Patent Application
20250001563
The present invention relates to a hand tool and, more particularly, to an engaging structure for a hand tool.
A conventional socket structure was disclosed in the U.S. Publication No. 2007/0125204, and comprises a socket 20 having an engaging hole 22, six grooves 23, and six stops ribs 24.
However, such a conventional socket structure has the following disadvantages.
1. When the stops ribs 24 protrude in the engaging hole 22 to an extent, the socket 20 needs to have a determined thickness to keep the rotation force, so that the outer diameter of the socket 20 is increased due to projection of the stops ribs 24.
2. Each of the stops ribs 24 has a sharp pointed shape so that the rotation torque is not large enough. Thus, the screw head 40 is easily worn out or chamfered by the stops ribs 24 during a period of time.
3. When the socket 20 is used to rotate the screw head 40, the stops ribs 24 engage the screw head 40 successively and easily cause a serration on the screw head 40.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an engaging structure for a hand tool, comprising a main body. The main body is provided with a mounting element. The mounting element includes six drive portions, six receiving portions, two first arcuate faces, a second arcuate face, a first radius, a second radius, a first distance, and a second distance. Each of the six receiving portions has an arcuate concave shape. Each of the six receiving portions is arranged between one of the two first arcuate faces of one of the six drive portions and one of the two first arcuate faces of another one of the six drive portions. Each of the six receiving portions forms a first circle and a third radius. The mounting element has a center. The center forms a second circle. The second circle forms a first hexagon having six sides. The center is provided with a vertical line. The center is served as an axis defining a second hexagon. The second hexagon is less than the first hexagon. Each of the six angled corners is situated at a center of the first circle of one of the six receiving portions.
According to the primary advantages of the present invention, the second arcuate face slightly protrudes from each of the two first arcuate faces, so that the first distance is defined between the second arcuate face and each of the two first arcuate faces. The mounting element is provided with the six receiving portions. Each of the six receiving portions has the first circle which is not tangent to each of the two first arcuate faces. The second arcuate face is convex slightly, and each of the six receiving portions is concave slightly. Thus, the mounting element will not wear the six corners of the screw member easily by provision of the second arcuate face and each of the six receiving portions. The first distance is less than 0.5 mm so that the outer diameter of the main body is slightly increased by provision of the second arcuate face. Thus, the outer diameter of the main body and the mounting element will not wear the six corners of the screw member. In addition, each of the six angled corners of the second hexagon is situated at a center of the first circle of one of the six receiving portions so that the six circular corners of the star-shaped screw member are received in the six receiving portions respectively. Thus, the mounting element of the main body is used to drive the star-shaped screw member exactly.
Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to the drawings and initially to
Each of the six drive portions 12 has an arcuate convex shape. Each of the six drive portions 12 includes two first arcuate faces 121 and a second arcuate face 122. The second arcuate face 122 is situated at a center of each of the six drive portions 12. The second arcuate face 122 is located between the two first arcuate faces 121. The second arcuate face 122 is more projected than each of the two first arcuate faces 121. The two first arcuate faces 121 are spaced by the second arcuate face 122.
Each of the two first arcuate faces 121 has a first radius 123. The second arcuate face 122 has a second radius 124. The first radius 123 is more than the second radius 124. The ratio between the first radius 123 and the second radius 124 is more than three (3:1) or more than two (2:1). Each of the two first arcuate faces 121 is tangent to a first horizontal line. The second arcuate face 122 is tangent to a second horizontal line. A first distance 125 is defined between the first horizontal line and the second horizontal line. The first distance 125 is less than 0.7 mm or 0.6 mm or 0.5 mm. A second distance 126 is defined between two ends of the second arcuate face 122.
Each of the six receiving portions 13 has an arcuate concave shape. Each of the six receiving portions 13 is arranged between one of the two first arcuate faces 121 of one of the six drive portions 12 and one of the two first arcuate faces 121 of another one of the six drive portions 12. Each of the six receiving portions 13 forms a first circle 131. The first circle 131 is not tangent to each of the two first arcuate faces 121. The first circle 131 has a third radius 132. The third radius 132 is less than the first radius 123. The third radius 132 is less than the second radius 124. Each of the six receiving portions 13 is a single arc.
The mounting element 11 has a center 14. The center 14 forms a second circle 141. The second circle 141 forms a first hexagon 142 having six sides. The second arcuate face 122 of each of the six drive portions 12 is tangent to one of the six sides of the first hexagon 142 of the second circle 141. The center 14 is provided with a vertical line 143. The vertical line 143 passes through the most protruding position of the second arcuate face 122. The vertical line 143 passes through a center of each of the two first arcuate faces 121 and a center of the second arcuate face 122.
A third distance 144 is defined between any two opposite sides of the first hexagon 142. Each of the six sides of the first hexagon 142 has a length defining a fourth distance 145. The fourth distance 145 is three times to five times of the second distance 126. The fourth distance 145 is optimally 3.7 times to 4.3 times of the second distance 126.
The center 14 is served as an axis defining a second hexagon 146. The second hexagon 146 is less than the first hexagon 142. The second hexagon 146 has six sides parallel with the six sides of the first hexagon 142. The second hexagon 146 has six angled corners 147. Each of the six angled corners 147 is situated at a center of the first circle 131 of one of the six receiving portions 13. Each of the six angled corners 147 is served as a center of the third radius 132.
The six receiving portions 13, the second hexagon 146, and the angled corners 147 are similar to a star-shaped structure disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,667.
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In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a chamfered structure is defined in a connection of each of the six receiving portions 13 and one of the two first arcuate faces 121. Thus, each of the six receiving portions 13 is connected to one of the two first arcuate faces 121 smoothly.
Accordingly, the engaging structure for a hand tool has the following advantages.
1. Each of the six drive portions 12 includes two first arcuate faces 121 and a second arcuate face 122. The second arcuate face 122 slightly protrudes from each of the two first arcuate faces 121, so that the first distance 125 is defined between the second arcuate face 122 and each of the two first arcuate faces 121. When the main body 10 is rotated to drive the screw member 20, the second arcuate face 122 of each of the six drive portions 12 rests on each of the six sides of the screw member 20, so that one of the two first arcuate faces 121 does not rest on one of the six sides of the screw member 20, and the other one of the two first arcuate faces 121 is also spaced from one of the six sides of the screw member 20. At this time, the six corners of the screw member 20 are received in the six receiving portions 13 respectively, to prevent the six corners of the screw member 20 from being worn by the six receiving portions 13.
2. The second arcuate face 122 slightly protrudes from each of the two first arcuate faces 121, so that the first distance 125 is less than 0.5 mm. Thus, the diameter of the main body 10 is slightly increased by provision of the second arcuate face 122.
3. Each of the six receiving portions 13 has an arcuate concave shape. Each of the six receiving portions 13 is arranged between one of the two first arcuate faces 121 of one of the six drive portions 12 and one of the two first arcuate faces 121 of another one of the six drive portions 12. Each of the six receiving portions 13 has an interior forming a first circle 131. The first circle 131 is not tangent to each of the two first arcuate faces 121. When the main body 10 is rotated to drive the screw member 20, the six corners of the screw member 20 are received in the six receiving portions 13 respectively, to prevent the six corners of the screw member 20 from being worn by the six receiving portions 13.
4. Each of the six receiving portions 13 has the first circle 131. Each of the six angled corners 147 of the second hexagon 146 is situated at a center of the first circle 131 of one of the six receiving portions 13. The six circular corners of the star-shaped screw member 30 are received in the six receiving portions 13 respectively. Thus, the mounting element 11 of the main body 10 is used to drive the star-shaped screw member 30 exactly.
5. The principle of the present invention is in that, the second arcuate face 122 slightly protrudes from each of the two first arcuate faces 121, so that the first distance 125 is defined between the second arcuate face 122 and each of the two first arcuate faces 121. The mounting element 11 is provided with the six receiving portions 13. Each of the six receiving portions 13 has the first circle 131 which is not tangent to each of the two first arcuate faces 121. The second arcuate face 122 is convex slightly, and each of the six receiving portions 13 is concave slightly. Thus, the mounting element 11 will not wear the six corners of the screw member 20 easily by provision of the second arcuate face 122 and each of the six receiving portions 13. The first distance 125 is less than 0.5 mm so that the outer diameter of the main body 10 is slightly increased by provision of the second arcuate face 122. Thus, the outer diameter of the main body 10 and the mounting element 11 will not wear the six corners of the screw member 20. In addition, each of the six angled corners 147 of the second hexagon 146 is situated at a center of the first circle 131 of one of the six receiving portions 13 so that the six circular corners of the star-shaped screw member 30 are received in the six receiving portions 13 respectively. Thus, the mounting element 11 of the main body 10 is used to drive the star-shaped screw member 30 exactly.
6. The second arcuate face 122 has a convex shape and will not cause a serrated or biting mark on the screw member 20.
7. Referring to
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the scope of the invention.
