Patent Application
20100050829
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool assembly, and more particularly to a tool assembly with a changeable tool head.
2. Description of Related Art
With reference to
However, the wrench heads (64,642) of the conventional wrench (60) have fixed sizes, so the conventional wrench (60) can only be applied to a fastener with a specific size. Therefore, the conventional wrench (60) is not versatile in use. In addition, a user has to prepare multiple wrenches (60) with wrench heads (64,642) in different types or sizes for different needs, to carry multiple wrenches (60) is inconvenient and laborious.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide a tool assembly to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.
The main objective of the invention is to provide a tool assembly with a changeable tool head to make the tool assembly convenient and versatile in use. The tool assembly comprises a grip, a core, a holding device and a tool head. The core is metal and solid, is mounted in the grip and has a first end and a second end protruding respectively from two ends of the grip. The holding device is mounted on the first end of the core and comprises a recess, a holding ball, a holding sleeve and a spring. The recess is non-circular and is defined in the first end of the core. The holding ball is retractably mounted in the first end of the core and protrudes into the recess. The holding sleeve is slidably mounted around the first end of the core to push the holding ball partially protruding into and allow the holding ball to retract from the recess. The spring is held in the holding sleeve and is mounted around the first end of the core to provide a force to the holding sleeve. The tool head is detachably mounted on the first end of the core by the holding device and has a connecting stub. The connecting tube has a non-circular cross section corresponding to the non-circular recess and an engaging recess defined around the connecting stub and detachably engaging the holding ball.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
With reference to
The holding device (30) is mounted on the first end (21) of the core (20) and comprises a recess (32), a holding ball (34), a holding sleeve (36) and a spring (38). The recess (32) is non-circular, preferably hexagonal and is defined in the first end (21) of the core (20).
The holding ball (34) is retractably mounted in the first end (21) of the core (20) and protrudes into the recess (32).
The holding sleeve (36) is slidably mounted around the first end (21) of the core (20) to push the holding ball (34) partially protruding into and allow the holding ball (34) to retract from the recess (32). The holding sleeve (36) has an inner surface and an annular abutting flange (362) formed on the inner surface. An annular groove (364) is defined in the inner surface of the holding sleeve (36) below the abutting flange (362). When the holding sleeve (36) is slid to make the annular groove (364) aligning with the holding ball (34), the holding sleeve (36) can provide a space to holding ball (34) to retract from the recess (32).
The spring (38) is held in the holding sleeve (36) and is mounted around the first end (21) of the core (20). The spring (38) provides a force to the holding sleeve (36) to make the abutting flange (362) abutting against the holding ball (34) and to push the holding ball (34) to protrude into the recess (32).
The tool head is detachably mounted on the first end (21) of the core (20) by the holding device (30) and may be a wrench head such as a socket wrench head (40) as shown in
The tool head has a connecting stub (42) that has a non-circular cross section corresponding to the non-circular recess (32). Preferably, the connecting stub (42) has a hexagonal cross section. An annular engaging recess (422) is defined around the connecting stub (42) and detachably engages the holding ball (34). With the engagement between the engaging recess (422) and the holding ball (34), the wrench head (40,40A,40B,40C) is securely connected to the first end (21) of the core (20).
With such an arrangement, the tool assembly can be applied to fasten or release a fastener with the wrench head (40,40A,40B,40C). With the solid core (20), the tool assembly has an enough structural strength to bear the torque applied to the fastener, so the tool assembly is durable.
When the holding sleeve (36) is slid to a position where the annular groove (364) aligns with the holding ball (34), the holding ball (34) can retract from the recess (32) and disengages from the engaging recess (422) in the connecting stub (42). Consequently, the tool head can be detached from the first end (21) of the core (20).
Because the tool head is detachably mounted on the core (20) with the holding device (30), another tool head with different type or size can be attached to the core (20) after a previous one being detached from the core (20). Accordingly, the tool assembly can fit with different work conditions with multiple tool heads in different types or sizes and is convenient and versatile in use.
With reference to
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
