US 12,421,680 B2
Connector for dock sections
Blake Elder, Charlotte, NC (US)
Assigned to Snap Dock, LLC, Carmel, IN (US)
Filed by Snap Dock, LLC, Carmel, IN (US)
Filed on Jun. 28, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/757,813.
Application 18/757,813 is a continuation of application No. 17/336,536, filed on Jun. 2, 2021, granted, now 12,043,972.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/035,397, filed on Jun. 5, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0352694 A1, Oct. 24, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. E02B 3/06 (2006.01); B63C 1/02 (2006.01); F16B 2/20 (2006.01)
CPC E02B 3/064 (2013.01) [B63C 1/02 (2013.01); E02B 3/068 (2013.01); F16B 2/20 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A connector assembly for use with floating dock sections wherein each dock section includes at least one pair of sockets with one of the pair of sockets being disposed on an upper perimeter of the dock section and the other one of the pair of sockets being disposed on a lower perimeter of the dock section, the connector assembly comprising:
a pair of connecting members, each of the connecting members being buoyant and defining a plurality of voids, each of the connecting members having a first retaining section and a second retaining section with a connecting section disposed between the first and second retaining sections, the first and second retaining sections of each of the connecting members being removably installable into a pair of aligned sockets of an adjacently positioned pair of dock sections; and
at least one securement member, wherein, when the first and second retaining sections of a first one of the pair of connecting members is installed in an aligned pair sockets on the upper perimeter of the adjacently positioned pair of dock sections and the first and second retaining section of a second one of the pair of connecting members is installed in an aligned pair of sockets on the lower perimeter of the adjacently positioned pair of dock sections, the at least one securement member extends between the pair of connecting members and detachably secures the pair of connecting members to each other and thereby preventing withdrawal of the first and second retaining sections of each of the connecting members from the aligned sockets and securing the adjacent dock sections together.