Patent ID: 7614817

Claim:
A coupler for a cable trough system, the coupler comprising: a body including one or more walls defining a trough having an outer surface and an inner surface, the body having a body terminal end sized to receive a terminal end of a trough member along a longitudinal direction of the body; and a locking element coupled to the outer surface of the trough, the locking element including: a spring with at least one arm that extends to engage a portion of an external surface of the trough member as the trough member is received in the body terminal end of the coupler; a spring release configured to slide in the longitudinal direction between an unlocked state and a locked state, wherein the spring release disengages the arm of the spring from the terminal end of the trough member while the terminal end of the trough member is fully inserted in the body terminal end of the body of the coupler when the spring release is in the unlocked state, and wherein the spring release allows the arm of the spring to engage the terminal end of the trough member when the spring release is in the locked state; and a release member that, when actuated, allows the spring release to move in the longitudinal direction from the unlocked state to the locked state.