US 11,946,506 B2
Torque tube coupler
Lucas Creasy, Scottsdale, AZ (US); Nikhil Kumar, Albuquerque, NM (US); James Fusaro, Albuquerque, NM (US); Kenyon Bradley, Albuquerque, NM (US); and Daniel Smith, Albuquerque, NM (US)
Assigned to ARRAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Alburquerque, NM (US)
Filed by ARRAY TECHNOLOGIES, INC., Albuquerque, NM (US)
Filed on Feb. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/176,395.
Application 18/176,395 is a division of application No. 17/474,148, filed on Sep. 14, 2021, granted, now 11,592,046, issued on Feb. 28, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/078,167, filed on Sep. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0213050 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. F16B 7/18 (2006.01); F16B 7/02 (2006.01); F16B 7/04 (2006.01); F16D 1/08 (2006.01); H02S 30/00 (2014.01)
CPC F16B 7/182 (2013.01) [F16B 7/025 (2013.01); F16B 7/042 (2013.01); F16D 1/0864 (2013.01); H02S 30/00 (2013.01); Y02E 10/47 (2013.01); Y10T 403/7041 (2015.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A torque tube coupler, comprising:
an elongated outer body including an aperture that runs an entire length of the outer body;
a first abutting surface coupled to the outer body and defining a first side of the aperture, the first abutting surface including one or more channels;
a second abutting surface coupled to the outer body and defining a second side of the aperture; and
one or more set screws sized for insertion into the one or more channels of the first abutting surface,
wherein tightening one or more of the set screws forces the first abutting surface away from the second abutting surface expanding a distance between the first abutting surface and the second abutting surface, and wherein the first abutting surface, the second abutting surface, and the outer body are a single continuous piece of material.