Connector For Pipes

Patent No. US10941560 (titled "Connector For Pipes") was filed by Georgia Exposition Manufacturing Corp on Oct 9, 2017.

’560 is related to the field of pipe and drape systems, commonly used in exhibit booths and convention halls. These systems traditionally use vertical support pipes with slots to connect horizontal drape rods, but these slots can cause damage to the pipes and result in an uneven appearance of the draped walls.

The underlying idea behind ’560 is to provide a universal coupler that inserts into the top of a standard vertical support pipe, offering a more robust and user-friendly connection point for horizontal drape rods. This coupler aims to eliminate the tearing of the vertical supports and create a more uniform appearance for the drape walls.

The claims of ’560 focus on a coupler with a lower region that fits inside a vertical support pipe and an upper region with a larger transverse dimension, forming a shoulder. The upper region features truncated V-shaped slots with flat, tapered surfaces and a horizontal, rectangular seat to receive and retain the hooks of the horizontal drape rods.

In practice, the coupler is inserted into the top of a standard vertical support pipe. The hooks on the ends of the horizontal drape rods are then inserted into the tapered V-shaped slots of the coupler, resting on the flat, rectangular seat. This design allows the hooks to be securely retained within the coupler, preventing them from damaging the vertical support pipe.

Unlike traditional systems that rely on direct hook-and-slot connections on the vertical pipes, this coupler provides a dedicated interface. The tapered slots and flat seats are designed to accommodate standard hooks while distributing the load and preventing the 'can opener' effect. The coupler's design also allows for a wider angle of hook insertion, simplifying the connection process compared to narrow, industry-standard slots.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical landscape at the time

In the mid-2010s when ’560 was filed, at a time when exhibit booths were typically constructed using hook-and-slot systems with upright poles and horizontal rods. These systems commonly relied on slots formed near the top of the poles to receive hooks secured to the ends of the horizontal rods. Hardware or software constraints made it non-trivial to achieve a uniform appearance of the top of drape walls and to prevent the steel hooks from damaging the aluminum uprights.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The examiner approved the application because the prior art did not teach or disclose a coupler having a combination of features: at least one truncated v-shaped slot, vertical sides of the v-shaped slot with flat surfaces tapered wider at the bottom than at the top, and a rectangular seat at the bottom of the v-shaped slot. While some prior art showed similar couplers with rectangular seats or v-shaped slots, none combined all three features.

Claims

This patent includes 14 claims, with independent claims 1, 7, and 12. The independent claims generally focus on couplers and inserts configured to connect vertical support pipes to horizontally extending drape rods using truncated V-shaped slots. The dependent claims generally add specific features, materials, or configurations to the inventions defined by the independent claims.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)	Support for Specification	Interpretation
Coupling hook (Claim 1, Claim 7)	“The coupler 10 is designed to provide an improvement to form and function over the industry standard hook and slot technology, yet allow users of existing systems to continue using their inventory of components.”	A hook used to connect a horizontally extending drape rod to the coupler.
Flat surfaces (Claim 1, Claim 7)	“Referring to the Figures for a clearer understanding of the invention, it may seem that one more of the above objects of the invention can be achieved, at least in part, by providing a coupler component 10 for connecting substantially orthogonally disposed rods to vertical support pipes in a pipe and drape exhibit booth construction.”	Planar surfaces on each vertical side of the truncated V-shaped slot that face toward the center of the slot and are tapered such that they are wider at the bottom than at the top.
Horizontal, rectangular, upward facing seat (Claim 1, Claim 12)	“The “Pipe and Drape” industry is a subset of exhibition and convention services in which frameworks are constructed from horizontally and vertically disposed members in such a fashion to allow draperies or curtains to hang and create division of space in convention halls or other similar areas by arranging drapery walls and booths.”	A flat, rectangular surface at the bottom of the V-shaped slot that faces upward and provides support.
Terminal connector (Claim 1, Claim 12)	“The coupler 10 is designed to provide an improvement to form and function over the industry standard hook and slot technology, yet allow users of existing systems to continue using their inventory of components.”	A connector located at the end of a horizontally disposed drape rod.
Truncated V-shaped slot (Claim 1, Claim 7)	“The coupler 10 is designed to provide an improvement to form and function over the industry standard hook and slot technology, yet allow users of existing systems to continue using their inventory of components.”	A slot with a V-shape that is cut off at the bottom, configured to receive a coupling hook.

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US10941560

GEORGIA EXPOSITION MANUFACTURING CORP

Application Number: US15727695
Filing Date: Oct 9, 2017
Status: Granted
Expiry Date: May 28, 2039
External Links: Slate, USPTO, Google Patents

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