Patent ID: 9211027
Filing Date: 2015-12-15
Classification: A47H,E04B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A drape-and-rod coupler system for connecting elongate, horizontally disposed poles to vertical supports, comprising: a first vertical support having a cylindrical, elongate body with a top end; a top-cap component including a socket region and a coupling region, wherein the socket region is formed with at least one cavity having an integral top subregion that is open, and an integral, spherically-shaped bottom subregion that is closed, and wherein the socket region is also formed with an elongate channel that communicates with the cavity, terminates above the bottom region and has a width, and wherein the coupling region is formed to allow the top-cap component to couple with the top end of the first vertical support; a first pole having a cylindrical, elongate body with opposing ends; at least one ball-cap component including a spherically-shaped ball, a cylindrical neck, and a coupler, with the ball being sized to fit within the at least one cavity of the socket region, the neck extending from the ball and having a diameter that is less than the width of the elongate channel, and the coupler being formed to allow the ball-cap component to couple with one of the opposing ends of the first pole; wherein, when the ball-cap component is coupled to one of the opposing ends of the first pole, rotational movement of the ball in one plane causes angular movement of the pole, and wherein the at least one ball-cap component can be received into the at least one cavity of the top-cap component by placing the ball into the open, top region of the cavity and moving the neck through the elongate channel, thereby bringing the ball into contact with the spherically-shaped bottom subregion of the socket region.