Patent ID: 12186882

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the disclosure is described in greater detail, it should be noted that where considered appropriate, reference numerals or terminal portions of reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements, which may optionally have similar characteristics.

It should be noted herein that for clarity of description, spatially relative terms such as “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “on,” “above,” “over,” “downwardly,” “upwardly” and the like may be used throughout the disclosure while making reference to the features as illustrated in the drawings. The features may be oriented differently (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative terms used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

FIGS.1to4show an embodiment of a telescopic rod device that is capable of quick adjustment according to the present disclosure. The telescopic rod device includes an outer tube10, an inner tube20, a positioning seat30, an actuator unit40, an adjustment control unit50, and a handle60. In this embodiment, the positioning seat30is immovably mounted inside the inner tube20to receive the actuator unit40.

The outer tube10has a lengthwise axis (X), and includes an outer tube wall12that surrounds an outer tube inner space11, and a plurality of adjustment holes13that penetrate through the outer tube wall12, and that are spaced apart from each other along the lengthwise axis (X).

The inner tube20is mounted inside the outer tube10and is movable along the lengthwise axis (X), and has an inner tube wall22that surrounds an inner tube space21, and a through hole23that is formed through the inner tube wall21. The handle60is connected to an upper end of the inner tube20.

The positioning seat30is immovably mounted inside the inner tube and has an installation slot31, a sliding slot32, and a pair of guiding slots33. The sliding slot32extends along a first widthwise axis (Y) of the outer tube10perpendicular to the lengthwise axis (X), extends across and spatially communicates with the installation slot31, and intersects the guiding slots33. The pair of guiding slots33are spaced apart from each other along a second widthwise axis (Z) of the outer tube10that is perpendicular to the lengthwise axis (X) and the first widthwise axis (Y), and are respectively formed on two opposite sides of the installation slot31.

The actuator unit40is mounted inside the inner tube20, and is movable in the lengthwise axis (X). The actuator unit40has a pair of spaced apart side panels41, two spaced apart end panels42, a linkage rod43, and two actuating portions44. The pair of side panels41respectively and slidably extend through the pair of guiding slots33. The two end panels42intersectingly connect between the side panels41. The linkage rod43is connected to one of the end panels42and extending along the lengthwise axis (X) to protrude from the inner tube20. The side panels41of the actuator unit40each have a first edge411, a second edge412that is opposite to the first edge411along the lengthwise axis (X), a third edge413that intersectingly connect between the first edge411and the second edge412, and a fourth edge414that is opposite to the third edge413along the first widthwise axis (Y). The side panels41respectively have inner surfaces415that face toward each other and that are recessed to form guide grooves416, respectively. The two actuating portions44are inclined slide surface (S) each of which is located on a groove wall417that bounds one of the guide grooves416. The inclined slide surface (S) of each of the actuating portions44extends from the third edge413of the respective side panel41towards the fourth edge414and is inclined to approach the second edge412when reaching the fourth edge414. The linkage rod43has an operating grip431that is nearer to the first edge411of the side panels41than the second edge412, and that is exposed from the handle60.

The adjustment control unit50is installed inside the inner tube20and has a restraining member51, a resilient member52, and a lug53. The restraining member51has a U-shaped frame511, and two restraining portions512to interact with the two actuating portions44, respectively. The restraining portions512are movable along the first widthwise axis (Y) of the outer tube10. The U-shaped frame511of the restraining member51has a bar513, and two side arms514that are disposed on opposite sides of the bar513, that are interconnected by the bar513, and that are spaced apart in the second widthwise axis (Z). The two restraining portions512are in the form of guide posts connected to the side arms514, respectively.

The installation slot31accommodates the resilient member52. The resilient member52is interconnected to the restraining member51. The lug53is connected to the resilient member52and protruding from the through hole23of the inner tube20to engage with one of the adjustment holes13of the outer tube wall12of the outer tube10.

More specifically, the resilient member52has a U-shaped curved portion521and two end portions522,523that extend from opposite ends of the curved portion521and that are spaced apart in the first widthwise axis (Y), and the lug53is connected to one of the two end portions522,523, specifically in this embodiment, the end portion522. The end portion522, which connects the lug53, resiliently urges the restraining portions512of the restraining member51. The U-shaped frame511straddles the end portion522so that the restraining portions512(guide posts) are on two sides of the end portion522. The resilient member52constantly biases the lug53to extend out of the through hole23of the inner tube20and engage one of the adjustment holes13.

While in this embodiment there are two actuating portions44which are the inclined slide surfaces (S), and two restraining portions512which are the guide posts slidable on the inclined slide surfaces (S), the telescopic rod device according to the present disclosure may have only one actuating portion44and only one restraining portion512in other embodiments. In addition, one of the actuating portion44and restraining portion512may be the inclined slide surface (S) that is inclined with the lengthwise axis (X) and the first widthwise axis (Y), and the other one of the actuating portion44and restraining portion512may be the guide post slidable on the inclined slide surface (S). The restraining member51is slidably mounted in the sliding slot32and is movable along the first widthwise axis (Y).

The restraining member51is slidably mounted in the sliding slot32, and extends across the installation slot31. The restraining portions512of the restraining member51respectively extend into the guiding slots33to respectively slide on the inclined slide surfaces S of the two actuating portions44.

Referring toFIGS.1,5and6, the lug53extends out of the through hole23of the inner tube20and is engaged with one of the adjustment holes13. At this state the lug53is in an engaging position, and the position of the outer tube10relative to the inner tube20is fixed. As the resilient member52resiliently biases the restraining member51so that the restraining portions512of the restraining member51are respectively at highest positions on the actuating portions44, i.e., the highest positions on the inclined surfaces (S) of the groove wall417of the guide grooves416, which are adjacent to the third edges413of the side panels41.

Referring toFIGS.7to9, when an operator pulls the operating grip431upwardly to move the side panels41towards the handle60along the lengthwise axis (X), the restraining member51is actuated by the actuator unit40to move relative to the positioning seat30along the first widthwise axis (Y) while also sliding on the inclined slide surfaces (S) of the actuating portions44. The restraining portions512of the restraining member51gradually slide toward the lower end of the inclined slide surfaces (S) adjacent to the fourth edges414of the side panels41. At this state, the U-shaped frame511of the restraining member51that straddles the end portion522, causes the end portion522of the resilient member52to move toward the other end portion523so that the lug53retracts from the corresponding adjustment hole13and changes to a disengaging position from the engaging position. At this state the inner tube20may be moved relative to the outer tube10along the lengthwise axis (X) and the telescopic rod device may be adjusted to a desired overall length. When the telescopic rod device is at the desired length, the operator may release the operating grip431, the two end portions522,523of the resilient member52that are compressed will elastically return and move away from each other. This will cause the lug53that is connected to the end portion522to engage a selected adjustment hole13of the outer tube wall12.

The telescopic rod device according to the present disclosure is easy to operate and is capable of quick adjustment. The telescopic rod device also has a safe operating mechanism that will not catch the operator's hand and cause injury.

Additionally, the telescopic rod device has the following advantages:1. The operator may frequently apply downwardly pressure on the handle60when the telescopic rod device is used as a walking aid. Therefore by designing the actuator unit40operable to move along the lengthwise axis (X) by upwardly pulling the operating grip431for actuating the restraining member51, accidental operation of the operating grip431due to unintentional downward pressing of the operating grip431may be prevented.2. The inclined slide surface (S) of the actuating portion44is inclined relative to the lengthwise axis (X) and the first widthwise axis (Y) and allows precise extension and retraction of the lug53and improves safety.3. By virtue of the restraining member51having a U-shaped frame511, the restraining portions512are respectively connected to the two side arms514and disposed on opposite sides of the bar513, thereby allowing the actuating portions44of the actuator unit40to respectively actuate movement of the restraining portions512of the restraining member51along the first widthwise axis (Y). The movement of the restraining portions512along the first widthwise axis (Y) will be smooth and steady by having the actuating portions44respectively actuating the movement of the restraining portions512.

In summary of the above, the telescopic rod device has a simple structure that is easy to assembly, and also has the advantage of preventing hand injury of the operator.

In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiment(s). It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects; such does not mean that every one of these features needs to be practiced with the presence of all the other features. In other words, in any described embodiment, when implementation of one or more features or specific details does not affect implementation of another one or more features or specific details, said one or more features may be singled out and practiced alone without said another one or more features or specific details. It should be further noted that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.

While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is(are) considered the exemplary embodiment(s), it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment(s) but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.