Coupling apparatus

Claim 2

A coupling arrangement comprising: a first assembly having a first end wall, portions of said first wall being formed with first and second pluralities of apertures therein; a second assembly having a second end wall; manually actuable means pivotally mounted to said second wall, for engaging said first plurality of apertures and drawing said first and second walls towards each other after having brought said manually actuable means into an interfitting relation with said first plurality of apertures and thereafter having rotated said manually actuable means in a first direction from a first position to a second position; and wherein said manually actuable means further includes ejection means for assisting a separation of first and second walls upon a subsequent rotation of said manually actuable means in a second direction from said second position to said first position.

Claim 3

The coupling arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said manually actuable means includes a coupling plate having front and rear surfaces, the rear surface facing said second wall, said ejection means including a plurality of ejection wedges carried on said front surface of said coupling plate, said second plurality of apertures sized and positioned to accommodate said plurality of ejection wedges as said manually actuable means is rotated from said first position to said second position.

Claim 4

The coupling arrangement according to claim 2 wherein said manually actuable means further includes a plurality of locking ramp members carried on said front surface, said first plurality of apertures sized and positioned to accommodate said plurality of locking ramp members when said manually actuable means is in said first position and brought into said interfitting relation with said first plurality of apertures.

Claim 5

The coupling arrangement according to claim 3 wherein: portions of said second wall are formed with a third plurality of apertures therein; a plurality of retention tabs are carried on said rear surface of said coupling plate, said third plurality of apertures sized and positioned to accommodate said plurality of retention tabs regardless of the position of rotation of said manually actuable means; and wherein each of said retention tabs frictionally engages said second wall when said manually actuable means is in said second position.

Claim 6

The coupling arrangement according to claim 4 wherein said first and second pluralities of apertures are arranged in first and second circular arrays respectively, the centers of said first and second circular arrays coincident with said pivotal mount.

Claim 7

The coupling arrangement according to claim 5 wherein said coupling plate is captively connected to said second wall by a pivot.

Claim 8

A coupling arrangement comprising a first assembly; a first plate, having a first and a second plurality of apertures therethrough, forming a wall of said first assembly; a second assembly; a second plate forming a wall of said second assembly; a third plate having front and rear surfaces and pivotally coupled to said second plate; first locking tabs on the front surface of said third plate for rotatably securing said third plate to said first plate whereby said first and second assemblies are coupled together, the coupling being performed by first aligning said third plate and said first plate with said first locking tabs in the first plurality of apertures in said first plate and then rotating said third plate in a first direction to lock said first locking tabs in the first plurality of apertures in said first plate; and wherein said third plate also includes, on its front surface, a plurality of wedge-shaped members which are positioned in the second plurality of apertures in said first plate when said first and second assemblies are coupled together and which bear against said first plate when said third plate is rotated in the opposite direction during the process in which said first and second assemblies are separated from each other, said wedge-shaped members thus assisting the separation operation.

Claim 9

A coupling arrangement comprising a first assembly; a first plate, having a first and a second plurality of apertures therethrough, forming a wall of said first assembly; a second assembly; a second plate forming a wall of said second assembly; a third plate having front and rear surfaces and pivotally coupled to said second plate; first locking tabs on the front surface of said third plate for rotatably securing said third plate to said first plate whereby said first and second assemblies are coupled together, the coupling being performed by first aligning said third plate and said first plate with said first locking tabs in the first plurality of apertures in said first plate and then rotating said third plate in a first direction to lock said first locking tabs in the first plurality of apertures in said first plate; and wherein said third plate also includes, on its front surface, a plurality of wedge-shaped members which are positioned in the second plurality of apertures in said first plate when said first and second assemblies are coupled together and which bear against said first plate when said third plate is rotated in the opposite direction during the process in which said first and second assemblies are separated from each other, said wedge-shaped members thus assisting the separation operation.

Claim 10

The coupling arrangement defined in claim 7 wherein said third plate includes, on said rear surface, second locking tabs which slidably engage said second plate.

Claim 11

In a system having first and second assemblies having cooperating pin and socket connector portions disposed along respective first and second walls, an improved coupling mechanism for effecting engagement of said pin and socket connector portions, comprising: portions of said first wall being formed with a first and a second plurality of apertures therein; and manually actuable means, pivotally mounted to said second wall, for engaging said first plurality of apertures and drawing said first and second walls towards each other after having brought said manually actuable means into an interfitting relation with said first plurality of apertures and thereafter having rotated said manually actuable means in a first direction from a first position to a second position, thereby affecting the engagement of said pin and socket connector portions, said manually actuable means including a coupling plate having front and rear surfaces, the rear surface facing said second wall, a plurality of locking ramp members and a plurality of ejection wedges carried on said front surface of said coupling plate.

Claim 12

In a system having first and second assemblies having cooperating pin and socket connector portions disposed along respective first and second walls, an improved coupling mechanism for effecting engagement of said pin and socket connector portions, comprising: portions of said first wall being formed with a first and a second plurality of apertures therein; and manually actuable means, pivotally mounted to said second wall, for engaging said first plurality of apertures and drawing said first and second walls towards each other after having brought said manually actuable means into an interfitting relation with said first plurality of apertures and thereafter having rotated said manually actuable means in a first direction from a first position to a second position, thereby affecting the engagement of said pin and socket connector portions, said manually actuable means including a coupling plate having front and rear surfaces, the rear surface facing said second wall, a plurality of locking ramp members and a plurality of ejection wedges carried on said front surface of said coupling plate.

Claim 13

The system according to claim 9 wherein said manually actuable means is always captively mounted to said second wall.

Claim 14

The system according to claim 9 wherein: portions of said second wall are formed with a third plurality of apertures therein; and a plurality of retention tabs are carried on said rear surface of said coupling plate.

Claim 15

The system according to claim 11 wherein: each one of said third plurality of apertures is sized and positioned to accommodate one of said plurality of retention tabs regardless of the position of rotation of said manually actuable means, and wherein each one of said retention tabs always passes through one of said third plurality of apertures.

Claim 16

The system according to claim 12 wherein each of said third plurality of apertures comprises a curved opening including a first portion of a first width and a second adjoining portion of a second width, the first width being greater than the second width, each of said retention tabs passing through said first portion without contacting said second wall when said manually actuable means is in said first position, each of said retention tabs frictionally engaging said second wall when said manually actuable means is in said second position.

Claim 17

The system according to claim 9 wherein: said first plurality of apertures are arranged in a first circular array, the center of said first circular array coincident with the pivotal mount; said second plurality of apertures are arranged in a second circular array, the center of said second circular array coincident with the pivotal mount.

Claim 18

The system according to claim 14 wherein said second circular array is within said first circular array.

Claim 19

The system according to claim 14 wherein said first and second plurality of apertures are sized and positioned to accommodate said plurality of locking ramp members and said plurality of ejection wedges respectively when said manually actuable means is in said second position.

Claim 20

The system according to claim 14 wherein each of said first plurality of apertures is a curved opening and wherein each of said locking ramp members includes a spacer portion extending perpendicularly from said front surface, a first locking member portion extending from the distal end of said spacer portion parallel to said coupling plate and an end portion extending from the distal end of said first locking member portion, the end portion tapering outwardly away from said coupling plate.

Claim 21

The system according to claim 9 wherein each of said ejection wedges is a right triangular wedge, the base of said right triangular wedge position on said front surface, each of said ejection wedges positioned to enter one of said second plurality of apertures as said manually actuable means is rotated from said first position to said second position.

Claim 22

The system according to claim 9 wherein said coupling plate is connected to said second wall by a pivot for rotation about an axis perpendicular to said second wall.

Claim 23

The system according to claim 9 wherein said coupling plate includes a generally tangentially extending handle and wherein said handle is in a generally vertical upwardly directed orientation when said manually actuable means is in said first position.

Claim 24

In a system having first and second assemblies having cooperating pin and socket connector portions disposed along respective first and second walls, an improved coupling mechanism for effecting engagement of said pin and socket connector portions, comprising: portions of said first wall being formed with a first and a second plurality of apertures therein; and manually actuable means, pivotally mounted to said second wall, for engaging said first plurality of apertures and drawing said first and second walls towards each other after having brought said manually actuable means into an interfitting relation with said first plurality of apertures and thereafter having rotated said manually actuable means in a first direction from a first position to a second position, thereby effecting the engagement of said pin and socket connector portions, wherein said manually actuable means further includes ejection means, cooperating with said second plurality of apertures, for assisting a separation of said first and second assemblies as said manually actuable means is rotated in a second direction from the second position to the first position subsequent to having brought said manually actuable means into said interfitting relation with said first plurality of apertures and having rotated said manually actuable means to the second position.

Claim 25

In a system having first and second assemblies having cooperating pin and socket connector portions disposed along respective first and second walls, an improved coupling mechanism for effecting engagement of said pin and socket connector portions, comprising: portions of said first wall being formed with a first and a second plurality of apertures therein; and manually actuable means, pivotally mounted to said second wall, for engaging said first plurality of apertures and drawing said first and second walls towards each other after having brought said manually actuable means into an interfitting relation with said first plurality of apertures and thereafter having rotated said manually actuable means in a first direction from a first position to a second position, thereby effecting the engagement of said pin and socket connector portions, wherein said manually actuable means further includes ejection means, cooperating with said second plurality of apertures, for assisting a separation of said first and second assemblies as said manually actuable means is rotated in a second direction from the second position to the first position subsequent to having brought said manually actuable means into said interfitting relation with said first plurality of apertures and having rotated said manually actuable means to the second position.

Claim 26

The system according to claim 21 wherein said manually actuable means includes a coupling plate having front and rear surfaces, the rear surface facing said second wall, said ejection means including a plurality of ejection wedges on the front surface, each of said ejection wedges positioned to enter one of said second plurality of apertures as said manually actuable means is rotated from said first position to said second position.

Claim 27

The system according to claim 22 wherein a plurality of locking ramp members are carried on said front surface, said first plurality of apertures sized and positioned to accommodate said plurality of locking ramp members when said manually actuable means is in said first position and brought into said interfitting relation with said first plurality of apertures.