Telescopic lance, and in combination a telescopic lance and a trigger gun

Abstract

A telescopic lance, comprising a lance handle (5) with a fixed inner pipe (3), an extractable outer pipe (4) and at least one locking mechanism (10,20), wherein the extractable outer pipe (4) is located outside, and slidably longitudinally arranged with the fixed inner pipe (3), and said locking mechanism (10,20) is arranged to allow motion of the extractable outer pipe (4) with respect to the fixed inner pipe (3). A first locking mechanism (20) comprises a protrusion (21) for engagement with a locking slot (22), wherein twisting of the extractable outer pipe (4) brings the protrusion (21) into or out of engagement with the locking slot (22), and a second locking mechanism (10) comprises a spring loaded lock handle (13) with a through going aperture (15) for trapping and releasing the extractable outer pipe (4). The invention also relates to a combination of a telescopic lance and a trigger gun (8) for use with a high pressure washer.

Claims

1. A telescopic lance comprising: a lance handle with a fixed inner pipe, an extractable outer pipe, a first locking member and a second locking mechanism, the extractable outer pipe being located outside and longitudinally slidable with respect to the fixed inner pipe; said first and second locking mechanisms allowing movement of the extractable outer pipe with respect to the fixed inner pipe, wherein the first locking mechanism comprises a protrusion engaging a locking slot, wherein twisting of the extractable outer pipe brings the protrusion into or out of engagement with the locking slot, and the second locking mechanism comprises a spring loaded lock handle with a through going aperture for trapping and releasing the extractable outer pipe; and wherein the extractable outer pine on the outside comprises several ring shaped cams and grooves in succession, in where an edge of the through going aperture is trapped in a groove between two cams when the spring loaded lock handle is not activated, and the extractable outer pipe is allowed to pass the through going aperture when the spring loaded lock handle is pushed down.

2. The telescopic lance according to claim 1, wherein said protrusion protrudes from an outside of the extractable outer pipe and the locking slot is provided on an inside of the lance handle, or said protrusion protrudes from an inside of the lance handle and the locking slot is provided on an outside of the extractable outer pipe.

3. The telescopic lance according to claim 1, wherein the first locking mechanism comprises two protrusions placed diagonally opposite each other, and two locking slots placed diagonally opposite each other.

4. The telescopic lance according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is triangular shaped, and the locking slot is a longitudinally running saw tooth shaped slot.

5. The telescopic lance according to claim 1, wherein the twisting motion is applied on a part of the extractable outer pipe extending out of the lance handle, in where said part of the extractable outer pipe extending out of the lance handle comprises a grip handle.

6. The telescopic lance according, to claim 1, wherein in the extractable outer pipe on the outside has a longitudinally groove for receipt of a spring loaded pin, said pin being connected to a spring for counter rotation of the extractable outer pipe.

7. The telescopic lance according to claim 6, wherein the pin is arranged to move in a semi-circular and open groove on the inside of the lance handle, and the pin is connected to the spring resting in a semi-circular bed in the lance handle.

8. The telescopic lance according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is located a distal part from the grip handle.

9. An apparatus comprising: a telescopic lance and a trigger gun for use with a high pressure washer, said telescopic, lance comprising: a lance handle with a fixed inner pipe and an extractable outer pipe, the extractable outer pipe being located outside, and longitudinally slidably with respect to the fixed inner pipe, and an inlet connection of the lance handle is connected to the trigger gun; wherein the lance handle comprises a first and a second locking mechanism, wherein the first locking mechanism in a first part of the lance handle allows movement of the extractable outer pipe with respect to the fixed inner pipe by twisting of the extractable outer pipe to bring a protrusion into or out of engagement with a locking slot, and the second locking mechanism in a second part of the lance handle allows movement of the extractable outer pipe with respect to the fixed inner pipe; wherein said second locking mechanism comprises a spring loaded lock handle with a through going aperture for trapping and releasing the extractable outer pipe, wherein the extractable outer pipe on the outside comprises several ring shaped cams and grooves in succession, in where an edge of the through going aperture is trapped in a groove between two cams when the spring loaded lock handle is not activated, and the extractable outer pipe is allowed to pass the through going aperture when the spring loaded lock handle is pushed down.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DIAGRAMS

(1) Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows in combination a telescopic lance and a trigger gun.

(3) FIG. 2 shows the telescopic lance.

(4) FIG. 3a-3c shows a second locking mechanism of the telescopic lance.

(5) FIG. 4a-4c shows a first locking mechanism of the telescopic lance.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a spring loaded pin for providing counter rotation of an extractable outer pipe.

(7) FIG. 6 shows in cross section a lance handle, an outer pipe and an inner pipe of the telescopic lance.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(8) Using the attached drawings, the technical contents, and detailed descriptions, the present invention is described. Alternate embodiments will also be presented. This is described in further detail below.

(9) The present invention allows a user to adjust the length of a lance. The length adjustment is due to a telescopic arrangement of an extractable outer pipe and a fixed inner pipe.

(10) This is described in further detail below. Note that the direction toward where the material enters the system (i.e. direction that the material is supplied from) will be referred to as the inlet side and where the material exits the lance will be referred to as the outlet side.

(11) The present invention could be used to deliver a wide range of materials from the outlet such as sand, paint, chemicals, epoxy, rubber, etc. The invention is preferably directed toward water, steam, or air as the primary materials to be delivered.

(12) The present invention can be used in both low pressure and high pressure systems. A typical low pressure system would be a traditional garden hose. A higher pressure system would be a pressure washer for home or commercial use. Another example of a higher pressure system would be for sand blasting.

(13) Material enters the lance from the inlet connect 6, into the inner pipe 3, travels through the extractable outer pipe 4 and exits the lance through the outlet connect 7. The extractable outer pipe 4 slides over the inner pipe 3. It is in this way that the length of the telescopic lance can be adjusted. The extractable outer pipe 4 can for instance be a plastic pipe and the inner pipe can for instance be an aluminum pipe sealed by gaskets, such as O-rings.

(14) A hollow lance handle 5 encloses the inner pipe 3 and the extractable outer pipe 4. Note that the inner pipe 3 does not protrude from the outlet side of the lance handle 5.

(15) The inner pipe 3 is preferably fixed such that moving the extractable outer pipe 4 does not move the inner pipe 3. This can be accomplished by affixing the inner pipe 3 to the inlet connect 6 or other fixed point of the system. It is also preferable that the inlet side of the lance handle 5 is either affixed to the same fixed point as the inner pipe 3 (the inlet connect 6). It is also possible to affix the inlet side of the lance 33 handle to the inner pipe 3 itself.

(16) The telescopic lance according to the invention can comprise a first locking mechanism 20 and a second locking mechanism 10. When the telescopic lance is used in a high pressure washer together with a trigger gun 8, as seen in FIG. 1, it is preferable to use both the first locking mechanism 20 and the second locking mechanism 10. In other applications, it is possible to use only the first locking mechanism 20.

(17) The first locking mechanism 20 is seen in detail in FIGS. 4a-4c, which shows detail B in FIG. 2. The first locking mechanism 20 comprises a protrusion 21 for engagement with a locking slot 22. Twisting of the extractable outer pipe 4 will bring the protrusion 21 into or out of engagement with the locking slot 22. In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, the protrusion 21 protrudes from an outside of the extractable outer pipe 4 and the locking slot 22 is provided on an inside of the lance handle 5. However, it is possible that the said protrusion 21 protrudes from an inside of the lance handle 5 and the locking slot 22 is provided on an outside of the extractable outer pipe 4.

(18) As shown in FIG. 4a, an embodiment of the protrusion 21 is triangular shaped and is placed at a distal end part of the extractable outer pipe 4. The locking slot 21 can be a longitudinally running saw tooth shaped slot or groove, running for instance on a major part on the inside of the lance handle 5. Two protrusions 21 can be placed diagonally opposite each other, and two locking slots 22 can be placed diagonally opposite each other.

(19) The first locking mechanism 20 is operated by applying a twisting motion to a part of the extractable outer pipe 4 extending out of the lance handle 5. For instance as seen in FIG. 2 where said part of the extractable outer pipe 4 extending out of the lance handle 5 comprises a grip handle 24. When the extractable outer pipe 4 is twisted, for instance by turning the extractable outer pipe 4 clockwise, the protrusion(s) 21 will move from the locked position shown in FIG. 4b to the unlocked position shown in FIG. 4c, and the outer pipe 4 can be extracted from the lance handle 5.

(20) To ensure that the extractable outer pipe 4 easily can be retracted in to the lance handle and to provide counter rotation of the extractable outer pipe 4 can a spring loaded pin 31 be used. The extractable outer pipe 4 has on the outside a longitudinally groove 30 for receipt of the spring loaded pin 31. The longitudinally groove 30 can run next to a ridge 35 on top of the extractable outer pipe 4. The pin is connected to a spring 32 for counter rotation of the extractable outer pipe 4 in that the pin 31 is arranged to move in a semi-circular and open groove 34 on the inside of the lance handle 5. The pin 31 is connected to the spring 32 resting in a semi-circular bed 33 in the lance handle 5. The pin 31, spring 32 and bed 33 can be protected by a cover screwed onto the lance handle 5.

(21) As mentioned, the telescopic lance according to the invention can comprise a first locking mechanism 20 and a second locking mechanism 10. The second locking mechanism 10 is similar placed in the lance handle 5. As seen in FIG. 3a-3c the second locking mechanism 10 comprises a spring loaded lock handle 13 with a through going aperture 15 for trapping and releasing the extractable outer pipe (4).

(22) In that respect the extractable outer pipe 4 comprises on the outside several ring shaped cams 11 and grooves 12 provided in succession along the outer pipe 4. When the spring loaded lock handle 13 is not activated, as shown in FIG. 3b, a spring 14 forces the lock handle 13 upwards and an edge 16 of the through going aperture 15 is thus trapped in a groove 12 between two cams 11. When the spring loaded lock handle 13 is pushed down, as seen in FIG. 3c, the extractable outer pipe 4 is allowed to pass the through going aperture 15. By releasing the spring loaded lock handle 13 the extractable outer pipe 4 can be trapped or locked in any desired position.

(23) The lance handle 5 can comprise two half moon shaped parts that are screwed together.