Patent ID: 6883998
Filing Date: 2005-04-26
Classification: E04C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A connector comprising: a housing having a first interior surface defining a first passage that extends in an axial direction between a first aperture and an intermediate portion of the housing, and a second interior surface defining a second passage that extends in the axial direction between a second aperture and the intermediate portion of the housing; and a joining member for joining the housing to a second housing, said joining member having an exterior surface, wherein said first interior surface includes a first mating surface, and said exterior surface includes a second mating surface, wherein said first and second mating surfaces are configured such that the joining member can be inserted and thereby locked into the first axially extending passage, wherein said first mating surface of the housing includes a plurality of protruding portions, each protruding portion extending in a direction perpendicular to said axial direction, each protruding portion having a saw-tooth cross section that is sloped towards the first aperture of the housing and flat towards the intermediate portion of the housing, wherein said joining member has a first end and a second end thereof and extends in a longitudinal direction between said first and second ends thereof, and wherein said second mating surface includes a plurality of protruding portions, each protruding portion extending in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction, and each protruding portion having a saw-tooth cross section that is sloped towards said first end of the joining member and is flat towards said second end of the joining member, wherein the exterior surface of the joining member extends between the first end of the joining member and the second end of the joining member and includes an intermediate portion thereof, wherein said second mating surface extends between the first end of the joining member and the intermediate portion of the joining member, wherein the exterior surface of the joining member includes a third mating surface that extends between the second end of the joining member and the intermediate portion of the joining member, and wherein said third mating surface includes a plurality of protruding portions, each protruding portion extending in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction, and each protruding portion having a saw-tooth cross section that is sloped towards the second end of the joining member and is flat towards the first end of the joining member, wherein the first end of the joining member has an aperture formed therein, wherein the joining member has an internal passage that extends longitudinally therein from said aperture in the first end of the joining member, and wherein the joining member has a first slot formed therein between the exterior surface of the joining member and the internal passage of the joining member, the first slot extending in said longitudinal direction from the first end of the joining member to a point beyond the intermediate portion of the joining member.