Moving locking connector
View Patent ↗A twisting sleeve or collar which is cylindrical and has an elongated guide or channel fluidly connecting the outer annular wall with the inner annular wall of the sleeve is disclosed. A connector having at least one open end and an elongated slot with a floor and a pin guide through the floor is further disclosed. The pin guide is open to the inside of the connector. Between the sleeve and the slot is a pin, having a pin head visible through the elongated guide, and two opposing spring arms of a size and shape to fit in said slot, and a pin body which movably fits inside pin guide.
1. A method of reversibly locking a tool-mounting, the method comprising:
placing the distal end ( 37 ) of a movable pin assembly ( 30 ) having a pin body ( 36 ), a pin head ( 38 ) with an extended distal end, a first curved spring arm ( 32 ) and a second curved spring arm ( 34 ) extending therefrom into a pin guide ( 27 ) of an elongated connector ( 20 );
the elongated connector configured with an open end ( 24 ) forming a tool guide ( 26 ) and a slot ( 25 );
sliding a movable sleeve ( 500 ) having an L-shaped pin catch guide ( 600 ) onto the elongated connector;
and wherein the arms are asymmetrical, with one arm above the other arm,
wherein the pin head is configured as a guide that extends above the spring arms and is a size and shape to fit in the L-shaped pin catch, thereby restricting sleeve movement to axially ( 1050 ) along a first catch region ( 602 ) to a corner ( 605 ), and then to rotating ( 1100 ) from the corner to a second catch region ( 604 ).
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pin body sits movably in the pin guide.
3. The method of claim 2 , the method further comprising inserting a tool shaft ( 102 ) with a retention fixture ( 100 ) into the tool guide.
4. The method of claim 3 , the method further comprising forming one spring arm nearer to the pin head than the other spring arm, whereby the spring arm near the pin head, when compressed, will urge the distal end of the pin into the retention fixture.
5. The method of claim 3 , the method further comprising forming one spring arm further from the pin head than the other spring arm, whereby the spring arm further from the pin head, when compressed, will not urge the distal end of the pin into the retention fixture.
6. The method of claim 3 , the method further comprising:
sliding the sleeve axially along the connector, whereby the pin head moves from a first position ( 701 ) in the first catch region to a second position ( 702 ) near the corner, thereby compressing the spring arm and moving the distal end of the pin into the retention fixture;
and wherein rotating the sleeve from the second position to a third position ( 703 ) places the pin head in the second catch region, thereby preventing the release of the retention fixture by limiting the sleeve movement around the pin head back to the first catch region without first rotating the sleeve along the connector.
7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the distal end of the pin ( 37 ) is curved.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the two regions remain fluidly connected.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first spring arm further comprises:
a curved member ( 210 ) with a proximal end ( 201 ) and a distal end ( 202 );
wherein the proximal end is affixed to the pin assembly;
wherein the distal end is unaffixed and oriented below the height of the proximal end on the pin assembly;
and whereby the sleeve sliding over the curved member compresses the spring arm against a floor ( 28 ) of the slot, thereby pushing the distal end of the pin into the open tool guide.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second spring arm further comprises:
a curved member ( 200 ) with a proximal end ( 211 ) and a distal end ( 212 ); wherein the proximal end is affixed to the pin assembly;
wherein the distal end is unaffixed and oriented below the height of the proximal end on the pin assembly;
and whereby the sleeve sliding over the curved member compresses the spring arm against a floor ( 28 ) of the slot, not pushing the distal end of the pin into the open tool guide.