Patent ID: 7303146

Claim:
A length adjustable conduit comprising: (a) a hollow tubular body having an upper end, a lower end, an outer surface, an inner surface and a longitudinal axis; (b) a hollow tubular shaft having an upper end, a lower end, an outer surface, an inner surface and a longitudinal axis, the shaft being attached to the body such that the longitudinal axis of the body and the longitudinal axis of the shaft are disposed along substantially the same line, the lower end of the shaft being disposed in fluid tight communication with the upper end of the body, the body and the shaft having a combined length; and (c) an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the combined length of the shaft and the body while maintaining the shaft and the body in fluid tight connection, the adjustment mechanism comprising: (i) an O-ring disposed within an O-ring groove at the lower end of the shaft, the O-ring disposed in abutment with the inner surface of the body, so as to seal the inner surface of the body to the outer surface of the shaft; (ii) a locking helix disposed around the outer surface of the body, the locking helix having a plurality of horizontal locking areas, each disposed between a pair of spaced apart and downwardly projecting locking stops; (iii) a hold down nut shoulder disposed on the outer surface of the shaft above the O-ring groove; and (iv) a hold down nut having a top wall and vertical side walls, the top wall having an outer side and an inner side, the inner side of the top wall impinging upon the hold down nut shoulder, the side walls having a pair of spaced apart horizontal internal ridges, each sized and dimensioned to be retained within one of the locking areas in the locking helix.