Patent Application
20100243849
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable brace and, in particular to a telescopically adjustable support brace for maintaining a fixed distance between two objects.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,882 shows a bracing device which includes a tube and a rod that is moveably engaged in the tube. Further, a plurality of depressions is formed on the tube. Moreover, a lever is pivotally connected to the tube and includes a pawl for selectively engaging one of the plurality of depressions in order to retain the rod at a predetermined position with respect to the tube. A problem with the bracing device is that cutting the plurality of depressions causes an adverse effect on structure strength of the rod. Additionally, it involves a great deal of effort and cost to manufacture these depressions. Further, if one of these depressions is not precisely cut and thus in a deviation from an alignment of the other depressions, the lever will have a problem to engage into this particular depression. At worst, the lever can no longer engage this particular depression. Another problem is that the bracing device can not be finely adjusted to avoid tilted-positioning across two objects or using a foreign object to recoup a distance between the two objects that exceed the length of the bracing device.
The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.
According to the present invention, a telescopically adjustable support brace includes a first member and a second member moveably engaged in the first member. The second member is operably moveable with respect to the first member in a telescopic manner. The first and second members are adapted to be positioned across two objects for maintaining a fixed distance therebetween. Further, a quick-clamping device includes a collar moveably engaged in the first member, and the collar includes an inner periphery which surrounds and is selectively clutched to the second member by a quick-release device. The quick-release device is engaged with and is operable to move the collar between a tightened position such that the inner periphery of the collar is clutched to the second member and the second member is adapted to be moved with respect to the first member by the collar, and a released position such that the inner periphery of the collar disengages from the second member the second member is moveable relative to the collar. Further, an adjusting device is engaged with and is operable to move the collar with respect to the first member when the collar is in the tightened position, such that the collar is moved by the adjusting device and the second member is thereafter adapted to be moved with respect to the first member.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which assist in illustrating the pertinent features thereof, in which:
Referring to the
The first member 10 includes an axially extended body 11 and a joining member 12 engaged in the body 11. The body 11 includes an opening 14 at an end thereof and the joining member 12 includes a connecting section 121 inserted through the opening 14 and received in the body 11 for connection with the body 11. The joining member 12 also includes an engaging section 122 disposed outside the opening 14 of the body 11. Further, an adjusting device 40 includes a coupling section 41 circumferentially coacting with the engaging section 122. Thus, the adjusting device 40 is moveably engaged with the joining member 12. Preferably, the engaging section 122 and coupling sections 41 are formed with threads. The joining member 12 further includes a hole 124 extending therethrough and the second member 20 can be inserted through the hole 124 and moveably received in the first member 10 thereafter. The hole 124 is coaxial with the body 11.
In this preferred embodiment, the body 11 and the joining member 12 are releasably connected to one another. However, the body 11 and the joining member 12 are adapted to be formed in one piece. If that is the case, the connecting section 121 will thus be eliminated for saving material for the first member 10.
A quick-clamping device 30 includes a collar 31 disposed in the hole 124 of the joining member 12 and the collar 31 includes a through-hole (not numbered) therethrough and the second member 20 can be inserted through the through-hole and moveably received in the first member 10 thereafter. Preferably, the through-hole is coaxial with the hole 124. In the preferred embodiment, the second member 20 is thus adapted to be circumferentially received by the collar 31 first and the joining member 12 next.
The collar 31 is prevented from a relative rotation with respect to the joining member 12 if received in the joining member 12. In the preferred embodiment, the collar 31 includes at least one retaining sections 311, and the joining member 12 includes at least one positioning sections 123 engaged with the at least one retaining sections 311. Preferably, the at least one retaining section 311 is a ridge and the at least one positioning section 123 is a groove or vice versa.
By rotating the adjusting device in a first direction, the collar 31 can be axially moved out from the joining member 12 of the first member 10. In the preferred embodiment, the collar 31 includes a holding section 313 and the adjusting device 40 includes a connecting section 42 securely engaged in the holding section 313.
The quick-clamping device 30 also includes a quick-release device 32 engaged with an outer periphery 312 of the collar 31. The quick-release device 32 includes a cam abutting against the outer periphery 312 of the collar 31, and the cam is operably moveable to selectively clutch the inner periphery of the collar 31 to the second member 20 such that the collar 31 securely holds the second member 20. In this case, when the collar 31 is moved by the adjusting device 40, the second member 20 is thereafter moved by the collar 31 with respect to the first member 10. For the collar 31 to selectively clutch the inner periphery thereof to the second member 20, the collar 31 may include a slit 314 extending axially on the outer periphery 312 from the proximal end to the distal end thereof.
The adjusting device 40 includes an outer periphery including a friction engaging surface so that user grips on the engaging surface to operate the adjusting device 40 and the frictional engaging surface enable the user to operate it without slippage.
Based on the forgoing, it is one aspect of the present invention that the telescopically adjustable support brace is readily and finely adjustable.
It is also another aspect of the invention that the telescopically adjustable support brace allows user to adjust the second member 20 with respect to the first member 10 with one hand. Unlike the conventional braces, when the telescopic adjustable support brace of the instant invention is erected upright and the second member 20 is to be statically fixed with respect to the first member 10, users does not have to use one of his/her hands to fix the second member 20 to the first member 10 while using another of his/her hands to prevent the second member 20 fall into the first member 10 due to gravity. This is because the quick-clamping device 30 prevents the second member 20 moving from relative to the first member 10.
While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of invention and the scope of invention is only limited by the scope of accompanying claims.
