摘要 |
A mechanism for coupling a strut (30) to a nodal element (32) comprises a female coupling fixture (31) and a male coupling fixture (33). The female coupling fixture (31) includes an elongate cylindrical member (35), a distal end of which is hemicylindrically configured with an inner surface that is contoured to receive a conjugately contoured knob on a distal end of the male coupling fixture (33) in mating engagement. The female coupling fixture (31) also includes a sleeve (36), which is slidable coaxially from an OPEN position around an intermediate portion of the cylindrical member (35) to a LOCKED position around the matingly engaged distal ends of the cylindrical member (35) and the male coupling fixture (33). Spring-biases locking bars (50) and (51) maintain the sleeve (36) in the LOCKED position.
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