Patent Application
20210331300
The present invention relates generally to hand tools for applying torque to a work piece.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a quick-change head of a hand tool.
Hand tools, such as motorized ratchet wrenches and drivers, are commonly used in automotive, industrial, and household applications to tighten and untighten work pieces, such as threaded fasteners, and to apply a torque and/or angular displacement to a work piece, for example. Hand tools, such as power ratchets and drivers, generally include a motor contained in a housing, along with other components such as switches, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and a power source (e.g., battery), for example. Motorized hand tools also generally include a head driven by the motor to transfer torque to an engaged work piece. However, typically the head is coupled to the tool and is only adapted for a single size of sockets or bits, such as, for example, a ¼″ square drive ratchet lug. Accordingly, a different tool must be purchased if, for example, a ⅜″ square lug is required for a task. This requires multiple tools to be purchased, maintained, and transported to a worksite.
In addition, the head is typically oriented in a single position relative to the housing. This requires that the base must be held in a certain position so that the head can drive the work piece. However, if the work piece is located in a tight or difficult to reach environment, it may be difficult or impossible to hold the motorized hand tool in position to drive the work piece.
The present invention relates broadly to an interchangeable, indexable head of a tool that includes a partial turn-style locking mechanism to releasably couple the head to the base. The head and the base include cooperative tabs formed on one of the head and base portions that correspond to matching cooperative receiving grooves formed on the other of the head and base portions without the tabs. Ball detents are used to provide a bias force that retain the head portion to the base portion. The one of the head and base portions that includes the receiving grooves also includes detent pockets that the ball cooperatively engages. The tabs and receiving grooves allow the head portion to be oriented relative to the base portion based on the need of the user. This allows the ratchet to be indexed to a position that allows the tool to reach tight or difficult to reach environments. This also allows a single base tool to be used with a number of interchangeable heads for a number of tasks, instead of multiple tools. For example, an interchangeable head having a ¼″ square drive ratchet lug can be substituted with another interchangeable head having a ⅜″ square drive ratchet lug that is releasably coupled to the base, instead of requiring the use of a different tool.
In particular, the present invention broadly comprises a tool. The tool includes a housing assembly and a driver assembly coupled to the housing assembly and adapted to drive a work piece. The driver assembly includes a head portion indexably or rotatably coupled to a base portion. One of the head portion and the base portion includes tabs and the other of the head portion and the base portion includes corresponding grooves adapted to cooperatively receive the tabs to indexably/rotatably and releasably couple the head portion to the base portion.
In another embodiment, the present invention can further broadly comprise a driver assembly of a motorized ratchet tool adapted to drive a work piece that includes a base portion and a head portion rotatably coupled to the base portion. One of the head portion and the base portion includes tabs and the other of the head portion and the base portion includes corresponding grooves adapted to cooperatively receive the tabs. One of the head portion and the base portion includes detent balls biased outwardly by biasing members and the other of the head portion and the base portion includes corresponding detents adapted to respectively receive the detent balls.
In another embodiment, the present invention further broadly comprises a method of rotatably coupling a driver assembly of a tool. The method including aligning tabs disposed on one of a head portion of the driver assembly and a base portion of the driver assembly with correspondingly grooves formed in the other of the head portion and the base portion, rotating the head portion relative to the base portion, and aligning detent balls disposed on one of the head portion and the base portion with corresponding detents disposed on the other of the head portion and the base portion.
For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected, there are illustrated in the accompanying drawings embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the subject matter sought to be protected, its construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.
While the present invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail, embodiments of the invention, including a preferred embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the present invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to any one or more embodiments illustrated herein. As used herein, the term “present invention” is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but is instead used to discuss exemplary embodiments of the invention for explanatory purposes only.
The present invention broadly comprises a motorized hand tool, such as a motorized ratchet tool, with a housing and an interchangeable or releasably coupled head that allows the user to index the head in different orientations in relation to the housing. A single tool can thus be used with any number of interchangeable heads that perform a number of different tasks. The interchangeable head includes a partial turn-style locking mechanism to indexably/rotatably and releasably couple a head section to a base section. The interchangeable head enhances the ability of the tool to reach hard to access work pieces, compared to current solutions. In addition, the ability to remove and change the head of the tool allows a single tool to be able to perform a number of tasks without requiring additional tools.
Referring to
The driver assembly 104 is described with reference to
In an embodiment, the driver assembly 104 includes a head portion 108 and a base portion 110. A partial turn style locking mechanism may be used to indexably/rotatably and releasably couple the head portion 108 to the base portion 110. The head portion 108, being releasably coupled to the base portion 110, can be one interchangeable head of a number of interchangeable head portions that are capable of performing a number of different tasks. Accordingly, the base portion 110 can be used with any number of interchangeable head portions, thereby allowing a single base tool to be used for performing a number of tasks, instead of multiple tools. For example, one of the number of interchangeable heads can have a ¼″ square drive ratchet lug. If a task requires a ⅜″ square drive, another interchangeable head having a ⅜″ square drive ratchet lug can be releasably coupled to the base portion 110 instead of requiring the use of a different tool. Also, interchangeable heads with tool bits could be used as well (for example, flathead or Philips screwdriver bit).
The partial turn style locking mechanism includes tabs 112 extending outwardly from the head portion 108 in a radial direction. Corresponding grooves 124 are formed in the base portion 110 and adapted to receive the tabs 112. The grooves 124 are formed in an axial direction and a circumferentially along an interior surface of the base portion 110, as shown. In this example, three tabs 112 and three corresponding grooves 124 are shown, which allows the orientation of the head portion 108 to be indexed at three positions that are 120° apart in relation to the base portion 110. However, any number of tabs and grooves may be used. In another embodiment, not shown, the grooves 124 are formed in the head portion 108, and the base portion 110 includes the tabs 112.
The head portion 108 includes a number of detent balls 126. The detent balls 126 are biased outwardly by a biasing member, such as, for example, a spring. The detent balls 126 may be part of spring ball plungers that are press fit into the head portion 108, as shown in
In this embodiment, the tabs 112, grooves 124, detent balls 126, and detents 128 make up the partial turn style locking mechanism to indexably/rotatably and releasably couple the head portion 108 and the base portion 110 together. To couple the head portion 108 and the base portion 110 together, the tabs 112 are substantially aligned with the respective corresponding grooves 124 at a desired position and inserted in an axial direction into the base portion 110. The head portion 108 is then rotated relative to the base portion 110 until the tabs 112 reach ends 130 of the grooves 124, and/or the detent balls 126 are engaged with the corresponding detents 128, thereby releasably coupling the head portion 108 to the base portion 110. To uncouple the head portion 108 and the base portion 110, the method described above is reversed. For example, a rotational force is applied to the head portion 108 that is sufficient to disengage the detent balls 126 from the corresponding detents 128. The head portion 108 is rotated relative to the base portion 110 until the tabs 112 are able to be removed from the grooves 124 in an axial direction.
The driver assembly 104 includes a lug 114 adapted to engage a tool (e.g., socket or bit) to drive a work piece, for example, in a well-known manner. The lug 114 is operatively coupled to and driven by the motor 120 via a ratcheting mechanism (not shown) of the driver assembly 104.
The motor 120 can be, for example, an electric motor electrically coupled to the power source via the switch assembly. The power source can be external (e.g., an electrical wall outlet) or internal (e.g., a battery). The switch assembly can be adapted to cause the motor 120 to be turned ON and OFF, and/or change the rotational direction of the output of the motor 120 or speed of the motor 120. The switch assembly may include a switch 122, such as an actuation mechanism that employs a push button actuator or other type of actuator. Alternatively, the switch 122 can be a toggle actuator, a touch sensitive actuator, a slide actuator, or other suitable actuator or device.
Referring to
The second clamshell housing portion 118 may also include radial flange 138, a T-shaped protrusion 140 and/or one or more screw bosses 142 engaged with the radial flange slot 138. The one or more protrusion described above are intended to reduce parts count and eliminate the manufacturing steps that would otherwise be needed to install clamp nuts or screws dedicated to fastening the driver assembly to the clamshell housing. The disclosed tool 100 may be constructed with or without externally projecting clamp nuts or screws that could loosen and/or interfere with comfortable use of the tool.
As discussed above, the aspects of the present invention are described in terms of a motorized ratchet tool, as shown. However, it should be understood that aspects of the present invention could be implanted in other hand tools or implements. For example, and without limitation, the hand tool can be ratchet wrench, open wrench, screw driver, nut driver, or any other tool capable of applying torque to a work piece. The present invention allows for a single tool to be indexably coupled with a variety of interchangeable heads to save space and cost compared to the current art solutions.
As used herein, the term “coupled” can mean any physical, electrical, magnetic, or other connection, either direct or indirect, between two parties. The term “coupled” is not limited to a fixed direct coupling between two entities.
The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the broader aspects of the inventors' contribution. The actual scope of the protection sought is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.
