Patent Publication Number: US-9404258-B2

Title: Reinforcing bar connector

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of Korean patent application No. 10-2014-0156854, filed on Nov. 12, 2014. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a reinforcing bar connector. Specifically, the present invention provides a reinforcing bar connector which enables a secure connection between reinforcing bars regardless of whether the reinforcing bars have the same or different lug arrays. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Reinforcing bars (hereinafter, “rebars”) are common steel bars that are hot rolled and used widely in the construction industry, especially for concrete reinforcement. Steel rebars are most commonly used as tensioning devices to reinforce concrete and other masonry structures to help hold the concrete in a compressed state. Concrete is a material that is very strong in compression, but virtually without strength in tension. To compensate for this imbalance in a concrete slab&#39;s behavior, reinforcement bars are cast into it to carry the tensile loads. It is also desirable to connect rebars in these applications. 
     Various methods have been implemented for connecting rebars including welding or using binding wires. However, such conventional rebar connectors can be difficult for the worker to manipulate due to their complicated structures. Furthermore, deformed rebars from different sources may come with different lug arrays which require different types of connectors when coupling. 
     SUMMARY 
     In general, embodiments of the present invention relate to a reinforcing bar connector. Specifically, the present invention provides a reinforcing bar connector including a holder and a binding member. The holder includes a first cover and a second cover. The holder is inserted into the binding member with the reinforcing bars substantially surrounded by the holder. The first cover and the second cover are moved independently from each other enabling a secure connection between the reinforcing bars regardless of whether the reinforcing bars have the same or different lug arrays. 
     One aspect of the present invention provides a reinforcing bar connector connecting the ends of two aligned and abutting reinforcing bars, comprising: a holder, wherein the holder includes a first cover and a second cover, wherein an top portion of the first cover is pivotally hinged to an top portion of the second cover; wherein the first cover is configured to surround a portion of an outer circumferential surface of a first reinforcing bar and second reinforcing bar; wherein the second cover is configured to surround a remaining portion of the outer circumferential surface of the first reinforcing bar and second reinforcing bar; and a binding member configured to bind a bottom portion of the first cover to a bottom portion of the second cover. 
     A second aspect of the present invention provides a method connecting the ends of two aligned and abutting reinforcing bars, comprising: pivotally hinging an top portion of a first cover of a holder to an top portion of a second cover of the holder; surrounding a portion of an outer circumferential surface of a first reinforcing bar and second reinforcing bar by the first cover; surrounding a remaining portion of the outer circumferential surface of the first reinforcing bar and second reinforcing bar by the second cover; and binding a bottom portion of the first cover to a bottom portion of the second cover using a binding member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features of this invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a rebar connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a rebar connector in a direction according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view illustrating a rebar connector in another direction according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A′ of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B′ of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 6A-C  are views illustrating a process of connecting deformed rebars with the same lug array according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 7A-C  are views illustrating a process of connecting deformed rebars with different lug arrays according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIGS. 8A-C  are views illustrating a process of connecting deformed rebars according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     The drawings are not necessarily to scale. The drawings are merely schematic representations, not intended to portray specific parameters of the invention. The drawings are intended to depict only typical embodiments of the invention, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Illustrative embodiments will now be described more fully herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these illustrative embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the description, details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, the use of the terms “a”, “an”, etc., do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising”, or “includes” and/or “including”, when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
     It will be further understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. 
     As indicated above, embodiments of the present invention relate to a reinforcing bar connector. Specifically, the present invention provides a reinforcing bar connector including a holder and a binding member. The holder includes a first cover and a second cover. The holder is inserted into the binding member with the reinforcing bars surrounded by the holder. The first cover and the second cover are moved independently from each other enabling a secure connection between the reinforcing bars regardless of whether the reinforcing bars have the same or different lug arrays. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a rebar connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. The rebar connector can comprise one or more of the following materials: stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, other metals, plastics, ceramics, carbon fiber and/or the like. As shown, the rebar connector includes a holder  10  and a binding member  20 . The holder  10  includes a first cover  11  and a second cover  12 . Each of the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  has a surface that is shaped in such a way as to abut an outer axial surface of a piece of rebar. To this extent, the first cover  11  and second cover  12  can be shaped substantially as semicircular arcs. At one edge (top portion) of the semicircular arc of first cover  11  is located a rotational coupling mechanism  16 . Similarly, at a corresponding edge (top portion) of the semicircular arc of second cover  12  is located a corresponding rotational coupling mechanism  17 . Rotational coupling mechanism  16  interfaces with corresponding rotational coupling mechanism  17  to produce a “clam shell” coupling between the first cover  11  and the second cover  12 . To this extent, rotational coupling mechanism  16  and corresponding rotational coupling mechanism  17  can include one or more hinge protrusions, ball and socket, saddle, gliding, and/or any other type of rotational coupler now known or later developed. In an embodiment, the top portion of first cover  11  includes one or more first hinge protrusions  16  and the top portion of second cover  12  includes one or more second hinge protrusions  17 . The top portion of the first cover  11  is hinged with the top portion of the second cover  12  using the interlaced first hinge protrusions  16  and second hinge protrusions  17 . 
       FIGS. 2-3  are exploded perspective views illustrating a rebar connector shown from different angles. As shown, the rebar connector in  FIGS. 2-5  further depicts a more detailed view of first jaw  13  and second jaw  14 . The portion of first cover  11  opposite the semicircular arc from the rotational coupler (bottom portion) includes first jaw  13 . Similarly, the portion of second cover  12  opposite the semicircular arc from the rotational coupler (bottom portion) includes second jaw  14 . First jaw  13  and second jaw  14  can be shaped in such a way as to be coupled with binding member  20 . In one embodiment, first jaw  13  includes a first protrusion  13   a  and a first bend  13   b . Second jaw  14  includes a second protrusion  14   a  and a second bend  14   b . The first protrusion  13   a  externally projects from the lower end of the first cover  11 . The first bend  13   b  is bent from the first protrusion  13   a  in an opposite direction of second bend  14   b . The second protrusion  14   a  externally projects from the lower end of the second cover  12 . The second bend  14   b  is bent from the second protrusion  14   a  in an opposite direction of the first bend  13   b . Accordingly, the first bend  13   b  and the second bend  14   b  are bent in opposite directions. 
     The top portion of first cover  11  can be coupled to the top portion of second cover  14 . In one embodiment, shaft  15  includes an elongated bolt portion with a shaft head. The shaft  15  hinges the top portion of the first cover  11  with the top portion of the second cover  12 , so that the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  may pivot about each other. In other words, the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  are pivotally hinged to each other by the shaft  15 . Alternatively, the top portion of the first cover  11  and the top portion of the second cover  12  may be formed thin enough to, when directly connected with each other without the shaft  15 , allow them to be folded or unfolded to surround successive rebars. 
     The bottom portion of first cover  11  may be bound to the bottom portion of second cover  12 . In one embodiment, binding member  20  includes a fitting groove  21  used to bind the bottom portion of first cover  11  and the bottom portion of second cover  12 . The binding member  20  includes a fitting groove  21  where the first jaw  13  and the second jaw  14  are fitted and fastened. The fitting groove  21  includes a first fitting part  22  to which the first protrusion  13   a  and the second protrusion  14   a  are inserted and a second fitting part  23  to which the first bend  13   b  and the second bend  14   b  are inserted. The binding member  20  has guiding ridges  24  at both sides, forming the first fitting part  22  and the second fitting part  23 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the first bend  13   b  and the second bend  14   b  inserted into the second fitting part  23  are restricted by the guiding ridges  24 , stopping them from escaping in a vertical direction. In this case, the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  constituting the holder  10 , as fitted into the fixing groove  21 , are more firmly joined together. The first fitting part  22  is reduced in width by the guiding ridges  24  from an end to another, as shown in  FIG. 5 . In other words, each guiding ridge  24  respectively formed at both sides of the first fitting part  22  is inclined from an end to another, so that the width of the first fitting part  22  is gradually reduced from an end to another. 
     With reference to the remaining figures ( FIGS. 6A-C ,  7 A-C, and  8 A-C), processes for connecting deformed rebars are described in detail below. In each process, the holder  10  surrounds rebars  30  (e.g., first rebar  31  and the second rebar  32 ) arranged in a line such that the first rebar  31  abuts the second rebar  32 . As described above, each of the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  has a surface that is shaped in such a way as to abut an outer axial surface of a piece of rebar. To this extent, the first cover  11  and second cover  12  can be shaped substantially as semicircular arcs. The first cover  11  can partially surround the outer circumferential surface of the rebars  30 , while the second cover  12  can substantially surround the remaining portions of rebars  30  not surrounded by the first cover  11 . 
     The first cover  11  has first seating recesses  11   a  formed in an inner surface to seat lugs  30   a  and  30   b  of the rebars  30 . The second cover  12  has second seating recesses  12   a  formed in an inner surface to seat the lugs  30   a  and  30   b  of the rebars  30 . The first cover  11  and the second cover  12  may be positioned laterally in an offset configuration with respect to one another to vary the position of the first seating recesses  11   a  and the second seating recesses  12   a . For example, in the embodiment having shaft  15  described herein, the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  may be slid along the shaft  15  independently from each other to vary the position of the first seating recesses  11   a  and the second seating recesses  12   a.    
     In this embodiment, the top portion of the first cover  11  has multiple first hinge protrusions  16 , and the top portion of the second cover  12  has multiple second hinge protrusions  17 . The shaft  15  passes through the first hinge protrusions  16  and the second hinge protrusions  17  that are alternately and repetitively arranged. The gap between two neighboring ones of the first hinge protrusions  16  is larger than the width of each of the second hinge protrusions  17  arranged in a longitudinal direction of the shaft  15 . 
     Accordingly, each second hinge protrusion  17  disposed between its corresponding two first hinge protrusions  16  may be moved along the shaft  15 , allowing the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  to travel along the shaft  15  independently from each other. As such, since the first cover  11  and the second cover may be moved independently from each other, the first seating recesses  11   a  formed in the first cover  11  and the second seating recesses  12   a  formed in the second cover  12  may be repositioned. 
     For deformed rebars  30  with the same lug array  30   a  and  30   b  formed on the outer circumferential surface as shown in  FIG. 6A , the first rebar  31  and the second rebar  32  are surrounded along their outer circumferential surface by the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  as shown in  FIG. 6B . 
     In this case, the first seating recesses  11   a  are connected to the second seating recesses  11   b , respectively, forming cylindrical spaces, and the respective lug arrays  30   a  and  30   b  of the rebars  30  are positioned in the cylindrical spaces. Thereafter, the first jaw  13  and the second jaw  14  are inserted into the binding member  20  through the fitting groove  21  from an end of the binding member  20  to another, as shown in  FIG. 6C . 
     The first protrusion  13   a  and the second protrusion  14   a  are placed in the first fitting part  22 , and the first bend  13   b  and the second bend  14   b  are placed in the second fitting part  23 . As the holder  10  is inserted into the binding member  20  from an end of the binding member  20  to another, the first bend  13   b  and the second bend  14   b  are moved along the first fitting part  22 . 
     The first fitting part  22  is formed such that the width is reduced by the guiding ridges  24  from an end of the binding member  20  to another. Accordingly, as the holder  10  travels to the other end of the binding member  20 , the first bend  13   b  and the second bend  14   b  are gradually pressurized, allowing the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  to be pressingly joined together. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7A , even when the rebars  30  with different lug arrays come in use, the lug arrays of the rebars  30  may be positioned in place in the first seating recesses  11   a  and the second seating recesses  12   a  by adjusting the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  as described below. Accordingly, as the holder  10  is put in the fitting groove  21  from an end of the fitting groove  21  to another, the first protrusion  13   a  and the second protrusion  14   a  are gradually pressed against the guiding ridges  24 , allowing the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  to be joined together more firmly. 
     Alternatively, the width of the first fitting part  22  may remain constant while the width of the second fitting part  23  is decreased from an end to another. Hence, as the holder  10  is inserted into the fitting groove  21  from an end to another, the first bend  13   b  and the second bend  14   b  may be gradually pushed against the second fitting part  23 , allowing the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  to be joined together more firmly. 
     For deformed rebars  30  respectively with different lug arrays  30   a  and  30   b  formed on the outer circumferential surface, the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  are moved along the shaft  15  as shown in  FIG. 7B . Then, the first seating recesses  11   a  and the second seating recesses  12   a  are alternately arranged with respect to each other, and the respective lug arrays  30   a  and  30   b  of the rebars  30  are placed in the first seating recesses  11   a  and the second seating recesses  12   a  alternately arranged. 
     The holder is then fitted and fastened into the binding member  20  as shown in  FIG. 7C . As described above, the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  may be moved independently from each other, allowing for an easy connection between deformed rebars even with different lug arrays. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the two rebars  30  may be easily connected by inserting the holder  10  into the binding member  20  with the tapered fitting groove  21 , with the holder  10  surrounding the two rebars  30 . As described above, the rebar connector may apply to rebars  30  with different lug arrays, as well as rebars  30  with the same lug array, providing for better compatibility. The first rebar  31  and the second rebar  32  may be inserted into the holder  10 , with the holder  10  partially joined with the binding member  20 . 
       FIGS. 8A-C  are views illustrating a process of connecting deformed rebars according to another embodiment of the present invention. First, as shown in  FIG. 8A , the first rebar  31  and the second rebar  32  are inserted into the holder  10 , with the first jaw  13  and the second jaw  14  of the holder  10  partially inserted into the fitting groove  21 . In this case, the distance between an inner circumferential surface of the first cover  11  and an inner circumferential surface of the second cover  12  may be larger than the maximum diameter of the rebars  30 , so that the first rebar  31  and the second rebar  32  may be easily inserted into a space between the first cover  11  and the second cover  12 . The first cover  11  and the second cover  12 , respectively, have a restraining apparatus  19  projecting from the inner circumferential surfaces. Each restraining apparatus  19  restricts the insertion of the rebars  30  to predetermined depths by stopping the first rebar  31  and the second rebar  32 . Accordingly, the two rebars  30  may be inserted into the holder  10  to the same depth. 
     The holder  10  is then slid along the tapered fitting groove  21  to allow the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  to come closer to each other, as shown in  FIG. 8B . As the first cover  11  and the second cover  12  come closer to each other, the lugs of the rebars  30  are positioned in place in the first seating recesses  11   a  and the second seating recesses  12   a . Further slid from the position, the holder  10  is forcedly fitted into the binding member  20  as shown in  FIG. 8C . 
     The foregoing description of various aspects of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed and, obviously, many modifications and variations are possible. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.