Patent ID: 9449722
Filing Date: 2016-09-20
CPC Classification: G21C,G21F,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. Gripping and locking/unlocking system comprising: an outer tube comprising at its periphery at least one groove; an inner tube designed to be fitted inside the outer tube, the inner tube comprising at least one catching device connected at its upper end and at least one notch formed in the thickness of the inner tube from its upper end; a gripper member with a gripper head designed to be housed in the inner tube, the gripper head comprising at its periphery at least one groove, wherein the at least one catching device comprises: wherein the system is configured so that: when the inner tube is fitted inside the outer tube and locked thereto by the locking hook, a downwards translational movement of the gripper head in the inner tube over a given travel (A) causes the actuating lever to pivot from its actuating position into its second neutral position and thus simultaneously causes the locking hook to pivot from its locked position to its unlocked position, then causes the gripping hook to pivot both under the effect of its self-weight and under the elastic effect of the first elastic return means into the groove of the gripper head, thus unlocking the inner and outer tubes from one another and then causing the inner tube to be gripped by the head, at the end of the travel (A); when the gripper head and the inner tube are locked together by the gripping hook, a downwards translational movement of the gripper head and of the inner tube inside the outer tube over a given travel (B) greater than the travel (A) causes the gripping hook to be released from the groove of the head then causes the actuating lever to disengage from its second neutral position and thus simultaneously causes the locking hook to pivot from its unlocked position into its locked position under the effect at least of its self-weight, thus unlocking the inner tube from the gripper head and locking together the inner and outer tubes, at the end of the travel B.