Granted Patent B2

US 8,652,176 · App. 12/474,925 · Granted Feb 18, 2014

Abstract

Claims (37)

1. An assembly comprising:

a first longitudinal member comprising a fastener channel bored therethrough and an outwardly protruding and expandable round first bulbous body;

a second longitudinal member comprising an outwardly protruding cylindrical body, dimensioned to fit within said fastener channel, and an outwardly protruding and expandable round second bulbous body;

a fastener with a cylindrical channel bored therethrough, connected to said first longitudinal member and said cylindrical body of said second longitudinal member and securely coupling said first longitudinal member to said second longitudinal member;

a first fixation component directly connected to said first bulbous body wherein said first fixation component receives said first bulbous body;

a second fixation component directly connected to said second bulbous body wherein said second fixation component receives said second bulbous body;

a first pin engaged within said first longitudinal member via a first securing channel bored therethrough and contacting said first bulbous body causing said first bulbous body to outwardly expand; and

a second pin engaged within said second longitudinal member via a second securing channel bored therethrough and contacting said second bulbous body causing said second bulbous body to outwardly expand,

wherein said first longitudinal member includes concentric grooves etched into a top surface of said first longitudinal member,

wherein at least one of said first longitudinal member and said second longitudinal member includes a lower body coupled to a main body by a sloping wall,

wherein said lower body is offset along a longitudinal axis of the main body by 45-degrees, and

wherein said first longitudinal member and said second longitudinal member comprise a single axis of rotation with respect to one another.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first fixation component comprises a first concave socket that receives said first bulbous body of said first longitudinal member and said second fixation component comprises a second concave socket that receives said second bulbous body of said second longitudinal member.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first securing channel and second securing channel comprises threads.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said fastener includes threads etched on an inner perimeter of said cylindrical channel.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said fastener includes a slit along a longitudinal axis thereof.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said fastener is substantially polygonal in shape.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said fastener includes a ridge along an outer perimeter of said fastener and dimensioned to engage said concentric grooves etched into said top surface of said first longitudinal member.

8. An assembly comprising:

a longitudinal member comprising a fastener channel bored therethrough and an outwardly protruding and expandable round bulbous body, wherein said longitudinal member and said bulbous body comprise a single structure;

a fixation component directly connected to said bulbous body, wherein said fixation component receives said bulbous body; and

a pin engaged within said longitudinal member via a securing channel bored through said longitudinal member and contacting said bulbous body causing said bulbous body to outwardly expand,

wherein said longitudinal member includes concentric grooves etched into a top surface of said longitudinal member,

wherein said longitudinal member includes a lower body coupled to a main body by a sloping wall, and

wherein said lower body is offset along a longitudinal axis of the main body by 45-degrees.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein said fastener channel is bored through said lower body.

10. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein a shape of said fastener channel is elliptical.

11. An assembly comprising:

a pair of longitudinal members each comprising a fastener channel bored therethrough and an outwardly protruding and expandable round bulbous body;

a pair of fixation components, wherein each fixation component is directly connected to one of said bulbous bodies, wherein each said fixation component receives a corresponding bulbous body;

a pair of pins, wherein each pin is engaged within a corresponding longitudinal member via a securing channel and contacts a corresponding bulbous body causing said bulbous body to outwardly expand; and

exactly one fastener comprising a cylindrical channel bored therethrough, connecting said pair of longitudinal members to each other,

wherein at least one of said pair of longitudinal members includes concentric grooves etched into a top surface of said longitudinal member,

wherein said at least one of said pair of longitudinal members includes a lower body coupled to a main body by a sloping wall,

wherein said lower body is offset along a longitudinal axis of the main body by 45-degrees, and

wherein said pair of longitudinal members comprise a single axis of rotation with respect to one another.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of concentric grooves are spaced apart from one another.

Assignments (8)