Apparatus including a pin connector for securing a first member and a second member to one another, and associated methods
View Patent ↗Embodiments of the present apparatus are configured to secure a first member and a second member to one another. The first and second members include a bore extending through at least one of the first and second members and at least partially through the other of the first and second members. The apparatus comprises a pin connector including an enlarged ball portion positioned along a shank. The first member includes an annular groove extending around the bore. A canted coil spring seats within the groove. The apparatus is configured such that the spring exerts a squeezing force on the ball portion when the pin connector is disposed within the bore and the head of the pin connector contacts the second member.
1. Apparatus for securing a first member and a second member to one another, the first and second members including a bore extending through at least one of the first and second members and at least partially through the other of the first and second members, the apparatus comprising:
a pin connector including
a head portion having a first diameter;
an elongate shank extending from the head portion, the shank having at least a first portion with a second diameter that is less than the first diameter; and
an enlarged ball portion positioned along the shank, the ball portion being shaped substantially as a double-truncated sphere and having a third diameter that is less than the first diameter but greater than the second diameter;
an annular groove in the second member, the annular groove extending around the bore; and
a canted coil spring disposed within the groove;
wherein the apparatus is configured such that the spring exerts a squeezing force on the ball portion when the pin connector is disposed within the bore.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shank includes a proximal portion and a distal portion.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the proximal and distal portions have different diameters.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a center of the ball portion lies on a longitudinal axis of the shank, such that the ball portion protrudes evenly from all sides of the shank.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the shank includes a chamfer.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shank is unthreaded.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongate shank has a second diameter proximal of the enlarged ball portion.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bore extends through the second member.
9. A method for securing a first member to a second member, said method comprising:
inserting a pin comprising a shaft, a pin head, and a ball section disposed distally of the pin head and along the shaft into a bore of a first member and a bore of a second member, said second member comprising a groove located in said bore and a canted coil spring positioned therein;
deflecting the canted coil spring from a first deflection, to a second deflection, and to a third deflection as the ball section comes in contact with the spring and moves to a final rest position;
wherein said third deflection is less than said second deflection.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the shaft is unthreaded.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the canted coil spring is a radial canted coil spring.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising a chamfer surface located at a distal end of the shaft.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the bore of the first member and the bore of the second member align to form a common bore.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first member has a thickness and the second member has a thickness and wherein the thickness of the second member is larger than the thickness of the first member.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the groove comprises a tapered bottom surface.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pin head contacts the first member when the ball section is in the final rest position.
17. An apparatus for securing a first member and a second member to one another, wherein the first member has a bore and the second member has a bore; an annular groove comprising two side walls and a bottom wall disposed therebetween is located in the bore of the second member, which is located further away from a head portion on a pin connector than the first member; and wherein an enlarged portion is located on a shank of the pin connector away from the head potion and away from the bottom wall.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the pin connector is unthreaded.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the bottom wall of the annular groove is tapered relative to at least one of the two side walls.
20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein a spring is located in the annular groove.