Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6513409
-
Patent Number
6,513,409
-
Date Filed
Friday, January 25, 200222 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, February 4, 200321 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
The present invention relates to a ratchet wrench structure including a wrench body, a ratchet wheel, a pawl member, and a control knob. The wrench body has a drive head formed with an operation space for receiving the ratchet wheel, a control space for receiving the control knob, a connecting space between the operation space and the control space for receiving the pawl member. The pawl member is provided with a control spring that is provided with a control ring. The control knob has a control rod is passed through the control ring of the control spring, for moving and displacing the control ring of the control spring.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ratchet wrench structure, and more particularly to a ratchet wrench structure which has a simple construction and may be processed easily.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional ratchet wrench structure in accordance with the prior art shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
comprises a wrench body
50
, a ratchet wheel
60
, a pawl member
70
, and a control knob
80
.
The wrench body
50
has a distal end formed with a drive head
52
. The drive head
52
of the wrench body
50
has a first side formed with an operation space
520
for receiving the ratchet wheel
60
and the pawl member
70
, and a second side formed with a control space
522
for receiving the control knob
80
. The operation space
520
of the drive head
52
of the wrench body
50
has a top portion formed with an annular flange
521
, and a bottom portion formed with a depression
523
. The operation space
520
of the drive head
52
of the wrench body
50
has a wall formed with a recess
529
. The drive head
52
of the wrench body
50
is formed with a screw hole
525
and a receiving hole
528
located in the control space
522
of the drive head
52
of the wrench body
50
.
The ratchet wheel
60
is mounted in the operation space
520
of the drive head
52
of the wrench body
50
, and has an outer wall formed with multiple ratchet teeth
62
. A snap ring
64
is secured in the depression
523
of the operation space
520
of the drive head
52
of the wrench body
50
, so that the ratchet wheel
60
may be retained in the operation space
520
of the drive head
52
of the wrench body
50
by the annular flange
521
and the snap ring
64
.
The pawl member
70
is pivotally mounted in the operation space
520
of the drive head
52
of the wrench body
50
, and has a first side formed with multiple engaging teeth
72
detachably meshing with the ratchet teeth
62
of the ratchet wheel
60
, and a second side formed with a recess
76
for receiving a first end of a spring
74
whose second end is received in the recess
529
of the operation space
520
of the drive head
52
of the wrench body
50
. The pawl member
70
is provided with two rods
78
.
The control knob
80
is rotatably mounted in the control space
522
of the drive head
52
of the wrench body
50
, and is formed with a control lever
81
for rotating the control knob
80
. The control knob
80
is formed with a slot
85
for receiving the two rods
78
of the pawl member
70
. A screw
87
is extended through a counterbore
82
formed in the control knob
80
, and is screwed into the screw hole
525
of the wrench body
50
. The control knob
80
is formed with multiple positioning holes
84
. A spring
86
is received in the receiving hole
528
of the wrench body
10
, for urging a ball
88
which may be positioned in one of the positioning holes
84
of the control knob
80
.
In operation, the control knob
80
may be rotated to turn the two rods
78
of the pawl member
70
, thereby pivoting the pawl member
70
, so that the engaging teeth
72
of the pawl member
70
may mesh with the ratchet teeth
62
of the ratchet wheel
60
, so as to rotate a workpiece.
However, such a conventional ratchet wrench structure has a very complicated construction, so that it cannot be processed easily. For example, the control knob
80
needs to be processed with a slot
85
, a counterbore
82
, and multiple positioning holes
84
, the pawl member
70
needs to processed with a recess
76
and two rods
78
, and the wrench body
50
needs to be processed with a recess
529
, a screw hole
525
and a receiving hole
528
. In addition, the spring
74
is easily detached from the recess
76
of the pawl member
70
and the recess
529
of the wrench body
50
, thereby jamming and failing the conventional ratchet wrench structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantage of the conventional ratchet wrench structure.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a ratchet wrench structure which has a simple construction, and may be processed easily.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a ratchet wrench structure which may be assembled and dismantled conveniently and easily.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a ratchet wrench structure, wherein the control spring is secured on the pawl member and retained by the control rod, so that the control spring may be positioned rigidly and stably without detachment.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a ratchet wrench structure, comprising: a wrench body, a ratchet wheel, a pawl member, and a control knob, wherein:
the wrench body has a distal end formed with a drive head, the drive head of the wrench body has a first side formed with an operation space for receiving the ratchet wheel, and a second side formed with a control space for receiving the control knob, the drive head of the wrench body is formed with a connecting space connected between the operation space and the control space for receiving the pawl member;
the ratchet wheel is mounted in the operation space of the drive head of the wrench body, and has an outer wall formed with multiple ratchet teeth;
the pawl member is pivotally mounted in the connecting space of the drive head of the wrench body, and has a first side and a second side, the first side of the pawl member is formed with multiple engaging teeth detachably meshing with the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel, a control spring has a first end secured to a center of the second side of the pawl member, and a second end provided with a control ring that is extended into the control space of the drive head of the wrench body; and
the control knob is rotatably mounted in the control space of the drive head of the wrench body, and has a side integrally formed or provided with a control lever for rotating the control knob, a control rod is eccentrically secured on a bottom of the control knob to rotate with the control knob, and is passed through the control ring of the control spring, for moving and displacing the control ring of the control spring.
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.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a ratchet wrench structure in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an exploded view of the ratchet wrench structure as shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a partially cut-away front plan cross-sectional view of the ratchet wrench structure as shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4
is a partially cut-away top plan cross-sectional view of the ratchet wrench structure as shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 5
is a schematic operational view of the ratchet wrench structure as shown in
FIG. 4
in use;
FIG. 6
is a schematic operational view of the ratchet wrench structure as shown in
FIG. 4
in use;
FIG. 7
is an exploded perspective view of a conventional ratchet wrench structure in accordance with the prior art; and
FIG. 8
is a partially cut-away front plan cross-sectional assembly view of the conventional ratchet wrench structure as shown in FIG.
7
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings and initially to
FIGS. 1-4
, a ratchet wrench structure in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a wrench body
10
, a ratchet wheel
20
, a pawl member
30
, and a control knob
40
.
The wrench body
10
has a distal end formed with a drive head
12
. The drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
has a first side formed with an operation space
120
for receiving the ratchet wheel
20
, and a second side formed with a control space
122
for receiving the control knob
40
. The drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
is also formed with a connecting space
124
connected between the operation space
120
and the control space
122
for receiving the pawl member
30
.
The operation space
120
of the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
has a top portion formed with an annular flange
121
, and a bottom portion formed with an annular depression
123
. The control space
122
of the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
has a wall formed with an annular snap groove
126
. The wrench body
10
is formed with multiple positioning holes
128
located adjacent to the control space
122
of the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
.
The ratchet wheel
20
is mounted in the operation space
120
of the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
, and has an outer wall formed with multiple ratchet teeth
22
. A substantially C-shaped snap ring
24
is secured in the annular depression
123
of the operation space
120
of the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
, so that the ratchet wheel
20
may be retained in the operation space
120
of the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
by the annular flange
121
and the snap ring
24
.
The pawl member
30
is pivotally mounted in the connecting space
124
of the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
, and has a first end
31
and a second end
33
, and has a first side and a second side. The first side of the pawl member
30
is formed with multiple engaging teeth
32
detachably meshing with the ratchet teeth
22
of the ratchet wheel
20
. A control spring
34
has a first end secured to a center of the second side of the pawl member
30
, and a second end provided with a control ring
36
that is extended into the control space
122
of the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
.
The control knob
40
having a circular shape is rotatably mounted in the control space
122
of the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
, and has a side integrally formed or provided with a control lever
41
for rotating the control knob
40
. A control rod
42
is eccentrically secured on a bottom of the control knob
40
to rotate with the control knob
40
, and is passed through the control ring
36
of the control spring
34
, for moving and displacing the control ring
36
of the control spring
34
.
The control lever
41
of the control knob
40
has a bottom formed with a receiving recess
44
for receiving an urging spring
46
and a positioning ball
48
. The positioning ball
48
may be moved by the control lever
41
of the control knob
40
to be positioned in one of the multiple positioning holes
128
of the wrench body
10
, thereby providing a temporary positioning effect to the control lever
41
of the control knob
40
.
The control knob
40
has a periphery formed with an annular retaining groove
43
. A substantially C-shaped retaining ring
45
is secured between the retaining groove
43
of the control knob
40
and the snap groove
126
of the control space
122
of the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
, for retaining the control knob
40
in the control space
122
of the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
.
In operation, referring to
FIGS. 4-6
with reference to
FIGS. 1-3
, the control lever
41
and the control rod
42
of the control knob
40
is initially in line with the control spring
34
of the pawl member
30
as shown in
FIG. 4
, so that the engaging teeth
32
of the pawl member
30
is disengaged from the ratchet teeth
22
of the ratchet wheel
20
. Thus, when the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
is rotated, the ratchet wheel
20
is not rotated with the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
, so that the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
idles.
The control lever
41
of the control knob
40
may be driven to move from the position as shown in
FIG. 4
to the position as shown in
FIG. 5
to rotate the control knob
40
which moves the control rod
42
which moves the control ring
36
which turns the control spring
34
which pivots the pawl member
30
, so that the engaging teeth
32
at the first end
31
of the pawl member
30
may mesh with the ratchet teeth
22
of the ratchet wheel
20
as shown in FIG.
5
.
Thus, when the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
is rotated clockwise, the ratchet wheel
20
may be rotated with the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
to rotate a workpiece clockwise. When the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
is rotated counterclockwise, the ratchet wheel
20
is not rotated with the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
, so that the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
idles. Thus, the ratchet wheel
20
may be rotated with the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
to rotate clockwise only.
Alternatively, the control lever
41
of the control knob
40
may be driven to move from the position as shown in
FIG. 4
to the position as shown in
FIG. 6
to rotate the control knob
40
which moves the control rod
42
which moves the control ring
36
which turns the control spring
34
which pivots the pawl member
30
, so that the engaging teeth
32
at the second end
33
of the pawl member
30
may mesh with the ratchet teeth
22
of the ratchet wheel
20
as shown in FIG.
6
.
Thus, when the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
is rotated counterclockwise, the ratchet wheel
20
may be rotated with the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
to rotate a workpiece counterclockwise. When the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
is rotated clockwise, the ratchet wheel
20
is not rotated with the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
, so that the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
idles. Thus, the ratchet wheel
20
may be rotated with the drive head
12
of the wrench body
10
to rotate counterclockwise only.
Accordingly, the ratchet wrench structure of the present invention has a simple construction, and may be processed easily. In addition, the ratchet wrench structure may be assembled and dismantled easily and conveniently. Further, the control spring
34
is secured on the pawl member
30
and retained by the control rod
42
, so that the control spring
34
may be positioned rigidly and stably without detachment.
While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Such modifications are all within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
- 1. A ratchet wrench structure, comprising: a wrench body, a ratchet wheel, a pawl member, and a control knob, wherein:the wrench body has a distal end formed with a drive head, the drive head of the wrench body has a first side formed with an operation space for receiving the ratchet wheel, and a second side formed with a control space for receiving the control knob, the drive head of the wrench body is formed with a connecting space connected between the operation space and the control space for receiving the pawl member; the ratchet wheel is mounted in the operation space of the drive head of the wrench body, and has an outer wall formed with multiple ratchet teeth; the pawl member is pivotally mounted in the connecting space of the drive head of the wrench body, and has a first side and a second side, the first side of the pawl member is formed with multiple engaging teeth detachably meshing with the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel, a control spring has a first end secured to a center of the second side of the pawl member, and a second end provided with a control ring that is extended into the control space of the drive head of the wrench body; and the control knob is rotatably mounted in the control space of the drive head of the wrench body, and has a side integrally formed or provided with a control lever for rotating the control knob, a control rod is eccentrically secured on a bottom of the control knob to rotate with the control knob, and is passed through the control ring of the control spring, for moving and displacing the control ring of the control spring.
- 2. The ratchet wrench structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control space of the drive head of the wrench body has a wall formed with an annular snap groove, the control knob has a periphery formed with an annular retaining groove, and the ratchet wrench structure further comprises a retaining ring is secured between the retaining groove of the control knob and the snap groove of the control space of the drive head of the wrench body, for retaining the control knob in the control space of the drive head of the wrench body.
- 3. The ratchet wrench structure in accordance with claim 2, wherein the retaining ring is substantially C-shaped.
- 4. The ratchet wrench structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control lever of the control knob has a bottom formed with a receiving recess for receiving an urging spring and a positioning ball.
- 5. The ratchet wrench structure in accordance with claim 4, wherein the wrench body is formed with multiple positioning holes located adjacent to the control space of the drive head of the wrench body, and the positioning ball may be moved by the control lever of the control knob to be detachably positioned in one of the multiple positioning holes of the wrench body, thereby providing a temporary positioning effect to the control lever of the control knob.
US Referenced Citations (2)
| Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
|
5957009 |
McCann |
Sep 1999 |
A |
|
6164167 |
Chen |
Dec 2000 |
A |
