Patent ID: 9232859
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: A47B,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A connector assembly for use with posts having a cylindrical cross-section of diameter D with a wedging sleeve to position shelves along a longitudinal axis of the post, the sleeve having a frusto-conical outer surface with a first, small sleeve end and a second, larger sleeve end with both ends encircling the longitudinal axis during use, the connector comprising: a collar having first and second mating parts which when mated form a frusto-conical surface sized to encircle and wedge against the sleeve during use, each collar part having two distal ends with projections extending in opposing directions along the axis and having an inner surface extending along the frusto-conical surface of the collar, the two distal ends of each mating part being separated by a gap sufficiently large to allow the post to pass laterally through the gap during use, each projection forming a side of a recess adjoining each projection with the recess located circumferentially inward of the adjoining projection so the adjoining projection extends along the axis a distance beyond the adjoining recess, the recess configured to receive a projection on the other collar part, the projections on the first mating collar part extending in a first direction along the axis during use and the projections on the second mating collar part extending in an opposing direction along the axis during use.