Length adjustment mechanism, fixed support mechanism, length adjustment method, and fixed support method

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a length adjustment mechanism 10 capable of adjusting the entire length of an inner pipe 12 and an outer pipe 14 by a simple operation with a simple structure. [Solution] A length adjustment mechanism 10 is interposed between an inner pipe 12 and an outer pipe 14 that are fitted to each other. The length adjustment mechanism is characterized in that: a pair of penetrating slits 18 spaced apart from each other is provided on an outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer pipe 14; a female screw part 20 is provided between the pair of penetrating slits 18; included are a pressing part 22 that is positioned on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer pipe 14 and that passes through the pair of penetrating slits 18 to contact an outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12, and a fastening screw part 24 that is capable of pressing the pressing part 22 toward the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12 to fix the pressing part 22; the fastening screw part 24 has a male screw part 26 that can be screwed to the female screw part 20, and has an opening which faces an inner peripheral surface 17 of the outer pipe 14 after a fitting position of the inner pipe 12 with respect to the outer pipe 14 is adjusted; and without providing a pressing part storage space that protrudes to the outside of the outer pipe 14, the fastening screw part 24 causes the male screw part 26 to screw to the female screw part 20 and causes the pressing part 22 to penetrate through the pair of penetrating slits 18 and be pressed and fixed to the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12.　

Description

Length adjustment jig, fixed support jig, length adjustment method, and fixed support method

[0001] The present invention relates to a length adjustment jig, a fixing support jig, and a length adjustment method and a fixing support method, and more particularly to a length adjustment jig that can adjust the overall length of an inner tube and an outer tube with a simple structure and easy operation, and a length adjustment jig, a fixing support jig, a length adjustment method, and a fixing support method that can generally adjust the overall length of an inner tube and an outer tube for existing fitting structures between inner tubes and outer tubes.

[0002] Conventionally, inner and outer tube components whose overall length can be adjusted by adjusting the fitting length of the inner and outer tubes fitted together have been used for a variety of purposes, such as stands for supporting household items at a desired height, clothes drying poles, vacuum cleaner suction tubes, and bicycle saddle height adjustment. Such adjustable-length inner and outer tube components are typically manually adjusted to adjust the length of a stand, the length of a pole depending on the number of laundry loads, or the height of a saddle. More specifically, the outer peripheral surface of one end of the inner tube is fitted onto the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube through an opening at one end. After adjusting the fitting length as needed, a fastening screw having a male thread that threads into a female thread in a circular through-hole provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube is rotated, causing the tip of the male thread to abut against the outer peripheral surface of one end of the inner tube, tightening and fixing the fitting length. In some cases, such tightening and fixing makes it possible to position the inner and outer tubes vertically, support heavy objects using the inner or outer tube, and hold the heavy objects at a predetermined height, thereby utilizing the inner and outer tubes as a stand.

[0003] However, such conventional length adjustment jigs for inner and outer pipe members have the following technical problems. First, even if it is possible to adjust the length of the inner and outer pipe members, maintaining the adjusted length of the inner and outer pipe members is insufficient. More specifically, since the fastening screw is screwed into the female thread of the outer pipe by rotating the male thread around the longitudinal direction, even if the tip of the fastening screw is shaped to follow the curved shape of the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe, depending on the rotational position of the tip when it contacts the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe, the tip of the fastening screw and the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe may only come into surface contact by chance. When the inner and outer pipes have curved outer peripheral surfaces, such as those with circular cross sections, the tip of the fastening screw and the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe will only come into point or line contact, resulting in insufficient fixation and retention of the inner pipe relative to the outer pipe, making it difficult to maintain the length of the inner and outer pipe members.

[0004] Second, when used as a stand to support a heavy object, the tightening force tends to be insufficient, causing the engagement to suddenly come loose, resulting in the heavy object falling. More specifically, the weight of a heavy object is supported by the frictional force between the tip of the male thread of the fastening screw and the outer surface 15 of the inner tube 12 when the fastening screw is engaged. The resistance of the tip of the male thread against the outer surface 15 of the inner tube 12, which constitutes part of the frictional force, can decrease over time due to loosening of the screws. However, when supporting a heavy object, such as a stand, tightening multiple fastening screws individually to compensate for insufficient fastening force is time-consuming, labor-intensive, inconvenient, and impractical. Furthermore, when attempting to ensure sufficient tightening force, the tip of the male thread may leave a mark or dent on the outer surface of one end of the inner tube, causing functional and aesthetic degradation. In particular, in the case of resin inner and outer tubes, excessive tightening force can cause cracks or breakage on the outer surface of the inner tube.

[0005] Thirdly, for example, when the inner and outer pipes are themselves relatively long and oriented in the vertical direction, and a heavy load is to be supported, if the pipe thickness, particularly the outer pipe, is thick, the male thread portion must penetrate the thickness of the outer pipe to reach the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12, which naturally requires a longer male thread portion, which requires more time and effort to screw in, making it inconvenient and impractical. As described above, even if the fitting length of the inner and outer pipes can be adjusted by screwing the fastening screw into the outer pipe from the outer surface side and fixing the tip end to the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12, this can only be said to be useful in very limited applications, including the practicality of adjusting the fitting length of the inner and outer pipes itself.

[0006] In view of the above technical problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a length adjustment jig that can adjust the overall length of the inner and outer tubes with a simple structure and easy operation.In view of the above technical problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a fixing support jig and a fixing support method that can adjust the height position of a heavy object by adjusting the overall length of the inner and outer tubes with a simple structure and easy operation when supporting the heavy object at a predetermined height through a fitting structure between the inner and outer tubes.In view of the above technical problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a length adjustment method and a fixing support method that can generally adjust the overall length of the inner and outer tubes for existing fitting structures between the inner and outer tubes.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the length adjustment jig of the present invention is a length adjustment jig interposed between an inner tube and an outer tube that are fitted together, wherein the outer surface of the outer tube is provided with a pair of through slits spaced apart from each other, and a female threaded portion is provided between the pair of through slits, and the length adjustment jig has: a pressing portion that is positioned on the outer surface of the outer tube, passes through the pair of through slits and comes into contact with the outer surface of the inner tube; and a tightening screw portion that can press and fix the pressing portion against the outer surface of the inner tube, and the tightening screw portion has a male threaded portion that can be threaded into the female threaded portion, and after adjusting the fitting position of the inner tube relative to the outer tube, the tightening screw portion has an opening facing the inner surface of the outer tube and has a configuration in which, without providing a pressing portion storage space that protrudes outside the outer tube, the male threaded portion is threaded into the female threaded portion by the tightening screw portion, and the pressing portion is passed through the pair of through slits to press and fix against the outer surface of the inner tube.

[0008] According to the length adjusting jig having the above-mentioned configuration, the fitting position of the inner tube with respect to the outer tube can be adjusted by the female screw portion provided on the outer surface of each outer tube, at least one through hole within a predetermined range from the female screw portion, at least one pressing portion that passes through the through hole from the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube and abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, and a fastening screw portion that can press and fix the pressing portion against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, and the tip surface of the pressing portion is shaped to follow the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube so that it can come into surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube. After adjusting the length, the clamping screw portion has an opening facing the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube and protrudes to the outside of the outer tube, and without providing a space to accommodate the pressing portion, the clamping screw portion is rotated to thread the male threaded portion into the female threaded portion on the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube, and by screwing in the clamping screw portion, the pressing portion within a predetermined range from the female threaded portion is passed through the through hole, and the tip surface can be pressed and fixed in place against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube in a surface contact manner.This simple structure makes it possible to adjust the overall length of the inner tube and outer tube so that it can be fixed and held in place by simple operation without requiring excessive clamping force.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the length adjustment jig of the present invention is a length adjustment jig interposed between an inner tube and an outer tube that are fitted together, and comprises: a tubular base portion that has a pair of through slits spaced apart from each other and a female screw portion provided between the pair of through slits on its outer surface, and is attached and fixed to the outer surface of one end of the outer tube; a pressing portion that is positioned on the outer surface of the tubular base portion, passes through the pair of through slits, and abuts against the outer surface of the inner tube; and a tightening screw portion that can press and fix the pressing portion against the outer surface of the inner tube, and the tightening screw portion has a male screw portion that can be screwed into the female screw portion, a pair of through slits for passing the pressing portion through the pair of through slits, and then, after adjusting the fitting position of the inner tube relative to the tubular base portion, the male threaded portion is threaded into the female threaded portion by the tightening screw portion without providing a pressing portion storage space that has an opening facing the inner surface of the outer tube and protrudes outside the outer tube, thereby pressing and fixing the pressing portion against the outer surface of the inner tube.

[0010] Furthermore, a pressing body having a generally U-shaped longitudinal section is provided, in which the male thread portion of the tightening screw portion has a clearance hole portion penetrating in the thickness direction and two pressing portions extending in opposite directions from the clearance hole portion, and the pressing body is positioned above the outer tube or the tubular base portion, and the male thread portion passes through the clearance hole portion and is tightened against the female thread portion, thereby making it possible to fix the outer tube or the tubular base portion to the inner tube via the pressing portions. Furthermore, the fastening screw portion has a shank portion and the male screw portion extending downward from the underside of the shank portion, the underside having an annular surface surrounding the male screw portion, the pressing body having a protrusion on its upper surface with the clearance hole formed in the protrusion, and by threading the male screw portion into the female screw portion, the underside of the shank portion and the upper surface of the protrusion of the pressing body come into contact, so that the fastening screw portion and the pressing body are integrally pressed and fixed to the inner tube and screwed into the outer tube.

[0011] Furthermore, it is preferable that the central portion of the pressing body has a contact surface on the back surface that can contact the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube or the tubular base portion. In addition, it is preferable that the pressing body has a central portion in which the overhanging hole is provided, and that the pair of pressing portions each have leg portions extending downward from corresponding ends of the central portion, and that pressing surfaces be provided at the lower ends of the legs. It is also preferable that the pressing body has a central portion in which the overhanging hole is provided, and that the pair of pressing portions each have inclined portions extending downward from the entire corresponding ends of the central portion, and that each of the pair of pressing portions extends from the entire lower ends of the inclined portions and has a pressing surface provided on its lower surface. Furthermore, it is preferable that the clamping screw portion has a head portion that can be gripped and rotated with fingers at the end of the shank portion opposite the end on the male thread portion side.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that the tubular base portion has a hollow cylindrical shape such that one end can be fitted onto one end of the outer tube, and the other end into which the inner tube is inserted with a predetermined clearance from the outer peripheral surface of the tubular base portion. In addition, it is preferable that the pair of through slits are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the inner and outer tubes by a predetermined distance and extend in the longitudinal direction of the inner and outer tubes. It is also preferable that the length adjustment jig is made of resin.

[0013] Furthermore, the length adjustment jig is preferably used in a clothes drying pole for adjusting the overall length of the inner and outer tubes, or in a vacuum cleaner suction tube. Furthermore, the pair of through slits are preferably provided at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the inner and outer tubes, extending circumferentially of the inner and outer tubes, and the inner and outer tubes are preferably oriented vertically, and a heavy object is supported at a predetermined height by either the inner or outer tube. Additionally, the length adjustment jig is preferably made of metal. Furthermore, the length adjustment jig is preferably used in a stand for supporting everyday items at a predetermined height, or in a vehicle for supporting a saddle at a predetermined height.

[0014] In order to achieve the above object, the method for adjusting the lengths of inner and outer tubes of the present invention comprises the steps of: drilling a pair of through slits spaced apart from each other and a female threaded portion between the pair of through slits on the outer peripheral surface of one end of an existing inner and outer tube that fit together; and preparing a pressing portion that is positioned on the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube, passes through the pair of through slits, and abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, and a tightening screw portion that has a male threaded portion that can be threaded onto the female threaded portion and can press and fix the pressing portion against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube; and after adjusting the fitting position of the inner tube relative to the outer tube, the male threaded portion is threaded into the female threaded portion using the tightening screw portion, and the pressing portion is passed through the pair of through slits to press and fix it against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube.

[0015] In order to achieve the above object, the fixing support jig of the present invention is a fixing support jig that is interposed between an inner tube and an outer tube that both extend in the vertical direction and are fitted together, and that fixes and supports a heavy object at a predetermined height, the outer surface of the outer tube is provided with a female thread portion and a pair of through slits that are spaced apart in the vertical direction and sandwich the female thread portion therebetween, the outer surface of the outer tube has at least one pressing portion that passes through the through slit from the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube and abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, and a tightening screw portion that can press and fix the pressing portion against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, the tightening screw portion has a male thread portion that can be screwed into the female thread portion, the pressing portion has a substantially U-shaped vertical cross section and has a pair of pressing bodies that are spaced apart from each other and can press against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube by surface contact at two points when the tightening screw portion is tightened, and the pair of pressing bodies each have a pressing end face that can be pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, When a heavy object is supported by either the inner or outer tube, the fitting position of the inner tube relative to the outer tube is adjusted according to the specified height of the heavy object, and then, without providing a storage space for a pressing portion that has an opening facing the inner surface of the outer tube and protrudes outside the outer tube, the male threaded portion is screwed into the female threaded portion using the tightening screw portion, and the pressing portion is passed through the through slit to bring the pressing end surface into surface contact with the outer surface of the inner tube, and the outer surface of the inner tube opposite the surface contact portion of the pressing end surface with the inner tube is pressed and fixed against the inner surface of the outer tube.

[0016] In order to achieve the above object, the fixing support jig of the present invention is a fixing support jig that is interposed between an inner pipe and an outer pipe that are fitted together to fix and support a heavy object at a predetermined height, and has: a tubular base portion that is attached and fixed to the outer peripheral surface of one end of the outer pipe and that has a female thread portion and at least a through hole within a predetermined range from the female thread portion on its outer peripheral surface; and a tightening screw portion that can press and fix the pressing portion against the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe, at least one pressing portion that passes through the through hole from the outer peripheral surface of the tubular base portion and abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe, and the pressing portion has a pressing end surface that can be pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe by surface contact, and the tightening screw portion has a male thread portion that can be screwed into the female thread portion, After adjusting the fitting position of the inner tube relative to the tubular base portion, without providing a pressing portion storage space that has an opening facing the inner surface of the outer tube and protrudes outside the tubular base portion, the male threaded portion is threaded into the female threaded portion using the tightening screw portion, and the pressing portion is made to pass through the through hole, so that the pressing end surface is pressed and fixed in a surface contact manner against the outer surface of the inner tube.

[0017] Preferably, the pressing end surface has a hardness sufficient to prevent deformation when pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, and the pressing end surface is formed to conform to the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube. Furthermore, it is preferable that each of the inner tube and the outer tube is cylindrical, and the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube is pressed and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube by pressing and fixing the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube opposite to the portion pressed and fixed by the pressing end surface against the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube in a line contact manner in the vertical direction, and the outer tube is fixed and supported to the inner tube by support at three points. Furthermore, the clamping screw portion has a shank portion and the male screw portion extending downward from the underside of the shank portion, the underside having an annular surface surrounding the male screw portion, the pressing body having a protrusion on its upper surface which is provided with a clearance hole, and by screwing the male screw portion into the female screw portion through the clearance hole, the underside of the shank portion and the upper surface of the protrusion of the pressing body come into contact, so that the fastening screw portion and the pressing body are integrally pressed and fixed to the inner tube and screwed and fixed to the outer tube.

[0018] In addition, it is preferable that the clamping screw portion has a head portion that can be gripped with fingers and turned at the end of the shank portion opposite the end of the male thread portion. Also, it is preferable that the fixing support jig is made of metal, and the pair of through slits are provided so as to extend in the circumferential direction of the inner and outer tubes at a predetermined interval from each other in the longitudinal direction of the inner and outer tubes, and that either the inner or outer tube supports a heavy object at a predetermined height.

[0019] In order to achieve the above object, the method for fixing and supporting inner and outer pipes of the present invention includes the steps of drilling at least one through hole and a female screw portion within a predetermined range of the at least one through hole in the outer peripheral surface of one end of the outer pipe, and preparing a pressing portion that is positioned on the outer peripheral surface of the outer pipe, passes through the through hole, and has a pressing end surface that can be pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe by surface contact, and a tightening screw portion that has a male screw portion that can be screwed onto the female screw portion and can press and fix the pressing portion against the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe, wherein the pressing end surface has a hardness that is not deformed by being pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe, and is formed to fit along the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe, the at least one through hole is a pair of through slits that are spaced apart from each other, and a pair of pressing portions are provided accordingly, and the tightening screw portion has a head portion whose lower surface can abut against the upper surface of each of the pressing portions, When a heavy object is supported by either the inner or outer tube, the fitting position of the inner tube relative to the outer tube is adjusted according to the predetermined height of the heavy object, and then, without providing a space for accommodating a pressing portion that has an opening facing the inner surface of the outer tube and protrudes outside the outer tube, the male threaded portion is threaded into the female threaded portion using the tightening screw portion, and the lower surface of the head portion presses the upper surfaces of the pressing portions toward the outer surface of the inner tube, pressing and fixing each of the pressing end surfaces in surface contact with the outer surface of the inner tube, and the outer surface of the inner tube opposite to the surface contact portion of the pressing end surface with the inner tube is pressed and fixed against the inner surface of the outer tube, thereby fixing and supporting the heavy object at the predetermined height.

[0020] A first embodiment of a length adjustment jig 10 of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the length adjustment jig 10 is generally composed of a pressing body 22 interposed between an inner tube 12 and an outer tube 14 that are fitted together, the pressing body 22 having a pressing surface 54 that can be pressed against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and a fastening screw portion 24 that can press and fix the pressing portion 22 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12. The length, thickness, and cross-sectional shape of each of the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 can be selected depending on the application, and as will be described later, the fitting length between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 is adjusted so that the overall length of the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 can be adjusted.

[0021] For example, the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 are each hollow cylindrical, and the outer tube 14 is fitted onto the inner tube 12 by inserting the inner circumferential surface 17 of the outer tube 14 from one end opening into one end opening of the outer circumferential surface 15 of the inner tube 12. When the outer tube 14 is fitted onto the inner tube 12, a slight clearance may be provided between the inner circumferential surface 17 of the outer tube 14 and the outer circumferential surface 15 of the inner tube 12, as long as the outer tube 14 is fixed and held longitudinally relative to the inner tube 12 via the clamping screw portion 24 and the pressing body 22, as described below. The slight clearance is, for example, 0.05 mm to 0.1 mm. A pair of through slits 18 are provided on the outer circumferential surface 16 of the outer tube 14, spaced apart by a distance D. A female thread portion 20 is provided between the pair of through slits 18. The distance D between the pair of through slits 18 may be selected depending on the application of the length adjustment jig 10, as described below.

[0022] The pair of through slits 18 are spaced a predetermined distance from each other in the longitudinal direction of the inner and outer tubes 12, 14, and are provided so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the inner and outer tubes 12, 14. More specifically, each of the pair of through slits 18 is an elongated opening, and the width of the opening need only be such that the pressing portion 22 can pass through in the thickness direction, and since the pressing body is fastened and fixed to the outer tube 14 via the fastening screw portion 24, as will be described later, it is not necessary for the pressing portion 22 to pass through the pair of through slits 18 provided in the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 in an interference fit manner.

[0023] The pressing portions 22 are positioned on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 and pass through a pair of through slits 18 to abut against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12. More specifically, the male thread portion 26 of the tightening screw portion 24 forms a pressing body 34 having a generally U-shaped vertical cross section, which is provided with a clearance hole 32 that passes through in the thickness direction and two pressing portions 22 that extend in opposite directions from the clearance hole 32. The pressing body 34 has a central portion 48 in which the clearance hole 32 is provided, and each of the pair of pressing portions 22 has an inclined portion 56 that extends downward from the entire corresponding end of the central portion 48, and each of the pair of pressing portions 22 extends from the entire lower end of the inclined portion 56, and a pressing surface 54 is provided on the lower surface 38. Each pressing surface 54, which is the tip surface of the pressing portion 22, is shaped to follow the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12 so as to be in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12. For example, if the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12 is the outer surface of a cylinder, the pressing surface 54 has an arc-shaped cross section with the same diameter. In this case, unlike the fastening screw portion 24, the pressing body 34 itself does not need to be rotated toward the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12, so it is possible to press the pressing surface 54 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12 in an orientation such that the arc-shaped cross section matches the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12.

[0024] The pressing body 34 has a protrusion 42 on an upper surface 44, and the protrusion 42 is provided with a clearance hole 32, and by threading the male thread portion 26 into the female thread portion 20, the lower surface 38 of the shank portion 36 comes into contact with the upper surface 44 of the protrusion 42 of the pressing body 34, whereby the fastening screw portion 24 and the pressing body 34 are integrally pressed and fixed to the inner tube 12 and screwed and fixed to the outer tube 14. The pressing body 34 is located above the outer tube 14, and the male thread portion 26 passes through the clearance hole 32 and is tightened against the female thread portion 20, thereby enabling the outer tube 14 to be fixed to the inner tube 12 via the pressing portion 22.

[0025] A contact surface 46 capable of contacting the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer pipe 14 is provided on the back surface of the central portion 48 of the pressing body 34. More specifically, a flat contact surface 46 is provided around the lower end opening of the undercut hole portion 32, and by screwing the male thread portion 26 into the female thread portion 20 on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer pipe 14 with the fastening screw portion 24 until the lower surface of the shank portion 36 contacts the annular surface of the pressing body 34, the pressing surface 54 is tightened and fixed to the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12 with the contact surface 46 in contact with the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer pipe 14. In this way, the inner and outer pipes 12, 14 are fixed and held at a predetermined fitting length via the fastening screw portion 24 and the pressing body 34.

[0026] The clamping screw portion 24 is configured to be able to press and fix the pressing portion 22 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and has a shank portion 36 and a male thread portion 26 extending downward from a lower surface 38 of the shank portion 36. The male thread portion 26 is able to threadably engage with the female thread portion 20, and the lower surface 38 has an annular surface 40 that surrounds the male thread portion 26. After adjusting the fitting position of the inner tube 12 relative to the outer tube 14, the male thread portion 26 is threadedly engaged with the female thread portion 20 by the clamping screw portion 24, while the pressing portion 22 is passed through the pair of through slits 18 to press and fix the pressing portion 22 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12. The clamping screw portion 24 has a head portion 58 at the end of the shank portion 36 opposite the end on the male thread portion side that can be held and rotated with fingers. The diameter of the head portion 58 is preferably as large as possible so that it can be rotated by pinching it with fingers with little force, and from the standpoint of preventing slippage, it may be possible to provide multiple shallow grooves spaced apart around the circumference.

[0027] As shown in Figure 7, by threading the male thread portion 26 of the tightening screw portion 24 into the female thread portion 20 of the outer tube 14, the pressing end face 54 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 12 through the slit in the outer tube 14, and the inner tube 12 is moved until the diametrically opposite part of the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 12 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 14. As a result, the inner tube 12 is firmly fixed and supported to the outer tube 14 by support at three points: two pressing end faces 54 (C2) and one line contact (C1) extending in the longitudinal direction of the tube. In this case, by threading the male thread portion 26 into the female thread portion 20, the lower surface 38 of the shank portion 36 and the upper surface 44 of the protrusion 42 of the pressing body 34 come into contact, and the fastening screw portion 24 and the pressing body 34 are integrally pressed and fixed against the inner tube 12 and screwed and fixed against the outer tube 14. Therefore, the height H of the U-shape of the pressing portion 22 needs to be greater than the thickness of the outer tube 14 plus the clearance d between the inner and outer tubes 14. When a heavy object is fixed and supported at a predetermined height by the inner and outer tubes 14 extending in the vertical direction, a greater fixing and support effect is achieved when the pair of pressing bodies 34 of the pressing section 22 are spaced apart in the extension direction of the inner and outer tubes 12, 14 than when they are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the inner and outer tubes 12, 14. When the area of ​​the pressing end face 54 of the pressing body 34 is constant, the frictional force between the pressing end face 54 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 12, which is based on the clamping force of the clamping screw section 24, is important for fixing and support, so a larger clamping force per unit area is preferable. In this sense, too, it is advisable to provide multiple pressing end faces 54.

[0028] With regard to the use of the length adjustment jig 10, the pair of through slits 18 are provided at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the inner and outer tubes 12, 14 and extend circumferentially of the inner and outer tubes 12, 14, respectively, the inner and outer tubes 12, 14 are oriented vertically, and a heavy object is supported at a predetermined height by either the inner or outer tube 12, 14. In particular, when the length adjustment jig 10 is used to adjust the fitting length of the vertically extending inner and outer tubes 12, 14 to fix and hold a heavy object at a predetermined height, from the viewpoint of supporting the weight of the heavy object by the frictional force between the pressing surface of the pressing portion 22 and the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, the greater the resistance of the pressing surface of the pressing portion 22 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, i.e., the greater the tightening force of the fastening screw portion 24, and therefore strength sufficient to withstand such a large tightening force is required. Therefore, the pressing portion 22, the fastening screw portion 24, and the inner and outer tubes 12, 14 constituting the length adjustment jig 10 are preferably made of metal. The length adjustment jig 10 may also be used in stands that support everyday items at a predetermined height, or in vehicles that support saddles at a predetermined height. As shown in Figure 19, a pair of inner and outer tubes 12, 14 that fit together using the length adjustment jig are provided, extending parallel to each other at a predetermined distance and diagonally upward, the lower parts of the outer tubes 14 of the pair of inner and outer tubes 12, 14 being connected by members Y3 and Y5, a steelpan (musical instrument) to be supported at a predetermined height is placed between the upper parts of the inner tubes 12 of the pair of inner and outer tubes 12, 14, and members Y1 and Y2 are connected to the lower parts of each of the outer tubes 14 of the pair of inner and outer tubes 12, 14 so as to provide support for each of the pair of inner and outer tubes 12, 14 that are suspended diagonally from the upper ends of the inner tubes 12 and extend diagonally upward, thereby supporting the steelpan (musical instrument) at four points. In this case, the length adjustment jig is used to adjust the fitting lengths of the pair of inner and outer tubes 12, 14 so that they are the same, allowing the steelpan (musical instrument) to be supported and fixed horizontally at the desired height. Also, as shown in Figure 20, when used as a microphone stand, the entire outer tube fits onto the outer peripheral surface of a diagonal bar which fixes a microphone to one end and adjusts its height, and by using the length adjustment jig 10 with respect to this fitting position, it is possible to easily adjust not only the height but also the horizontal position of the microphone.

[0029] Alternatively, the length adjustment jig 10 may be made of resin to ensure light weight. In particular, it is preferable to ensure a sufficient thickness in order to ensure the strength around the pair of slits and female threaded portion 20. In this case, the pair of through slits 18 are preferably spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the inner and outer tubes 12 and 14. The length adjustment jig 10 is used, for example, in a clothes drying pole for adjusting the overall length of the inner and outer tubes 12 and 14. In the case of a clothes drying pole, the overall length of the clothes drying pole, consisting of the inner and outer tubes 12 and 14, can be adjusted according to the number of laundry items to be dried by simply adjusting the engagement length of the inner and outer tubes 12 and 14 using the length adjustment jig 10.

[0030] According to the length adjusting jig having the above-mentioned configuration, the female screw portion 20, at least one through slit 18 within a predetermined range from the female screw portion 20, at least one pressing portion 22 that passes through the through slit 18 from the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 and contacts the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and a fastening screw portion 24 that can press and fix the pressing portion 22 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, are respectively provided on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14. When adjusting the length of the mating portion of the inner and outer tubes 12, 14 that are fitted together, the tip surface of the pressing portion 22 is shaped to follow the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12 so that it can come into surface contact with the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, thereby After adjusting the fitting position of the inner tube 12 relative to the outer tube 14, the clamping screw portion 24 is rotated to thread the male thread portion 26 into the female thread portion 20 provided on the outer surface 16 of the outer tube 14, without providing a pressing portion storage space that has an opening facing the inner surface 17 of the outer tube 14 and protrudes outside the outer tube 14.The clamping screw portion is then screwed in, causing the pressing portion 22 within a predetermined range from the female thread portion 20 to pass through the through slit 18, and the tip surface can be pressed and fixed in place in surface contact against the outer surface 15 of the inner tube 12.This simple structure allows the overall length of the inner tube 12 and outer tube 14 to be adjusted so that it can be fixed and held in place by simple operation without requiring excessive clamping force. It has been described that the inner and outer pipes 12, 14 have circular cross sections, and that the pressing surface 54 of the pressing body 34 has an arc-shaped cross section the same as the diameter of the inner pipe 12 so that it adheres closely to the outer surface of the inner pipe 12, and that if the diameters of the inner and outer pipes 12, 14 are different, a pressing body 34 having a pressing surface 54 corresponding to the diameter is prepared.However, this is not limited to this, and if the inner and outer pipes 12, 14 have an equal, flat rectangular cross section, the pressing surface 54 of the pressing body 34 may have a flat cross section so that it adheres closely to the outer surface of the inner pipe 12, and this can be used for inner and outer pipes 12, 14 having various rectangular cross sections.

[0031] A method for adjusting the lengths of the inner and outer pipes 12, 14, particularly for existing inner and outer pipes 12, 14 that fit together, will be described below. The method comprises the steps of drilling a pair of spaced-apart through slits 18 and a female screw portion 20 between the pair of through slits 18 in the outer peripheral surface 16 at one end of the outer pipe 14; and preparing a pressing portion 22 that is positioned on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer pipe 14, passes through the pair of through slits 18, and abuts against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12, and has a male screw portion 26 that can be screwed onto the female screw portion 20, and can be used to press and fix the pressing portion 22 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12. After adjusting the fitting position of the inner pipe 12 relative to the outer pipe 14, the male threaded portion 26 is threaded into the female threaded portion 20 using the tightening screw portion 24, and the pressing portion 22 is passed through the pair of through slits 18 to be pressed and fixed against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12. According to the above method, in the existing inner and outer pipes 12, 14, by drilling a hole in one end of the outer pipe 14, it is possible to generally adjust the overall length of the inner pipe 12 and the outer pipe 14 for the existing fitting structure between the inner pipe 12 and the outer pipe 14.

[0032] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, components similar to those in the first embodiment are designated by similar reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. Below, the characteristic features of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 8 to 10. The second embodiment of the present invention is characterized by a tubular base portion 30 provided on the outer tube 14, and is a length adjustment jig 10 interposed between the inner tube 12 and outer tube 14 that are fitted together, and has a pressing portion 22 that passes through a pair of through slits 18 and abuts against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and a tightening screw portion 24 that can press and fix the pressing portion 22 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and the tightening screw portion 24 has a male thread portion 26 that can be threaded into the female thread portion 20, which is common to the first embodiment. However, while in the first embodiment a pair of through slits 18 was provided on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 and the female thread portion 20 was provided between the pair of through slits 18, in this embodiment a tubular base portion 30 is provided that is attached and fixed to one end of the outer tube 14, and a pair of through slits 18 spaced apart from each other are provided on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the tubular base portion 30, and the female thread portion 20 is provided between the pair of through slits 18.

[0033] More specifically, the tubular base portion 30 has a hollow cylindrical shape, one end of which can be fitted onto one end 28 of the outer tube 14, and the inner tube 12 is inserted into the other end with a predetermined clearance from the outer peripheral surface 16 of the tubular base portion 30. With the above configuration, after adjusting the fitting position of the inner tube 12 relative to the tubular base portion 30, the male threaded portion 26 is threaded into the female threaded portion 20 by the tightening screw portion 24, and the pressing portion 22 is passed through the pair of through slits 18 to press and fix the tubular base portion 30 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12. Note that the tubular base portion 30 can be attached and fixed to the one end of the outer tube 14 by, for example, screw fixing or interference fit, as long as it is firmly fixed to the outer tube 14. For existing inner and outer tubes 12, 14, a pressing portion 22 and a tightening screw portion 24 that can press and fix the pressing portion 22 toward the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, as well as a tubular base portion 30 that has a pair of through slits 18 and a female screw portion 20 between the pair of through slits 18 on the outer peripheral surface 16, make it possible to adjust the fitting length of the inner and outer tubes 12, 14.

[0034] A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, components similar to those in the first embodiment are designated by similar reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. Below, the characteristic features of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 11 . The third embodiment of the present invention is characterized by a tubular protrusion 65 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube 14. The length adjustment jig 10 is interposed between the inner tube 12 and outer tube 14, which are fitted together, and has a pressing portion 22 that passes through a pair of through slits 18 and comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and a tightening screw portion 24 that can press and fix the pressing portion 22 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12. The tightening screw portion 24 is similar to the first embodiment in that it has a male thread portion 26 that can be threaded into the female thread portion 20. However, while in the first embodiment the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 has a pair of through slits 18 and the female thread portion 20 between them, in this embodiment, a tubular protrusion 65 is provided at a position corresponding to the female thread portion 20, facing outward and perpendicular to the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14. More specifically, the tubular protrusion 65 has a circular annular cross section with a predetermined height h. The tubular protrusion 65 has a female thread 20 formed therein so as to align with the female thread 20, and the male thread 26 of the fastening screw portion 24 can be threaded thereon. The tubular protrusion 65 may be fixed to the outer peripheral surface 16 separately from the outer pipe 14, for example, by welding. The outer shape of the tubular protrusion 65 does not need to be cylindrical; any shape may be used as long as the female thread 20 is formed therein so as to align with the female thread 20. This embodiment is effective when the outer pipe 14 is thin and the threading length of the male thread 26 cannot be sufficiently secured, and the predetermined height h may be determined from this perspective. Similar to the first embodiment, the length of the male thread 26 is set so that the tip of the male thread 26 does not come into contact with the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12 when the pressing portion 22 is pressed against and fixed to the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12. As a variant, conversely, when the thickness of the outer tube 14 is large, the outer surface 16 of the outer tube 14 may be ground inward around the female thread portion 20 between the pair of through slits 18 on the outer surface 16 of the outer tube 14 to form a shallow groove portion (not shown) having a bottom surface, and a through hole having the female thread portion 20 on the bottom surface may be provided.The depth of the shallow groove portion, i.e., the depth to which the outer peripheral surface 16 is ground, can be set appropriately depending on the thickness of the outer tube 14 and / or the length of the male thread portion 26, thereby ensuring versatility regardless of the conditions of the inner and outer tubes 12, 14 and the tightening thread portion 24.

[0035] A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, components similar to those in the first embodiment are designated by similar reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. Below, the characteristic features of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. The fourth embodiment of the present invention is characterized by the tightening screw portion 24. The length adjustment jig 10 is interposed between the inner tube 12 and outer tube 14, which are fitted together, and has a pressing portion 22 that passes through a pair of through slits 18 and abuts against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and a tightening screw portion 24 that can press and fix the pressing portion 22 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, which is similar to the first embodiment. However, while in the first embodiment the tightening screw portion 24 has a male thread portion 26, and the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 has a pair of through slits 18 and a female thread portion 20 between the pair of through slits 18, in this embodiment, on the other hand, the tightening screw portion 24 has a nut portion 70 with a female thread portion 72, and the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 has a male thread portion 74. More specifically, the nut portion 70 has a female thread portion 72 that penetrates its center and can be threaded onto the male thread portion 74, and a shallow groove is provided on the outer peripheral surface to prevent slippage when tightening by hand. Meanwhile, a male thread portion 74 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 at the position of the female thread portion 20, facing outward perpendicular to the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14, and the female thread portion 20 is omitted. The male thread portion 74 may be fixed to the outer peripheral surface 16, for example, by welding. According to this embodiment, when the nut portion 70 is loosened, the presser body 34 itself remains inserted into the male thread portion 74 via the clearance hole 32. This prevents the presser body 34 from accidentally coming loose and falling apart when the tightening screw portion 24 is loosened, as in the first embodiment.

[0036] A fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, components similar to those of the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and will not be described again. Below, the features of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 14 . The fifth embodiment of the present invention is characterized by a coil spring 76 provided between the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 and the pressing portion 22. The length adjustment jig 10 is interposed between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 that are fitted together, and includes the pressing portion 22 that passes through a pair of through slits 18 and abuts against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and a fastening screw portion 24 that can press and fix the pressing portion 22 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12. The fastening screw portion 24 has a male thread portion 26 that can be threaded into the female thread portion 20. This is common to the first embodiment, but the first embodiment does not include such a coil spring 76. More specifically, a coil spring 76 having a diameter larger than that of the female threaded portion 20 is provided, and is insertable into the male threaded portion 26 of the clamping screw portion 24 through the clearance hole 32 of the pressing portion 22, and the number of coil turns may be set appropriately depending on the height of the U-shape of the pressing portion 22. According to this embodiment, when the male threaded portion 26 of the clamping screw portion 24 is threaded into the female threaded portion 20, the pressing portion 22 is supported by the upper surface of the coil spring 76, so that the pressing end surface 54 protrudes from the corresponding through slit 18 toward the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and this prevents the inner tube 12 from interfering with the movement of the inner tube 12 relative to the outer tube 14 in the extension direction of the tubes when adjusting the fitting position between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14. Furthermore, by increasing the biasing force of the coil spring 76, when the coil spring 76, which is provided between the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 and the pressing portion 22, is compressed, the pressing portion 22 is pressed upward toward the tightening screw portion 24, strengthening the threaded engagement between the male thread portion 26 and the female thread portion 20. For example, it is possible to prevent the tightening of the tightening screw portion 24 from loosening over time, causing the fixed support between the inner tube 12 and outer tube 14, which are fitted together, to become unstable.

[0037] A sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, components similar to those of the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and will not be described again. Below, the features of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 15 to 17. The sixth embodiment of the present invention is characterized by a protective plate 78 provided between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14. The length adjustment jig 10 is interposed between the mating inner tube 12 and outer tube 14 and has a pressing portion 22 that passes through a pair of through slits 18 and abuts against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and a fastening screw portion 24 that can press and fix the pressing portion 22 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12. The fastening screw portion 24 has a male thread portion 26 that can be threaded into the female thread portion 20. This is common to the first embodiment, but the first embodiment does not include such a protective plate 78. More specifically, the protective plate 78 has a width W that is longer than the length of the pair of through slits 18, and a length L that is longer than the distance between the pair of through slits 18 in the extension direction of the inner and outer tubes 14, and is made of a material that is softer than the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12. As shown in Figure 16, a shallow groove 80 of a size that allows the protective plate 78 to fit into is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 14, where the pair of through slits 18 are provided. When the protective plate 78 is fitted into the shallow groove 80, it protrudes slightly inward from the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 14. Therefore, when the fastening screw portion 24 is tightened and the pressing portion 22 is pressed and fixed against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, the protective plate 78 is also crushed, and the pressing end face 54 comes into direct contact with the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, making it possible to prevent the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12 from being scratched or dented. Note that by making the protective plate 78 out of rubber with a high coefficient of friction, it is possible to ensure the frictional force between the protective plate 78 and the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12, thereby further strengthening the fixed support between the inner pipe 12 and the outer pipe 14. Note that Fig. 17 shows a modified example in which a pair of protective plates 82 are provided, each of which is fitted into the corresponding through slit 18. When the pressing portion 22 is pressed and fixed against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12, each protective plate 82 is also crushed, preventing the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12 from being scratched or dented, and ensuring the frictional force between the protective plate 82 and the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner pipe 12. However, the shallow groove 80 provided in the inner peripheral surface of the outer pipe 14 can be omitted.

[0038] A seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, components similar to those of the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. Below, the characteristic features of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 18. The seventh embodiment of the present invention is characterized by the orientation of the pair of through slits 18 and the female thread portion 20 between the pair of through slits 18. The length adjustment jig 10 is interposed between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 that are fitted together, and has a pressing portion 22 that passes through the pair of through slits 18 and abuts against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and a tightening screw portion 24 that can press and fix the pressing portion 22 toward the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and the tightening screw portion 24 has a male screw portion 26 that can be screwed into the female thread portion 20, which is common to the first embodiment. However, in the first embodiment, the orientation of the pair of through slits 18 and the female thread portion 20 between the pair of through slits 18 provided on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 was along the extension direction of the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14, whereas in the present embodiment, the orientation of the pair of through slits 18 and the female thread portion 20 between the pair of through slits 18 is oblique to the extension direction of the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14, and accordingly, the orientation of the pressing body 34 provided via the pair of through slits 18 is oblique. According to this embodiment, in addition to fixing and supporting the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 in the extension direction of the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14, it is also effective in fixing and holding the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 against rotation around the extension direction of the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14. The oblique angle of the pair of through slits 18 and the female thread portion 20 between the pair of through slits 18 with respect to the extension direction of the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14 is preferably determined from this perspective.

[0039] An eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, components similar to those in the first embodiment are designated by similar reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. Below, the characteristic features of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 21 . The eighth embodiment of the present invention is characterized by a pressing body 34 provided on the outer tube 14. This length adjustment jig 10 is interposed between the inner tube 12 and outer tube 14 which are fitted together, and has a pressing portion 22 which passes through a through slit 18 and comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, and a tightening screw portion 24 which can press and fix the pressing portion 22 against the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12. This is common to the first embodiment in that the tightening screw portion 24 has a male thread portion 26 which can be threaded into the female thread portion 20. However, in the first embodiment, a pair of through slits 18 were provided in the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14, and accordingly the pressing body 34 had a clear hole portion 32 in the center and a pair of pressing surfaces 54, but in this embodiment, a single through slit 18 is provided, and accordingly a single pressing body 34 is provided.

[0040] More specifically, a solid pressing body 34 is provided that can fit into the single through slit 18, and the position of the single through slit 18 on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 is within the range of the diameter from the female thread portion 20 to the head portion 58 of the clamping screw portion 24. As a result, when the head portion 58 of the clamping screw portion 24 is rotated by hand and the male thread portion 26 is screwed into the female thread portion 20 toward the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, the lower surface of the head portion 58 comes into contact with the upper surface 40 of the pressing body 34, as in the first embodiment, and the pressing surface 54 of the pressing body 34 is shaped to fit along the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12 so as to be in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface 15 of the inner tube 12, as in the first embodiment. Compared to the first embodiment, this embodiment is more suitable for use in adjusting the overall length of the inner and outer pipes 12, 14, such as a clothesline pole, than for applying the length adjustment jig 10 to the inner and outer pipes 12, 14 in the vertical direction to support a heavy object at a predetermined height.

[0041] A ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, components similar to those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and will not be described again. Below, the features of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 22 . The eighth embodiment of the present invention is characterized by its use as a length adjustment jig 10, specifically, its use as a so-called earthquake-proof support. More specifically, the length adjustment jig 10 includes a ceiling-side fixing portion 90 provided on the upper end surface 98 of the inner tube 12 of the length adjustment jig 10 and a shelf-side fixing portion 84 provided on the lower end surface 96 of the outer tube 14 of the length adjustment jig 10 to prevent furniture, such as a shelf, from tipping over during an earthquake. The length adjustment jig 10 is interposed between the ceiling-side fixing portion 90 and the shelf-side fixing portion 84. The ceiling-side fixing portion 90 has an abutting surface 92 that can abut against the ceiling surface and a receiving portion 94 that can receive the upper end surface 98. The shelf-side fixing part 84 has abutment surfaces 89 that are perpendicular to each other and abutment surfaces 86 that can abut the top surface of the shelf so that it can be attached to the clearance between the wall and the shelf at the corner of walls that intersect perpendicularly, and a receiving part 88 that can receive a lower end surface 96. With this configuration, the fitting positions of the inner pipe 12 and the outer pipe 14 can be adjusted so that the abutment surface 92 of the ceiling-side fixing part 90 abuts the ceiling surface and the abutment surface 86 of the shelf-side fixing part 84 abuts the top surface of the shelf, and the overall lengths of the inner pipe 12 and the outer pipe 14 can then be adjusted, and the inner peripheral surface of the outer pipe 14 can be firmly fixed and supported to the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe 12 via the pressing part 22 using the tightening screw part 24. For example, by providing a plurality of such length adjustment jigs 10 between the ceiling and the shelf, it is possible to firmly fix the shelf to the ceiling.

[0042]

[0047] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the first embodiment, from the viewpoint of protecting the outer surface of the inner pipe 12, the tip of the male thread portion 26 of the fastening screw portion 24 passes through the female thread portion 20 of the outer pipe 14 or the tubular base portion so as not to come into contact with the outer surface of the inner pipe 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this. When the inner and outer pipes 12, 14 are made of metal, the tip of the male thread portion 26 of the fastening screw portion 24 comes into contact with the outer surface of the inner pipe 12 in addition to the pressing surface 54 of the pressing body 34, thereby more firmly fixing the outer pipe 14 to the inner pipe 12. This is effective for supporting a heavy object at a predetermined height by either the inner or outer pipe 12, 14, when the inner and outer pipes 12, 14 are oriented vertically. For example, in the third embodiment, a single through slit 18 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 within a predetermined distance from the female thread portion 20, but this is not limited to this. As in the second embodiment, a tubular base portion 30 may be provided that is attached and fixed to one end of the outer tube 14, and a single through slit 18 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the tubular base portion 30 within a predetermined distance from the female thread portion 20.

[0043] For example, in the first embodiment, it has been described that the clamping screw portion 16 has a male thread portion 26 and a head portion 58 that is gripped with fingers and rotated, while the female thread portion 20 is provided on the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14, but this is not limited to this, and the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 may be provided with a male thread portion 26, while the clamping screw portion 16 may be in the form of a nut that screws onto the male thread portion 26. For example, in the first embodiment, it has been described that a single length adjustment jig is provided at a predetermined position on the inner and outer tubes 12, 14, but this is not limited to this, and for example, when a pair of through slits 18 are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the inner and outer tubes 14, multiple pairs of such through slits 18 may be provided in the circumferential direction of the inner and outer tubes 12, 14, and multiple pressing portions 22 may be provided accordingly. In addition, the second to seventh embodiments may be combined in any manner. For example, if the outer tube 14 is thin and the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube 12 is slippery, a tubular protrusion 65 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube 14, and a protective plate 78 may be provided between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14. For example, if the inner and outer tubes need to be held fixed for a long period of time while suppressing relative rotation in the extension direction between them, a coil spring 76 may be provided between the outer peripheral surface 16 of the outer tube 14 and the pressing portion 22, and the direction of the pair of through slits 18 and the female screw portion 20 between the pair of through slits 18 may be oblique to the extension direction of the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 14.

[0044] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of an outer tube of a length adjustment jig according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a fastening screw portion of a length adjustment jig according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pressing body of a length adjustment jig according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a pressing body of a length adjustment jig according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of a length adjustment jig according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a length adjustment jig according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of a length adjustment jig according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 6 of a length adjustment jig according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to a modification of the sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to an embodiment of the present 10 is a perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to an embodiment of the present invention when used as a microphone stand. FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a length adjustment jig according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a length adjustment jig according to an embodiment of the present invention when used as an earthquake support.

[0045] D: Distance between pair of slits 10: Length adjusting jig 12: Inner tube 14: Outer tube 15: Outer peripheral surface 16: Outer peripheral surface 17: Inner peripheral surface 18: Through slit 20: Female thread portion 22: Pressing portion 24: Fastening screw portion 26: Male thread portion 28: One end portion 30: Tubular base portion 32: Clear hole portion 34: Pressing body 36: Shank portion 38: Underside surface 40: Annular surface 42: Projection portion 44: Upper surface 46: Contact surface 48: Central portion 50: End portion 54: Pressing surface 56: Inclined portion 58: Head portion 65: Tubular projection portion 70: Nut portion 72: Female thread portion 74: Male thread portion 76: Coil spring 78: Protective plate 80: Shallow groove 82: Elastic portion 84: Shelf-side fixing portion 86: Contact surface 88 Receiving portion 89 Abutting surface 90 Ceiling side fixing portion 92 Abutting surface 94 Receiving portion 96 Lower end surface 98 Upper end surface

Claims

1. A length adjustment jig interposed between an inner tube and an outer tube which are fitted together, the outer surface of the outer tube having a female thread and at least a through hole within a predetermined range from the female thread, at least one pressing portion which passes through the through hole from the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube and contacts the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, and a fastening screw portion capable of pressing and fixing the pressing portion against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, the tip surface of the pressing portion being shaped to follow the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube so as to be in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, the fastening screw portion having a male thread portion which can be screwed into the female thread portion, a fastening screw portion for fastening the male threaded portion to the female threaded portion, the male threaded portion being threadedly engaged with the female threaded portion by the fastening screw portion, the fastening screw portion being caused to pass through the through hole, and the tip surface being pressed and fixed in a surface contact manner against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube.

2. A length adjustment jig interposed between an inner tube and an outer tube which are fitted together, comprising: a tubular base portion which has on its outer surface a female thread portion and at least a through hole within a specified range from the female thread portion, and which is attached and fixed to the outer surface of one end of the outer tube; at least one pressing portion which passes from the outer surface of the tubular base portion through the through hole and abuts on the outer surface of the inner tube; and a tightening screw portion which can press and fix the pressing portion against the outer surface of the inner tube, wherein the tip surface of the pressing portion is shaped to conform to the outer surface of the inner tube so as to be in surface contact with the outer surface of the inner tube, and the tightening screw portion has a male thread portion which can be screwed into the female thread portion, and wherein after adjusting the fitting position of the inner tube relative to the tubular base portion, the male thread portion is screwed into the female thread portion by the tightening screw portion, while the pressing portion is caused to pass through the through hole, so that the tip surface is pressed and fixed in a surface contact manner against the outer surface of the inner tube.

3. A length adjustment jig as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a plurality of the through holes are provided at intervals from each other and a plurality of the pressing portions are provided accordingly, the fastening screw portion has a flange-like head portion fixed to one end of the male screw portion and rotatable by hand around the extension direction of the male screw portion, and the flange-like head portion has a size that enables it to be pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube by passing it through the corresponding through hole while simultaneously pressing the upper parts of the plurality of pressing portions with its underside by screwing the fastening screw portion.

4. A length adjustment jig as described in claim 3, wherein the pressing portion is solid and has an outer peripheral side surface that fits into the inner peripheral surface of each of the plurality of through holes, a lower end surface that can be pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, and an upper end surface opposite the lower end surface, and the tip surface is constituted by the lower end surface.

5. The length adjustment jig described in claim 3, characterized in that the multiple through holes are a pair of through slits spaced apart from each other, and the male screw portion is provided between the pair of through slits, and the male screw portion of the tightening screw portion is provided with a pressing body having a generally U-shaped vertical cross section and including a clearance hole portion penetrating in the thickness direction and two pressing portions extending in opposite directions from the clearance hole portion, and the pressing body is located above the outer tube or the tubular base portion, and the male screw portion passes through the clearance hole portion and is tightened against the female screw portion, thereby making it possible to fix the outer tube or the tubular base portion to the inner tube via the pressing portions.

6. A length adjustment jig as described in claim 5, wherein the fastening screw portion has a shank portion and the male thread portion extending downward from the underside of the shank portion, the underside forming an annular surface surrounding the male thread portion, the pressing body having a protrusion on its upper surface which is provided with the clearance hole, and by screwing the male thread portion into the female thread portion, the underside of the shank portion and the upper surface of the protrusion of the pressing body come into contact, whereby the fastening screw portion and the pressing body are integrally pressed and fixed against the inner tube and screwed into the outer tube.

7. A length adjustment jig as described in claim 6, wherein a contact surface capable of contacting the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube or the tubular base portion is provided on the back surface of the central portion of the pressing body.

8. A length adjustment jig as described in claim 6, wherein the pressing body has a central portion in which the clearance hole is provided, and each of the pair of pressing portions has a leg portion extending downward from a corresponding end portion of the central portion, and a pressing surface is provided at the lower end of the leg portion.

9. A length adjustment jig as described in claim 6, wherein the pressing body has a central portion in which the clearance hole portion is provided, and each of the pair of pressing portions has an inclined portion extending downward from the entire corresponding end portion of the central portion, and each of the pair of pressing portions extends from the entire lower end of the inclined portion and has a pressing surface provided on its lower surface.

10. A length adjustment jig as described in claim 6, wherein the tightening screw portion has a head portion at the end of the shank portion opposite the end of the male screw portion that can be held and turned with fingers.

11. A length adjustment jig as described in claim 2, wherein the tubular base portion is a hollow cylinder whose one end can be fitted onto one end of the outer tube, and the inner tube is inserted into the other end with a predetermined clearance between the outer peripheral surface of the tubular base portion.

12. A length adjustment jig as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the length adjustment jig is made of resin, and the pair of through slits are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other in the circumferential direction of the inner and outer tubes, and extend in the longitudinal direction of the inner and outer tubes, respectively.

13. A length adjustment jig as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the length adjustment jig is made of metal, the pair of through slits are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other in the longitudinal direction of the inner and outer tubes and extend circumferentially of the inner and outer tubes, the inner and outer tubes are oriented vertically, and a heavy object is supported at a predetermined height by either the inner or outer tube.

14. A method for adjusting the lengths of existing inner and outer tubes that fit together, comprising the steps of drilling at least one through hole and a female threaded portion within a predetermined range of the at least one through hole in the outer peripheral surface of one end of the outer tube, and preparing a pressing portion that is positioned on the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube, passing through the through hole and abutting the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, and a tightening screw portion that has a male threaded portion that can be screwed into the female threaded portion and can press and fix the pressing portion against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, adjusting the fitting position of the inner tube relative to the outer tube, and then threading the male threaded portion into the female threaded portion with the tightening screw portion, while causing the pressing portion to pass through the through hole and press and fix it against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube.

15. A method for adjusting the length of inner and outer tubes as described in claim 14, wherein the at least one through hole is a pair of through slits spaced apart from each other, a pair of pressing portions are provided accordingly, the fastening screw portion has a head portion whose lower surface is capable of abutting against the upper surface of each of the pressing portions, the tip surface of each of the pressing portions is shaped to conform to the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube so as to be able to make surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, and the step of pressing and fixing each of the tip surfaces to the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube in a surface contact manner is performed by using the fastening screw portion to screw the male threaded portion into the female threaded portion while the lower surface of the head portion presses each of the upper surfaces against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube.

16. A fixing support jig that is interposed between an inner tube and an outer tube that both extend in the vertical direction and fit together, and that supports and fixes a heavy object at a predetermined height, the outer surface of the outer tube is provided with a female screw portion and a pair of through slits that are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and sandwich the female screw portion, the outer surface of the outer tube has at least one pressing portion that passes through the through slit from the outer peripheral surface of the outer tube and contacts the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, and a tightening screw portion that can press and fix the pressing portion against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, the tightening screw portion has a male screw portion that can be screwed into the female screw portion, the pressing portion has a substantially U-shaped vertical section, and has a pair of pressing bodies that are spaced apart from each other and can be pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube by surface contact at two points when the tightening screw portion is tightened, and each of the pair of pressing bodies has a pressing end surface that can be pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, When a heavy object is supported by either the inner or outer tube, the fitting position of the inner tube relative to the outer tube is adjusted in accordance with the specified height of the heavy object, and then, without providing a space for accommodating a pressing portion that has an opening facing the inner surface of the outer tube and protrudes outside the outer tube, the male threaded portion is screwed into the female threaded portion by the tightening screw portion, the pressing portion is passed through the through slit, and the pressing end surface is brought into surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, and the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube opposite the surface contact portion of the pressing end surface with the inner tube is pressed and fixed against the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube.

17. A fixing support jig that is interposed between an inner tube and an outer tube that fit together and that fixes and supports a heavy object at a predetermined height, comprising: a tubular base portion that is attached and fixed to the outer circumferential surface of one end of the outer tube and has a female thread portion and at least a through hole within a predetermined range from the female thread portion on its outer circumferential surface; and a fastening screw portion that can fasten the pressing portion against the outer circumferential surface of the inner tube, at least one pressing portion that passes through the through hole from the outer circumferential surface of the tubular base portion and abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the inner tube, the pressing portion has a pressing end surface that can be pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the inner tube by surface contact, and the fastening screw portion has a male thread portion that can be screwed into the female thread portion, a fastening support jig for fastening a pressing end surface against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube in a surface contact manner, the fastening screw portion is used to screw the male threaded portion into the female threaded portion while the fastening screw portion is used to pass the pressing portion through the through hole without providing a pressing portion storage space that has an opening facing the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube and protrudes outside the tubular base portion after adjusting the fitting position of the inner tube relative to the tubular base portion.

18. A fixed support jig as described in claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the pressing end surface has a hardness sufficient to prevent it from deforming when pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the inner tube, and the pressing end surface is formed so as to conform to the outer circumferential surface of the inner tube.

19. A fixing support jig as described in claim 18, wherein the inner tube and the outer tube are each cylindrical, and the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube is pressed and fixed against the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube by pressing and fixing the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube opposite the portion pressed and fixed by the pressing end face against the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube in a vertical line contact manner, and the outer tube is fixed and supported against the inner tube by support at three points.

20. A fixing support jig as described in claim 16, wherein the fastening screw portion has a shank portion and the male thread portion extending downward from the underside of the shank portion, the underside forming an annular surface surrounding the male thread portion, the pressing body having a protrusion on its upper surface which is provided with a clearance hole, and the male thread portion is screwed into the female thread portion through the clearance hole, thereby causing the underside of the shank portion to come into contact with the upper surface of the protrusion of the pressing body, whereby the fastening screw portion and the pressing body are integrally pressed and fixed against the inner tube and screwed into the outer tube.

21. A fixing support jig as described in claim 20, wherein the tightening screw portion has a head portion at the end of the shank portion opposite the end of the male screw portion that can be held with fingers and rotated.

22. A fixed support jig as described in claim 16, wherein the fixed support jig is made of metal, the pair of through slits are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other in the longitudinal direction of the inner and outer tubes and extend circumferentially of the inner and outer tubes, and a heavy object is supported at a predetermined height by either the inner or outer tube.

23. In an existing inner and outer pipes that fit together, a step is included in which at least one through hole and a female thread within a predetermined range of the at least one through hole are drilled in the outer peripheral surface of one end of the outer pipe, and a pressing part is positioned on the outer peripheral surface of the outer pipe, passes through the through hole, and has a pressing end surface capable of being pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe by surface contact, and a fastening screw part has a male thread part that can be screwed into the female thread part and can press and fix the pressing part against the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe, the pressing end surface has a hardness such that it is not deformed by being pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe, and is formed to fit along the outer peripheral surface of the inner pipe, the at least one through hole is a pair of through slits spaced apart from each other, and the pressing parts are provided in a pair accordingly, and the fastening screw part has a head part whose lower surface can abut against the upper surface of each of the pressing parts, a fastening screw portion for fastening the male threaded portion to the female threaded portion by means of the tightening screw portion, while the lower surface of the head portion presses each of the upper surfaces of the pressing portions toward the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, while the pressing end faces are pressed and fixed in a surface-contact manner against the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube, and the outer peripheral surface of the inner tube opposite to the surface contact portion of the pressing end faces with the inner tube is pressed and fixed against the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube, thereby fixing and supporting the heavy object at a predetermined height.

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