Patent ID: 8485751
Filing Date: 2013-07-16
Classification: F16B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A latching assembly comprising: a first tubular member which has two first side wails with inside surfaces of the side walls spaced by a hollow interior of the first tubular member, at least one of the first side walls having a first hole therein; a second tubular member telescopically receiving and movable relative to the first tubular member between a connected position of the first and second tubular members and an unconnected position of the first and second tubular members; the second tubular member having two second side walls with inside surfaces of the second side walls located adjacent a respective outside surface of the first side walls for sliding movement relative thereto between the connected and unconnected positions; at least one of the second side walls having a second hole therein which is aligned with the first hole in the connected position; and a latching device comprising: a housing having side walls defining a hollow interior shaped and arranged for insertion between and engagable with the first side walls with ends of the housing spaced by a distance substantially equal to the spacing between the inside surfaces of the first side walls so as to define a longitudinal direction of the housing transverse to the first side walls; a slide member having walls defining an abutment surface and an abutment receptacle mounted in the housing and movable along the longitudinal direction of the housing that is transverse to the first side walls; a button connected to the slide member so that depression of the button causes common sliding movement of the button and the slide member; the button being arranged to project outwardly from one end of the housing such that the button projects through the first hole to a projecting position of an outer end thereof at least partly through the second hole, when the first and second holes are aligned in the connected position; the button being movable along the longitudinal direction of the housing from the projecting position by depressing the button to a release position of the button in which the end surface of the button is inward of the inside surface of the second tubular member; a spring within the housing engaging the abutment surface of the slide member for resisting the sliding movement as the button is depressed; and a stop member inserted through an opening in one of the side walls of the housing which engages the abutment receptacle in the walls of the slide member to prevent depression of the button to a position in which the end surface of the button is inward of the inside surface of the first tubular member; the stop member being removable out of engagement with the slide member to allow the end surface of the button to be moved to a position inward of the inside surface of the first tubular member and thus released from the first hole; so that, with the end surface of the button released from the first hole, the housing is movable along the interior of the first tubular member away from the first hole; and so that, with the end surface of the button prevented by the stop member from being released from the first hole, the housing is prevented from movement along the first tubular member away from the first hole.