Adjustable-length tube, in particular for poles

• US 7,726,898 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2003
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lekisport AG
• Original Assignee: LEKI Lenhart GmbH (Leki, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lenhart, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola; Daniel P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia; Ernesto
• Application Number:
  US10/511,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20050207829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,608 Days
• Field of Search: 403/109.5, 403/109.1, 403/297, 403/374.3, 403/377, 135/75, 280/823, 411/51, 411/60.2
• US Class Current: 403/109.1
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 2009/007 of adjustable length, e.g. telescopic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 9/00 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 11/221 telescopic, e.g. for varying the length or for damping shocks
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 7/1463 with the expansion of an element inside the outer telescoping member due to the axial movement towards a wedge or a conical member
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32467 Telescoping members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/32501 Cam or wedge
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7067 Threaded actuator

Abstract

An adjustable-length tube (10) for sticks, having an outer tube (12) and an inner tube (11) that can be inserted telescope-like into the outer tube (12) for adjusting the length of the tube, and having a spreading device (15) that is supported at the insertion end of the inner tube (11), the spreading device being able to clamp the inner tube (11) axially in the outer tube (12) and having a spreading element (16) that can be radially pressed apart and that is furnished with an inner cone (27), an interior element (17) that is provided with a reverse-oriented outer cone (22) and that is accommodated in the spreading element (16) so as to be axially movable, and an adjusting screw (18) that is axially oriented and is supported in a rotationally fixed manner on the inner tube (11), the adjusting screw having an operational connection to an internally threaded bore (21) in the interior element (17). So that an adjustable-length tube of this type responds to impact-like axial stresses by continuing to clamp rather than sliding or giving way, provision is made that the inner cone (27) of the spreading element (16) is situated such that it opens in the direction of the inner tube (11), and the spreading element (16) is supported between an inner limit stop (28) on the inner tube (11) and an exterior limit stop (26) on the free end of the adjusting screw (18) so as to be axially movable within narrow limits.

Claims

1. An adjustable-length pole, the pole comprising:

at least one outer tube;

an inner tube structured and dimensioned for insertion into the outer tube in a telescoping fashion for adjusting a length of the pole;

a limit stop disposed at an end of the inner tube;

an adjusting screw being axially oriented within the outer tube, non-rotatable with respect to the inner tube and supported in a fixed manner on the end of the inner tube;

a limit stop disposed on a free end of the adjusting screw;

a radially spreadable element with a non-threaded bore and with only one single inner cone, the inner cone opening towards the end of the inner tube, wherein the radially spreadable element is disposed with its axial length between the limit stop disposed at the end of the inner tube and the limit stop disposed on the free end of the adjusting screw, and wherein the distance between the limit stops is larger than the axial length of the radially spreadable element by a gap distance, such that the radially spreadable element is moveable axially within the distance between the limit stops, including the gap distance, without rotation of said element; and

an interior element having an internal threaded bore and an outer cone tapering towards the free end of the adjusting screw and being structured, dimensioned, and disposed for cooperation with the inner cone of the radially spreadable element, wherein the interior element is screwed onto the adjusting screw and is axially movable with respect to the inner tube by rotation thereof via the internal threaded bore,

wherein the radially spreadable element and the interior element cooperate to form a spreading device supported axially at the end of the inner tube, the spreading device for clamping the inner tube within the outer tube,

wherein the inner tube and the spreading device are inserted into the outer tube, and

wherein the radially spreadable element comprises a cylindrical shoulder having a smaller exterior diameter than a base of the radially spreadable element, and facing the inner tube, said shoulder being axially guidable by a guide piece attached to a limit stop surface at the end of the inner tube facing the radially spreadable element.

2. The pole of claim 1, wherein the pole is a ski or a walking stick.

3. The adjustable-length pole of claim 1, wherein the limit stop disposed on the free end of the adjusting screw is a cap that is axially secured at the free end of the adjusting screw after the radially spreadable element has been set in place.

4. The adjustable-length pole of claim 1, wherein the spreading device has a plug that accommodates the adjusting screw in an axial and rotationally fixed manner, said plug being supported axially and in a rotationally fixed manner in the inner tube and defining the limit stop disposed at an end of the inner tube, said plug having an axially protruding guide member cooperating with said cylindrical shoulder of the radially spreadable element.

5. An adjustable-length pole, the pole comprising:

at least one outer tube;

an inner tube structured and dimensioned for insertion into the outer tube in a telescoping fashion for adjusting a length of the pole;

a limit stop disposed at an end of the inner tube;

an adjusting screw being axially oriented within the outer tube, non-rotatable with respect to the inner tube and supported in a fixed manner on the end of the inner tube;

a limit stop disposed on a free end of the adjusting screw;

a radially spreadable element with a non-threaded bore and with only one single inner cone, the inner cone opening towards the end of the inner tube, wherein the radially spreadable element is disposed with its axial length between the limit stop disposed at the end of the inner tube and the limit stop disposed on the free end of the adjusting screw, and wherein the distance between the limit stops is larger than the axial length of the radially spreadable element by a gap distance, such that the radially spreadable element is moveable axially within the distance between the limit stops, including the gap distance without rotation of said element thereof; and

an interior element having an internal threaded bore and an outer cone tapering towards the free end of the adjusting screw and being structured, dimensioned, and disposed for cooperation with the inner cone of the radially spreadable element, wherein the interior element is screwed onto the adjusting screw and is axially movable with respect to the inner tube by rotation thereof via the internal threaded bore,

wherein the radially spreadable element and the interior element cooperate to form a spreading device supported axially at the end of the inner tube, the spreading device for clamping the inner tube within the outer tube,

wherein said radially spreadable element has a plurality of axial slots and said interior element has a plurality of radially protruding fins, each of said fins being guided in a respective axial slot of the radially spreadable element for axial movement of said fins within said slots, and

wherein said axial slots have an axial length which is larger than the axial length of said fins and respective pairs of said axial slots and said radially protruding fins structurally cooperate to permit said interior element to move axially as the adjusting screw is rotated with respect to said interior element without rotation of said radially spreadable element,

wherein at least one of said axial slots extends over most but not all of an entire axial length of said radially spreadable element,

wherein at least one of said axial slots extend to but not entirely through a shoulder portion of said radially spreadable element that is proximate said inner limit stop, and

wherein the inner tube and the spreading device are inserted into the outer tube.

6. The adjustable-length pole of claim 5, wherein the limit stop disposed on the free end of the adjusting screw is formed by a head that is molded onto the free end of the adjusting screw, wherein at least one of the axial slots extend along an entire axial length of the radially spreadable element.

7. The adjustable-length pole as recited in claim 5, wherein by a rotation of the inner tube with respect to the outer tube, the spreading device clamps the inner tube to the outer tube, thereby forming an effective adjusted length pole.

8. An adjustable-length pole, the pole comprising:

at least one outer tube;

an inner tube structured and dimensioned for insertion into the outer tube in a telescoping fashion for adjusting a length of the pole;

a limit stop disposed at an end of the inner tube;

an adjusting screw being axially oriented within the outer tube, non-rotatable with respect to the inner tube and supported in a fixed manner on the end of the inner tube;

a limit stop disposed on a free end of the adjusting screw;

a radially spreadable element with a non-threaded bore and with only one single inner cone, the inner cone opening towards the end of the inner tube, wherein the radially spreadable element is disposed with its axial length between the limit stop disposed at the end of the inner tube and the limit stop disposed on the free end of the adjusting screw, and wherein the distance between the limit stops is larger than the axial length of the radially spreadable element by a gap distance, such that the radially spreadable element is moveable axially within the distance between the limit stops, including the gap distance without rotation of said element thereof; and

an interior element having an internal threaded bore and an outer cone tapering towards the free end of the adjusting screw and being structured, dimensioned, and disposed for cooperation with the inner cone of the radially spreadable element, wherein the interior element is screwed onto the adjusting screw and is axially movable with respect to the inner tube by rotation thereof via the internal threaded bore,

wherein the radially spreadable element and the interior element cooperate to form a spreading device supported axially at the end of the inner tube, the spreading device for clamping the inner tube within the outer tube,

wherein the radially spreadable element is configured as a pot having a base that is penetrated by the free end area of the adjusting screw, facing away from the inner tube,

wherein said radially spreadable element has a plurality of axial slots and said interior element has a plurality of radially protruding fins, each of said fins being guided in a respective axial slot of the radially spreadable element,

wherein said axial slots have an axial length which is larger than the axial length of said fins and respective pairs of said axial slots and said radially protruding fins structurally cooperate to permit said interior element to move axially as the adjusting screw is rotated with respect to said interior element without rotation of said radially spreadable element,

wherein at least one of said axial slots extends over most but not all of an entire axial length of said radially spreadable element,

wherein at least one of said axial slots extend to but not entirely through a shoulder portion of said radially spreadable element that is proximate said inner limit stop, and

wherein the inner tube and the spreading device are inserted into the outer tube.