Patent ID: 6886862
Filing Date: 2005-05-03
Classification: B62D,F16B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An attachment assembly for the selectively releasable attachment of a first member to second member, said attachment assembly comprising: a plug means in the form of a rod of substantially circular cross-section, said rod forming part of said first member or adapted to be secured to said first member; socket means either forming part of said second member or adapted to be secured to said second member, said socket means having a bore in which said plug means is received and releasably retained; said socket means comprising a selectively operable latch means functioning selectively to latch said plug means within said socket means and to unlatch said plug means from said socket means; said latch means comprising an axially slidable latch pin adapted to engage a notch in the rod, and a spring disposed axially to bias the latch pin into latching engagement with the notch; the latch pin having a head at one end of the pin, and a shaft of lesser lateral dimensions than those of said head, the latch pin having a substantially circular cross-section at all points along its length, and the latch pin shaft having a uniform diameter such that the only part of the latch pin having lateral dimensions greater than those of the shaft is the latch pin head at the one end of the pin; and in which the latch pin is disposed in relation to the socket such that the axis along which the latch pin is slidable is substantially parallel to a tangent to the periphery of the bore of the socket, the latch pin axis being offset radially outwards of this tangent by not less than half of the diameter of the latch pin shaft but by not more than half of the diameter of the latch pin head.