Variable-length, adjustable spacer
AssigneeHorst Budde
InventorHorst Budde
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to an adjustable spacer. The spacer includes an elongate member. The spacer includes a sleeve extendable around the elongate member. The elongate member is moveable relative to the sleeve. The sleeve has a locking member. The spacer includes an engaging member configured to selectively engage the locking member for inhibiting movement of the sleeve relative to the elongate member when a desired spacing of the elongate member relative to the sleeve is determined.
Claims16
An adjustable spacer for spacing a receptacle from a surface by a desired distance, comprising:
- an elongate member having a central aperture configured to receive a fastener therethrough, and axially spaced-apart protrusions;
- a sleeve, having a pair of spaced-apart axially extending slots, the sleeve being extendable around the elongate member, the elongate member being moveable relative to the sleeve and the sleeve having a resilient locking member having a tooth is positioned between the slots, the tooth of the locking member selectively abutting with and being disposed between adjacent ones of the protrusions in a lock mode;
- and
- an engaging member configured to selectively engage the locking member for inhibiting movement of the sleeve relative to the elongate member when a desired spacing of the elongate member relative to the sleeve is determined.
An adjustable spacer for mounting a receptacle to a surface, the spacer comprising:
- an elongate member having a first end, a flanged second end spaced-apart from the first end, a plurality of axially spaced-apart protrusions positioned between the first and the second end, and a plurality of axially spaced-apart grooves positioned between adjacent ones of the protrusions;
- a sleeve shaped to extend around the elongate member, the sleeve having a first end, a flanged second end spaced-apart from the first end, a pair of slots extending axially from the first end of the sleeve towards the second end of the sleeve, and a resilient, locking member positioned between the slots;
- and
- an engaging member shaped to extend around the sleeve, the spacer having an adjustment mode wherein the engaging member abuts the flanged second end of the sleeve and the engaging member slidably abuts with and over of the protrusions of the elongate member, and when a distance of separation between the flanged second ends corresponding to a desired distance of separation between the receptacle and the surface is determined, the spacer having a locking mode wherein the engaging member aligns with the first end of the sleeve, causing the engaging member to engage a respective one of the protrusions to inhibit further movement of the sleeve relative to the elongate member, thereby fixing in place the distance of separation between the flanged second ends of the sleeve and the elongate member.
An adjustable spacer comprising:
- an elongate member;
- a sleeve extendable around the elongate member, the elongate member being moveable relative to the sleeve and the sleeve having a resilient locking member integrally formed with the sleeve, the locking member comprising a tooth shaped to radially deflect inwards;
- and
- an engaging member configured to selectively engage the locking member, causing the tooth to abut the elongated member thereby, for inhibiting movement of the sleeve relative to the elongate member when a desired spacing of the elongate member relative to the sleeve is determined.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.