Telescopic pole locking and damping mechanism

A telescopic tubular couple configured with an inner segment slidingly received through an outer segment of the telescopic tubular couple;

• and a locking and damping mechanism comprising a housing articulated at a bottom portion of the inner segment, said housing comprising a locking stud chamber accommodating at least one locking stud biased to laterally project from the housing through a stud opening disposed in register at the bottom portion of the inner segment, and a damping chamber accommodating at least one friction enhancing member normally projecting from the housing and configured for sliding engagement about an inside surface of the outer segment;
• and said telescopic tubular couple is configurable between a closed position at which the inner segment is retracted and at least partially received within the outer segment and wherein the at least one locking stud is disengaged from a locking opening at the outer segment, though remains projecting through the stud opening, and at least one open, expanded position, at which the inner segment is at least partially withdrawn from the outer segment and wherein the at least one locking stud is engaged within the locking opening at a top portion of the outer segment;
• wherein the locking stud chamber is configured with two coaxially disposed locking studs, laterally biased at opposite directions;
• and wherein displacing the telescopic tubular couple between the open position and the closed position entails friction forces between the at least one friction enhancing member and the inside surface of the outer segment.