Patent ID: 7093997

Claim:
A coupler for a cable trough system, the coupler comprising: a body including a bottom wall and two side walls defining a trough, the body having a body terminal end defining an overlap region extending toward a mid-point of the body, the overlap region being sized to slideably receive a terminal end of a trough member along a longitudinal direction of the body; and a locking element coupled to the body and including a main body, a spring, and a spring release mechanism, the spring including first and second spring arms with free ends extending generally in opposition to one another in a plane generally parallel to an adjacent one of the bottom wall or two side walls, wherein the first and second spring arms are located to engage the terminal end of the trough member in the overlap region, and the spring release mechanism including first and second fingers configured to slide in the longitudinal direction along the main body of the locking element between a locked position, wherein the first and second spring arms engage the terminal end of the trough member, and an unlocked position, wherein the first and second fingers disengage the first and second spring arms from the terminal end of the trough member, and the main body including a T-shaped detent positioned to engage an edge of the spring release mechanism to hold the spring release mechanism in the unlocked position.