AU2010202083A1 - A coupling assembly - Google Patents

Description

S&F Ref: 930324 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address Thinking Ergonomix Pty Limited, of Applicant: an Australian Company (A.C.N. 095 989 638), of 6A Childs Road, Chipping Norton, New South Wales, 2170, Australia Actual Inventor(s): Warren Hayden Asquith Address for Service: Spruson & Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 35 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Invention Title: A coupling assembly Associated Provisional Application Details: [33] Country: [31] Appl'n No(s): [32] Application Date: AU 2009902298 21 May2009 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 5845c(2724095_1) 1 A COUPLING ASSEMBLY Technical Field The present invention relates to coupling assemblies to couple two members together, and more particularly but not exclusively to couple two tubular members 5 together. Background of the Invention Furniture, such as tables, often includes a number of base members that engage a supporting surface. A series of tubular members are then secured to the base members to provide a frame over which, for example, the table surface is positioned. 1o Previous methods of securing the above tubular members together have been reasonably costly and have often required special tools and skills. Thus a further disadvantage is that these previous methods are generally costly. Object of the Invention is It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages. Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a coupling to secure a first member to a second 20 member, the first member being hollow so as to have an internal chamber, and an opening providing said access to said chamber, the coupling including: a base to be fixed to the first member and having a socket within which the second member is to be received, the base further including a stem to be secured within the chamber by being inserted through the opening; 25 a collar surrounding the stem and to be located in the chamber so as to be located between the first member and the stem; an expansion member mounted on the stem so as to be movable relative thereto, and to engage the collar; and an actuator extending between the base and the expansion member to cause 30 movement of the expansion member in a predetermined direction to cause outward expansion of the collar to engage the first member to secure the coupling to the first member.

2 Preferably, the stem is tubular so as to have a longitudinal axis, with the expansion member projecting internally of the stem so as to be guided thereby in movement relative to the stem, and said collar includes an annular mounting portion mounted on the stem and a plurality of fingers projecting longitudinally relative to the 5 stem, with said expansion member engaging the fingers to cause outward movement thereof to engage the first member. Preferably, said actuator is a threaded member threadably engaged with the expansion member to cause movement thereof upon rotation of the threaded member about said longitudinal axis. 10 Preferably, said socket includes a pair of generally parallel co-extensive flanges that are spaced so that the second member can be received therebetween. Preferably, a threaded member engages the socket to secure the socket to the second member. Preferably, said expansion member includes a conical portion that increases in is diameter away from said stem, the conical portion engaging the fingers to cause outward movement of the fingers. Preferably, said stem has at least one internal rib, and said expansion member at least one slot engaged with the rib to be guided thereby. Preferably, the collar is formed from resilient plastics material. 20 Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention wvill now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure I is a schematic isometric view of portion of a table frame; Figure 2 is a schematic isometric view of a pair of tubular members used in the 25 frame of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic isometric view of the tubular members of Figure 2 in a partly parts exploded isometric view; Figure 4 is a further schematic isometric view of the tubular members of Figure 2 in a still further parts exploded isometric view; 30 Figure 5 is a schematic parts exploded isometric view of a coupling employed in the frame of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a schematic top plan view of the coupling as shown in Figure 5; Figure 7 is a schematic side elevation of the coupling as shown in Figure 5; and Figure 8 is a schematic sectioned side elevation of the coupling of Figure 5.

3 Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a coupling 10 to couple two members, such as two tubular members 1 I and 12 together, with the members having longitudinal axes that are inclined, preferably inclined by 900. s In this embodiment the coupling 10 and the tubular members I I and 12 are part of a table frame 13, the table frame 13 including legs 14 and frame members 15. Typically a sheet material providing the upper surface of the table would be secured to the frame members 15 by threaded fasteners. The tubular members I I and 12 are hollow so as to have internal chambers 16 10 terminating with end openings 17. The coupling 10 includes a base 18 having a socket 19 that engages the member 12. The socket 19 provides a U-shaped cavity 20 that has a configuration that matches the longitudinal outer surface of the member 12. In particular the socket 19 has a pair of spaced flanges 21 that are located on opposite sides of the member 12. One the flanges is 21 has a threaded aperture 22 that receives a threaded fastener 23 that engages the member 12 to aid in securing the member 12 in the socket 19. The base 18 also has a stein 24 that is tubular in fon and generally cylindrical in configuration so as to have an internal chamber 25. Mounted on the stem 24 is a collar 26 that includes an annular mounting 27 and a 20 plurality of longitudinally extending fingers 28. The collar 26 is formed of resilient plastics material so that the fingers 28 are deflectable radially relative to the longitudinal axis 29 of the stein 24. The collar 26 is mounted on the stem 24 so that the mounting 27 is located about the stem 24 with the fingers 28 projecting longitudinally beyond the end extremity of the 25 stein 24. Slidably mounted on the stem 24 so as to project into the chamber 25 is an expansion member 31. The member 31 has a first portion 32 that is generally cylindrical in configuration and is slidably received in the chamber 25. Preferably, the portion 32 has a slot 33 that slidably engages the ridge 34 of the stein 24 to guide the member 31. The 30 member 31 further has a conical portion 35 that increases in diameter away from the portion 32. Extending through a passage 36 of the base 18 is a threaded member 37 having a head 38 with a shaped recess 39 to be engaged by a tool. The threaded member 27 is threadably engaged in the passage 40 of the member 3 1 so that upon the use of a tool 35 engaged in the recess 39 the member 37 is rotated about the axis 29. The member 30 is 4 then moved axially relative to the axis 29. When the conical portion 35 is moved in the direction of the arrow 41, the fingers 28 are caused to move radially outward relative to the axis 29. When the stem 24 together with the collar 26 and expansion member 31 are s inserted through the end opening 17 to be located in the chamber 16 of the member 11, and the threaded member 27 rotated so that the expansion member 31 moves in the direction of the arrow 41, the fingers 28 are caused to move radially outward so as to securely engage the internal surfaces of the tubular member I I to thereby fix the coupling 10 to the member 11. Thereafter the member 12 is located in the socket 19 and secured 10 therein by a means of the threaded fastener 23. Each of the fingers 28 has an inclined end surface 42 that engages the conical surface 43 to cause the radial expansion of the fingers 28.

Claims (6)

1. 2. The coupling of claim 1, wherein the stem is tubular so as to have a longitudinal axis, with the expansion member projecting internally of the stein so as to be guided thereby in movement relative to the stem, and said collar includes an annular mounting portion mounted on the stein and a plurality of fingers projecting longitudinally 20 relative to the stem, with said expansion member engaging the fingers to cause outward movement thereof to engage the first member.
2. 3. The coupling of claim I or 2, wherein said actuator is a threaded member threadably engaged with the expansion member to cause movement thereof upon rotation of the threaded member about said longitudinal axis. 25 4. The coupling of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said socket includes a pair of generally parallel co-extensive flanges that are spaced so that the second member can be received therebetween.
3. 5. The coupling of any one of claims I to 4, wherein a threaded member engages the socket to secure the socket to the second member. 30 6. The coupling of any one of claims I to 5, wherein said expansion member includes a conical portion that increases in diameter away from said stein, the conical portion engaging the fingers to cause outward movement of the fingers.
4. 7. The coupling of any one of claims I to 6, wherein said stein has at least one internal rib, and said expansion member at least one slot engaged with the rib to be 35 guided thereby. 6
5. 8. The coupling of any one of claims I to 7, wherein the collar is formed from resilient plastics material.
6. 9. A coupling substantiates hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 5 10. A table frame having a coupling according to any one of claims I to 9. Dated 21 May, 2010 Thinking Ergonomix Pty Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON & FERGUSON