US Patent 10363442 Connecting and anchoring device

A connecting and anchoring device includes a cable element and one or more housings for the cable element. The cable element terminates at opposite ends thereof in respective gate and spine cable termination structures. The one or more housings include a gate housing which houses the cable element proximate the gate cable termination structure. The gate housing includes a manipulable locking element. The gate and spine cable termination structures have complementary shapes or structures and are configured to provide for changing between a first configuration of the connecting and anchoring device in which the gate and spine cable termination structures are locked together so as to inhibit separation thereof, and a second configuration of the connecting and anchoring device in which the gate and spine cable termination structures can be freely separated from one another as a consequence of manipulating the locking element.