Joints and connections – Articulated members – Lockable at fixed position
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-17
2001-10-16
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Articulated members
Lockable at fixed position
C403S379600, C248S125800
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302614
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a quick coupling arrangement installed in a telescopic shaft between an upper shaft section and a lower shaft section, and rotated between two positions to lock/unlock the upper shaft section and the lower shaft section.
There is known a prior art telescopic shaft for a golf club, comprised of three cylindrical shaft sections, which slide one inside another. The upper and intermediate shaft sections of the telescopic shaft each have an external thread. Screw caps are respectively moved on the intermediate shaft section and the lower shaft section, and respectively threaded onto the external thread on the upper shaft section and the external thread on the intermediate shaft section to lock the telescopic shaft in the operative position. The main drawback of this structure of telescopic shaft is the complicated operation procedure to lock/unlock the shaft sections. Further, because the screw caps are disposed on the outside of the telescopic shaft, they destroy the sense of beauty of the golf club.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a quick coupling arrangement for a telescopic shaft, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is one object of the present invention to provide a quick coupling arrangement for a telescopic shaft, which is easy to operate. It is another object of the present invention to provide a quick coupling arrangement for a telescopic shaft, which is kept from sight when installed. According to one aspect of the present invention, the quick coupling arrangement is installed in a telescopic shaft between an upper shaft section, which has a neck near a bottom end thereof, and a lower shaft section, which is slidably inserted into the upper shaft section, and rotated between a locking position where the upper shaft section and the lower shaft section are prohibited from axial movement relative to each other, and an unlocking position where the upper shaft section and the lower shaft section are allowed to be moved axially relative to each other, the quick coupling arrangement comprising: a connector fixedly fastened to a top end of the lower shaft section and moved with the lower shaft section in the upper shaft section above the neck of the upper shaft section, the connector comprising a cylindrical mounting base disposed at one end and plugged into the top end of the lower shaft section, a tapered coupling body disposed outside the lower shaft section and suspended inside the upper shaft section, and a collar raised around the periphery thereof between the mounting base and the tapered coupling body and stopped outside the lower shaft section and moved with the lower shaft section in the upper shaft section above the neck of the upper shaft section, the tapered coupling body comprising a double thread, a top stop flange, and a neck disposed between the double thread and the top stop flange; and a screw cap mounted on the tapered coupling body of the connector and moved between the top stop flange and collar of the connector, the screw cap comprising a longitudinal split, an embossed peripheral wall for engagement with an inside wall of the upper shaft section, a tapered coupling hole, which receives the tapered coupling body of the connector, and an internal thread disposed in the tapered coupling hole and threaded onto the double thread of the tapered coupling body of the connector. According to another aspect of the present invention, the quick coupling arrangement further comprises a bushing fixedly fastened to the bottom end of the upper shaft section to guide axial movement of the lower shaft section in the upper shaft section, the bushing having a top end stopped at the neck inside the upper shaft section and a bottom end terminating in a hooked flange hooked on the bottom end of the upper shaft section.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4238164 (1980-12-01), Mazzola
patent: 5876147 (1999-03-01), Longo
patent: 6202663 (2001-03-01), Uemura
Browne Lynne H.
Cottingham John R.
Dougherty & Troxell
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