Patent ID: 7216465

Claim:
A connector for interconnecting a metal track member with another member in a manner that leaves the track member sidewalls free of fasteners, said track member having a U-channel configuration formed by a base extending in a longitudinal direction and having a given inside base width, sidewalls on each lateral side of the width of the base extending upright in a perpendicular direction a given sidewall height from the base, wherein each sidewall of a first member has at least one recessed channel running along its length in the longitudinal direction, and lips that extend laterally inward from the tops of the sidewalls to a given lip width on each side thereof, said connector comprising: (a) a connector body extending in the upright direction having a body width of at least one portion thereof that corresponds to the inside width of the base of the metal framing member; and (b) a lip flange having a lip width that corresponds to the body width of the connector body extending in the longitudinal direction perpendicularly from the connector body; wherein said connector is adapted to be positioned within the first track member, by either twisting said connector directly from above or sliding said connector in from an available end of the track member, such that the lip flange of said connector overlaps the lips of the track member and the lower portion of the connector body within the track member is in abutting contact with the sidewalls of the track member, thereby forming a three-dimensional tight fit of said connector within the U-channel configuration of the track member, and wherein said connector is secured to the track member by fasteners applied at least through the connector lip flange into the lips of the track member.