Patent Application
20070240545
The present invention relates to a positioning device for secure a retractable handle of a hand tool.
A conventional hand tool includes a handle and a function head which is connected to one end of the handle and the other end of the handle has a grip so that the user holds the grip and rotates the handle to output a torque to the object to be tightened or loosened. The length of the handle relates the force that applied to the object so that a retractable handle is developed. The conventional retractable handle usually includes an inner tube and an outer tube, a positioning device is used to position the inner tube relative to the outer tube. The conventional positioning device includes a bead biased by a spring and the outer tube includes a plurality of positioning holes so that the bead is engaged with one of the positioning holes to position the inner tube relative to the outer tube. However, the bead cannot bear large force so that the bead slips out from hole often. Sometimes, the positioning hole is deformed by the bead.
The present invention intends to provide a positioning device for a retractable handle for a hand tool and includes a positioning collar which is retained in a sleeve and includes a positioning portion which is engaged with one of the slots in the shank.
The present invention relates to a hand tool which comprises a function head connected to an end of a shank and an end section has a longitudinal passage defined therethrough in which the shank is inserted. A plurality of positioning slots are defined in an outer surface of the shank. A positioning collar is located between the shank and the end section 6, the positioning collar 3 being deformable radially inward and has a positioning portion which is engaged with one of the positioning slots in the shank. A biasing member biases the positioning collar toward the positioning slots.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a positioning device for securely positioning the shank relative to the end section so that the positioning device is reliable when outputting a large torque.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the hand tool of the present invention comprises a function head 11 connected to an end of a shank 1 and the shank 1 includes a plurality of positioning slots 13 defined in an outer surface thereof which can be a flat surface. The function head 11 includes a ratchet driving protrusion 111.
A retractable handle of the hand tool includes a first sleeve 2 mounted on the shank 1 and includes an aperture 21 defined through a wall thereof. A first groove 22 and a second groove 23 are respectively defined longitudinally in an inner periphery of the first sleeve 2. The aperture 21 communicates with the first groove 22. A positioning collar 3 is received in the first sleeve 2 and has a protrusion 31 and a ridge 32 extending from an outer periphery thereof. The protrusion 31 extends through the aperture 21 and the ridge 32 is slidably engaged with the second groove 23. The protrusion 31 of the positioning collar 3 is connected with a button 311 so that the positioning collar 3 is deformed inward by pushing the button 311.
A second sleeve 4 has a first end inserted into the first sleeve 2 and is mounted on the shank 1. By the second sleeve 4, the positioning collar 3 does not drop from the first sleeve 2. The second end of the second sleeve 4 has a stop flange 41 and a first engaging portion 42 defined in an inner periphery thereof. An end piece 12 is stopped by the stop flange 41 and connected to the other end of the shank 1. An end section 6 which has a longitudinal passage 61 defined therethrough and the shank 1 is inserted into the passage 61. A first end of an end section 6 has a second engaging portion 62 which is engaged with the first engaging portion 42. A grip 63 is connected to the second end of the end section 6.
A T-shaped biasing member 5 is a plate and two ends of the transverse section of the biasing member 5 are connected to the first and second sleeves 2, 4. A flexible tongue 51 extends from transverse section of the plate and presses the positioning portion 33 toward the shank 1 so that the positioning portion 33 of the positioning collar 3 is engaged with one of the positioning slots 13 of the shank 1.
Referring to
While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
