Patent ID: 7726898

Claim:
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.