Joints and connections inventions 03/08

20080069630 - Connectors for mounting apparatus using ball and socket joints with gripping features: The present invention is directed towards ball and socket joint connectors which, when interconnected, form a flexible assembly. In some embodiments, the ball and socket joint connectors are designed and constructed such that the interference fit of the ball and socket causes creep in the material resulting in more even... Agent: Michael A. Guth

20080069631 - Modular furniture: Furniture connectors and modular furniture systems are disclosed. The furniture connectors may be configured to include furniture-engaging portions that are inserted into grooves that extend along connection sides of furniture members. The furniture connectors can include at least two furniture-engaging portions and may include elongated connecting elements extending from the... Agent: Wolf Greenfield & Sacks, P.C.

20080069632 - Variable connectors for angling modular wall systems: A system for connecting wall modules in a variable and a flexible fashion includes a flexible angle connector and a flexible spacing connector. The flexible angle connector and the flexible spacing connector can be used together at the same wall module joint as part of joints means. The flexible connectors... Agent: Workman Nydegger

20080069633 - Method of attaching a pin-like element, a component assembly and a centering pin: A method of attaching a pin-like element (10) for example a centering pin or a bolt element in a component (20), for example in the form of a plate or of a wall section of a housing, wherein the pin-like element (10) has a head part (12) with a larger... Agent: Hunton & Williams/new York Intellectual Property Dept.

20080069634 - Safety pin: A fault tolerant pin for pinning one component to another. The pin is formed of first and second portions assembled end-to-end to each other to form an elongated member, or safety pin. First and second bores extend part way into the respective first and second portions of the elongated member,... Agent: Mark R. Wisner Wisner & Associates

20080069635 - Connector and image forming apparatus including the same: A connector connects a rotatable body including an attachment hole and an engaging groove, and a shaft pressed into the attachment hole to integrally rotate. The connector includes at least one pin configured to fit in the engaging groove; and a screw having a head configured to be pressed against... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20080069636 - Rotating member fixing structure: A rotating member fixing structure includes a shaft member and a rotating member. The rotating member has an axial bore section press-fitted to the shaft member. One of the shaft member and the axial bore section of the rotating member includes a margin adjusting part dimensioned to reduce a press-fitting... Agent: GlobalIPCounselors, LLP

20080063465 - Sliding structure: A sliding structure and a joint member, which are provided with a sliding means which substantially eliminates the so-called Stick-Slip effect. This is achieved through the provision of free ends of a plurality of projections, sliding upon the surface of a complementary opposed and facing surface. By appropriately dimensioning the... Agent: Mcnair Law Firm, P.A.

20080063466 - High-performance ball socket: A bearing shell for a ball and socket joint made of plastic as well as the ball and socket joint per se, wherein the bearing shell has first areas, which are subject to higher mechanical loads than the other areas of the bearing shell, wherein the material of the bearing... Agent: Mcglew And Tuttle John James Mcglew

20080063467 - Multifunctional connector for biomedical lines: A multifunctional connector for biomedical lines, comprising a main duct provided with at least one inlet and at least one outlet for a fluid, which can be associated with a flow line and from which at least one withdrawal and/or infusion branch and at least one service duct associable with... Agent: Modiano & Associati

20080063468 - Corner joining of structural members: A structure for joining structural members is disclosed. The structure joins an end of a first member to a side of a second member by a coupling insert. The coupling insert has a web coupling portion that is received by the end of the first member and a tenon portion... Agent: Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC

20080063469 - Interlocking separable joint: Ion mobility spectrometer. The spectrometer includes an enclosure for receiving a sample therewithin and an electron beam window admits an electron beam into the enclosure to ionize the sample in an ionization region. A shutter grid is spaced apart from the ionization region and means are provided for sample ion... Agent: Foley & Lardner LLP

20080056808 - Monopod mounting apparatus: A flexible support apparatus adapted to wrap around and grip an element, such as a pole, while, in some embodiments, supporting a device such as a camera, flash unit, cell phone, or other item. The flexible support unit may consist of a series of ball and socket connectors interconnected into... Agent: Michael A. Guth

20080056809 - Leveling and aligning device: Leveling and aligning device by which the distance at which a member is supported with respect to a base may be altered and firmly locked in the given adjustment without creating any stresses in either the body of the member or the device by itself. The leveling and aligning device... Agent: Silicon Valley Automation

20080056810 - Articulating fastener assembly: A fastener assembly securely fastens a decorative panel in spaced relation to a support backing. The fastener assembly includes a base member adapted to be operatively mounted to the decorative panel, a carrier member, and a fastening medium supported by the carrier member and adapted to operatively interconnect the carrier... Agent: Bliss Mcglynn, P.C.

20080056812 - Ball coupling: A ball coupling includes socket member and a ball member. The ball member can be placed and retained in, and also removed from, the socket member in an expedient manner. The socket member can be formed by machining, may be connected to a rod or other movable element, and does... Agent: Hogan & Hartson LLP

20080056811 - Ball joint: An improved ball joint for use in a motor vehicle steering or suspension system comprises a ball joint having a shank portion and a ball portion disposed in a socket shell. A ball joint retention member is provided having a first end operatively secured to the socket shell and a... Agent: Macmillan, Sobanski & Todd, LLC

20080056813 - Motor vehicle actuating drive with an axial play compensation element disposed between the transmission shaft and the motor shaft: A motor vehicle actuating drive has a transmission unit provided with a gear shaft (2) and a motor unit having a motor shaft (4). The gear shaft (2) and the motor shaft (4) are aligned in an axial direction. An axial play compensation element (6) is provided between the gear... Agent: Baker Botts L.L.P. Patent Department

20080056814 - Release pin: A quick release pin has an elongated body having an axial bore therethrough, a shaft extending at least partially through the axial bore for axial movement along the bore; a spindle separately mounted on a first end of the shaft; a button separately mounted on a second opposite end of... Agent: Fay Sharpe LLP

20080056815 - Interlocking coupling system for overhead aligned rails: The present invention relates to an interlocking coupling system (1) for overhead aligned rails (4, 5) of which at least one rail (4) is displaceably arranged and comprises a first coupling part (2) and a second coupling part (3), each of said coupling parts (2, 3) is arranged at end... Agent: James C. Wray

20080056816 - Quick connect closure for connecting two structural members: A quick connect closure for connecting first and second structural members, said quick connect closure comprising a female part adapted to be connected to said first structural member and comprising a pair of opposite spring legs, and a closure pin adapted to be mounted to said second structural member so... Agent: Seyfarth Shaw LLP

20080056817 - Corner connector for rectangular duct work: A corner for use in connecting flanges of duct sections includes two legs with a tab portion extending from each leg. The tab portion includes a portion that is co-planar with the surface of the corner allowing the corners to stack on each other without nesting. The corner is further... Agent: Wood, Herron & Evans, LLP