US4353661A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Exhibition/house furniture as well as play and sport equipment
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1979-06-29
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Granted: 1982-10-12
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Expires: 1999-06-29
Abstract
Abstract The furniture or equipment comprises building elements which can be combined in any desired manner as its parts, namely plug connectors, connecting pipes, toggles and plates. The positive plug connection between a connector socket of a plug connector and a pipe end of a connecting pipe of circular-cylindrical form so as to form a plug unit is secured in form locked (positive) fashion by a toggle. For inserting plates between parallel connecting pipes clamp connections are provided. The parts are also of importance by themselves.
Inventors
- 👤 Hubert Ruther
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 11:39
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16B; F16B7/00; E; E04; E04B; E04B1/00; E04B1/38; E04B1/58; E04B1/5825; E04B1/5837; F16B12/00; F16B12/10; F16B12/28; F16B12/34; F16B21/00; F16B21/02; F16B7/20; E04B2001/5856; F16B2200/00; F16B2200/67; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T403/00; Y10T403/34; Y10T403/341; Y10T403/342; Y10T403/345; Y10T403/349; Y10T403/55; Y10T403/555
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
217 words
Exhibition/house furniture and play and sport equipment part, comprising circular-cylindrical connecting pipes and plug connectors, each of the latter having at least two cylindrical connector sockets formed on an attachment part, said connecting pipes and said sockets are circular-cylindrical and form plug units each comprising a plug connection of one of the connector sockets and the end of one of the connecting pipes forming a radially inner part and a radially outer part placed thereon, said radially outer part is formed with at least one outer wall opening, said radially inner part is formed with at least one inner wall opening radially alignable with said outer wall opening, said inner opening having a non-circular cross sectional shape, a toggle is inserted into the radially aligned said openings and turnable therein and constitutes means for locking each said plug unit, said toggle engaging in complementary manner in said aligned openings and frictionally engaging behind an edge of the inner opening in said radially inner part to prevent unintentional turning, said toggle includes a turning head connected at a radially outer end thereof, said turning head is disposed in and has a diameter equal to the diameter of said outer opening, said turning head has an inner surface frictionally engaging a peripheral outermost surface of said radially inner part.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
217 words
Exhibition/house furniture and play and sport equipment part, comprising circular-cylindrical connecting pipes and plug connectors, each of the latter having at least two cylindrical connector sockets formed on an attachment part, said connecting pipes and said sockets are circular-cylindrical and form plug units each comprising a plug connection of one of the connector sockets and the end of one of the connecting pipes forming a radially inner part and a radially outer part placed thereon, said radially outer part is formed with at least one outer wall opening, said radially inner part is formed with at least one inner wall opening radially alignable with said outer wall opening, said inner opening having a non-circular cross sectional shape, a toggle is inserted into the radially aligned said openings and turnable therein and constitutes means for locking each said plug unit, said toggle engaging in complementary manner in said aligned openings and frictionally engaging behind an edge of the inner opening in said radially inner part to prevent unintentional turning, said toggle includes a turning head connected at a radially outer end thereof, said turning head is disposed in and has a diameter equal to the diameter of said outer opening, said turning head has an inner surface frictionally engaging a peripheral outermost surface of said radially inner part.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
90 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 1, wherein said inner opening has a shape formed as a circular cylinder portion and as a narrower at least one semi-oval portion, and said toggle comprises a shank connected to said turning head at a radially outer end of the shank, said shank having a circular cylindrical cross sectional shape complementary to and mounted in said circular cylinder portion of said inner opening and a rotary hasp connected to a radially inner end of said shank adapted to pass through said semi-oval portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 2, wherein said inner opening constitutes a combination of said circular cylinder portion and two of said semi-oval portions, the latter constituting a narrow complete oval concentric to said circular cylinder portion, said rotary hasp has a cross section corresponding to said complete oval.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 3, wherein said outer opening has a circular-cylindrical shape and a diameter at least substantially equal to a largest length of said rotary hasp measured in a direction which is radial to said shank.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 1, wherein said turning head is formed with a screw-head slot of substantially the width of a coin.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 1, wherein said rotary hasp is formed with a radially outermost side facing toward said turning head and having at least a portion thereof having a circular-cylindrical curvature equal to an inner circular-cylindrical curvature of said radially inner part and engaging thereagainst adjacent said edge of the inner opening.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
83 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 5, wherein said rotary hasp has a transverse elongated length measured in a direction which is radial to said shank, said screw-head slot extends parallel to said elongated length of said rotary hasp, said semi-oval defines a longitudinal axis of said inner opening and is disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of said parts, said turning head has a radially outermost top side having a circular-cylindrical curvature defining a cylinder axis extending transversely to said screw-head slot.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
112 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 6, wherein said turning head is formed with a radially inwardly facing radially innermost side thereof constituting said inner surface of said turning head and facing said rotary hasp, said radially innermost side is formed with two knops disposed diametrically opposite each other with respect to said shank and oriented such that an imaginary symmetrical line connecting said knops is parallel to said rotary hasp, said knops engaging said peripheral outermost surface of said radially inner part adjacent said inner opening at the edge thereof, whereby upon rotation of said turning head from a locked position, said toggle moves radially outwardly from a radially inward position.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
74 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 1 or 8, wherein a radially outermost top side of said turning head facing away from said rotary hasp is formed with a circular-cylindrical curvature corresponding to a peripheral outer circular-cylindrical curvature of said radially outer part of the plug unit and constituting a continuous circular-cylindrical continuation of the latter in a locked position of said toggle with said turning head completely peripherally disposed in said outer opening.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 1, wherein each said connector socket constitutes said radially inner part and is formed with four of said inner openings, the radial axes of the latter form a cross intersecting the axis of said connector socket, and each said connecting pipe constitutes said radially outer part and is formed with only one said outer opening.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 1, wherein said outer part is formed with an inner periphery formed with axially parallel longitudinal grooves.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
45 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 6 or 8, wherein said knops have a radially innermost side engaging said peripheral outermost surface of said radially inner part formed with a circular-cylindrical curvature equal to that of said peripheral outermost surface of said radially inner part.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 1, wherein said shank, rotary hasp and said turning head are formed in one-piece.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 1, wherein said turning head and said outer part adjacent said outer opening constitute cooperating members, one of said cooperating members is formed with indentations and the other is formed with noses engaging in said indentations.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
65 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 6, wherein the remainder of the radially outermost side of said rotary hasp other than said portion thereof has a greater radius of curvature than said inner circular-cylindrical curvature of said radially inner part such that said remainder of the radially outermost side of said rotary hasp is spaced from said inner circular-cylindrical curvature of said radially inner part.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
112 words
Furniture and equipment according to claim 1, wherein said turning head is formed with a radially inwardly facing radially innermost side thereof constituting said inner surface of said turning head and facing said rotary hasp, said radially innermost side is formed with two knops disposed diametrically opposite each other with respect to said shank and oriented such that an imaginary symmetrical line connecting said knops is parallel to said rotary hasp, said knops engaging said peripheral outermost surface of said radially inner part adjacent said inner opening at the edge thereof, whereby upon rotation of said turning head from a locked position, said toggle moves radially outwardly from a radially inward position.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1985-10-11 | 1986-04-12 | 1986-10-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1989-10-11 | 1990-04-12 | 1990-10-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1993-10-11 | 1994-04-12 | 1994-10-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |