a); and Figure 8 is a side view of a connector unit in azzordbece with another entodiKent of the invention.

A connector device 1 for an in-line, end to end, connection of two tubes is shown in Figures l(a) to (e). The device 1 is f-d fran mileable cast iron and cclises a tubular body portion 2 of an elongate form having a major axis 3.

A head portion 4 is integral with and extends from one end of the body portion. The head portion lies wholly to one side of a swivel plane 5 which contains said major axis of the body portion and has an outer part-spherical convex bearing surface 6 which extends for about 270 about a pivot axis 7 which lies perpendicular to the swivel plane 5 and intersects the major axis 3 of the body portion 2.

Said one end of the body portion provides also a socket portion 8 which lies substantially wholly to the side of the swivel plane opposite the side containing the head portion. The socket portion has a part-spherical concave bearing surface 9 which extends through an angle of approxinately 90 about said pivot axis 7.

The end of the body portion 2 fran which the head portion 4 depends additicnally comprises a pair of substantially planar taper surfaces 18,19 which lie symmetrically about a plane which contains the pivot axis 7 and the longitudinal axis 3. Each of the taper surfaces is inclined at 45 to the longitudinal axis and intersects with the pivot axis. The taper surfaces 18,19 impart a wedge type profile as viewed in the direction of the length of the pivot axis (see Figure l(b)).

The head portion 4 is provided with a tubular location portion 10 in which a hinge pin (not shown) is locatable to extend into engagement with a similar tubular portion of a second such connector device positioned with the bearing surface 6 of the head portion lying in contact with said concave bearing surface 9 of the socket portion.

The body portion 2 ccnprises also a threaded boss 11 in which a grub screw may be fitted and tightened against a tube or rod like member inserted into the body portion.

Figure 2 shows a connector unit 15 comprising two connector devices 16 each similar to the contKctar device 1 of Figure 1 except that the threaded bosses 11 are displaced through 909. On Figure 2 like reference ninterals are used for features commonly used in Figure 1. The two devices 16 are held together in line against axial separation by a hinge pin 17 which extends through the pin location portions 10. Optionally the pin is of a nilti-part construction operable to tighten the two head portions 4 against one another and to lock the two devices in a desired relative orientation.

In the assembly of the two devices 16 in the connector unit 15 the provision of the wedge profiles arising from the taper surfaces 18,19 allows the two devices to pivot through a total angle range of 1800, fran a position in which one device lies with its longitudinal axis at 900 to that of the second of the two devices, to a second position in which it has rotated through 1800 about the pivot axis 7 to lie at 900 in an opposite direction.

Figure 3 shows a connector device 20 adapted for constructing a T-form structural interconnection between two ==be. The device 20 comprises a body portion 21 having at one end head and socket portions which correspond with those of Figure 1.

The Figure 3 device differs from that of Figure 1 in that the wall of the tubular body portion 21 has a large-bore through-passage 22 the longitudinal axis 23 of which lies in the swivel plane 5.

Figure 4 shows a connector unit 25 for forming a T connoion. The unit crises a T type device 20 of Figure 3 in combination with a device 16 of Figure 2, the two devices 16,20 being held together against separation by a lockable hinge pin 26.

Figure 5 shows a connector unit 30 in which the body portion of one of the connector devices 31 is a flange 32 having associated therewith, as aforedescribed, a head portion 4 and a socket portion 8. The other connector device 33 corresponds with the device 16 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 shows a connector unit 35 in which a T connection is formed using a variation of the connector device 20 of Figures 3 and 4. In the variation a T connector device 36 has a tubular body portion 37 which defines a large bore through passage 38 of half the axial length of the passage 22 of Figures 3 and 4. The passage 38 in this eStlXibR!nt lies wholly to one side of a plane 39 which contains the pivot axis 40.

Two of the connector devices 36 of Figure 6 my be arranged in a back to back configuration as shown in Figure 7. It win be seen that a multi- branch connection can thereby be achieved in which a first member (not shown) extends through the passages 38 of the two devices 36 and branch members may be arranged to lie in line with one another, i.e. a line 46 connecting the hinge pin axes 45 will intersect the major axis of the passages 38 at right angles.

In the embodiment of Figure 8 a connector unit 50 carprises a pair of identical connector devices 51 which correspond subetantially with the connector devices 16 of Figures 1 and 2 apart fran an offset feature. In the devices of Figures 1 and 2 the taper surfaces 18,19 intersect with the pivot axis 7. In this embodiment the apex region 52 of the taper surfaces 53,54 lies short of the pivot axis 55 by a distance which is approximately one fifth of the radius of curvature of the convex surface 56 of the head portion 57.

In the above described esbodiments the convex surface of the part hemispherical head portion has a radius of curvature which is slightly less than that of the cylindrical outer surface of the body portion. In alternative embodinents it my, for example, have a radius of curvature which substantially equals that of the outer surface of a cylindrical body portion.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A connector device comprising a body portion for association with one of two meters to be interconnected by the connector device, said body portion having associated therewith a head portion and a socket portion, the head and socket portions being arranged substantially to lie at respective sides of a swivel plane that intersects with the body portion, the head portion having a part hemispherical convex surf ace which extends for at least 180 about a pivot axis which lies perpendicular to said plane and the socket portion having at least a part hemispherical concave recess.

2. A connector device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said concave recess is defined at least in part by a concave surface which extends through at least 450 about said pivot axis and the radius of curvature of the concave surface of the socket portion being substantially the sae as and not substantially less than that of the convex surface of the head portion.

3. A connector device in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the hemispherical concave recess of the socket portion extends through at least 900 about the pivot axis.

4. A connector device in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the head portion has a substantially planar abutment surface to confront and bear against a CCere#qxxliing surface of the head portion of a second of said connector devices.

5. A connector device in accordance with any one of the preceding claim wherein the head portion comprises a hemispherical convex surface which extends through at least 2700 about the pivot axis.

6. A connector device in azordame with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the head portion cakprises location mans whereby said head portion my be pivotally connected to another connector device.

7. A connector device in accodccce with cliim 6, wherein said location means calprises an aperture adapted for location of a hinge pin weans.

8. A connector device in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body portion is tubular and orientated to extend in a direction away fran the head and socket portions such that the longitudinal axis of the body portion lies perpendicular to and intersects the pivot axis.

9. A connector device in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the body portion is tubular and orientated with the longitudinal axis of the body portion displaced fran the pivot axis.

10. A connector device in accordance with claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the longitudinal axis of the body portion lies substantially wholly to one side of said swivel plane.

11. A connector device in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body portion comprises a tapered zone at an end region in the vicinity of the pivot axis.

12. A connector device in accordance with claim 11, wherein the region of maximum axial extent of the tapered zone lies on a plane which contains said pivot axis and about which at least a part of the body portion is ketrioa1.

13. A connector device in acoordarce with claim 11 ar claim 12, wherein the tapered end zone comprises a taper surface which is substantially planar.

14. A connector device in accordance with any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the tapered end zone comprises a pair of taper surfaces disposed to lie at respetive sides of a plane which contains the pivot axis and about which at least a part of the body portion is M(Etrical.

15. A connector device in accordance with claim 14, wherein said surfaces are disposed symmetrically relative to said plane.

16. A connector device in acscrdbnce with any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the region of rnaxiitum axial extent of the tapered zone terminates short of the pivot axis.

17. A connector device according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

18. An adjustable connector unit comprising two connector devices in accordce with any one of the preceding claims, each device being arranged with the head potion thereof lying in a respective socket portion of the other device, and a location device to hold together the two connector devices and allow for their relative pivotal movement.

19. A connector unit in accordance with claim 18, wherein the location device restrains relative separation of the two connector devices only in directions parallel with the swivel plane.

20. A connector unit in accordance with claim 18 or claim 19, wherein the location device my serve also as a locking device to lock together two connector devices.

21. A connector unit according to claim 18 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

22. An assembly comprising two members in - A interconnected by a connector device in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 17 or a connector unit in accordance with any one of claims 18 to 21.